“You screwed Reno for six months?”
“No. I mean, yes.”
I roared to the ceiling. I’d watched Reno take his last breath two months ago. It had taken Viper that long to tell me about the affair. It all made sense now. Reno’s last apology. “I’m sorry, man.” He’d been talking about his affair with my wife. If he hadn’t been killed in battle I would have beaten the shit out of him.
“So let me get this straight. You fucked my friend. I attempted to save his life while watching him slip away. I grieved for him. I’m still grieving. And this whole time you’ve carried your little secret, pretending to be the supportive wife, comforting me when I lost it? Holding me when I needed you to? What? Are you glad he died so you could escape getting found out?”
My head exploded. My thoughts scattered.
“No! It wasn’t like that. I grieved too!”
“I bet. If Viper hadn’t told me, you would have carried it to your grave.”
“I wanted to tell you. So many times. But you suffered when you came back from battle. Your demons changed you. The nightmares and mood swings. I just didn’t want to add to that.”
“Spare me the favors, okay?” I screamed.
She shrank away and took a step back.
“I loved you. I fucking loved you and you made a mockery of it!”
“Please!” she begged. “We can get through this. I don’t want to lose you.”
Laughing, I choked out, “You lost me when you took your clothes off for someone I trusted with my life.”
Unable to stay in the same room with her, I called over my shoulder, “I want you and all your stuff gone when I get back. Leave the key on the table and lock the door on your way out.”
She cried out, “I’m sorry!” as I slammed the door.
I was startled by Viper shaking me. My reality changed back to the passenger seat inside a car. He was in my face. “Hey. Man. Snap out of it! It’s me. You’re okay!”
What the hell? My eyes focused on my worried friend.
“Where were you? You spaced out on me!”
We’d pulled over onto the road shoulder.
“I remember.”
“You remember? All of it?”
“No. I remember the moment I confronted Trudy about her affair with Reno. You confessed everything to me.”
Falling back into his seat, he exhaled long and loud. “I’m sorry, bro. That’s twice I’ve had to do that to you. The second time proved no easier.”
“I’m glad you did. I needed to know who I married. If Reno hadn’t died, they’d probably still be screwing each other.”
“Let it go, man. It’s in the past. I know it seems like it’s still fresh because of your memory loss, but you got over it. You got over her.”
“She told me we were in the process of getting back together.”
“Lies. All lies,” he snapped.
“You didn’t like Trudy, did you?”
“Something about her rubbed me the wrong way.” He eased the car forward again.
Obviously I’d been too blind to see it. Too in love. Too trusting.
Mac wouldn’t do that to me. Trudy and she were nothing alike.
“Maybe I should trust your instincts,” I offered Viper.
“You always did.”
Arriving on the fringes of Detroit, a shiver wrapped around me. Forewarning? I couldn’t be sure, but I knew one thing. I felt Mac. Some weird sensory thing I’d woken up with. Viper had been correct in his assumption about coming here. I needed to reassure myself he’d get her out alive.
His cell rang, so we swerved to the curb so he could answer it.
“Intel?” he offered curtly. “Yep. Roger that.”
He disconnected and hit the gas. “One of the CCTV cameras picked up the vehicle a few hours ago driving past the Institute of Arts Museum. They’ve still got to get their hands on more footage throughout the city that may be available. It’s a start.”
Thank God. It appeared we were taking small baby steps, but at least we were moving forward. I needed to know Mac wasn’t hurt. Everything could change in a second.
The dash clock read twelve a.m.
We’d do a drive around before hitting the hotel. See if we could figure out any likely places some radical extremists might take a hostage. Or maybe by some miracle, spot something suspicious.
I’d stashed five thousand dollars cash in the false bottom of my duffel bag for living expenses and emergencies. Viper had some money too, so we were set financially. I didn’t want to be in Detroit any longer than a few days, because each day that passed lowered Mac’s chances of survival.
There were still plenty of people out and about driving as we continued along Michigan Avenue.
It would be easier to spot potential trouble or threats once we turned off the main road into town and scoured the side streets. Fingers crossed we’d get a more direct location of the vehicle before the night ended. We had to. I’d be a mess by morning. I could feel myself only just holding together by a frayed thread that could break at any moment.
I didn’t know what we expected to find by driving past the Arts Museum, but we did it anyway before turning off and weaving our way around the maze of downtown.
“Hungry?” asked Viper.
“You want food?” How could he eat? My gut felt like someone fisted it. Then again, Viper didn’t have his woman’s life at stake. “Nah, man. I’m good. I could use a coffee though. I need to remain vigilant.”
“You’re gonna need sleep, you know that, right?”
Sleep wouldn’t be happening until we found Mac. Coffee would be my savior until then.
“Not happening.” I looked sideways for him to push it further but he kept quiet with just a nod of his head.
“I guess at this time of night, McDonalds coffee it is.”
“You come to Detroit often?” I still didn’t remember much about my best friend. He appeared to know his way around the city.
“I’ve been here enough times to know where I’m going.” He smiled at me and swerved to miss a pedestrian.
“All right then. McDonalds it is.”
Quite frankly I didn’t care where I got caffeine from, as long as it wired me.
My eyes scoped as many of the streets as possible, but to no avail.
With a double-shot tall black, my fatigue waned, allowing me to focus. Viper had been quiet the whole time, hopefully because he’d been concentrating.
“You get anything?” I asked.
“No. I think we’re wasting our time. Let’s head to the hotel and wait.”
The idea of being cooped up within four walls already had claustrophobia clawing at me. Waiting meant we weren’t doing. Doing meant we were at least attempting to find Mac.
What I’d give to have her in my arms right now. I’d forego my memories forever if she could be here sitting beside me. Safe.
She shouldn’t have gone to work. We should have taken her to a safe house. The break-in at her apartment had been a warning we should have heeded. But hindsight only proved to be a bitch. She had gone to work. She had been abducted. Now we had to deal with it.
“Fine,” I ground out. My rigid jaw ached from gnashing my teeth together. And my neck and shoulders had stiffened to the point of pain.
Once we’d checked in and unloaded our bags, money, and weaponry, Viper made a call to get an update while I took a hot shower to try and loosen my tense muscles.
The cutting spray merely stung instead of relaxing me, so I washed myself, including my hair, and got out to see if anything new had developed.
Viper handed me his cell as soon as I appeared in the living room of the two bedroom suite.
My brows lifted in question, but he didn’t reply, so I took the phone. “Hello?”
“Dec?”
Trudy. Tired of correcting her, I answered with a simple, “Yeah.”
“Where are you? What’s going on?” She sounded frantic, although I couldn’t understand why, cons
idering what I’d learned about her affair with Reno.
“I’m…uh…on an assignment.” I didn’t want to let her know Mac had been kidnapped. “Why do you ask?”
“I’ve been to your apartment, Viper’s, and Mac’s. There’s nowhere else you would have gone, so I got worried. For a moment, I thought…”
She trailed off, knowing I’d been a target for a homicide.
I felt like being an asshole to her as the gravity of everything cut the ragged cord my nerves hung by. “You thought what, Trudy? You thought you’d come and apologize about the affair you had with Reno that I recently found out about for the second time, and everything would go back to being normal? What did you actually think?”
Viper’s smirk widened at my tone. He already disliked my ex-wife, so I imagine he reveled in my curtness.
A gasp on the other end of the line stamped some satisfaction on my heart. “Dec. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean for it to happen.”
“Nah. Cheaters never do. You lied to me. And not only about that. You told me we’d been trying to work things out!” My voice rose as anger, heated my blood.
“I’ve never stopped loving you. We were married. We took vows. Till death do us part. I wanted to try and get back what we had.”
“Woman, you’re delusional if you ever thought that would happen. As much as I don’t recall what happened, I’m telling you now. It’s over. I don’t feel anything for you. Pity maybe.” I wanted to hang the fuck up on her. Quiet sobs echoed through the phone.
“Listen, I’m busy. I gotta go…”
“Wait! I didn’t call to discuss our relationship. I called to let you know your mom contacted me, asking about you.”
Christ. I’d forgotten all about my mother in light of the situation at hand. I’d planned on paying her a visit, but that would have to wait now. Should I call her? Perhaps that would be the best alternative until I could take Mac with me for support. Not tonight though.
“What did you tell her?”
“I told her you’d only just got back from your mission and you’d be in touch shortly.”
Changing the cell to my other ear, I nodded at Viper as he handed me a glass of whiskey, knowing what I needed. Taking it, I downed a long swig before replying.
At least she hadn’t mentioned my shooting. “Thank you. I’m glad you didn’t mention anything about me almost dying. As much as I don’t remember her, I could only imagine what she would go through if she knew.” I wasn’t a total robot. I still had emotions that were fully functional. While I had lost all respect for the woman on the other end of the line, I was happy she’d used her head.
“So when are you coming home?” she asked.
“Home?”
“Back to Ann Arbor.”
I didn’t care for her asking me that. She didn’t get to show me she cared at all after screwing my friend. I’d have it out with her at a later date. Not tonight. Jesus. I had more important things to think about. “Not sure. When this assignment is finished. Needing to end the call, I abruptly offered, “I’ve gotta go. Don’t call me. I’ll call you.”
I didn’t wait for her reply, but pressed the ‘end call’ button and handed Viper his cell.
“What did she want?”
“She couldn’t get a hold of me to let me know my mother called.”
His face softened at the mention of my mother. “You should call her.”
Walking to the sofa with my whiskey, I sat heavily, throwing my feet on the coffee table. “I know. I can’t deal with that right now until we find Mac. I promise I’ll call her. Hell, I’ll visit her once we get home.”
I heard him sigh out. “She’s a good woman and worries about you.”
Looking up from my drink, his expression spoke volumes. “You love her, don’t you?”
He moved to sit beside me. “She’s been like a mom to me since my parents died. You’re lucky.”
Curious, I asked, “What happened to your parents?”
He glanced away and then back, his jaw set. “Truck hit their vehicle head on.”
Shit. “So sorry, man.”
He shrugged. “Don’t worry about it. For what it’s worth, you came to the funeral. They both loved you.”
Damn. I’d been so wrapped up in my own life, I hadn’t asked questions about Viper’s.
“That must be shitty. To lose both at once.” Even if I can’t remember my Mom, I know she’s alive.
My heart went out to him. I should have known such personal information. I shouldn’t have been hearing it for the first time. I felt like the worst friend. “Man. I don’t know what to say. I can’t begin to imagine what you’ve endured. What frustrates me even more is the fact I have no knowledge of any of it.”
“Yeah, well. Sometimes I wish I had no memory of it.” He finished his own coffee and set it on the coffee table.
Viper’s regular cell pealed out. The one not connected to the military. He shot me a quick look and answered it.
“Hello? No. I said we’d let you know if we found anything. We’re waiting on intel. We are doing everything we can to find her.” My friend had tensed further at the person on the other end. “Look, I really gotta go. You need to let us do what we do best. We’ll call you as soon as we hear anything.”
He hung up.
I looked at him questioningly.
Glancing at me, he offered, “Charlotte.”
“She’s just worried.”
“I know, but she better not keep calling me every few hours, I swear.” Standing, he asked, “You want a drink from the mini bar?”
“Nah, man, I’m good. Why don’t you go get some sleep?”
“Shouldn’t you be doing that too?”
“Should, but can’t. I’ll camp here on the sofa for the night. I want to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.”
He clapped me on the back. “Good to have you back, man. Even if you’re not totally back.”
Raising my eyes to his height, I smiled. “It’s good to be here and even if I don’t know much, I do know you’ve always had my back.”
“Amen, brother. That’ll never change.”
Obviously deciding against alcohol, he turned and strode down the hallway and closed his bedroom door, leaving me alone to wonder just how the hell we were going to rescue Mac from the worst kind of criminals.
Chapter Twelve
Mac
His hands on me were repulsive enough, but when they progressed to ripping my shirt open and raping my breasts, I’d had enough.
Screaming out and thrashing my body from side to side, moving the chair slightly, I fought for whatever dignity remained. If he took from me what wasn’t on offer, I would make it hard for him.
“Get off me, asshole!” I let loose with everything I had, spittle pooling at the corners of my mouth. I’d never been so angry or scared. I needed Harley to come barging through the door to save me, but as each second ticked by, the chances slimmed greatly.
Did he even know I’d been taken from Ann Arbor? And what about the search? Had it begun? If so, it would be in the wrong area.
I didn’t have time to ponder any more questions when a fist to my jaw snapped me back to Hades. My face jarred, darkness blocking my vision temporarily. When it returned, the manic face of my attacker hovered close. His black, deranged eyes bored into me with hatred like I’d never seen. A hand clamped around my neck, essentially narrowing my airways.
“You bitch! You do as I say! There is no escape. Fight again and you die!”
I didn’t doubt it. I danced with the devil. My life may not be worth as much as I thought. Using me to lure Harley may fail, but they’d have a plan B. Without me, they’d find another way.
The thought made me pull my head in. Fighting might be good in theory, but in actuality it would only hasten my death. I’d need to play along and be a good little hostage for now.
Staring into the depths of depravity, I attempted a nod. His grip on my throat loosened, changing my focus to my che
ek. It smarted and throbbed, probably already swelling and bruising. The skin under my eye felt puffy.
Harley, where are you? Please! You have to save me. Find a way. I need you. I saved you. Now it’s your turn to save me.
I let the prayer hover in the thick air.
My captor let me go and took a step back, never removing his gaze. I memorized every line and angle of his face should I need to describe him, in the event my rescuers came.
Any light outside had long since faded, a dusky bulb casting a weak glow across the large, sparse room.
I really needed to pee, so I tried my luck a second time.
“Bathroom. I need to use the bathroom,” I pleaded, hoping against all odds he’d take pity on me so he didn’t have so smell my urine if he denied my request.
Drawing his gun, which had been tucked into the waistband of his pants, he aimed it at my head.
“Try anything stupid and I shoot. Understand?”
I did. Grateful I’d be able to relieve myself, I replied, “Yes.” My voice sounded off with the swelling of my face. My teeth hurt too. Maybe he’d loosened some.
Still with the gun trained at my temple, he began to attempt to loosen the ropes with one hand. When that didn’t work, he placed the gun on the floor beside the chair. I wondered if I’d be brave enough to take the opportunity when he loosened the bindings of grabbing the gun and shooting him. Would I get another opportunity? Should I be so stupid as to try after my last attempt? Playing the obedient hostage wouldn’t get me free.
Aargh. I didn’t know what to do.
Feeling the rope around my chest loosen and drop to the floor, instinct told me to remain seated and obey until told otherwise. If there wasn’t a gun involved, I’d attempt to escape. I couldn’t risk failing at my attempt or I had no doubt he’d shoot me.
“Get up!” he barked.
Rising, my legs groaned as my joints protested. My butt had gone numb and it took me a second to move forward. The gun retrained on my skull, so I grimaced through the pain and let him push me toward the door. A door leading to the outside world.
The Lost and Found Series Page 24