“Not sure. Could be a few minutes. Could be a few hours.” Rafe tried not to let the question build anxiety in his throat.
“Well, hurry up.” Davis pushed off the wall and moved toward the window.
Rafe scowled as he followed Davis’s gaze. He didn’t need the extra pressure clogging his brain and making him miss something. Ice chilled his hands as he looked past Davis. The building storm on the horizon registered in his brain.
“Davis, get everything ready. There’s gear in the basement, the farthest door on the north side. We’ll take the speedboat.” Rafe turned back to the screen with renewed urgency. “At least with a storm brewing, he won’t be able to fly.”
“On it.” Davis dashed out of the room, his pounding footsteps fading to silence.
The wind beat against the window, mocking Rafe’s lack of foresight. They could have gotten this jerk days ago if Rafe hadn’t had tunnel vision. He jammed the return key and sat back as the program began cycling.
He pressed the heel of his hands against his eyes. He thought back to the few instances the drummer had even said anything. Rafe hadn’t picked up on vibes from him when they’d all come to the house. Of course, Rafe’s desire to rip Chet, the over-amorous guitarist’s fingers off might have clouded his reasoning. Then when Chet had pushed too far in New York, Elias had seemed like a concerned friend, not a psycho-stalker.
Derrick stomped into the room, pulling on a tactical jacket. “Dude, the reason you didn’t find anything is because there’s nothing there.” He rolled his shoulders, like he needed to contain his energy from bursting. “He’s just been bouncing from place to place, picking up gigs since he got out of high school.”
Rafe stood and paced to the window, not able to sit still any longer. “What about his parents?”
“Mom’s a housewife. Dad’s some bigwig professor at MIT.” Derrick ran a hand over his shaved head. “If he hurts our Piper …”
Rafe wouldn’t be able to find forgiveness from his sins if Elias hurt Piper. The things Rafe would do to the man would buy Rafe a one-way ticket to hell. If Elias hurt Piper, or worse—Rafe shook his head. He couldn’t let that thought in.
Rafe grabbed onto the one bit of information that gave any indication how Elias could accomplish what he’d done. “What did his dad teach?”
“He’s the head of the Electrical Engineering and Computer Science department.” Derrick crossed his arms, never one to be interested too much in brains, as much as brawn. He never understood why someone would want to sit in front of a computer all day when they could be outside using their muscles.
“So, Elias must’ve learned to program from his dad.” Rafe turned to the clouds that had darkened to almost black. “His dad, the freaking head of computer science at MIT.”
Rafe’s ribs closed in on his lungs, making it difficult to breathe. This guy wasn’t just some clown who tinkered with computers on the weekends. What if Elias somehow hid his trail? What if Rafe couldn’t piggyback on the signal and track the tracker?
Rafe’s head spun, and he placed his hand on the glass to steady himself. What if he never found Piper? A lancing pain jabbed in his stomach and sliced up to his heart. There wouldn’t be life without her.
Twenty-Two
“Well, it looks like we’re stuck here for a while.” Elias’s words snaked into Piper’s head as she groaned in pain.
She’d tried to ignore Elias. How could it be him? He’d hardly ever talked to her after he’d first approached her while Chloe was playing in a local bar. He hadn’t gushed or built himself up when he asked about joining Chloe’s band. He’d simply handed her his business card and explained that he’d been watching for a while and wanted to be a part of what was sure to be a success. She shivered at the memory. Just how long had he been watching?
Her head pounded like the stormy waves against the shore. He’d tied her arms to the headboard, stretching them above her head and making her muscles burn. Her body hurt in so many places she’d stopped cataloging the pain.
The sound of tape ripping popped her eyes open. Elias tore a piece of duct tape from the roll with his teeth and placed it on the plastic covering the window. He smiled over at her. The look slithered a thousand snakes down her spine.
“Hopefully that keeps the storm out. It’s supposed to be a doozy. Possibly turn into a hurricane.” Elias chuckled, looking embarrassed. “I guess it would be a typhoon since we’re in the South Pacific.”
She didn’t care one flying fig what the weather was called. The easy conversation churned her stomach. If she timed it right, maybe she could vomit on him. She couldn’t get untied the way she was, but she could still make things miserable for him.
She stared at the dried blood under his nose and on his chin. Her lip lifted in a smile that probably bordered on a sneer. She hoped his broken nose pounded pain into his skull. Was it sinful to feel satisfaction at causing him even a little hurt? She closed her eyes so she couldn’t see him. She didn’t care if it was or not. If she got the chance, she’d smash his nose again, break other bones as well.
“Why don’t we get you cleaned up?” Something in Elias’s tone raised the hair on her neck.
“I’m fine.” She choked out.
“No, baby. You cut yourself on the window ledge.” His use of a nickname made her shiver. “I don’t want it to get infected.”
“How … how did you find us?” Maybe if she kept him talking, he wouldn’t touch her.
He shrugged as he wet a washrag with water from a bottle, scrubbed the blood off of his face, and rinsed the rag out. “Easy. I just followed the tracking device.”
“Tracking device? How … when …”
“You’re adorable when you’re confused.” His normal expression, like a doting boyfriend, had her head spinning.
He was supposed to be harmless. He’d always been just the guy who showed up for practice and didn’t say much. Even when they’d all hang out or traveled for a gig, he kept to himself, mostly reading a book or watching funny videos on the internet. She’d sat next to him unknown hours, watching clips he’d show her and enjoying companionable silence. He’d never given her a clue he liked her … especially to this extreme.
“I gave you the tracking device months ago.”
“Gave me?” Her stomach quivered.
“Yeah. I couldn’t believe you kept my business card all this time.” Elias shook his head as he ran his hand through his hair. “I mean, I knew it was a gamble. Figured I’d have to get another one on you somehow, but you kept it.”
He smiled at her like she’d just given him a puppy and told him he’d won a million dollars. She shivered. He’d been keeping tabs on her that long? Had known where she was every moment of every day for months?
“How do you even know how to do that kind of stuff?”
“Genes, I guess. My dad’s a computer genius. I started messing with them when I was like two. Watched a spy movie once and became fascinated with the gadgets they used.” He wrung out the rag, stepped close, and kneeled in front of her stomach. “I’ve made quite a little fortune selling my tracking devices on the black market. Gives me the ability to follow my dream of music. Let me find you.”
As he pulled up the hem to her shirt and reached the cloth to her stomach, she caved away from him. The bindings kept her from going far. She couldn’t have him touching her. A whimper escaped as his eyebrows furrowed. She swallowed next when he licked his lips and his skin flushed. She needed to be strong and figure out how to get out of this. How to fight.
“I know this will sting, my love, but it has to be done. Then, after the storm, we’ll leave for my place I’ve got hidden away where we can be together, just the two of us, forever.”
The words steeled her spine and heated her chest in anger.
He didn’t love her.
Didn’t know what that word meant.
Love didn’t slink behind corners and peek through windows. Love didn’t force and hurt for one’s own pleasure
. Love strengthened you, like Rafe’s had done for her. It healed and helped, like hers had for Rafe. She refused to let Elias force her to do anything. She’d fight with all she had until he got sick of her and left her to die. The thought of death iced through her stomach, but the thought of life without Rafe would be an endless blizzard.
Yet, what could she do tied like she was? She looked at Elias’s face, and her lips pressed tight together. She’d gotten him good when she’d whacked him with her elbow. One eyebrow lifted and her mouth turned up slightly at the corner. Served him right.
“Elias?” Her voice shook as she said his name.
He tore his gaze from her exposed stomach, a crease slashing down his forehead. “What?”
Piper cleared her throat. “Please, let me go.”
He sat up straighter. “No.”
She bit her bottom lip, and his gaze darted to her mouth. His eyes widened, and he rubbed the back of his hand across his mouth. She really was going to throw up.
“Piper.” His voice dipped low and gravelly.
She looked away so she wouldn’t have to see his face. She pushed herself toward the headboard so her arms bent in front of her face. It didn’t give her much movement, but hopefully it’d be enough if he tried something.
She took a deep breath. His gaze moved to her chest, and her stomach twisted. Please, just leave me alone.
“I’d … I’d like to kiss you, see if my daydreams were right or not.” His voice trembled with anticipation.
She shook her head. His breath came out fast as he scrambled to kneel in front of her. With a shaking hand, he brushed away the hair that had fallen across her cheek. Goosebumps spread across her skin, and she hid her face in disgust.
He forced her face toward him and rubbed his thumb over her bottom lip. “I’ve been dreaming about this for months.”
She pressed her lips together. He leaned toward her, his hand pushing into her hair. He groaned low in his throat when he was an inch away. The sound hardened her resolve to fight.
She clamped her elbows around his head and bit down on his nose. Salty blood gushed in her mouth, but she held on. She cringed at his anguished squeal. His fingers ripping at her hair and his cursing bolstered her to push past the remorse she felt for hurting him. How could she feel guilty after all that he’d done?
His punch to the side of her face caused her to gasp and let go of his nose. He stumbled backward, falling against the table. He touched shaking hands to his face and stared at his blood-covered fingers. His neck corded as he looked at her. She spit the blood from her mouth and lifted her chin.
His lips pulled back to bare bloodied teeth. He tipped his head back and released a scream so primal her muscles convulsed and tears sprang to her eyes. As he barreled toward her, she readied to lift her legs and defend herself.
Twenty-Three
Rafe jumped onto the beach, his legs wobbling underneath him after the wild ride through stormy waters. He steeled them and took off for the shack on the beach. He’d found her faster than he’d ever hoped.
The tiny island, not even ten klicks from Zeke’s, had been easy enough to locate, even in the nasty weather. He’d wanted to dive into the churning sea and swim to her the instant he saw the small shanty tucked in the palm trees. He suppressed the urge, barely.
He dashed up the beach, not waiting for Davis or Derrick. The storm drove hard on his face. It pushed against him as if wanting to keep him from Piper. At least it would hide their approach. The wind screeched, standing all his hairs on end. They’d have to leave fast, or they might have to weather the storm here.
Fifty feet. Fifty feet and then he’d have her safely in his arms. A primal howl hit him and dropped a boulder of ice into his stomach. Piper!
He pushed harder.
Stretched his stride longer.
Another roar had his fingers going numb. He darted a glance behind him. Davis and Derrick struggled with mooring the boat against the beating of the building storm. Rafe wasn’t waiting.
The door swung against the metal siding as Rafe kicked it open. His heartbeat pounded in his ears and vision tunneled to Piper on the bed with her legs wrapped around Elias’s neck in a choke hold as he struck her in the thigh, attempting to loosen her hold. She had squeezed her eyes shut like she didn’t want to watch what she was having to do.
Rafe lunged into the room, grabbed Elias’s hand as he swung it for another punch, and threw him across the small space.
Piper’s eyes flew open. “Rafe.”
Her rigid body sagged into the filthy bed. His hands shook as he reached for Piper. Blood covered her head and body.
“Piper?” He touched her shoulder, and she sobbed.
His breath rushed out of him. She was alive. Now to get her out of here. He flipped his knife out and cut the ties on her wrists that had rubbed raw and were bleeding.
Scrambling sounded behind him and he turned to see Elias struggling to his feet with a knife in his hand. “She’s mine.”
Davis yelled from the door and rushed into the room. Rafe turned back to Piper as the sound of a fist impacting flesh filled the room. The clang of the knife skidding across the floor soon followed.
She had curled into a ball and covered her face with her hand, another muffled sob choking out from behind her fingers. He wanted to pull her into his arms and bawl right along with her. The amount of blood covering her and the need to see to her injuries pushed the feeling aside.
“Oh, Piper.” He slid his hand along her arm. “Where are you hurt?”
“Not mine.” Her words sagged his body in to the floor. “Elias.”
He glanced back to where Davis beat a cowering Elias. “Come on. We need to get you out of here.”
Her eyes widened as she glanced around him toward the scuffle. “Davis, no.”
She winced as she tried to get off the bed. Rafe placed an arm around her, but she pushed him away.
“Please, stop him.” Piper’s pleading burned hot in his stomach.
Rafe didn’t want to stop Davis. He would be fine with his friend beating the sicko to a pulp. Piper went to stand and wobbled back to the ground.
“Please.” She sobbed.
Rafe stood just as Derrick charged into the shack.
“We have a problem. The storm’s too big to keep the boat moored,” Derrick rushed out between breaths.
Rafe pointed to Davis with his chin. “Get him.”
Derrick clapped Davis on the shoulder and pulled him away from Elias. “He’s done, man.”
Davis shook off Derrick and lunged for Elias.
“Davis, no,” Piper hollered, stumbling toward him.
Davis’s shoulders and chest rose and fell as he sucked in air. His face contorted in anguish when he looked at Piper.
“Please, let’s just go.” Piper grabbed onto Rafe’s arm. “I want to go.”
Rafe scooped her into his arms and stomped out of the shanty. Derrick could deal with Davis and Elias. He was getting Piper to the boat.
The boat bobbed precariously in the ocean. The rope tying it to the shore stretched to its max. He waded into the raging water and lifted her carefully over the boat’s side. She was crawling to the seat at the back of the boat when he pulled himself in.
He scooped her up and settled her on his lap. Her sobs as she buried her face into his neck ripped his heart apart. Derrick came out of the shack with Elias thrown over his shoulder. Elias wouldn’t be able to hurt Piper again. Rafe would make sure of that.
He closed his lids against the stinging in his eyes and tightened his arms around Piper. She gripped his shirt in her hand and curled her body around his as if worried he’d disappear. Not a chance. He wasn’t ever letting her go again.
Twenty-Four
Back at the beach house, Piper stared at herself in the mirror of her bathroom. She shouldn’t have wiped the steam off the smooth glass. Shouldn’t have looked, but just crawled into bed. She’d had to see what she looked like—had to pile more heartache
on to the day.
The instant her gaze hit the angry cut across her forehead, the last few hours came rushing in, bombarding her with fear and pain. She tore her eyes from the ugly cut and stared herself down in the mirror. She didn’t have to let the fear win.
“You fought.” Her whisper wasn’t very convincing.
It hadn’t been a smart move, biting Elias like she had. All it’d done was enrage him. But she couldn’t just let him do what he had wanted, either.
A shiver raced up her skin still hot from the long shower.
“Piper, honey, are you okay?” Rafe’s question through the closed door jolted her.
“Yeah.” She closed her eyes to the tremble in her voice. She wasn’t okay, not by far.
She heard a soft thunk against the door, and when he spoke next, the clear sound made her wonder if his head leaned against the wood. “I need …” He cleared his throat. “I need to look at your cuts. I … I don’t want them to get infected.”
Why was she so hesitant to leave this room? She wanted Rafe, wanted his arms around her, telling her everything was okay. Yet, Elias was out there somewhere in the house. Come on, Piper. She shook her head. How could she fly back to the states with him in the plane when she couldn’t muster enough courage to leave the bathroom?
Filling her lungs with air, though the motion hurt, she reached a shaking hand and turned the knob. Rafe straightened from where he leaned against the doorjamb. He’d showered and changed, but his hair stuck out in all directions. His eyebrows pinched together as he reached for her hand.
He swallowed and looked away from her. “Come on. Let me take a peek at those two cuts.”
Her legs trembled as he pulled her into the bedroom. Would she ever feel stable again, or would her insides always resemble pudding? Her knees gave out as she neared the bed, and she flopped more than sat on the edge of it.
Rafe kneeled before her and cleaned the wound on her head with peroxide. He cringed when she hissed and blew on the jagged cut like her mom had when she was little. The cut wasn’t deep, but still made her stomach turn with pain.
Discovering Rafe Page 14