I just hoped he’d save Joaquin and let him live out his life.
I held my tears at bay. I needed to stay sharp and use my head. I remembered Dakota’s advice. Keep fighting. Flushing the toilet, I turned on the water to wash my hands.
I stepped out, a renewed determination to protect myself, which I knew would more than likely be futile against strong men and guns. I took a quick look down the hall speculating which bedroom Gloria was passed out in.
“Let’s go,” the man said. “She’ll be out for a while.”
My gait wobbly, I stood in the center of the room, pretending to look out the dark window, while my thoughts spun around haphazardly. I wondered what exactly Gloria had done to make them drug her again. Would they do the same to me?
“What’s this about?” I asked Sparrow as he continued looking at the computer display. I moved cautiously nearer and noticed that he had some type of map up on the screen. A red light was blinking and I wondered who or what it was that he was monitoring.
“To teach the both of you a lesson,” Sparrow said, his tongue darting out to lick the corner of his mouth, which was dry and cracked. He didn’t look me in the eye and that’s when I knew that one or possibly both of us may not return home.
I reached out to steady myself on the chair next to where Sparrow was busy typing something on the screen.
Though it made my skin crawl, I inched my fingers along the tabletop until I found his wrist.
I lightly touched his cool flesh to garner his attention, and his eyes snapped briefly to mine. I tried to find the boy in there that I had once fallen for. He was barely visible—only minute glimmers of him—like watching an old film reel flicker in and out of focus.
“What does that mean?” My eyes filled with unshed tears. I needed to word my thoughts carefully. “What about our child?”
“You should’ve taken that into consideration,” he said barely holding my gaze. I used to think him handsome, his eyes making me melt, but now they only seemed weary and hollow. “You gave me up. I’ve never done anything to deserve that from you.”
“Are you kidding me?” I said, unable to hold in the rage that came crashing back instantly. “You lied to me. You brought danger to our door. You’ve hurt people, killed people. Is that the legacy you want to leave for your child? For all of your children? How many do have out there, anyway?”
“Think you’ve got it all figured out, don’t you?” he said, for the first time staring into my eyes. There it was, a flicker of hurt before it was gone. He set his jaw and his nostrils flared. “What’s done is done. No way to change it now.”
A shiver traveled across my shoulders. “And we have no say in this?”
“Not anymore.” And right then I plainly saw it. How much he’d changed. What a monster he’d become. How I wouldn’t survive this because I would never yield to this man. His satisfaction would come in finally breaking me.
34
Meadow
“Joaquin . . .” My heart beat fiercely out of my chest. I felt like a caged animal as I shifted my feet beside the chair. “He’ll wonder where I am. Can’t I just—”
“No.” My gut churned as I noticed how narrow Sparrow’s eyes had become tight slits that held no light.
“For God’s sake,” I cried out. “Have you forgotten what it’s like to be a parent? He doesn’t know any better at this age.”
“I’m sure your friend will take good care of him,” he said dismissively.
“You used to be a good daddy,” I choked out. Even the word daddy seemed false spilling from my tongue. He was no father to our child. He had never really been. Why hadn’t I truly seen that before?
“I only did that for you,” Sparrow said, softening his voice. But it only horrified me more.
“What are you saying?” No, just . . . no. All those nights he visited him, helped put our child to bed.
“I’m saying that you walked away from our relationship but you were still forced to share something with me.” He took a menacing breath. “I tried to do the right thing. I tried to be there for you.”
“For me?” I clenched my jaw. “Not for him? What kind of man are you?”
I advanced on him only seeing red, my hands flailing, hoping to make contact, to help assuage this pain. He grabbed my arm forcefully. “Sit the fuck down. Now.”
He yanked me toward the couch and shoved me back hard. “You can either shut your trap willingly or I’ll do it for you.”
He looked over my shoulder to his partner in crime, his nostrils flaring. I remembered how I ended up here in the first place and what was still happening with Gloria down the hall, so I kept my mouth closed.
My hands trembled as tears rolled silently down my cheeks while he returned to his chair and computer screen.
Just then there was a noise down the hall. It was Gloria waking up and crying out in pain.
“Fuck,” the man said. “She’s a tough one. Let’s put her under again.”
“Or out of her misery,” Sparrow bit out in a frustrated voice.
“No,” I cried and wiped at my eyes. “Let me get her some water. See what she needs to calm down. It sounds like she’s really hurting.”
He stared at me a long moment and then looked over at his man as Gloria continued moaning in discomfort.
“First bedroom on the right,” he said, glaring at me. “No funny business or you’re both dead.”
My breath hitching, I stood up cautiously. Grabbing for my water bottle, I walked down the hall. When I pushed open the door, Gloria lay panting on her side on a threadbare mattress, her hair a sweaty and tangled mess.
“Gloria,” I said, as I knelt beside her. “Shhhh, it’s me. You have to keep it down or they’ll . . . they’ll drug you again or worse.”
Her eyes widened in horror and she attempted to adjust herself to get more comfortable. But it was as if her limbs were moving in slow motion unable to catch up with her brain.
I tilted the water bottle and allowed her a small sip making sure she didn’t gag on the liquid. I heard the man behind me in the doorway, checking on us, but I didn’t look in his direction as I smoothed back Gloria’s hair and encouraged her to calm down.
“Where do you hurt?” I asked gently.
Her fingers slid to her waist and I gingerly lifted her shirt to see bruising along her ribcage. As if she’d been kicked. Animals.
“I’ll get a cool washcloth,” I said, unsteady on my feet. “Be right back.”
I gave the man at the door a cursory glance, maybe trying to appeal to something inside of him, but he turned away from my probing eyes. He was a criminal as well, not a savior. I’d have to try to save myself.
Walking to the bathroom sink, I wet the dingy towel that had been hanging near the vanity. The man seemed satisfied that I was simply nursing Gloria, so he moved farther down the hall.
I tried to contain the tremor in my hands as I slowly drew open the medicine cabinet, attempting to search for some type of first aid. There were some stray cotton balls and discolored Q-tips lying on a shelf. Whoever had lived here hadn’t been around in a long while. Maybe Sparrow only kept this place as a temporary hide out.
Near a small bandage lay some rusty nail clippers and cuticle scissors. I grabbed for the shears in one quick move and shoved them in my waistband as I closed the mirrored door.
A giant lump lodged in my throat as I headed toward the hallway. As I shakily held the doorknob, I hesitated, hearing their voices.
“I see the bitch has still got you whipped after all this time,” the man said.
“Fuck you,” Sparrow spat out and I bristled.
“Don’t get me wrong I can see why, she’s a knockout,” he said, grunting. “And gutsy. She gives you a look and you practically bow down. That’s hot.”
“You stay the hell away,” Sparrow hissed at him. “Tonight I’m going to show her exactly who’s in control.”
My knees nearly gave out. The idea of him having his lips or hand
s anywhere near me made me woozy, but I needed to stay strong.
“Calm the fuck down, I’d never touch her,” the man said and my breathing eased. The idea of both men raping me had me nearly crippled with fear. “Just remind me why you’re doing this. To teach some bitches a lesson? You’re already on the lam, they’ve got Martinez, why not let me get rid of them?”
“If you hadn’t bungled the job in the first place, we wouldn’t be in this position.”
“They changed locations—got smart,” he said. “Not my fault.”
So Sparrow had acted impulsively. Were they the only two at this location? There was another man who had grabbed Gloria in the casino garage. Maybe he was being used as a lookout. I leaned hard against the wall in case I toppled over. I needed to play this smart or we’d be lost forever.
“I can’t leave that kid without his mother,” Sparrow said, with a surprising measure of dignity. I almost gasped out loud, but kept my lips tightly sealed. “You can take care of the other bitch. Let her dig her own grave in the woods tomorrow.”
My entire body trembled. “You just guard the door tonight.”
I padded back down the hallway before they spotted me.
35
Meadow
I pulled back the soiled cover on the bed where Gloria lay, grimacing and breathing with some effort. Turning my head, I swiped at a stray tear that had rolled down my cheek. I dragged the wet cloth over Gloria’s forehead and down her bare arms.
I attempted to be as comforting as I could without giving myself away. Still, she could see something wrong in my eyes.
“Are we going to die?” she asked warily, her eyes searching mine.
“I don’t know,” I said, the words barely falling from my lips.
I dug in my waistband, looked back at the door to be sure the man had not returned, and pulled out the small scissors.
I dragged them over her fingertips so she could feel the smooth metal and figure out what they were before reaching for the pocket on her jeans. I shoved the shears inside the material, hoping they didn’t pinch her as she lay in this bed.
“You do whatever you can to fight, you hear me?” I mumbled close to her ear.
“What about you?” she whispered, grabbing for my fingers and clasping our hands together.
“I tried talking reason to my old friend, but it’s no use,” I muttered. “He’s not that man anymore. I’m so sorry they hurt you like this.”
I laid my head on her chest so she couldn’t see how troubled and scared I really was. I felt something unyielding beneath my ear, pinching my skin. I lifted my head and motioned to her chest area. “What is that?”
Her fingers reached for her collar as her eyes widened. “My phone.”
“You keep it in your bra?” I whispered, looking back at the door.
She nodded. “When I’m working.”
I knew other woman who did the same, but the bulk never felt comfortable to me.
“Can you turn it on and call for help?” I said near her ear.
Suddenly there was a large shadow looming in the doorway. I quickly changed course and began smoothing the cloth over Gloria’s forehead and then down her neck as she sighed in thanks.
“Now go to sleep,” I said, for the man’s benefit. “You’ll feel better when you wake up.”
She gave me a long look and then closed her eyes, her eyelids already droopy.
“I’ll stay right here, until you fall asleep,” I said, patting her hand. Without thinking it through, I began humming the tune that I always did when putting Joaquin to bed.
I wondered where my child was right then and whether Jayden was able to get him settled into bed. My heart wrenched so tightly in my chest I could scarcely breathe.
“I love you to the moon and back,” I mouthed to myself as the tears slid down my cheeks. “Never forget it.”
I heard a noise behind me and saw Sparrow leaning against the door jam, watching me. If my melody brought back any memories for him, he didn’t show it.
“Let’s go,” he said. I straightened my spine.
“Where are we going?” my voice was unsteady as fear sliced through me.
“To bed.” He adjusted himself, and as my gaze slid down the front of him, I could see that he was hard. I swallowed the terror clawing back up my throat. “If she was conscious, I’d make her watch—the bitch.”
“She’s a bitch because she loved you all this time?” I stood up, renewed anger. “And you treated her like dirt?”
His face contorted into hostility. “She tricked me into marrying her.”
“Maybe she did,” I said, my shoulders drooping. “I can’t begin to understand her reasons. So why stay married to her?”
“What does it matter?” he gripped my arm. “She’s no wife.”
I tried to twist out of his grasp. “If anyone, she’s been the most loyal to you.”
“You call what she did loyal?” he said as his thumb dug into my bicep. I bit my lip and tasted blood. “Selling me out?”
“It took some convincing for her to see who you really are. Who you’ve become. Typical Sparrow,” I said, as he dragged me into the hall. “You had Gloria eating out of your hand. How many other wives do you have out there?”
I heard movement and saw the man shift uncomfortably in my peripheral vision, watching our interaction and shaking his head. I could tell that he agreed with me. He thought Sparrow was acting recklessly. If only I could appeal to that somehow.
“I may have had other women but none who gets me hard like you,” he said grabbing at his crouch. “I mean look at you, you haven’t changed at all.”
I tried not to tremble. “You’re responsible for your own actions, Sparrow. What happened between us was . . .”
“You were never mine,” he said. “Always so stubborn. But you will be tonight.”
“Please,” I said, a tremor in my words as my whole body shuddered. “If you ever loved us at all . . .”
But he barely heard me. Instead, he was giving his man orders to continue being a lookout. That’s when I realized how vengeful he’d become. He only wanted to get something out of me. And maybe after he got it, he would leave me alone. Or kill me after all.
He squeezed my arm and I cried out. “Let’s go.”
Fear gripped at my heart. He intended to rape me. But I wasn’t going to let it go down that way, not if I could help it.
“Don’t wake the neighbors,” I heard the man grumble as Sparrow pulled me down the hall.
He shoved me inside the last bedroom, closing the door behind us. I sat on the very edge of the large bed and looked up at him, my resolve turning to steel.
“I’m not going to fight you,” I said. “I know you, Frankie. I’ve known you my entire life.”
Some of the hardness had left his eyes and I breathed out.
It was easier to think I was giving my body up, rather than being forced. I needed to take some of his thunder away and save some of my sanity.
I could barely get the false words out and I didn’t know if I could actually pretend through all of this, but I’d try.
Something flickered in his gaze as he leaned over me. “I’m going to fuck you so good.”
I sucked air through my nostrils as I slid further up the bed to get away from him. I looked around the sparse room, hoping to find some kind of weapon, but all I saw was a lamp with a dim bulb on a side table. Maybe I should’ve kept the scissors for myself, but at the time, it sounded like Gloria needed them more than me.
Would Sparrow really keep me alive for Joaquin?
I tried to force the idea of Joaquin being all alone out of my brain. He was a smart and resourceful boy. He’d find a way. Maybe he’d live with Jayden. Or even Alex.
A sob tore from my throat.
Sparrow unzipped his pants and rubbed himself while eying me in a lewd manner, a look I might’ve found more innocent and sexy years earlier. I knew I wasn’t going to be able to simply lie here while he had his w
ay with me. I’d have to fight him tooth and nail. I wanted to gouge his eyes out or at least get in a good jab or two.
Still, I was no match for his strength. He was going to rape me and when I struggled, probably kill me. Both Gloria and I would be dead this same time tomorrow.
I tried not to hope that Gloria had been able to turn on her phone or that she would use those scissors as a weapon when the other man tried to kill her. Besides, what good were they against a gun?
My heart sat like a stone in my chest as Sparrow’s lust fueled eyes pierced me like arrows, sharp and deadly, while he fondled my breasts through my T-shirt.
“You like that?” he asked, his breath sour on my lips. “Take off all of your clothes. Now.”
I nodded and stood up with new determination, unbuttoning my pants first. He licked his lips as he watched my shaky fingers slide my zipper down. I would do this and try to survive. At the very least, for my child’s sake.
Unexpectedly, there was a sharp and startling knock. “Boss, something’s going down, get the fuck out here. Now.”
My heart thundered and all I could think was that help was on the way. That Sparrow might kill somebody coming through that door. And that someone might be Charlie or Alex. My fingers closed around the lamp and as he was yanking open the door, my hand came forward and I swung the object in his direction.
He howled, clenching his arm, and turned on me. “You fucking bitch.”
I heard commotion in the apartment as Sparrow’s arm swung up in an arc and his fist connected with my cheek. I felt the bone crunch and I tottered on my feet as Sparrow again turned to the door.
Then suddenly Gloria was there, wavering in the hallway, rage in her eyes. Her arm shifted upward and she jabbed him with the something pointy and sharp, connected with fleshy skin. He yelled out and staggered against the door. My vision blurred as I saw blood spurting and I went down, hitting the floor hard.
The last thing I heard before I blacked out was Alex’s voice yelling my name.
Three Sacred Words (Golden Arrow #2) Page 19