“Yeah, now you are awake.” Her voice purrs as she begins to circle me.
“Who the fuck are you?” I grit out at her as she comes to stand right in front of me again. “Where am I and where is my friend?” I demand.
She doesn’t say anything for a beat as she studies me and I take the chance to study her in turn. She is a calculated woman for sure and she seems to have an axe to grind with me.
“You mean, you don’t know me?” She questions sardonically and I remain mute as I watch anger show in her frosty gaze. Fuck, she is one bitter angry woman.
“Answer me, bitch.” She demands as she suddenly reaches over and pulls my hair back making me scream in pain. I think she is aiming towards actually pulling my hair out.
“Stop screaming and answer me!” She slaps me again, her voice surprisingly calm now as if she didn’t just scream in my face.
“I don’t know who you are and I don’t care.” I reply just as calmly, as if I’m talking about the time instead. I won’t give this witch the satisfaction of knowing that I’m in pain.
She steps back and begins pacing. “Oh, so he hasn’t told you about me? I can’t believe that asshole.” Her voice is filled with disbelief.
“Told you, he’s just using her. If he really cared about her, he would have told her.” Caleb says as he watches the woman pace. I shoot the asshole a scathing look which he returns with a smug smile.
“I see you are still alive and your Daddy hasn’t killed you.” I spit at him, enjoying the way his smug smile falls from his face. He stands up from the table he was seated on and strides over to where I’m tied down to the chair.
“Bitch, you don’t know anything. If it wasn’t for me, you would be somewhere far worse than here.” He growls in my face. This guy is twisted alright and he has a short fuse in his head. The other woman is watching the exchange, obviously enjoying it.
I’m surrounded by crazy people.
I remain mute and I think my silence satisfies something in him because he straightens again and moves away.
“My father has some plans for you, you cunt—but since Tabby has something in store for you, I convinced him to allow us to have you for a few hours.” He smugly informs.
Tabby? Is that the name of the bitch?
“What do you want with me?” I demand.
“Oh, nothing really. When she’s done with you, all Giovanni will have use for you will be selling your organs on the black market.” Caleb says. “I told you that you and I could work together but instead that asshole you spread your legs for set me up.”
He strides over to ‘Tabby’—what a bitchy name—and leans over to give her a kiss that makes my stomach roll. I feel like heaving yet there is nothing in my stomach to barf out.
“So, you are going to punish me for his supposed transgressions?” I question, seeing the evil intent in both their eyes as they turn to look at me.
“Of course.” Caleb responds as if it’s the most logical and fun conclusion he has ever come to in his life. Tabby shakes away from him and she walks over to me.
“He’s a hard man to get but you, you are a naïve bitch.” She says as she goes to a table by the wall. My eyes look around the room once more, hoping that Sam is in here. I spot a figure in a chair as well by the wall. I think that’s Sam! Sweet relief fills me. I think she is passed out and I’m hoping against all hope that she isn’t dead.
Tabby walks back towards me in her high heels as she puts on some black leather gloves, her red lipstick surprisingly still in place. Not a single smudge in sight. I don’t know what she means to do with them but my heart starts beating much faster than ever before. This woman has all the plans to harm and hurt me in any way she can.
“You know, Charlotte.” She says my name making me gasp in surprise. “Yes, I know all about you. Caleb told me.” Her smile makes me shiver.
“I watched you for weeks. Watching you go to him. Watched you with him.” She informs.
What, she has been watching me? What the fuck.
“I’ve been waiting for years to make him suffer, forced to leave in the shadows, forced to remain unseen while he goes around ruling the world.” Her voice is cold, her eyes filled with remembered pain that just festers her anger.
“That sounds sad.” I say under my breath but luckily, she doesn’t hear me.
She grabs a cloth from her back pockets as then begins walking around my back, coming to a stop behind me. She leans forward and pushes my hair, tossing it to the side. Her lips are now pressed on earlobe as she whispers in my ear.
“I’ve devoted my life to one man and my mission is to make him suffer. Using my body as a means and my uncanny ability to catch secrets, I have come this far and now, here you are.”
I begin to shiver now. Because it’s at that moment that it dawns on me just how serious this woman is about revenge. I know exactly what it means to dedicate your life to a cause, revenge being the sole purpose of your existence. In this moment, I understand her and I also fear her. Because I know she will do anything to get her revenge.
“I didn’t do anything to you.” I plead in a low voice. But it doesn’t matter because she doesn’t care.
“Oh dear, it’s not about you personally.” She says as she straightens. I watch as Caleb drags a hose over to us. What are they going to do with that? What do they intend to do with a hose?
The cloth Tabby had in her hand, falls over my face and it finally clicks. They mean to water-board me.
I begin to writhe and shake, hoping I can dislodge the cloth but I’m no match for them. My toes leave the stable ground as she tips my chair over, holding the cloth over my face with the other hand.
“Do it!” She instructs Caleb and I have one second to hold my breath before I feel like I’m drowning. A lot of water is in my face. The cloth is not that thick and soon, the powerful jets of water have absorbed through it and water is running down my nose, making me choke.
I can’t breathe. I gasp and violently thrush my body around, shaking my entire body as lots of water is forced down my throat. I’m fucking drowning and I can’t stop it. I fight as long as I can but my muscles are growing tired fast. And then I can’t choke anymore. I can’t breathe anymore.
That’s when it stops. And the cloth is removed. I start coughing once my feet touch the ground. Leaning over as best as I can, I choke, cough and try to catch my breath.
And before I can catch my breath, another stinging blow whips my face clean to the other side. This time, that wasn’t a slap, that was a power-packed punch making me flinch and gasp in pain.
“The fuck!” I scream but she only laughs, her voice a perfect melody.
“He is going to suffer. I’m going to make sure that he feels every inch of agonizing pain I felt because of him.”
“What did he do to you to make you even more salty and unappealing as. . .” I don’t finish my cry because she punches my other cheek, and it hurts like aa bitch.
“That. . .that was for Craig. That asshole killed the love of my life!” She screams.
Wait what? Craig? As in, the Craig who tried to rape Alice and then Gideon beat him to death?
Realization dawns on my face as I look up at the bitch who is breathing just as hard as I am. I should have figured this out earlier when Caleb spoke her name but my brain is sluggish probably because of all these drugs they keep giving. First at the gala night where their attempt to kidnap me failed. But this time, they got it right.
“Tabitha?” I say in a gasp . . .
“Bingo!” She says, now pleased but the vileness gleams in her eyes. “So, I see he told you huh? This is going to be much more fun than I thought!” She whoops.
Dread fills my insides as the cloth falls over my face once more and my chair is tipped backward. Fuck! Tabitha?!
Chapter 18
Gideon
“How the fuck did you let her slip from your fingers like that?”
I can’t control the rage in my voice. I’m losing a
grip on everything lately. And just when I think I know something, it all proves to have another depth that I wasn’t aware of before.
“As I said, I explained before, I was using the bathroom. I had the barista keep an eye on her while I was away.” Tom explains, an expressionless face looking straight ahead. Of all the people that have been around me, he knows just how fast I can blow up and looking directly in my eyes now will only set me off.
“Fuck this shit!” Max says as he paces the length of the small restaurant that we have since had cleared out and are now checking for any sign, any clue as to what happened.
“And how did you fucking lose the doctor?” I question Max as I eye him but he isn’t happy himself. As a matter of fact, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him this angry in all the time I have known him.
“We got into an argument, okay. That woman has a hot temper and a fast mouth that gets to me like nothing else.” He says as he begins setting up his laptop and some tech gadgets that he uses. I have no idea what he is doing.
“Security footage?” I ask Tom.
“There was nothing. Apparently, the store’s cameras facing the street and the door have been failing since last week.” He explains regrettably.
I feel restless. I am scared for her, worried because I know exactly who took her but what I don’t have a fucking clue as to what exactly they want.
“Fuck!” Max says on a frustrated breath. “I just got the location of her phone.”
“And?” But I already know it’s bad news.
“It was obviously thrown out by the side of the road.”
“Which road?” I question, “Maybe we can get a sense of where they are going.”
“Along I-78.”
“So, let’s go there!” I demand, restless energy brewing violently in me.
“Hold on, let me check on something.” He says as he begins typing once more, a look of intense focus on his face. I need to get to Chloe, and I need to do that now!
“What did the barista say?” I question Tom as I begin pacing. How could I let this happen? I should have listened to my instincts and let her stay at the safehouse where I knew she would be safe and protected. I should have not given in to the need to seem normal. There is no normalcy here! Nothing about this situation—since the day I met her—screams normal.
“She said told me in perfect detail that Ms. Smith was looking down at her tablet. I assume it was to read the police report you sent her. And then she received a call all of a sudden. She said there wasn’t anything amiss about it since she answered with a smile, so she got on to work.” Tom informs, calmly going through everything.
“That’s it?” I ask.
“She also said, when Ms. Smith stood up again, she seemed to have dropped a few items on the floor as she walked towards the door, phone gripped to her ear.”
“Which items and where are they?” I question, my interest now piqued. Chloe is a few things but pre-occupied is not one of her attributes. Shee wouldn’t drop things because I know for a fact that she is very resourceful and knows the value of everything around her. Life will do that to you.
“She left the tablet and a satellite phone.” He says as he brings the items forward, passing them on so I can see.
I look down at the tablet and wake it. I myself had not read the report but I can guess what it says. I start reading the document and just as I suspected, it details how her parents were murdered. But again, why would she want to read this? And why did she highlight parts of it? Another thing I know about Chloe is just does nothing without a reason. She gracefully economic like that.
I take a seat as I study the document again. Come on baby, give me something to come and get you. I’d raise hell and burn each person in this world until I got her in my arms.
I re-read the document again, taking my time as I go. What catches my attention immediately as the name highlighted with a different color than the other highlights. I quickly stand to my feet, looking down at the name that’s staring up at me, screaming at me, taunting me.
“I just did a reverse check on all the locations Chloe has been at.” Max says but I’m still looking at the name across the tablet. “She was at the hospital in the morning, dropping off Sam and I. Then she was in her office building until lunch time. Then she came here.”
“None of that is surprising.” Tom interjects, as he types on his own laptop, searching for something.
“Yeah but then there is also a marked location for a private airstrip outside the city.” Max explains.
Tom and I shoot Max a look. A private airstrip?
“But that’s where it gets confusing. The next location now was at Burger King on 7th. And then on I=78.” Max says with a confused look on his face, but I’m already connecting the dots.
“Find out if a plane left the airstrip an hour or two after Chloe was taken from here. They obviously kept her phone to throw us.” I point out.
“Of course. Smart but not so smart.” Max says as he types. “Got it. A private plane was chartered but the fucking destination is not given.” He says as he pounds the table.
“These girls can be anywhere but we fucking don’t know where they are!” He grits out.
“I think I know where to find them.” I say as I walk over to my best friend. A man with invaluable skills ranging from technology, to lethal killing.
“Where?” He demands, watching me as I walk closer. “That look in your eye right now man, I don’t know if I should be relieved or not.” He says as he studies me.
I’m almost unhinged, working hard to keep myself in check because I know my baby needs me to stay focused so I can find her. And I will.
“No. I just need you to find me someone.” I say, passing him the tablet.
He takes it and looks down at the name I just zoomed in on. “Well shit. I knew that motherfucker was a two-timing snake.” He cusses, as he starts typing hurriedly.
“This might take a while.” Max says with a murmur. “The boys down at the bureau vamped up their firewall. Nice.” He says with a flare of annoyance in his voice.
“We don’t have the luxury of time.” I grit out.
“There might be another way.” Tom interjects as he steps forward.
“What’s that?” I still feel like wringing his fucking neck right now. I might still do it if something has happened to Chloe.
“The sat phone.” He says.
“What are we going to do with a satellite. . . Ohh.” Max says as he jumps up to get the phone that Chloe left.
“Damn man, your woman is a fucking genius!” Max says as he begins taking the damn thing apart. “This is a military grade, unreleased model sat phone that I have no idea where Lorenzo got his hands on. It was designed in such a way that it would be easy to make emergency calls from anywhere in the world, to anyone.”
Max has stars in his eyes, practically salivating at the machine he is tearing apart with a steak knife.
“And the downside?” I question because there is always one.
“That was the farce they used to get funds in making it. This baby was designed so that any calls made on it can never be recorded or detected. That feature also makes it hard to track.” He explains.
“But. . .”
“But there is always a flaw in the system. There are two chips in this thing and one of them will get me a rough location of the other sat phone.” He says, shooting me a smile as he knocks the thing around the table.
“The other sat phone?” I question.
“Really man, you should pay attention when I tell you all the latest stuff the government is doing. These sat phones are always in pairs. One can only ever be used to contact the other. Too bad the shits that make them know nothing about being monogamous.”
“That’s why I keep you around. How long will this take?” I question.
“A couple of hours, tops.” He informs.
“Good, that gives plenty of time.” I say, turning to Tom now I instruct our new plan. “Get a
plane ready as well as a dozen men. I’ll meet you at the airstrip.” I say as I start walking towards the front door.
“And where are you going?” Max questions.
“To visit my old friends at the FBI.” I say, walking out. What I don’t tell them, however, is that I’m also going to see an old friend. After all, I might not ever see him again.
Chapter 19
Chloe
Somewhere along the excruciating torture and feeling like I want all of this end, I passed out. Finding relief in the sweet oblivion, where I’m not actively fighting a blood thirsty bitch and her psychotic boy toy that she is obviously stringing along to get what she wants.
My respite is short lived as a bucket of icy water wakes me, making me gasp. Fuck, are they going to waterboard and beat me up again? It’s not like they are interrogating me, it’s more like they are doing this for fun. As if they have watched too many mafia movies and thought it would be fun to play a mind fuck game where they bring me to the brink of death and then pull me back, only to beat me up.
“Rise and shine, sleeping beauty.” Tabitha says with a malicious smile on her face. She is really finding pleasure in all of this, my bruised and swollen face her masterpiece.
“He really isn’t going to want you when he sees that.” She says in a snarky way, bringing her hand to her barely there hip as she studies me. I can barely keep my eyes open fighting, the exhaustion that I really want to give in to. I’m tired, my body aches and the pounding in my head just won’t stop but as I look at Tabitha, I just know that the waterboarding was the first round, she has more in store for me.
All in the name of avenging her dead lover, who also happened to be her step-brother.
“You should know, having to see all that ugliness in the mirror every single day.” I say to her, my voice weak and tired but she won’t get the best of me. “What do you do to ease your mind concerning all that horrendous, off putting facial features, huh? You stand there and say little affirmations—you know, to encourage yourself?” I taunt, a smug smile on my aching face.
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