The Hunted (The Killing Hours Book 1)

by Christy Anderson

  “Tell me what you know.”

  “Quit fucking hitting me and let me put some clothes on.”

  “I’m fucking watching you. Get dressed.”

  He slides out from the bed and grabs his pants. I raise my piece and keep it trained on him the entire time. He turns to me and uses his shirt to wipe the blood from his nose.

  I motion with my gun for him to step out of the room and follow him as he heads toward the living room.

  Sitting on the couch, he huffs out a breath.

  I stand with my gun still pointed at him.

  “Talk.”

  “He was sighted a few days ago in a small town about two hours south of here. One of our guys saw him at a diner. He wasn’t alone. He was with a red head. From what I was told, she appeared to be pretty roughed up.”

  My muscles tense. My dad is close. What the fuck is he up to? Who the hell is the girl?

  “Where did you get this information? Why didn’t you tell me when you found out?”

  “That doesn’t matter. I have my sources. You know as well as I do I want him dead.”

  Lazz’s last comment comes out with such venom, I have no doubt he wants him dead. He has every reason to, but so do I.

  “Look, I’m sorry I’ve been so fucked up. It’s just a lot to handle sometimes. I came to see you and she was there. She just,” he exhales a shaky breath, “she just reminds me so much of her.” He hangs his head as he rubs the back of his neck.

  “She isn’t her. You fucked up. You will stay the fuck away from her or I will slit your throat. You get me, Lazz? We had an agreement where my father is concerned. I intend to hold up my end. Do you?”

  “Yeah, I got you.”

  “You let me know if you hear anything else. If my father is back, we need to be ready. Understood?”

  “Yeah, understood.”

  I holster my gun as I head for the door.

  “Bane, take care of her, man. Protect her with everything you have. You only get one shot at it.”

  I nod my understanding. Lazz speaks from experience. That, combined with what went down with my mother has me utterly convinced Raven is my one shot at any type of happiness.

  “Plan to, brother.”

  I close the door behind me and head back to my quarters. Ace needs the update. We need things even tighter if my father is around. I have no doubt he will be coming to pay a visit.

  I dial his number. Ace picks up on the first ring.

  “Yeah.”

  “Ace, get the girls and staff rounded up and off the grounds immediately. My father is close by. Clear the grounds in thirty minutes.”

  “On it.”

  Before I can tuck my phone back into my pocket, it rings.

  “Corrado.” I greet coolly down the line.

  “Bane, I couldn’t locate the girl. She’s gone missing.”

  “Missing? How the fuck is she missing?”

  “Her prior host was found mutilated, almost beyond recognition. This was something that would have taken hours to do, by the way. The killer, well, let’s say he looked like he really enjoyed what he did. We believe the killer took the girl.”

  Host. Nice, generic term for sex trafficker. Piece of shit.

  “Christ.” I rake my fingers through my hair, trying to understand where Scarlett could have gone and why someone would have taken their time in killing her captor before taking her. Images of watching my father gut a man come into my mind. How he delighted in chopping off body parts while the man was still alive.

  Fuck.

  “Anyone have eyes on her?”

  “No, Knox. She’s ghosted. I’ll call you soon for that favor.”

  “Yeah, I know,” I muster before I hang up.

  A sense of dread fills me. I need to get Raven off the grounds to a safe place, now. It’s my only concern at the moment. I won’t let my father anywhere near her. Lazz is completely correct on the fact that I need to protect her. If anyone knows what horrible things Vaughn Bane is capable of, it’s me and Lazzaro Mondragon.

  I open the door to my quarters. It’s quiet. Raven must still be sleeping. I can’t be at ease with her in danger, as much as I don’t want to be separated from her. I open my bedroom door and find an empty bed.

  My heart stops. My skin grows cold and clammy. Panic, a feeling I haven’t experienced in years, settles in the pit of my stomach.

  Where is she?

  I pull my gun and check the rest of the rooms.

  She’s gone.

  I head to the security room, my heart pounding with adrenaline as I pull up the feed to the bedroom. There’s my father, watching my naked woman as she puts her clothes on at gunpoint.

  My world stops.

  The mother fucker took my woman.

  My father smiles to the camera on his way out the door with Raven pulled into his side and the gun pointed to her head.

  My phone rings in my pocket, and I pull it out to see an unknown local number.

  “Yeah,” I manage to grit out through my anger.

  “Hello, son.”

  My hand shakes as I hold the phone to my ear. Years of training, plotting, and planning are thrown to the wayside. I’m blinded by all-consuming rage.

  “You fucking let her go, you sick fuck.”

  “That’s no way to speak to me. Yes, I have your friend, and if you do as I say, she may live.”

  “What do you want?”

  “Same thing I’ve always wanted. Your compliance.”

  Anger grows and festers in the pit of my stomach with every word he speaks. I will not hesitate to torture this man until his death when I get my hands on him.

  “Where the fuck is she?”

  I shout so loudly, it hurts my brain. I can’t keep my composure. He has Raven. Every depraved thing he could do to her comes to my mind. He’ll think of things I’d never even dream of because he is so fucking wicked and evil.

  “You’ll do as I say.”

  “No, mother fucker, you let me talk to her!”

  “Ah, very well.”

  He’s probably only agreeing to let me speak with her because he feels it will fuck with me. But I have to hear her voice for myself.

  Rustling comes from the other end of the line before the sweetest sound greets me.

  “Knox, help me, please.”

  Her voice is shaky through her sobs, and my heart fucking shatters for this woman. My Little Bird is terrified, and I’m not there.

  “Hi, baby. Are you hurt?”

  “No, n-not really. I'm scared, Knox. I’m scared."

  Her voice is but a whisper toward the end as the fear of her situation grips her.

  “Hold on, Little Bird. I’m coming for you. I will...”

  I hear a slap and a scream, then the phone clatters to the ground.

  “RAVEN!”

  “She’s alive. Now, you will meet me in the cellars under the eastern wing of the manor.”

  “You keep your damned hands off her.”

  “You’re in no position to bargain son.”

  The line goes dead, and I want to chuck my phone across the room into the wall.

  There is no way this fucker is making it out of here alive. I've wanted to kill him over my mother, but now, he has taken what is mine. I will end him for her.

  I call Ace.

  "He's here. I don't know how long he has been on the grounds."

  "Fuck, Knox."

  "He has Raven."

  "What? Where are you? I'm heading that way."

  "No. I’m supposed to meet him in the cellars under the eastern wing. Alone. You get Lazz. We’ll need his help."

  "On it."

  "Ace, if I don't make it out, you kill him. Save Raven."

  "I will, brother. Stay safe."

  I hang up the phone and clench my fist. I know the things my father is capable of. He’s a dangerous man. He’s unpredictable.

  He has my girl.

  I will kill my father, for my mother, for myself, and now for Raven.
/>
  I will destroy him.

  22

  Raven

  My scalp burns where Knox’s father yanks on my hair, dragging me down an old, crumbling set of stairs into a dank cellar. The cold moisture seeps through my bones, leaving goose bumps scattered across my flesh. A sob breaks free, despite how hard I try to keep it in. I don’t want him to feel any more powerful than he is. The noise must aggravate Vaughn. He stops abruptly, pulling tighter on my strands as he turns me to face him.

  “Shut up, girl. Your cries mean absolutely nothing to me. Nothing. Not one fucking thing. Face it now. Your time in this game is limited.”

  I sniffle, trying to regain control of my emotions.

  This can’t be happening.

  Where’s Knox?

  I will not give in to my fear. Vaughn’s face is stone cold as he stares me down. Void of any emotion. Like a machine. Vaughn Bane is a terrifying man. Had I not known he killed his wife, he would still be frightening. His stern, controlled demeanor only adds to his iciness. His salt and pepper hair only hint at his age, but he’s still strong, that much is clear as he drags me along with little effort. Knox resembles him so much in build and appearance, except Vaughn has ice blue eyes.

  Where Knox’s eyes swirl with heat, fire, and passion, his fathers are cold, flat, and lifeless.

  Fitting.

  We walk through a seemingly endless maze of crumbling tunnels, and I’ve long lost count of the turns. Finally, we reach a small door, and he pushes it open and yanks me inside.

  My heart stops.

  Scarlett.

  My sister is here.

  Her naked body tied to a chair is all I can see. I mentally take inventory of her. Her hands are bound behind her back. Her ankles are tied to the legs of the chair and ropes circle her abdomen securing her in place. Her once beautiful red hair is a snarled nest of filth and dirt.

  Tears burn my eyes as I raise a shaky hand to my mouth.

  Oh, my God. He’s killed her.

  “Scar...” The sound of my voice is so faint, it barely registers as a whisper.

  “Take off your clothes.”

  I spin on him. The strands of hair in his grip pull and break free with my movement, but I don’t even register the pain. I punch him in the mouth.

  “You sick, demented mother fucker!”

  I scream as I lunge for him again. He tightens his hold on my hair, using it to pull me to the ground. He twists my hair in his hand, so tightly, tears sting my eyes, and then he drags me toward a wall.

  I scratch and claw at the hand he has twisted into my hair but gain no purchase.

  “Raven.”

  That voice.

  Her voice.

  It stops every bit of fight within my body.

  “Scarlett, you’re alive!”

  Tears pour in torrents down my cheeks.

  He hasn’t killed her.

  Vaughn manages to finish dragging me to the wall in spite of my best efforts. Forcing me up from the ground, he chains my hands into rusted shackles bolted to the wall. I yank on them as hard as I can, and he steps back, swiping at the small trickle of blood coming from his split bottom lip.

  “You bastard! Let her go!”

  I stare daggers at the asshole, but he doesn’t even acknowledge me as he walks over to my sister. He yanks her head back by her hair. She groans, and her eyes snap open then roll back in her head before they close completely. I try to reign in the scream of terror that tries to flee my body at seeing my sister this way and in the hands of this man. The chains rattle as I yank with everything I have within me to get to my sister, to protect her.

  He bends, hovering over her, his face only inches from hers, and he stares at me. Then with an evil grin, he closes the distance between them, and he shoves his tongue into her mouth. He watches me the entire time he kisses her. Bile rises into my throat. She isn’t even fully coherent. Her feet try to kick. They shuffle along the concrete, slowly, trying to fight, but she’s tied too tightly and too weak from whatever it is that courses through her veins.

  “Get your hands off her! Don’t fucking touch her!” I scream, hatred and rage licking through my veins like wildfire as the chains holding my hands rattle. I yank with all my might, trying to break free.

  He stands back up, smiling at me, then releases her head. She slumps forward in her binds, and a small sob comes free from her. My heart twists and breaks within my chest from the sound.

  “It was enlightening to watch her break.”

  His evil sneer sends shivers across my flesh.

  My God, what has he done to her? What has happened to my sister?

  “Since you couldn’t listen when I told you to take off your clothes, I’ll have to help you with the task.”

  A knife appears out of his pocket, and he snaps it open as he walks toward me. My breath catches in my lungs.

  “You may want to stay very still for this. I wouldn’t want to accidentally hurt you.”

  “Fuck you, bastard. Fuck you.”

  “Uh-uh. Such language is unbecoming of a lady. We both know you’re no lady though, don’t we?”

  He smiles, amused with himself, then leans forward and grips the neck of my shirt in his hand. He brings the knife up near my throat, and fear locks me in place. My limbs tremble as he begins to take the knife to the fabric. He continues to talk while I hold my breath, trying to stay as still as possible.

  “You came to my home, which my son has turned into a whore house in my absence. Did you come for the money or the fucking?”

  “I came to find my sister.”

  “Your sister. Ah, well I’m sure she had your same strength and fierce conviction once. You should thank me, though. I rescued her from the demented man the Corrado’s sold her to, who had a penchant for rape scenarios. I watched him with her for a few days. I needed to gather intel on him so I could take her. Disgusting thing, he was. She was being held in a basement of an abandoned house. She was tied face down, nude on a bed when I found her. Covered in dirt, blood, and cum. He’d used her up quite nicely before I killed him.”

  I have no way to know if this is the truth or not. I look to her where she sits tied to the chair. She’s filthy, covered in cuts and bruises and far too skinny. My eyes burn with tears for my sister. God only knows what Scarlett has been through.

  “Why did you take her? What does she have to do with this?”

  I need to know his plans. Maybe something he says can be used to help free my sister. I don’t care what happens to me. If Scarlett can be saved, that’s all that matters. She’s been through enough. I’ll do whatever is necessary to secure her freedom.

  “Did you know he watched you, Raven?”

  His cold, lifeless eyes bore into mine momentarily before he continues slicing through the fabric of my shirt, creating ribbons hanging down from my shoulders

  “My son spent hour upon hour watching you on security feeds before he made his move that night on The Hunt.

  Knox watched me? My heart beats faster, imagining Knox watching me, waiting for me, then it breaks for all that he’s endured at the hands of this man, his father. Someone who should have loved and protected him, not beaten, tortured, and abused him.

  “Little does my son know I’ve been coming onto the property for months, setting up my own surveillance. You see, I’d been off handling the competition. A price was put on my head after I took out the leader of the O’Connell Syndicate. I couldn’t return here, jeopardizing everything I’ve worked so hard to build. I was forced into hiding. Then, when it was finally safe, I find my only son, the future of Albatross, has turned my home, my business into a house of ill repute. He’s made a mockery of everything!”

  Spittle flies from his mouth, his every word growing angrier. I take shallow breaths to keep him from accidentally slicing through my skin in his ratcheting rage. He pauses, the knife stills, he takes a steadying breath. as if to reign his anger in before continuing.

  “Once I found my son keeping you in h
is quarters, helping you to find your sister, I knew you truly meant something to him.”

  Disdain covers his features as if the thought of Knox caring for someone is the worst thing in the world.

  “You make him careless and a target. He’s grown very lax with his precautions. I’ve been able to track him so easily. He’ll need to be reprimanded and retrained, it seems.”

  He talks about Knox like he’s a disobedient puppy.

  “I looked into your background early on. My son seemed to be infatuated with you. It took some digging, but I tracked your sister down. Her owner was a very sick man, someone with massive connections in our world. I watched him fuck her mercilessly with his dick, fist, other objects. He didn’t seem to care which holes he got into. Treated them all the same.”

  I try to stay calm as tears slide down my cheeks and drip from my chin. If the things he says are true, how will Scarlett ever come back from that? He could be lying, but from looking at her, I’m afraid he is telling me the truth.

  “So, I went in, dealt with him, and took her. I brought her here yesterday. So now you see, I have two ways to be sure my wayward son behaves as he should.”

  He smiles at me then, completely thrilled with himself for murdering and kidnapping people all in the name of reigning over his son.

  “Christ, you’re insane.”

  “I said you should thank me, Raven. If not for me, you wouldn’t have your sister. If you like, I can think of other ways for you to express your gratitude. My son seemed to enjoy his time with you. Maybe I should find out why he’s so enamored with you.”

  This sick bastard.

  “You’ve watched us?”

  “Who do you think taught Knox everything he knows? I know this estate far better than he ever will. It was all too easy to get around his subpar system and install my own surveillance. Knox got complacent.”

  I half-growl and try to hold in all the things I really want to say. If there was any question before, there is none now. Vaughn Bane is insane. Bat shit crazy. He yanks off my tattered shirt and grabs my breast, squeezing roughly.

  I try to move from his grip and wince as the sharp metal of the shackle bites into my wrist. Vaughn moves in closer to me. I look into his eyes and see nothing. Nothing. No compassion, no warmth, no emotion. They’re just blank. He reaches out, grabs my pants, and begins to unbutton them. I turn my head as my stomach lurches in disgust. He slides the pants down my legs and instructs me to step out of them. My last barrier against this man taken away.