by H. P. Landry
“How do you know?” Kyan sat next to me and grabbed my hand.
“You said his dad made sure he took meds, but his dad isn’t even in Pointe Hope anymore. He’s been hospitalized.”
“Jesus Christ!” He pulled me from the couch. “We have to go to the station. Plus, I think we finally have a lead on another case.”
“What case?” I grabbed my purse, walked out of the living room, set the alarm, and locked the door behind me.
“You don’t know?”
“Know what? Kyan just spit it out.”
“Professor James has been missing for three weeks. No one has seen him or Andrea Belafonte.”
“What? Wait, maybe they ran away together?” I tried to say, but I knew there was no way she would miss her daughter’s wedding. “No, Adriana is getting married—Oh my God! Kyan, we have to check on Adriana. She is marrying Xander!”
“Shit!” I thought Kyan agreed but when I looked up to see what he was staring at, there before us was the shaved -head replica of my Xavier, the real Xavier Bane.
“You’re real,” I said quietly, but his stoic expression was nothing like my Xavier. This man was lethal, and he obviously knew what his brother had done.
“It’s nice to see you again Mylie.” He gave me a nod, but then he turned to Kyan. “My father is dead, and I believe my brother killed him, and he’s been plotting to have me arrested for this girl’s murder and the other.”
“Dear God,” I whispered. It all made sense now, everything made complete sense.
“I figured he had killed Mercy. But are you sure about your father?” Kyan asked, and Xavier just nodded.
“Of course!” They both looked at me. “Can’t you see?”
“See what?”
“Money! It’s all about money! He would have full control of Bane & Wright if Xavier were arrested. Once he married Adriana, he would have her money, too. I bet once he saw the pre-nuptial agreement they wanted him to sign, he decided to kill Andrea so Adriana could get her inheritance.”
“We need to find Pierce Belafonte.” Xavier concluded.
“There are more players in this, but who?” I asked.
“That’s what we are going to find out. Come on.” Kyan pulled me to his truck, and Xavier followed in his.
Dear Lord, I pray we’re not too late.
Damien
I tried to block out Andrea’s screams, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t even pull the chains to myself because I was helpless as I watched. I was disgusted seeing Xander rape Andrea, as she was chained spread eagle on the bed. For three weeks we had been tortured. Cyrus and Xander beat me as I was bound with my arms over my head and my legs spread and chained to the floor.
My shoulder had dislocated long ago; the pain and swelling were unbearable. They took turns raping Andrea. It wasn’t until the second week when it all made sense. Adriana came into the torture room and smiled wickedly at her mother.
“Hello Mother. Are you enjoying yourself? Or do you prefer watching women be ridiculed for you sick pleasure?” Adriana smiled wickedly.
“Why are you doing this?” Andrea asked weakly.
“You took the only man I have ever loved and turned him into a monster. Did you think I would be okay with you sleeping with him? You knew I loved him, and yet you played these wicked games. That’s why.”
“What are you talking about Adriana?”
“Xander’s father was my lover since I was thirteen years old, Mother, and you had an affair with him! He was mine, and you stole him from me. I followed him one night to your penthouse. Lovely how you used my birthday as your security code. Then I saw it. Your sick game of tying women to the bed and watching him fuck them senseless. He loved it, and you loved it, so he no longer wanted me. For five years he was mine, and you stole him!”
The thought of a girl being with an older man made me sick to my stomach. But what really sickened me was that she believed she loved him. She was walking towards me, and I knew this was the final moment of my life.
“My bear,” Andrea whispered. Adriana stopped walking towards me and turned.
“Don’t you dare call me that!” she screamed. “You’re no mother to me. Please mother, do you love to watch as they beat the love of your life? Does it hurt you to know that he loves another and would never love you?” She slowly walked around me and seductively licked her red lips. She whispered quietly and only for me to hear, “What about you dear Damien? How does it feel to know that my lovely husband- to- be was pursuing your precious Mylie? Delicious isn’t he? You see, my dear, Xander is in fact quite ill, but with the right medications he can function fine. Sad day when my beloved died, and Xander had no one to give him his medication.” She smiled wickedly. “Does it anger you to know that he touched Mylie?”
“Why did you bring us into your game? Mylie didn’t do anything to you?”
“It’s quite simple really. You love Mylie, and my mother loves you. It was agony for Mother to have your body but never your love. Then, when you pushed Mylie into Xander’s arms,… oh… I meant to thank you for the help.” She winked, and I felt bile in the back of my throat. “Well, the plan was set into motion. My poor mother, even with her sick games, always loved you, and you loved Mylie. Worked out lovely.”
“Please, don’t touch Mylie; she doesn’t deserve this,” I cried out.
“Now tell me Damien, does it repulse you to know that my mother played her games with the love of my life? It should, and for that you will die, too. You both take people’s hearts and shatter them in the palm of your hands,” she grabbed my testicles and squeezed. “ I will end your life because your lives are in my hands.”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Mylie
We walked into the Grandeur Hotel & Resort, and the front desk was empty. As we met with Mr. Bowers, Kyan filled him in on everything that had unfolded. “Mercy Whitehead and Xander Bane were the ‘it’ couple and were going to get married. It was said that Xander found out that Mercy had only wanted to marry him because he was a good -on -paper guy, but she would sleep around on him,” Kyan explained what had confirmed his suspicions. We proceeded to the Pierce Belafonte’s penthouse, since apparently, his wife had a penthouse of her own.
“I just can believe this is happening in Pointe Hope.” He shook his head while smiling broadly. “Xavier, thank you for coming.” Mr. Bowers shook his hand. Xavier returned the gesture with a tight smile.
“When I got the message from my superior that my girlfriend was poisoned, and someone was out to hurt her, my superior felt I was needed here. Of course, I didn’t correct the misinformation about my so-called girlfriend, but I, too, knew I was needed here.” We approached the door and saw it was ajar; immediately Kyan and Mr. Bowers pulled out their weapons.
“Mylie, you stay here with Xavier,” Kyan instructed not waiting for a response. They pushed the door open and slowly walked into the room with their weapons drawn.
“Jessica? Is that you sweet heart? Come and give daddy a ride,” a deep southern drawl said out loud. Pig!
Unfortunately, Pierce Belafonte was distraught when he realized we weren’t whom he had thought. Especially, when his daughter’s best friend, Allison the hotel clerk, was caught giving him a blowjob. It was when he found out that his wife and daughter were missing that he broke apart. The guilt he felt was because this had happened at the hand of the man he was forcing his daughter to marry which brought forth plethora of doubt and fears. I’d never seen a grown man fall apart until today, but I prayed it would be the last.
Every available unit was searching for Damien, Andrea, and Adriana, but the silence was gut wrenching.
“My’, why don’t you call the girls and stay with them tonight night?” Kyan suggested, but I shook my head. There was no way I would put them in danger.
“I’ll stay with you Mylie, if you don’t mind, until your brother gets home.” Kyan suggested.
“Oh my God! Nik doesn’t know! We have to warn him.” My heart was racin
g because I feared my brother would get hurt.
“Mylie relax. We spoke to him already, and he is staying at a friend’s house.”
“Okay. Thanks.”
“Well? Are you going to let Xavier stay with you until we find Xander?” Kyan asked again. I was trying to avoid an awkward situation, but it was evident, I wouldn’t have a choice.
“Fine. Let’s go.” As we walked to Xavier’s truck I couldn’t help but let my mind wander.
When did my life get so complicated?
I have had to endure so much pain but I have yet to feel the one thing I have desired most in return. Just as their ashes have lain dormant, I should have perished along with my parents. The shards of glass have been embedded in my soul; my friends say I’m unrealistic, but they don’t understand. Tragedy has defined my life, and I refused to fall in love. That was until Professor Damien James found the ember hidden beneath the ashes. He refused our attraction and pushed me into the arms of a sociopath. The question remained to be asked: is it too late for us, or was my life meant to be wrecked?
“I don’t get it.” Xavier said stealing my thoughts from my impending doom.
“Get what?”
“I don’t understand how he didn’t see that you were in love with Damien.”
Oh shit!
“What! I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Don’t play coy. It doesn’t flatter you in the least. I have seen that look before, unfortunately. She was in love with Damien, too. Did you know that Damien and I went to college together? Probably not. Well I was in a long-term relationship, and I wanted to marry her, sadly she played me and fell in love with Damien. I am a little surprised that you are pinning over a man who is clearly in love with another woman. It’s rather pathetic.
“Which brings me back to my point, I don’t get what my brother could had ever seen in a woman like you, when clearly you don’t have sense, or you wouldn’t have fallen in love with a man you could never have.”
His words were like whip to my broken soul. Was I that obvious? Or was I just too blind to see that Damien wasn’t over that woman, and I was just a distraction? How could I have been so stupid? The worst part was that I had this stranger criticizing me, when he was just like me. The nerve!
“How dare you judge me, when you’re just a bitter, resentful man who was second best not only with that woman, but with your father. It’s just a shame he never saw the man you turned out to be: cruel and arrogant.”
“You think that hurt? You are as clueless as you are pretty. You don’t think I know I’m second best? Why do you think I joined the military? Please! My father’s last words to me were: I let you follow your beliefs on marriage and let you follow your heart, and look how that turned out. Why don’t you do me a favor, bring honor back to yourself and be a man. I rather see you dead than to have a son who can’t uphold the Bane name,” he laughed, but the hurt was clearly there.
“Xavier. I’m sorry--,” I began to apologize, but he quickly cut me off.
“Save it. You’re right. I have no right to judge you when we are one in the same. They should call this town Hopeless Point because it’s where the hopeless come to die. Mercy did.” He stormed off, but I knew he needed to cool off, and I couldn’t blame him for what happened next.
“Hello princess. Surprised?”
The butt of the gun hit my temple, and the world slipped away. I now knew the key players, but I never saw it coming.
Damien
“Mylie,” I heard someone say in a singsong voice, and I groaned.
No they couldn’t hurt me more than they already have.
“Mylie--, wake up buttercup,” the person giggled and then I heard a muffle scream. “Save your scream sweetheart, no one will find you.”
No. This couldn’t be happening; they got her too!
“Aw look who joined the party Damien,” Adriana cooed.
Xander started to remove Mylie’s clothes and bound her exactly how they had bound Andrea. Cyrus was there, giddy, as he waited his turn. He licked his lips as he rubbed on the front of his pants once Xander had Mylie completely nude.
Dear God, what have I done?
She had tears in her eyes, shaking her head as she tugged on the binds. Her muffled pleas were falling on deaf ears.
“STOP!” I yelled out, but they just laughed.
“Aw, look at that, he cares. You should have cared before you pushed her into his arms.” Adriana looked down at Mylie as Mylie’s eyes were locked on mine. Her glistening eyes full of tears broke my heart. “Look how she stares at you Damien. Are you too blind to see how much she loves you?” She laughed, and I cried. Adriana pulled out a knife and pressed it against Mylie’s porcelain cheek. “She is beautiful, isn’t she?” She smiled sweetly, and I felt sick.
“Please,” I begged. “Kill me. Let her go. Don’t do this. Please.”
“Oh we are going to kill you dear Damien, rest assured, but you will watch her die first. Want to know best part?” She waited for me to reply, but I just stared at Mylie’s bleeding cheek. “No? Oh pooh. You’re no fun Damien. Oh well, I’ll tell you anyway.”
Her eyes lit up as she dabbed Mylie’s blood on her fingertip and licked it off. She closed her eyes savoring the coppery taste.
Her eyes opened slowly as she said, “Right at the brink of death, I will shoot you in the head. Her last memory before she dies will be of you dying and of her believing she left this world never being loved by the only man she has ever loved.” Adriana smiled wickedly.
“Why are you doing this? We didn’t do anything wrong.”
“Didn’t you? Wasn’t it you who stole dear Xavier’s girlfriend? Wasn’t it you who stole not only a kiss from Mylie but her virginity? And then you sent her away with a broken heart. You made it so easy for Xander to toy with her emotions and make her blind to his insanity. You my dear Damien are the worst of us all.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and shook my head. No this isn’t my fault; I love Mylie. “You’re wrong!” I yelled out. That got Adriana’s attention and surprise.
She tilted her head and waved her hand, “Please go on. How am I wrong?”
I took a deep breath and calmed my nerves. I never intended to fall in love again, but Mylie found the way for me to breathe again. I would go through this a thousand times if it meant that I could love her again. I never wanted feel this or have to witness the cruelty that Andrea had experienced, and I certainly never wanted to express myself in front of these sociopaths, but I couldn’t leave this world without her knowing the truth.
“I didn’t steal anything. Jen never loved Xavier or me; she just loved Franklin, Grant, Jackson, and Hamilton. She wasn’t picky. And you’re also wrong; I didn’t steal a kiss or her virginity because she’s mine. I love her, and she loves me.”
I stared in Mylie’s widened eyes that now shed new tears.
“Mylie, if or when we die, whether it’s today or fifty years from now, I will find you again in the next life because I love you. I will always love you.” She broke into sobs crying harder. A round of claps broke my confession.
“How sweet.” I stared in disgust. “Aren’t you all so cute,” Adriana sneered. “You love her. How poetic of you Damien. It really got me right here.” She tapped her chest.
She then laughed maniacally and ripped the duct tape off Mylie’s mouth. She screamed out in pain and blood poured from her cracked lips. “Anything you want to say Mylie?”
“I love you, too. I will always love you.” She sobbed harder and cried. “I’ll find you again.”
“See, I can be kind. I am very sorry Mylie for doing this to you,” she said genuinely. “You’re a victim just like me.”
She shook her head and something caught my eye. I saw the glint of her knife being lifted in the hair within striking distance of Mylie’s chest.
“WAIT!” I yelled out.
“What now?” Xander finally spoke after days of silence. His eyes gleamed, with blood thirst as
he waited to see the bloodshed.
“Pet. Hush now. What is it Damien. What could you possibly have to say now?” Adriana said.
It was the first time in the last few weeks that I could smile which only split my lip, but the coppery taste reminded me of all I had endured, and I only found joy saying these words: “Rest in Peace, BITCH!”
The gunshots echoed in the room, and Adriana clutched her chest, her knife dropping with a loud clank. I saw Xander duck down as Cyrus’ body was riddled with bullets and thrown against the wall. The trail of blood followed as his body fell. Xander ran out the room jumping over Cyrus’ lifeless body. Mylie’s eyes were closed, and I looked desperately to see if she was breathing.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Mylie
I am dead. Yes this had to be a dream because there is no way I could be alive. Kyan shot Adriana. Yes, I am dead. My periphery lashes barely opened enough to notice that I was in a bright room. I slammed my eyes shut because I was too afraid to face reality. Damn it! Where am I? Where was Damien? Oh my God, Damien!
“Damien!” I screamed out.
“I’m here. It’s okay baby.” He grabbed my hand. “Calm down baby, I’m here.”
He smoothed the hair away from my forehead that was wet from sweat. I opened my eyes and realized that his arm was in a sling and his shoulder no longer looked dislocated. He was bruised and swollen, and his lips were cracked and covered with dried blood. My heart ached when I thought of the weeks of torture he and Andrea had endured.
“What happened to Andrea?” I choked out realizing I was in the back of an ambulance.
“She--,” he started. I squeezed my eyes shut afraid for the worst. Damien swallowed visibly. “She isn’t good babe.”
He had tears in his eyes, and I squeezed his hand. “They--,” his shoulders started to shake, and it broke my heart knowing he had to endure so much but also knowing that Andrea had been raped repeatedly at her own daughter’s doing. It made me sick, but the truth was that Damien had saved me, yet again. He saved me from that reality, and I didn’t think it was possible, but I loved him even more.