Between Lust & Tears (Backstage Series Book #2)

by Dani René

  “What are you—”

  “I suppose your sister didn’t tell you about me?” His accent flips, and the deep rumble of a West Coast accent is thick with sarcasm.

  “My sister?” I stare at him in confusion with my heart clawing its way up my chest. “What does my sister have to do with this?”

  A dark smirk curls his lips, and the evil glint I saw earlier flashes in a more sinister way. The terror that suddenly grips my throat makes it hard to breathe, hard to swallow. I need to get to Liam, to Tayla. “Your boyfriend can’t save you now, Peach.” He drawls the nickname in a menacing tone, and the awareness that turns my stomach has tears springing to my eyes.

  My eyes dart to the door, wishing for someone to walk in. Or knock, or just...anything. I shouldn’t have walked in here alone. Where is everyone? Why isn’t anyone opening the door?

  As if he’s read my mind, the words fall from his cracked lips. “You’re not going anywhere until I get what I came for. What I promised your sister I would take all those years ago.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” Fear paralyzes me. Something must have happened to Tay, but for the life of me, I can’t understand why she didn’t tell me.

  “Oh darling, I want you, and you’re going to obey and come with me. Or your sister will pay for it with her life.” The threat has bile rising in my gut. His chilling words snap me from my fear and send me into a trembling anger. I make for the door, trying to shove past him, but before I have time to react or scream he reaches out, grabbing a fistful of hair and yanking my head back.

  He leans in and a gasp escapes my throat, echoing in the restroom. He presses a cloth to my mouth. My arms flail, but he’s too strong and there’s no way I can unhook myself from him.

  His nose trails lightly up my neck and to my ear.

  “Now I can see why he calls you, Peach. I can’t wait to take a bite.”

  My mind whirls with thoughts of never seeing my family again. As my eyes flutter closed from the intoxicating scent on the cloth, a moment of regret plagues my mind. I regret not having told Liam that I love him while I had the chance.

  “Why isn’t she back yet?” I question to no one in particular. It’s been ten minutes since I left her in the hallway. I should have walked with her to the restroom, but I thought she’d be okay.

  “I’ll go and check.” Tayla’s voice is strained. I rise from my chair to accompany her, but she shakes her head. “Ki can come with me.” Callum’s face, etched with worry, puts me on edge.

  “I’m going, I don’t give a shit if it’s the ladies’ room.” I push up and stalk up the stairs with the girls. I’m first to get to the door, shoving it open and stepping inside. It’s chilly, but I make my way into every stall, opening the doors to make sure they’re empty.

  “Maybe she wasn’t feeling well,” Kierra suggests behind me, and I turn to stare at her.

  “She was fine, I swear. There wasn’t a thing wrong with her.” My brows crinkle as I regard her. The lump in my throat is thick with fear and makes it difficult to swallow. We head back down and find Callum and Ryan waiting at the table. “It’s fucking empty. Completely deserted.”

  “It’s going to be okay,” my brother mumbles, but I know it’s a lie. Grabbing my phone, I hit Call on her number, but her purse vibrates on the table.

  Dragging my eyes up, I see Tay and Kierra staring at the black leather bag. Where the fuck is she?

  “One of the staff checked the men’s room, as well, and there’s no sign of her.” Tayla’s words sink in and pain hits my chest.

  * * *

  It’s been four hours and I’ve been biting my fucking nails trying to figure out what to do. We’ve called the police, but they can’t do much since it’s not been twenty-four hours yet. “This is fucking ridiculous. I can’t sit here and wonder what happened. I’m going to go and drive around the area.” Pushing up from the sofa in our suite, I feel Tayla’s soft hand on mine. Big, brown eyes peer up at me, the same eyes as my beautiful girl. They’re shimmering with unshed tears.

  “Please, find her,” she pleads, and all I can do is nod because any words are lodged in my throat, threatening to choke me.

  “I’m going with you, brother.” Callum rises from his seat, pulling Tay into a hug.

  Turning to Ryan, I lean down and whisper, “Stay with the girls.”

  Without another look, I turn to the door, keys in hand with fear twisting my gut, my brother hot on my heels. My restraint—the same restraint that keeps me from drinking, from falling into the dark hole that numbs me—is getting more difficult to hold on to.

  “Liam.” I turn to face the blue eyes of my brother. He knows me better than anyone, and he’s worried. I can see it. Whenever I’m stressed out or in pain, the first thing I do is hit the bottle, the painkillers, anything to take the edge off.

  When I have Emma, she’s my drug. She’s my addiction. It’s one addiction I never want to walk away from. Going cold turkey and losing her will detonate everything I hold close. My heart, my mind, my very fucking soul.

  “Don’t Cal, no lectures needed. Let’s just find her.” Slipping into the driver’s seat, I turn the key and the engine roars to life. “I need to find her.”

  I don’t know if I’m telling him this or if I’m trying to convince myself. But there’s nothing that’s going to stand in my way. I need my fix, and she’s somewhere out there.

  “We will, I promise.” Dragging my glare over to him, I find concern in his eyes. That’s something about my brother—you can always tell how he feels by the look in those baby blues. It’s like looking right into his soul.

  “Don’t make promises you aren’t sure you can keep.”

  “I didn’t mean it like that, Liam. I don’t know what happened, but we’ll find her.” His response is quiet, almost a whisper.

  If I find out that someone has taken her, I will use my bare hands to hurt the fucker. “Callum, I can’t live without her.” As we weave through the wine farm, the roads are dark and windy. I’m sure there are no houses or buildings out this way, but I’m not about to leave a single square inch of land untouched.

  My heart constricts in my chest, suffocating me. I pull up onto a grassy hill, staring out the window. I can just make out the trees and vines. The sky is dark, ominous, as the branches stretch across each other.

  “Liam, I know you’re strong. You can make it through this. Do you love her? I mean, really love her?” His voice is tight with emotion. The roughness of his tone tells me that he’s worried. My brother is empathetic, he picks up on emotions, and right now, I know he can feel the war waging inside me.

  Right now, I am angry and scared.

  “I fucking love her, Callum. She’s my strength. My lifeline.” We stare at each other in the dark. The emotions flit over his face, in his eyes, and he knows how I feel. It’s the way he feels about his soon-to-be wife.

  Passion. Devotion. Love.

  Yes, Liam Hayes is in love. Falling into the abyss of emotion. “I know. I can see it when you talk about her, when you look at her. Brother, there is nothing I wouldn’t do to help you get her back. Just stay strong. Please?” His hand squeezes my shoulder in solidarity. He is always there for me, and if my mom knew what was going on, she’d be urging me to stay strong and push past my need to consume alcohol till I pass out.

  There is only one thing in this world that can save me. Emma Quinn. We head back towards the other edge of the property, but it’s so dark out. She must be close by.

  “I will be fine. For her. For you. For mom.”

  “You also need to stay strong for you, Liam. You need to be the man she needs. Whatever the fuck happened, she is going to need you more than you can imagine. After what happened to Tay…” His words trail off, and I glance at him. “Fuck.”

  “What?” I question, staring at him.

  Without answering me, he pulls out his phone and dials. After a couple of rings, Tay’s voice comes through the speaker.

  �
��Cal?”

  “Your father’s ex-business partner. Where was he being held?” She’s silent, and we both glance at the phone. I pull into the parking spot outside the bed and breakfast. “Tay, baby?”

  “He was arrested and held in San Francisco. Why?”

  “I have a suspicion. We’re outside. I’ll talk to you when I get inside.” He hangs up and makes another call, this time to our private investigator. “I need you to find information for me.” He rattles off the name and last known whereabouts of a man I have never heard of.

  As we make our way inside, I pin him with a questioning glare. “What’s going on, Cal?”

  “The man who hurt Tay, I have a feeling it’s him.”

  I stop dead in the middle of the reception area. “What?”

  “He told her that he was going after her sister. This was a few years ago, but someone with a vendetta doesn’t easily give up.”

  My body goes cold, and a pain that I am sure is about to rip me to pieces squeezes my heart. If he is the one who took Em, I will fuck him up so bad he’ll never fucking walk again. Let alone breathe. I just want my girl.

  As we walk into the living area, Tayla bounds into Callum’s arms, tears running down her face. “Cal, she’s gone. He’s got her.” Her voice is shrill, and the cold grip of fear rips me apart.

  “What the fuck are you talking about, Tayla?” My voice is harsh, but I don’t care. This is the woman I love. She hands me her phone, and the photo filling the screen has me wanting to hurl it at the wall.

  Anger sweeps through every fiber of my being. “Liam, give me the phone.” My brother pulls it from my grip, and I watch his face drain of color.

  “We need to get her back. My fucking girl.” The words come out as a low growl, and everybody stops to stare at me. Spinning on my heel, my fist connects with the wall and blood stains the cream-colored paint.

  Everything hurts, and as I try to move, a pain shoots down my leg. When I grab my thigh, I feel a sticky substance. I crack my eyes and take in my surroundings. It’s dark and musty, but the wood paneling tells me that I am still at the vineyard. Shivers wrack my body.

  There’s a pounding in my head, and breathing is difficult. Reaching out, I push up and cry out in pain as it sears through me. My arm gives way, and I collapse onto the hard, cold floor.

  “The pretty little peach is awake.” A menacing voice reaches through the darkness, and I glace up to find the man with the gray eyes. “You better eat. It will soon be time, and I don’t want you dying before I’ve had my chance for revenge.” With that, he closes the door and leaves me in the dark room with a plate of food and a glass of water. I don’t know where I am and my mind is foggy. Disorientated, like I’ve been drugged.

  My heart aches. Liam must be looking for me. My sister, Callum, Ryan and Kierra, they must all be worried sick. Pushing myself up, I sit on the mattress. My legs are shaky, but I manage to stand. I walk over to the door, feeling my way against the wall and find the light switch. The dim bulb comes to life, and I take in my surroundings.

  It’s a small room with a single bed. The floor is dark, but the walls are gray with paintings hanging haphazardly along them. Picking up the plate and glass, I pad over to the bed and sit down slowly. My legs are freezing cold since I’m only wearing a skirt. Picking up the sandwich, I take a bite into it and groan. I’m starving and it’s good.

  Before long, both the glass of milk and the bread are finished. There are small windows higher up, and I can see the soft light of dawn spilling into the room. I don’t know how long I’ve been here, or how long I’ve been sleeping, but my head feels groggy. My body aches everywhere, but it’s my heart that’s in tatters.

  What could he want with me? How does he know Tay? All I want is Liam’s strong arms around me, holding me and keeping me safe. I want to give him something to live for, maybe even a family.

  I know he’s falling for me as I have fallen for him. I should have told him, there were so many moments that I waited. Now, time isn’t on my side, and I’m not sure what’s going to happen. Will I ever get that chance? To tell him how I feel? My mind flits back to the last few days, the memories making my heart ache.

  “Liam, let’s go!” I call out to him. We’ve decided to spend the day on the beach, enjoying each other’s company. It’s been two days since he told me about his past. I can see he has been trying to be a boyfriend. It’s difficult since he’s recognized most times we’re out, but for the most part, he’ll grab my hand and tell reporters I’m his girlfriend.

  “Come here, Peach, if I catch you, I will spank your ass.” Giggling, I run up the sandy embankment and glance back. As I reach the top, I see him not far behind. The waves crash on the shore and the hot sun heats my skin, nowhere near what Liam’s gaze does. I turn to watch him run up the hill, my hands on my hips.

  “You’re slow, old man.” I tease. He’s eleven years older than me, but with a body like that, you’d think he was much younger. When he reaches me, he lifts me up, spinning me around, and my arms twine around his neck. When we come to a stop, I peer at him through my sunglasses.

  “Old man? Would you like to be put across my knee? It seems my girl needs to remember to respect her elders.” His raspy tone tightens the coil in my stomach and has my clit throbbing. I lean in and whisper in his ear.

  “Why don’t you teach me to behave?” His growl is evidence that my words had their desired effect.

  “I think it’s time for lunch.” Our gazes lock and I frown. We haven’t brought any food up here, and it’s a trek back down to the blanket we had set up. “I’m going to eat that sweet pussy right here.” He slides me down his body, and I feel his erection pressing into me.

  “Liam, you can’t…”

  “Peach, I can do anything I want.” With a cheeky wink, he lays me down under the hot sun and continues to make me cry out his name.

  Sadness scorches my heart, leaving it cold and barren without him. “I love you…” My voice rings in the room. Suddenly, the door opens and the man’s figure darkens the doorway. He’s tall with broad shoulders that just about fit through the small space. His face is rounded and he looks to be in his late forties, unshaven, and it looks as if he’s not slept in days. His cold eyes glare at me, sending a shiver of fear racketing through me.

  “Awww, isn’t that cute. He loves you, too.”

  “What do you want with me? I don’t even know who you are.”

  “You’re my ticket to a new life, Emma Quinn. Don’t you recognize me?” He steps closer, but I can’t for the life of me place him. My mind flits through everyone I have met in recent years, but he just doesn’t look familiar.

  “No, I don’t.” He scowls, staring at me with anger.

  “When your father had those big corporations investing their insurance premiums with us, I came up with the perfect plan. Add an extra percent on a premium here and there, nobody will know the difference. Those rich fuckers will pay anything to keep their assets safe. I had almost gotten enough to make sure I was taken care of. That’s when your father noticed the numbers didn’t add up.” Shaking my head, I can’t believe this vile man did that. I never knew the background to what happened, but the shock that he blames my father sends waves of anger through me. “He took everything from me. He could have had it all. Instead, he grew a conscience and fucked up my whole plan.” My face must have shown the shock I felt, because when those steely eyes landed on me again, he smirked. “Now you remember me, don’t you, little Emmy?”

  His nickname has my stomach lurching in disgust. The man in front of me looks nothing like I remember. When I was still in school, he used to come by our house.

  When we hit high school, I don’t remember seeing him much, and not long after, my father told us we’d be moving. There was so much going on that I didn’t think about why or how. All I knew was that my father had gotten a new job because he’d learned that his business partner was stealing money.

  “But, you were gone. They arrested
you.” My voice sounds small, and I am certain he can smell the fear dripping from me.

  “And then I came back, found your sister, and made sure that she’ll always remember me. Did you know she was a whore?” His lips curve into a sinister smirk.

  “What? No, my sister—”

  “She tried to protect you by giving her body up to ensure the safety of her sister. But you know what…” he takes a small step toward me, and I take one back. “You can’t run and this time, I will get to taste the little Emmy.” Swiftly, his hand grabs my hair, tugging it back until my eyes are locked on his.

  Pinning me against the wall between his body and the cold cement, his hot, stale breath in my ear as he hisses the words, “I want to taste that sweetness that your boyfriend can’t get enough of, that he had to fuck you in a dark office. Did you like that? Did you like him fucking you like a little slut?” My eyes sting with tears as he pulls my hair harder, burning pain shooting through my head.

  “Please, don’t do this. We can pay you. Is it money you want?” The tears roll down my face as soon as I blink, and his lips brush against my cheek. Fear runs through my veins, sending cold shivers through me.

  “Just like your sister, a little whore. I don’t need your money. You have something else I want, though.” His hand trails up my leg, gripping my thigh so hard, causing me to cry out in pain. His body pushes against me, and I can feel his erection.

  “Just let me go, please?” My begging falls on deaf ears as he continues to rub himself against me. Faster and faster. Disgust has bile rising to my throat and my eyes slam shut. A buzzing rings through the room, and suddenly he lets go. Stepping back, I watch him pull a phone from his pocket.

  Before he answers, he glares at me. “I will be back.” And with that, I’m left alone again in the room. Lying on the bed, I curl into myself and let the tears flow. He didn’t do anything, but I feel dirty. Filthy. Disgusting. Liam would never want me now. Not tainted the way I am.