Vengeance (Oak Grove Suspense Book 1)

by Reese A. Stephens

  “Please. Please, let me go home.”

  He chuckles, running the back of his hand down my face. “Oh, sweetheart. Don’t beg. I like it too much.” Tears roll down my cheek as I shake in fear. I wish I’d never seen those crime scene photos. I know what this man can do to a woman. I know the damage he can inflict. I’d suffer it to save Ryan or Dylan, though. I’d do anything for them.

  He sits down in a chair beside the bed, resting his left ankle on his right knee. He rubs his beard as he stares at me. It’s unnerving. “Let’s start with introductions. I’m Jason, but you can call me Fox. That is what Ryan told you they called me, isn’t it? On the account that I’m so sneaky.” He laughs uproariously. That in itself is frightening. He’s crazy. “Did he tell you about me?” I don’t answer. I’m terrified. His eyes pinch together and his face grows red and angry. He leans towards me and in the most menacing voice I’ve ever heard says, “You will answer me. I don’t like to be ignored.” He grabs the chain wrapped around my ankle and jerks hard, causing me to cry out.

  He then sits back, resuming his previous position. Steepling his fingers under his chin, he asks, “Did Ryan tell you all about me?

  “Y … yes,” I stutter through my tears.

  “I knew he would. I was his hardest case. He had me fooled too, but no one fools me and gets away with it. Did he tell you what he did for me?”

  “No,” I whisper.

  He chuckles merrily. “Ah, well. He worked for me for two years. You see, my family is one of the biggest crime families on the East coast. My father is the boss, I guess you could say, but he was training me to take over. He doesn't approve of my little hobby, though, and threatened to give my rightful position to my stupid brother. I had Ryan kill him.”

  I gasp and he smiles happily. He’s trying to rile me up. “I’m sure he just did what he had to do to survive.”

  He bobs his head. “I’m sure. I would have killed him if he hadn’t complied, but I didn't make him go through women like they were candy.”

  I know my face pales. Ryan and I haven’t talked about our pasts. I didn’t want to know. I knew it was possible he was with other people, but I didn’t want to think about that. “It doesn’t matter. It was before.”

  “Yes, it was before. But you know, he used to talk about his high school sweetheart a lot, especially when he was drunk. She was the one that got away. He regretted giving her up, but her name wasn’t Shayla, it was Gracie. Do you know who she is?” I nod. Gracie is me; Shayla Grace. He smiles. “I know you do. Did you know that’s how I found you?” He continues to stare at me for several long moments. Tears pool in my eyes, but I try desperately to keep them at bay. “He wasn’t very smart. It wasn’t hard to find out who you were after the press revealed that Ryan Jacobs had posed as Lucas Marks to infiltrate the Mathis Mob Family. Did you know his personal tag was Marks always gets his mark? Cheesy, right? But true. He took out about twenty people. Some agents, others just because they annoyed me. Your boyfriend isn’t as innocent as you may think. He fit into our lifestyle perfectly. He never showed a bit of remorse for his actions. Even I feel a bit bad for what I do, although not bad enough to stop.”

  He winks at me. My stomach rolls. I feel like I may be sick. I sob. I don’t want to hear this. I don’t want to know what he was forced to do as Lucas. He’s not him. Ryan would never do anything to hurt innocent people. He’s sweet and caring. He loves me and our son.

  “Shut up. You don’t know him,” I say with as much muster and strength as I can manage.

  He stares at me a few seconds before he laughs. “Oh, sweetheart. I admire your spunk, but your boy is dark. He doesn’t deserve you, or your son. Not that my cousin does, but he’s a good guy. He has a great job. He’ll take care of you both, and as much as it pains me to admit it, you’ll be protected by me and the family now that you’re his.” He stands, coming to sit on the bed beside me. I try to scoot over, but I can’t move much. My breathing picks up again as my fear grows. “Soon you’ll be the perfect little family. If Ryan hadn’t messed up our first attempt, Dylan would already be here with you.”

  I jerk sharply as I yell, “You leave him alone!”

  “Now, now. Settle yourself down. We don’t want you bruised.” He grabs me around the waist and pulls me back to the center of the bed, so my bindings aren’t cutting into my skin. “Stay.” He runs his fingers down my cheek again. I shudder with fear. My whole body is shaking. “It’s such a shame. Your skin is so beautiful. I told Ryan he was a lucky man.”

  “I told you not to touch her,” a very familiar voice says. “Why do you still have her tied? I said as soon as she woke to let her go so she could move around.”

  “You’re a fool. She’ll run or fight you,” Mathis tells him.

  He’s still standing in the bright door way. I think I know who he is, but I don’t want to admit it to myself. Why would he do something like this? My eyes squeeze shut. I’m so stupid. Of course it’s him.

  “You’re not going to run are you, Shayla?” He walks over to me and I sob. I can’t believe he’s doing this. Ryan was so right about him. “You’ll do everything I say or I’ll find someone to take it out on those you love. Understand?” I nod my head. “Good.” He leans over me, releasing my hands and then my feet. I lie as still as I can, as to not anger either of them. “See. She’s good.” He holds his hand out to help me up. I reluctantly take it and he pulls me slowly upright. He sits on the bed beside me. “I’m going to give you a quick exam. I want to be sure the chloroform hasn’t affected you.”

  I sit very still as he looks at my eyes and listens to my chest. I breathe as he tells me to and I don’t say a word.

  “Leave us,” he tells Mathis.

  “You’re an idiot,” Mathis grumbles, but leaves.

  “Why are you doing this, Trevor?” I ask, barely controlling my emotions.

  “I told you. Perfect pairs are hard to find. I found mine. I’m not letting you go.”

  The notes! He sent the notes! I should have known. The possessive anger he showed towards me around Ryan. The off-handed things he’d say to me in passing. The way he touched me, never quite inappropriate, but not quite acceptable either.

  “You sent the notes,” I say, looking down at my hands.

  He lifts my chin. “Of course I did. Detective Jacobs is clueless. He doesn’t know how to treat a lady. But, I do. I’ll protect you and keep you safe. You’ll love it here. I built it for you, for us.”

  He gestures to the room. I look around. This room looks like it’s straight out of the nineteen-fifties. It reminds me so much of my grandmother’s home. She loved the fifties and never changed a thing as the years went by. Why would he think this is what I want? I’m not a housewife. I’ve never been one to care a ton about cooking, cleaning, or what my house looks like. I do all those things, but Dylan is my priority.

  “Do you like it?”

  “I don’t understand. Why would you build this for me?”

  “Because, this is where a woman should be. This is what will make her feel safe. You don’t have to work anymore. You won’t have to worry about anything. I’ll take care of you. We’ll have a wonderful life together.”

  He reaches out to stroke my face, but I jerk back and jump off the bed. I’m a little uneasy on my feet, but I go for the door. He grabs my arm, jerking me against his chest and then slams me into the door behind me. His face comes within millimeters of mine. His voice is low and angry.

  “Don’t misjudge my kindness for weakness. I don’t want to hurt you, but if you do not obey me, there will be consequences. Am I clear?”

  “Yes,” I whisper.

  My body vibrates in fear and quite possibly shock. He notices. I know he does. I can see the wheels of his physician brain turning, but he ignores my symptoms. He pulls me over to a door, a closet, where he picks out a dress and hands it to me.

  “Put this on. There are undergarments in the drawers. Fix your hair. I’ll be back to get you in ten minutes
. You’ll need to cook us dinner.”

  He slams the door closed and the lock clicks. I sink to my knees and sob, scream, and wail. I flat out lose myself in my sorrow and fear. Never in my life have I been this terrified. I have no clue what they will do to me. I know they want me alive and that might be more terrifying than death.

  ~*~

  I have no clue what day or time it is. They could have kept me knocked out for hours. The windows are dark, but it’s almost like they’ve been covered instead of a dark night. I feel disoriented. After I cry myself stupid, I find there is bathroom attached to the room. So I take advantage and shower quickly. I don’t want to be exposed any longer than necessary, but it does help me feel better. Now, I stand in front of the mirror, dressed in the typical 1950’s panties and bra. How in the world did my grandmother stand these ridiculously big panties or this stiff uncomfortable bra? I really want my own clothes back. I don’t want to think about them changing me. I refuse to dwell on that now. After taking several deep calming breaths, I put on the dress I was given. It reminds me of the dresses I saw on Leave it to Beaver. It’s a pretty blue one with small white flowers on it. It’s a little tight through the waist and chest, but at least I’m fully clothed now. I comb through my hair, but leave it straight down. I’ll wear the clothes, because I don’t want to be naked, but I refuse to wear my hair a special way for him.

  “Oh, good, you found the bathroom. Fix your hair, it’s time for you to cook us our meal,” Trevor tells me.

  “No,” I say, my voice holding more bravado than I feel.

  He wheels around quickly, his face full of furry. “You will do what I say or you will be punished!”

  “I like my hair down.”

  He steps forward and I step back until I’m pressed against the wall. He hasn’t touched me, but he’s barely an inch from me. “Put your hair up, in a bun or braid. Do it now or I’ll take you across my lap and tan your hide. Am I clear?”

  I blink a few times, trying to comprehend what he’s saying. I snort. “You’ll spank me? Like a child?”

  I almost want to laugh. Sure, I’ve heard stories of couples being into that sort of thing, but I don’t think this is sexual at all. I think he really would beat my butt if he thought it’d get me to do what he wants.

  “Yes. Like a child. I don’t want you bruised. I’m not abusive, but I will correct unwanted behavior. You’re mine now. Do. As. You. Are. Told!” He says each word slowly, deliberately. I shiver. “Are you going to obey?”

  “No.”

  He growls, grabs my arm and flings me to the bed. He immediately begins undoing his belt. I jump up and run for the closet, trying to shut the door before he reaches me, but it won’t close all the way. There is something blocking the latch. I hold it to me as tightly as I can, but it doesn’t work. He rips it out of my hands before I can try to think of another plan.

  He throws me stomach down onto the bed, putting his knee on my back to hold me in place. I scream and cry out for him to stop, but it seems to make him only hit me harder. He wails on me over and over until I go limp from the pain. This isn't a spanking; it’s a beating. He's hitting anything he can reach. My back, legs, and butt are all burning with pain. Finally, after what feels like hours, but is most likely only a minute or two. He stops. His breathing is ragged and heavy. He stands and straightens his white dress shirt and puts his belt back in place. I lie there as still as possible, sobbing.

  “Fix your hair. Am I clear?” I just nod, covering my face. “Don’t disobey me again.” He slams the door.

  I lie there for a few minutes to gain control of myself. I feel foolish, scared, lonely, and sad. I want Ryan. I need him so badly. I need to find a way out of here. I eventually get up and go to the bathroom. I haven’t a clue how to fix my hair like it’s the 1950’s, so I put it up in a simple bun.

  I go to the bedroom door and turn the nob. It’s unlocked, surprisingly. There’s a hallway before me. On my left is a small door, most likely a linen closet. On my right is a longer hallway leading to an opening, a foyer area. There are two open doorways off the foyer, both look like living room areas, but the larger room appears to be connected to a dining room, so I head that way. In the dining room, there’s a door to a kitchen. Mathis and Trevor sit talking at the small kitchen table.

  “Ah, good. You found your way. It’s late, so I think sandwiches would be fine,” Trevor tells me. I nod and head over to the fridge to gather the supplies. “I don’t like mayonnaise. I’ll take a turkey and cheese on wheat, with lettuce, tomatoes, and onion. Mustard is fine.” He resumes talking to Mathis, but then speaks to me again, “Oh, toast the bread and I’ll take potato salad. I bought some this time, but you’ll make it from scratch the next time I want it.” I just nod my head and set to work on his sandwich. Tears fill my eyes, but I try desperately to keep them at bay.

  When I’m finished, I set it on the table in front of him. As I start to pull away, he grabs my wrist, making me flinch, but he simply presses a kiss to my flesh. “Thank you, sweetheart. Now ask Jason what he’d like to eat?” I turn to Mathis, who is smiling up at me.

  “Would you like something to eat?”

  He stares at me for a long moment, then says, “Yes, but I can’t have what I want.” I shiver in disgust. “I’ll just have the same, but I like mayo.”

  I nod and turn back to the counter to fix his food. While I’m “cooking” he calls Ryan and torments him with news of me. Trevor punches him in the arm every time he says something about how I look, but when I set the plate in front of him, he asks me to kiss him. I look at Trevor and he touches his cheek. So with tears streaming down my face, I move to kiss Mathis’ cheek, but at the last second he turns and kisses my lips. I hurry to the sink and wash my lips. Trevor punches a laughing Mathis in the face, making him drop his phone and end the call.

  “I told you she’s mine! You have no right kissing her,” Trevor roars.

  Mathis holds his hands up in defeat as he laughs. “Calm down, cousin. I won’t do it again. You’re just too easy to get a rise out of; I couldn’t resist.”

  I’m still standing at the sink when I feel hands touch my shoulders. I jump. “Are you all right?” Trevor asks me softly. I nod, though I'm anything but all right. “He won’t hurt you.” He kisses my neck behind my ear. “You smell so good. I knew I’d love that soap.” A small sob bursts through my lips. “Shh, I won’t hurt you. I won’t do anything against your will, but I know one day you’ll love me. One day you’ll want me as much as I want you.”

  “You're keeping me here against my will,” I tell him. He inhales sharply. “I'm sorry,” I add quickly, afraid he'll hit me again. My whole backside is throbbing in pain.

  He rubs my arms softly. “I told you, I don't want to hurt you. I have issues with my temper, Shayla. I'm not a perfect man. My intentions are good. I don't want you unhappy. I know if you give it a chance, you'll like it here. Come, I'll show you.”

  He takes my hand and directs me to the door. He hands me my coat; I cling to it like a life line. It's mine, and as crazy as it might sound, I never want to take it off. I feel shielded. He opens the door and pulls me outside. I say pull because he's not casually holding my hand, he is pulling me along like an errant child.

  Outside it's dark, but the moon is so bright you can clearly see for miles. I hold back my tears. We are in the middle of nowhere. All I see is open land and trees off in the distance. I'd never make it to them if I were being chased. There's nowhere to hide, nowhere to go. I'm truly trapped here without means of escape.

  “Beautiful, isn't it?” Trevor asks happily. I nod. It is beautiful. “I figured you could plant a garden in the spring if you wanted. There's even a spot for a strawberry patch. I know how much you love strawberries.” He leans towards me and I freeze. He pays me no attention as he presses a kiss to my neck again. “You miss your son?” he asks softly.

  I turn to look at him. To someone who didn't know, they'd think he was a caring boyfriend. He looks at
me like I'm the greatest love in his life. It's kind of sad that he couldn't have found someone who could feel the same about him. It makes no sense why a handsome, educated man couldn't find love with someone who could love him in return versus doing things because they want to avoid punishment. Believe me, I will avoid that as much as possible.

  “I do,” I answer.

  “Not for long,” he tells me, smiling brightly.

  I look at him with wide horror filled eyes. “No, please don't bring him here.”

  “Why not? You miss him. I want you happy.”

  “I do miss him, but I had him for fifteen years. Ryan should have a turn.” My explanation is lame, but hopefully it will be enough.

  Anger fills his eyes. Before I can blink, he backhands me so hard that I cry out and fall to my knees. “Don't you ever say his name again, do you understand me?” I nod frantically as I hold my cool palm to my cheek.

  “You shouldn't have to miss your son and that man doesn't deserve him, or you. He left you when you needed him most. I'll never leave you, Shayla.” He helps me up and moves my hand from my face. He frowns as he looks at me. “I'm sorry. I didn't want to do that. You really need to watch what you say to me. It's so very hard to control my temper.” He pulls me into a hug, pressing his cheek to mine. I can't stop the tears from falling. He's going to bring Dylan here. I know he will. I wish there was some way of warning Ryan. He holds me for a lot longer than I'm comfortable with, but I don't dare move. I don't want to anger him.

  “I'm tired. May I go to bed?” I ask after he pulls away. He strokes my face softly.

  “Of course, sweetheart. I'll be in soon.” I must look as I feel, horrified, because his face softens. “I told you, I won't force myself on you. I want you to want me. I'll come say goodnight. Your room is yours.”

  “Okay.”

  I turn and walk away before he can change his mind or become angry. I hurry back into the house. No one is in the kitchen when I come through, but I see the cell phone Mathis used on the table. I grab it and call Ryan as quickly as I can. The phone rings a few times before I hear the best sound in the world.