Brothers Next Door

by Samantha Twinn

  I hang up the phone and shove it back in my pocket, feeling no closer to an answer than before. I send as much information as I have on Rose to Red, which doesn’t amount to much. And for the next hour, I pace the apartment feeling like a caged animal. But the only thing I can do is wait.

  I pull up her employment file, trying to search for clues as to where she might have gone. The only family listed in the file is her mother. It’s possible she sought out her mother on the road, but unlikely. After what Rose told me, I can’t imagine her ever returning to that life, even temporarily. There’s the old boyfriend, but again, there wasn’t much of a connection there. I send the details to Red.

  “Where the fuck are you, Rose?” I say, bringing up her photo and realize that this crappy photo is the only one I have of her. It’s possible that I might never see her again, and this fucking ID photo is the only thing I have to show for our time together. That and the ache in my chest.

  Feeling the need to do something productive, I jump in the shower and wash away the last of last night’s bender. I’m not sure what I’ll do if we can’t find her. Leo will never forgive me. And outside of the obvious implications to our company, I’d also be losing the only person I’ve ever felt close to in my life. In short, my life is a giant, stinking dumpster fire and the only thing I can do is sit back and watch it burn.

  Just as my desperation hits a manic level, my cell rings. Relief floods through me as I see Rose’s number on the screen.

  I rush to the phone, anxious to hear her voice. “Don’t hang up. You were right. I’m in love with you, and it scares the hell out of me,” I say, pleading my case. “I was wrong about everything. Please come home, and we can work this out. I promise. I’m sorry I made you cry. I’m sorry I… Fuck, I’m just sorry. ”

  “No you’re not,” a strange man’s voice says on the other end, “but you will be.”

  A cold chill runs down my spine as I check the number again. “Who the hell is this? And where’s Rose?”

  “Don’t worry, I have your girlfriend right here. Or is it Leo’s girlfriend? The papers don’t seem to know.” the man says. “Are you both bedding this whore?”

  I get to my feet, clutching the phone so hard my hand starts to ache. “If you so much as touch a hair on her head, I’ll—”

  “You’ll what? Destroy me?” The man dissolves into a hollow laugh that hits me like a kick to the gut. “Oh, that’s funny. Like you can do any more damage.”

  “Who are you? What do you want? If it’s money—”

  “We’re far beyond that, Asher Knight,” he says, cutting in. “You’ve taken everything I’ve ever cared about away from me, and I’m not going to stop until I take everything away from both of you. Starting with your woman.”

  This psychopath has Rose. My stomach sours with the thought, and I have to swallow the bile that’s rising in my throat. If something happens to her, I’ll never be able to forgive myself.

  “Let me talk to Rose,” I demand, but the phone goes dead. I call the number back, but it goes straight to voicemail.

  I dial Red, trying to get a grip on my panic. “I need to know where she is right now.”

  “I have some leads, but you need to give me time,” Red says with a sigh.

  “We don’t have time. Someone has her.”

  “Has her? Like kidnapped? Why the fuck didn’t you say that in the first place,” Red says, typing frantically. “Do you know who took her?”

  “I haven’t a clue. I think it has something to do with our company,” I say. “He said Leo and I ruined his life.”

  “If I had a name, it would make this go a lot faster. Does Leo have any ideas?”

  “He doesn’t know yet. Fuck. Maybe I should call the police. They can—”

  “Don’t,” Red says, interrupting me. “I can work a lot faster. And once we get them involved, you’ll be stuck answering questions all day. I’ll pull some of my guys and go through the last threat analysis we did on your company and see if anything pops. In the meantime, find Leo and see if he has any ideas.”

  I call Leo, but he’s not picking up, so I leave a message. The silence in the penthouse is crushing. I move to the window overlooking the city and pound the glass. Rose needs me, and there’s not a fucking thing I can do about it.

  47

  Rose

  The smell of mold and fetid water burn my nose. I blink, trying to adjust to the dim light, but I can’t seem to focus. I have no idea where I am or what time it is. The last thing I remember is getting into a car.

  My eyes still burn from whatever was sprayed in my face. I try to rub them, but quickly find, I can’t move. Arching my head, I see a thick rope wrapped around my wrists, tying me to what looks like a stair banister.

  The bitter taste of fear coats my mouth as I realize I’m all alone. No one is going to come looking for me. I quit my job. Told off my mother. And, fuck, I left that note. Leo and Asher are going to assume I left. Well, I was leaving. But I had hoped that with a little time and distance, we might be able to overcome our problems.

  I’m such a fool. They’ll assume that I’m off living somewhere, happy to be rid of them, and never know that some crazy person took me. I’m going to die alone, and no one will even miss me.

  Tears pool in my eyes and I blink, trying to hold back the flood. God damn it, there are those tears again. Now’s not the time to fall apart. There’s no rescue party coming, and if I’m going to survive this, I need to get out of here myself.

  I look around for any clues as to where I am or who took me, my eyes finally adjusting to the low light. I’m in a basement. No, that’s not right. It’s more like an old root cellar. The floor is dirt, and the walls are bare stone. In the corner of the room, there’s what looks like an old broiler for a steam radiator system, and next to that, an old coal chute.

  If I can get loose, I might be able to escape that way.

  I turn back to the ropes and give them a tug. They’re tight—so tight, my fingers are cold and tingly. My hands are tied far enough apart that I can’t reach the knots to loosen them. The rope itself is thick and sturdy, but the banister looks old. The paint has rubbed off the slim, wooden spindles where the rope is secure and the wood underneath looks dry and cracked. I give an experimental tug, and the wood bows under the pressure. Given the right leverage, I think I can pull them free.

  I stretch, trying to get a better footing when I hear a door open above me. The stairs behind me creak and groan as someone comes down. I hurry to get back to my original position and close my eyes, feigning unconsciousness.

  “You are quite the gift, little lady,” a distinctly masculine voice says. “Like a treasure that’s been delivered and dropped into my lap.”

  There is a loud thud on the ground next to my feet as the guy drops something. My heart is racing, but I concentrate on keeping my breathing slow and steady.

  “Honestly, between you and me, I was starting to give up hope. I thought about killing Leo and letting that rich bastard, Asher, live with the knowledge that it was all his fault. The problem with that plan was that Leo is equally responsible for ruining my life. If I killed him, he wouldn’t suffer—not the way I want him to. But then you showed up.”

  He leans over and checks the rope. Then grabs my chin with rough hands and leans in. The stench of unwashed body and alcohol overwhelms my senses. I fight the urge to open my eyes and try to stay as limp as possible as he manhandles my body.

  “At first, when I saw you outside the penthouse, I thought you were Leo’s newest slut. But after the accident, and I saw how you rushed to Asher’s side in the hospital waiting room, I knew you weren’t with just Leo.”

  I don’t know how much longer I can keep up the act. I feel like I’m going to retch. This lunatic was watching us; at the penthouse, at the hospital. Maybe even before.

  “I should have known those assholes would share a woman. They have no respect for other people’s property.” He has to be inches away from my face.
His rancid breath heats my skin as he turns my head from one side to the other. With a huff, he lets go and takes a step. “Fuck. I hope I didn’t use too much of that shit. I want to make them suffer, and it’s not going to be the same if you’re still unconscious.”

  I hear a zipper and the sound of him digging through the bag. I chance a look, afraid he’s getting a weapon or worse. I hold my breath as I see him reach in and pull something out. Much to my relief, he only pulls out a camera. The guy, who’s still facing away from me, stands back up and searches the room. It’s mostly empty, save for a few rotting pieces of furniture. A rickety table on the far end of the room catches his eye, and he drags it over to where I’m tied.

  I have no idea what he has planned for me, but I’m pretty sure he’s not preparing for a Skype call. I have to get out of here, or at the very least, get my hands free, so I have a fighting chance. I try pulling on the rope again, but I just don’t have the upper body strength.

  I must have made a noise because he spins around. “Good. You’re awake,” he says, and a crooked smile spreads across his face.

  A chill runs down my spine as I recognize him. He was the guy taking pictures outside of the penthouse. That was three weeks ago. He’s been planning this for a long time.

  “Please,” I beg. “You don’t have to do this. I’m not even who you think I am. Let me go, and I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”

  “Shut up, bitch,” he says and shoves a filthy rag in my mouth. “Your precious Asher already begged for your life.” That unhinged smile creeps across his face again. “You should have heard the desperation in his voice. I’m going to enjoy this.” He checked the camera and frowned. “I need more light. Don’t go anywhere.”

  He laughs and races back up the stairs.

  Once he’s gone, I spit out the cloth and take a deep breath. I can’t wait another second. I’m not sure what he’s planning, but I’m not sticking around to find out. My only hope is to get free.

  I twist my arms and manage to catch my foot on the bottom step. The wood bows as I yank, but stays put. I strain against the ropes, but I need more leverage. My shoulder is cocked at an unnatural angle as I try to tuck my legs under my body to turn. The muscles in my arm burn from the strain, but I’ll dislocate my shoulder before giving up.

  I can’t be tied up when that crazy man gets back. I just can’t.

  Finally, my legs slide across the loose dirt, and I’m able to plant both my feet against the wall behind me. Heavy footsteps tread across the floor above me. The floorboards moan and shower me with fine dirt, and I know my time's up.

  I push as if my life depends on it—and I’m certain it does. The ropes tighten around my wrist, cutting painfully into my skin, but I keep up the pressure until one of the spindles snaps. My right hand snaps back, causing me to lose my foothold, and I scramble to reposition myself. I need to get the other hand free.

  “What’s going on down there,” the guy yells.

  I hear him quickly stomp across the floor and I abandon my plan to free the other hand. Instead, I grab the splintered piece of wood and quickly turn back around. The broken spindle is tucked behind my back, and I’m prepared to use it as a weapon as soon as he gets close enough. But in order to do that, I reach up and pretend to still be tied.

  “What the hell are you doing,” he says thudding down the stairs.

  He leans in, likely to check my ropes. He’s wary and looking for any problems. I know if he keeps looking, he’ll know my hand is free. So I kick out, trying to distract him. “Let me go, you asshole. Let me go.”

  “Keep still,” he says, trying to get close again.

  “Help!” I yell. “Don’t touch me.”

  “Shut up,” he screams and backhands me across the jaw.

  Bright white stars cloud my vision, but I don’t stop my assault. I kick at his body and writhe on the floor, but don’t let go of my handhold. I need him to think I’m still tied up for now.

  I manage to kick him in the shin hard, and he stumbles. Cursing, he scurries away from me. “Fucking bitch,” he mutters.

  Turning his back on me, he starts setting up the work light he brought with him. After he adjusts the light to shine down on me, he checks the camera again.

  “You know, I was just going to kill you,” he says looking through the viewfinder. “I was going to make it fast. I’m gentleman after all, and my beef is with the guys.” He looks over the camera, and I catch something manic in his expression. These are not the eyes of someone in control. “But you, dear, are no lady. You’re a fucking whore and don’t deserve mercy.”

  48

  Leo

  The walk helps clear my mind. I return to the penthouse with a renewed sense of purpose. I’m not mad anymore. I realize that neither one of them have had stellar examples of loving relationships.

  And everything with Rose has moved so fast, we all need to take a step back; myself especially. I’ve been pushing so hard to get Asher to recognize his feelings, I never considered the damage I might have been doing in the process. We’ve fought before, but never like this. Even so, I’m sure we can move forward.

  This is like a business negotiation. In order for all parties to get what they want, there’s going to be a lot of compromise and negotiation. We really haven’t talked at all about what we want or need out of this relationship. After we find Rose, we’re all going to sit down and talk about the future. It’s what we should have done in the first place.

  I walk into the living room to find Asher staring out the window again. I take the fact that he’s dressed and freshly showered as a good sign.

  “I’m sorry,” I say, crossing the room. “I know you didn’t want this to happen. I’ve been too hard on you. It’s just I’ve never felt this way about a woman, and I might be slightly biased. Rose is—”

  “Someone took her,” Asher says, turning around.

  The stricken look on his face hits me, and I stop in my tracks. “Took her? Are you sure? What about the note she left saying she was going out of town?”

  “I’m sure. I just got a call from her cell. This guy…” Asher’s face cracks with emotion. A cold chill runs down my spine. “He says he wants to make us pay.”

  “We’ll pay him whatever he wants,” I say without hesitation.

  “He doesn’t want our money.”

  “Then what the fuck does he want?”

  Asher smacks the window with the palm of his hand and growls. “I don’t fucking know what he wants. He just said that we needed to pay and he was going to take Rose away from us.”

  “What exactly did he say?” Sour bile rises in my throat. Please let me be wrong.

  “He said we took everything he loves away, and now he’s going to take everything away from us.”

  “Fuck. I didn’t think he was dangerous.” I let out a breath and crumple into a chair, fighting the urge to throw up. This was all because of some fucking business deal.

  “Do you who took her? Where he has her?”

  “Larry Reid,” I say my voice sounding hollow to my own ears.

  Fucking Larry Reid. I should have seen this coming. The guy was obsessed and just wouldn’t take a hint.

  “Who the fuck is that? Why would he take Rose?” Asher grabs my shoulder and shakes. “Leo! We have to get her away from this guy. You didn’t hear his voice.”

  Asher’s panic pulls me back to the moment. I shake my head and tell him about the letters and threats. “It was never anything specific. They were just vague threats. ‘I’ll make you pay.’ ‘You’ll be sorry.’ I never thought he was actually dangerous. He was the CEO of a midsize import business for Christ’s sake.”

  “How can you be sure it’s him?” Asher asks.

  “In the last letter he sent, he wrote ‘you took everything I ever loved away from me, and now I’m going to take everything away from you.’ Roger filed for a restraining order, and we also filed a harassment suit.” My head is pounding. That man was a threat, and I led the woman I
love straight to him. “What if the lawsuit pushed him over the edge?” I ask. “What if this is my fault?”

  “It’s not your fault,” Asher says and pulls out his cell. He dials a number and puts it on speaker.

  “I’m still working on it,” Red says.

  “I know who has her,” Asher says. “A man named Larry Reid.”

  “We bought his family’s company last year,” I say. “It was a hostile buyout, and he’s still holding a grudge.”

  “Hold tight. I saw a file with that name.” The sound of computer keys fills the dead air as Red works his magic. “Okay, Larry Reid. Looks like he declared bankruptcy right after the buyout.” More typing. “Oh, wow. His mother died shortly after that. And then his wife left him. Fuck, this guy had a bad run of luck. Looks like the ex-wife moved back to Virginia. She was awarded full custody of their two kids. He’s only allowed supervised visitation. The court records show a history of violent behavior and drinking.”

  Urgency gnaws at my nerves. Violent behavior. Why the fuck didn’t Roger find out about this?

  “Where is he now?” I press.

  “That’s just it. A few months ago, he fell off the map. No credit card charges. No cell in his name. Nothing.”

  “Fucking hell, Red! This isn’t helping,” Asher yells. “I need an address. A name. Something. If this guy touches Rose, I swear—”

  “We’ll find her,” I say, trying to reassure myself as much as Asher. “Anything you have will help.”

  “I might have something,” Red says. “There’s a house in his mother’s name. Looks like it’s an old family property. No one’s lived there since his grandmother passed away fifteen years ago, but someone's been paying the utilities bills. I’ll get one of my teams to check it out.”

  “What’s the address?” Asher demands.

  “Asher, that’s not a good idea. Let me handle this,” Red says. “You have no idea what you’ll be walking into. I can have someone out there in about an hour.”