by Elisa Leigh
“What about her? Do you care what I do to… what’s her name again?”
“You don’t touch her! Leave her alone. She has nothing to do with this.” I shout.
He laughs long and hard then drops Holly to the ground before walking to me.
Chapter Nineteen
Vince
It has been over a week since I’ve seen her, spoken to her, or touched her. I’m losing my mother fucking mind the longer it takes for us to find them. She’s all I can think about. I imagine the worst and pray for the best, but realistically I know this will never be okay. I was supposed to protect her, I vowed to be the one person who would be there for her through everything, and I failed. Knowing she’s been through something like this before only pushes the dagger in a little deeper.
Jester and Rash aren’t doing any better. They’re either arguing or not speaking. The whole fucking club is on edge, especially since Pres put us on lockdown the day after the girls were taken. Emersen and Chelsea have been trying their best to keep it together, even cooking for us and telling stories about how Holly is probably kicking everyone’s asses while Lana prays for their souls.
We’ve reached out to everyone we know. Either no one has heard or seen anything or they’re doing a fucking jam up job of keeping their lips shut.
Something is going on with Triton. He’s more quiet than usual, and he’s keeping to himself, almost secretive. I know he’s locked in on finding them, but there’s something else going on, and I intend on finding out.
At three thirty in the morning, almost everyone is passed out, but not my hacker friend. Walking into his office, if that’s what you’d like to call this oasis of technology, I find him at his desk rapidly typing and reading the screen.
When I grab his shoulders from behind, he jumps out of his seat and swings at me, punching me in my eye.
“What the fuck Triton?” I roar. I charge him. Grabbing him by the collar of his Black Sabbath t-shirt I shove him against the wall.
“Tell me what the hell is going on with you. And don’t give me any bullshit about trying to find the girls, it’s something else.” I demand, breathing heavily with the adrenaline coursing through my veins.
His head falls, and he refuses to look me in the eyes. “I’m trying Prince. I’m fucking trying to get them back. The closer I get to finding out what is going on the farther away she pushes!”
I release him from the wall, and he starts pacing in front of me.
“Razor, the asshole who has them is a ghost. I can’t even figure out if that’s his real name, because who names their kid Razor? After the first day of not finding anything I went back to the search I was doing before they were tak-”
“You know who has her and you haven’t said anything to any of us? What the fuck Triton!”
He sits down in a chair and holds his face in his hands. “I’m fucking trying to get them back, Prince. I want them back as much as anyone,” Triton looks up at me and continues. “But I don’t know how to do it without hurting her.”
“Hurting who? Lana? Holly?”
“She’s got a kid Prince, a beautiful baby girl who’s only three. How can I risk her and her daughter’s life? I’d be trading their lives for Holly and Lana’s.”
I grab a chair and put it next to his. “Who is she?”
“She goes by Phoenix, but I can’t find out her real name.”
“This Phoenix, how does she… fuck I’m just going to say this. How the fuck do you know she’s a she. She could be some dude fucking with you from halfway across the world. This Phoenix probably doesn’t even have a daughter.”
“I can’t explain it, it doesn’t even make sense to me. I can just feel it deep down in my gut. She isn’t lying Prince. She seems scared out of her mind.”
I want to tell him he’s wrong, but for as long as I’ve known him whenever his gut is telling him something, it’s always right. I sigh and rub my temples before looking at him. “What do you know?”
“She’s working for Razor. Working is a loose term for what he’s doing to her. He’s forcing her to work for him, or he’ll take her daughter. You can imagine what a monster like him would do to her precious baby.”
“Triton, what’s the deal man, are you interested in her?”
“I just want to get her far away from him. I can’t do that unless she lets me in. I feel like shit because I need her to risk everything, so we can get Lana and Holly back. She’s so fucking good, better than I am. The shit she has on Razor is insane, and she’s got proof. He’ll never going to let her go.”
“Send her a message or whatever you two do and let her know we’ll protect her and her daughter if she gives us what we need.”
“That’s fucked up Prince.”
“It’s all we have. Let me know what happens… I need some fresh air.”
I walk out of Triton’s office pissed and hopeful. I walk up the stairs, out of the bunker and through the back door of Spanky’s. I can’t believe he’s kept this from us. If she’s his though, I can’t fault him for wanting to protect them. This is such a fucking mess.
∞∞∞
Triton
Come on Phoenix, talk to me girl. I’ve messaged her half a dozen times and have heard nothing. She sent me a message a few days ago and apologized for what happened to ‘our women.’ I was working on two hours of sleep and couldn’t believe what I was reading.
At first, I thought I was seeing things. The more I messaged, the more I realized she wasn’t fucking with me. She tore my heart out when she told me the only reason she got into this line of work was for her daughter. She’s a single mom with no family. She needed the money to take care of them. I can’t blame her, but I hate that she had to do it.
I messaged her two hours ago, and I still haven’t heard anything. She’s never taken this long to get back to me, and I’m getting worried. Going out to the kitchen I make a pot of coffee and wait for it to brew. It’s been a long fucking night, but I can’t sleep. Prince, Rock, and Pres walk in and look at me pointedly.
“Take a seat Triton,” Pres commands.
Fuck, this is it. I sit and wait for them to kick me out of the club. They all grab coffee and then sit around the large table that seats over twenty people. We’re all crowded at one end. This silence is killing me, and I wonder if they’re fucking with me. “Just get it over with.”
When Jester and Rash walk out, I’m confused. “Get what over with?”
“You want me out, don’t you?”
When Rash and Jester take a seat at the table, Pres begins. “You should have told us you knew where they were, but you’re our brother, we’d never let you go. However, you are the only lead we have to find them. Tell Phoenix whatever you need to and get us an address.”
“What the fuck do you think I’ve been doing for the past month! I’ve been busting my ass looking into these dirty assholes and not getting anywhere. Every move I’ve made she’s been there to block me and now she’s reaching out. Now you’re asking me to go against her when she’s finally reaching out. I’d lay my life down for this club, but I can’t sacrifice Phoenix and her daughter, I won’t. We’ll find another way to get all of them back!”
Pushing back from the table, I get up and go back to my office. There has to be something I haven’t tried. When I get to my desk, I see a message waiting for me.
“Pres, Prince, everyone, get the fuck in here!” I scream. Seconds later all the guys are surrounding my desk as I type in the address Phoenix sent to me.
“What do you have?” Rash asks.
“She responded. She sent the address of where the girls are being held.”
I can’t be happy about this. All I feel is anxiety knowing she’s painted a target on her back.
“Rock get everyone into the meeting room. I want to be out of here in less than an hour.” Pres announces, and everyone files out of my office but me.
I message Phoenix telling her where to meet me. I’m coming for you woman, hold on
until I can get there. I grab my keys and head out, knowing in a few hours my life is going to change.
Chapter Twenty
Lana
“My little Svetlana, I’m getting tired of asking for this. We both know it's going to happen.”
I’m getting tired of him asking for it, but I refuse to give into him. Folding my arms against my chest, I stare at him, waiting for him to reveal something, anything.
“How is your dinner? I had the chef make you something special tonight to celebrate.”
A chill runs up my back. “What are we celebrating?”
He smiles at me evilly, and the few bites of food I’ve taken threaten to come up. “After tonight, you’ll finally spread your legs for me, willingly.”
“What makes you think I’d do anything of the sort. I’ve told you, night after night, I will never sleep with you. What’s changed?”
Lenny walks in with his arm wrapped around Holly’s neck and a blade to her stomach. My eyes go to hers, and I see the fear she’s trying to hold back.
“Now my little Russian doll. How are you feeling about us now?”
Holly shakes her head back and forth, but I know what I have to do. She shouldn’t even be mixed up in this, to begin with.
“You promise me she doesn’t get hurt. You promise, promise you’ll let her go. You do this for me and you can have me any way you want me.”
“No! Lana, you can’t. I’m not going to let you do this to yourself.”
I can’t look at her, or I’ll lose it. I feel as though my soul is shattering inside me. Like pieces of glass breaking into tiny shards, the splinters are sticking into my sides causing sharp pains. I stare at Razor begging him to let her go.
“Lenny, you heard her. Get Holly out of here. Take her to that truck stop we like to use off the interstate in Ellicott.” Razor says, never taking his eyes off mine.
“You got it, sir. I’ll let you know when it’s done.”
I look over and see that he’s dropped the knife but is still gripping her around the neck. I have no idea if he’ll go through with it, but I’m praying I just saved her and her baby.
“Holly, tell him.”
She nods as tears stream down her face. “I’ll tell him, Lana. I love you.”
“I love you too,” I choke out.
When she’s gone, I look back at the snake. “Come with me, doll.” He says holding out his hand.
Bitterly, I take it and allow him to lead me to his side of the house we’ve been staying at. My heart is beating rapidly in my chest, and my body is shaking. Fuck, I can’t believe I’m going through with this. I can’t back out now, and I’m ready to go through with this so Holly will be safe, but it’s killing me.
My hand is sweaty in his, and my throat has gone dry. I’m sick just thinking about letting another man touch me. The only man who has ever touched me is the man I’m about to betray.
Walking into his bedroom, I stare at the perfectly made bed in disgust. When he passes it and leads me into the bathroom, I’m confused.
“You’re going to wash the fear and hesitation off your skin. When you come to me, you’re giving yourself to me freely. I better feel how much you want me when you spread your legs and I’m inside this cunt. I’ll know how bad you want it. I want you begging for me. Now turn around and lift your arms.”
Hesitantly I turn around and face the shower. His sickeningly soft hands slide up my thighs, lifting my dress as he goes. Lifting it up he pulls it up over my head and drops it to the ground.
Rubbing his hands up my back, he stops at my bra and unhooks it, then slides it down my arms. My body is shaking the closer he gets to me, revolting at another man’s touch. Standing against my back, I can feel his length digging into my leg.
“You, Svetlana are perfection, a perfect little doll. I’ve waited so long to have you, and I can’t tell you how happy I am that our time has finally come. Don’t worry, I’ll make you an appointment to have this trashy tattoo removed from your body.” He says into my ear, before biting down on my neck.
Tears stream down my cheeks, knowing this is it. All I want to do is run away and fight him off, but I won’t. He slides his hands down my sides to my underwear.
“I’m about to unwrap my prize. How sweet is this perfect cunt going to taste on my ton-”
A gun cocks from behind me, but I’m frozen. The only thing I see is Vince. I feel the first time he held me in the shower and showed me how gentle he could be. I hear him vowing to love me for the rest of our lives. I remember how good he felt making love to me for the first time, and every time after that.
“That’s my wife mother fucker! Get your hands up.”
“Vince!” He’s here, he came. How did he find us?
“Don’t fucking turn around Lana.” He commands.
“And you. Stop looking at her. Stand up and walk to me.”
Vince tosses a towel to me. “Cover yourself up.”
My heart is shattering inside my chest, breaking into tiny little pieces. I can hear it in his voice, everything has changed. Knowing I’ve been touched by another man is too much for him. I’m tainted, how could he ever want me again?
I listen as he pushes Razor out of the room and away from me. I fall to the ground in tears knowing I have just the lost the only man who has ever meant anything to me. The person on this planet I love most in the world. I only hope they found Holly before Lenny drove away with her. It is all worth it if Holly is safe.
Chapter Twenty-One
Vince
I’m brimming with rage seeing my wife nearly naked and her abductor putting his hands all over her. How could I have let this happen, let this go on for as long as it did? I’m furious with myself knowing I have failed her as a husband.
The first thing I do is get this piece of trash away from her. I was tempted to shoot him, but I don’t want to kill another man in front of her, I think one was enough to last a lifetime. I restrain my need and push him into the bedroom.
“Get on your knees.”
Razor gets on his hands and knees and begins laughing. “That wasn’t the first time I’ve touched her. I’ve slid my fingers so deep inside that perfect cunt she fell apart around my hand. How much does it kill you to know I’ve felt her come around my fingers?”
“Shut the fuck up and put your hands behind your back,” I say through clenched teeth as I lean over him to tie his hands together. Before I can do anything, he pulls out a knife and stabs me in the thigh.
“Fuck!”
He kicks out and sweeps his leg under me. I fall, landing on my ass as he runs out of the room. Grabbing my gun, I fire at him, hitting him in the arm, but he keeps running.
“Vince! Oh my god! Are you okay?” Lana says coming into the room. She sits beside me on the floor staring at my leg.
“Lana love, I’m going to need you to pull out the knife. As soon as it comes out you’re going to have to tie this towel around my leg and make it tight. Can you do that for me?”
She nods.
“Hand me the towel?”
She hands me the towel, and I rip it into a strip and hand it back to her. “Ready?”
“I’m ready Vince.”
“Just do it, love,” I tell her, and she pulls out the knife and ties the towel around my leg knotting it tightly. “We need to get you to a hospital, Vince, this looks pretty bad.”
“No, we’ll go to the bunker at Spanky’s and Emersen will stitch me up. We don’t need the hospital reporting a stab wound.”
I run my hand down her naked back and watch as goosebumps cover her skin. She’s the most beautiful being I’ve ever seen in my life.
She looks up at me with hesitation. “Vince I’m so sor-”
“I love you. I love you so goddamn much it kills me. If I didn’t get you back my reason for living would have been gone.”
“Don’t say that Vince. Don’t even talk about dying. I love you too much to even think about it.” She scowls.
“You’re
it, Lana. You’re the only thing I need.” Pulling her to my chest I place my lips on hers, tasting my wife for the first time in far too long. I pull away and caress my hand down her face, loving how soft she is.
I pull my shirt over my head and hand it to Lana. “Baby put this on. I can’t have anyone else seeing you without clothes.”
She grabs it from me and puts it on. It goes all the way down to her knees, thank God. “I’m sorry Vince. It was that or Holly got hurt. I wasn’t going to let her die because of something that had nothing to do with her.”
“I wasn’t mad at you love. No one gets to put their hands on you and see you without clothes, but me. He’s lucky I didn’t shoot him on the spot, but I couldn’t do that to you again.”
“I was worried you wouldn’t love me anymore. That I was ruined for you.”
“There’s nothing that could ruin you for me. Nothing.”
She jumps into my lap and hugs me tight, and I grunt in pain.
“Oh god, shit. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. Having you against me is worth any discomfort I may have.”
“You leave us for ten minutes, and you get stabbed. I knew we shouldn’t have let you go out on your own.” Jester says walking into the room with Holly and Rash behind him.
Lana jumps up and runs to Holly.
“Lana, are you okay? Where’s Razor?” Holly asks, grabbing Lana in a huge hug. “I didn’t know what to do. How could I ask you to sacrifice yourself? I couldn’t… the baby.”
“Baby?” Rash and Jester say at the same time.
Holly looks over at them and smiles with tears in her eyes. “I’m pretty sure I’m pregnant. I haven’t taken a test yet though. But Lana, she was amazing.”
“Wait, we’re going to be dads?” Jester asks.
Holly smiles, and they both go to her and hug and kiss her.
After a moment, my baby is ready to go like the lioness she is. “We need to go. Emersen needs to meet us at Spanky’s so she can fix Vince’s leg.”