by Sloan Storm
Furious at all of them, I turned and walked down a nearby hallway. Right away I came upon an open door, a bedroom. Just like the rest of the place it had been completely trashed. I stood there, my teeth grinding into chalk inside of my skull. Closing my eyes, I tried to keep it together. It was like everything I wanted to prevent came to pass, and there wasn’t a thing I could do about it.
Shaking my head, I glanced around the room, looking at everything, looking at nothing… All of a sudden, something caught my attention. There was a shiny object sparkling in the carpet. I walked over to it and knelt down, picking it up. It looked to be a wedding ring. Whose it was, I had no idea. I slipped it into my pocket and turned around, heading back out to the living room where my men were still searching.
“Anything?”
Mark looked at me, resignation in his eyes. “No, sir.”
I grimaced and exhaled. “I’m leaving. Take care of our men and get this place cleaned up.”
After returning to my limo, I got inside and made the trip back across town to my estate. We’d have to sort out the scene at her apartment later. Not only was I furious with Mark, but the kind of rage I had inside towards Malcolm – I’d never felt anything like it in my life.
If that son of a bitch harmed a single hair on either one of their heads I would tear him to pieces with my bare hands. I grabbed my cell phone, pulling it out of my pocket. Malcolm may have been Ronan’s brother, but he’d taken things too far.
I called Ronan, getting his voicemail.
“Ronan, this is a difficult goddamn phone call. I know that Malcolm is your brother, and that if the situation was reversed, and I were you, I’m not sure how I would feel about what I’m about to say. Here’s the deal. If you have any sway with your brother at all and you care about what happens to him, then listen closely. I know he’s got Tempest and Ainsley. I have no idea what that sick fuck has in mind, but I’m telling you right now that if he so much as breathes on them, I will track him to the ends of the earth and eat his heart right out of his fucking chest while it is still beating. I will stop at nothing.”
17
Blood & Bargains (Tempest)
“Secure their legs too,” Malcolm began, ordering one of his henchmen. “I don’t want them getting loose under any circumstances.”
With a rope in his hand, one of the men nodded at Malcolm. “Yes, sir.”
He knelt in front of me and reached for my foot.
“Fuck you!” I snapped, kicking at him.
The man reacted quickly, grabbing me by the ankle and squeezing.
“Ow! You asshole!”
“That’s enough!” Malcolm yelled. “Don’t hurt her. Just do what I told you. After all, we don’t want to damage the merchandise.”
Merchandise? What the hell was he talking about?
“I’ll leave you to it then,” Malcolm said, looking down at his men.
He walked away, disappearing from view behind a rack of clothing. The men tied our ankles to the chairs and walked off, standing nearby and keeping guard.
I looked over at Ainsley. She hadn’t said much since discovering Malcolm was behind the whole thing.
“Ainsley…” I whispered.
She seemed in a trancelike state, her gaze staring in the direction of where Malcolm had walked. She didn’t respond.
“Ainsley…” I repeated, this time with more force in my voice.
She looked at me.
“How do you know him? How do you know Malcolm?”
Ainsley shook her head. “No. Not right now.”
Before I could say anything, Malcolm spoke. Apparently, he remained within earshot. “Oh come now, Ainsley. Don’t keep secrets on my account.”
Ainsley grimaced, frowning in the direction of his voice before looking at me. “Don’t say anything. Just keep quiet.”
Suddenly, Malcolm reemerged from the clothing racks, holding two immense wigs in his hands. Passing by one of his henchmen, he gave one of them to the man. Without breaking stride, he walked towards us with the other one in his grasp and stopped.
First, he looked at me, then at the wig. Next, he turned his attention to Ainsley and then back to the wig again. I couldn’t explain it but something about the wig seemed familiar. The distraction didn’t last long though. Malcolm spoke, bringing my attention back to him.
He looked at Ainsley. “Yes, this one is definitely you.”
Malcolm leaned over towards her. Ainsley squirmed in her seat. “Stay away from me!”
Ignoring her, Malcolm slipped the fire engine red wig over the top of her head and tugged it down before standing back to admire his handiwork.
What the hell was wrong with this guy? What the hell was going on?
A demented smile came to his face.
He looked at me. “Now, your turn.”
I tensed up. Every muscle in my body twisted like the cords of rope restraining me. I watched him gesture for the other wig he’d handed off and take it. It was a horrible color, like aquamarine or something. After getting his hands on it, he stepped towards me and repeated the same process, yanking it down on top of my head.
I winced, glaring at him when he stepped back.
“Gentlemen,” he began, looking at his men. “What do you think?”
The henchmen muttered their approval. Malcolm stood there in silence. Tilting his head to one side he pursed his lips and with his index finger began to tap his cheek.
“Hmm, no. Something’s still not right. I’m not sure if it’s the lighting in here or what. The both of you look a little pale to me. I think you could probably use a touch of color, maybe some blush.”
With that, he pivoted and took a few steps to where the bodies of the men who brought us there lay just a few minutes earlier. Squatting down, Malcolm wiped his palm across the floor, smearing his hand with the blood of the men.
Jesus Christ!
Malcom stood and looked right at me, thick crimson dripping from his outstretched hand. In the span of the time it took him to smear his palm through it, he’d changed. He wasn’t just crazy, but completely fucking insane.
Without hesitating, he started to walk towards us. Standing right in front of Ainsley, he used the fingers of his other hand and wiped them through his blood covered palm before moving toward Ainsley’s face.
She screamed, flinging her head from side-to-side. “No!”
“Oh now…” Malcolm cooed. “This will only take a second.”
I watched in horror while he smeared the blood into her cheekbones, circling it there like a sadistic makeup artist. Knowing I was next, I felt my entire body begin to shake. He finished and smiled at Ainsley, looking down at her with a grin fit for a madman.
Next, he stepped in front of me and before I could say or do anything, I felt the slimy touch of his fingertips against my face. The blood was cold. I had no idea how long it’d been on the floor. Chills raced through my body while he worked it into my skin.
After several horrifying seconds, he finished and stepped back, clapping his hands together and rubbing the remainder of the blood into his palms. His eyes moved between both of us, and he grinned.
“There, fit for a king, or at least somebody as rich as one.”
Ainsley lost it. She stomped her feet on the ground and screamed. “What the hell are you talking about? You lunatic! Why are you punishing us for the craziness in your family? Why can’t you keep this between you and your brother?”
Malcolm lurched towards her, grabbing her by the throat. Ainsley gurgled for breath.
“Let go of her!” I screamed.
Malcolm ignored me. Ainsley’s neck began to streak red. He snarled at her. “I wasn’t the one who made the decision that brought you here today. It was your testosterone-filled brother, yourself and that bitch sitting next to you.”
Stunned, I watched the color began to change in Ainsley’s face. She gasped for each breath. Just then, Malcolm released her and stepped away. Ainsley coughed and choked trying to catch
her breath once again.
Unconcerned, Malcolm reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. He cleared his throat, aiming it in our direction.
“This way ladies. Let’s look beautiful now.”
The camera made a clicking sound. When he finished, Malcolm spun it around, smiling. He nodded and looked in our direction before lifting the phone in front of his face, texting I guessed.
While he was distracted, I looked at Ainsley. She appeared to be breathing better but the evidence of Malcolm’s choking episode lingered on her neck. I hated the feeling of helplessness. It was like he was toying with us.
“This shouldn’t take long.” Malcolm said, lowering the phone away from his face.
He was right. It didn’t. The phone started to ring almost immediately.
“I figured you’d be interested. I’ll put you on speakerphone.”
Please let it be Dorian.
Instead, when the speakerphone crackled to life, I heard the voice of a man I didn’t know. The same wasn’t true for Ainsley, who sat forward in her seat and yelled.
“Ronan! Don’t give in to him!”
Before the guy on the phone could say anything, Malcolm interrupted.
“You still carry a torch for her, don’t you, brother?”
Brothers?
The phone went silent for a few seconds, way too many for my liking.
“What do you want?” Ronan asked. “What the fuck are you doing to them?”
“I want what you stole from me. Simple as that. Return the case, and I let them go.”
Ainsley yelled again. “No! You know him better than that, Ronan! Don’t do it!”
Her constant interruptions apparently got the better of Malcolm. I watched him storm over towards her, raising his hand like he was going to slap the shit out of her. At the last instant, he stopped.
Instead, he reached for her chin, pinching it between his thumb and forefinger. The sinister smile returned, curling at the side of his thin lipped mouth. He raised the phone in front of his face.
“Do not get Dorian involved, Ronan. Do you understand me? This is between us and us only.”
Ainsley fought to free her chin of his grasp but couldn’t. Instead she glared at him, hatred narrowing her eyes.
“Fine,” Ronan responded. “Just us. I want those women unharmed.”
Malcolm released Ainsley’s chin from his fingers and walked away.
“What’s the rush, dear brother? There’s still plenty of time. I’m enjoying getting reacquainted with Ainsley. It’s been far too long.”
He turned his attention to me and stepped in my direction.
“And this new one, she’s quite intriguing. A bit rough around the edges but beautiful nonetheless.”
The psycho winked at me and then looked at the cell phone in his palm. “I’ll be in touch. Plan on hearing from me in a few hours. In the meantime, I’m going to have a bit of fun with my lovely guests.”
Before he could hang up, Ronan yelled, “Malcolm, you fucking…!”
With a flick of his thumb, Malcolm disconnected the call and slid the phone into his pocket. My brain went into overdrive. Nothing made any sense. The only thing I hoped was once Ronan returned the case to Malcolm, we’d be set free.
Malcolm stood there in silence, smiling at us with a grin of smug satisfaction. I might have been scared, but there was one thing I knew for sure.
“You’re an idiot,” I snarled, fixing my gaze on him. “Once Dorian finds out where we are, he’s going to unleash hell. You know you’re a dead man, or at least you will wish you were when he finally gets here and gets his hands on you.”
Malcolm didn’t bother interrupting me. In fact, he seemed completely unconcerned. I glanced towards Ainsley. From the look on her face, it was almost as if she’d gone into a state of shock or something. Biting my lip in frustration, I turned my attention to Malcolm again.
He shrugged and finally responded.
“Dorian can’t save you now,” he began, looking down at a watch on his wrist. “By my estimation, our time together is almost up.”
Almost up?
18
Wigs (Dorian)
After the debacle at Tempest’s apartment, I sat in my office at my estate.
“Have you heard anything from Ronan since leaving your message?” Kendrick asked.
I hadn’t been able to sit still since arriving home. Pacing back and forth across my office, I felt like a caged lion. The only thing I wanted to do was hunt and… kill.
I stopped and looked at Kendrick. “No.”
I should’ve kept a more watchful eye on Tempest. I went against my instincts and it had cost me dearly. The ironic part was that even though she was the one I concerned myself with the most, now Ainsley was involved too. I didn’t see that one coming, not by a fucking longshot. My cell phone rang. I nodded towards Kendrick to grab it off my desk and toss it to me.
It was Ronan.
“About fucking time,” I muttered, swiping it on and raising it to my ear.
Yeah, I was still angry, but there was no sense in rehashing the threat I’d made to him when I called earlier. I knew him well enough to know he was just as upset as I was, especially because Ainsley was involved now.
“I’ve got every man I can find working on this,” I began, wasting no time. “That mother fucker has them somewhere in town. Even so, I haven’t turned up shit. There are no eyewitnesses at their last known location, and their phones are turned off. It’s like they are fucking ghosts, Ronan. Tell me you have something.”
He exhaled into the receiver.
“What? What is it?”
“It’s Malcolm… He called me.”
“He what?”
“You heard what I said. He wants the case back. He also said that he doesn’t want you involved under any circumstances and…”
I cut him off. “I don’t give two shits. We are way beyond the point of me not being fucking involved. That guy is delusional if he thinks I’m not coming after him.”
“I get that, Dorian. I get it. Here’s the thing though. You know Malcolm is no idiot. He knows you are coming after him.”
“I don’t care!” I yelled, raking my hand through my hair. “It’s time to deal with this once and for all. Listen, your personal conflicts with him have never been any of my business, but he’s changed all of that now.”
Ronan stayed silent for a few seconds. “I understand. I, um, I’m really sorry that Ainsley and Tempest are caught in the middle of all this.”
“Don’t worry about all of that right now. Apologies aren’t going to do us any good. Tell me what you’re thinking — how can we find him?”
“I will but…”
I had zero patience and even less time for delays. “But what, man? Let’s get this handled.”
“There’s something I think you ought to see.”
I closed my eyes and shook my head. “What are you talking about? Let’s stay focused on Malcolm.”
“I am, trust me,” he said, forcefulness in his tone. “I’m sending you a text message right now.”
“What the…” I replied.
Ronan interrupted me. “Just look at it. Look at it.”
I pulled the phone away from my face and brought up my text messages. Within seconds, a picture of Ainsley and Tempest popped up. It made me sick to my fucking stomach.
I put Ronan on speakerphone. “Did he do this? Did he send this to you?”
“He did.”
While he answered me, I put my rage on hold for a second and studied the image. Those wigs. They looked awfully fucking familiar. Kendrick approached me, and I passed the phone to him. He took it from me, flipping it over. I closed my eyes and wiped my hands down my face.
“Jesus,” he muttered. “Is that… Is that blood on their faces?”
Flipping my eyes open, I glared at him. “It better fucking not be. So help me.”
His comment distracted me but once again the image of the wigs p
opped into my head. I racked my brain, trying to bring the memory to the surface.
“Where? Where? Where?”
The sound of Ronan’s voice over the speakerphone broke my train of thought.
“Dorian, we don’t have much time. I have to drop the case off. There’s no telling what he will do if I wait too long and…”
I snapped my fingers, looking straight at Kendrick. “Of course! The show! The fucking show!”
He shrugged. “What are you talking about?”
I motioned for him to pass the phone back to me. Taking Ronan off speakerphone, I lifted the phone to my ear again.
“I need you to sit tight. Don’t do anything until you hear back from me. I’ve got a call to make, and it won’t take long.”
I hung up right away.
“What’s going on?” Kendrick asked.
I looked straight at him. “Those wigs… The night I took Ainsley and Tempest to see the show…”
Bringing up Ronan’s text message again, I clicked on the picture and showed it to Kendrick.
“Right there. The wigs in that picture are the same ones that the performers wore.”
“So,” he began, frowning at the same time. “I don’t understand how this is…”
By then, I’d raised the phone to my ear, already making the call I needed.
“You’ll see.” I said to him.
“Dor—” Elliot started, before I cut him off.
“Got a real problem here,” I began, turning towards the window of my office. “This is going to sound like a strange question, but I don’t really have any time to explain right now.”
“Things are pretty strange with you right now, man. Whatever it is, just say it.”
“I need to know where the wardrobe supplies for the show I attended are kept, like yesterday.”
He paused. “Hmm, I have no idea. But I can find out for you.”
“Thanks. Thank you.”
“You mind telling me why you need to know so badly?”
“Right now, I can’t get into it, but I promise I’ll tell you everything. You have my word.”
He paused again. “All right, let me make a couple of calls. I’ll get back to you ASAP.”