by Izzy Sweet
While she didn’t understand that at first, I think the ending of her old marriage and the start of ours proved to her she wasn’t just a passing whim. Fuck, how could she still think that? She’s mine and I am hers.
Something primal is ripped from its dormancy when I see her, I can’t be without her.
I can’t live without dominating her, claiming her as mine and keeping her.
Never have I felt what I do when I look at her, never. She’s a drug, a seductress…a need. In life there are wants and needs. Wants, you can live without, but needs are what you must have if you want to live.
“Father!” Adam yells out as he keeps running from a giggling Evie. “Tell her to stop, I’m not a girl!”
Laughing, I reach out as Evie tries to race past me, snatching her up into my arms. I hug her tight before giving her a kiss on her head. “Little princess, please stop torturing your brother. He’s not a dollie.”
Staring at me with a big smile, she looks from me to Adam. “He’s pretty like you, Daddy!”
Grumbling, I set her down and tell her, “Go get Paul dear, tell him it’s tea party time.”
The phone in my pocket rings twice before I’m able to pull it out. Simon’s name comes across the screen as I pick it up.
I watch as Evie screeches out of the room, belting out Paul’s name.
“Hello Simon.”
“Boss where’s Lilly? Where’s Bart?”
“What’s wrong?” I snap out of my joy as I quickly stand.
“Where are they Lucifer? Quickly.”
“They are out shopping for wedding stuff. I think she said dresses.”
It’s been two weeks since I told her of our marriage license. It took a couple of days for her to come to terms with the whole thing. Now she’s trying to break the damn card I gave her.
“Bart was their inside man. He was giving information over to the Yakuza. We need to get her away from him as soon as possible.”
“What the fuck, Simon… How the fuck did you not see it?” I breathe out as my heart drops deep down in my chest.
Down where there is a rolling pit of nausea and rage ready to erupt.
“Not the time, boss. Does she still have the phone I gave you for her?”
“Yes.”
“Okay, I need to start up the tracking, but I have a feeling Bart got rid of it as well as his.”
My anger is clouding my vision as I track down James in the operations wing of my compound.
Snapping my fingers, I say, “James, you and Paul are on the children. If anyone but me or Lily come for them you are to shoot to kill. Do you understand my orders?”
He stares at me for a long moment before nodding his head. “I understand. Do you want me to take them into the safe room?”
Thinking quickly, I nod my head. “Yeah, get them all the toys and games you can. Fresh food. Have Mary help you pack up enough to occupy them for a couple of days just in case. Then, as soon as you are ready to go into the room, have her go home.”
Standing up, he shoves his gun from the rack into his shoulder holster. “Anything else, sir?”
“No, get moving.”
He heads out of the room, pulling his phone from his pocket and dialing quickly. “Paul, get Evie and meet me at the safe room. I’ll get Adam.”
Walking over to the gun rack, I start talking to Simon again. “Where are you?”
“Thaddeus, Phillip and I are on our way over to you now. John is heading over to the Jap’s main stronghold off of third. From the video feed on the buildings, I haven’t seen them bring her in, but I have no doubts she will be there soon.”
“Get here now. We will be doing a full tactical load out from here, then we’re heading down to them.”
“Matthew, wait a minute. We need to make…”
At that moment, I can no longer contain my anger. “Silence!” comes bellowing from my mouth.
“Get. Here. Now.” I say into the silent air.
“Seven minutes out,” he says and disconnects the call.
Dropping the phone to the shelf, I take only a moment to assess what I need. Then I start by strapping a thigh holster on top of my jeans. Pulling the bulletproof tactical vest off of the rack, I start to adjust it for myself, shoving magazines in the slots as I go.
I hear shouting and running footsteps as I go through the rack, pulling my favored M4 tactical assault rifle out. Looking through the sighting, I load a clip into it, slapping it home. I check to make sure it’s secured.
Turning to Simon, he’s slowing down from a sprint as he heads straight to the weapons racks, gathering the things that he needs.
“The phone wasn’t removed from her. Bart must not have known about it. She’s being held in that shit office building on third. It’s a two-story job. Legit business in the front, all illegal operations in the back. I’ve got the phone now reversed into being a microphone, broadcasting to us anything that it can hear.”
I watch as the rest of the men swarm in, grabbing gear and weapons.
The Yakuza fucked up when they took in Marshall and thought to go against me. Now they have touched my fucking property.
Every single one of them will die.
22
Lily
There’s freedom in giving in. In letting go. It took me a couple of days to fully come to terms with my new life, and my new situation. But after some deep soul searching, and a lot of thinking, I feel better about everything now.
I’m not sure this is something I would have chosen for myself or for my children, but when considering the alternatives, I can’t imagine seeking out something different.
Is there anything better out there for us? Is there anyone better? I don’t think so.
Lucifer didn’t have to marry me. He didn’t have to legally bind himself to me or take on the obligation of providing for my children. He could have let things continue to progress as they were. He could have stuck with the status quo. It’s more in my best interest to be legally recognized as his wife now. To have the protection of his name and a right to his home.
He’s given me more power by showing the world he thinks of me as someone more than a thing he just owns.
I can’t think of a good reason to leave, and I can’t think of any place I’d rather go.
For better or worse, this is my life now, this is my world.
I accept it all now.
I feel happier, I’m fulfilled. I didn’t even realize how empty I was. How lost I was before he walked into my bedroom.
Haven’t I always needed someone like him? It feels like I’ve been waiting for him. Waiting for someone to wake me up.
Waiting for someone to make me whole.
My entire future is ahead of me, and I’m excited about all these new changes. There are possibilities where there were none before.
Today, I’ve spent the entire day with one of my closest friends, Lisa, shopping for dresses. It’s been a day just for us girls.
When I first reached out to her a couple of days ago, she was a little shocked about everything that has gone down since we last hung out, but even she was ecstatic to learn that I finally left Marshall.
Whether she’s completely onboard with me marrying again so soon is to be seen, but like a true friend she’s been more than happy to help me shop and plan for my upcoming nuptials.
We’ve shopped our way up and down Wedding Row. I have almost a dozen dresses ordered and picked out to try on for when my mother arrives next week. Everything is falling into place, and Lucifer’s deep pockets are ensuring everything continues to progress smoothly.
I’m a little nervous about my parents flying in to visit, but Lucifer is so charming I’m sure they’ll have no trouble accepting him as their new son-in-law.
After hugging Lisa goodbye, Bart, my driver for the day, opens the back door of the car for me and I slide in, exhausted. Who knew picking out dresses would take so long?
Settling into the backseat, I whip out my phone and notice I ha
ve a text from my mom. She’s just dying to know what dresses I’ve picked out, and she can’t wait until next week to see me try them on.
Texting her back, I’m vaguely aware of Bart receiving a phone call as we pull out, but honestly I don’t pay much attention to it. The guys Lucifer assigns to me are always receiving calls and texts when we’re out, and I just assume they’re receiving instructions or someone is checking up on where we are.
After listing all the designers for my mom, I peek my head up and glance out the window. I don’t recognize the area we’re driving through but assume Bart is just taking a short cut.
I spend a few more moments texting back and forth with my mom before saying goodbye to her. Clicking off my phone, I slip it into the pocket of my sweater and lean back against the seat, closing my eyes and starting to doze.
It’s not until we pull up in front of a run-down looking building that I get the hint that something is wrong. Opening my eyes, I peer out the window and wonder why we’re slowing down.
“Bart?” I ask, leaning forward. “Why are we here? I’m done shopping and would like to go home now.”
Bart parks the car and doesn’t say a word. He won’t even meet my eyes in the rearview mirror.
“Hey? Earth to Bart?” I frown in frustration and then my door flies open.
“What the hell?!” I cry out as a hand reaches in and yanks me out by the arm.
I stumble and then I’m thrown down. My knees hit the asphalt hard.
“Careful with the goods, idiot!” A sharp voice calls out.
My knees throbbing with pain, I cry out as someone grabs me by the hair and yanks my head back.
“I was told to rough her up a little,” a deep voice rumbles.
My head is held at an incredibly painful angle and all I can see above me is a darkening sky.
“This her?”
Reaching up, I claw and pull desperately at the hand yanking on my hair.
“Yes,” the first voice confirms. “Let’s get her inside before she starts drawing attention.”
The fingers in my hair loosen and my head falls forward. My scalp is throbbing and stinging with pain. I can’t see shit because my eyes are overflowing with tears.
Sucking in a mouthful of air, I open up my mouth to let out a scream but a hand slaps against my mouth.
My scream is muffled against a sweaty palm.
A beefy arm goes around my middle, trapping my arms, and I’m hauled up. I kick out, connecting with some shins, and whoever is holding me curses in my ear.
“Can I knock her out?”
“No. He needs her awake to interrogate her. We don’t have much time.”
I twist and I kick as I’m dragged backwards. I don’t know where they’re taking me but I know I don’t want to go. My phone is still in my pocket. If I can get free for just a minute, I can call Lucifer for help.
“If you don’t fucking stop I’m going to break your legs,” the deep voice warns.
Fuck him if he thinks he can scare me into obeying. I kick back even harder wishing I could reach his nuts.
“Need some help?” the first voice chuckles.
“Yes,” the man holding me huffs.
I watch as the first man comes into view. I don’t know who he is but the sight of him chills my blood. He’s Asian, Japanese perhaps.
With a feral grin he reaches for me and I don’t know why I notice it but part of the little finger on his right hand looks like it was cut off.
Grabbing my legs and lifting them up, his grin only grows wider as I continue to twist and fight, screaming at him against the hand covering my mouth.
“She’s a feisty little one, isn’t she?”
The guy behind me only grunts.
Eyes meeting my eyes, I know he’s purposely trying to freak me out when he says, “We’re going to have a lot of fun when the interrogation is done.”
Despite my struggles, the two holding me manage to carry me into a building and then down a flight of rickety stairs without dropping me to the ground.
I’m dumped into a chair and held down while I’m secured to it with a long length of rope. The sweaty palm pulls away only to be replaced by a gag made out of dusty cloth.
Drained after all of my struggles, I push and wiggle against the robe but it holds.
The two men who carried me step away and a new, older, elderly Asian man steps forward. He says something in Japanese I don’t understand.
“Fuck, you didn’t say anything about her being pregnant,” the man who carried my legs says accusingly to someone behind me.
Pregnant? I’m not pregnant. I just had my period…
Shit.
“How the fuck was I to know?” Marshall says. “After the last one wrecked her pussy, I thought she was barren.”
Walking around my chair, Marshall comes to stand in front of me with a look of triumph on his pale pudgy face. “Hello, Lily.”
Snarling against the gag, I glare murderously at my ex-husband and fight against my ropes. He’s dead if I get my hands on him.
The older man says something in Japanese again.
The younger one translates, “It’s going to affect her price on the market considerably.”
“Not many want to have a go at dumpy hag with a bun in the oven, eh?”
The older man laughs and the younger one shakes his head. There’s some back and forth between the two in Japanese before the younger one nods his head. Turning back to Marshall he says, “We’re prepared to offer you twice your asking price, as long as her condition remains.”
Marshall seems to mull that over. Making a great show of tapping his chin and furrowing his brow. “Well, I suppose I can go easy on her… as long as she tells me what I want to know.”
The younger man nods. “It would be worth your while.”
With a great sigh Marshall’s hand drops from his chin and he nods back at the other man.
Their business done, Marshall takes a step forward and drops down to a squat, putting us at eye level.
“I’m going to remove your gag. If you scream, I’m going to punch out your teeth.”
Reaching around me, he unties my gag and I spit it out of my mouth.
Tongue dry, I press my lips together as Marshall grabs me by the back of the head. Tugging on my hair, I cry out as my scalp lights up with renewed pain.
What the fuck is up with these guys and all the hair pulling?
“One question. All you have to do is answer one question, Lily, and we’ll be done here. You’ll never see me again.”
Panting through the pain, I stare into his eyes, showing him I’m not afraid of him. “You’re going to die for this.”
“I haven’t asked the question yet, bitch.”
He pulls on my hair again, and my scalp is so abused, so raw, it takes every ounce of strength I have not to scream. Not because I’m afraid of him punching out my teeth, but because I just don’t want to give him the satisfaction.
Breathing through the pain, he waits for my pants to quiet before he’s staring into my eyes again. “Are you ready for your question?”
I don’t answer him at first so he tugs on my hair again.
Gritting my teeth together, I grind out, “Yes.”
“Good,” he grins. “Now, all you have to do is tell me where the family portrait that was hanging over the fireplace is, and we can be done with all of this.”
Is he serious? He can’t be serious?
“Where is it?” he hisses and tugs on my hair.
Dammit it all, my scalp is so raw I’m really close to screaming. “What portrait?” I hiss, buying time.
“The one that was hanging over the fireplace, you stupid bitch.”
“Oh, that one…Why do you want it?”
He yanks on my hair, hard, and this time I scream. I just can’t help it. It feels like my scalp is detaching from my head. “I’m the one asking the questions.”
“Tell me why and I’ll tell you where it is,” I cry out.
<
br /> He pulls on my hair some more but all I do is scream.
Finally, when he realizes he’s not going to get an answer out of me like this, he relents.
I hear some rapid Japanese being spoken but I still don’t understand it or get the gist.
“My grandfather is not pleased with the amount of stress you are causing. If she loses the baby we will drop the price.”
“Fine, fuck. I’ll stop. Don’t drop the price.”
Pulling his fingers from my hair, Marshall drops the chunks he’s pulled out to the floor.
Shaking his hand, he tries to shake off the strands that have wrapped around his knuckles while he tells me, “I’ve written the numbers for my offshore accounts on the back of it. Happy? Now tell me where the fuck it is.”
I can’t help it. It’s just too perfect. Even though my head is pounding like mad, I can’t stop my head from tipping back. I can’t stop the laughs that come bubbling up.
“What the fuck is so funny?” Marshall demands.
I have to suck in a big breath to even tell him, “It’s in the trash!”
“What?!” he snarls. “What do you mean it’s in the trash?”
“It’s gone!” I gasp and bend forward, straining against my rope as I struggle to catch my breath. “Just like our marriage, broken and thrown away.”
“You stupid bitch!” Marshall roars and I don’t even see his fist coming, it just pounds into me.
23
Lucifer
Rage and anger are the things that can make a man stupid, lead him to make mistakes. But it can also galvanize.
I can’t afford to be stupid now. Not when so much is on the line.
I don’t know what Simon had to do on Lily’s phone but I am thankful for what it’s doing. I am able to hear now everything that is being said, even if I have to bear through the screams.
They have hurt Lily, and it’s her screams that hurt me the most. She is in this position because of two soon to be dead men. Bart will die, if I find him he dies. Hearing Marshall’s voice makes my blood fucking boil.
“Where is the fucking family portrait!?!” Marshall bellows out.
I hear more scuffling then I hear a female grunt painfully as she tries to gasp in air. The motherfucker is hitting her, I know it. I hear a loud slap of skin on skin as I can only imagine him hitting her like the little bitch he is.