by L. P. Dover
“Mexico?” I exclaimed. “Why the hell are we going there?”
He jerked me to a car I’d never seen him drive and opened the door. “Because, love, isn’t that what douchebag calls you? If you disobey me out there, it’s much easier to dispose of you. A life with me is much better than being a sex slave.”
Tossing me in the car, I snarled. “I’d rather be dead.”
“Just shut the fuck up,” he thundered, slamming the door. I tried to get out but the door was locked from the inside. He laughed as he got in. “You really want me to go back inside and kill your friend, don’t you?”
Fuck. “No,” I cried. “I’m sorry.”
Putting the car in gear, his smile brightened. “Oh, baby. You can make it up to me later.”
“Ugh, gag me,” I mumbled under my breath.
Unfortunately, he heard and gripped the back of my neck. “You really have gotten a mouth on you over the years. But I’m going to tell you right now I’m not gonna put up with that bullshit. I suggest you shut your fucking mouth before I put something in it.”
He let me go, the fire boiling in my veins. I was accustomed to pain and I wasn’t going to go down without a fight. We ended up back at Greg’s house and I knew without a doubt if I got back in the car, my life was over. He came around to my side and grabbed my arm to haul me out.
“Remember, if you so much as disobey me, you and Nicole both will pay the price.”
Keeping my mouth shut, I walked inside and jumped when he slammed the door behind us. Greg’s house used to be nice and clean, but now it was all filthy and smelled like a sewer. “Oh my God,” I choked. “What’s that smell?”
“Probably Greg’s rotting corpse.”
Wide-eyed, I slapped a hand over my mouth and gagged. I knew Alex had no qualms with attacking me, but I didn’t know he’d murder people on a whim. “Why?”
He dragged me to the study and confiscated the laptop that sat on the desk. “He was a liability. The police were already going to come after him and throw him in jail for hacking into the system to get your information. I figured I’d save him the ass raping. Prison isn’t for the weak.”
“There is something seriously wrong with you,” I hissed.
Grinning wide, he pushed me out of the room. “And you’re going to spend whatever time you have left with me. Aren’t you lucky?”
***
“WHERE ARE MEGAN and Nic?” Zane asked.
It was almost time for the fight and I couldn’t get in touch with her. “She texted about fifteen minutes ago and said she was sick, but she’s not answering her phone. It goes straight to voicemail.”
“That sucks ass. She might have fallen asleep. Do you think Nic will come?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. If Megan’s sick, she might stay there with her. Why? You into her?”
Zane smirked and finished putting on his handwraps. “She’s different. Not like the other women I’ve fucked around with.”
Chuckling, I threw him his gloves. “All I ask is that you proceed with caution. I don’t think you want to deal with Megan’s wrath if you fuck over her friend.”
“No, fucking her over will not commence, unless she wants to be fucked over a desk or something.” He snickered and I glared over at him.
“That was seriously lame, dumb ass.”
Someone knocked on the door so I set my phone down and opened it to find Kacey and Tyler. “Good luck tonight,” she squealed, hugging me tight.
“Thanks, sis.”
Tyler held out his hand. “Zane’s turned into a great fighter. You’ve done well.”
“I appreciate that.”
They both walked in and I shut the door. “Where’s Megan at? Are you two still on your mission?” he asked.
“No, that’s over. Last I heard, Alex was driving through Oklahoma.”
“Does this mean she’ll definitely be moving in with you now?” Kacey inquired.
I nodded. “We’ve already started bringing her things in.”
She squealed. “That’s so awesome. I can’t believe you’re finally settling down.”
“Neither can I,” Tyler muttered under his breath. Kacey elbowed him in the side and he laughed.
I glanced over at Zane who bounced on his feet, punching the air. “You about ready?”
“Hell yeah, let’s get this shit started.”
We all headed for the door when my phone started to ring. I half expected it to be Megan, but it was Mason. “What’s up?” I answered.
“Is Megan with you?”
“No, why?”
“Fuck,” he growled.
“Mason, what’s wrong?” By now I had everyone’s attention.
“Alex tricked us. My undercover agent approached him in Oklahoma, and realized it wasn’t him. He had paid another guy a large sum to get into his car and drive east, no questions asked. We have to find Megan, now. I called the Vegas PD already.”
“Goddammit,” I shouted, racing to the door. “I’m going to her house.”
Tyler grabbed my arm, stopping me before I could sprint off down the hall. “Is Megan in trouble?”
I jerked out of his hold and he stepped back, holding his hands up. “Her psycho ex never left town. It was a trap. If he so much as touches her, he’s dead.”
“Then go!” Kacey shouted. “Tyler can go with you.”
Tyler nodded, but I shook my head and glanced over at Zane. “I’ve got this. What I need you to do is stay with Zane. I’ll be okay.”
He slapped my shoulder and pushed me out the door. “Do what you have to, Andrews. We’ll be here for you no matter what.”
Without wasting any more time, I took off out of the arena to my motorcycle. The traffic was a fucking nightmare, but I zipped by it on the shoulder and got off the main road so I could open the throttle. Cars honked their horns and people screamed at me, but I didn’t give a shit. I had to get to Megan before it was too late. Her neighborhood came up fast and I raced through the streets until I got to her house. Jumping off my bike, I threw my helmet on the ground and barreled through the door. I was too late.
“My God. No!” Nicole’s hands and feet were tied and she was gagged, but trying desperately to yell something. There was blood on the floor from a nasty gash on her forehead, but she was coherent for now. I untied her gag. “Nic, are you okay? Where’s Megan?”
“She’s gone,” she cried. “Alex threatened to kill me if she didn’t go with him. I pretended to be knocked out, but I was listening.”
Storming into the kitchen, I grabbed a knife and rushed back to her so I could cut through the cable ties. “Where did he take her?” I helped her to the couch and wrapped a blanket around her.
With tears streaming down her cheeks, she grabbed my shirt. “He said he needed to go to Greg’s house first. After that, I don’t know where he’ll take her.”
“How long ago?” I asked desperately.
“I’m not sure, maybe about twenty minutes. If he hears your bike it’ll all be over. He’ll just kill her.”
“Then I’ll run,” I replied, starting for the back door. “The police are already on their way here. Tell them everything.”
“I will. And be careful . . . he has Megan’s gun.”
I nodded and took off out the door. Guns didn’t scare me. Losing Megan did.
***
“SIT,” ALEX GROWLED, pushing me down on the floor. Knowing I had no choice, I sat down while he grabbed my wrist, tying me to the staircase post with a cable tie.
“What are you doing?”
“Making sure you don’t go anywhere.” He disappeared up the stairs and came down with a couple of duffle bags and threw them by the door. Next were bags of food from the kitchen.
My thoughts strayed to Nic as I sat there, biding my time while he loaded the car with his things. I prayed she was okay and that someone would be by to help her soon. “If you’re planning on me coming with you, don’t you think I should have some of my clothes? You didn’t
let me pack any.”
Grabbing the last bag, he slung it over his shoulder and grinned evilly. I trembled under the weight of his gaze. “Don’t worry, I already have some. I may have even watched you in the shower for a bit while getting them.” He licked his lips. “It took all I had not to rip you out and fuck you right then and there.”
The thought made me sick. If he forced me to go with him, I had no doubt he’d rape me time and time again. The answer was simple . . . I couldn’t let him take me, even if it meant forfeiting my life. Turning my head away, I waited for him to go out to the car, but instead he stalked over to me.
“I see that look on your face. Are you really that disgusted by me? I seem to recall you loving the way I touched you. You always liked it rough.”
“No,” I spat, turning to glare at him. “It was you who liked it like that. The thought of you touching me makes me sick.”
Grasping my throat, he squeezed and lowered me to the floor while my arm stayed tied to the post. I grabbed his wrist and dug my nails in his skin. I couldn’t breathe and my eyes started to blur, stars bursting in my vision.
“It makes you sick, huh? Let’s just see about that. I bet I can make you wetter than you ever thought possible.” His grip loosened and I gasped in a breath of air. “But first, we need to get rid of this shit,” he said, snarling at my Team Kyle T-shirt. With both hands, he ripped it in two and tossed it across the room.
I slapped him hard across the face with my free hand and spat in his face. “If you even attempt to do what I think you’re going to do, I will kill you.”
Bursting out in dark laughter, he rubbed his cheek and stepped closer, pressing his dick into my body. “I’d like to see you try. You chickened out last time.” Moaning, he lowered his gaze to my chest and froze. “What the fuck is this shit?” On my breasts were burgundy marks, left from Kyle sucking them. Before I could reply, he slapped me hard across the cheek. “That fucker had his mouth on what’s mine. I told him I’d get you back. I guess I’m just going to have to get rid of them.”
Holding me with brutal force, he didn’t waste time and latched his teeth on one of the marks and bit down hard. I screamed with the pain and kicked him as hard as I could. He was much stronger than he used to be and instead of pulling away, he chuckled and bit harder. He was going to remove a chunk. I could feel his teeth pierce my skin.
“Get the fuck off of me,” I screamed and cried at the same time.
“I bet I’m making you wet now, aren’t I? Let’s find out.” Covering my mouth with one hand, he used the other to unbutton my jeans.
I couldn’t let him get my jeans off, or I wouldn’t be able to reach the knife. He jammed his hands down my pants, which only gave me a handful of seconds to react. Spreading my legs, I gave him the access he needed, but also gave myself leverage to get the knife. The second his fingers were at my opening, I grabbed the knife and rammed it into his side, making sure to pull it out. It didn’t get him between the ribs like I’d wanted, but it gave me the extra time to get away.
Roaring in pain, he fell back and grabbed his side. With the bloody knife in hand, I slipped it under the cable tie and sawed it off, cutting myself in the process. Blood oozed down my arm. The door was right behind him, but in order to get to it, I had to get past him. Leaping over him, he grabbed my ankle and I tumbled to the floor.
The knife was still in my hand, so I reared back and stabbed him again twice in the shoulder before he punched me hard and the knife flew out of my hand.
“You stupid cunt,” he growled.
My face throbbed and my body hurt, but I wouldn’t go down without a fight. The first chance I got, I thrust my knee into his balls and scrambled away, only to have him grab me by the hair and pull me back.
“You just signed your friend’s death warrant for that one.”
Elbowing him in the face, blood spurted out of his nose and I was able to jerk my hair out of his grasp. “No, you signed yours.” I grabbed the gun from his waistband and pointed it at his head. “It’s over.” I pulled the trigger twice, and . . . nothing. What the fuck?
Alex got to his feet. “You didn’t think I’d be stupid enough to keep the bullets in it, now did you? You have a lot to learn.”
“That may be true,” I agreed, taking a step back. The door was just behind me and all I needed to do was race to it and get out. “I have a lot to learn, but not from you.” Charging for the door, he chased after me but I got to it first and threw it open, only to run right into Kyle.
***
KYLE’S ARMS DRAPED protectively around my body, and I felt safe. However, the look in his eyes frightened me. “Get out of here and run to your house, now. I’m going to handle this,” he growled low, keeping a murderous glare on Alex.
“I’m not leaving you.”
“Go!” he shouted, making me jump. “The police are on their way.”
I rushed out the door and he slammed it behind me. There was no way in hell I was leaving him to kill my demons. Rushing around to the backyard, I searched around Greg’s yard for anything I could use as a weapon. He had a separate garage that was unlocked and once inside, the blue car that was used to run me and Kyle over was there. We had the answer to that mystery, even though I pretty much already knew.
Snatching up a baseball bat, I rushed to the back door and slipped inside. Both guys were battling it out, crashing things over left and right. Kyle’s head was bloody and I assumed it was from getting hit with the lamp broken on the floor. As soon as I had an opening, I was going in. Alex charged toward Kyle and when they collided, they both fell back on the glass coffee table, shattering it into a million pieces.
Kyle had his hands wrapped around Alex’s throat with deadly force. Unfortunately, it didn’t stop Alex from taking a shard of glass and slicing it across Kyle’s arms and body, over and over. Clenching his teeth, Kyle kept his grip tight, but I couldn’t take it any longer. Everything moved in slow motion. Alex’s hand lifted with the bloody piece of glass and seeing Kyle’s blood on it infuriated me even more. He had drawn too much blood from myself and from the people I loved.
With the bat held high, I raced to them and swung it as hard as I could at Alex’s head. He fell over, but I didn’t stop there. I hit him again and again, hearing his bones crack with each hit. Blood poured out of his ears and nose and I prayed to God that he was dead. I wanted him gone and out of my life forever. Even if I had to go to jail, I wanted to know that he couldn’t come after me ever again.
After the final blow, I dropped the bat and Kyle was right there to lift me in his arms and carry me outside. “You’re safe now,” he murmured, taking me down the stairs. Sirens blared and when I looked up, their flashing lights came into view. “Are you okay? Did he . . .”
“No,” I said quickly. “I stopped him before it got too far.”
Setting me down, he lifted his bloody shirt over his head and started to put it on me, but not before seeing the bloody bite mark on my chest. His jaw clenched, but I grabbed his face, wincing when I got a good look at his wounds.
“I’m okay, I promise. I’ve had plenty of black eyes and bruises from that bastard. These will be the last ones I’ll ever get from him.”
“You have no idea how bad I wanted to fucking kill him for you.”
“Yes, I do, but it was my fight. I had to end it myself.”
He shook his head. “I know. That’s why I didn’t stop you.”
Pulling me into his arms, he held me tight as the police charged out of their vehicles. Ryan Griffin was the one who approached us first, his gaze weary when he looked at my bruised face. Before closing the distance, he called for an ambulance while his officers rushed into the house. “Are you two okay?” he asked.
I looked up at Kyle and nodded. “I think so, for the most part. He probably needs stitches,” I said, pointing to Kyle.
“Yeah, I see that,” he agreed. “We’ve already spoken to Miss Bender about what happened.”
“Is she ok
ay?”
He nodded. “She’s on the way to the hospital. She took a nasty hit to the head. I take it Alex is still inside?”
“Yes,” I whispered.
“Is he dead?”
“I don’t know, but I think so. I hit him in the head with a bat.” Kyle tightened his arms around me as I began to cry.
“Detective,” one of the officers called, rushing out of the house.
Ryan acknowledged him with a nod. “What’s the verdict?”
“Two dead. We found a body in the basement. His throat was slit. I believe it’s Greg Mullen.”
I nodded. “Alex told me he killed him because he’d threatened to go to the police.”
Ryan sighed. “I see. We were wondering where he had gotten to. No one had seen him for a while. I guess now we know.” The ambulance pulled up and the medics got out, heading straight for us. “All right, kids, let’s get you to the hospital. I’ll be by later to ask more questions once we get this all wrapped up.”
Kyle nudged me toward the ambulance but I stopped and grabbed Ryan’s arm. “Will I go to jail?”
Ryan squeezed my hand. “It doesn’t appear so. It was clearly self-defense. After what he did to you, that fucker deserves what he got. Now go to the hospital. You needn’t worry about this anymore.”
“Thanks, Detective Griffin. I’m just glad it’s over.”
“I know.” He disappeared inside and Kyle walked with me to the ambulance.
“You’re free now,” Kyle murmured in my ear.
Taking a deep breath, I turned to face him. “I am, and it’s all because of you. I can finally start living for the first time in my life.”
He kissed me and rubbed his thumb gently over my bruised cheek. “I know how you feel.”
***
One Week Later
THERE WAS NO better way to celebrate my freedom than with a party. Tyler had given Kyle and me the week off and even though he was told not to pick up heavy things because of his stitches, he did it anyway. I had never seen him so stubborn, but he was determined to get my things moved into his house. We also helped Nic move into her new apartment which she loved.