by Joanna Blake
Max turned at last and smiled at me. He was so handsome, so urbane. His lightweight wool suit fit him to perfection. His dark hair was perfectly styled. His dark eyes looked almost kind as he smiled at me.
Almost.
He walked towards me. His hands reached out to stroked my hair back from my face.
“So lovely, always so lovely.”
I twisted my head away. His touch sickened me. He laughed cruelly and walked across the room to pour himself a drink.
“Were you planning to leave town, my sweet?”
“No, Max. Please just let Katey go.”
“Perhaps.”
“Whatever you want to do with me, fine. But please leave my friend out of it.”
He smiled at me again. This time the smile was cruel.
“Oh, I will do whatever I want to with you. I’ve been waiting long enough. You know, the thought of a virgin was so alluring. No one had so much as touched what belonged to me…”
He gripped my chin, cruelly twisting my head back to look at him.
“Has someone touched you, Carolina?”
“No.”
He released me and crossed the room again. This time he picked up a piece of paper. He paced back and forth, growing increasingly agitated. I had never seen him like this.
He looked like he was insane.
“So, no plans to travel? Back home to Georgia perhaps…”
I shook my head ‘no.’
“That’s very interesting. Because someone made a reservation for you to fly there with them.”
He glanced at the paper.
“Chandler? Who is that Carolina?”
“He’s no one! I barely know him.”
He smiled at me coldly.
“That’s too bad. I prefer to know who someone is before I kill them.”
He shrugged. Killing a man was nothing to him. I closed my eyes. My fear for Chan completely washed away any concern for myself.
“No matter. Now, the more important question is what am I going to do with you?”
He sat beside me and pushed my hair over my shoulder. His touch was cold as he traced the edge of my collarbone with his fingertips.
“Rather the questions is, what won’t I do with you?”
I whimpered. I didn’t know I could even be this afraid. My blood felt like ice.
“Your punishment will be… enjoyable. For me.”
He leaned forward and kissed my neck slowly. I could smell his aftershave. My entire body stood up in goose bumps.
Abruptly he stood and walked to the closet. He pulled it open, revealing my wedding gown. He smiled at me benignly.
“But first, the ceremony! We must have our bride looking pristine for the wedding photos.”
I stared at him. He was mad. He actually expected me to go through with this.
The thing was, I didn’t really have a choice.
“Get dressed my love. Your little friend can help you. I will let her go after you are mine.”
Chapter Twelve
Chandler
Joss stood by the door, blocking my way. I tried to fight my way past him but he was determined. Not to mention trained in combat. He was also less insane than I was.
At the moment anyway.
I was out of my God damn mind with fear and fury.
Caro was missing. Katey too. There were signs of struggle in their hotel room.
It was Joss who told me not to call the police.
It was Joss who told me he would find them.
It was Joss who was keeping me from barreling out of my hotel room once he’d told me he had a lead. Now he was threatening to tie me to a chair unless I cooled off. He’d also mentioned something about cutting off the blood to my head until I passed out.
I knew he could do it. I knew he would too, without hesitation. I stepped away from the door, raising my hands.
“Sit.”
I sat.
“They are looking for you Chan. Even I got a call. They specified that the condition you were in was not important. You just had to be alive.”
“I don’t care.”
“Chan, they said to maim, not kill. You know what that means don’t you?”
I shrugged.
“That sick motherfucker is going to torture you. Why Chan?”
“He must know.”
“What?”
“He must know that I touched her.”
Joss sat on the table across from me.
“You really do have a death wish don’t you?”
I shook my head. I didn’t. But right now the main reason I had for living was in danger.
“Do you love this girl, Chan? Because you really could get killed if you pursue this. Hell, even if you don’t. Basically you are going to get hurt if you don’t leave town. Today.”
I stared at Joss. I felt like a caged animal. I was ready to tear someone’s head off.
“Yes, I fucking love her! Isn’t that obvious?”
He leaned back.
“Okay man. Does she know that?”
I shook my head. That was the worst part of this. If something happened to her. If his goons got to me first… she would never know how I felt.
“I never told her. She thinks… she thinks I just want to get into her pants. Like she’s some sort of a challenge.”
He cocked an eyebrow.
“Is she?”
“She is challenging as fuck but that’s not why I want her. She’s not a prize. She’s a person. An amazing, perfect person.”
I held my head in my hands as if I could stop my wheels from turning. It didn’t work. All I could think of was Caro. My sweet, beautiful Caro.
“Oh God, Joss. What if he hurts her?”
Joss’s hand came down on my shoulder.
“We need to get you to a secure location. Me and my team will get her out in time.”
I looked up at him. He knew something. The question was: in time for what?
Joss made a few calls, speaking softly. He was recharging his phone and his laptop. He stepped into the bathroom for a second.
I scooped up his phone and skimmed through his texts.
Morningside Church on Bay Drive
It took me less than a second to recognize what was going on. Max wasn’t torturing her. Not yet.
He was marrying her.
With Katey in danger, Caro wouldn’t have a choice in the matter.
She couldn’t say no to becoming his wife.
After that, he could do whatever he wanted with her. It would be next to impossible to save her. Not that I would ever, ever stop trying.
Let’s just hope it didn’t come to that.
I didn’t hesitate. I dropped his phone and ran for the door. But not before I did one last stupid thing in the long list of spectacularly stupid things I was about to do.
I took Joss’s gun.
Carolina
Katey’s hands were shaking as she tried to maneuver the ornate rows of buttons that ran up the back of my wedding gown. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Her eyes were full of tears.
“Oh Caro…”
“Stop. I’m glad you are here. You can go home and make sure Chan is okay too.”
She wiped her tears away.
“Promise me you will tell him to stay away Katey. They’ll kill him.”
“I promise.”
I nodded, and let go of her hand. I stared into the mirror. My hair was loose and flowing down my back. Hanz had brought some makeup in, wordlessly placing it on the counter. I’d tried to apply it as best I could. Even though it made me sick to do it.
Dressing up like this was a mockery of marriage. Of love. Of everything I believed in.
Refusing him was not even an option though.
I didn’t want to antagonize Max. Not yet. Not ever.
Lord knew what would happen to the people I cared about if I did.
“Caro, do you want to pray?”
I nodded. I’d been praying almost non-stop but this seemed l
ike the right moment to make a more formal plea.
We knelt by the foot of the bed, resting our elbows on the bedspread.
I was in my wedding dress, praying not to get married.
The irony was not lost on me.
We were both silent as we made our peace with God. I sat back on my heels when I was done. Katey’s hand found mine. We squeezed each other’s hands as the door opened.
It was time.
Hanz escorted us back down to the car. Max was nowhere to be seen. I guess he was traditional after all.
Katey was wearing the bridesmaid dress that had been chosen for her. They must have grabbed it from the hotel room. So this had been the plan all along.
Marrying me.
What he planned to do with me after was the big mystery.
I had a strong feeling that I wouldn’t live one minute past the time he lost interest in me.
His plaything.
That didn’t scare me though. Him hurting the people I loved did.
We held hands the whole limo ride. Katey walked by my side into the church. We were shown into a room on the lower level to wait. There was a bouquet waiting for me there. And a box with a bow.
“Open it.”
I glanced at Hanz. I didn’t want to open it. But I did.
An enormous sapphire and diamond necklace was inside.
Hanz smiled at me, showing his uneven teeth.
“Congratulations on your wedding.”
Then he left.
I sat silently as Katey lowered the necklace over my throat. We stared at each other in the mirror. That’s when we noticed.
There was a high window behind us. It wasn’t big. But maybe we could squeeze through it.
One of us anyway.
I looked at her. She nodded. Without a word I grabbed one chair, propping it under the door. Then I grabbed another and opened the window. I looked outside. I could see Max’s men pacing around in front of the church. This window opened to the side. I couldn’t see anyone towards the back.
We had a chance.
Just a tiny one, but a chance.
“You go.”
Katey shook her head wildly.
“No Caro, both of us.”
“No. If they catch you they won’t kill you if I am still here. You go. In ten minutes I will follow.”
She closed her eyes and nodded. It made sense to split up. Besides, my dress was kind of hard to miss.
She had a much better chance on her own.
I helped her onto the chair. She took one last look back at me.
“When you get out of here, run. Don’t stop for anything.”
She nodded.
“Love you Caro.”
“Love you Katey bird.”
I watched as she lifted herself up and shimmied forward. She stopped, her body halfway in and halfway out. She was stuck. I grabbed her hips and shoved her forward. Hard. I heaved a sigh of relief as she tumbled onto the grass.
She was through.
She crouched in front of the window for a minute. I heard footsteps and shut the window behind her. Then I put both chairs back where they’d been. I didn’t even turn my head to see if she was gone. I didn’t want to draw any attention to the window whatsoever.
The door opened not a half a second later. Hanz stood there, a look of puzzlement on his big dumb face.
“Where is your friend?”
“She went to the bathroom.”
Hanz shrugged. Clearly he didn’t care one way or the other.
“It’s time.”
Chapter Thirteen
Chandler
I left my bike still idling in an alleyway. I took off, running low close to the back of the building next to the church. I turned the corner and froze, expecting trouble.
No one was there.
I ran towards the church and opened the back door.
Max’s men were really slacking on their security. I had a rare religious moment where I wondered if this was divine intervention. I raised my eyes and said a quick thank you just in case as I crept forward through the dark hallways behind the pulpit.
I could hear the tones of the wedding march. I had made it in time. But barely.
There was an ornate grate separating me from the church. I looked through it. My heart lurched in my chest at what I saw.
My beautiful Caro was walking down the aisle in her wedding gown. It was sleeveless, with a sweetheart neckline. Her hair was loose over her shoulders.
She looked stunning.
She looked terrified.
I was going to save her, no matter what.
She stepped into place beside Max. I could see her trembling all the way from here. He smiled at her coldly. I knew in that instant that he would kill her.
Not right away. But in time. After he’d broken her.
No way in hell was I letting that happen.
“We are gathered here today to celebrate the marriage of-“
Max leaned forward and hissed at him.
“Father. Get on with it.”
The poor priest nodded and closed his bible abruptly.
The only ones in the audience were Max’s thugs. Good. That meant none of them were outside. Maybe Joss would get here in time to help me get out of this mess. I had a very clear idea of how to get into trouble, but not out.
Since when was that anything new?
Except this time the stakes could not be higher.
The rest of our lives depended on it.
I wasn’t just worried about the quality of those lives.
I was worried about the length.
“Do you Max take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold until death do you part?”
“I do.”
“Do you Carolina take this man to be your husband, to have and to hold until death do you part?”
It was happening even faster than I’d imagined. I scrambled to the side door and burst it open even as she nodded yes.
“Speak now or forever hold your peace.”
“I fucking object.”
Everyone turned to stare at me. Caro’s pale face was overjoyed for a split second. Then terror replaced it.
“Look out Chan!”
Max shoved her backwards as I felt hands reach for me from behind. I twisted, throwing my elbow. It connected with a thick wall of muscle.
I heard a grunt and smiled.
I wasn’t going down without a fight, that was for damn sure.
“Get out of here, Caro!”
I saw her shaking her head. I should have known she’d be stubborn. The guy was reaching for me again so I pulled out Joss’s gun.
I knew how to use a gun. I just had never shot one at someone before. Beer cans, yes.
Living breathing flesh?
No.
Adrenaline took over. I was moving faster than I could have though possible. I dodged a flying fist and pulled the trigger in one smooth motion. I heard a scream as I scrambled towards the pews where Caro was struggling with Max.
I hadn’t killed the guy though.
I’d just shot him in the foot.
He was making quite a racket.
“Excuse me Father.”
I pushed past the Priest who seemed frozen in place. I heard a shot fire off as I reached Max. I held the gun to the back of his head.
“Let. Her. Go.”
He glanced over his shoulder at me, his dark eyes full of rage. Slowly he raised his hands. I smiled, raising my voice so everyone could hear me.
“Here’s what is going to happen. We are going to walk out of here with Mr. Herchou. Nobody is going to follow us. Not if they want to see him in one piece.”
I smiled reassuringly at Caro. She grinned at me, shaking her head. She was as crazy as I was.
I loved that about her.
I loved everything about her.
“Give me his tie Caro.”
She ignored Max as she swiftly loosened his tie, handing it to me.
“No
w step back, next to me. Tie his wrists.”
I kept the gun trained on Max as she tied his hands tightly. Too tightly. He grunted in pain. I laughed. She could be mean when she wanted to.
I loved that about her too.
“Let’s move.”
I poked Max’s back with the gun. He walked forward. He was cursing us in three different languages.
“Shut up.”
Caro ran forward to open the doors. Then she was back by my side as we followed the sidewalk to the next building. I kept my gun hidden until we were in the alleyway with my bike.
No one had stolen it thank God.
For the second time in one day, I gave thanks to the good Lord above.
I frisked Max for a gun and found none. Not even a knife. Perhaps he was more religious than I was.
Finally I pushed him away, handing Caro a helmet. This time she put it on herself. Then she helped me with mine.
“I know where you live. Where your families live.”
I nodded.
“We know.”
“I will kill them all. And then I will kill you.”
I tilted my head to the side, sneaking a kiss on Caro’s lips.
“You might be surprised how well us Southern boys can take care of ourselves. And our people.”
His eyes narrowed at the familiar way I was holding Caro.
Everything about my posture screamed: Mine.
She was mine.
“I will never stop hunting for you. Never.”
I grinned at him.
“Doesn’t matter anyway. I won.”
I brought the back of the pistol down on his skull. He slumped over, sliding against a garbage dumpster.
Right where he belonged.
We climbed onto the bike and tore off just as Max’s goons turned the corner. They were chasing us on foot and screaming. Didn’t matter. We were well on our way.
I slapped my side. Something must have scraped me as we were running. It burned.
I kept riding though. I had to.
Right for the small craft airport that Joss told me about.
I just prayed his buddy would be there waiting.
Carolina
I held onto to Chan as tight at I could. He was riding like the Devil was on our heels. In a way, he was.