Forever Lost

by Laura Morgan

  She tensed, seeming not to want this here under the watchful eyes of Leo’s hidden cameras. Her reaction only made him want it more.

  “Not like this, baby. Not here.” Cassie tried to reason with him, to make him understand. “I don’t care if you want that kind of night together, but I don’t want to do it here,” she whispered, and tried in vain to pull out of his grasp. “Please Victor.”

  “Tell me no, go on. I fucking dare you.” He slid down the zipper at the side of her dress, and he pushed the shoulder panels forward to expose her breasts. The dress slid to the floor. Cassie seemed completely unable to keep it from billowing down to her feet, and she gasped as his hands grabbed at her breasts, cupping them roughly.

  “Please,” she groaned, but Victor silenced her with a bite to her shoulder.

  “Tell me to stop, baby. Go on,” he insisted, but she gave him no response, and he grinned. Victor threw her onto the bed forcefully before removing his jacket and shirt.

  Cassie lay on her front, frozen in fear. He watched her tremble and pant in anticipation of his advances, but he didn’t care about her trepidation. He wanted to claim his woman, whether she wanted it or not.

  He loosened his belt and removed the rest of his clothes, then joined his wife on the bed. His body pressed into hers on the mattress, while his hard-on poked between her thighs, and rubbed against the tiny sliver of her lace panties. Cassie turned her head to look at him just as a shadow moved through the dark hallway. Victor caught her fear and didn’t stop the man as he wandered inside the room and took a seat on the sofa opposite the end on the bed.

  Cassie groaned her disgust, but a second bite to her shoulder silenced her pleas. They all knew the rules, and as long as he wasn’t planning on trying to join in, Victor didn’t care if the man watched.

  It was only when he spoke that Victor finally reacted to his presence. The dark shadows still hid their watcher’s face, but his voice gave him away.

  “Go on, Cassie. Tell him no. I want to see him fuck you harder than you’ve ever been fucked before. I wanna hear you scream for him to stop,” Leo said, as he relaxed back in the seat. He laid his arms across the top of the sofa. Victor knew it was so he could see he had no weapons, and wasn’t there to fight.

  “Not like this, not with him here. Please, Victor, no,” Cassie whimpered. She’d uttered the words before she could hold them back, and as soon as the word ‘no’ left her lips, Victor pounced. He ripped the panties off her hips, his fingers shredding the material in less than a second, and then he was inside of her a moment later. Victor pummeled her hard, slapping her ass cheeks with his stomach as he pressed into her firm and fast. He heard Leo take a loud breath, but he otherwise stayed silent, continuing to observe from the shadows.

  ***

  Cassie felt wet and hot from Victor’s relentless thrusts, both hating and loving his forceful advances. Having the added combination of humiliation and anger at Leo being there somehow spurred her onward too. Cassie dug her hands into the bed sheets and pushed back into her husband’s powerful thrusts. She cried out as Victor’s body crashed into hers, and then fell limply onto the bed when her orgasm burst through her in an eruption of hot pressure. Victor flipped her over and slapped her across the face, sliding back inside her aching cleft during her moment of shock.

  “I didn’t give you permission to come. Did you do it because he’s watching? Did he make you so hot you had to come for him?” His face was contorted with venomous fury as he continued his heavy thrusts, but she was lost in the power he delivered to her body, reveling in the pleasure and the pain.

  “No, I hate him. I don’t want him to see me come, that’s just for you, baby. I want you to show him how much you love me, show him how I gave you all of me, and not him,” Cassie replied, letting out all of the spite and anger she felt at Leo for having moved on without her. Victor stared down into her eyes, his body trembling as his release claimed him. He fell onto the bed and kissed her lips so gently it was as though they’d just made love, rather than having fucked so violently right in front of her ex-boyfriend.

  “You’re so beautiful,” Victor whispered, still staring at her, and she shook her head. Tears were streaming down her temples, and she stared up at the ceiling in a daze. Her body curled up and she felt so frail and tiny.

  She hated that Victor had treated her this way, but knew he’d needed to show Leo she belonged to him. He could do anything he wanted to her, and Cassie would always go along with it, and she had. He’d never treated her that way before, even when she asked him to, and despite it having felt good, Cassie vowed to herself that she wouldn’t let it happen again.

  Leo stood and hovered near the bed. He peered down at them, before lifting their clothes up from the floor and placing them on Cassie’s other side. Victor stood from the bed, still naked, and she watched as he put his hand out to Leo, who shook it, smiling back warmly. He seemed about to leave, but then appeared to think better of it, and held his ground. He held onto Victor’s hand for another second before he spoke.

  “You think you’ve got it made, don’t you, Victor?” Leo asked him, his smile turning into a grimace. “You’ve spent all this time thinking you’d won, when you should’ve realized we are both losers. There are no winners in this game for Cassie’s heart, because neither of us is worthy of possessing it. Thank you for coming to celebrate my birthday. The last thing I ever expected was for you to bring her here, but now I can see for myself how broken she’s become, thanks to you. I will look forward to seeing the happiness return to her face when you meet your demise, Victor Sanchez.”

  “Oh, really?” Victor replied, his dominant pose back in full force, but Leo didn’t seem swayed by it at all. “You think you can take me down? You think you can win her back? I own every inch of that girl, and she would fall to pieces without me. I tell her when to eat, speak, think, or fuck. You are nothing, Leonardo Solomon. I would rather slit her throat myself than ever see her go back into your arms,” Victor added, the two men at a standoff, and the air around them grew thick with tension.

  Cassie watched them in horror. Victor’s awful words made her want to vomit. She was suddenly filled with all the hatred she’d pushed aside the entire time she’d been with him, and saw red. She wanted to hurt him, to make him pay for what he’d done to her. Cassie wanted to punish her husband for how broken she’d become under his control, and that was when her finger traced the edge of the sheath on his belt. Cassie’s eyes darted to it, realizing Leo had put the knife directly beside her, hopefully on purpose. The sheath’s snap was already open, and she silently pulled it into her palm. The weight of it surprised her, but she gripped it tightly and rose up onto her knees.

  “Baby?” she whispered, smiling at Victor when he turned to face her. “I wonder if this will feel as good as I hope it will,” she murmured, delighting in his surprised expression. Fear then claimed his features when Leo grabbed his arms from behind and pinned them back, rendering him immobile.

  “Do you want to be free of him forever?” Leo asked, looking at her over Victor’s shoulder, and she nodded. “Then do it.” Leo grinned with sinister satisfaction as she flung herself at Victor, making contact with his chest, and the heavy knife pushed down between his ribs and disappeared inside.

  The only sound was a wet gurgle as Victor opened and closed his mouth in an attempt to speak, but it was no use. Cassie watched without a hint of guilt as he went limp in Leo’s arms and then dropped to the floor, taking his last breath as they watched.

  “Am I free?” She looked up at Leo and found the old, real him staring back at her. He was the version she’d known so well once upon a time, and that was when she finally fell apart. He grabbed her before she could fall, hugging her tightly in his bear-like grip, and they both began to cry.

  “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry,” Leo told her. He kissed her cheeks and lips, and the person Cassie thought was gone forever came back to her with every one of his kisses. She was terrified, but so happ
y, and couldn't quite believe she’d done it. Victor was dead, and she’d killed him. “You’re not free, Cassie, not yet, but I’m doing everything I can to make sure you get there. Don’t say a word, only talk to the lawyer I send for you.”

  “What?” She stared up at him, and Leo looked far too sad for her liking. She knew something was up, there were clearly other games at play here that she’d had no idea about. Cassie couldn't get her head straight, she couldn't figure any of it out. “Leo, please.”

  He handed her the crumpled dress, helping Cassie into it, before taking a seat on the bed, and telling her to do the same.

  “They’re coming for you, the police. I ratted him out, and you,” Leo told her, looking at his hands. “It was the only way to save you, Cassie,” he managed to say.

  Before she could ask for any more information, a team of police officers burst into the room, shouting at them both to put their hands where they could see them.

  Chapter 36

  “Cassandra Sanchez, you are under arrest for the murder of Jonah Smith, and the suspected murder of Victor Sanchez. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law,” an officer recited, cuffing Cassie’s wrists behind her back while reading the remainder of her rights. Leo was being read his, too. He accepted them, allowed himself to be cuffed, and then silently followed another officer away. His eyes bore into Cassie’s, and despite the situation, he had a satisfied half-smile on his lips.

  “Leo!” she cried, desperate not to be separated from him again.

  “It’s okay, love. We’ve won. I don’t care what happens next, the only thing that matters is you’re safe.” He gave her one last lingering look and left. Cassie felt as though she’d been punched in her gut. She trembled uncontrollably and shook her head. This didn’t feel like winning.

  The partygoers watched in shock as Leo and Cassie were led outside and into the awaiting patrol cars. Victor’s other men, Grayson included, were lined up against a police van, and none of them said so much as a word as she passed. When Victor’s dead body was loaded into the coroner’s truck, they remained still. It was as though they were indifferent to the situation and the man who lay dead before them.

  Cassie stared out the window in stunned silence, trying to make sense of the last few hours. Jonah had died. The arresting officer’s words were resonating in her head, and she felt sick. Cassie had used him in a bid to instigate this very scenario. She’d let Victor hurt him in return for the hope of a warrant for her arrest, and her removal from her captor’s side long enough to seek help, but it had backfired. Jonah had died because of her foolishness, and regardless of who had delivered the beating, she decided to plead guilty to his murder. She had to pay for what she had done to her ex-husband. He hadn’t deserved to die because of her, no matter what had happened between them all that time ago.

  She caught sight of Hanna and Jamie as they watched from the crowd. Their faces were pained, but they were the only ones in the group of onlookers who didn’t seem shocked by the night’s events, and Cassie wondered if they might’ve known Leo was going to turn himself in.

  When they reached the station, Cassie was processed and put in a small room. She was trembling, unsure whether from the cold or the fear that still coursed through her. She wished the old, strange numbness would come back again. She yearned to feel nothing.

  Cassie was joined shortly afterward by a tall, skinny man who shook her hand and took a seat opposite her at the grey table. She was still in shock, but otherwise fine. Cassie had refused to be seen by a doctor as she had no injuries, but part of her wished she could see a psychiatrist. She hoped she might be allowed a visit from her old doctor who’d helped her get through the trauma with Jonah, but then again she had no idea if he would even want to see her after her apparent murder. He’d not so long ago signed her off his books as being well adjusted and ready to move on with her life, and would no doubt be angry she’d taken such a huge step backward in her recovery.

  The man who’d entered leaned closer, breaking her reverie. He removed a notepad from his briefcase as he looked over at her, and he began talking quietly.

  “Ms. Taylor, my name is Justin Hawke. I’m an attorney. Leonardo Solomon is my client, as are you,” he told her with a warm smile. He’d called her by her maiden name, and it was nice to hear. Cassie was delighted to know Leo had hired him as her attorney in readiness for this night. “We’re safe to talk honestly with each other now, anything you say is strictly between us. Mr. Solomon is already in custody. He’d given the authorities a full statement before tonight, and has confessed his wrongdoings. Leo has made a deal with the FBI, and will be going to prison without trial.”

  “What? No, he can’t have. I need to see him,” Cassie said, her voice hoarse, and she shook her head, trying to make sense of it all.

  “I’m afraid that’s not possible. He’s been sentenced to twenty-five years imprisonment, but that sentence has been drastically reduced due to his cooperation. He should be out in eighteen months, with good behavior,” Justin told her with a glint in his eye.

  This guy was good, Cassie could tell. Everything about him screamed money and dirt. He was clearly a shark, and had gotten Leo off on most of his charges in exchange for his testimony. He had procured him an incredibly light sentence, which Cassie thought was probably all for show as far as the FBI’s books went, a slap on the wrist of sorts.

  “Okay. So, what do I need to do?” Despite her not wanting to follow Leo behind her own set of bars, she knew this man was her only hope at getting justice for Jonah’s death. If that meant her going to prison, so be it. She had faith he would give her a good defense in the process, and Leo wouldn’t have sent her someone she couldn't trust.

  Justin grinned and began telling her the plan. He explained how Leo had contacted him almost as soon as Cassie had left with Victor, asking how they might instigate a rescue strategy for her retrieval.

  “Leo knew he needed to be clever and bide his time rather than act rashly. While he got himself and his assistant some medical care, I started thinking. It wasn’t long before Jonah was found, and a witness testimony put you and a man fitting Victor’s description at his apartment the night he was beaten. You were wanted for questioning, but the assault was not enough to extradite you, or even put the matter of your disappearance on the FBI’s radar. Then Jonah unfortunately died from his injuries a few days later, and the case took a turn in a direction I could use.” Justin paused as Cassie began crying into her hands.

  He handed her a tissue and perused his documents, allowing her some privacy as she mourned her ex-husband. Cassie was truly sorry for what she’d done to him and promised herself she’d find a way to bring him some peace. She would tell the whole truth about everything with Victor. She hoped it must already be evident that she hadn’t inflicted those wounds herself—she would never have been strong enough. Still, she would serve her time if a jury found her guilty of his murder. Cassie would do anything to get rid of the deep well of guilt in her gut, but she also considered that maybe it would never go.

  “Carry on, Mr. Hawke,” Cassie said after a few minutes. Her face felt swollen, but the tears had stopped, and she listened intently as the man continued with his story.

  “Leo spoke with your roommate, and your boss at the restaurant. Each of them corroborated his version of events, and they told me they would be willing to testify, if only we could get you back on American soil. Leo then went to his contact at the FBI, the same man he’d passed information to before about Otis Simmons, and he told him everything. They would only pursue a warrant for Victor’s arrest if Leo cooperated with their investigation and took them evidence, which he agreed to do without hesitation. As long as you were free he didn’t care, he would sacrifice his own freedom for yours, Cassie,” Justin said, smiling at her again. Cassie nodded in grateful understanding.

  “Just like I did for him,” she mumbled, more to herself than to Justin. He nodded.

  “Absolutely.
He came to Mexico and visited Victor, but you were kept locked away the entire time. Unfortunately, Leo had begun using drugs to help him deal with your loss, something he deeply regrets now, but he played it up for Victor’s benefit. He perfected the role of the depressed junkie in order to gain Victor’s trust again, and they rekindled their relationship nicely. Leo then put the entire birthday party together, praying he would bring you with him, and lo and behold, he took the bait.”

  “Leo came to visit?” Cassie was shocked Victor had somehow kept it from her, but then again she knew she shouldn’t be surprised. All those days she’d spent locked up in that room, he could’ve been doing anything, and she would’ve never known. One lengthy period of isolation came straight to mind. “Let me guess, was it right after we were married?” she asked, remembering those few days when her promised freedom was withheld, and Victor was absent for most of it.

  “You’re right. Leo said he had no contact with you, but Victor showed him the photographs of your wedding, among other things,” Justin replied, but didn’t let on what he meant.

  Cassie felt terrible. It must’ve been so hard on Leo, and she hated the spiteful way she had spoken about him earlier at his home. She wanted to take back every vengeful word she’d said, and every spiteful thought she’d had about her patient savior. Leo had evidently been playing his own role all along.

  She should’ve guessed it, but Cassie also knew her mind was not in the right place. Thanks to her overbearing husband, she probably would’ve never seen or felt anything he didn’t want her to. She truly had been under his control, but vowed to herself she would break away from all of that now.

  She and Justin spoke for hours, going over Cassie’s version of events from the night of Jonah’s beating, and her captivity between then and the night of Leo’s party. She told him honestly that she had stabbed Victor, not withholding a single detail.