Hayley nodded. ‘I love you.’ As the door closed behind her, Hayley shouted, ‘Please don’t hurt her.’
Quilla choked back a sob, not wanting to give Gregor any satisfaction. It was a relief when she saw both of Gregor’s goons exit and leave Hayley alone. She had seen the one named Paul looking lasciviously at the young woman, and she would die before she let Hayley be assaulted. Gregor led her to a private room, a dining room by the look of it and pushed her into a chair, releasing her hands. He grabbed her head, forcing her to look at him. ‘Christ, you get more beautiful,’ he said roughly and kissed her. Quilla gagged and whipped her head away from him, and he laughed.
‘Still so feisty. And overdressed.’ He yanked her already torn dress open, running a leisurely hand over her breasts, her belly. Quilla squeezed her legs together, but he merely chuckled, gripping her thighs and prizing them apart.
Then he walked away, and she sighed in relief. ‘Quilla, Quilla, Quilla…’ he said, and she gritted her teeth. He pulled a chair up to hers and sat down, studying her. She met his gaze defiantly.
He nodded. ‘Yeah, I can see why Mallory married you, keeps you up that gilded cage. You’re exquisite.’
Quilla’s eyes narrowed. ‘And that’s all I am to you, isn’t it? So-called ‘beauty’ and nothing else. Nothing that can’t be cut down with your knife. Maybe that’s your problem, Gregor, not seeing people for who they really are. What gives you the right to take what you want? I’m a human being, not your property, not Jakob’s property, or anyone else’s.’
‘That’s where you’re wrong; I do see you. I want to know you, Quilla.’
She laughed mirthlessly. ‘Before you kill me? Did you want to know me when you stuck a knife in my gut?’
Gregor smiled. ‘That wasn’t meant to kill you, Quilla, just send a message.’
‘You sent plenty of messages, remember? I have to give you credit for your imagination, Gregor, you certainly thought up some pretty horrific ways to kill me.’
He chuckled. ‘Would you believe me if I said I was rethinking that idea?’
Quilla was shocked. ‘Then why are we here? Why did you take me? Hayley?’
‘Your pretty little friend was just in the wrong place at the wrong time.’
‘Then, please,’ she softened her tone, ‘Let her go. Just drop her and make an anonymous call, just please, let her go.’
Gregor leaned back in his chair, his eyes roaming all over her body, obviously enjoying her torment. ‘Well, let me think about it. I’ll tell you what, lovely Quilla, I’ll make you a deal.’
God, she wasn’t going to like this, was she? Quilla swallowed. ‘What deal?’
He edged closer, cupping her breasts, stroking his thumbs across her bra-covered nipples. ‘A week. A week in which, Quilla, you will be everything to me that you are to Jakob Mallory. In every way. At the end of the week, if I’m satisfied, I’ll let the blonde go.’ He cupped her face in his hands, forcing her to look at him. ‘If I’m not satisfied, I’ll let Paul have her before I kill her. And you, sweet Quilla, will wish you’d never been born.’
His eyes were cold, dark, and almost black with malevolence. Quilla couldn’t help the gasp of fear that escaped her. He smiled at that.
‘Beautiful sound, I wonder, will you gasp like that when I’m inside you?’
Kill me now, she thought, please, just end this. But she couldn’t say the words, couldn’t let Hayley suffer because she was afraid. So, she tried to smile. ‘We’ll see, won’t we?’
God, no, no Jakob, I’m so sorry - but if fucking Gregor Fisk helped keep Hayley – and maybe even herself – then she would be a god damned porn star for him.
Gregor allowed her to go back to the room now, and Hayley hugged her, crying. ‘I thought he was going to kill you,’ she sobbed, ‘I had my ear to the door in case you screamed, I was going to try to kick it down, oh god, oh god…’
Quilla tightened her arms around her young friend. ‘It’s okay, baby, I’m all good, I promise. Look, sit down with me for a minute, my legs are shaking.’
Calming down, Hayley did as she asked, but pulled her sweatshirt off and tugged it around Quilla. ‘I hate seeing you like that – not that you haven’t got a great body – but knowing he wants you on show…it makes me sick.’
God if you only knew….Quilla thanked her. ‘At this point, though, I’m past caring. Listen, we may have a way out of here…I just have to keep that psycho happy for a week. I don’t want to give you false hope, but I think he means what he says, so…’
Hayley narrowed her eyes at Quilla. ‘What do you mean ‘keep him happy?’’
Quilla had to look away from her gaze. ‘Don’t worry about it.’
Hayley’s eyes filled with tears. ‘Oh no,’ she said in a whisper, ‘Oh no, Quilla, don’t. Please.’
‘I don’t have any choice if I want to keep you alive.’ Quilla’s voice broke. ‘Please, don’t make it harder than it already is.’
Hayley’s tears poured down her cheeks. ‘Why do I want to blame Jakob for this? If he hadn’t fired Gregor, none of this would be happening.’
Quilla touched her cheek, smiling. ‘But then Nan wouldn’t have met Joel, and you couldn’t have met Skandar…Grady and Flori, Kit and Bo.’
Hayley choked out ‘And Kit wouldn’t be dead.’
Quilla shuddered. ‘We can’t change what’s happened, Hayley, we have to focus on the future.’
Hayley wrapped her arms around her friend. ‘I don’t want you to…screw…him.’
‘It’s just sex. I have to make it convincing; it might be the only way to get you out of here.’
Hayley stopped. ‘You mean us.’
‘What?’
‘You said ‘get you out of here.' You meant both us, right?’
Quilla nodded. ‘Of course.’
But they both knew she was lying.
Carter James, running on two hours sleep in the recreation lounge, scarfed down a power bar and chugged two cups of lukewarm overly strong coffee. ‘Jesus,’ he winced at the bitter taste.
‘You could always make some more, you know. It’s not out of your skill set,’ Ali Bell clapped him on the back. She looked as wrecked as he did. He smiled at her. The day Ali became his partner, he’d found both a loyal, smart, kickass partner and a best friend. Seven years later, and their record in investigating high-profile kidnappings and murders was exemplary. Personally, they had a flirty relationship – Ali had a mouth like a sailor and a wicked sense of humor – but they’d also silently agreed – no peeing in the company pool. It had served them well, through two divorces in three years for Carter and a broken arm from when Ali had taken down a perp three times her size.
‘Anything?’ Ali sat down opposite him, flicking a packet of sweetener. Carter shook his head. ‘The Mallory’s and their team have done a pretty thorough job, nice to have unlimited resources. The trouble is, all those resources are at Fisk’s fingertips too.’
‘Be honest, you think we’ll find those two girls alive?’
Carter looked at her. ‘I’d like to think so. The younger girl, Hayley, at least. But Mallory’s wife? Fisk is obsessed with her.’ He sat thinking for a while. ‘Mallory says she’s a smart girl, grad student. I wonder if she’s thinking of her options.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘She knows Fisk is obsessed with her – maybe she can play him.’
Ali winced. ‘God.’ She had immediately guessed what he meant. ‘That poor girl.’
‘Yeah.’
Ali sighed. ‘Look, we’re trying to find out everything we can on Fisk. Since he went off grid, when Mallory fired him, he’s left no trail. It’s almost as if he’d been planning to go native. A couple of years ago, there were seven hundred million dollars in his current account. That’s just his current account. Factor in investments, on and off-shore, Jesus, that’s more money than we can imagine. Then, just over a year ago, his US investments were cashed out. His account was cleared out. Carter, this guy’s
got his money stuffed in a mattress somewhere. Maybe we should check out Walmart’s around the country for anyone who’s been buying shit like the Rapture’s coming.’ She grinned but Carter sat up.
‘That’s not a bad idea…’
‘Oh come on, I was kidding.’
‘No, think about it, if you’re right, that would be some lead to follow. So far we got nada. Any theory at this point is worth investigating.’
Ali still looked skeptical but nodded. ‘Well, okay, I’ll go set up a search of big wholesalers…still seems a bit easy to me.’
Carter grinned, a big cheesy smile at her. ‘You never heard of Occam’s Razor?’
Ali gave him a death stare. ‘Graduated Suma from Harvard, top of my class and you think I don’t? The simplest answer is usually the right one.’
Charlie chuckled. ‘Which reminds me, I need to talk to his professors at Harvard – you got a contact?’
Jakob couldn’t bear to go home. Not without Quilla, not knowing if she was dead or alive or in horrible torment. I love you so much, baby, please hang on for me…I’ll find you, I swear. He booked into a hotel a few blocks from the FBI field office and called Miles to have some of his clothes brought to his room.
His assistant, Miles, answered on the first ring. ‘Hey, cutie.’
‘Hey, Miles, can you – did you just call me ‘cutie’?’ Jakob was bemused.
Miles laughed. ‘I did. Do you know why?’
Jakob gave a quick laugh. ‘No idea…’
‘Quilla. She bet me I wouldn’t call you cutie when you least expected it. So now, she owes me money. That’s how I know she’ll be okay; she owes me money. Plus, that’s the girl who everyone loves, who everyone pulls for, fights for. That girl doesn’t get dead. I know it in my bones.’
Jakob didn’t know whether to laugh or cry but he was tremendously moved. ‘Miles, remind after this is all over to give you a huge raise in pay. Damn, man; that’s the first time I’ve felt better in hours. Thank you.’
‘My pleasure. Now, what can I do for you?’
At five-thirty, Paul came to their room. He threw a plastic bag at Quilla. ‘Boss, says have a shower, put that on. Dinner’s in a half hour. You,’ he leered at Hayley, ‘you can take off whatever you want.’
‘Fuck you,’ Hayley shot back, and Paul laughed.
‘I wish. Maybe once the boss had had his share, I’ll be allowed to show you a good time.’
Quilla stepped in front of Hayley. ‘Get out. Tell Gregor; I’ll be ready.’
Paul sneered at her but left the room. ‘Cocksucker,’ hissed Hayley, then looked at the bag in Quilla’s hands. ‘Let’s see.’
Quilla took a deep breath in, stuck her hand in the bag and drew out a handful of white cotton. A dress. Both Quilla and Hayley let out a sigh of relief.
‘I so thought that was going to be some sort of S&M gear,’ Hayley said, taking the dress from Quilla and shaking it out.
‘Me too, and thank god, it isn’t.’ Quilla smiled suddenly, ‘It would have ruined it for life for Jakob and me.’
‘You don’t?’
‘Of course, we do. Don’t you and Skandar indulge?’
Hayley looked both shocked and amused. ‘No.’
‘Not yet,’ teased Quilla. ‘Ask me for tips.’
Hayley shook her head. ‘How can you laugh at a time like this?’
Quilla suddenly looked tearful. ‘Because it’s the only thing I can do, Hays. Please, distract me from what I have to do tonight.’
Hayley threw her arms around her. ‘You are the bravest person I’ve ever known,’ she whispered, her voice cracking.
But Quilla didn’t feel brave; she felt desperate and a half hour later, as Paul led her at gunpoint to Gregor’s dining room. The host himself was waiting, resplendent in a tux, with his collar open, his tie undone. Quilla supposed he thought he looked irresistible - he was anything but that. Her flesh is crawling, she waited until Paul left the room before sitting down at the chair Gregor pulled out for her. His fingertips drifted across her bare shoulders, and she shivered.
‘This doesn’t have to be unpleasant, Quilla,’ he said, bending to kiss her cheek. If she didn’t know that this man in front of her was a killer – was planning to kill her – she would swear that he was genuine. His eyes were soft, his touch gentle. He sat down next to her, took her hand. ‘You look incredible, darling, and so lovely.’
She forced herself to smile. ‘The dress is beautiful, thank you.’
He touched her cheek. ‘You’re welcome.’
They had dinner, but Quilla’s throat was closing up, and she barely touched her food. She dug her nails into her palms, trying not to cry. I can’t do this; I can’t do this…
‘Quilla.’ Gregor took her hand and pulled her to her feet. ‘Aren’t you hungry?’
She shook her head, and he smiled. ‘Good. Me neither. Come with me.’
He took her hand and led her into another room…his bedroom. Quilla froze. Gregor had copied Jakob’s bedroom from the apartment. Her bedroom. Gregor was watching her carefully.
‘I thought it might relax you,’ he said, but his eyes belied his soothing tone. Bastard.
Quilla felt his hand slide down her back, and the zipper on the dress being drawn down. God, this is it. Turn off your feelings; that’s the key.
Gregor’s lips were at her ear. ‘Convince me, Quilla, remember this is the difference between a bullet in the head for your blonde friend or not…make it real.’
He drew the dress from her shoulders and let it fall to the floor, walking around her. He touched the scar on her belly from his knife. ‘I’m sorry about that. I didn’t know what a work of art you were; I would never have sullied you.’
She wanted to scream. This was unbearable. She decided to get it over and done with. She grabbed his lapels and tugged his jacket off. Gregor laughed, casting his tie aside – in case you try to throttle me with it – and she unbuttoned his shirt. His body, while impressive, left her cold, but when he swept her up onto the bed, she began to tremble. His kiss was gentle.
‘This will be much more pleasurable if you relax, Quilla.’
He was already hard; she could feel his cock through his pants, ramrod against her thigh. He got up and stripped the rest of his clothes off, then slid her panties down. A tear rolled down her cheek, and he kissed it away. She didn’t want to look at him, but her eyes slid to his cock as he slipped a condom on. This is really happening, she thought and started to panic. She tried to sit up, covering her breasts, her sex with her hands but Gregor, much stronger pulled her hands away and pinned them to the bed. His eyes burned into hers as he lay on top of her.
‘Put your legs around my waist, Quilla.’
She complied, her thighs weak and trembled and when he entered her, she was so dry she cried out. Gregor smiled, beginning to thrust.
‘Christ, Quilla, no wonder Jakob Mallory’s like a dog on heat…so sweet….’ He rammed himself deeper into her, and she gave a sob. ‘Make it real, Quilla,’ he warned, ‘Or I’ll kill you both tonight. Slowly.’
Afterward, he dressed quickly, throwing her dress at her. ‘Get dressed. Tomorrow night, you had better learn to act real quick, Quilla. Your body is incredible but next time, I want you engaged. I don’t want to fuck a corpse.’
‘You made me a corpse,’ she whispered, but he didn’t hear her. She had never felt as low as she did at this moment. Right now, she wanted him to take his knife to her, to use her as target practice, to make sure she was dead, dead, dead, so she didn’t have to feel this pain. She had betrayed Jakob. Even if by the smallest chance they made it out of here alive, nothing would be the same again.
Gregor called Paul and, not looking at her again, told him to take her back to her room.
Hayley was curled up on the mattress, but as soon as she saw the look on Quilla’s face, she scrambled to her feet and caught Quilla as she finally collapsed into her arms and began to sob.
Gregor was gazing at the laptop whe
n Paul came back. He glanced at what his boss was watching and snickered. ‘You sending that to Mallory?’
Gregor frowned. ‘No. Not this one. She back in the room?’
‘Yeah.’
Gregor considered. ‘Give them some more blankets, some of that bottled water, some chocolate. Maybe a couple of those paperbacks we found.’
Paul’s eyebrows shot up. ‘Going soft?’
Gregor gave a snort. ‘Paul, one day you’ll learn, you get more bees with honey. There’s no harm in them thinking we’re treating them well. They’ll be more receptive.’
‘You mean she will be more receptive.’
Gregor went back to the video he was watching, the video of him fucking Jakob Mallory’s wife. ‘Quite. Maybe if she warms up, we’ll get the video we need to send to Mallory. The one where she looks like she’s enjoying it.’
He grinned up at Paul. ‘Won’t just break his little heart?’
Carter handed Jakob a cup of coffee. ‘Skandar’s on his way? Good.’ Jakob filled Carter in on the lack of progress his family’s detectives had made.
Carter reciprocated by telling him his – what Ali had taken to calling it – The Survivalist Guide to Kidnapping theory. Jakob was surprisingly receptive. ‘At this point, I’ll take anything,’ he said when Carter expressed his surprise. ‘I’ve learned in business that it’s best to keep an open-mind. Anything come of it?’
‘Maybe. A couple of Walmart’s in the greater Seattle area report large stocks of goods being bought by the same men for the last month or so. Could be nothing, we’re getting the security tapes. Would you take a look, see if you recognize anyone?’
‘Definitely.’ Jakob suddenly felt his spirits lift. Something palpable he could do, at last.
‘How’s Skandar?’
Jakob shook his head. ‘Beyond terrified. It doesn’t help that the press are all over him, all the time. He’s going to lose it if they corner him.’
‘You got someone with him?’
‘Joel and Nan, and we’ve hired in some more people, security, and press liaisons. Shit, Carter, I’d say this was an unbelievable situation, but the more I think about it, I should have seen this coming, should have protected her better.’
Mallory Page 27