Kim moves her hand from her mouth, her brows scrunching together as her gaze bats between all three of us standing on the raised platform. I see the exact moment everything clicks and watch as she starts to stand, but the thought of what they’d do to her has my head shaking in warning.
She stops and I see the question in her eyes, so I take a breath and unlock it all. Letting it all come to the front, I show her it all silently. The pain and destruction they’ve caused, all while begging her to not put herself in danger.
I feel my pulse racing as I keep my gaze connected to hers. Only a few minutes ago I’d lost all hope, but right now I know I’m not alone.
“I hope you’ll all be here Tuesday to watch as they join together in front of the good Lord.”
My stomach gurgles and I cover my mouth with my hand. It takes more effort than it should because of my tired muscles.
“I think I should get her home,” Jonah says as he watches me.
I look up at him as I realize once I’m out of this church and back in that basement, he can do whatever he wants to me with nothing and nobody to stop him.
My reaction is too late though because when I finally get my mouth to work and my head to turn, I’m at the back of the church with only two sets of eyes on me—my dad and Kim.
I stare at Kim hoping she’ll help, but when she doesn’t do anything and looks down, I accept my fate, knowing there’s nothing that can stop this from happening.
LUKE
I sit on the other side of Dex—the same place I’ve been for days now. He doesn’t talk much but that suits me just fine. I’m a firm believer in only saying something when it’s absolutely necessary.
Several times he’s gone into the back with someone, but not once have I been asked to follow, so when Dex turns around and tilts his head to the door, I know this is it. This is when I’ll find out exactly what’s happening back there.
He stands and I follow, my stomach flip-flopping with adrenaline as he pushes open the door and steps into a small hallway before he walks toward another door and opens it.
We both step into a large room that’s filled to the brim with wooden crates, stamps adorning the sides. My gaze zones in on them, and as soon as I see what they say, I know they’re firearms.
I mentally check through all the information Charlie gave me, and so far all the intel is true. Almost too true.
“I need you to be my front man,” Dex tells me.
“Got it.” I nod before pulling my gun out of my waistband and holding it loosely in my hand at my side. I never show where I hide my weapons, so him only seeing this one gives the illusion he knows more about me than he really does. It’s all a trick though. A front I learned to put on not only when I’m undercover but also every day since I was sixteen. I can’t let anyone know what I’m thinking or what I’m feeling. It’s dangerous. Not only for them, but me too.
I’ve only shown a slither of who I really am to one person, and just thinking about her has a smile wanting to break out on my face. She’s doing better than I ever thought she would. Each time I go to the house and see her, the blue in her eyes is a little brighter. She’s more alive than ever.
“Anything said in this room stays in this room. Yeah?”
I internally shake the thoughts from my mind, concentrating on the task at hand. “Yeah.”
“Good.”
He turns around so he’s facing the door and waits until three knocks reverberate around us. A beat later a couple of guys appear. I try to keep my face neutral when I recognize one even though my hands itch to shoot him and blow this whole operation to pieces. I know better than that though.
“James,” Dex greets and I frown as my mind works overtime. James looks over at me but there’s no recognition there, either that or his poker face is in place.
They start talking about what weapons he needs, saying “Boss” several times as I try to work out just what the hell is happening here. He is the boss—or at least that’s what we thought. My instincts tell me there’s way more to this than we know, and when they shake hands I realize the meeting is over and I missed crucial information. Fuck.
I should have soaked up every fuckin’ word but instead I was trying to figure out why the hell he was calling him James instead of Darrell.
Narrowing my eyes, I watch as James hands over a bag. His jerky movements and slumped shoulders scream out he’s not who we thought he was. Was it all a front? Is the real Darrell out there?
Fuck! After months of research and intel, we still have no idea who Darrell is.
Dex looks inside the bag before turning around and handing it over to me. Discreetly looking, I see some bills inside. It’s a transaction. That’s what I missed. He’s just sold him all the guns in these crates. There has to be hundreds in here. We knew Darrell dealt in all sorts, but guns are a first for him.
I cringe when I think about them on the streets available to anyone who has the cash.
Dex moves beside me and whispers, “We stay until they’ve taken them and then head back to the bar for a drink. Then we all leave. Me first, then you.”
“’Kay.”
We don’t move as we watch them take the crates out the other entrance to the room and load them onto a truck. I’ve never seen a team of three guys work so quick, and within minutes James and Dex are shaking hands.
I keep my cool and follow after Dex as he walks back into the bar and orders us both drinks.
Dex finishes his drink quickly before he pats me on the shoulder and leaves, but I stay put, my mind elsewhere. I’m trying to piece it all together, but the fact is I need the team. The whole team. This is a bigger shitstorm than we all thought.
I slam back the whiskey and head out of the bar. I keep my body calm as I walk back to the motel as if it’s just any other day, not letting anything show until I’m back inside my room and pulling my burner cell out to call Ty.
“Yeah.”
“Boss.”
“About time you called…” There’s some shuffling over the line before I hear his muffled voice say, “It’s my mom.” I wait several beats until he tells me, “Talk.”
“I’m in but there’s more to it.”
“Expand.”
“Darrell turned up but Dex called him James… either he’s not who we thought he was, or he’s using an alias.” I scrub my hand down my face. “My money’s on the former. He was talking about a boss and what he wanted—”
“He’s a fuckin’ front man.”
“Yep.”
My other cell starts chiming but I silence it when I see my mom’s name. I have too much going on right now. Our case has just been blown out of the fuckin’ water and it needs all of my attention.
“We’re gonna have to bring the guys—”
“Yeah, about that…” I trail off, half worried on what I’m about to say but knowing it has to happen. “We only need to bring Evan in on it for now.”
I hear his breath over the line before he says, “Yeah, I was thinking the same. Can you get back to the compound today?”
Looking around the room, I narrow my eyes, as if it’ll have all my answers. I need to go and see Lily tonight. It’s been over a week and I’ve got to make sure she’s safe. But maybe I could check on her tomorrow? “I’ll try.”
“Good. Throw the cell away.”
“I know.”
I end the call, but as soon as I do, my other cell starts up again.
“Mom, I ain’t got time—”
“Lily,” she gasps. “They’ve got Lily.”
I stand up, the hair on my arms on end and my muscles tense. “What? I only spoke to her…” When did I last speak to her? Fuck! “Where?”
“They had her in church, she looked…” She hiccups a sob. “She looked broken, Luke. Completely shattered.”
I’m grabbing my keys and running out the door before I know it. I don’t waste time before I’m jumping in my SUV and starting the engine. “I’ll be at your house in ten.”
I promised her I’d keep her safe and now she’s in the hands of that man… wait, she said “they.” Who the fuck are they?
I hit my brakes when I make it into my mom’s driveway and as soon as I turn the engine off the front door opens.
I push out of the car before demanding, “What happened?” I don’t have time to comfort her. Lily is in danger and I need to get to her.
“I was in church,” she starts as I walk toward her and inside the house. She closes the door behind me as I start to pace the living room. “And he said he found Lily and then Jonah brought her in.” Tears stream down her face. “Oh God, Luke, she looked like… she looked like her mom did the last time I saw her. Utterly broken.”
Slamming my fist into the wall, I don’t feel an ounce of the pain. The raging bull inside is getting ready to charge.
“They’re doing something to her, something I can’t even imagine. I tried to follow her, to see where he took her, but all I could see is them walking toward her house.”
My chest rises and falls on deep breaths as I close my eyes briefly and come up with a plan.
“I’ll get her back, Mom.” Trying to silently tell her it’ll be okay, I place my hand on her shoulder before giving it a squeeze. Inside I’m second-guessing myself—something I haven’t done in a long time.
“There’s something else,” she says as I walk past her and about to open the door. “Her dad said she’s marrying Jonah on her birthday.”
My hands clench so hard I’m afraid I’ll break my own bones as I growl out, “Over my dead fuckin’ body.” Yanking the door open, I step outside and slam it behind me before getting back into my SUV.
LILY
I’m numb. Amazingly numb. I guess that’s what happens when you switch yourself off, not letting anything or anyone worm its way inside your consciousness. I watch out of blurry eyes as Jonah stands up and zips up his jeans with a smile on his face. The same smile he used to give me when he caught my eye in the hallway at school. Was that really only a few months ago?
Dad sits off to the side, his legs wide on the stool and his face a perfect mask. I can’t tell what he’s thinking—I don’t want to know what’s going through his mind right now.
I shiver as a slight wind comes through the crack in the badly fitted window. My legs are uncovered, only the t-shirt I was wearing when my dad took me covering part of my body.
The concrete floor scrapes against the back of my legs as I shuffle back with my arms wrapped around myself. It’s a false sense of security though because nothing will stop them from taking what they want.
The sun went down long ago and when the darkness surrounded us, they seemed to become crueler with both their actions and words. Blood drips over my skin from being whipped, my eye is closed shut, and I’m sure something in my jaw is broken because I can barely move it.
“Please,” I mumble before wincing from the pain. “No more.”
Jonah’s eyes flash at my plea, causing his grin to become wider as he steps forward, his boots smacking off the floor.
“I’ll say when we’re finished,” he growls out. “I decide—”
“No.” Dad stands up before slowly walking toward us, his gaze not leaving me. “I still decide until you marry her.” He crosses his arms over his chest when he halts a couple of feet in front of me. “You have thirty minutes,” he tells me.
“What?” Jonah spins around and even I can hear his raging breaths as they come sharp and fast. “She doesn’t get a break!”
Dad stares at him and I can’t help backing away from him with the look in his eyes. Even though it’s not for me, I still recoil at it.
“You’ll do well to remember our agreement, Jonah,” Dad says, his voice low.
Jonah’s hands clench at his sides as he stands at his full height. “Yeah. I remember good and well, Brendan,” he spits. “I’ve been watching her and reporting back to you for a year now!” My eyes widen as he steps toward Dad. “I did all your dirty work, now I want my reward!”
Dad shakes his head, calm exuding every part of him. “Patience, Jonah. You need to learn patience.” His gaze flicks to me before he tilts his head toward the stairs. “Let’s talk about this upstairs. There’s more you need to learn than how to keep a woman in line.”
They both stare at each other, neither one moving an inch. I expect more of a fight from Jonah, but after a beat he nods and walks toward the stairs, my dad following him.
I listen as the stairs creak with each of their footsteps, and when the door closes behind them and the click of the lock reverberates through the basement I can finally take a breath.
I have no idea how long they’ve both been down here with me. All I know is the sun went down way too many hours ago and I wish for it to come back up as soon as possible. At least in the daylight I can make everything out a little more and give myself a false sense of security.
Every part of me aches, and when I look down at my legs and lift my t-shirt to stare at the burn marks mixed in with the bruises and broken skin from their lashings, I’m not sure how much more of this I can take.
Will people really believe nothing is going on when I turn up at the church in a couple of days with fresh bruises on my face? Will they even notice? I close my eyes as I berate myself. Of course they won’t. They’ll believe the lies they’re fed without questioning what is right in front of them. I’ve been sitting in that church for years with bruises covering my skin and not one person has stood up and asked what was going on.
Rattling behind me has my head whipping to the side. A groan slips free from the pain it causes but I keep my gaze trained on the window. It’s silent for several seconds and just when I think I imagined it, I hear it again. Metal scraping on wood, banging… what—
The wooden frame of the window pops out, the glass still intact as the whole thing is removed. I try to stand, using the wall as support but I’m too weak.
“Lily?” a voice whispers.
No. It can’t be—it’s a dream. A figment of my imagination. Luke can’t be here. He can’t be in this basement ready to risk everything to help me again. I close my eyes and let my head tilt back as I imagine his face—his ice-blue eyes, his small smile when I say something he finds funny, the way his hands reach out for me when he doesn’t even realize it.
“Can you stand?” My eyes whip open before my hand moves to my chest when I see him standing in front of me wearing all black.
“L-uke?” I stutter, my voice rough and scratchy. “What are you doing?”
“I told you, darlin’.” He crouches down before his arms come around my back and under my legs. “I’d protect you.”
“But…” My gaze searches the room and finally lands on the door that connects the basement to the house. “They’re up there.”
“I know,” he growls out, not saying another word as he stands up and moves toward the window. “You’re gonna have to summon up some strength, angel.” He halts before looking down at me with a clenched jaw. “I need you to get through the window.”
I nod, knowing it’s now or never. If I don’t push through the agony now, I’ll never be able to escape them.
He lifts me as far as he can, practically pushing me through the window, but I suck in a deep breath at the last moment and propel myself forward and out. Using the side of the house, I push myself into a standing position.
Luke leaps through the window after me and doesn’t waste any time before he picks me back up. He holds me tight as he runs toward the back of the church and I burrow into him, glad to be in his arms.
So many questions come to the front of my mind: Is he really here? Where was he the last few days? Why is he saving me—again? But all that comes out of my mouth is, “Thank you.”
He grunts in answer before lights flash and then he’s opening up a door and placing me in his SUV.
His hands cup both sides of my face. “Where’s the hiding place?” I frown, wondering why he’s asking me that right now. Does he not understand we need to get away and escape the evil that surrounds this place? Before I manage to get anything out, he continues, “I’m gonna fix this, darlin’, but I need to know where your I.D. is.”
“I erm… I…” My gaze flicks back toward the house, only I can’t see it now. His palm strokes my cheek and it brings me back to the here and now, my attention fully on him. “Closet in my room. I carved out a section on the left.” I blow out a breath. “The bag is in there.”
He nods before pulling back and the loss of his hands on my skin has my soul calling out for him, but instead of saying anything, I stare at him.
“Stay here. I’m locking the doors.” He hands me a cell. “I’ll be five minutes. Anything happens, you call this number.” He clicks on a name called Evan. “You tell him this.” He stares at me, making sure I’m focused on him. “Alert four-nine. Location.”
“What does that—”
“Alert four-nine. Location. Got it?”
“Yeah, but—”
“Then call nine-one-one.”
“Okay,” I whisper as he moves another step back.
“I’ll be back.”
He closes the door and locks the car before running back the way he just came. What is he doing? He can’t go back there!
I try the handle but it won’t open, no matter how much I keep trying to push it. I have to go with him, he doesn’t understand what they’re like—what they’ll do.
Adrenaline pumps through my veins the more I try to escape the confines of the car. I slap my palms off the windows and try to shout his name even though it only comes out as a croak.
“Lily?!” My eyes widen at the sound of Jonah’s voice.
Hide. I need to hide. My muscles scream at me as I push down and try my hardest to get into the small footwell space.
I hold my breath when the gravel crunching underfoot gets louder and closer.
Catching Teardrops (MAC Security Series Book 5) Page 20