by Brit Vosper
She nodded and shook the long, champagne coloured hair from her face as she stood. “Yes, Sir.”
I expected her to be nervous after saying that, but she appeared calm. Fastening the leather collar to the short chain, I moved her hair aside and placed it around her neck.
“Sir, may I ask you a question?”
“Go ahead.”
Her lips pouted, and she held my eyes. “Will he be like you?”
I swallowed as I glanced away. “I don’t know, Lucy.”
A soft smile curled her petite mouth. “I think so.”
A pang of guilt caught in my chest. I hoped he was, too. At least, someone who would treat her with respect. “Come on, we have to go.” I led her out of the cell and towards the door.
“Sir, may I ask why you didn’t bring Olivia back down last night?”
I laughed at her uncharacteristic brashness as I turned to face her. She had a mischievous glint in her big, blue eyes. I knew this girl was a lot smarter—and bolder—than she led people to believe. “Olivia stayed with me last night.”
Her soft smile rose to a grin. “I could tell you liked her.”
I smiled back and stroked her hair. Then pulled the bolt and opened the door. I heard Olivia’s panicked cries as I started up the cellar stairs. I dropped her chain and commanded over my shoulder. “Lucy, stay here.”
Running up the stairs and into the kitchen, I could hear her calls clear.
“Aaron, run!”
As I went through into the hallway, Olivia stood on the stairs, wrapped in a sheet, shaking her head wildly with panic widened eyes. “What?”
“My father. He’s here. Go!”
With a loud bang and the crack of splintering wood. The front door burst open. The sudden influx of light was soon obscured by a horde of brutish looking men.
“Olivia, hide!”
I stood my ground. It was a fight I wouldn’t win, but I could at least hold them off from Olivia and get a few blows in for my trouble.
As the first came at me, I swung and landed a punch square on his nose. He staggered back clutching at it as blood emerged from between his fingers.
Another pushed past him in the tight hallway and made a grab for me. I dodged back into the kitchen, caught his arm, and yanked it around the door frame. The crack echoed around the hall as his arm snapped back at the elbow. His pained cry quickly replaced it.
The rest hesitated while they pulled back the fallen men and gave me a chance to scan the kitchen for a weapon. Nothing at hand, but there were knives in the drawer.
I stepped back past the table and saw Lucy peering from the cellar stairs. “Lucy. Back door, now.”
She shook her head in panic.
“Go! Now!”
Scrambling up the stairs on all fours, she straightened around the corner and fumbled with the lock. One man started into the kitchen, and I stepped forward to give Lucy the chance to escape. He swung at me with his right, I blocked and hit him in the stomach. He bent forward with the impact and I grabbed his head, bringing it down onto my knee.
As the guy fell to the floor, the lock clicked behind me and the door opened. The cool air rushed in just as two more guys came into the kitchen. Dropping back to the sink, I opened the drawer and pulled out the long carving knife.
“Come on, lads. You call this a fight? I’ve had more of a challenge from one of my girls.” The two approached from either side of the table. Another appeared from the hallway, and one came through the back door.
Fuck, spoke too soon. “That’s more like it.”
The guy at my right came at me first, I dodged his wild grab and elbowed him in the face. He staggered away and the left guy came tumbling in. I moved the knife to my left hand and swung at him with the right. He saw it coming and caught my arm. Another grabbed me from behind and tried to get me in a choke hold. Plunging the knife into his thigh, I waited for his hold to slip then pulled the guy on my arm forward and kicked him in the bollocks. It didn’t take long for him to let go.
A hard blow landed at the base of my skull and the pain had me reeling. My vision blurred as I staggered forward. A kick at the back of my leg sent me to my knees, and I was pulled into another choke. I clawed at the guys arm, but it was no use. They had me.
One of them stepped in front with a roll of duct tape and bound my wrists.
“He’s a fucker this one,” the guy behind said.
The guy in front laughed. “Yeah, don’t worry. We’ll get our own back later.”
He tore the tape, sealed it down and smiled. Then punched me across the jaw. The pain vibrated across my skull and throbbed.
His grin widened displaying all his yellow, crooked teeth. “Looking forward to that.”
“We’ve got him, boss,” the guy behind shouted. Then he grabbed my arms and dragged me out of the kitchen.
We passed the guy I stabbed in the leg, huddled against the cupboard trying to stem the flow of blood. Tears laced his eyes as he glared at me. I couldn’t help but smile at him as I was pulled through into the hallway. There were guys everywhere. Some nursing injuries, others were busy searching the house. One kicked open the door to the dungeon.
“Jesus Christ, get a load of this shit. Sick fuck.”
They hoisted me into the living room and dropped me to the floor. Olivia was by the window holding the sheet across her. A guy stood guard at her side holding her hair, smirking to himself. Enjoying the duty he’d been given. I made a note of his face then looked back at Olivia. Tears stained her eyes, but she was trying to stay strong. She mouthed Lucy silently. I gestured my head to the back of the house and nodded.
The guy grabbed my hair and pulled me up to my knees. “When the boss is in the room, you look at him.”
Gian sat in my armchair, one hand resting his head, and the other held my bottle of scotch on his knee. His fingers tapped against the glass. His glare was cold and unrelenting. I couldn’t see the resemblance to Olivia, but it was him. Thankfully, she must have gotten her mother’s good looks.
Milena was her father’s daughter though. His face was thin and severe, dark eyebrows contrasted with his swept back grey hair, and his sharp eyes pierced right through me.
I wasn’t sure if that was the hatred, or he always looked so evil.
“Leave him. Go get a glass.” He leant towards me and rested his elbows on his knees, the bottle held forward. “It’s quite a scotch this, one of my favourites. Do you mind?”
I glared at him. “Help yourself.”
He huffed. “Like you helped yourself to my daughter?”
I smiled. “Yes. It’d only be fair. Share and share alike.”
His scowl deepened, he didn’t like the defiance. I was starting to see why Olivia developed her rebellious nature. The guy returned and handed a glass to Gian. He poured himself a small shot, then took in its scent while swirling the glass. It reminded me of what Olivia did last night. I looked over at her, concern riddled her face as she chewed her lip and watched her father.
Her eyes widened, and she screamed. “No!”
A hard crack came down on the side of my head, and pain raged across my face to the sound of broken glass. He’d hit me with the bottle.
It knocked me to the floor and left me dazed as the pain teetered me on the edge of unconsciousness. My cheek stung with the alcohol and pulled my focus back to the moment. My vision blurred as I opened my eyes, but I saw a white shape in front of me. I blinked to clear the haze.
I heard her before I could see her. She was struggling. He had her in front of me. I blinked again and raised back up to my knees. My sight cleared enough to see him holding her down by her head, her back exposed. I went to lunge for him, but the big guy behind caught me before I’d moved.
“You want to look at her?” Gian’s voice was flat and even. “Then look at what you’ve done. What right do you think you have to touch my daughter? To mark her like this?”
“More right than you.”
Olivia’s muffled c
ry came up from the floor. “No.”
He laughed. “How did you work that one out?”
“Simple. She asked me to.”
He lifted her up by her hair and she scrambled against the sheet trying to keep herself covered.
“Is this true?”
She drew in a contemptuous breath and blew the mattered hair from her face. “Yes.”
He let go of her and shook his head. Then backhanded her across the cheek. She fell back with the force.
I yanked my head from the guy’s grip and lunged for Gian again. The guy scrambled for me and pulled me back by my arms. Another came to help him restrain me. Gian hardly looked up before turning his attention back to Olivia.
“Are you this feeble minded, girl? So fucking desperate for attention you’re asking to be hurt now? You never fucking learn.”
He walked over and crouched by her head. Then squeezed her jaw in his hand as he pulled her up to him.
“I’d have thought after last time you’d have wised up a little, but no. You’re just like your mother. More trouble than you’re worth. I should get rid of you, too.”
She struggled her face from his hand and spat at him. I almost laughed as he wiped it from his face until I realised what he’d do next. I fought against the guys at my arms, but they were ready for it. There was no way I could shake them off. I still tried.
“You filthy fucking bitch. You’ve no respect.”
He slapped her hard enough to make her yelp. Then again on the other side of her face.
“Grow up, girl. I will not stand this bullshit forever.”
He turned to the guys struggling to hold me.
“And for fuck’s sake, will you restrain this cunt properly?”
Gian walked back over to the chair and picked up the glass from the table before sitting down like nothing had happened. Olivia sat up and nursed her cheeks with her hand. I wanted to hold her. To get her far away from him, but all I could do was play along and try not to get her involved.
“Use this,” A voice said from over my shoulder.
Then the familiar sound of a chain and collar. I closed my eyes as they placed it around my neck and fixed it at the back. The metal pulled against my trachea as they held the chain taut.
“Now. Can we get down to some business?” Gian leant forward in his chair and circled the scotch in the glass. “Aaron, isn’t it?”
I nodded.
“Where’s Marcus?”
“Don’t you know?”
He smiled. “I know what he wants me to know, but I want to know what you know.”
“I don’t know anything.”
“You’ve been friends with him for many years. You’re telling me in all that time he’s never told you anything.”
“Nope.”
“Wrong answer.”
He nodded at a guy behind. I was dragged up to my feet as he stepped in front of me, smiling. He wasn’t as tall as I was, but he was a big guy. This would hurt.
His punch landed across my jaw. Then the rest rained across my face in quick succession. My jaw rattled and ached with the blows and the cut on my cheek stung like it was reopened. The worst came when he hit me on the nose. The crack was loud, and the pain exploded behind my eyes as the pressure threatened to push them from the sockets.
“Enough.”
The guy stopped and stood aside, cracking his knuckles. I could feel the swelling already building on my eye and tasted the blood that poured from my nose. Raising my hands to wipe my mouth, I touched the gash on my cheek. It was wide and deep. The scar would be considerable. If I survived long enough for it to heal.
“I’ll ask you again. Where’s Marcus?”
I spat the blood to the floor in front of him. “I don’t know.”
He narrowed his, cold grey eyes. “I will get it out of you, Aaron. Once I find your weakness.”
He stood and picked up the broken bottleneck from the floor as he approached me. Then pressed it into the side of my throat.
“Where’s Marcus?”
“Not a clue.”
He sighed and raised the bottle to the gash on my cheek, pressing the glass into the cut and setting my nerves screaming in pain. I winced and moved my head, but he followed and pushed deeper. It felt as though it would cut right through.
“Where’s Marcus?”
I answered through gritted teeth. “I don’t know.”
He huffed and removed the bottle. His thin, wiry lips pressed together as he studied me. Then stood back as a smile formed on his face. He reached for Olivia, pulled her to her feet and held his arm around her neck.
“You don’t fight for yourself, but you fight for her. Do you have a crush on my girl?”
Olivia’s eyes were wide, but there was no panic in them. She held herself together even under threat by her own father. Her gaze fixed on mine and never looked away.
“Let’s find out.” Gian grazed the glass across her cheek.
My resolve frayed as my stomach dropped. There was no doubt in my mind he’d do it.
“Why don’t we give her a cut to match yours? Wouldn’t that be sweet?” He pressed the glass into her skin and she winced as the point broke through. A bead of red formed from underneath.
I chewed my lip and looked away. Could I let him hurt her to save Marcus?
“What’s the matter? Don’t you like seeing her in pain?” He pushed harder and she let out a soft whimper.
It was enough to break me. “He uses the house in Clapham.”
“What’s the address?”
“I don’t know the address, just the house. I can point it out on a map.”
“Good enough for now.” He pulled the glass from her face, threw it to the floor and pushed her aside. Then addressed the guy at the window. “Take her to find clothes. She can’t travel with me like that. Try the bedroom first, no doubt they’ll be there.”
The guy grabbed her arm, but she yanked it away from him. “I can walk better without your groping, thanks.” She collected the sheet around her and stole a look at me as she passed.
I couldn’t help but feel like I’d brought all this on her.
“Phone?” Gian was looking at me expectantly.
I sighed and handed it to him.
“Passcode?”
“4276.”
He browsed through as he paced in front of me. “Interesting.” He held up the screen open on the clone of Olivia’s phone. “How did you instal the tracker?”
“Milena arranged a meeting with Marcus and brought Olivia along.”
“Milena did? Why?”
“She was trying to replace your Manchester shipment.”
“And I’m guessing Marcus arranged that?”
I nodded.
“That little fucker, it wasn’t Darryl.”
“Who the fuck is Darryl?”
He looked back up at me and narrowed his eyes. “The guy Olivia killed for stealing the shipment.”
I closed my eyes and shook my head. That explained a lot.
Gian’s thin lips curved into a sinister smile. “Look how helpful you can be without all this threatening.”
I grimaced. “I’m guessing Lawrence told you where to find me.”
He laughed. “No. He only confirmed she was here. A little advice, if you’re going to take my daughter, don’t do it in front of CCTV. Especially, not in your own car registered to this address.”
“You have guys working there?”
His smug smile widened. “I have guys everywhere.”
It was my fault. I brought them here regardless of Lawrence’s treachery. It had to come back to bite me on the arse.
Gian looked around, then at the guy behind. “Speaking of which, where is Lawrence?”
“Out looking for the girl that ran,” he answered.
“Well, get him back. We’re leaving.”
Twenty-One
Olivia
We pulled through the gates and up the gravel drive to my father’s large, imposing hou
se. Even in the midday sun, its dark, leaded windows made it seem cold and uninviting. It was a homecoming that was more akin to a punishment than a welcome. Although, it was a lesser trial than being locked in a car with my father.
The drive to Richmond had been long and painful. I’d had to listen to him belittle me the entire way. He blamed me for compromising his business. Told me how stupid I was to be taken. How pathetic I was for letting a guy like that near me. As if I hadn’t heard it all before. All I could think about was what those bastard thugs were doing to Aaron, or what they would do to him when they got him back to the warehouse.
As the car stopped, I opened the door and marched towards the house. Desperate to get away from my father.
He shouted after me as he climbed out. “Olivia, don’t fuck off. I need to speak to you.”
I didn’t break my stride as I called back. “What have you been doing for the past two hours?”
He slammed the car door, hard. Pissed off wouldn’t begin to describe his mood. “Don’t start. I’ve had enough of your goddamn attitude for one day. This involves your sister, too.”
I groaned as I realised Milena was home. “Fucking wonderful. Just the thing I needed to brighten my life.”
I climbed the stairs and opened the heavy front door as fast as I could manage. If he caught up to me, I’d no doubt acquire another slap for my smart mouth. Milena hovered in the hall as I walked through. Her arms crossed and a smug smile plastered on her face.
I huffed. “Do you hang around behind doors waiting to be annoying?”
Her smile grew. “Welcome home.”
“This isn’t my fucking home.”
“And here I was thinking you’d be pleased to be free.”
“Freedom is relative. Especially in this house.” I marched past her and climbed the marble staircase. I’d reached five stairs up before my father halted my escape.
“Olivia. Are you trying to wind me up? Get back here.”
I stopped, turned on the stairs and scowled. “Can I take a piss? It was a long drive.”
“There’s a bathroom downstairs.”
I resigned myself to the fact I wouldn’t get away without another fight. He stood and watched me until I reached the bottom. Then threw his keys on the sideboard as he strolled towards the living room.