by Nicola Jane
“You won’t get another chance to do that,” I growl. “I’m trying my goddamn best to do right by you, but bitch, you make it damn near impossible. We’re gonna shower now.”
I pull her towards the en-suite while she tugs to try and free herself. I turn the shower on and the bathroom begins to fill with steam. Kicking and screaming, I haul her over my shoulder and stand under the spray of water. It soaks into my clothes and my shirt sticks to me.
“Okay,” she cries angrily. “I’ll shower myself.” I lower her to her feet, and she runs her hands over my wet shirt. “You wanna stay?” she whispers. “Remember the times we showered together? Any chance you got to have me wet, you’d take it.”
“Stop,” I mutter.
“I bet we conceived Ziggy in the shower.” She smiles, beginning to pop the buttons on my shirt. “I’ll do whatever you want if you give me one last hit.” It’s like a bucket of ice is thrown over me. I still her hands, then step out of the shower and grab a towel. “Oh, come on, Riggs,” she groans.
“Get showered,” I mutter, slamming the bathroom door closed behind me.
Chapter Nineteen
Anna
I place the bowl of cereal in front of Malia, all the while keeping an eye on the door. Reggie just received a call and he’s in the hallway yelling into his cell about cops. “Daddy sounds cross,” says Malia warily. I stroke my hand over her wild bed hair and smile softly. I don’t bother to find words of comfort because from the sound of Reggie yelling, I can’t deny that he’s cross.
I move closer to the door to listen. “You shouldn’t listen in, he might catch you,” says Crystal as she enters the room.
“Any idea what’s wrong?” I ask, and she shakes her head. “No intel from your boss?” I add, and she stops and turns to me. “It’s okay, Reggie doesn’t know you’re undercover.” She snatches my wrist and drags me out the back door and into the garden. “Hey,” I hiss, pulling my wrist away and rubbing it. Gone is the weak and wounded victim she’s been playing these last few days, and in her place stands a stony-faced, angry woman.
“How the fuck do you know?” she hisses.
“Does it matter? Reggie doesn’t know. It’s not common knowledge.”
“Of course, it matters, if my cover gets blown. How many people know?” she snaps.
I shrug. “Maybe I can help you,” I suggest, and she rolls her eyes.
“Well, he’s hardly confessing all to you, is he?” I snap. “I have a towel with his DNA on it. He ordered a kill on a guy called Marshall.”
“And you watched that, did you?” she asks sarcastically.
“Well, no,” I stammer. “Not exactly. He beat him though, I saw that part, and then ordered the kill as we left.”
“So he told someone to kill Marshall? He used those words?” she asks sceptically.
“Again, no,” I say, and she laughs, shaking her head like she thinks I’m pathetic. “He said to finish him off.”
“That means fuck all. It could mean wank him for all the judge will care. Finishing someone off means all kinds of things and Reggie isn’t stupid. He’ll say anything to get off a murder charge, and unless he slit the guy’s throat at your feet, we have nothing.”
“I went to a warehouse with him. There were drugs there, loads of drugs, and women packing them up.”
“The warehouse has been hit by police already. You’re too late with that information.”
“What about what he’s been doing to you?” I ask tentatively. “Can’t he get into trouble for rape or something?”
She glares at me like I’ve just killed her puppy. “No one can know about any of that. If my boss knows how deep undercover I’ve gone, he’ll pull me from the case,” she snaps.
“Oh,” I mutter.
“Tell me you haven’t told anyone that,” she growls. I shake my head innocently and swallow hard. I’m pretty sure Riggs won’t tell anyone what I said anyway.
She takes a deep breath and releases it slowly. “Look, if he gets arrested for the warehouse, then maybe we could use you as a witness to place him there, but I doubt it will be enough. Reggie is clever, so he will have a way to disassociate himself with the warehouse. We need more. We need much more.”
“What about the videos on his phone of the girls he’s forcing into prostituting themselves for his drugs?” I ask.
“Who’s to say they’re his drugs? Who’s to say they’re being forced? It won’t stand up in a court of law. His lawyer will say he’s within his rights to visit a whorehouse. Damn, the judge probably goes there with him.”
Reggie marches out into the garden, and without thinking, I slap Crystal across the face. “How fucking dare you,” I scream.
She grabs my hair and I’m grateful it’s not hard, just like my slap wasn’t. “Shit,” hisses Reggie before he pulls us apart. “I don’t have time for this drama today. I have a biker to bring down.” He takes my hand and pulls me inside. Malia is with her nanny and I smile to reassure her that I’m okay.
In the office, there are two large men. I eye them cautiously. Reggie puts his cell on a stand on his desk and it rings.
Riggs’ face fills the screen when he answers the video call. “Reggie, I hear you’re out of luck,” he says casually. “First the club, then the warehouse. Who knows what will happen next. Maybe your shipment that’s due today will come under attack.”
Reggie laughs, but it’s low and menacing. “Nothing will happen to that shipment, Riggs. Not unless you want to watch Anna suffer,” he growls.
“What?” I ask quietly, trying to keep the panic from my voice. The two men move towards me, each gripping an arm. I struggle, but they’re so much bigger and taller that I don’t stand a chance. They move me into view of the camera.
“You can pretend that you feel nothing.” Reggie smiles. “But I’m about to test that theory.” He punches me hard in the stomach and I almost fall to the ground, but I’m hauled to stand straight again and one of the men rips my head back by my hair. Reggie stands behind me and holds a knife to my throat. “A slip of the hand could get very messy,” he says grinning.
“Fuck you, Reggie,” yells Riggs. I feel the blade nick the sensitive skin on my throat and I cry out. “You wouldn’t hurt her!” Riggs shouts.
“Undress down to your underwear,” whispers Reggie in my ear. I shake my head and a stray tear rolls down my cheek. He presses the blade harder and I hiss. “You know how much seeing blood turns me on.” He holds the knife up for me to see the red-coated tip. “Now, undress.”
I undress slowly. Eventually, Reggie gets pissed with me and orders the two men to remove my clothing. I stand before him in my underwear, knowing my body is covered in bruises, bite marks, and small cuts. Reggie moves the camera closer to give Riggs a better view. “You think I wouldn’t hurt her when making her bleed is what I live for?” He smirks. “I will fuck her just for you and I’ll cut deep enough to let her bleed out. You can have live footage as she takes her last breath.”
“You piece of shit,” yells Riggs angrily. “I’ll slit your damn throat if you lay another fucking finger on her.”
“And there you were saying you didn’t have feelings for my wife.” Reggie smiles again. The camera on Riggs’ end goes wobbly and then Chains’ face is there.
He smiles. “Hey, Anna, Reggie. Good to see you all. Sorry to cut it short, but we have some containers to unload at the docks. I trust that you have trucks waiting to take the loads?” he asks brightly.
“Finally, a man who talks sense,” hisses Reggie.
“Sense is something I have a lot of. We’ll be seeing you soon, Reggie.” Chains winks and then the screen cuts out.
“Put her in the basement. If anything happens to those containers, your boyfriend will be very sorry,” he warns me. “And so will you.”
It’s been hours. How long does it take to unload a shipment? I shiver. I’m still in my underwear and it’s not exactly homely down here in the basement. The door opens and Crystal ent
ers carrying a tray. “I got you some sandwiches. Reggie went out, but he’s put extra security around this place.” She also places a shirt and some shorts on the floor. “And I thought you might want some clothes, so . . . ” I smile and get dressed quickly.
“Is Malia okay?” I ask. She nods her head. “There’s a cell phone hidden under some clothes in Malia’s wardrobe. The only number stored in it is for Riggs. Maybe he can come now and get us?”
“Without my evidence, there’s no point. Besides, there’s a full army of men upstairs. He’ll be killed as soon as he steps foot near this building. And do you want to risk Malia being hurt?”
I shake my head sadly. “What if . . . ” I sigh. “What if we let him hurt me? He told Riggs he’d hurt me if the shipment didn’t get unloaded. He said he’d film it for Riggs. Would that be enough?”
“We’re not putting you in danger. Besides, rape, battery, is it long enough to keep him inside? We want him for everything. He’s doing so much bad shit that I don’t want him to breathe the same air as me or anyone else in this city.”
“What if I kill him?” I ask.
Crystal’s eyes widen. “Are you fucking serious? You want to plan a murder with a cop?”
“You said it yourself, you don’t want to breathe the same air as him. His world’s falling around him, and we both know whatever he’s arrested for, he’ll be out in weeks. Nothing sticks to him. The only way to get rid of him is to kill him.”
Crystal backs away. “You’ve lost your damn mind if you think I will have any part of that. Stop your talking and eat a sandwich. I’ll find something on him that he can’t wriggle out of.”
“What if he does hurt me? Am I supposed to let it happen?” I ask. “Can’t you at least get me something for protection?”
“You want me to give you a weapon now? Jesus, Anna. Listen to yourself.” She slams the door closed and I hear the lock.
Half an hour later, Crystal returns. “I’ve come to collect your plate,” she says. I look down at the untouched sandwich. “And Malia said you love cheese and crackers, so I got you a plate just in case you feel hungry later.” I frown. I hate cheese. “Be careful though,” she adds, laying the tray on the floor by my feet. “That cheese knife is really sharp.”
I smile. The knife is at least six inches long and extremely sharp. “It’s the only one I could find in the drawer,” she says, picking up my old plate of food.
“Thanks. I’ll save the cheese and crackers for later.”
She nods her head and winks at me. “Also, check under the crackers,” she adds before leaving.
Once the door is locked, I lift the crackers to find the small cell that Riggs gave me. I breathe a sigh of relief, turn it on, and call Riggs.
“Shit, Anna. I’m worried sick about you,” he growls when he answers.
“Finn, do you ever regret meeting me?” I ask.
He chuckles. “Why’d ya ask me that?”
“All I’ve done is cause you grief. If I hadn’t come into The Windsor that night, all of this could have been avoided.”
“That’s ridiculous. You coming to the bar that night with your sassy attitude was one of the best nights of my life. From the second you walked outta that place, I couldn’t get my mind off you.”
I smile to myself. “Same.”
“Where are you now?”
“In the basement. Awaiting my punishment. I think he’s lost his mind.”
“You didn’t tell me he was hurting you like that,” he mumbles.
“What could you do? I thought coming back here would make it all stop. I thought he’d give you Ziggy and Michelle and you could go on with your life. I’m so naive when it comes to your worlds.”
“You’re innocent. There’s nothing wrong with that. If I wanted a hard ass biker chick, then I’d take someone like Pinky,” he says and I laugh.
“Pinky would kick your ass into shape,” I say fondly. “Listen, if Reggie hurts me, if it all goes wrong, you have to help Eva get Malia for me. You can’t let him raise her,” I say seriously.
“Shit, Anna, it won’t come to that. The police are tailing his trucks. They’ll arrest him.”
“No, they won’t.” I sigh. “Be realistic, Riggs. There’s videos on his phone of girls being hurt and taking drugs, but Crystal said that’s not enough. The blood-soaked towel isn’t enough. Marshall being beaten isn’t enough. They’ll never get anything to stick to him that will keep him inside. He’s gonna come home and hurt me. You have to prepare yourself and Eva for that.” I take the knife and slip it in the waistband of my shorts.
“No!” he growls. “I’ll call the mayor now and tell them he’s got you in the basement. That’s enough to get you out of there.”
“And then what? I got a court order before and he broke it. He’ll always come after me or Malia and I can’t spend the rest of my life running. I just need you to promise me that you’ll get Malia away from him.” He doesn’t reply. “Finn, please.”
“Fine,” he mutters. “I promise. But it won’t come to that. Somehow, I’ll get you out of there.”
I hear Reggie’s voice outside the basement door. “I have to go. He’s back,” I whisper.
“No, don’t hang up. Hide the cell,” he whispers. “I can track it.”
I glance around in a panic and then stuff the cell into my bra just in time as Reggie storms in. “Get up!” he yells, and I stand. “Your fucking boyfriend thinks I’m bluffing,” he shouts, grabbing my arm roughly. He drags me out of the room and through the house. “And now I have the cops on my ass.”
Outside, Crystal is holding Malia by Reggie’s car. “Get her in,” he growls.
“Where are we going?” I ask. Reggie opens the front passenger door and shoves me inside. Crystal fastens Malia into her car seat, then Reggie pulls Crystal towards him.
“Remember, when they come here, you tell them you know nothing. As far as you’re aware, we’re on a family day out.” She nods her head and he kisses her roughly.
Reggie wheel spins out onto the road and speeds along. “Reggie, where are we going?” I repeat. “Slow down, Malia’s in the car.”
“Your boyfriend tipped off the cops. They stopped my trucks and they’ll be looking for me soon.”
“So you’re on the run?”
“We’re gonna lay low for a while.” He moves in and out of traffic and I grip my seat. “I have someone on the way to bomb your little boyfriend’s den,” he adds and glances at me with a smirk. “One hour and he’ll be dust.”
“There’re kids there, and women. They’re all innocent in this.”
“Nobody’s innocent, Anna. They live there knowing that crime pays for their lifestyle and they make that choice to stay. You see me as the bad guy, but what he’s doing is the exact same, only he has the mayor backing him. He isn’t a nice guy just because he smiles and looks after his kid all by himself,” he says bitterly. “He sells drugs that get kids hooked. He’s responsible for the deaths of addicts too.”
“Please slow down,” I whisper.
“And he wants everything. Do you think he’ll be the same nice guy when he controls the streets on my side too? It’s a big job, Anna. He’ll have whores at his fingertips. He’ll soon forget about you.”
“Why are you running from the police? You always get out of things. There’s no way you’ll go to prison,” I say.
“Because, Anna, I have a trunk with enough drugs in it to make London look like a snowy Christmas scene . . . and a dead body.”
I whip my head to face him so fast that I hurt my neck. “A dead body?” I hiss. “Who the hell is in the trunk?”
“It’s a very long story, but let’s just say the mayor thinks his daughter has ran away with her boyfriend. Parental differences caused an argument.”
“Oh my god, you have the Mayor of London’s daughter in the fucking trunk of this car?” I almost scream. “Why?”
“It was a last-minute thing,” he says through gritted teeth. “I wasn’t
thinking straight, and she ran out in front of my car.”
“You ran her over?” I ask.
“Not exactly, but I saw an opportunity.” He smacks the steering wheel a couple of times. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” He’s unravelling. I’ve never seen Reggie in this state before.
Malia begins to cry, and I reach my hand behind the seat to stroke her leg. “You’re scaring Malia,” I hiss. “How did she end up dead?”
“She wouldn’t stop screaming and kicking the trunk. Everyone was looking as I drove past, so I strangled her.”
I bury my head in my hands. “Oh my god. What are you going to do with her now?”
“I’ve got somebody meeting me at the service station on the motorway.” He checks his watch. “Five more minutes and she won’t be my problem.”
“Where’s Stephan? I thought he was your right-hand man, but I haven’t seen him around in a while,” I ask.
His knuckles turn white as he grips the steering wheel tighter. “He left months ago. Took a shit tonne of money and ran. Said I was getting too crazy, even for him.” He laughs maniacally.
I sit back in my seat and hope to god that Riggs heard all of that.
We drive around to the farthest point at the rest stop, away from the services building. There’s one truck parked there with the curtains closed. Reggie gets out of the car and taps on the truck window. “If you can hear me, Riggs, then I hope to god you have the cops on their way to us. The truck is white. The registration plate looks private, it’s CAL007.”
I watch the truck driver get out of the truck and shake hands with Reggie. They go to the truck of the car and I use the mirrors to watch them get the girl out. She only looks around eighteen and I cover my mouth to keep the sob in. I glance in the back and Malia is asleep. Thank god.