by Rebel Hart
“I will slaughter you all. Do you hear me!?”
“It’s a nice little hope, isn’t it? Thinking you can defend some girl who squeezes your cock nice like that. But really, Max. What are you going to do in your current predicament? I mean, even if you could get out of this place, what kind of condition are you in to go after her?”
I fell back into the chair as sweat dripped down my brow. Every cut and every wound it dripped over only added to my pain. I heard the men snarling. Chuckling. Practically drooling for another slice of me. And as I closed my eyes, I wracked my brain as to how the fuck I was going to get myself out of this situation.
So I could get to Dani.
“She should’ve never gotten that tattoo, Max. Such a mistake on her part. And yours. If she’d stayed away we wouldn’t have had to drag her into this. Why did you drag her into this, anyway?”
I shook my head. “You’ll never find her.”
He snickered. “What makes you think we already haven’t?”
Fucking hell, I wanted to cry. “I’m sure the guys already have her safe somewhere. You’ll have to tear through all of them before you get to her.”
“Max, you’re so stupid.”
My eyes flew up to him as he walked toward me.
“We were going to take all of your men out, anyway,” he said.
I lunged at him, baring my teeth. He didn’t move quickly enough and I sank my mouth against his cheek. I bit down deep and felt his blood in my mouth. The rabid animal finally came loose and I felt the men pulling me back.
“Get him off! Get him off me!”
Benji’s shrieks were music to my ears.
“Off, off, get him off, you stupid fuckers!”
The men finally yanked me back and the sound of ripping skin followed me. I watched Benji grab his cheek as blood dripped into his hand. One of the men gripped my cheeks. The other pried my mouth open. And when I had my chance, I spat the piece of Benji’s cheek at him before I grinned.
With that bastard’s blood dripping down my chin.
“I’m off,” I said with a chuckle.
Benji growled. “That’s it. No loose ends. You hear me? They’re all dead, including that stupid cock-hugger of yours. By the time I’m done with all of this, every single one of you will be in a casket. But not before I fuck her first. Just to see what the fuck has you so goddamn addicted!”
I chuckled. “Well, you know what they say about family bonds.”
He paused. “What’s that?”
I snapped the rope around my wrists. “They can be broken in a second.”
I stood to my feet as Benji’s eyes widened. The straining and the distractions were enough to loosen them. I felt my feet wiggling free as the men came at me. I wrapped my hands around the back of their heads, knocking them together. Benji stumbled back in fear. I reached down and untied my ankles as the men in black struggled to get up from the ground. Their gold fucking rings wouldn't help them this time around.
Not with the fury already balling up my fists.
I leapt away from the chair and made my move. Benji ducked down like the wimpy little pussy he’d always been and I came down with my fist against the nape of his neck. He fell to the ground, his cheek still bleeding. And as the men scrambled from the floor, I kicked him in the stomach.
“Is this what you wanted!? Huh!?”
I kicked him again, feeling his ribs cracking with every connection.
“You tell me where the fuck Dani is now, you piece of shit. Tell me!”
I went to go kick him again, but felt someone grab my jacket. I twisted around, slipping my arms out of it before wrapping it around the man’s head. I stepped down onto the back of Benji’s head as I tumbled backwards, cutting off the man’s ability to breathe. And as my cousin coughed up his own blood, I choked the man out until he lay there lifeless.
“I’m ready for round two, assholes.”
The other man in black came at me and I quickly stood up. All the pain in my body faded away with the adrenaline spike as I beat him to a bloody pulp. I got him within fist range and I unloaded. All of my anger. All of my fury. All of my fears. I landed punch after punch to the man’s face as it cracked and shattered beneath my knuckles.
“Is. This. What. You. Wanted!?”
I tossed the unconscious man to the ground before I turned back to Benji. He stumbled to his feet, the gaping hole in his cheek making me smile. I made my way for him. He scrambled back toward the wall. Nowhere to go for this scared little animal. Nowhere for him to run.
My nostrils flared. “I told you that you were smart.”
“Max, don’t. Don’t do this. You don’t know what’s coming.”
I fisted his shirt. “But I never told you that you were strong.”
“Max, please!”
I mocked him. “Max, please. Wow. Very cute, Benji. Now, tell me. Where the fuck is my girl?”
“I-I-I--I don’t--”
I slammed him against the wall, watching as his head bounced against the cement.
“Where the fuck is Dani!?”
I punched him across his face before I stood him upright again.
“For every second that passes by, that’s another part of your body that doesn’t work. Tell me where she is.”
He sputtered. “I--she’s--”
I kneed him in his gut. “Tell me. Now.”
He gasped. “I’m trying. I just--”
I headbutted him, crushing his nose. “Tell me!”
“Your father! She’s with your father! He’s going after her, damn it. Stop! My damn nose is in my brain, holy fuck!”
I shoved him against the wall one last time. I took a step back, watching as he crumpled to the ground. Someone groaned behind me, but I didn’t give a shit as to who it was. What I needed to do was get the hell out of here.
I need a car.
I dipped down to Benji’s trembling body, curled up into a ball. I chuckled as I searched his pockets before I finally found them. Keys. They had to be to a vehicle around here somewhere. And as I turned toward the door, I saw one of the guys trying to get up.
“Don’t even,” I said.
I walked over to him and drew my foot back. I sent it hurling against his face, hearing him gurgle before he passed out again. With the keys in my hand and a goal in mind, I stormed through the door and navigated the dark hallways of the warehouse. Finally pouring out a side exit to go in search of the vehicle.
I needed to get to Dani. I needed to go get her. I needed to get her somewhere safe before I eliminated my father for good. Because if my father got to her first, he would do something worse than kill her. He’d torture her. He’d rape her. Damn it, he might even ship her off somewhere. I knew the kinds of things my father had his hands in. He could make anyone take their own life if he dangled the right thing in front of them. I clicked the alarm button for the car. I saw the lights and heard the horn through the woods that surrounded the warehouse and took off, ignoring the pain in my head as I lunged for the car.
I wasn’t going to let anything happen to Dani.
Even if I had to kill my own father myself.
35
Dani
What in the world were you thinking!?
My mother’s voice chastised me as I raced down the road. I skidded around corners and sat anxiously at red lights, debating on whether or not to run them. It was dark. The night sky taunted me every time the lights turned green. And once they did, I raced off into the darkness as it rushed by me.
What the hell is wrong with you? Where’s your sense?
My father’s voice made me wince. I had no idea what in the world he’d say to me once we spoke, but it wouldn’t be good. It never was. My father would condemn him. He’d tell me I was no longer allowed to see Max. Hell, he’d probably pull me out of school and refuse to pay for my education if I didn’t do as he asked. It wouldn't work, though. My father would eventually get a very stern piece of my mind. Just like Hannah had.
I forbid you to see him. Do you hear me?
“No one can forbid me to do anything,” I murmured.
I gripped the steering wheel as the bar came into view. I pressed down onto the gas, shoving my parents’ voices out of my head. I didn’t want to focus on how my father would berate me. How my mother would probably start crying. How they’d both ask me what in the world I was thinking and what kind of person I had turned into. I forgot about it all. I let it all slip away as my tires skidded into the parking lot. It took all the focus I had to keep control of my SUV as I careened into the handicap spaces.
“Max!” I exclaimed.
I shoved my car door open and turned off the engine. I gripped my keys and made sure I had my phone on me before I leapt out of the car. I had to find him. At the very least, I had to find Rupert. And if he was gathering up the guys, this is where they’d be.
“Max!”
I slammed my car door behind me and my keys dropped from my hand. I grumbled to myself as I picked them up, trying to figure out where I’d go next. This place practically looked deserted. For a biker bar, it was empty of bikes. Hell, it didn’t even look like anyone was here.
Was anyone here?
“Rupert? John? Max!?”
I stood up and caught my reflection in the mirror. My worried, sweating, haggard reflection. I shoved my keys into my pocket and drew in a few deep breaths. I wasn't going to find Max in the disheveled condition I was in.
I had to be calm so I could think straight.
Check the bar. Check around back. Head to his house.
I’d break into the damn place if it meant finding something I needed.
Suddenly, a shadow cloaked me. A figure appeared behind me in the reflection of the window and I drew in a deep breath. I let out a scream before the man grabbed me. He pulled me away from my car, causing my feet to stumble over themselves.
“Help!” I roared.
The man clamped his hand over my mouth. “You won’t need help where you’re going.”
My arms flailed. “Let me go.”
My words were muffled as I breathed raggedly through my nose.
“Not another sound,” he whispered into my ear. “You’re coming with me without a fight, or he dies.”
I froze. This person was talking about Max. His grip grew tighter and I stopped struggling. I fought the urge to keep screaming. I felt the man’s free hand running down my side and I trembled with fear. I felt his hand slip into my pocket and I grimaced at the way his touch felt. He plucked my keys out of my pocket and dangled them in front of me. With a chuckle, they disappeared. And I prayed that he didn’t do the same thing with my phone.
“Now, come on. In you go.”
He dragged me over to a car before stuffing me into the back seat. I tumbled in headfirst, barely catching myself before I fell to the floorboards. The door slammed behind me as I tried to get my bearings. And the next thing I knew, the car was peeling away from the bar.
I clamored up just enough to watch my pearl white SUV fade away into the night.
I didn’t have my purse. Which meant I had no money. I didn’t have my keys. Or my driver’s license. My only hope was my phone, and there was nowhere to hide in this stupid compact car so I could use it. I sat down onto the seat, facing the man as he drove with black leather gloves on his hands. He was covered from head to toe in black. Even his hair was sleek black. In the darkness, he had on sunglasses. In the soft, cool temperatures of the fall weather, he dressed as if we were in the Arctic. Every inch of him was covered in something.
I have to get out of here.
I looked over at the door handles, but my eyes widened. What the fuck? The insides of the doors didn’t have handles. I scooted over to the door, looking around for the lock. I started pressing buttons, but the driver started chuckling.
“Good luck,” he said.
I searched around for something. Anything. A weapon. A secret handle. A crowbar. A fucking bobby pin, for crying out loud. Anything to help get me out of this mobile prison. I shoved my shoulder into the door. Then I did it again. And again. Hoping and praying that my sheer force of will would send the thing opening.
The man reached back and fisted my hair.
“Ah!”
He hissed. “Sit still, or you’re dead before we get back. Got it?”
I nodded quickly. “Got it.”
“Good.”
He shoved me down against the seat and I stayed there. I didn’t dare look up. I don’t know how long I rode in that car, or where the hell he was taking me. But when I heard the creaking of metal against metal, I peeked up.
Only to see us driving through a wrought-iron gate.
The smell of apples was almost overwhelming. The perfectly-groomed trees that lined the manicured lot lined a driveway as it led us up a hill. The mansion at the top made my jaw drop open. There wasn’t a mark on the perfectly-poured driveway. The house practically sparkled in the moonlight as it sat there in all its immaculate glory. Everything had a place. Everything had a purpose. Even with the gaudiness of it all, it still felt put-together.
This wasn’t the house of a disorganized kidnapper.
My door opening from the outside ripped me from my trance. The man inside reached for my hair again, but I moved backward. I scooted all the way to the other side of the seat, hoping that I might be able to get the other door open. If I could get out of the--
“Ah!”
He grabbed my ankles. “Come here, you little bitch.”
I tried to kick my way out, but I was no match for the man’s grip. He pulled me out onto the ground, my back hitting the pavement with a crash. Then he fisted my hair, yanked me up off the ground, and dragged me up the porch. He tossed me into the house as I stumbled over my feet, trying to get my bearings. A massive door closed, making me jump. My eyes darted around as I tried to find my assailant. My kidnapper. The man who meant to do me harm tonight.
My eyes were drawn to the expanse around me.
The black and white marble floors shone by the dim light of the crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The walls were painted a dark color, but the crown molding was a bright, impeccable white. It looked hand-carved. Incredibly ornate. Much too decadent for a machine to have replicated. I slowly turned around. The massive staircase leading up to the second floor was a masterpiece in and of itself. The winding cherry mahogany. The sparkling overlay of the banister. The subtle--
“Come with me.”
The man grabbed my hair again. “Shit.”
I stumbled after him, trying not to fight too much. Because something told me this man would have no issues killing me at the drop of a hat. He led me through the mansion and out a back door. And when we stepped off his back porch, the scene unfolding in front of me struck me with absolute terror.
There was a crystal clear pool surrounded by concrete. And on the edge of the pool was a lone chair with its back turned towards the water.
And leather ties sitting off to the side.
“No,” I said.
I tried to backtrack as the man pushed me toward the chair.
“No, no, no, no. No! I said, no!”
As much as I tried to get away, the man only held me tighter. He picked me up, slinging me over his shoulder and walking me over to the chair. I kicked. I beat him against the back. I did everything I could to get out of his grasp. The freshly-mowed lawn was the last thing I’d smell. The impeccable concrete sculptures that surrounded this dumbass pool would be the last thing I ever saw. How long could I hold my breath? Would it be possible for me to get myself out? Maybe I had something sharp on me. Something that could cut through the--
“And down we go,” the man said.
I grunted. “Fuck.”
The man sat on top of me as he bound my wrists to the chair. Then he got up and wrestled with my legs as he tied them to the chair as well. The leather cut into my skin. I already felt my hands going numb as my ankles began to swell. I struggled against the b
onds, anyway. I couldn't go out like this. There was no way in hell that was happening.
“If you keep struggling, they’ll only get tighter.”
The smooth voice caught my ear and I whipped my head up. I was ashamed of the frightened tears streaking down my cheeks. The man that had taken me from the parking lot went to stand off to the side with his hands clutched behind his back and his gun shining in the moonlight for my viewing pleasure. My eyes panned over to the man in the dark suit. The only thing with any color on him was his blood red tie.
And his dark green eyes.
He’s got Max’s eyes.
The man sighed. “Danika Young.”
He stood before me with his hands clasped in front of him like some disapproving parent. I couldn't read the expression on his face. But that was mostly because I couldn’t look away from his eyes.
It can’t be.
He tsked. “I must say, I expected more from my son. Especially when it came to his choice in… women.”
I blinked. “Your son?”
He grinned. “Yes. My son. I’m sure you know him. Max?”
Realization slammed into my gut, almost knocking the wind out of me.
Holy shit. The man who had orchestrated my kidnapping was Max’s father.
36
Max
I skidded into a gas station as dirt and dust kicked up behind me. It was the first place I’d seen that was open since I left the warehouse behind. I pushed the car door open and barreled inside, storming through the front doors. The bell above me dinged. People turned to look at me as if I were growing a third head. A couple of the women gasped. A man clutched what looked to be his daughter close to him. They all moved toward the back of the gas station, and it took me a second to remember why.
Because you look like you’ve got one foot in the grave, asshole.
“Sir?”
I turned my head toward the cashier.
“Phone. Now.”