"He's right," Sin agrees. "But my face wasn't plastered all over the news. I'm going with you. I'll hang back, but I don't want you going in alone, and let's face it, as competent as Ford and Shane are, they don't have the skill set in case this goes sideways."
Teddy grabs his keys. "We better move then, she's only getting closer to the club every minute we sit here."
Tired of standing on the sidelines, I do what I can to help. "Everyone pack, just in case. We need to be ready to abandon the gym again."
I can see the argument all the guys are ready to make. "Don't ask me where we'll go. That debate never seems to have an answer. No, we can't live out of a motel, but we can hide out in one if we have to leave in a hurry."
Lucien shakes his head and takes his phone out of his pocket. "I'll call Holbrook and let him know what's going on. Maybe he can at least find us a safe house."
"Has anyone seen Amber and Jen?" Ford asks.
"They weren't in any of the camera footage," Shane replies, looking through the video again.
"They didn't leave with them," Ford points out. "They've got to be here."
Together we move toward the back where Jess was being kept. Anywhere else and they would have shown up on the cameras in the rest of the building.
"There aren't any cameras in the bathroom where Jess was. I saw both Amber and Jen go in, but no one came out," Shane says before we reach the door.
Inside the small, unfinished bathroom both women are unconscious on the floor. A bruise is forming on the side of Amber's head, but more worrisome is the pool of blood under Jen.
"Oh God! No, no, no!" Shane shouts.
Lucien gently pushes Shane back and moves around him. Amber's chest rises and falls, so she's not the most immediate concern. Jen is so still.
Despite the emotionless façade he puts on, even Lucien isn't immune to fear. His fingers shake as he searches for a pulse. It seems to take forever, but it's probably only a few seconds.
"She has a pulse, but it's weak. We need to get her to a hospital, now."
"Should we call an ambulance?" Ford asks.
Lucien shakes his head. "It'll take too long. We need to grab them and go now."
Gently, Shane picks up Jen, and Ford grabs Amber. Lucien slides behind the wheel of the car. Ford's truck only has a single cab, and Shane is driving a sedan. We won't all fit in either vehicle. There's only one choice.
"Ford," I hold my hand out, "give me your keys. I'll follow you there."
"No, Raven," Lucien starts to argue.
"Luce, we don't have time to fight about this. You can drive faster than I can, and they need a doctor now. We won't fit in the same car. Not with Ford and Shane holding Amber and Jen. I'll be right behind you."
It's clear none of them like the idea, but no one presses the issue further. I don't delay, not particularly wanting to be on my own either.
I could count on one hand the number of times I've actually driven. Not that I mention that fact to any of the guys. This is the only option for us, and I'll just have to swallow my anxiety.
The truck roars to life, and I peel out behind them, the back tires fishtailing slightly when I hit a patch of gravel patched parking lot. Squeezing the wheel tight, I get the truck under control and speed up to keep pace with them.
When we pull out onto the road I miss my opening and end up a couple of cars behind them.
"You can do this, Raven."
My knuckles are white from how hard I grip the steering wheel, but I manage to stay in my lane.
"Of course the first time you drive by yourself has to be during rush hour in a major city. Can't do anything part way, can you?" And I'm speaking to myself in the third person.
The car in front of me slows down, and I start to move to the other lane, but another vehicle speeds up, boxing me in. I slam my hand against the wheel.
I try to slow down and get around the car ahead of me by moving behind the car on my left, but another car speeds up, tailgating me. I'm starting to get nervous for entirely different reasons. I'm trapped with cars all around me, except for a sidewalk filled with pedestrians.
A couple of more cars slide behind Lucien, and I can barely follow them anymore. Less than a mile down the road Lucien turns off on the freeway ramp to go to the hospital, and I make a mistake.
I flip on the turn signal, hoping the car behind me backs off, but before I can make it to the turn the car to my left turns into me with enough force to make the truck spin.
Surprisingly, I manage to stay calm and regain control of the truck, but before I can maneuver to face the right direction, the car behind me strikes the rear corner of the truck.
Another vehicle, one I hadn't paid attention to in front of me stops preventing me from getting away. The driver's side door of the car in front of me opens, and a mountain of a man climbs out.
My door is wrenched open, and I'm dragged from the truck. "Hello, Raven. We've been looking for you."
34
Betrayal
Sin
A sense of foreboding overcomes me. There's a hole in my chest, and I can't place where it's coming from.
"Let's get this over with. I've got a bad feeling, and I want to get back to Raven."
"How did she even get all the way here? She doesn't have a car or money. Hell, she couldn't even call for a ride because she didn't take her phone," Ted wonders aloud.
He's right. We didn't see her take one on the cameras, but then again, there weren't any cameras in the bathroom. She could have taken either Amber or Jen's from them.
My phone dings with an incoming text from Lucien.
We're at the hospital. We found Amber and Jen unconscious in the bathroom. Jen has a head injury, they're rushing her into get an x-ray now, and Amber has already regained consciousness.
I try to convince myself this is where the sense of doom is coming from, but the ache in my chest isn't dissipating.
What about Raven?
Waiting for his reply is torture.
She's following behind in Ford's truck. We wouldn't all fit. I'm about to call her, because she fell a few cars behind. I'm sure she'll be here any minute now.
I wasn't. Something was off, and I didn't have any way to get to her. Not willing to wait for him to report back I try to call her myself, but the phone goes straight to voicemail.
"Ted, something's wrong. I don't think we should go in."
"We're already here. Just open the door and let's get this over with."
The crunch of gravel sounds under footsteps. "I see you have the same poor instincts your father had. Looks like you'll meet the same fate."
A gun shot rings out, and I watch in horrifying slow motion as Ted clutches his abdomen. Blood trickles from his mouth, and he slumps to the ground.
I look into the smiling face of Damien Blackthorne. "I'm disappointed in you, Sin," he says motioning with the gun for me to move to a car parked along the side of the building.
One of his men, another nameless slave like I was before this morning, pops open the trunk. Inside Jess lies bleeding. Her eyes are frozen open in horror, and I don't have to check for a pulse to see that she's dead.
"You can either climb into the back seat with me and have a chat, or join the girl in the trunk. I suggest the former. I've still got a use for you, but there are always multiple avenues to arrive at the same place."
I don't have time to pull a gun, not with two trained on me already. Deciding it's better to play along and find a chance for escape later, I climb in the back.
"Good decision," Damien says as he slides in next to me.
"Take us to the meeting spot," he orders his muscle.
We pull out on the road, and I can only hope someone inside heard the gunshot, and is willing to help Ted.
"Your compassion has always been your weakness," Damien speaks.
He tsks. "Trusting a junkie whore? Really, you should have known better than that."
I don't react. He's going to unload his plans whether I encourage
him or not.
"The moment she left the club I knew you had her. I only had to wait for her to get away to set my trap. So predictable. A junkie always returns to where they know they can get a fix."
"How did you know I'd come?"
He shrugs. "Either you or my son. Neither of you like leaving loose ends. The moment she got away she used a phone to set up a deal, and my partner let me know she was on her way."
"Raven is already on her way here. Now getting her was a stroke of luck. I can't believe my son let her drive on her own. Doesn't he know she's never driven by herself before?"
He chuckles and I grit my teeth. My mind spins trying to formulate a plan of escape. Nothing comes to mind without one or both of us taking a bullet.
"Now, we are going home. I've got a wedding to plan. Did you really think you could best me? I trained you."
The car turns into a vacant lot, and pulls up next to two other town cars. I'm pushed out of the car, with his gun shoved hard into my back. "Don't be stupid. There's still a way you live through this."
Raven is dragged out of one of the cars.
"Sin!" she screams.
"Hello, daughter," he croons.
She stiffens, and lifts her chin. "Let us go. You can't force me to marry anyone."
He regards her like he would any of his possessions. Not an ounce of fatherly affection is present in his gaze.
"I will do as I please. You belong to me, and will finally be a benefit to this family instead of a liability."
She shakes her head, and I want to caution her, but he pushes the gun harder against my spine.
"No, I'll refuse."
"You won't," he insists.
"You can't make me get married, because I already am."
"How unfortunate," he murmurs, but his smile betrays his words. Killing me won't be a hardship for him, regardless of the plans he's made where I'm concerned.
"I won't have to wait for an annulment if you're a widow."
Someone steps out of the other car and strolls over to us. "That wasn't the agreement," the man says.
I don't watch much television, but I've seen enough to recognize the man as Governor Whitmore. "You've got your daughter, now give me my son."
"What?" I choke.
The man smiles at me, there's actual warmth in his expression, but I instantly hate him. If he weren't helping to separate me from my wife, I might have felt differently.
"I've missed you, Jackson."
"Don't let him take her," I beg.
He frowns, but I can see he isn't going to step in to help.
Damien cocks his head to the side, then smiles wide. "You know. I can work with this."
"We have an agreement, Blackthorne. My son for your daughter. The rest will be up to the voters," Whitmore, who I refuse to think of as my father, says.
"That was before your son interrupted my plans to unite my family with the Campbells. Now it looks like you and I are family."
Two men step out of Whitmore's car. They step on either side of me and grab my arms. A car peals into the lot, and Lucien jumps out.
"Ah, if it isn't my prodigal son. Are you going to behave and come home?"
Lucien clenches his teeth and nods. "What choice do I have? I'm not letting you take her without me."
"I see you've bonded with your sister. Do you really think you can protect her from me?"
Lucien's smirk matches his father's. "You've got to sleep some time, old man. Bet you wish you hadn't trained me to be a killer now, huh?"
The mask melts away. "Don't push me, son. My men are loyal to me, not you. Not yet, at least. Come home and accept your place by my side. We're all going to pretend to be one big happy family for the cameras. The two of you are going to help me win the governor's seat."
He shoves Raven toward Lucien, who manages to catch her before she falls. "Okay, daughter. I'll let your husband live. You can even have a big wedding. Won't that be nice?"
"I won't let this stand," Whitmore protests.
"Hmm, won't it be awful if all the murders he's committed come to light? How would your campaign fair if the press gets wind of that? Not to mention all the evidence I have on him. He'll go away forever, and you'll lose him all over again. Poor Carina, she's been waiting eighteen years to have her boy back. I bet that would finally push her over the edge. Tell me, how many times has she tried to kill herself now? Three?"
Whitmore growls. "You're a sick bastard."
Damien laughs. "Now now. We're family. Let's not fight. I'll be expecting your withdrawal from the campaign. You did just find your son; everyone will understand."
"I'm not so easily manipulated," Whitmore asserts.
His men draw their weapons on Damien and his guard. Multiple red dots light up my chest.
"I always have a back up plan. Take your son now. I'll be in touch soon."
The governor's guards lower their weapons and drag me back to their car.
"No! Raven!" I thrash against their hold, but it's no use. For the first time I can't find an escape. I'm back in the basement of Blackthorne Manor with hands on me I can't shake off.
"Sin," Lucien's voice breaks through the fog of my flashback. "I will take care of her. Take care of yourself now. You'll see her again."
There's no choice except to put all of my trust in Lucien.
"Raven, I love you!" I shout as I'm shoved into the car.
The governor slides in next to me and the car pulls away. I watch as long as I can until I can't see her anymore.
"You'll forget her. Trust me, you don't want to be tied to the Blackthornes for the rest of your life."
I turn my face away from him and watch the city fly past as we speed down the freeway. "I already am," I whisper.
One way or another I'm getting my wife back.
To be continued...
<<<<>>>>
Playlist
Duality by Slipknot
The Light by Disturbed
Afterlife by Avenged Sevenfold
Jekyll and Hyde by Five Finger Death Punch
All out Life by Slipknot
Nightmare by Avenged Sevenfold
Wait and Bleed by Slipknot
Down with the Sickness by Disturbed
Freak on a Leash by Korn
The Devil in I by Slipknot
I Stand Alone by Godsmack
Under Your Scars by Godsmack
Acknowledgments
This book was born from a single request. One of my favorite authors, and dear friend, Penelope Douglas asked me if I’d like to join her Devil’s Night Party about a year ago. I was only supposed to write a bonus scene from one of my existing books, but nothing inspired me. There was, however, a story that had been begging me to write it for a long time, and I felt freed to dive in. Thank you Pen, for believing in me to join an amazing group of authors to celebrate one of my all time favorite series.
An author’s life is isolated, but not lonely. I’ve got a great support team around me, without whom none of this would be possible. My mom, Kim Marsh, is my biggest cheerleader. Thank you mom for encouraging me to reach for the stars. Jamie Vicich, old friend, beta reader, and sounding board for all my weird plot ideas. Thank you for going along with me on this crazy ride. Linnea Valle, thank you for always being there for me when imposter syndrome hits. You always give me the pick up I need to keep writing. Kelly McCurdy, you’re always eager to read my work, share funny memes, and just be an all around good friend. I am thankful everyday that this world of books brought us together. Fawn Sanchez-Tiu, there aren’t enough words to express how much having you as a best friend means to me. You’re my rock. Here’s to another twenty years of having each other’s back.
To my fans-I couldn’t keep doing this without you. Your reviews and words of encouragement feed my artist’s soul, and I hope I’m able to keep bringing you stories for years to come. I leave pieces of my heart in all of my work, and I hope it brings comfort and hope along with entertainment. To the members of Carri
llo’s Crew, thank you for supporting me and participating in my group. You laugh with me, and over this year some of you have even cried with me. I appreciate each and every one of you.
Eva Le Noir and E.S. Carter, you have both been there in the darkest moments of this year. You were my light in the dark. Eva, our late night (for me) chats gave me peace and hope this year, and I’ll never be able to repay you. Eli, you have the ability to make me laugh when all I want to do is cry. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
There is more to come from Pretty Monsters. Thank you for reading. I hope you leave an honest review on the platform of your choice. That is the greatest support an author can hope for.
About the Author
Kimberly Carrillo is a storyteller from the Pacific Northwest, currently living in a small town with her teenage son and a house full of pets. The author of the romantic suspense Destroy Series, and other books, Kimberly writes tales of beautiful, messy love. When she isn’t reading or out supporting her son at sports events she can be found moving a cat off her keyboard so she can help the heroine find the love that she deserves.
Follow her on Social Media:
Website
Facebook Reader Group: Carrillo’s Crew
Also by Kimberly Carrillo
Central Coven Series (Available on Kindle Unlimited)
Fighting Destiny
Burning
Destroy Series (Available on Kindle Unlimited)
Self Destruct
Destroy Me
Destroy You
Second Kisses Series (Available on Kindle Unlimited)
Hunting Butterflies
Business and Pleasure Series (Available on Kindle Unlimited)
Pretty Monsters Page 26