by Sam Crescent
EVERNIGHT PUBLISHING ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2020 Sam Crescent
ISBN: 978-0-3695-0181-3
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Audrey Bobak
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DARK LONELY LIES
The Denton Family Legacy, 6
Sam Crescent
Copyright © 2020
Chapter One
“I’ve already cleaned up one of his messes. You’re going to have to take care of this one,” Rick Denton said as he sat down at an Italian restaurant in the heart of London. It was a rare hot summer’s day, and his wife was due to arrive any minute. He hadn’t seen Mandy in over a year. Not since Landon decided he wanted to kill his father and then start a blood bath all around the city. Rumors were hard to kill once they began and he’d decided he’d cleaned up enough of Landon’s issues and needed to see his wife.
“We need you home,” Jacob said.
“Listen up, fuckwad, I am home. I don’t live there anymore and I’ve already cleaned up enough shit in the last year. I want some time alone with my woman. Surely you can contain your little brother until then. If not, then you really need to think about if you should be head of the fucking house or give Gabriel a turn.” He hung up, pissed off, even angrier than before.
He’d taught Landon a great deal in the past couple of years. With Sarah’s help, he’d been able to tame the beast living within the youngest Denton boy, but now, he was a monster unleashed.
Rick ran a hand down his face. He knew he didn’t have time to be with Mandy but he gave up on the legacy to be with his woman. She was the only person to make him feel anything. If it hadn’t been for her, he would’ve been nothing short of the devil. Killing left him with no guilt, no remorse. The fact he was now a doctor was kind of a miracle. He was used to breaking bones, slashing and dicing people up. Now that he was a doctor, his skills in torture had improved.
He was no longer the family torturer though, Abel was, or at least from what he saw, Landon had soon taken the lead.
This was all fucked up and Maddox, his now-dead brother, was to blame. He shouldn’t have killed Sarah. Landon’s woman was the only person keeping him calm. Now they all had nothing. No way of keeping him in control.
He’d already caused a war with the Castillo family. Maddox, Landon’s father, had killed Sarah in order to free Landon up to marry the young Castillo girl, Jade. Instead, he’d somehow gotten through all the security and kidnapped her. The girl hadn’t been seen in months, apart from one phone call to her parents, and of course to his brothers. A single scream, filled with pain and the warning. If they came hunting for him, he would start to tear her apart, piece, by piece.
They hadn’t stopped looking.
A piece had been sent to the family, a single finger, but it hadn’t been sent with any way to guarantee it was hers. The pad of the finger had been cut off. Just a single ring that a Castillo wore had been left on the finger.
It was fucked up.
With anyone else, he’d have been proud, but this little shit was making him work twice as hard. Away from his woman, he didn’t exactly do his best work. If it wasn’t for Landon constantly waving a green flag to piss people off, there was also the problem with the bounty. It would appear their plan of removing all evidence, burning the body, and making it look like Maddox Denton had disappeared hadn’t worked. Nope. Rick still didn’t know how his brother managed to do it, but Maddox had a bounty put on the person who murdered him, and those same bounty hunters had been going after Landon. No matter what he did, or who he negotiated with, this bounty was blood-deep. This was the result of a bunch of favors owed to Maddox Denton. Rick had no doubt his brother only created this kind of death sentence as a way of avoiding dying, but he clearly hadn’t dealt with a man who had lost everything. Landon had lost everything because of Maddox’s greed and now had to pay the price. They were all paying it.
He needed to be around Mandy to think.
“Welcome to this shitty restaurant. How may I serve you?”
He’d been so deep in thought he hadn’t heard the woman approach. Glancing up, he saw a woman with black hair, deep brown eyes, and damn it, he was looking right at Sarah. No, that couldn’t be. Clearly, he was way too tired, probably jet-lagged.
“What’s your name?” he asked.
“I don’t have to give you my name.” She went to cover her badge but he saw it. It didn’t say Sarah on the badge. Tulip was her name.
“Sarah, is that you?”
“I don’t know who you are, sir, but you’re kind of freaking me out and you know, I don’t have to serve you.”
“I’m guessing you do. In this nice restaurant, you’ve got no choice but to do as the customer says.” He reached into his jacket, pulling out a couple of twenties. Tulip raised her brows, and he watched as she smirked.
“Dude, seriously, you think you’re the first guy to ask for a little extra on the side? The strip club with the massages is a couple of streets away. You’ll find what you’re looking for there.”
“I’m so sorry I’m late,” Mandy said, coming toward him. She kissed his lips and he watched Tulip.
He didn’t know how it was possible, but he was staring at Sarah’s twin. It couldn’t be that easy, surely.
Tulip asked. “Are you guys ready to order?” Her accent was British and he saw ink on the insides of her wrists. She was also pale and even though she looked exactly like Sarah, there was certainly no easy aura surrounding her. Sarah had been sweet, kind, gentle. This girl was hard around the edges and clearly had seen a rough life.
He didn’t know how it could fucking be.
Mandy ordered for the two of them.
“You need her, don’t you?” Mandy asked, drawing his attention back to his wife.
“I don’t need her.”
Mandy reached over the table and took his hands. “I’m not a fool, Rick. I know who you are and I know what it is you do. You don’t have to keep protecting me. I’ve known for a long time, but you can’t keep hiding this.”
He stared at his wife. “Mandy?”
“That girl has to stop Landon from killing, doesn’t she?” she asked.
He pressed his lips together.
“We’ve been married for a long time. You think you’re always so stealthy and quiet?” She chuckled. “Not to mention, using my birthday in your storage container in our basement for all your weapons wasn’t exactly smart. I saw everything. I know everything, Rick. I have for a long time.”
“Then why are you still with me? If you know who I really am, you know being a doctor isn’t exactly my calling.”
“Because you became a doctor to be with me.” Mandy lifted his hands up and kissed them. “You stopped killing and moved away from your family, to be with me. Now they need you.”
Mandy let go of his hand and reached inside her bag. He didn’t see what it was she gave to him until he felt it. It was a needle.
“It has a heavy dose of tranquilizer in there. I’ve always kept one in case something was to happen.”
“You didn’t trust me?”
“When I first found out who you really were, no, I did
n’t trust you, but now, I do. I know you will do whatever you have to to keep me safe. I love you, Rick Denton. Don’t lie to me again. That girl looks exactly like Sarah. You need her for Landon, don’t you?”
He nodded. Right now, words failed him.
“Then let’s have a nice dinner and then you can go hunting.”
****
Tulip knew she was being followed. She’d already circled her flat three times. It was late, she was tired, and this fucker just wouldn’t budge. She held on to her knife, a small blade she’d be able to click open without her possible attacker even seeing. The worn jacket gave her enough room to disguise it.
After another twenty minutes, she gave up. Standing in the street underneath a light, she spun. “I know you’re there. Stop being a dick, and tell me what you want.”
She’d dealt with her fair share of pimps and pricks, they didn’t scare her. They tended to prey on women who weren’t willing to fight back. Well, she loved to fight back and did so often. It was far more of a hassle keeping her than leaving her.
What she didn’t expect was the American to come out of the shadows. He wore a suit, but with the way he walked, she knew he was used to living life in the darkness. This wasn’t some creepy guy looking for a good time.
He was serious business and she knew with any wrong move, she was fucked.
“Why are you following me?” she asked.
“I need you to come with me.”
“And you think I’m going to go and follow a strange man around at night? No, I don’t think so. I’m not this Sarah, or whoever you think I am. I’m not interested and I want you to leave me alone.”
“Not going to happen. You can come quickly and quietly or you can make a whole load of noise and I will still make you come with me.”
She shook her head. “I don’t do things quietly.”
After growing up in the care system, then on the streets, she’d learned how to fight dirty. This man, he wasn’t getting anywhere near her.
“Okay, how about this? I will offer you ten thousand pounds to come with me,” he said.
“And what, you have your freaky way with me? No thanks.” Money was always a temptation but she’d seen other girls, younger ones who were on the streets get lured in by money. It was dangerous. The next time she’d seen said girls, they’d been a shell, if she’d ever seen them again. Some of them would tell her horrible things, what the men did, how they hurt the girls.
Not happening.
She’d evaded rape a couple of times. Tulip wasn’t a fool about this world or what it was capable of. It was a horrible, shitty place. There was no happiness, just a fight for survival and that was exactly what she did. Every single day, she fought for a reason to not slit her wrists … or be in any kind of position for them to be cut again.
Staring at the man before her, she hated the very ground he walked on. The suit was expensive and he had this air around him that told her he was used to getting what he wanted. Not from her.
“I have no reason to touch you. I just want to talk.”
“We can talk right here.”
“I don’t talk about my business in the open.”
“Then you shouldn’t be stalking girls at night. It’s rude.” She noticed he kept closing the gap, trying to distract her. It wasn’t working. There was nowhere for her to go.
She couldn’t move. The light was her only saving grace right now.
Fuck, she had to get away. The only way was to attack him. She hoped if he was wounded he wouldn’t chase after her.
With each step he took, her heart rate sped up. She was sure he heard it and it scared her. Why now? Why did this have to happen to her? She’d been living her life with no real drama for months.
Watching him, she waited. He got to the edge of the light and he stopped there. His hand shot out and she saw a brown envelope.
“Take it.”
“Not happening.”
“Do you have any family?” he asked.
“None of your business.”
She leaned against the post. Even as she was tired, she wouldn’t give in to the need to fall asleep.
“You know, it doesn’t have to be this way.” He pocketed the cash and when he pounced, she expected it. Drawing her blade up, she went for his stomach, but at the last minute, he captured her hands, blocking the move.
She cried out at the sudden pain. He was strong. Stronger than she anticipated. As he held her still, she whimpered, but he didn’t let her go. He twisted her wrist, making her cry out again. He moved her suddenly so her back was to him. She fought against him, but her street fighting was no match for this guy.
“I’m sorry. I had hoped we could make this easier but it seems you like to do things the hard way, and well, I don’t have time for bullshit right now.”
Something pricked her neck and she cried out. “What did you do?”
It didn’t matter the answer. Everything started to spin and within seconds, it went dark.
Chapter Two
“The jet is ready. Now are you going to tell me what this is all about?” Jacob asked.
Rick finished tying Tulip into the chair. He’d chained her wrists to the seat and wrapped a piece of rope around her middle. The woman wasn’t going anywhere.
“I’m heading back to you. I want someone ready at airport security.”
“Again, it’s always a given, but why?”
“I’m not traveling alone. I may have the resource we need to get Landon under control.” He hung up and pocketed his cell phone.
“You’re going to need to give her this when you land,” Mandy said.
He took the syringe from her and looked at his beautiful wife. “Why are you helping me? I know what you think about violence and all of this.” He’d tested the waters long ago to see if she could ever handle what he was like. She’d failed, but he loved her and there was no way he could ever give her up. He always figured this was the universe’s way to fuck with him. Give him a woman who struggled with who he really was. The truth was, he didn’t miss all the crap that went on with being a Denton in the city. Giving it up had been a challenge and when he had some difficult patients, it would have been so easy to kill them or hit them. He held himself back all the time. It was what he did. He’d learned to use his job as some kind of restraint. His reward, his wife. Holding her at the end of the night, being inside her—it was all he needed to keep on the straight and narrow.
“You’re my man, Rick. I didn’t think I’d be able to handle this, any of this, but I’ve shocked myself.” She cupped his cheek. “Come back to me when you can.” She kissed him hard and he escorted her off the jet. Once she was safely inside the car, he called his security guy to make sure she got home safely. He never left Mandy unattended. She was always surrounded by men he could trust.
He gave the signal to the pilot and then went back to where he’d left Tulip. Taking a seat opposite her, he watched her as they took off.
They were in the air for about twenty minutes before she started to come around. The drug wasn’t designed to keep her out for days.
“What’s going on?” she asked, confused. She started to wriggle in the cuffs, and within a matter of minutes, she was fully awake.
“What kind of fucked-up shit are you on?” She cried out as she wrested her wrists against the binds. “Let me the fuck out.”
He noticed she didn’t exactly scream for help, another unusual sign. “I want to know where you grew up.”
“On planet Earth. What the fuck is your deal? I don’t know you but believe me, you don’t want to have anything to do with me.”
“I know. Of course, I don’t want anything to do with you. I’m not taking you for me. I’m taking you for someone else.” He leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. “Now, tell me about yourself.”
She pressed her lips together.
He smiled.
This woman had a lot more sass and spirit than Sarah, that was for damn sure. This gi
rl’s twin, and he was sure she was a twin, was way too meek and submissive. It always surprised him seeing Landon and Sarah together, but he’d kept that to himself. Landon hadn’t experienced any of that need, the passion to claim his woman. With Sarah, he’d never stopped being sweet, loving.
“You didn’t grow up in a happy home.”
“I’m not about to play stories with you. You’ve kidnapped me. That’s a crime, you know. They’re going to lock you up and throw away the key.”
“You’re not the first woman I’ve taken, or the first woman I’ve thought about killing. I’ve been doing this gig a long time and so far, no one’s come close to taking me out.”
“Oh, great, I had to be the one to serve the weirdo. Why come to the UK, huh? What was in it for you?”
“I actually came to be with my wife, so seeing you, let’s just say, you’re a mystery to me.”
“I don’t do no funny business. Wait, if you’ve got a wife you clearly fancy, why are you bothering with me?” she asked.
“All will become clear.” He got up and went to the food stand. He grabbed a couple of sandwiches and some snacks and returned.
“This is how you’re going to win me over? A sandwich and a packet of crisps? Please.”
“I have no interest in winning you, Tulip. The tranquilizer I gave you may make you feel a little sick, and well, I’ve got big plans for you.”
“I’ve got no plans.”
He stood in front of her and grabbed the back of her head. “I’ve been nice so far.”
“You call kidnapping nice? You’re deluded.”
He smiled. “I’ve been called much worse. You’re not the first time, nor will you be the last. Now, you’re going to eat something and then you’re going to tell me why you won’t call for help.”
“Fuck you.”
“I’ll make you and believe me, you won’t like it.” He let go of her hair and went to her throat. He gripped tightly and she let out a little choking sound. Her mouth opened and he was about to put in some of the sandwich he picked up, but she jerked away as he let her go.
