by Cassia Leo
“Have a seat.”
He’s wearing one of his ironic faded hipster T-shirts today. Smokey the Bear: Only you can prevent forest fires. He wants me to think he’s just some small-time blogger who can’t be trusted with anything too important.
“So what’s this about?”
I chuckle. “Relax, August. Have a fucking drink.” I nod at Bruno, who’s standing next to Billy behind August’s chair. “Tell Mia to get us one scotch and one pint of that new IPA.”
“I don’t want a drink. I want to know why I’m here.”
“You’ll like the new IPA. You can write about it on your blog.”
Now he’s beginning to look uncomfortable. People don’t like having their choices taken away.
I smile at this thought and pause for a moment, giving him a chance to speak up. If he’s really nervous, he’ll say something. If he’s only moderately anxious, he’ll keep quiet.
He’s not nervous enough yet.
“I’ve got a job for you.”
“I’m done. You said you’d get my uncle back into Connecticut. I’m not doing anything until you deliver on your promise.”
I glance toward Billy and he nods. August looks over his shoulder at Billy then back at me.
“What? Are you going to have me killed if I don’t do what you’re asking?”
There are only a few patrons in the restaurant at ten p.m. on a Thursday night. And they’re not seated anywhere near us. But I can’t let this little cocksucker off so easily.
“I’m only going to ask you once to keep your voice down. If I have to ask you again, you’re going to be choking on your marble-sized balls. Got it?”
His mouth is set in a hard line as he shakes his head. “I should have just gone to the police five months ago.”
“Good. That’s exactly what I want you to do.”
He looks at me like I’m crazy. Bruno arrives and takes up his position next to Billy. He’s closely followed by a blonde waitress, Shelly, who’s carrying the drinks Mia just made for us. I don’t employ waiters or bartenders. I only employ women in the front of the house of all my restaurants. It’s good for business.
Shelly sets the beer down in front of August. Then she sets my usual tumbler of scotch down in front of me. She flashes me a nervous smile then quickly sets off toward the bar. August’s eyes follow her ass for a moment before he turns back to his beer. He’s probably contemplating not drinking it just to spite me. But he soon relents.
He takes a long swig then sets the glass down. “What do you want me to do?”
I reach inside my blazer and his eyes widen. I pull out a stack of photos and set them face down on the table.
“First, I want you to go home and cry while you jerk off to those pictures.” He stares at the pictures for a moment, but he doesn’t reach for them. “Then, I want you to go into the police station and get a copy of that surveillance footage.”
“I can’t. And you know that.”
“Yes, you can, August. And you will. Because that’s the only way your uncle’s coming back to this country.”
Chapter 5
August
The box-like building known as the 14th Precinct is about as welcoming as an Eastern European orphanage. And under the circumstances, it’s about the last place I want to be right now. I have no idea if the police suspect I had something to do with Becky’s disappearance. The ex is always one of the prime suspects.
But I know I have to do this. Not just to get my uncle back into the country. I have to do it so Knox can find Becky.
She may be Rebecca to Knox. But to me, she’s still my Becky.
I enter the police station and find a group of four officers behind the counter, laughing it up while sipping their muddy cups of coffee. I stand at the counter for a moment, resisting the urge to clear my throat, and soon one of the officers looks in my direction.
“Hey, August!” Joe calls out to me.
The faces of the other officers get very serious at the sound of my name. They all turn to look at me at the same time. I don’t think I’m imagining the tension in the air and the skeptical looks on their faces.
“Hey, Joe. I’m just here to see Tracy. Is she in?”
I already know she’s here. I just spoke to her three minutes ago.
Joe picks his fat ass up off the edge of the desk and saunters toward me. “Yeah, I think she’s downstairs. Sorry about Becky, man.”
I lower my gaze to the counter as a strange sensation of grief overcomes me. Not a single person has expressed any regret or condolences to me about Becky’s disappearance until now. And somehow, it hits me like a fucking train.
I grit my teeth against the emotion then look up at him. “Thanks. I’m just here to see Tracy. My mother and I didn’t want to leave anything to chance, so we hired a private investigator to assist with the investigation. Tracy said she’d talk to me today. See if she could be of some assistance. Of course, if that’s all right. I don’t want to overstep.”
Joe looks genuinely regretful as he nods. “Yeah, man. You know where she is.”
I let out a small sigh of relief as he buzzes me in. “Thanks, Joe.”
“Anytime.”
I enter the elevator and Joe sticks his arm in to slide his card key in the slot, then he hits the sub level button. It lights up and he wishes me luck as the elevator doors close.
I glance around the gleaming steel walls of the elevator. It dawns on me that this is the last place that Becky probably felt safe before she was taken. My stomach twists at the thought of what’s happened to her in the last three days.
If she’s found and I find out she was hurt while in captivity, I’ll find a way to kill Knox Savage.
I exit the elevator and Tracy sees me coming before I even reach the door. She shoots out of her chair and greets me at the entrance to the evidence locker. She sobs as she throws her arms around me and squeezes me so hard I can feel my organs shifting inside me.
“Oh, August. Honey, I can’t believe this happened. I should have been at my desk. I would have seen it.”
“Tracy, this is not your fault.” I pry her arms loose and hold them at her side. “But you have a chance to help now. Do you have it?”
She nods as she turns and walks around Becky’s old desk. She reaches into the top drawer and retrieves a stuffed toy Snoopy in a plastic evidence bag. She sniffs loudly as she hands it to me.
I gave Becky this Snoopy doll when we first started dating after I found out she loves It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. She used to keep the doll on her desk. Tracy said she stuffed it away in a drawer a few weeks ago. I told Tracy I needed it for the private investigator. Since I can’t get into Becky’s apartment, this was the only personal item with a lot of her scent I had access to. It was a good lie.
“Thank you.”
“My pleasure, baby. Anything I can do to help.”
“Actually, there is something else.” I pause for a moment and she raises her eyebrows in anticipation. “Do you think I can see the surveillance footage? I want to see if I recognize those bastards.”
Her mouth drops open a little as she contemplates this.
“Please, Tracy. It’s driving me crazy not knowing where she is.”
She covers her mouth as if she’s going to start crying again, then she nods her head. “Real quick. Come on over here.”
She takes me behind her desk. Then she sits down and types up a bunch of commands to get to the surveillance footage. I hold the back of her chair and try not to make her uncomfortable as I lean over her. I need to get the camera in my shirt pocket at just the right angle to record her screen.
She plays the footage and I hold as still as I can while she looks away from the screen. She can’t bear to watch it again.
The guy smiles at Becky as she enters the elevator, but she doesn’t seem to acknowledge him. Then the doors close and he grabs her from behind, covering her mouth with a piece of cloth that’s probably soaked in chloroform.
This time we see the front of his face, but it’s no one I recognize. He’s got a fleshy nose and, even in the grainy footage, I can tell his skin is covered in pockmarks. One thing I can say is that his police uniform looks like it was tailored just for him.
Then he disappears and the feed switches to footage from a camera in the parking garage. The police car is already waiting. He stuffs her into the trunk and hops into the passenger seat. Then they drive away in no particular hurry.
I stand up straight and realize I’ve been biting my lip through that whole video. Licking my lip, I taste blood.
I can’t sit back and run errands for Knox. I have to hire a private investigator. I have to find Becky.
I thank Tracy for her help, then I thank Joe again as I head out of the station. As I exit, I see a taxi pull up to the curb. I slip inside, and Knox and I sit in the backseat in silence until the cab is a few blocks away from the station.
I hold out the pen, but I pull it back as he reaches for it. “This is the last thing I do for you.” He doesn’t blink as he looks me in the eye. “And you’re going to fulfill your promise.”
He smiles as I hold the pen out to him again, but he doesn’t reach for it. He knows there’s more coming.
“And you’re going to find Becky. Because you’re not the only one with more money and influence than the police force. And you’re not the only one who loves her.”
His smile disappears as he takes the pen out of my hand and slowly tucks it into the inner pocket of his blazer. He shakes his head and the smile returns.
“You really should not have said that.”
Chapter 6
Rebecca
I open my eyes and instantly I know something is wrong. I can’t move.
My hands and feet are bound with ropes to the iron bedposts. I try to scream, but it comes out muffled and desperate through the cloth tied around my head, which covers my mouth. This is really happening. I’ve been kidnapped.
I have to assess my surroundings. I have to remember all the details. Someone will find me. Knox will find me, and I’ll have to tell him everything.
My eyes dart around the space, taking in every detail. A clean white sheet covers the mattress where I lay. The room is dingy and gray, with a narrow beam of sunlight shining through a hole in the foil that covers the window. Almost as if my captors are worried I’ll die without sunlight.
Worried. What a stupid thought. Of course they’re not worried. Whoever tied me to this bed is not worried about my well-being.
I try to pull my hands and feet loose from my restraints, but all I succeed in doing is making a racket as the feet of the bed scrape against the wood floor. I stop as soon as I realize how loud I’m being. But it’s too late.
The footsteps become louder as they get closer. My heart pounds so hard I can’t hear the footsteps anymore. Finally, the door swings inward and my heart drops.
Knox stands in the doorway. I can’t see his face, but I’d recognize his silhouette anywhere. He’s the one who did this to me.
“Why?” I try to shout through the gag, but my cries are unintelligible.
He steps into the room and closes the door behind him. He’s wearing the usual suit attire, minus the blazer. His sleeves are rolled up, but he’s not wearing the usual sly grin.
“You have to keep your voice down, gorgeous.”
I shout obscenities at him through the gag, and he shakes his head as he approaches the bed. “Now, now, Rebecca. I can’t remove the gag if you’re going to scream. Nod if you promise to be quiet.”
I shake my head and fight against my restraints like a wild animal. He bows his head, looking utterly disappointed with my disobedience. He waits until I’ve tired myself out. Once I’m lying still, my chest heaving and heart pumping, he finally looks up. I turn away to make him upset and he grabs my face to force me to look at him.
“I’m doing this to protect you and your father, Rebecca.”
I try to shake my head to free my face from his grasp, but his fingers only dig harder into my jaw. Then the tears come.
Please. My plea comes as a soft moan through the gag. Please let me go.
He lets go of my jaw and brushes the tears from my temples. “Don’t cry, sweetheart. I’m not trying to hurt you. I’m trying to keep you safe.”
The tears come faster. I don’t know if I’m imagining it, but I see genuine regret in his eyes.
“I love you, Rebecca.”
My stomach clenches and I close my eyes, hoping this is all a bad dream. Please let this be a nightmare.
“I just want to keep you safe.”
His hand is on my belly, and I can’t open my eyes. I don’t want to know what his face looks like when he’s lying to me.
His hand slips deftly under my shirt until he has my breast cupped in his hand.
Please stop.
“I love you, Rebecca. I always have.”
I realize quite suddenly that I’m only wearing a skirt. No panties. His hand is between my legs.
Oh, God.
He parts my flesh with his fingers, then his tongue is on me. Circling my clit in a slow, tortuous fashion. He finds the most sensitive spot; an area no bigger than a pinky nail. And he stimulates me until I orgasm twice. Until I feel as if I might asphyxiate with desire.
My muscles twitch and ache as he rises from the bed. I open my eyes and he swipes his thumb across the corner of his mouth. The devious smile is back.
“I’ll keep your body and your lust well-fed until it’s time to let you go. Don’t worry, sweetheart.”
Suddenly, I’m desperate for him not to leave.
Wait! He tilts his head at my muffled cries. Wait! Please.
“Do you promise to be quiet, princess?”
I nod hastily and he sits down on the bed again so he can untie my gag. I let out a soft grunt as the gag is removed and I can breathe freely again.
“Thank you,” I whisper breathlessly.
“I’ll leave it off as long as you’re quiet.”
“Please don’t go,” I plead.
He smiles as he tosses the gag over his shoulder. “You want more.”
“Yes.”
Suddenly, the restraints are gone and I’m facedown on the mattress. The weight of his body on top of mine is comforting as he moves in and out of me.
“Don’t stop.”
He hugs my waist tightly from behind as he pushes himself farther inside me. We both grunt in unison as he reaches places he’s never been.
“Oh, Knox.”
He moves slowly as he aims to dig farther into me with each stroke. Every thrust elicits a louder moan from me as he bites down on my shoulder to keep from coming too fast. Finally, he bites down so hard, I cry out in pain. I look at my shoulder and the blood streaming down to my breast is alarming.
“Knox, stop.”
But he doesn’t stop. He continues thrusting deeper and deeper. Biting harder and harder.
“Stop!”
“Rebecca, wake up!”
I open my eyes and Lita’s face appears above me. My heart is pounding and my throat is aching.
“Was I screaming?”
“Yes. You need to be quiet!” she whispers urgently.
I blink a few times to focus my eyes as I sit up. I recognize the room immediately. It’s the basement where Lita and I have been held for the past three days and nights. There are no restraints holding me to the bed. No gags tied around our mouths. But the walls and windows are covered in soundproofing foam.
I cover my face and begin to cry. “When are they going to find us?”
“Rebecca, there’s no guarantee they’re going to find us.”
I don’t want to think of the alternative. Lita may like to stay pragmatic about this, but I don’t want to imagine that I’ll die here in this basement. Though everything I’ve seen in this place has proven that no one will ever find us unless the assholes who brought me here want us to be found. We’re being used as leverage.
I guess I can count my lucky stars that they haven’t decided to take advantage of us yet.
Then I think of the dream I just had. I reach up to touch my shoulder and I flinch when Lita puts her arm around me.
“You were having a sex dream about Knox.” I chuckle through my tears and she laughs. “It’s okay. If anyone’s going to get us out of here, it’s him.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because he loves you.”
My mind flashes to the dream again. Knox has never told me he loves me. But the Knox in my dream loved me. He loved me enough to kidnap me and tear open my shoulder as he fucked me. God, I have a sick mind.
“I’m not so sure about that. What if he’s the reason we’re here?”
“Come on, Rebecca. Don’t be naive. Of course he’s the reason we’re here.”
“Then how can you even claim that he loves me?”
She lets go of me and hugs her knees instead. “Because he’s not a monster.”
“What?”
“Everything he does is for you.”
“No, everything he does is for his crazy vendetta.”
“No, you’re wrong.” She turns her head to look at me through the dim yellow light cast by the bulb that dangles from the ceiling of the dank basement. “He’s been paying my stepdad’s hospital bills for seven months. And he hasn’t done it for his vendetta. He did it so he could get close to you. To do that, he got close to the two people you were closest to: me and August.”
“Seven months? And you’re just now telling me this?”
“He made me promise I wouldn’t tell you. What would you do if your dad was dying and someone offered to get him the best care in the country? What was I supposed to do? Let my dad die? Say no to Knox Savage?”
