by Ann, Bry
“I’m going to the party! You can’t make me stay here!”
The boss sighs before running a hand over his face. “This conversation will wait, Rose. Let me greet our guest.”
Chills run up my spine at the way he says guest like I’m an intruder. Rose looks at me, scans me up and down with a huff, and walks out. She’s got an attitude on her for someone so young, but I can’t imagine the life she lives.
“Sorry about that,” the boss rumbles. “What’s your name?”
“Um, my name i-is Kiki. Sorry.”
What I’m sorry for, I don’t know. Guy snorts.
“Welcome,” the boss says in a deep, inquisitive voice. “What brings you back, Guy?”
I stiffen.
“I have to see how Marley’s holding up. She’s entertaining enough to bring me back.”
“Mmmm.” The boss glances at me. He seems to take in every bruise, every scar, every mark—even the invisible ones that lie under my skin. “Well, use what you need in your pursuit of… seeing Marley.”
He levels us both with a look.
“Thanks. We’re kind of in a rush. You know how I love the resident psycho.”
The boss smirks a bit. “If you need anything, let me or Lacey know.”
“Thanks!” Guy places his land on my lower back. “Come on,” he whispers, ushering me out of the room.
“He’s intense,” I mumble.
Frances snorts and Guy presses into my lower back, offering some form of comfort.
“Where are you from?” Frances asks. You know it’s bad when the scariest dude ever starts making small talk.
“Here,” I squeak.
“Engaging conversation.”
“Quit being an asshole, old man,” Guy jumps in for the save.
“Well, tell your girl to toughen up.”
Guy snorts. “Says the man whose girl is the alpha of the relationship.”
Frances rounds at that, eyes flashing. “Watch it, kid.”
Guy just smirks and makes circles around his ring finger in a mocking fashion.
“You fuck.”
“You know it’s true.”
Frances doesn’t respond.
Guy
Okay, I love Frances. We’ve all established that, right?
But right now, his love of scaring people is pissing me off. Kiki is ready to piss her pants as Frances purposely hovers behind her while they all watch me work on the computer. She’s still as a fucking board.
“Get me a snack or something,” I grumble.
Frances grins. “Why? Am I doing something wrong?”
“You know what you’re doing.”
He chuckles. But doesn’t move. Fucker.
“I-I have to go the bathroom. Where is it?”
I glance over at Kiki. She’s white as a sheet. Now I feel like shit for bringing her here.
“It’s right through that door. I’ll be right out here.”
She glances at me and nods before having to scurry past my asshole best friend.
“Oh, you haven’t fucked her, but you’re willing to come off your little island for her.”
“She needs help, man,” I whisper.
“I need you here! I need you here while I try to navigate having a fucking family, which is insane! Yet you leave the island for her, some girl who fucked you good.”
“Watch it,” I warn. “And if you recall, when you needed my help with Marley, I was here.”
“So, what, you’re gonna help her then leave her, like you do me all the time?”
“Frances…”
“Forget it. Fuck it. Fuck this whole conversation. Whose house are you stalking anyway?”
I’m uncomfortable. I don’t know how to make this right between us. He has to understand why I leave. Instead I say, “Some asshole has Kiki’s best friend.”
I click a button and boom, audio and video. I’m literally in their living room. Fuck, I love technology.
“You have to let me go, Ajax! My father has money. A whole lot of it. If he finds out you did this—”
“Your adoptive father.” The blonde-haired French powerlifting motherfucker smirks.
“You son of a… He’s my father legally. I’m adopted, asshole!”
“Yes, and why is that, mon ami?”
“Don’t give me nicknames,” the stunning brunette hisses.
“Rain!” Kiki runs out of the bathroom, shoves past Frances, this time not one fuck given, and places her hands on the keyboard like she can reach out and pull her best friend through. “Can we go get her now?”
“Give me one more minute,” I press. Kiki tenses. “Just one, I swear.”
I click away as their voices continue.
“Anthony said I could lock you in your bedroom if you misbehaved.”
I’m so focused on turning off their security alarms remotely that I almost miss the way all the blood drains from Rain’s face and the way Kiki whimpers.
“We have to go, Guy. He can’t lock her in a room. I have to go.”
Just like that, Kiki bolts from the room like a bat out of hell.
“Shit,” I curse, pushing up from the computer. Frances sends a text for someone to take over what I’m doing. It’s not the most advanced task.
“Kiki, wait up!”
“He can’t lock her in a room. It’s all my fault.”
“Kiki.” I grab her shoulder and watch as she falls into me with a shocked sob.
“He can’t lock her up. He can’t.”
“Hey, hey, look at me.” She does. “We’ll get her. It’ll all work out.”
“Promise?”
Her lip quivers and, damn, I’ve never been around a human more breakable than me. I’ve always been the breakable one. Now here she is, the most scared, fragile little thing I’ve ever come across.
“I promise, Kiki. Frances!” I call.
“Right behind you,” he grumbles from down the hall.
I smile and squeeze Kiki’s sweaty hand. “Let’s go.”
* * *
“Kiki, you stay in the car. It’s ridiculous that you’re even here.”
“I’m coming!”
Bang! The door slams behind her as she storms forward.
“Fuckin’ Christ, go get her! Is she just gonna storm in the front door? Did she hear any of our fuckin’ plans?”
I wave my hand over my head as I charge for the storming, seething woman ahead of me. Fuck, where’s the scared version of her?
“Don’t scream,” I mutter seconds before ducking down and hurling her over my shoulder. She screeches but doesn’t scream. She digs her fingers into my back hard enough to hurt.
“Put me down,” she hisses. “My friend is in there.”
I set her down by the car, then take her face in my hands. “Look at me, Kiki.” She does. “Frances and I have a whole plan. Let us get Rain. Let me make sure nothing goes wrong. If you go in, I’ll be worrying about you, distracted. In that time, Rain could get hurt. With just me and Frances there, I promise we’ll get her. As soon as we get Rain out, you’ll be here to comfort her. Here.”
I hand her my cell.
“Set a timer. Ten minutes. If we’re not out, go on in.”
“Five.”
“That’s pushing our skill.”
Frances chuckles. “You clearly don’t know women, Guy. She gave you five minutes, you take it.”
With that, Frances turns to Kiki.
“Five will work.” He turns to me, face firm. “Let’s go.”
I run off behind him, because he charges, I inspect. It’s always been that way.
“Get in the car, Kiki. Lock all the doors.”
Without taking her eyes off the phone’s timer, Kiki gets in the car. She’ll be good there.
“See ya in there, old man,” I murmur before using the window sill to start scaling up the left side of the building. Frances is entering through the back door to guard the exits.
Rain’s in the room I’m entering on the second floor.
I get close to the window. I’m literally dangling right beneath it when I hear voices. Fuck, Ajax is in there. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Do I go back down?
Shit. Guess I’m doing this. Hopefully Frances moves fast when he hears bullets, and hopefully Kiki doesn’t hear anything.
“One, two, three…” I whisper before pulling myself through the already strangely wide-open window. The second I pull myself through the window, I roll and yank out my gun only to find one already trained on me.
“You have five seconds to get yourself out the same way you came in,” Ajax growls, muscles flexing over the grip on his gun. Geez, this guy is, like, four times my size. I take a quick glance around the room. There’s no one else here until, bingo, my gaze lands on Rain.
And I become pissed!
“What the hell did you do to her?” I growl, taking in Rain’s appearance, curled on the floor by the closet. Her cheeks are stained with tears, her eyes empty. All the color is drained from her face. She looks severely traumatized by something.
“Don’t make accusations you know nothing about,” Ajax growls.
“Ajax!” Rain gasps, shooting out of her trance. And I know why two seconds later.
“We don’t make idle threats,” Frances growls low in Ajax’s ear with a gun aimed at the back of his head. I should have known Frances wouldn’t let me be alone in here. I always forget we’re brothers, always.
“Give me one reason I shouldn’t put a bullet in your head,” Frances snarls.
“Wait,” Rain whispers loudly enough for us to hear. We all turn to her. “Where’s Kiki?”
She just saved Ajax’s life and I think it was on purpose. Whatever is wrong with Rain right now, Ajax didn’t do it, even if he’s the cause.
“She’s in the car. Ready to bust out of here?”
“Y-yes.” She glances at Ajax and Frances, who still has his gun trained on Ajax’s temple. “Is he gonna kill him?”
“Do you want me to?” Frances cocks his head as he digs the gun into Ajax’s temple.
Rain pushes to stand on her heels. Her cheeks are still stained with tears and her hands are trembling, but she looks smug as she approaches Ajax with an exaggerated sway of her hips.
“Rain,” Ajax growls. For the first time since Frances put the gun to his head, he looks truly pissed.
A sly little smirk plays on her lips. “Maybe just knock him out. Bye, mon ami.”
She waves her fingers one at a time as Ajax seethes right in front of her. She just stands there smirking as Frances brings the gun down on his temple. Ajax falls to the ground with a loud thud that makes Rain jump.
Frances looks at me. “You good?”
“Fine, nothing happened.”
“Where exactly is Kiki?” Rain walks over to me. “Where’s my girl?”
“She’s out in the car, like I told you. Are you okay? Are you hurt at all?”
Rain looks down at herself and scowls a bit.
“I’m fine. I’ll clean up after I see Kiki.”
My lip tips up. “Funny, Kiki said about the same thing. Come, I had five minutes to get you in and out before she comes barging in. I expect her any moment now.”
When I turn to leave, I notice Frances frowning.
“What?” I ask, reading him like a book.
“It’s been eight minutes since we entered this house.”
My heart stops. “What?”
“It’s been eight minutes. I'm no expert on your girl, but she was watching that timer-”
I don’t wait for him to finish. I'm sprinting out the door past Rain.
“Kiki!”
I hear Rain’s heels clicking behind me, but I'm not focused on that. Kiki would have been in here the second it hit five minutes.
“Kiki!”
I push open the front door so hard it rebounds off the wall behind it.
“Kik—no. No, no, no.”
Rain comes skidding to a stop behind me. “What?”
I stare back at the car we took. The driver’s side window is busted open. There’s glass shards everywhere.
“She’s gone.”
Kiki
One minute and twenty-eight seconds and then I'm busting my ass inside. I can’t believe I'm trusting some dude I met on an island with the person I love most. I must be a special kind of stupid.
Twenty-seven, twenty-six, twenty-five…
Three knocks echo on my window. With an annoyed huff, I look up. No. No. No, please.
Average brown eyes and cropped black hair stare back at me. Anthony.
My phone falls between my fingers as I try to crawl back over the console.
“Go away!” I screech, but it comes out more like a puff of air. “Help! Help!”
Anthony shakes his head once. A disapproving nod I know well. A disapproving nod that always meant punishment. I go to scream but can’t, ‘cause I know what’s coming. I know it right before Anthony’s brown leather glove-covered fist shatters the glass.
“Get out here, Katrina, or I will pull you out through the broken shards. That doesn’t sound pleasant, does it, wife?”
I glance back at Ajax’s house. Please, Guy, come out.
“Please, Anthony,” I beg.
“One,” he lifts one finger to start the countdown I’ve become all too familiar with. “Two…”
Shaking, I open the door and climb out. When my one leg touches down, Anthony grips me around the neck and yanks me out so I topple into him. He slams the car door and moves his grip to my waist. I look back the whole time, half praying for Guy to come out, half praying he won’t so he and Rain will be safe from Anthony.
“Get in,” Anthony seethes, holding open the door to his Maserati. “Now, Katrina!”
I immediately comply. In not even a minute, I’m in the car and we’re driving off into the night.
To hell.
* * *
“Get out,” Anthony barks. “Now, Katrina.”
I get out. I try to shove aside my feelings as I do, but tears are streaming down my cheeks. I can’t fight them. At least I know Guy will keep Rain safe, right?
Right?
A choking sound escapes my lips.
“Anthony, I—”
“Wait ‘til we get inside, Katrina.”
“But—”
“Inside, wife.”
I follow behind him. He holds the door open for me. Holds it open, like—like he’s some kind of gentlemen. My stomach swirls with nausea as I cross the threshold of what used to be our home.
It’s not ours. It’s his.
Click. Anthony shuts the door quietly behind him. It’s all an illusion. The real Anthony would slam the door, probably splintering the wood. As soon as the door is shut and we’re in the privacy of this dungeon, Anthony rounds on me.
“You ran from me! My wife!” he roars.
His hand latches onto my throat and he slams me up against the wall behind us.
“How could you fucking leave me?! You bitch!”
His fist flies out and makes contact with my cheek. I scream, but he stuffs that same fist right between my teeth.
“Shut up!”
He jerks my entire body so I make contact with the wall again.
“Do you know how hard it was to get you back?!”
He lifts my body and starts dragging me through the house. When we reach the carpet-covered living room, Anthony lifts and slams me down on the ground. All the air vacates my lungs at once.
“Ow, Anthony, please,” I whimper.
“You owe me. You fucking owe me!”
He starts to tear at my clothes, but stops when the front door opens and closes.
“Yo, Anthony! I have to talk to you!” Ajax.
Anthony is so far gone, he doesn’t hear his adopted brother rounding the corner.
“Anthony, what the fuck?! I thought you were done with this shit! Let her go.”
Ajax, being three times Anthony’s size, grabs Anthony’s collar and pulls him off me.
&n
bsp; “Jesus Christ, you son of a bitch,” Ajax growls, ducking down next to me. I whimper. Please don’t touch me.
“Hey, hey,” Ajax says softly, lifting his hands in a sign of surrender, “it’s okay. I’m just gonna cover you up, okay? It’s all okay.”
Am I not covered?
Ajax lifts his shirt over his head and places it over my body. I wanna revel in it, but my toe is kicked. I look up to see Anthony at my feet, hovering over me with murder in his eyes.
“Please,” I whimper, trying to back away.
The most terrifying growl erupts from Ajax as he shoves to his feet. He storms over to Anthony and punches him square in the nose. Blood immediately starts to fall.
“I’ve always defended you, even though I knew what you were doing! Instead of turning you in, I tried to help you. You swore if we got your wife back, you wouldn’t hurt her anymore. You’re my brother, man. My fucking brother. You took me in when I had no one. I’ve wanted to repay the favor but—but I can’t sit by while you do this anymore, man. I can’t and I won’t. This shit is fucked. Kiki’s bleeding. She’s bruised. You almost, fuck, you almost raped her, man.”
“She’s my wife!” Anthony roars.
“She didn’t consent, you fucking son a bitch!”
Ajax goes to punch him again but Anthony doesn’t let him this time. Anthony yanks his pocketknife from his breast coat pocket and stabs Ajax. Over and over and over again.
“Stop!” I scream. “You’re killing him! Please!”
Oh God, Ajax. I roll over on my side and vomit.
“This is your fault, Katrina.”
Anthony’s right above me. His white shirt is covered in blood. I’m gonna be sick again. Anthony grabs Ajax’s t-shirt off me and throws it over Ajax’s large, bleeding body and then lifts me up.
“You know where I’m sending you for this, wife.”
No, please! Anywhere but there!
* * *
Guy
“How could this happen?” I snarl.
Frances comes to my side. Rain charges forward, slips her heel off and lifts it like she’s gonna plunge her heel through the car window. Thankfully, at the last minute she changes her mind.
