by MINK
I grab a matching set of panties and bra before pulling on a sun dress. My eyes roam over the shoes. I’m sure I should wear sandals or something, but I grab the plain white tennis shoes.
“Laura.” I let out a small scream and spin around to see Scott stepping into the closet. I stand there for a second, shocked to see him.
“I’ve come to get you out of here.” He holds his hand out for me. I stare at it. “Laura.” He says my name with a little more force. “We don’t have a lot of time.”
“I like it here,” I admit.
Scott looks around the closet before shaking his head. “You like it here because he’s made you think he’s some great guy when he’s not.”
I wring my hands together. From everything I’ve seen, Xavier seems pretty great to me. Besides all the bargaining to get me and keeping me as a collateral thing. Other than those things—totally in the past, right?
“That’s not true. He saved us. He’s been good to me. Really good to me.” My cheeks warm.
“Keeping you as a prisoner is good to you?”
I still don’t understand that. Maybe he’s lonely, too. I don’t know why. A man like Xavier should have women falling all over him. I’ve never even asked if he was with anyone else. I’m going to guess he’s not married, because he’s here every night. Where does he go when he leaves here?
“Laura,” Scott snaps.
“I want to stay. I’ll talk to Xavier. I’m sure he’ll work something out about the money.”
Scott closes his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose.
“I didn't want to show you this, but you’ve given me no other choice.” He pulls out his phone and turns it my way. My hand flies over my mouth, and I close my eyes. It’s a picture of the man from yesterday, the one who was flirting with me, and he’s definitely dead. It looked like someone used him as a punching bag.
“You’re not the only girl.”
I shake my head, not believing the words coming from my brother. There can’t be others. The way Xavier looks at me says so. He’d know it would hurt me, and Xavier never hurts me. He protects me from everyone that tries to.
“Really, Laura? You don’t think he doesn't have a few mistresses?”
“I’ll ask him.” I take a step back.
“He’s got you.” Scott looks around the closet again. “You’re like a shiny new toy to him that he doesn’t want to take out of the package.”
I bite my bottom lip, because that didn't sound terrible. Doesn't that mean he thinks I’m priceless? That he wants me untouched unless it’s by his hands alone? He does call me precious. Or am I just making excuses? My eyes start to sting and water.
“Let me talk to him, Scott. Maybe he can explain what—”
Scott shakes his head. “He’s not a good man, Laura.”
“But he saved us.”
“No he didn't. It was all staged.” He runs a hand down his face. “I don’t know how he did it, but he did. He made sure I got in deep so he could come in and save the day. He’s the reason we were in that room. The reason you were scared out of your mind and making deals with slimy men.”
I close my eyes as I remember being back there. That room. The saw. A chill runs up my spine, my throat going tight. I’d never been so scared in my life. Xavier wouldn't do that to me. Would he? Had he wanted me so badly that he’d gone through with this elaborate plan?
“Laura, Xavier controls all the bookies in this town. He had the power to clear my debt with nothing more than a word. He didn’t need you for collateral. He owns Fat Tommy.”
I don’t tell my brother he’s wrong. Because the more I think about it, the more it falls into place, to my horror. It’s too much of a coincidence that Xavier asked me out so many times and then this all happened. He was there to save the day. He got me to offer myself. But not until after I thought they were going to kill my brother and then me. I’d thought about the coincidence when I first got here, but the longer I was with Xavier, I couldn't believe he’d do that to me.
“We don’t have much time. He’ll be back soon.” Scott holds his hand out to me again.
A tear rolls down my cheek. How pathetic am I that I still want to stay? My mom really did a job on me. The first time someone gives me attention, and I take it no matter what. I know I can’t stay. I won’t ever be able to trust him. He’s a good actor. I’ll never know what’s real and what’s fake. I take Scott's hand this time.
My heart breaks more with each step I take away from Xavier. So much for him never hurting me.
20
Xavier
“This isn’t a fucking joke, Cain.” I keep my tone level, despite the fact I’d like to break his neck. “Henley is just a symptom of the disease you’ve brought into my organization.” I lean across my desk, glaring at him. “And he came back here to kill me.” The thought of him harming Laura, of her possibly being in the line of fire, sets my rage alight all over again.
“You killed him. I’m not sure what else you’d like me to do about it.” Cain’s tone is just as even as mine.
“Dispose of him. Inform his family and his connections of what went down.”
“Name you?” His eyebrows rise.
“Yes. Let it serve as a warning.” I wave a hand at him. “Don’t fuck with Vegas. This city is mine. Understand?”
He nods. “Yes, but Henley isn’t just some—”
“Henley’s dead. I’ll kill anyone who comes to my home and threatens me or the ones I love. Don’t fucking doubt it, Cain.”
He leans back and nods. “I see. The girl?”
“She’s mine.” My fingers curl into fists.
“I didn’t touch her.” He shrugs. “Other than accidentally. I wasn’t sure if you’d killed Henley for coming on to her.”
“I would have.” I grit my teeth. “But no, I killed him before he could gut me in my own home.”
“I understand. His associates will accept that explanation.”
“It’s the way of our world. If they have a problem with me defending my family, I’ll happily give them an in-person demonstration.” I stand. This meeting is over.
Cain stands, too, deference in his mien, though he’s no fucking goon. He used to be my second in command until I set him on his own path. He runs the underground fighting rings in the city. Once a sliver of my business, now it’s a big earner for Cain, and I get a nice percentage. He’s making a name for himself. I reviewed the video of his interaction with Laura. He’s clear. But Henley? He would’ve met a bloody end with or without threatening my life. No one touches my girl.
“Out. I have business.”
“Something important?”
“Very.” I walk him out of my office and toward the front door.
“Our business keeps us on our toes. Never a moment’s rest.”
Della turns a corner ahead of us. “I have that Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Uzbekistan ready, and I’m about to make the popcorn.” She bustles past.
“Important business, eh?” Cain grins.
“Fuck off.” I open the front door for him. “And don’t bring any more security threats into my house. Got it?”
“My apologies. He’d been vouched for, but I suppose we can’t trust anyone anymore. Not with the way this city is going.”
“Trust is a luxury we can’t afford.” I give him a stern nod, then close the door.
I slap my palms together and rub them in anticipation. Not for the movies, but for what Laura had promised to do to me the next time we were in the theater room. My cock wakes at the thought of it, and I speed my steps along the hall.
The smell of popcorn wafts to my nose as I take the steps two at a time. When I glance into our bedroom, I don’t find Laura. Sue is snoring lightly at the foot of the bed. Laura must already be in position for the movie-thon. I smile at the thought of it, of how pleasant it is to just sit and watch movies with her. And when she gets excited and explains what’s different in the books or gives me tidbits of background he
re and there, I can’t help but love her. She truly is priceless, the missing treasure that’s made me a whole man instead of just a bitter shell.
I bound up the stairs to the movie room and hit the house lights.
I stop.
She’s not here. I cock my head to the side. Where is she? A tickle of dread rolls down my spine.
Whirling, I rush back down the stairs to our bedroom. My heavy steps wake Sue, who jumps to attention, her ears sharp. I dart into the bathroom. No Laura. The closet is also empty. Where the fuck is she?
My heart starts to pound as I hurry down the stairs to my office. I pull up the surveillance cams on my computer and search around until I find her. And not just her. Scott.
“Fuck!” I slam my fist on the desk when I see them disappear across the rooftop of my house and onto the stony ridge that runs along the back wall.
“What’d I miss?” Della leans against the doorframe and nibbles some popcorn.
“She’s gone.” I run a hand through my hair.
“Yeah. I know.”
“You knew?” I step around my desk and glare down at her. “And you didn’t stop her?”
“Nope.” She shrugs. “She was with her brother. She’s safe. Have you never heard the whole ‘if you love something, let it go’ thing?”
“Della.” I’ve never wanted to hurt Della. Not once. But right this second? I’m contemplating all sorts of violence. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Listen, if you want her, you have to win her. Not keep her captive. If you hadn’t let her go, she wouldn’t have stayed. Eventually, she’d have learned the truth about how she came to be here in the first place, and then where would you be?” She taps the side of her nose. “You’d be right where you are now. Alone. At least this way, you can explain it to her and give her a chance to choose you. Not choose for her. Understand?”
“You let her go.” I keep trying to breathe, to remember that Della is the closest thing I have to a big sister.
“I just said that.” She crunches some more popcorn. “But that doesn’t mean you can’t chase her.” She waggles her eyebrows. “How do you think I landed Esmeralda? Just sitting around and let her run off? No, I chased her. Told her my truths and let her judge for herself.”
I try to listen to her, but all I feel is the yawning pit in my chest. My priceless Laura is gone, the most precious gift I’ve ever … stolen. I take a deep breath. Laura is a gift, and I didn’t receive it, I took it. But that’s who I am. I take what I want. But then, how can Laura choose me? How can it be real if she doesn’t have a choice? I rub my temples.
“I see I’m getting through to you for once.” She smiles, her eyes just as kind as they’ve always been. “Go get her, Xavier. Show her you can be a good man.”
“Only for her.” I drop my hands.
She shrugs. “Of course. Be bad to your enemies, but good to your bride.” She turns to leave, then holds up a finger. “Speaking of that, what are we doing with the stiff in the basement?”
“Cain’s taking care of it. It’s his mess.” I rush back to my desk and grab my keys.
“Good. I hate all the work it takes to get rid of a body.” She wrinkles her nose. “Hurts my back.”
“I’m going to get her.” I hurry past her and into the hall.
“Bring her back.” Della grins and reaches down to pet Sue. “Bring her back to all of us.”
21
Laura
“You’re scaring me.”
I turn to look at Scott. I have no idea how long we've been driving. It’s all been a blur. I feel numb. I try to force a small smile, because I can see the worry etched into his face. I wish life could’ve been different for him. Scott means well, but he’s always getting himself into trouble, and I know it’s turning him inside out that this time his mess touched me. I can only hope this has made him think about his ways and makes him really change.
“I’m fine. It’s a lot to take in.” My emotions are all over the place. The sadness that I’m feeling threatens to escape me, but I hold it together.
He reaches out and grabs my hand, wrapping his fingers around mine. “You’re freezing. Why didn’t you say something?” He flips on the heat.
“This is Vegas. It’s never freezing.” He’s right. Could I really be in shock? After all I’ve gone through this week, I can’t believe this is what shocks me.
“Where are we going?” I ask. Does it really matter?
“I don’t know, to be honest.” He suddenly presses on the gas, speeding up.
I glance in the mirror thinking maybe he saw something. His phone starts to ring, drawing my attention back to him. He pulls it out and looks at the number before powering it off altogether.
“You’re tired.” I can see the exhaustion under his eyes.
“And you can’t drive a stick.”
“We can drive off the road a bit and park somewhere. You can sleep for a while, and then once you’re rested we’ll figure this out.”
“We need to get out of Vegas. I’ll drive for a few hours, and then we’ll stop.”
I nod, a knot forming in my throat at the thought of us essentially being on the run. I can tell Scott’s whole body is filled with tension and worry.
“He won’t kill you.” He jerks his head over to look at me.
“What makes you say that?” Somehow, I already know Xavier wouldn’t harm me in the physical sense. He’d already broken my heart, so I don’t have to worry about that. My concern is more for Scott once Xavier figures out I’m missing. But I don’t say that to him. I have to hope that whatever Xavier felt for me was enough to keep Scott alive.
“I think it’s pretty fucking clear Xavier will do just about anything to get his hands on you.”
“But he didn’t hurt me. Except that first night when he scared me. He won’t hurt you, because he’ll know it’ll upset me.”
“He wouldn't tell you, Laura. You think men like Xavier get to where they are by announcing all the dirty deeds they’ve done? He knows I’ll keep trying to save you from him. Trust me. He’s going to want me dead.”
I look down at my cold hands.
“Don’t make him into something he’s not. He puts on a good show. Remember that.”
Scott’s right. Xavier set my brother up and then kidnapped me. I have to keep reminding myself that Xavier wasn’t who he seemed to be.
I think I’m most upset at myself. I’m so desperate for love that I’m trying to make up excuses for a very bad man. I turn back to look out the window, my eyes stinging with tears. I don’t want to cry.
“I’m sorry I got you into this.” I hate the quaver in my voice.
“This isn't your doing.”
“It kind of is.” If it wasn't for me, this wouldn't be happening. Xavier not only went after my weakness, but he went after Scott’s too.
“It doesn't matter. It’s time for a new start.” He tries to make his tone light. I’m not so sure it will be that easy. How can you have a new start when you don’t have a penny to your name? When you can’t even go to your home to retrieve the only belongings you do have? I have no doubt that we can’t use our real names.
Somehow, I know that Xavier will leave no stone unturned to find me. And with all the money, power, and connections that man has, it seems as if the odds are really stacked against us this time. I think we’re all but screwed.
He’s going to find us. It’s inevitable.
“Fuck.” I hear my brother shout before bright lights blind me, and my world explodes. The sound of crushing metal and shattering glass fills my ears as the world spins before everything goes dark.
“Xavier.” I breathe his name as I try to open my eyes. They're so heavy. I touch my pounding forehead and feel something warm and wet as I finally get my eyes to open. Only to see bright lights shining on my blood-coated fingers. How could I feel colder than before?
“Run. Xavier found us,” Scott chokes out. His eyes are still closed. “Run, Laura.”
&nbs
p; I unclick my seatbelt and try to get to him.
“Scott. Look at me,” I demand, but his head drops forward. I scream his name as I get out of the car so that I can go around to the driver's side to help him. I’m unsteady on my feet, but that’s not what stops me. I look up to see a man I’ve never seen before.
“I’m starting to see why there is so much trouble over one little girl.” The man’s accent is so thick I almost don’t understand what he says. “Put her into the trunk. Leave that one. He’ll let Xavier know who was here.” He pushes me into another man who smells of whiskey.
I try and fight, but my head pounds as spots dance in my eyes.
“She’s feisty.”
I scream when he throws me over his shoulder, my head wanting to explode as he carries me off. I tell myself to fight, but I can barely get myself to move now. He drops me hard into something. I stare up to see three men in suits who are all talking. I don’t know if my head is pounding so hard that I’m confused or if they aren't speaking English.
“Don’t stop screaming. I like the sound,” the one in the middle says. I think it’s the one who picked me up.
“I’m sure I’ll enjoy yours, too,” I grit out. The smile on his face drops away as he reaches for me, and the sounds of gunfire fill the air.
22
Xavier
Something inside me breaks apart when I see the wreck. It’s all happening too fucking fast. The Russians didn’t waste any time. That prick Henley must’ve alerted them about Laura before I ended his game of wannabe gangster.
“Fuck!” I can’t do anything except will my car to go faster despite the pedal being on the floor.
When I round the dusty desert curve and find the smoking wreck, I snap. Fear like I’ve never felt floods into me. Fear for Laura. For the one I value above all others. And behind that fear another emotion wells up. It’s one I know well. Rage. The kind that always ends with bodies on the floor.
