by Alta Hensley
“Don’t move,” Harley whispered.
“Let me—”
“You’ll get yourself killed. I don’t have a goddamn gun! We have to attack from behind if we have any chance of surviving. Don’t fucking move,” he commanded in the harshest of whispers. “They have guns. I know these fuckers, and they are ruthless and deadly.”
I struggled with him as he covered my mouth with his hand. Another scream from Janie evoking horrifying, unimaginable fear filled the hallway. It appeared as if The Dollhouse was under siege by ruthless men set on killing and raping the dolls. I trembled under Harley’s weight. He laid on top of me, his arms wrapped around me, his face closer than ever before.
“I won’t let anything happen to you,” he whispered. “I may not be able to save her, but I sure as fuck can save you. Remain silent, or we’re all dead. That girl is already dead.”
“No, she’s not! Help her. Help her,” I pleaded quietly against his hand as I watched one of the men stab Janie in the stomach again, pull the knife out and stood with a menacing grin as he towered over her dying body.
“It’s too late,” Harley said against my ear. “Those stab wounds are deadly. She’ll be gone in minutes. There’s nothing we can do. That girl was dead before we even saw her.”
I closed my eyes and squeezed them tight. I prayed for this nightmare to end. They were going to kill her… slowly in the most tortuous of ways. Janie was going to die, and I couldn’t do anything but remain protected by Harley Crow when he couldn’t offer the same protection for her.
“Please leave me alone,” Janie begged in terror as she struggled for breath. I could hear the gurgle of blood laced in her words as it seeped out the corners of her mouth.
“We gave you a chance to put your dollhouse charms to good use. We gave the other dolls their chance as well. They chose death,” the man said with pure evil in his tone, as he studied the bloody knife. “You foolishly refused too.”
I couldn’t keep my eyes closed. Even though I knew. I knew what I would see. I tensed and dug my nails into Harley’s skin. He pressed his body into mine, shoving us closer to the hidden shadows of the vase and column.
With one quick motion, the man slit Janie’s throat. “Die, bitch.”
I heard Janie gasping. He hadn’t killed her. Down the hallway, out of my reach, lay my friend writhing in pain and facing death with monsters all around her.
“Don’t move an inch,” Harley whispered. Harley reached up and clutched the back of my head. How he maintained a steady breath, I didn’t know. My heart raced, and I couldn’t stop shaking no matter how hard I tried to make myself. Harley placed a soft, reassuring kiss on my cheek, and moments later, heavy boot steps ran past us, disappearing in the distance. I struggled to move, but Harley still wouldn’t let me go.
“Come on! Let’s get the fuck out of here. The dolls aren’t here. We have our fucking timing off! We killed three of them.”
“Marty’s dead!” one of the men screamed. “I think one of the dolls got away! Fuck! Let’s get out of here! She may have gone for help.”
“Fuck that! We can’t leave empty handed. Find anything worth value at least.”
I glanced at Janie lying in her own pool of blood and knew I needed to get to her.
“Wait,” Harley whispered when I tried to move. “They aren’t out of my line of sight yet.”
Seconds seemed like hours as I lay underneath him. Janie gurgled in her own blood down the massive hallway. Each painful breath stabbed at my ears.
As the men disappeared into the belly of the house, Harley finally rose and released me as I ran to the dying woman’s side. Still alive, but with only minutes left, she gasped for oxygen. Harley removed his shirt and balled it at her neck and the wound gushing blood, but I knew there was no point.
“I’m going to go kill the motherfuckers,” Harley said in low and hushed voice, and for a moment I wondered if I was staring at the devil himself as darkness cloaked every expression on his face. “Help should be here soon.” He didn’t wait for a response, but ran down the hall after the men responsible for the terror.
“Everything’s going to be all right,” I lied, kneeling down beside Janie. “I won’t let anyone hurt you again, I promise.”
Janie clawed at me, crying and gasping. The only comfort I could give her was to cradle her head and stroke her forehead. Her body jerked, blood gushed out her neck, and the blood stains on my clothing grew with every second. Death blanketed us.
“You’re going to be okay,” I lied again, loathing my own words. Janie was moments from death, and this was all I could offer. “You held your dignity. You didn’t let them steal that from you. You should be proud that you stayed strong and you fought hard. You weren’t weak, Janie. You’re the strongest person I know.”
Janie’s eyes widened, and she gasped through failed breaths. She tried to speak, but her own blood drowned the words from surfacing. She only had minutes left, if not seconds.
“Relax. Just relax. It won’t be long until this awful nightmare goes away. Just close your eyes and stop the fight. You don’t have to fight anymore. You did good. So good. Just close your eyes and relax.”
Gunshots fired in the distance, and for a moment I considered running for safety. What if Harley was dead and those men were coming back for me? But I stayed. I wasn’t sure how much of my words Janie heard. No one should have to die alone. I would not allow her to die alone.
Janie opened her mouth to try to speak again and blood poured out as she grabbed my hands, shaking with a grip of pure panic. She faced the fear of death.
“You’re safe now. You’re safe now,” I repeated my words.
I rocked on my knees with my dying friend’s head in my lap until she took her final rippled breath.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” I said. But no matter how many times I said the words, nothing would bring Janie back.
I set down her head, rose, and stumbled to the wall, mourning the loss of a woman I couldn’t save. Grieving someone I had grown to love. My lungs heaved, unable to breathe through my sobs.
“We couldn’t have saved her,” Harley said loudly as he approached me, covered in blood that I assumed wasn’t his own since he wasn’t trying to be quiet like before. “You have to know that. Even if we fought those men off, help wouldn’t have gotten here fast enough to save her. Her wounds were fatal.”
I leaned against the cool wall for support, covered in blood and lacking any energy to talk. I bit my lip, shook my head, and turned away from him, burying my face in my bloody hands. I had nothing to say to him, nothing at all.
“I know that wasn’t easy to see.” Harley paused for a moment. “Look at me when I’m speaking to you, please.” I removed my hands and faced him, but couldn’t look into his eyes.
Harley continued, his tone fiercely disapproving. “Stop blaming yourself. You didn’t do this. Don’t you dare blame us. Trust me. I’ve seen a lot of people die, but I wasn’t going to see you die too if I could help it.”
“She was my friend! She was a human being who didn’t deserve to die like that!”
“No, she didn’t deserve it. And you were seconds from suffering the same fate if I hadn’t stopped you. Bravery can be the same thing as foolishness. You have to be smart to be strong.”
“We should have done something.”
“I did. They are dead now.
“We should have done something then! When Janie needed us!”
“Do you know what they would have done to you if they found us? They would have just killed me. But do you know what they would have done to you before killing you?”
“Yes, Harley, I know exactly what they would have done, and death would be a blessing in comparison. I know what those fuckers wanted! I get it.”
“Do you know I would have saved her if I thought we weren’t too late? I would also have slaughtered each and every one of them—or at least die trying—if it were just me. But I had a chance of at least savin
g you, and I was going to do so. I knew they would die by my hand, but I had to time it right. Do you believe that?”
“Yes.”
“But I’m sorry about your friends.” He looked up as if he could see the other dolls lying in their own blood. “I should go check on the others just in case…”
“I just can’t believe…” I hiccupped on a sob. “How did this happen? Why would anyone do this?”
Harley opened his mouth to speak, but paused for a few seconds. “Money. The Drayton Dolls have a very high price tag right now on the black market. Victor has built quite the reputation, and the tales of the dolls have the worst monsters wanting a piece of it. Like priceless art or rare gems, the dolls have become just as coveted.”
“They came to kidnap us and sell us on the black market?” I asked, wiping at my eyes and nose with the back of my hand.
He nodded. “I got wind of this. It’s why I came to tell Victor to up security. I didn’t think anyone would act so soon. I sure as hell would have come here more prepared if I had.” He looked around. “Are you sure there were only four of you total?”
I simply nodded.
“Let’s go see if we can find the others. The men said they were dead, but…” Harley paused, clearly trying to be sensitive of my feelings. “Are you going to be okay?”
“No.”
“I’m sorry you had to see that.” Harley reached for my hand and pulled me into an embrace. “We’ll get you out of here, call Victor and the others, and make sure this never happens again. I promise.”
He held me as I cried, stroking my hair softly. He stepped backwards away from me, swiping at the tears streaming down my face. Unable to stand any longer, I dropped to my knees and sobbed out his name. “Victor. We need to call Victor right now.”
Harley held me tight and stroked my hair. “I know. We will. And trust me, I know Victor. He will make whoever is behind this attack pay for what they did. He won’t let anyone get away with messing with his dolls. Someone will pay for what happened here. At least know that. Your friends’ death will not be forgotten or forgiven.”
17
Victor
“Where is she?” I demanded as I stormed into the house and saw Harley waiting for me, covered in blood, using a towel to try to wipe his hands and arms clean. Whose blood it was, I had no idea. But it was enough to make me sick with fear. “Where’s Ivy?”
Harley raised his hands to try to calm me. “Ivy’s fine. She’s shaken up pretty badly, but she’s okay. Minus a few bruises and scrapes, she’s fucking lucky to be alive. She’s a fighter, but I’m not sure she would have survived had I not arrived.” His face darkened. “The others weren’t so lucky. The other three are dead.”
I nodded as I was already aware. I had been briefed on the situation quickly as I was on the jet on our way to Berlin. I had immediately turned the jet around in a panic. Armed men were waiting for us at the airport to make sure the dolls were escorted back to The Dollhouse safely. The plan was to gather our belongings and leave The Dollhouse immediately. But all I could focus on as we rushed home was Ivy. I had to make sure she was all right, and that nothing would happen to her, and I needed to handle it myself. I didn’t trust anyone but me to be with her.
The dolls came into the foyer, all looking terrified at the bloody mess before them. Some gasped, others cried, and I knew they were all terrified. “Pack up your belongings. We’ll be leaving here within the hour,” I instructed.
“Oh my God,” Amber said. “Are they really dead? Janie and the new girls? I can’t believe this happened.”
“Like I told you all on the plane,” I said, trying to be sensitive to the terror I knew they all must have been feeling seeing the blood of people they once cared for all over the house. “The only survivor was Ivy. I’m going to go check on her now. But it’s important we leave this house as soon as possible and get to a safe location. So please act fast. We’ll discuss this further once we leave. I promise you. Just go now.”
I wasn’t sure if it was that the dolls were just trained to take my commands and follow them, or if they were all too stunned to object, but they all scurried off to do as I asked.
“Where is she,” I asked Harley again.
“She’s in the bathroom trying to get cleaned up.”
I glanced around and noticed that though I saw a lot of blood, I didn’t see any bodies. “Where are all the dead? You said you killed three men? Where are they? Where are the women?”
“I have people taking care of the bodies for now. We’ll deal with all of that later, but I think we should leave the authorities out of this. It’s messy, and it’s best to let my cleaner take it from here. Trust me to handle all this, Victor. Though I’m trying to step away from that dark world because of Marlowe, I’m still the one to fix this for you. Let me take care of everything.”
“That’s asking a lot,” I said. “I know that since Marlowe moved in with you, you’re trying to turn over a new leaf. I can’t expect you to fuck up your life because of me.”
“Marlowe understands,” Harley said. “I didn’t exactly have a choice when I killed those fuckers. But I sure as shit picked a shitty time to stop carrying a gun with me full-time. Marlowe isn’t exactly happy I had to still kill, but I’ve spoken to her and informed her of what’s going on. She was the one to suggest what I’m about to also offer you.” Harley looked down at his bloody hands and began cleaning them again. “Take everyone to my house in the bayou. The only way to get there is by boat. It’s safe in the sense that there is only one way to get to the house. We can guard the entry point easier, and hear if anyone is attacking. The people who are responsible may not think to find you at my place. They most likely will come back here first, then your other properties, and maybe even Spiked Roses. I don’t think any of those fucks would have the balls to fuck with me even if they do eventually figure your location out.”
“I couldn’t put you and Marlowe out like that. There are a lot of dolls and—”
“I don’t offer things I don’t want to do. And Marlowe insisted. She’s already setting up the rooms and making all the necessary arrangements,” Harley interrupted. “And I need time to figure out exactly who was behind this. So at least until I get all the facts, I really think it’s what we should do. I don’t want to see any more of your dolls get killed or kidnapped.”
“Nor do I,” I said through clenched teeth. I took a deep breath as I processed Harley’s words. “Fine, but only if you promise me that we’ll find the asshole behind all of this, and I get to kill him. Not you. Me.”
“You have my word.” Harley lifted up his bloody hands. “I’m trying to give up killing anyway. But as you can see, it’s not so easy for me to do.”
I started to walk toward the bathroom to check on Ivy. I stopped and placed my hand on Harley’s shoulder. “Thank you, man. I don’t know what I would have done had you not been here to help. I owe you.”
Not waiting for a response, I turned to find the one person I didn’t ever want to leave again. Never again would I leave her side. Never again would her life be at risk. Never fucking again.
Ivy
Staring in the mirror of the small bathroom, my body tensed, then froze solid. My eyes widened at the woman looking back at me. My hair clung in snarled knots around my head. Bloody smudges covered my face, hiding my perfect doll makeup from earlier, and my eyes were so dark with sadness. I looked beaten, broken, yet at the same time I stared at a woman who had survived. Spirit held my shoulders up, even as the blood-drenched dress I wore cast the presence of death from before. Tears pouring from my eyes, I took a deep breath, summoning whatever strength I had left to continue on. In the reflection of the mirror, I saw the door open. As if I were lost in a dream, I saw Victor on the other side.
He took a few steps toward me. “Ivy? Are you all right?”
One step at a time, he made his way to my motionless body. He approached me cautiously as if I were a caged animal that could attack at any m
oment. I saw the fear and sadness in his eyes. Harley must have filled him in on what had happened.
Turning sideways, I stared over my shoulder at the man I’d feared at one point I’d never see again. Did he know I failed him? Did he know I allowed Janie to be killed?
Despite his cautious tone, his familiar voice eased some of the panic tormenting my soul. I reached for his extended hand.
“What happened? Can you tell me what happened to you?”
Tears exploded from my eyes, streaking the dried blood on my cheeks. “Janie is dead, and so are Lisa and Trudy. I held Janie in my arms as she struggled in pain for her last breath.” A tortured sob escaped my quivering lips, forcing me to collapse to my knees as I felt like my body didn’t have enough air to survive on.
Like a wary wolf, he slowly placed a hand on my shoulder. Was he expecting me to bolt at any moment? I continued to sob into my dirty hands.
“What happened? Who did this?” I asked between gasping breaths.
Victor knelt down and wiped my hair away from my eyes, appearing careful not to come on too strong. “Harley told me that the price on a Drayton Doll has made you all a commodity. Therefore, in a lot of danger. I had no idea.”
“Who wanted us? What were they going to do? Sell us?”
Unable to keep from comforting me any longer, Victor lifted my shivering body into his embrace. The scent of Janie’s blood seared into my nostrils. Now I was spreading the proof of her death on his perfectly pressed pinstriped suit.
“I don’t know who ordered this, but when I find out…” His body tensed. “Harley is finding out. But I promise you, the men whom Harley didn’t kill, and whomever is behind this will fucking pay. I swear to you. I will kill each one and make it known to all to never come near one of you women again.”
I tensed, but didn’t pull away. I expected Harley to be violent, but hearing those words come from Victor’s lips surprised me and sent a shiver down my spine. I had no doubt he meant every single word.
