As I carried my clothes back to my bed to shove them in my bag, my eyes landed on one of my pillows. After Reid’s late-night intrusion, I’d started keeping my gun under my pillow instead of in my nightstand drawer. If I could get to it, maybe I would have a fighting chance against them. And possibly get Reid killed. I wanted to scream. There was no way that I could pull a gun on my father without Wesley or Bradley killing Reid or me. I knew Bradley wouldn’t hesitate, and what Wesley would do was up in the air at the moment.
“Hurry up!” Bradley barked, his gun still pointed at me.
I ignored him as I dropped my clothes down onto the bed, right on top of my pillow. Maybe if I couldn’t use it now, I could at least take it with me. I started quickly tossing clothes into my bag. Once the pile was almost gone, I slipped my hand under the edge of the pillow. When my fingers touched the cold metal, I almost smiled. As soon as I had a chance, my father would be in for one hell of a surprise. There was no way that he would take me back to London alive, not after I’d had a taste of freedom. I would die first.
I slid the gun out from under my pillow and grabbed a pair of jeans, careful to make sure that the jeans covered my gun. I shoved both into my bag before piling a few more things on top. There was no way I could get extra bullets in the bag, but at least my gun was loaded. It would have to be enough.
“Let’s go,” Bradley said.
I zipped my bag. He walked over to me and grabbed my arm. I tried to jerk away, but he tightly held me. If I really wanted to, I knew I could break his grasp. But then, I’d have a real fight on my hands with three trained killers and Reid lying helpless on the floor.
Bradley kept a firm grip on me as we crossed my room. Wesley walked out in front of us, and my father fell in line behind us. I fought not to cry as I stepped over Reid’s legs. He would be okay. He had to be okay. Any other outcome was too unbearable to think about.
Wesley and Bradley put away their guns as we walked down the hall and to the front door.
“We wouldn’t want any nosy neighbors to get hurt, now would we?” Bradley asked as he smirked at me. He obviously hated me more now than he ever had.
As we passed the couch, I grabbed my purse and flung it over my shoulder. If I escaped, which I had every intention of doing, I would need the ID and cash inside. I wouldn’t get far without either of those.
No one in our group spoke as we left the apartment and headed to the first floor. When we stepped out of my building and onto the sidewalk, Wesley continued walking, but Bradley and my father stopped. Since Bradley was still trying to squeeze the life out of my arm, I was forced to stop as well.
“Where is Wes going?” I asked.
“To get our car,” my father said from behind me.
Wesley disappeared around the corner a moment later. If I wanted a chance to escape without him or Reid getting hurt, now was the time. I briefly closed my eyes as I prepared myself.
Before I could move a muscle, my father spoke again, “I wouldn’t do anything stupid, Bree. After all, your friend is still unconscious on your bedroom floor. If you try to escape, he’ll be the one who suffers the most.”
I knew my father was telling the truth. Human life meant nothing to him. He would kill without emotion just as he always had. Without remorse, he’d killed his own men for disobeying him. To him, I knew that killing Reid wouldn’t even register.
“I’m not going to do anything stupid, Father. Have a little faith,” I said without looking over my shoulder at him.
“Of course you wouldn’t.” I could hear the sarcasm loud and clear in his voice. “That’s why we’re standing on a street in Dallas instead of being back home in London.”
I kept my mouth shut as a silver Toyota 4Runner appeared from around the corner. When it stopped in front of us, I raised an eyebrow. Wesley was in the driver’s seat.
“What happened to all black SUVs?”
Bradley was the one who answered, “Because that’s what you expect from us, isn’t it? We’ve followed you around for a week in this, and you never once noticed us.”
I fought not to groan out loud. All those times I’d felt like someone was watching, I’d been right. They’d been here for just over a week, watching my every move and learning everything they could about me. It felt strange to be the one being stalked instead of doing the stalking. I wanted to kick myself for ignoring every feeling I’d had that I was being watched. My gut instinct had never failed me before. Maybe if I’d listened to it this time, I wouldn’t be in this situation.
Bradley walked to the rear passenger door and opened it. He shoved me through the door before climbing in himself. I clung to my bag as I scooted as far away as I could and tried the other door. It wouldn’t open, not that I’d expected it to.
My father climbed into the passenger seat, and then we were off. The inside of the car was silent as Wesley drove through Dallas. This early in the morning, few other cars were on the road. I did see several people hanging around on the streets outside of bars and a few twenty-four-hour convenience stores. Once again, I was on the outside, looking in. I’d been a fool to think I could live a normal life with my father still alive. He hated me enough to make sure that he found me. If I ever truly wanted to escape, I would have to kill him. I wasn’t sure that I could do that. I hated him, but he was my father after all. I wasn’t as heartless as he was.
We reached the interstate in record time, thanks to the lack of traffic. Wesley merged and headed north.
“Where are we going?” I asked.
“Away from anything you’re familiar with. We’re going to a hotel in Fort Worth. Our private flight home is tomorrow morning. But don’t think that you’ll have a chance to escape while we wait,” Wesley said without looking back at me.
Those were the only words he’d spoken since they’d shown up in my room. My heart broke as I watched his expressionless face in the mirror. I’d missed him so much since leaving London. Having him here, so close yet still so far away, was torturous. I wanted my Wesley, the man he was when it was only the two of us.
For the first time since arriving in Dallas, I let myself think of the kiss he’d given me in the airport parking lot. Wesley was the only person I’d ever willingly allowed to touch me, and he knew it. He’d never gone further than a hug or kiss to my forehead. He’d never pushed the boundaries of our friendship like he had that night. Maybe he’d kissed me out of fear for what was to come next. Maybe he’d assumed that would be the last time we ever saw each other. Or maybe he’d known that eventually they’d find me, and we’d be on opposite sides.
Or maybe Wesley had cared about me more than I’d realized. That thought…I wanted to say that it terrified me—because it did—but it also made me feel something else. I just wasn’t sure what.
I stared out my window, reading billboards and studying the passing cars. I needed to stop worrying about Wesley’s kiss and start focusing on how I was going to get out of this mess I’d found myself in. The odds weren’t in my favor, not by a long shot. Bradley, my father, and Wesley were all trained killers who were twice my size. I might be able to take one on without getting myself killed, but there was no way that I could take on all three at once.
I needed to figure out a way to escape them without ending up dead. Since we were leaving tomorrow morning, that left me with just over twenty-four hours to figure out how. I was starting to think that there was no chance at all. And if they got me on a plane back to London, I would be finished. More of my father’s men would be waiting for us when we landed. He’d ship me off to the Irish the first chance he got.
I turned my attention to the front when Wesley flipped on his signal and took the next exit. I stayed silent as he drove through town for a few miles. He made an abrupt turn into a hotel parking lot.
I almost snorted. Leave it to my father to shack up in an expensive chain hotel while holding me hostage. His ego knew no bounds.
Wesley pulled up to the front doors and stopped. Bradley and
my father climbed out. Bradley ripped my bag out of my hands and tossed it into the back of the vehicle before grabbing me and dragging me out of the car.
“One word to anyone, and I’ll not only blow your pretty little head off, but theirs as well. Now, move,” Bradley said as he draped one of his arms over my shoulders.
To any outsiders, it would look romantic. If only they could feel the iron tight grip around my shoulders…
We walked inside the enormous hotel and headed toward the elevator bank. I took in every detail of the first floor that I could see—from the gleaming marble floors and counters to the exit doors in the very back of the lobby next to the restrooms.
The elevator dinged, and then the doors slid open for us. Bradley waited until my father stepped on board before steering me inside. The doors closed, and my father pressed the button for the sixteenth floor. I watched him in the reflection of the gold doors. He stared straight ahead with no expression at all on his face. I hated how easily he could always read me when I couldn’t to the same with him. I knew for a fact that he was enjoying himself. I was sure that the knowledge that I’d escaped him had set his blood on fire. Knowing that he’d found me, and he would have me back in London in no time at all must have him practically singing inside.
The elevator stopped on our floor, and we stepped out into a brightly lit hallway. Bradley removed his arm from around my shoulders, only to grab my arm again. He pulled me along as we exited the elevator and walked down the hallway. We passed several doorways before stopping in front of the one at the end of the hall. I watched as my father slid his key card into the slot. He swung the door open before stepping inside. Bradley and I followed right behind him.
The room was actually a suite. As soon as we walked inside, I noticed a couch and a TV. A small kitchen was set up behind it. I saw three doors as well. I assumed they were the bedrooms and the bathroom.
“Where are my things?” I demanded as soon as we were inside. I couldn’t be without my gun, money, and ID. They were my lifelines—my only lifelines.
“Wes will bring them up after he parks the car,” my father said.
Bradley released me once we reached the couch. “Sit.”
I sat.
Bradley and my father moved to the kitchen area and spoke quietly, their heads bent together. I watched them without moving. I could try to escape now, but I doubted if I’d make it far. Even if I could, they had everything I needed—or rather, Wesley did.
A few minutes later, I heard a key card in the door again. I looked up as Wesley walked in. My bag was slung over his shoulder, my purse in his hand. I would’ve made a sarcastic remark if my father and Bradley weren’t in the room with us. Wesley glanced over at the two assholes in the kitchen before his eyes landed on me. He gave me a sympathetic look before wiping his face clean. My heart sped up. With that look alone, I knew that Wesley was still on my side. He just couldn’t do anything about it at the moment.
“What took you so long?” Bradley asked Wesley.
“I had to find a place to park,” Wesley said.
Bradley grunted before motioning for Wesley to join them. He dropped my purse and bag by the door before walking into the kitchen. I almost rolled my eyes at their little powwow. They were like a bunch of teenage girls.
I waited impatiently as they spoke together. My eyes landed on my bag and purse. Maybe Wesley had left it by the door for a reason. Maybe he was trying to help me escape. I could only hope. My body tensed as I debated on whether or not it was worth it to make a run for it. I finally decided not to take the chance. If I managed to escape the hotel room, I would still have to make it to the stairs and run sixteen stories down. With the three of them so close, I wouldn’t make it more than a few flights before they caught up with me.
“I wish to speak to my daughter alone,” my father said. “Please give us a few minutes alone.”
Bradley said something, but I couldn’t hear it.
“If I need something, I’ll let you know. I can assure you that I can handle my own daughter though.”
I braced myself for the conversation that was about to take place between my father and me. I knew it wouldn’t end well. It couldn’t, not with the two of us. My father was not a patient man, and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to control myself if he pushed me.
Wesley and Bradley disappeared through one of the doors as my father walked over to where I was sitting. He sat on the opposite end of the couch. Obviously, he didn’t want to be near me. The feeling was mutual.
Neither of us spoke for a few minutes. The tension in the air was almost too much to handle. It surprised me when I didn’t shrink away from him like I normally did. I still feared him—that much I was sure of—but I refused to back down. I was done being the daughter who allowed him to do and say whatever he wanted. If he thought I’d go back to London without a fight, he was out of his mind.
“You’ve really fucked things up this time,” my father said, his voice barely above a whisper.
“If you think I’m going to beg for your forgiveness, you’re wrong,” I said without looking at him.
“I didn’t think you would. I knew from the time you were little that you would be a headstrong little thing. I was right. You’re good at what you do, but you’re too headstrong to be an asset to the organization. That’s why I agreed to let you go to the Irish. Unfortunately, your little trip to America has caused more problems than I care to think about. You’re the reason our men are dead. You’re the reason Nico is dead.”
“None of that is my fault!” I spit out. “I left because I refused to be sold like merchandise.”
“You would’ve had the same life in Ireland that you had in London. You were just being ridiculous and melodramatic as usual.”
“I wouldn’t have had Wes,” I said before I could stop myself.
My father paused for a moment before chuckling. “So, that’s what this was about.”
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
“Your attempt at freedom. It’s because you were upset over Wes.” He chuckled. “You love him enough to risk your life by leaving, yet he’s the one who’s here to retrieve you. Irony at its finest.”
“I didn’t run because of Wes,” I lied. “I ran because I was tired of the life. I was tired of being who I was. I just wanted a fresh start.”
I might have lied when I’d said my escape wasn’t because of Wesley, but the rest was the truth. I had grown tired of the life I’d been forced to lead. The killing, the fear—it had all become too much to deal with.
“You can’t run from who you truly are, Bree. I would’ve thought you’d realized that by now. People like us…well, we’re not the same as everyone else. I can’t understand why you thought you could just leave and join normal people. It doesn’t work that way for us. They’re innocents—well, most of them are. We have never been innocent, and we can’t escape what both our past and future holds.”
“That might be the case for you, but I will never again accept this life I’ve been forced into. I’m not who you want me to be. I never have been. It wasn’t my strong will that made you want to ship me off to the Irish. It was the fact that I’m nothing like you. I was nothing more than a bargaining chip that fucked you over.”
He tsked. “Your time in Dallas has made you bolder. I won’t accept that.”
I rolled my eyes. “No matter what you do, you’ll never control me again. Beat me. Yell at me. I don’t care. I won’t go back and pretend that the last few weeks never happened. I had a chance to experience life for the first time. I refuse to just let it go.”
“Once we make it back to London, the Irish will be waiting for us. You won’t be my concern any longer. I couldn’t care less what you’ve learned from the Americans.”
“I’ll refuse to go with them,” I said quietly.
“Then, you’ll die at their hands,” my father said without an ounce of remorse.
For a moment, I allowed myself to be sad over the
fact that my only flesh and blood cared nothing for me. It didn’t matter to him if I was alive or dead. He had the cold heart of a true killer, something I’d lacked and something he’d tried to beat into me over the years.
“Then, I’ll die,” I said.
He said nothing for a moment. I looked over when I felt him move off the couch.
He stood and glanced down at me. “I need to contact our pilot and Brendon. He’ll be glad to know that you’re on your way to him.”
I didn’t bother to say what was on my mind as my father called out for Wesley and Bradley. Both men appeared almost instantly.
“I’m going out for a couple of hours. I assume that you can handle Bree until I return?”
Bradley shot me a look before smirking. “Yeah, we’ll watch her. She won’t escape. She won’t even try.”
“Cocky much?” I mumbled under my breath, but none of them seemed to hear me.
“Good. If you need anything, call me,” my father said as he walked to the door.
I watched as he opened it and disappeared out into the hallway.
Taking me back to London and delivering me to the Irish would be my death sentence, and my father knew it. He just didn’t care.
Bradley made himself comfortable next to me on the couch. I ignored him as I watched Wesley grab a chair from the kitchen and carry it to a spot close to the front door. He sat down and looked back and forth between Bradley and me. Wesley knew how much I disliked Bradley. I had no doubt that he had noticed just how close Bradley was sitting next to me.
“So, Bree, why don’t you tell us all about your American holiday?” Bradley said, his voice full of condescension.
“Go fuck yourself,” I told him.
He laughed. “I see you’ve picked up some of their phrases. Americans are the rudest fuckers I’ve ever had the displeasure of meeting.”
I shrugged. “I haven’t had a problem with them. Maybe it was just you.”
The Consequences of Sin Page 12
