“Because that name keeps popping up. Valarie Vine is listed as the owner of this building as well as Hilarie Thaxton’s house. The property taxes are mailed to Valarie Vine at a PO Box in Arizona, not far from where you and Harper used to live.”
“So, what? We think someone is impersonating Valarie Vine?” I asked.
“Byte and Spazz, keep searching. Brothers, let’s lay out what we know,” Phoenix said and began writing out the facts on Harper’s bare office wall.
Harper is missing.
Shaker is missing.
Hilarie is missing.
Harper’s house exploded.
Hilarie’s house is empty.
Harper’s car is missing.
Valarie Vine owns the building.
Valarie Vine owns Hilarie Thaxton’s house.
Valarie Vine is dead.
“No fucking way!” Byte shouted.
“What?” we all asked in unison.
Byte turned his computer screen around to face us. “The picture on the left is Valarie Vine’s driver’s license photo from years ago. The picture on the right is Hilarie Thaxton’s mugshot from last month.”
I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. Valarie’s picture looked like a young Harper. They could be, well, twins. Hilarie’s picture, however, looked completely different.
Before I could ask, Byte enlarged the pictures and continued, “The eye color is different, probably contacts, but the size and shape of the eyes are the same. Also, note the mole on the upper left cheek as well as the faint scar along the right jawline. The preliminary result from my facial recognition software is a 77.58% chance of these two photos being a match.”
“Other than those three things you pointed out, they look completely different,” Phoenix stated the obvious.
Byte nodded in agreement. “They do, but everything else could be surgical, such as the cheekbones, nose, and chin, or cosmetic, like eye color and hair color. Moles can be removed, but I don’t believe anyone adds them…same thing with scars.”
Suddenly, a horrible thought came to mind as a rock settled in my gut. “How did she try to kill herself as a child?”
Duke’s face paled, and I assumed he was following my line of thoughts. “She jumped off the roof of her aunt’s house…and landed face down on the walkway.”
Fuck me. I rasped, “Hilarie Thaxton is Valarie Vine.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Harper
I froze in fear as the footsteps came closer to the bed. I felt a pinch as something pierced the skin of my arm. The footsteps retreated, and I faded into the darkness.
When I woke the next time, my head felt groggy, and I was extremely thirsty. For a brief moment, I wasn’t sure why I felt so bad, but the reality of my situation came flooding back to me the very next second.
My breathing increased, and my heart beat frantically in my chest as sheer terror tried to consume me once again. With an inner strength I didn’t know I possessed, I forced myself to calm down, and I opened my eyes. To my surprise, the lights were on. I moved my hand to shield my eyes from the bright lights and realized my hands and legs were free.
A shot of adrenaline coursed through me as I got to my feet and started exploring my surroundings. I was in a small room with concrete walls, no windows, and two doors, one open and one closed. I immediately went to the closed door to find it locked. The open door led to a bathroom, also with concrete walls and no windows.
I made use of the facilities and rinsed my mouth out with some water. I stood there for a moment, braced on the sink, and tried to gather myself. I could have a meltdown later, after I found a way out. Taking in a deep breath, I slowly released it and returned to the room to see if I could find anything useful.
The room held no furniture, other than the bed, which was somehow affixed to the floor. On the floor beside the bed, I found a few stacks of folded clothes, a loaf of bread, a jar of peanut butter, packets of jelly, a large bag of chips, and several bottles of water. What I didn’t find was something I could use as a weapon.
I took a seat on the bed, pulled my knees to my chest, and cried. It wasn’t my intention to fall asleep, but I had, and I blamed the drugs that were obviously still in my system. It was a fitful sleep with dreams filled with voices and sounds instead of images.
“Sister dearest, my plans are coming together perfectly. Soon, it will be just you and me, together again in our new home. No one will bother us, and no one will be able to find us. I wish it could be like that now, but I haven’t finished getting everything ready. It won’t be much longer. Until then, you’ll stay here, where you’re safe. I love you so much, Vanessa.”
Vanessa.
Vanessa.
Vanessa.
My eyes flew open, and I shot to a sitting position with my hand pressed to my chest and sweat beading on my forehead. I gasped in breath after breath as flashes of the past flooded my mind in vivid color, one after another.
When I opened my eyes, I saw a little girl sitting on a bed staring at me. She looked like me, almost exactly like me. Her eyes widened when she saw me look at her. She gasped and covered her mouth with her hand. “Vanessa?” In a flash, she was across the room hugging me. “I’m so glad you came back. I thought I would never see you again. I’ve missed you so much.”
“Your name is not Harper! It’s Vanessa. The sooner you learn that, the better off you’ll be. Time for another lesson,” he screamed before I felt the streak of fire across my bare back.
“What happened to you, Vanessa? You don’t act the same as you did before the accident. Why don’t you remember our secret handshake or our favorite hiding places?”
“If you would do as you're told, I wouldn’t have to keep doing this,” he spat. Then he whipped me with his belt over and over and over.
“You motherfucker! What the fuck are you doing to my sister?” my brother bellowed. My brother! Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you. Duke was there to save me. “Close your eyes, Harper! Now!” I did as he asked. Sounds of flesh meeting flesh and bones being broken followed. My bound hands prevented me from plugging my ears, so I started humming to try and drown out the noise. Suddenly, Duke was in front of me, removing the ropes and sliding a shirt over my head. “He’s dead. Take one look at him, and then I’m getting you out of here.”
I ran to the bathroom, dropped to my knees in front of the toilet, and vomited what little bit of bile and acid was in my stomach.
“It was just a dream,” I repeated to myself. They were all dead, and there was no way the Vines had anything to do with abducting me this time. The dreams were to be expected given my history.
With my elbows propped on the toilet seat and my hands cradling my face, I recalled something Ember said when she was teaching us some self-defense moves. “Use whatever you can as a weapon.” I looked up and knew exactly what I was going to use.
I had no idea how much time passed before I had an opportunity to put my plan into action. It had to have been hours, possibly even a day, but I couldn’t be certain. It was enough time for me to eat a sandwich and some chips and become hungry enough to eat again.
I was starting to get sleepy, but the moment I heard someone at the door, I jumped to my feet, grabbed my weapon, and got myself into position. The door slowly opened, and a woman stepped into the room carrying bags in each hand. I didn’t hesitate. I moved from behind the door and swung the toilet tank lid as hard as I could at the back of her head.
She went down to her knees with a groan of pain. She started to turn her head toward me as I swung the lid again, causing me to hit the side of her head. She went down, and the sound of her head bouncing off the concrete floor had me close to puking all over her. I managed to contain it and swung the lid one more time for good measure.
I thanked the lucky stars above that her keys flew out of her hand when she fell and landed not far from my feet. I grabbed the keys and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind me. With shaky hands, I found the correct key and breathed a sigh of re
lief when the lock slid home.
Judging by the concrete walls, lack of windows, and set of stairs, I was in a basement. Unsure of what I may find beyond the walls surrounding me, I picked up a piece of wood and quietly climbed the stairs. I pressed my ear against the door and listened. When I didn’t hear anything, I unlocked the door and cracked it open. That’s when I heard something.
Clank.
Clank.
Clank.
What the hell?
I remained frozen to the spot, unsure of what to do. What if there was someone else in the house? Would I be able to get out unnoticed? Would I have to fight them off with only a piece of wood? It didn’t matter. I couldn’t stay in the basement with a psycho. I took a deep breath and slowly pushed the door open. The noise was significantly louder.
Clank.
Clank.
Clank.
I waited and listened, but I couldn’t tell where the noise was coming from nor did I have any idea what it could possibly be.
Clank.
Clank.
Clank.
Creeping forward, I tried to ignore my fear and find a door or window. Every time I heard the strange sound, it felt like my heart stopped for a few beats.
Clank.
Clank.
Clank.
“Let me out of here, you crazy cunt!” a male voice shouted.
I gasped. It couldn’t be, could it? I knew that voice.
“When I get my hands on you, you are going to wish you never met me. I don’t give a fuck that you have a pussy. I am going to carve you like a holiday turkey!” he bellowed.
Clank.
Clank.
Clank.
Hesitantly, I called out, “Shaker?”
“Harper?” he asked, sounding hopeful.
“Yeah, it’s me. Where are you?”
“Locked in a room. Are you okay? Where’s the cunt?” he asked.
“I’m okay. She’s locked in a room in the basement,” I hedged. “Keep talking so I can find you.”
“Harper, you need to get out of here. She’s fucking crazy! Go, now, while you can!” he yelled.
“I’m not leaving you here. She’s knocked out and locked in a room. I took her keys. I’ll be fine,” I said. I found a door underneath another set of stairs and jiggled the handle. “Are you in this room?”
“Yes.”
“There are a lot of keys. It might take me a minute to figure out which one goes to this door.”
He cleared his throat. “Uh, just so you know, I’m cuffed to a bed...and I’m naked.”
I felt my cheeks heat and I let out an uncomfortable laugh. “Thanks for the warning. I’ll try not to look.”
He chuckled. “Doesn’t bother me, sweetheart. Just didn’t want to shock you.”
I rolled my eyes. Only Shaker would be flirting while trying to escape from a kidnapping.
It took forever to get the damn door open. Of course, I went through every key on the ring before I found the one that unlocked his door. I pushed it open and went straight to him, keeping my eyes on his face, his battered and bruised face. “Shaker,” I gasped.
“That bad, huh?” he joked.
I quickly undid his handcuffs, easily finding the correct key due to the difference in shape and size. He casually rose from the bed and strolled across the room, seemingly not concerned about his nakedness. I couldn’t keep from looking at his firm ass when he bent over to pick up a pair of jeans. Before sliding them over his hips, he wiggled his butt and asked, “Like what you see?”
“Oh, shut it, Shaker. Now is not the time,” I playfully scolded. I was so glad to see a familiar face.
“You’re right. Are you okay? Did she hurt you?” he asked.
“Physically, no, other than drugging me at least twice. Other than that, I didn’t see anyone until a few minutes ago. Do you know who took us?” I asked.
His forehead wrinkled, and he looked at me with an expression I couldn’t place. “You don’t know?”
I shook my head. “No, when a woman came into my room, I hit her, and she fell to the floor. Her hair was covering her face. I didn’t stop to look; I just grabbed the keys and ran.”
He visibly swallowed and came closer, placing his hand on my shoulder. “It’s Hilarie.”
My hand flew to my mouth as I tried to process what he said. I shook my head and met his eyes. “It can’t be. She wouldn’t— She couldn’t— Why would—” I trailed off as my face crumpled.
“She would, and she did. I’m sorry, Harper. I know she was your friend, or made you think she was your friend, but she’s not who you think she is,” Shaker said gently.
“What do you mean?”
Shaker blew out a slow breath and looked to the ceiling for a moment before he answered me. “I’ve been here for a few days, and during that time, she shared a lot of secrets.”
“Spit it out!” I yelled, frustrated with his hedging.
“Fine,” he gritted out. “Hilarie Thaxton is actually Valarie Vine.”
My heart pounded in my ears, and my vision started to blur. No. It couldn’t be. She was dead. Oh, fuck. I couldn’t breathe.
A light slap to my cheek brought me back to the present. I looked up to find Shaker’s dark eyes fixed on me and filled with concern. “I know about your past, Harper. I’m not going to pretend to know how you’re feeling right now, but I need you to box those feelings up and push them to the side so we can focus on getting out of here. Can you do that for me? For Carbon?”
I took in a deep breath and squared my shoulders. I could and would do anything for Chase. “Okay, I’m good,” I said with a sharp nod.
Shaker grinned. “Good. I’m going to go down to the basement and make sure she can’t escape. Then, we need to get the fuck out of here.”
“No, let’s just go,” I countered as I followed him through the house.
He stopped when he found the kitchen, opened a few drawers, and pulled out a large knife. “But I have a threat to make good on,” he said with an evil smile, holding the knife in one hand and his handcuffs in the other. I hadn’t seen him pick those up.
“Wait here. I’ll be right back,” he instructed.
“Fuck that. I believe I’ll stay with the big man holding the knife.”
Following him down the stairs that led to the basement was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. Everything in me told me to go the other way, to flee, to not return to the dungeon, but I wasn’t leaving without Shaker and the odds of her taking down the two of us at one time were slim to none.
We paused outside the door and listened. When we didn’t hear anything for several minutes, Shaker unlocked the door and cautiously pushed it open. The woman I still couldn’t believe was Hilarie, or Valarie, was exactly where I left her. He looked at me over his shoulder and back to her; then he did it again.
“What?” I asked.
He didn’t say anything and entered the room. Kneeling beside her, he moved her hair to the side and pressed two fingers to the side of her neck. I got a clear look at Hilarie’s face, but what had me gasping in horror was Shaker rising to his feet and dropping the handcuffs on the bed. “Is she…” I trailed off, unable to ask the question.
Shaker pulled me to his bare chest and wrapped his arms around me. Softly, he said, “You’re not going to be upset about this. You did what you had to do to save yourself, and you saved me in the process. She was going to keep you locked away for the rest of your life, and she was going to kill me in a matter of days.”
I started to shake in his arms. “She’s dead?”
“Yes, sweetheart, she is.”
I couldn’t help it. I burst into tears. A part of me was relieved, and another part of me was scared. “What am I going to do? I killed her. I’ll be in prison for the rest of my life,” I wailed.
“That won’t happen. It was self-defense, plain and simple. We have a decision to make. We can leave the house as is until we can notify the police or we can torch the place and
leave the police out of it. It’s up to you, but you’ve got to make a decision right now so we can get the fuck out of here,” he said as he closed the door and locked it.
I thought over those options for a few minutes while we went back upstairs and searched through the house for a phone or any means of communication. “Do I have to decide now?” He looked at me quizzically, so I continued. “I would rather Phoenix make that decision.”
Shaker smiled brightly. “Good answer. Your man and your brother will love hearing that.”
Our search of the house turned up jack shit, so we headed outside. I had hoped for some sort of recognition upon exiting the house, but that wasn’t the case. The house was situated in the middle of a small clearing surrounded by what appeared to be dense forest. There were no sounds of traffic or civilization nearby.
“Do you have any idea where we are?” I asked.
He looked around and shook his head. “Not a clue. I was at my apartment, and then I woke up here, cuffed to a bed.”
“She has to have a car or something around here,” I pointed out.
One trip around the perimeter of the house and a quick search along the edge of the wooded area revealed that she indeed did not have to have a car around there. “What do we do now?” I asked Shaker, trying to hide the desperation in my voice.
He stood tall and faced me. “We’re going to get the fuck out of here, car or no car, phone or no phone.”
Reluctantly, I followed him back inside the house. “I remember seeing a backpack in the room I was in. I’m going to grab it and see if I can find some shoes. While I’m doing that, can you grab us a few bottles of water and see if there are any snacks we can take? I’m not sure how far we will have to walk to get out of here. Oh, and grab anything else you think might be useful.”
He disappeared around the corner while I got to work rummaging through the kitchen. When he returned, he had the backpack, but no shoes. I had a pile of supplies on the kitchen counter, including water, snacks, paper towels, matches, knives, and a wad of cash. He looked at my collection and smiled. “Nice job. Where did you find the cash?”
Carbon (Blackwings MC Book 4) Page 18
