He’d chosen this path.
After what Ricky had done to her, made her to do to all those helpless children, his reasons for being involved were null and void.
“Don’t get any ideas.” Ricky gained his composure quickly, the brute from long ago now staring her down with more hatred than any one person should ever possess.
Makayla nodded. What she wouldn’t give to wipe the moisture from her upper lip. The last thing she wanted was to show him any fear. Sure. She’d bide her time wisely. And then, when they least expected it. Wham. She’d beat them at their own game.
She watched and waited as Ricky exited his side of the car and made his way to her door. The sun was rising fast, giving her an even better view of the estate. Still flat as a pancake, but totally unidentifiable. Not one single clue helped her pinpoint their location. Where they still in Florida? They weren’t on the road long enough to go too far.
One thing was for certain. She’d never been here before. The house itself looked to be over ten thousand square feet in size. Its stone and stucco exterior was surrounded by sweeping verandas and patios. Much too fancy to be one of the places they hid the little girls before selling them.
Her door flew open. “Get out,” Ricky growled. “Slowly.”
Her heart skipped beats as she followed Ricky’s instructions to a tee.
What or who was waiting inside the house? The not knowing what to expect once they went inside, sent chills racing down her spine.
“Turn around and face the car.” He shoved her hard, his large, sweaty body pressing against her backside. “Don’t move.”
Horrifying images zipped through her head as his bulky hands groped her flesh. At first, she thought he was getting off on it. Then she realized he was searching for something. She closed her eyes and swallowed back the bile as he degraded her inch by inch.
“Good girl, Makayla,” he said. His mouth was way too close to her ear. She felt the spit as he mumbled his next words. “You will pay for all the misery you’ve caused me. And if I find out you’re hiding something, I’ll take my time. Make you beg me to finish.” With his hand still gripping the base of her neck, he spun her around to face him. His fingers dug into the muscle, tightening to the point pain shot to her toes. He could crush her skull as easily as he breathed.
“Ricky, you done?” Steven’s voice held a lethal tone, his body stiff as if ready to launch one hell of an assault. But he held back. “Retrieve the boy from the backseat,” he said, tossing his cigarette to the ground before heading to the front steps without another glance or word.
“You heard the boss. Get going.” Ricky shoved her toward the house with a grunt and walked to the back of the car.
Makayla dared to stumble around the front of the limo where she maneuvered her body into the one tiny sliver of shade on the property grounds to keep the glare out of her face. She wanted a clear view of Ricky as he helped Nicholas out of the car. If he so much as caused a whimper from her son, she was going to let Steven in on Ricky’s little secret.
“Come on, kid. We have to get out of the car now.” Ricky’s voice was almost soft and encouraging when he spoke to Nicholas. Makayla’s maternal instincts spiked to a new level. One fact rang clear in every word. He had no intentions of hurting Nicholas. The why made her want to scream. Steven’s sick plans, whatever they were, included her son. She inhaled deeply, clenching her fists behind her back as the numb she’d longed for suddenly flooded her.
She’d prepared herself for not making it out of this alive. But she hadn’t let herself believe Nicholas would be left behind. Steven’s goal here was to own her again, to make her pay for her betrayal. Wasn’t it?
Tears stung her eyes and she blinked hard to keep them back. Her body trembled at the horrible thoughts playing tag in her brain. She shook her head, wishing them away and forced her mind to focus on details that might aid in their escape.
As the sun’s rays heated her skin, she decided the owner of the estate had something against trees. There was only one. A huge palm tree of some sort, but it did little to block the sun or provide shelter from the elements. The extra humidity and lack of even the smallest breeze made each breath a struggle. Damn. They would have little time and a lot of ground to cover in full view of their tormenters. A lump of bitter defeat filled the back of her throat.
“Mommy.” Nicholas was wide-awake the minute his feet hit the soft ground. He looked from Ricky to her and then surveyed their surroundings. Could he feel her panic? See that she was dying inside?
“It’s okay, sweetheart. Let’s do what Ricky says.”
Nicholas nodded grumpily, but willingly let Ricky guide him around the back of the car. She blew out a sigh of relief and turned her attention to Steven. He was on the phone now, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying. Just what was her ex up to? Was he planning to sell Nicholas to the owner of this estate? Is that why they’d stopped here? Why they’d waited outside in the car?
She gulped back her anxiety and turned to look down the long driveway expecting to see someone coming to meet them. Time was running out quicker than she thought.
“It’s hot, Mommy.”
“Yes, it is.” Boy, that was an understatement. She felt the sweat rolling slowly down her back and longed for a simple drink of water. Just what the heck were they waiting for?
Nicholas was bored and resorted to hopping in a circle first, then skipping around Ricky. Ricky said little, but kept rolling his eyes. Just as she feared. The soda hadn’t completely made it out of Nick’s system yet.
Every few minutes or so, she checked Steven’s mood for signs of irritability over her son’s constant energetic episodes. Oddly, Steven appeared taken with Nicholas. He watched, captivated as her son ran back and forth across the driveway from the huge fountain sitting in the middle to the car. Steven stood on the covered porch in the shade and kept checking the door knob. But each and every time the result was the same. The door was locked.
“Can I go swimming with the fish, Mom?” Nicholas said, leaning over to touch one of the occupants, a large gold and white Coy.
“No, honey.” Makayla tried to calm the nervous quiver in her tone. “Nicholas, leave the fish alone.”
“Oh, don’t bother the boy. Let him have some fun, Mom.” Makayla stiffened. Steven had never called her mom. He’d never said the word the entire time they’d been married. Not even when he talked about his own mother. His using the word now was like an eerie omen.
“So I can? I can go swimming?”
Utterly confused by the chain of events, Makayla nodded yes and Nicholas bolted for the fountain, leaving a high-pitched squeal in his wake. This was all so surreal. Steven was working on some kind of timetable due to the fact he kept a close eye on his watch and phone. She didn’t like the implications of that fact.
His phone shot off a rhythmic tone and Steven gave her a wary smile as he read the text message. The next thing she heard was the front door creak open. Wait a minute. Steven didn’t have a key. He hadn’t moved to retrieve one either. What the heck? Had he been waiting for someone to unlock the door all this time?
Ricky walked up, grabbed her by the elbow and led her around the car, up the porch stairs and straight to Steven at the front door.
“Now isn’t this fun?” Steven stroked her sore and bruised cheek, his lips twisting in a questioning look. “What happened to your face, Myka?”
Makayla twisted her head out of his reach. “Ricky slapped me. Back at the park, remember?” She decided to keep Ricky out of trouble a little while longer, hoping to buy her more time to come up with a plan.
“Ouch. I sure don’t remember it being that swollen.” Steven glanced at Ricky, his eyes narrowing to deadly slits. “Make certain there’s no more visible damage, would you?”
“Yes, boss.”
Ricky tugged on her arm, leading her into the foyer. “Smart move,” he whispered in her ear.
“Wait. What about Nicholas?”
“H
e’s fine. The water ain’t that deep. Now sit here and wait.”
Makayla did as he instructed and let her back slide down the wall till she reached her bottom. Steven’s comment gnawed at her insides. No more visible damage. She swallowed hard and winced at the audible sound it made. Could she be the one going up on the auction block?
Craning her neck, she looked out the open door and tried to keep Nicholas in sight. His laughter along with the splashing water told her he was in heaven, but she knew any minute Steven could change his mind. And if Nicholas didn’t’ follow his instructions exactly as given, her son would pay dearly for it.
“Well, what’s he supposed to wear when he’s done?” She glared at Ricky, who stood with his feet apart, arms crossed over his large chest and his back to her. “We don’t have any extra clothing.”
Ricky snarled back. “Not my problem.”
Just what was his problem?
It was well known Steven held something over every man working for him. Sometimes it was a family member in trouble with the law, or an unpaid gambling debt. But most of the time, it had to do with the person’s immediate family. Their children or grandchildren. Amazing the lengths a person will go to protect their own. She knew all too well about that one. She’d do anything to protect her children.
Nicholas’ laughs and squeals of delight got louder and louder and her heart raced. She twisted her hands against her restraints again, harder this time, and the rope gave. It was so slight, she almost questioned it, but the mere idea gave her new hope. Silently, she maneuvered her wrists back and forth to find the weak point. Freeing her hands would up their chances a great deal.
Makayla scrutinized Ricky’s behavior out of the corner of her eye. The man was more than a little worried. It radiated all over his large overweight body. Ever since they’d left the convenience store, he’d been checking his pockets, rechecking the car and sending her accusing glances.
But the fact he didn’t come right out and accuse her of taking whatever he’d lost led her to believe he didn’t want Steven or her to know what it was.
She played with the idea of telling Steven or asking Ricky about it in his presence. But decided against it. The timing was still not right.
Besides, as long as Ricky’s mind remained preoccupied, she could work on getting her hands untied without being noticed. With every try, the ropes grew loser. She almost whimpered when she realized she could almost slip one hand out. Being patient had never been one of her strongest qualities, so this was more than frustrating. It was ruthless punishment.
“Mom! I’m all wet!” Nicholas ran through the front door, water dripping from his entire body, his feet slipping and sliding on the tiled floor like an ice skating routine gone bad. “Hurry. I need a towel.”
Makayla’s heart stopped. This would be the defining moment.
“Stop running before you fall, sweetheart,” she said.
Nicholas did as she asked and smiled up at Ricky. “That was fun!”
“Don’t you think you should take care of that?” She glared at Ricky whose complete attention was glued to her son now. “You wouldn’t want the boss to slip and fall now would you?” He only glanced in her direction for a brief second. The mention of Steven and the word fall sent Ricky flying down the hallway, curses trailing behind him.
Makayla blew out a sigh. The extra time she needed had been handed over on a silver platter.
With a quick jerk, she slipped her wrist free, then held the rope with her fingers to keep them together. No reason to tip her hand. She needed to make sure her son was out of danger.
“Here, boy,” Ricky said, hustling back down the narrow corridor. His steps were heavy, his breathing hard as tiny beads of sweat emerged on his brow.
He’d really let himself go since the last time she’d seen him. About thirty pounds of extra baggage around the middle if she had to guess, thinning blond hair, and sporting one heck of a bad attitude. The attitude worried her most. Push someone too far and it didn’t matter what was being held over their head. With his growing agitation, she wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t snap.
But the truth was, an out of shape goon was the best kind. “Wrap yourself up tight, honey. And use the other towel to wipe up the water on the floor. We don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
Nicholas did exactly as she asked without hesitation. No complaining or buts. This was not normal behavior for her son at all. Whatever had gotten into him, she hoped wouldn’t disappear anytime soon. His eager to please attitude was a God-send. “Come here, honey. Sit by me and let’s see if we can warm you up.”
Nicholas started toward her, shuffling his wet feet on top of the towel he stood on to wipe up water as he went. Steven walked through the door at that moment, assessed the situation and hurried over to grab him by the shoulders.
“Oh, we can do better than that, Mom.”
There was that word again. His tone sent chills down her spine.
“How about a nice big warm fluffy robe?” Steven added so much extra nice to his words, Makayla thought she’d throw up. But Nicholas didn’t acknowledge he’d said anything, didn’t appear interested. “You know, like in a fancy hotel?” Steven added.
Still no response and Makayla sensed the tension growing in Steven’s body language.
“You know, honey, like the one you wore at the hotel on our trip to Disney World.”
That’s all it took. Nicholas’ eyes sparked with excitement, his hands flying into the air like an airplane. “Oh, yeah! Let’s get one of those. Can I play Superman again?”
Steven’s jaw worked overtime. Her mentioning their family vacation wasn’t sitting well with him, that was clear. “Nice, Myka. You remember how to play the game well.”
She cringed inside. Yes. She’d learned all right. Never forgotten how these little incidents enraged Steven. He wanted things to go his way at all times. The scars from the whip he’d used to punish her for not backing up his discipline methods, or insisting Michael play with a stupid sling shot he’d bought him for his third birthday, still crawled in an ugly pattern across her lower back.
The depths of this man’s cruelty made her more determined to win this battle.
She would never go back. And she’d do whatever it took to make sure Nicholas didn’t fall prey to this lunatic.
Steven nudged Nicholas forward toward the stairs, but her son put on the brakes, his wet feet glued to the floor. “No, I want to stay here.”
Not the right response. Steven’s face turned beet red. “You will come with me.”
Nicholas held his ground and shook his head stubbornly.
“Wait, Steven. I’ll go with him.” Makayla feared she’d never see her son again if she let him out of her site now. She had to do something. She couldn’t let him leave with Steven in this mood. She needed a distraction. Fast.
“Did you find it, Ricky?” Her heart pounded in her ears. “Have you told Steven yet?” Ricky’s eyes shot a puzzled, wounded stare in her direction. This was not going to go down well. Oh, dear God. Had she made the right decision?
“Tell me what, Ricky?” Steven straightened his shoulders and drilled Ricky with a gaze powerful enough to melt metal.
Ricky swallowed so hard it made a sound all the way down. “What the hell have you done?” he said, lunging in her direction. But Steven stopped him with a cold, hard stare.
Just as she’d hoped. Ricky looked guilty of something. She had no idea what had been eating at him over the last few hours, but he played right into her hands. Her ploy to crack him working like a charm.
“Ricky, what’s she talking about?” Steven still held Nicholas by the shoulder, but Ricky had his full attention.
“Sir, I don’t know. Really. She’s just making trouble, like always.” His actions, along with his darting gaze, betrayed every word. More beads of sweat formed on his forehead and his tongue made a mad dash across his lips.
Guilty.
Makayla’s heart ached with her own guilt for a
ll the innocent victims she’d played a part in destroying. They’d never broken the law or hurt anyone. Yet she’d had no choice. Just like now. This was all necessary to protect Nicholas. Whatever it took. No matter what. Steven would never hurt anyone again. Isn’t that what she’d said?
“I’m waiting Ricky. And you know very well I hate to wait.” Steven stepped off the last step, his right hand easing from the rail to rest by his side. The side where the gun was clipped to his hip.
Ricky backed up. Then glanced in her direction, swiping at the moisture now running down his cheek. “You’ve no idea what you’ve done, you little bi….” The raw hatred in his voice tore at her soul.
“I’ll deal with her later,” Steven said. “You on the other hand will tell me exactly what she’s talking about. Or do I need to remind you what will happen to your precious niece. What is she, about three years old now?”
Makayla’s breath caught just at the base of her throat. A child. No. Not another child.
“You leave her alone, and my sister too.” Ricky’s hands tightened into fists, his large chest sucking down air like a vacuum.
“Sure, buddy. You know I’m a man of my word.” Steven drew to his full height, releasing his hold on Nicholas’ shoulder.
If lightning really struck those who lied, they’d all be crispy fried at that last statement. Makayla knew time was running out. She needed to move. And now.
Catching Nicholas’ frightened gaze, she shifted her body just enough to show him her free hand. His eyes grew wide with understanding.
The two men faced each other as Ricky backed further toward the front door and at that moment she knew of only one outcome. Makayla inched herself along the wall closer to the stairs. A few more feet and she’d be able to reach Nicholas. After that she’d just make up the rest as she went.
“It’s just my cell, boss. No biggy. I lost it at the convenience store when we stopped.” He paused to fling a look at Makayla and she froze all movement. “I don’t know how. It was in my clip the entire time. Maybe Makayla took it.”
Steven laughed. “Makayla took your phone off your hip with her hands tied behind her back. Now that’s something I’d like to see firsthand.”
Betrayals of the Heart Page 18
