“How long am I supposed to stay here?” I ask, trembling.
“Not here,” he rasps out and walks towards the washing machine. He starts pulling it away from the wall. When he is done he just stands there breathing hard, like he doesn’t want to believe that he’s been asked to bring me here. “He told me to put you in the hole, behind the washing machine.”
His words echo in my head for good few moments, before I start screaming, loud, the loudest that I’m able to. Josh is locking me away in the darkness, and there is no way out. I’m going to be stuck with him forever.
Chapter Twenty
Test
Micah
I use my sat nav to take me to the address that arrived in the text. I’m a nervous fucking wreck. Everything is happening fast, faster than I anticipated. I should be pleased that this is going to happen so soon. Maybe the Russians aren’t useless after all, and they managed to track down Rudolf. It’s only been, what? Several hours. I don’t trust them and need to be vigilant. Tahlia must be still in London. That bastard wouldn’t take her away anywhere else. The police are useless; they have nothing on me.
The streets are quiet; the silence seeds questions in my head. I’m not proud of myself, not anymore. There is a way out—I can just turn around and go back home, but I won’t. I have a clear image of Tahlia right in front of me. After around forty-five minutes I arrive in an abandoned industrial estate. It’s pitch black everywhere and I can’t see my own hands. My sat nav shows that I’m in the middle of nowhere, on the outskirts of the city.
The phone is showing almost 5:00 a.m. and for a moment I just sit inside the van, wondering what the fuck I’m supposed to do now.
The clock keeps ticking and my stomach churns loudly. I should get out of that sweet spot and go look around. The caller didn’t give me any other details. Then a minute later, someone opens the car door from outside and I’m being pulled down to the ground. This is all happening unexpectedly and I haven’t got time to reach out for my gun.
“Good that you arrived, but you’re late, pretty boy. We’ve been waiting a while,” says the raspy voice that I don’t recognise. I should be in the right place; the voice belongs to a guy with a strong Russian accent. I can’t see much in the pitch darkness. I drag myself back on my feet, swearing loudly.
“I got here as fast as I could. Where the fuck are we?” I ask, aware that I left my gun in the van, and that’s not wise. Whoever this arsehole is, I feel better being armed.
“Far from nosy people like you. Now come with me. Ivan asked me to track down Rudolf, but he is a hard guy to find, so I have one of his old associates tied up in the warehouse. The bastard don’t want to talk,” he says, as we move away from the van, walking through the narrow road between the buildings.
“I asked for Rudolf’s location. That was the deal I made with Ivan,” I say, feeling frustrated that this clown dragged me out here for nothing. The guy presses something hard to my stomach and I stop, instantly knowing that he’s ready to blow me in half.
“The deal has changed. You’re going to get info about Rudolf out of this guy. Ivan wants us to move fast,” he whispers and then pulls the gun down. “Now fucking move. We have two hours to get what we want out of that scum.”
He takes me inside the old falling-apart hanger that stinks of chemicals and sewage. Whatever this is, he has it all covered and it looks like he’s done this before. There are lights inside pointing at the guy that is tied up to the pillar. His head is hanging on his chest and there is a pool of blood around him.
The guy lifts his head slightly and grins, showing his bloody teeth. He is dark haired, dark olive skin, and is so bruised it’s hard to tell his ethnicity, but I guess he could be Asian or from the Middle East. I can’t tell exactly, as the lighting in this shit hole is appalling. He has a silver chain on his neck, and is in leather pants. His jacket is lying a few feet away from him.
“What’s up, Russian cunt? Who is the white boy?” asks the guy and then spits something out on the ground. It looks like it’s one of his teeth. I don’t have a fucking clue what the hell I’m doing here. I glance back at the Russian dude that dragged me here. He is shorter than me and bald, with gold teeth in front.
“Make him talk. Here is the drill. We want the exact location. Ivan said that you should be able to handle it,” the Russian guy without the name says, shoving a drill into my hands.
I stare at him wondering if he is fucking serious. The guy that is tied up bursts into laughter like he just heard the best joke in his life. My hands are sweating, as the realisation of this fucked up situation starts taking a toll on me.
“So you want me to torture him?” I ask, my voice vibrates, dragging the seconds away.
“Ivan wants Rudolf’s head, so get on with it. I told you I’m in a hurry,” he states.
I tighten my grip on the drill and look at the guy, who is watching me. I take a few steps towards him and kneel down.
“You have to tell me what I want to know or this won’t be pretty, mate,” I say to the guy, positioning the drill right up to his knee.
“You ain’t gonna do it. You’re a pussy, mate, and I ain’t telling you shit,” he says, laughing. He must be high; there is no doubt about that. His pupils are dilated. My heart is jackhammering in my chest as I wonder if I’m capable of making this guy talk, drilling the metal into his body, making him suffer. The bile rises in my throat, and I try to tell myself that whoever this dude is he deserves this, that Tahlia went through worse.
“For the love of god, I’ll show you. Then it’s your turn,” the Russian says. He walks over, takes the drill away from me and switches it on. The blood spills everywhere, the tied up dude is screaming his head off until the drill goes through his knee. All my fucking insides are turning, my stomach revolting.
He pulls the drill out and there is more screaming. I can’t really listen to this anymore, but showing weakness won’t do me any favours.
“You son of a bitch. I’m going to rip your head off,” the Asian man cries, trying to pull away, but he is tied up. There is blood all over Russian man, who hands me the drill.
“Tell us where Rudolf is and we will let you go. That’s the only way you’re going to get rid of the pain,” I say, switching on the drill that flicks the residual blood and lands red dots all over my face. I don’t fucking know what has become of me.
“Fuck you,” he spits at me.
“I told you,” I say, as I swallow the bile rising in my throat and lean the drill against his ankle bone.
***
I’m standing in the fucking fog, hearing the raspy breaths and moans. The Russian guy tells me to walk away, to get the fuck out of the there. I finally have the information that I need.
The sun rises over the horizon and it’s already dawn. My vision is blurry; I think I am in shock. I realise that I’m a monster, someone that inflicts pain, someone who doesn’t care about the torturous screams of a desperate man. I have spent my life hating my father for the atrocious acts he committed, but now I’m worse. Rotten, broken and sick, I am my father’s son. It’s no surprise that Tahlia didn’t want to forgive me.
When I finally get to the car it takes me several minutes to start the engine. My hands are shaking so much that I can’t grip the steering wheel. Shotgun, the bastard, is going to be in the club tonight, which means he will lead me to Tahlia.
I drive, feeling numb. There is no more anger left within me, just that uncomfortable numbness. Maybe I’m finally over being the other guy, the angry guy that couldn’t fucking cry.
All I know is that I’m coming for Tahlia. There is nothing stopping me now from killing Rudolf, the guy that hurt her and made her suffer. It’s the final countdown and I’m done waiting.
Tahlia
Hunter never touched me, but he took me to the hole. It was the most petrifying experience in my life. I couldn’t stop screaming then. It was like someone put a bullet into my head, took away my last hope. Josh came after that
asking how I liked my new room. Then he raped me and then forced me to listen to the rats that were running around in the basement. The hole was terrifying. The darkness broke me completely. When the abuse started I thought that nothing worse could happen to me, and I was so fucking wrong. I stopped feeling anything. I became a statue. My last bits of humanity were taken away from me.
“Hey, Janine, are you even listening to me?” Hunter asks, snapping his fingers in front of my face.
I take a breath and come back to reality and focus on Hunter’s brown eyes. I should tell him the truth. He’s not like the rest of them, and he isn’t a monster. All I want to know is how he managed to ditch rat. Everyone knows that no one had ever dared to leave him. He is unforgiving of anyone leaving him; he considered it a disrespect and he calls himself God.
Yesterday was my first time serving customers at the bar. Today Hunter is showing me how to use the till more effectively. I worked hard and earned fifty quid by the end of the night. It was the first time I started to feel normal again, the first time since I left that I didn’t have to think about Micah.
“Yes, sorry. I’m a bit distracted today,” I explain, shutting off my stupid mind. It’s the past; this is never going to happen to me. I’d rather die than let that arsehole take me or do anything to me. Hunter grins, and I think he looks even handsomer when he smiles. I feel like I want to get to know this man instantly.
“Well, you know I can always buy you a drink after you’re done with your shift. It’s sort of my ritual. I do that every time someone new starts,” he says.
“Yeah, that would be great. So can I ask why you are working here? You seem like a pretty switched-on guy, someone who wouldn’t want a career at a bar.” I remember that he was one of the best dealers that ever worked for Rat. Then he just disappeared. One day he was bringing me food, the next he was just gone. I was convinced that Josh murdered him because he refused to hurt me.
He sighs loudly and continues to mix the drinks.
“I needed a fresh start and not many places take guys with a record. Gavin might be dodgy, but he put me on the books officially and he pays the best wage in the city,” he explains, winking at me. My stomach makes a funny jolt.
“You went to prison? When? I mean for how long?”
“You’re a curious little mouse, aren’t you?” he teases, but doesn’t seem offended.
“I like to know about people,” I admit, clearing my throat. The club is completely empty, but in a couple of hours the space will be filled with people.
“I got caught dealing drugs on the streets. One of the customers was a fucking undercover cop. I was locked up and charged, didn’t even see it coming. The money was good,” he explains, and I finally understand why he disappeared so suddenly. It was that night when Josh came to the basement furious and battered me so hard that I thought this was the end of me. Normally when he was hitting me, he knew when to stop, but this time I passed out and woke up covered in my own blood, barely moving. “I got two and a half years. Prison changed me. The good thing is that I didn’t go back to the old life. My life shifted and I decided to stop fucking around. Anyway. I don’t even know why you want to listen to my bullshit. This is the Hunter Shaw that you should know. The nice, charming and handsome guy, who is incredibly popular with the ladies.”
“Shaw, you’re already flirting with the newbie? What the hell is wrong with you?” a new, deep voice catches both of us off guard. I turn around, seeing a tall man with a very expensive suit. He is older, maybe in his fifties, handsome with a beard and good hair. He has lots of hair, and something tells me that he has lots of money too.
Hunter introduces me. “Janine, this is the boss. Gavin Raymond.”
“So you’re the newbie, Rudolf’s ex?” he asks, scanning me up and down. My throat contracts with panic. The ex—he means the rat.
“Yes, that’s me,” I reply, giving him the smile he is looking for. Confident and strong. His intense gaze is unnerving. My knife is hidden around my thigh, but I won’t be using it on him.
“I just wanted to meet you. Rob told me a few interesting facts, and I just had to make sure that we didn’t make a mistake. You know that Rudolf doesn’t like when someone is messing with him?”
“You didn’t make any mistake,” I insist, feeling my heart speed up. Hunter shifts next to me. He heard the name. I bet he hasn’t seen rat in a very long time.
“Good, because he is on his way here, and he is very eager to renew the old connection, dear,” Gavin states with a big smile, revealing his perfect white teeth.
Chapter Twenty-One
A friend from the past
I’m standing in the staff restroom fighting with myself in order not to throw up. I don’t need to panic just yet. Rat is not in the club and it might be hours before he arrives. Gavin hasn’t confirmed when he is supposed to show up exactly. My new boss was very excited when he mentioned rat. I bet those two have been in touch over the years. Gavin couldn’t have bought that story about Rudolf being shot. He must have known that it was a set-up to keep the police off his back.
I didn’t stay to talk to Hunter, but from his expression, I figured that he was completely shocked to learn that I used to go out with Rudolf. When I came back to continue with the training, he wasn’t at the bar any longer. I only assumed that he went after Gavin to find out why his old boss was coming back. I might have complicated things around here for him, although Hunter was never a problem. Rat was furious when he disappeared. He had no idea that Hunter was caught, and now when I think about it, I know that there was more to it then. Maybe Hunter had enough of that life and started working with the police instead to bring Rudolf down. Who knows?
My breathing finally slows down when I get back to the changing room and check that my gun is still there. My black skirt covers my leather strap with the sharp knife that I have on me. If rat tries to touch me I’ll slash his throat with it. I stabbed Tahir, and I won’t hesitate to kill rat, to look him in the eye and tell him that he has no more power over me, that I’m ready to rip him apart if he even dares to touch me again.
I splash water all over my face and then start to reapply more makeup before my shift is just about to start. I like looking at myself in my fake glasses. Rat doesn’t expect to see confident Rosie, and I won’t let him get to me this time. He will be dead before he even realises what’s happening. I don’t care if I go to prison or not. As long as the bastard is dead, nothing else matters. It’s too late to get my old life back.
My anxiety hasn’t flared up since I ran, since I left Tahir on the floor, hoping that he would die. My new me is confident and ready to strike back.
When I get back to the bar a bit later, the floor is still quiet. It’s only after seven and I still have a long and intense shift ahead of me. I take my time to familiarise myself with all the cocktails, shots and drinks while there is nothing else to do. Hunter shows up when it starts to get busy, looking agitated and tense. We don’t talk, but I feel like he is here to keep an eye on me, in case something happens. He has no idea that I used to go by the name of Rose Waltham, that he was the only person that had ever been kind to me in the past. After all, rat didn’t have only me for his sadistic tortures. There were probably other girls, other victims.
It’s clear that Hunter is worried his old boss will discover that he has been out for years and he never came looking for him.
“Are you all right?” Hunter finally speaks to me halfway through my shift. It’s my break and he follows me to the back, with that odd look on his face. My T-shirt is stuck to my back. I have been working really hard in the past few hours, trying to keep all the male customers happy. Donna is swamped, she has guys queuing, hoping that at least one of them will get lucky tonight. I’m glad that I didn’t wear a low-cut top like she has. If I’m not as busy I can a closer eye on the entrance. I need to make sure that I’m not missing anyone. Other waitresses have been saying that the boss is expecting a special guest this evening, some
one important. I have a feeling that rat will make an appearance, at least to let everyone know that he is still very much in the game. Will he want to corner me in the group or alone? Will I be able to stab him or will I have to use my gun?
“I’m good. How about you? I thought the training was supposed to last longer than half an hour?” I ask with a smile.
“Yes, I meant to apologise for that. I had to go and speak to Gavin about something,” he says. I put my glasses back on and start to go back to the bar, when Hunter blocks my way out.
“Before you go,” he says, glancing around. “You need to be very careful tonight. Your ex isn’t a good guy and I don’t want you to get hurt. Please tell me that you won’t do anything stupid?”
I open my mouth to tell him that he doesn’t have to worry about me, but then I think about the fact that he never tried to help me. He managed to get out, saved himself. After all, he could have told someone, the police or the social services. I would have been saved much sooner.
“Don’t worry about me, Hunter. I can take care of myself,” I say, quieter than I intended. Hunter nods, but something tells me that he is not finished with me yet. He obviously is planning something, and I hope this won’t ruin the fact that I want to get to rat first, before everyone else.
Micah
“Where the hell have you been all night and afternoon?” Tequila asks, pacing around her living room and looking at me like she knows what I’ve been doing all night. I’m stunned, seeing her in good shape today. She should be in bed, curing the nasty vodka hangover.
I didn’t want to come back so early in the morning and face Kiki’s and Tequila’s questions, so I stayed out, drove around for a bit. I needed some time out to think about what happened in that warehouse.
Love & Hate Series Box Set 2 (Love & Hate #3-4) Page 38
