My phone rings, and it’s Alli.
“Hey, Alli, I was about to leave—”
She’s out of breath as she cuts me off, and my nerves immediately go on edge.
“Damien, I know who it is. You know that guy, David Powell, the one you said was killed in a car accident? He’s not dead. He’s the killer. He changed his name. I know why that picture looked so familiar in the yearbook.”
I’m already standing, and I snap my fingers at Bane to get his attention as I walk toward the door. I need to get to her. Bane snaps shut his computer and immediately stands up to follow me out of my office.
“Alli, slow down. What are you talking about? Where are you?” I signal to my secretary that I’m leaving for the day, and I continue walking, increasing my pace. Something doesn’t feel right as adrenaline begins to pump through my body, preparing itself for a fight.
She responds, “I’m headed your way with security. David Corben Powell is Ben Powers. C.P. was Corben Powell, not those other names. He’s had some work done, and he changed his hair color, but it’s Ben in that yearbook picture, Damien. It’s Ben. I can’t believe I didn’t see the resemblance before.”
Her voice is climbing and frantic. I hear a car door open and close on the other end of the line. Instantly, I close my eyes as I continue toward the front of Wales Enterprises.
Why the hell did I have to have the back corner office?
I go to speak, but then her voice sounds muffled on the other end of the line. “Please take me to Damien’s office immediately.”
Car tires squeal on the other end of the phone. Part of me wants to tell her to stay there and wait for me, but she’s already en route. It’ll get her to me faster at this point. I’m sprinting now to the front door to wait for her. Bane is right behind me. I need her safely back in my arms. I knew it was a fucking bad idea to let her go this morning. I’m a fucking idiot for letting her out of my sight.
“Baby, I’ll meet you at the front of the office. I’m headed there now. Hurry.”
Bane hands me a piece of paper. I write down that the killer is Ben.
Alli responds, “I’m on my way.”
I need her back here with me.
Bane nods at me as he starts speaking into his earpiece.
“Is all your security with you?”
“I think—”
She stops mid-sentence, and my heart stops.
Fuck. The few seconds of silence seem like years.
She absentmindedly asks, “Where are they?”
I need to know what’s happening. “Alli, what is going on?”
The voice of my second-in-command, Ben, is faint through the phone. “Allison, be a dear, and hang up with that asshole. There’s no reason to continue this charade. I’ve got you now.”
FUCK!
My world feels like it’s crashing around me. My adrenaline fully takes over as I’m now running toward my car. I mouth to Bane that Ben has Alli. Bane pulls out his phone. As a safety precaution, I had a tracking device installed on Alli’s ring prior to getting married, and I know Bane is pulling up the tracking app for it.
The fact that my worst fears are becoming my fucking reality has ice coursing through my veins. If that fucking asshole touches her, I will kill him.
I need to keep Alli calm, but I end up yelling into the phone, “Alli, is Ben driving the car?”
She whispers back, “Yes. Please come get me.”
My instincts take over and push my fears aside. My time with her is going to be limited until Ben takes her phone. I need to prepare her. I’ll deal with the fallout of my past taking over my present when I have her back in my arms.
“Baby, we are tracking that car. I’m on the way. Listen to me—keep your sapphire ring on you. Okay, baby? Do not take it off. I will find you. He’s more than likely going to get another car and take you somewhere.”
Her voice is so quiet when she responds, and it breaks my heart.
“Okay,”
I failed her. I failed us. I didn’t protect her. Fuck.
Ben yells, “Allison, I’m not going to ask again! Get off the fucking phone!”
I clench my fists as I hop into the passenger seat of the car, and Bane takes off like a bat out of hell.
Trying to get her away from Ben, I tell her, “Alli, try to get out of the backseat. Lay the phone down on the seat, so I can hear what’s going on.”
Bane is taking the curves at almost the same speed as when he is driving straight. Maybe Ben won’t take the phone away, and I’ll be able to listen longer. I immediately feel a hole in my heart when I can no longer hear her. My life is on the other end of that phone.
Ben speaks, “Good job, sweetheart.”
I have to bite my tongue to keep from yelling every obscenity in the book to that prick. I can’t take the chance that he’ll hear me.
All of a sudden, Alli starts yelling, “Ben, let me out of here! Let me out!”
Looking at Bane, I motion with my finger to drive even faster. We are swerving in and out of traffic. He gives me the fifteen-minutes-behind-them signal.
Ben responds, “Allison, he’s brainwashed you. He’s trying to get you to leave me forever.”
I’m going to kill this fucker for trying to take my world away from me. He better pray the police get to him first.
Alli starts speaking again, “Where are we going?”
Good girl. She’s trying to get as much information as possible out of him. Even though I know she’s not speaking the truth, her words cut me. One day, she might want to get some distance from me.
I have the phone pressed hard against my ear.
Ben starts speaking, “My grandparents left me a place. You’re going to love it.”
Alli presses on, “Are we getting into that plane? Why are we flying? Where is your grandparents’ place?”
Ben responds back, “We need to get away from here before that bastard tracks us in this car. Once we leave, we’ll be fine, and I’ll tell you.”
The thought of Alli taking off with this guy is the most abhorrent thought I have had. This situation is every single fucking one of my nightmares coming to life. I’m terrified. I’ve already lost my sister to this sick fuck. Alli is my life. I’ll die without her. I want to yell at the motherfucker to let her go.
Alli tries to sound reasonable as she responds, “Ben, I don’t think it’s necessary to fly somewhere to escape Damien.”
I’m stuck listening on the phone, like a damned incompetent fool. I should have been there to protect her, to keep her safe.
The asswipe speaks to Alli, “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to do this to you, but you’re still caught up in the lies of your relationship. I’m sorry, sweetheart, but I can’t have you trying to jump out of the plane.”
I look at Bane, and he gives me the ten-minute gesture. I mouth, Faster.
I can’t make out what Ben says. It’s too soft.
My world stops when I hear the screams of my love coming from the other end.
“DAMIEN! PLEASE FIND ME! HE’S SHOOTING ME WITH SOMETHING! I LOVE YOU!”
A car door opens and closes, and then I hear Alli groaning.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!
Then, there’s silence. I look over to Bane. I’m totally terrified as my heart is pounding in my chest.
“Bane, drive faster. She’s out of the fucking car. He has a plane.”
We are already taking curves and turns at record speeds. A motor sounds in the distant and starts to whine as it takes off. Then, after a few seconds, silence comes over the line.
I drop the phone. She’s gone. My Alli is gone.
“Bane, keep tracking her.”
We pull up to the town car, and the back passenger door is open. I run up to it and see Alli’s phone laying in the backseat. I grab it. It’s one of the last things she touched. My heart has ripped in two. I have to keep it together to find her before it’s too late.
I turn to Bane. “Get us to the plane.”
&nb
sp; We run back to the car.
Bane gets in the car and hits a couple of buttons on his phone. “Sir, we’ve lost the signal. He’s gone above acceptable altitude for the tracker.”
Fucking hell.
“Bane, get us to the airport, and the minute that motherfucker lands, we are getting Alli. No police. If they rush Ben, they could cause him to kill Alli. She’s my priority.”
Alli, baby, just stay strong. I’m coming for you.
From Love Me
The Moment Damien Finds Alli
It’s been the longest fucking night of my life. We are speeding toward a place in the middle of nowhere. If that asshole laid a hand on Alli, I’m going to fucking kill him where he stands.
Bane’s driving and asks, “Do you want me to notify the authorities?”
I keep my eyes forward while Bane drives through the night on the winding curves without the headlights.
“Yes—after we have Alli and are on our way back. Until I have her in my arms, don’t contact them. I can’t take the chance that he’s monitoring any of the local frequencies.”
“I agree. We should be there in two minutes. When we get there, I’ll go first and clear the perimeter. I’ll signal for you when it’s time to join me.”
I don’t like that I’ll have to wait to get Alli.
Bane clears his throat. “Mrs. Wales could get hurt if we don’t do this my way. I know what I’m doing. You know my history, and I’m well versed in rescuing.”
“Bane, I know.”
I don’t like it, but I know he’s stating the truth. It’s why I hired him. Bane is one of the worst motherfuckers out there. He comes at a hefty price, but I’d give him everything I had to keep Alli safe.
Bane slows his approach and pulls off to the side of the road. “Sir, follow me to the edge of the woods. The aerial reconnaissance I received shows a tree ridge where you can stay until I get the perimeter cleared.”
I nod. We quietly open our doors. Bane had suggested that I carry a gun, and I tucked it in the back of my pants. Going to Texas every chance I had, my grandfather had ensured I was an ace marksman.
We silently approach the edge of the woods, and Bane gives me a gesture to wait. I nod and glance at the house. No vehicles are parked outside. The love of my life is in there, and I’m stuck out here, fucking waiting. It’s taking everything I have not to run to her. I can feel that she’s here. The only thing holding me back is that I could cause Ben to kill her if he knew we were here. He killed Rebecca by strangling her to death.
Bane comes into view again and signals for me to follow. Immediately, I start to move toward him, and I sprint as quietly as I can. As I make it to him, I draw my gun. Bane gives me the signal to follow him and watch his back.
Quietly, Bane works the front lock of the door, and we slip in. The lights are on throughout the house, which will make searching easier. We go in, and Bane starts to methodically clear rooms. It smells like someone burned something while cooking.
Room by room, we start making our way to the back of the house. My anxiety increases because we haven’t found her. The tracking device in her ring says she should be here.
Did he take it off?
I’m saying a silent prayer just as we enter a blue room, and she’s lying on the bed, motionless.
Fuck. I pause for a moment as images from the newspaper articles of Rebecca lying dead on the side of the road flash before my eyes. Please, God, no. Not her. Not Alli. Not my life.
I run to her side as I stow my gun in the back of my pants. I turn Alli over to face me. She looks like she’s been beaten badly.
Fuck.
Bile starts to rise in my throat as I imagine the hell my beautiful Alli had to endure.
I give her a light shake as I say, “Alli. Alli, baby, please wake up.”
I see her chest rising, and I immediately breathe a sigh of relief.
My Alli is alive.
I don’t care about anything else, except that she’s alive. I’ll love her regardless until I take my last breath. I say a silent prayer, thanking God that he didn’t take the only thing that matters in this world to me. I’d be dead without her.
Bane speaks behind me, “Sir, we need to leave immediately. We don’t want Mrs. Wales here when Ben returns.”
“I’ll carry her. She’s still unconscious, and she has a nasty bruise on her face. Fuck.”
I go to carry her and notice she’s tied to the bed. My blood boils at the sight of the blood surrounding her wrist. There’s no telling what she had to endure.
Fucking hell. I didn’t protect her. I didn’t keep her safe. That was my job.
I untie the rope on her wrist and kiss just below the cut. I pick her up, and she groans.
Fuck, I’m hurting her. We have to get out of here.
I start following Bane out of the house. It’s pitch-black outside, and there’s no sign of approaching lights, but we hurry to the car as fast as we can while I try to avoid jostling Alli.
Lowly, I say, “Bane, have the hospital on standby as soon as we get in the air. I want Dr. Ferguson to be her physician. Call the authorities and brief them of the situation. Also, tell them how they should approach.”
“Yes, sir.”
Alli starts moaning. My heart instantly aches from seeing her like this. The tattoo on my chest that is supposed to remind me not to make the same mistake almost feels as if it has just been branded to my chest.
I failed her, just like I failed Rebecca.
She stiffens in my arms. I don’t want her to hurt herself.
I try to calm her. “Shh, baby, it’s me. I’ve got you. You’re safe.”
She instantly relaxes into my chest and hoarsely says, “You found me.”
“Shh, I’ve got you. I’ve got you, Alli. I love you.”
She’s exhausted. She turns into my chest and says, “Love you, too.”
She grimaces as I barely shift her.
I’m so fucking pissed that she’s been hurt. “Damn it. I’m going to kill that son of a bitch. I’ll fucking kill him.” I get in the backseat of the car while I hold her gently to me.
My heart starts beating again for the first time in the last few hours. I have the love of my life back in my arms. She’s alive. I’m never letting her out of my sight again while that asshole is out there.
At least I’m holding my reason for living—my only reason for living.
From Love Me
The Moment Damien and Bane Are in the Plane Prior to Alli Waking Up
We’re on my plane. Bane’s been on the phone with the local authorities in Tennessee. It appears that fuckwad probably saw the cop lights from a distant. Regardless of our request, it looks like the police charged in there versus taking a more discreet approach.
Fucking morons.
“Bane, we’re going to have to take matters into our own hands. I’ll talk to Martin. Once Alli is better, we are going to lure this fucker out and kill the asshole.”
Bane nods at me. “I’ll need to talk to Mr. Mills to get everything he knows. We’ll just have to wait for the perfect moment, so we can set Ben up and let him think he’s slipping through our defenses. We’ll strike, and it will appear as though it’s self-defense. The threat will be eliminated forever.”
“Very good, Bane. Thank you. After this is all over, I’d like to offer you a full-time position with room and board if you’re interested.”
Bane is working on his laptop and peers up. “I’d like that. I’m not interested in going back to my previous job. I thought I might want to, but I don’t.”
“Good. We’ll discuss price later.”
Bane nods as I pick up the phone and dial my computer tech.
“Hello?”
“Wales. Has the server been locked down to ensure there’s no way Ben can breach it?”
“Yes, sir. Is there anything else you need?”
I hear Alli moaning a couple of feet from me. I don’t want her to be scared for a minute.
“No. I’ll call back if there’s something else.” I don’t give the computer guy a chance to respond when I hit End.
I immediately kneel beside Alli as her eyes begin to flutter open. I try to soothe her. I’m afraid to touch her because she’s been so badly battered. “Baby, we are headed to the hospital to have you checked out. Do you need anything?”
I’m so worried about her. The bruise on her face is becoming more prominent. Bane and I bandaged her wrist with a first aid kit as soon as we boarded the plane. She moaned in pain the entire time. Each sound of pain sliced through me again and again, reminding me of how I failed her.
“I’m sleepy. He gave me something before he left.”
Her eyes start to flutter shut. I need to know what happened to her, so the doctors can isolate what they need to look at first.
I’ll love her regardless, but I pray he didn’t touch her.
I stroke her face lightly, and she leans into my touch.
“Alli, we are about to be at the hospital. What did he do to you? You can sleep once you tell me, baby. I need to tell the doctors.”
She pushes her eyes open and then says in a scratchy staccato voice, “Rope on hand. Head was hit. Stomach and ribs hit, too. Arms. Hips. Sedative.”
I can tell she’s in pain. I want to scream and throw anything I can get my hands on, but I need to stay calm for Alli.
“Alli, is there anything else?”
Her eyes are starting to close as she says, “No.”
Thank God. I breathe a sigh of relief. We can get through anything, but I would never forgive myself if he had touched her that way.
“Okay, rest now. You are completely safe, baby.”
“Mmmkay.”
Her eyes drift shut as I watch her. Whatever she needs, I’ll be there for her. After we get her taken care of and I know she’s okay, I’m going to start hunting that fucking prick, and he’s going to die.
To Paul—You are my perfect match in every way. Your unconditional love and never-ending support never ceases to amaze me. Thank you for doing so much when all my different worlds get a little crazy. I’ll love you forever and always.
To Makaela—You bring a happiness to my life I never knew could have existed. I love our make-believe times together. You’re growing up so fast. You’ll always be my little princess. As you say, I love you much!
Love Me (Trust Series #2) Page 33
