Into the Blackness (Blackness Series Book 4)

by Norma Jeanne Karlsson

  “Jesus it’s like a porn studio in here,” Cole huffs.

  “You’ll get this someday, bud,” Kellerman says through a wicked grin.

  “I get that shit now. Just don’t like seein’ the parentals goin’ at it.”

  Kellerman and I laugh as we make our way to my son and fall into the teenage lair of gaming and potato chips that they’ve smuggled in the house. It’s a perfect man cave.

  Nick

  Shane and I lead Cara into my family room where Kat, Shanny, Kellerman and Jake are waiting. We’ll introduce the boys in a little while. Explaining the situation to them was a lot for the boys to take in. Cara needs to feel comfortable before we add them into the equation.

  We’ve discovered Cara has more trouble with women than men. I think the night we found her she was so exhausted she just accepted Kat because she was there and being soft with Cara. Apparently, it was a woman and a man that tortured her in the dungeon. Cara wasn’t in the same place for the decade she’s been gone. She was moved around a few times. We haven’t gotten the details on what she’s endured at this point. She’s been tight lipped with the psych team. She’ll talk eventually and when she does she’ll have the strongest support system in the world to unload on. Until then, I don’t need to know details to know what a horror story her life has been.

  Cara pulls up to a halt as we enter the room. Her eyes scan Shanny’s face with shock and confusion at the similarities gazing back at her. We showed Cara pictures to prepare her for this, but in the flesh it’s even more staggering.

  Shanny offers a small kind smile but remains seated, clutching Kellerman’s hand. It’s taking every ounce of self-control my best friend has to not engage right now. Kellerman is soft and stoic as Cara peruses him. I want to sweep this girl to my side and hold her like the family that she is, but I don’t. She’s not there yet.

  Cara moves her gaze to Kat and a small smile plays at her lips. Kat beams back at her, but stays seated next to Jake, waiting for Cara to make the move. Then it happens. Cara strides away from us right toward Jake. When Jake realizes her trajectory, he jumps off the couch and engulfs her in his arms as she flings herself into his chest.

  “Hey, sweetheart,” Jake murmurs into her auburn hair.

  She’s wearing Jake’s hoodie, which I’ve been told she only takes off in order to shower or wash it. Cara’s gained some weight, making her look closer to her seventeen than the original fourteen I thought she was. She makes no move to pull out of Jake’s arms as he brushes his hands up and down her back.

  “You wanna sit down with me?” Jake asks tenderly, pulling back to look into Cara’s face.

  She nods.

  Jake sits on the couch and Cara curls into a tiny ball at his side as he sweeps his arm around most of her slight frame. I finally turn my gaze to Shanny to find her face a collage of emotions running from hurt to pride. Kellerman is still stoic, though there is a caveman bubbling beneath the surface toward the girl. Protective and enraged for the terror Cara’s endured. Kat has tears rolling down her cheeks as she witnesses her son being the kind of man you pray your children become. It doesn’t matter how Jake came to be hers. She’s proud. I know how much pride she has because my heart’s soaring with it. I lock my eyes with my son and do everything I can to let him know how in awe of him I am. After a few beats he breaks our eye contact to peer down at Cara with the slightest ghost of a smile playing at the corner of his mouth.

  Shane and I take the chairs at the end of the room and wait to see what Cara’s going to do. Psych said to let her make the moves. So we wait.

  “Sweetheart,” Jake encourages.

  “I’m sorry,” she immediately apologizes, uncurling from his side backing into Kat who pulls her in tight.

  Jake schools his features even though that movement has distressed and frustrated him.

  “Nothing to be sorry for,” Jake whispers.

  Cara avoids looking at him and studies her hands instead.

  “Cara,” Shanny starts causing Cara to jump a little. “I’m really happy to get to meet you.”

  “Shane said we have the same mother,” Cara offers blankly.

  “That’s right.”

  “She was evil,” Cara grumbles.

  “Yes.”

  “Are you evil like her?”

  The question tears at everyone in the room who knows Shanny is nothing like her monster of a mother. Shanny’s mother hated her from the time she was born and culminated that hate by giving my Uncle Vito the information he used to execute the hit that killed her father and almost Shanny. Cara doesn’t know those details so I don’t blame her for asking, but it’s still excruciating.

  “No, but I don’t expect you to believe that just because I say it. Trust takes a long time to earn and I’ll do my best to show you that you can trust me. And I promise you right now, Cara, you can trust me. I’ll keep you safe and I’ll make sure anyone and everyone that’s ever hurt you pays,” Shanny finishes in a tone promising the things only Shannon Kelly can.

  Cara’s features soften at the tone and posture that would make most people uncomfortable. Kat rubs Cara’s hand in comfort and she flinches. Kat stops and looks at me with remorse in her face. She just wants to help.

  “I’m gonna live with you now.” The tone in Cara’s voice makes it sound like a death sentence.

  “Not if you don’t want to. It’s up to you. I’ll let you live wherever you feel the most comfortable. If you’re unsure where that is, I’ll work with you to help you figure that out. I’m not here to make your life harder. I’m here to make it better in any way that I can.”

  “What if I don’t want anything to do with you?”

  “Then I’ll leave you alone,” Shanny answers plainly.

  This is beyond heart-wrenching to witness. I’ve met fucked up people, but Cara’s carrying demons that will take a lifetime to expel.

  “What if I wanna kill the people that did this to me?” Cara asks in a voice that mirrors Shanny so much I watch her mouth to be certain it’s their origin.

  “Then I’ll train you to be able to do just that,” Shanny replies definitively, her eyes flaring with excitement at the prospect.

  “Can you?” Cara asks with fascination on her face.

  “Yes.”

  “You can train me to kill people?” Cara clarifies, searching Shanny for the lie.

  “I can train you to be anything you wanna be in life. If you wanna kill the people that did this to you, I’ll spend every day training you like I’ve been trained in order to do that. If you don’t think you want that, then I’ll kill every single fucking person that had anything to do with this myself.”

  “I want them to pay.”

  “Me too,” the room clamors in unison, making Cara jump.

  “You live with all men? No women right?” Cara asks Shanny, starting to ease up with the tension she’s carrying.

  “I’m the only woman.”

  Ding, dong.

  Everyone in the room goes rigid as the doorbell sounds. I take a breath before pushing to my feet. We smuggled Cara in the house seamlessly. It doesn’t matter though, we’re all on edge. I stride to the door and peer through the peephole to find the Bookers standing like a fucking Christmas card. I pull my Stepford mask on before opening the gleaming black door. I need these people out of here. They watch the house enough that they know we’re home. It’ll seem strange and out of character if I don’t answer the door. I’m so sick of caring about shit like this. I’m ready to wrap this op.

  “Nick, I hope we’re not intruding,” Trish apologizes loudly. She’s trying to get a look at Shanny based on the timbre of her voice. Nosey bitch.

  “We’re actually busy right now, Trish. I’ll have Kat give you a call once she’s feeling better,” I offer in a placating tone.

  “Yes, of course. We just wanted to offer our help if you need anything.”

  “We’ve got family friends in town. We’re all set. Thanks for stopping by.”

&
nbsp; “Oh, Kat, you look just awful,” Trish cries out dramatically pushing past me into the foyer.

  Tony huffs at his wife and follows her in my home. This is not good.

  Trish has her arms holding Kat tightly when I turn to ask them to leave. The look on Kat’s face is murderous when I meet her gaze. What the hell is going on?

  “Shut the door, Nicky,” Kat growls in a menacing tone.

  Trish drops her arms from Kat and takes two steps back running into Tony when she hears Kat. I do as my wife instructs and lock the door for good measure. I’m putting pieces together quickly as I see Shanny come into view holding two guns. Her favorite Springfield 9mm that she’s a ninja with and a small .22 that she always carries in her purse. Shit.

  “Get on your knees,” Shanny growls.

  Trish yelps in fear, throwing herself to the ground dramatically while Tony lowers to his knees with his hands over his head, fear etching his features.

  Shane stomps in the area with a roll of duct tape and immediately covers Trish’s whimpering mouth. He continues by zip tying Trish’s wrists behind her back before moving to Tony, taping his mouth and zip tying his wrists the same as Trish’s.

  “Weapons,” Shane growls once he’s done.

  Kat launches up the stairs two at a time while I watch Shanny use every fleck of self-control she has to not blow these people to smithereens. Kat thumps back down the stairs looking like G.I. Jane. Four 1911s, two Glocks and an MP5 strapped across her back…maybe the sexiest I’ve ever seen her.

  She passes me my weapons, Shane a 1911 and shoves the other 1911 in the back of her pants before leveling her aim at the Bookers in tandem with Shanny. All right we’ve got them covered.

  “On your feet,” Kat commands.

  The Bookers stand shakily, as Shanny backs down the hall never leaving Trish’s gaze. When we enter the kitchen I find Jake holding Cara around the waist from behind while Kellerman’s hulking presence lingers in front of them.

  “Stop,” Shanny growls. “Let her see.”

  Kellerman obliges his fiancée and moves out of the way so Cara can look at the Bookers. She studies them long and hard before shaking her head dejectedly.

  “I have to hear their voices,” she mumbles, grasping Jake’s forearms firmly.

  A gleam of torture brims in Shanny’s eyes as Shane forcefully removes the duct tape from the Bookers’ mouths.

  “Say hello to Cara,” Kat instructs in an ominous tone.

  “Hello, Cara,” Tony says with a quiver in his voice.

  Cara’s brow furrows. She doesn’t seem to recognize Tony, which is making me question what the hell we’re doing.

  “Tell me I’m a bad girl,” Cara commands.

  His face blanches as his throat bobs in disgust. Huh.

  “You’re a bad girl,” Tony barely forces it out.

  “That’s not him,” Cara says gloomily.

  “Now you,” Shanny barks at Trish who shakes her head silently, not uttering a word.

  “Either you talk on your own or I’ll do shit to you that’ll make you scream the words I wanna hear,” Kat seethes in her ear.

  Trish’s big blue eyes bug out with fear and then I see it. As she locks eyes with Cara, I know Trish Booker did this to her. I see the flames of a monster’s fury billowing from her perfect façade.

  “You’re a bad girl,” Trish seethes and Cara’s green eyes alight with fear, anguish and finally rage.

  Cara flails and screams in Jake’s arms as he holds her from launching at Trish.

  “Let me go, Jake. THAT’S HER!!” she wails.

  Jake holds her tighter as he awaits her fight to wither. Cara kicks her legs and throws her arms, writhing and thrashing. Jake remains immovable, allowing her assault.

  “Sweetheart, calm down. She’s not goin’ anywhere. I don’t want you to hurt yourself. Please,” Jake soothes in Cara’s ear as the fight falls away from her and sobs begin to wrack her body.

  “Trish, what in the world is going on?” Tony pleads with his wife looking at her like a stranger.

  “Shut up, Tony,” she snarls in a tone I’ve never heard the Stepford queen use and neither has Tony based on the expression of horror on his face.

  Tony shifts his gaze to me as Cara’s sobs quiet.

  “Nick,” his voice shakes. “I don’t know that girl. I’ve never seen her in my life. Whatever Trish has done, we can work it out. Just let us go. I won’t call the authorities.”

  In this moment I have a tiny amount of respect for the man. He’s still trying to protect his family. It won’t work, but he’s trying to be a man.

  I crouch down in front of Trish’s face and she bores her lifeless pale blue eyes into mine.

  “Do you wanna tell your husband what a filthy cunt you are or should I?” I ask in a taunting tone with a small smirk on my lips. My monster has come out to play.

  She hawks back and spits in my face. As soon as she does Kat stomps on Trish’s calf causing a feral cry to rip from her mouth. Tony lunges to protect his wife, but Shane buries the barrel of his piece in his temple stopping his movement. I pull my shirt up and wipe away the creature’s drool before climbing to my feet.

  “She does that,” Cara says blankly.

  “Spits?” Shanny asks with repulsion in her voice.

  “Every time.”

  Simultaneously, Shanny and Kat unleash a torrent of mucus-filled spit showers on Trish’s hair and face. When they’re finished Trish is shaking and screaming at them to stop.

  “We need to move this elsewhere,” Shane instructs.

  “Kat,” I say pulling her from her blinding rage. “You and Shanny take her to the wine cellar. Shane and I’ll take Tony to the office. Kellerman and Jake you stay with Cara. The boys’ll be here in twenty. They don’t need to know about this so get them to leave the house again.”

  Kat tosses the extra 1911 to Kellerman before she and Shanny drag Trish down the stairs by her hair as she wails and fights her removal.

  “Move,” Shane commands Tony, pulling him to his feet by his bound wrists.

  Tony obliges, keeping his gaze on his feet not even looking in the direction of where his wife was just dragged. He’s figuring some of this out. Once both our captives are moved I turn back to Cara and Jake.

  “Cara,” I say in the softest tone I can create.

  Her green eyes are shimmering with torment and torture, leaking tears silently.

  “Sweetheart, she’ll never get you again. I need you to stay with Jake while we get information from them. Can you do that for me?”

  “Will you kill her?”

  “She’ll die. I swear it.” I pin her with my eyes so she can search for the truth in my words.

  “I’ll stay with Jake,” she says confidently. “I want to see her die though.”

  I really don’t think that’s a good idea. This girl’s had enough in her life to scar her. She doesn’t need a dead body to add to that.

  “Cara, I don’t think that’ll give you what you want,” Kellerman says softly.

  “How would you know?” she grinds out.

  “I know,” Jake murmurs into her hair. “Let’s talk about it and then you can decide.”

  His grip hasn’t loosened one bit since I’ve come into the room. He’s holding onto Cara for dear life and she’s clinging to Jake for every breath of support he’s offering her. She relents to his words and his soft touch, nodding.

  “Kellerman, if you’re not comfortable with Shanny doin’ this I’ll step in down there,” I inform him with a knowing look.

  His teal eyes hold mine for a moment while he considers it.

  “She’s not in any danger and neither are the twins. If I pull her outta this she’ll serve me my nuts for dinner. I fuckin’ hate it, but I have to let her do this,” he groans.

  I know the feeling because I don’t want Kat doing this either, but I don’t get to make that decision. Trish is zip tied and Shanny and Kat are armed to the gills. They’re safer than anyone in this
house. I offer Kellerman a chin lift and head for the stairs as Jake starts to move Cara back into the family room. Kellerman tags the baby monitor, shoves the 1911 in the back of his pants and follows closely behind them.

  I run up the stairs two at a time welcoming the monster that’s taking me over with each step. I can taste the death, but I crave blood first.

  Kat

  “Get some more tape on her mouth,” Shannon complains as Trish wails and screams. I agree.

  I rip off a piece of duct tape with my teeth before slamming Trish’s head back with force as I cover her obnoxious hole.

  We wrestled Trish into a chair and zip tied her ankles to the legs before securing her wrists to the arms. With her mouth taped shut, I can take a moment and think this through.

  The wine cellar is at the back of the basement, surrounded in concrete about twelve feet high. The walls hold deep mahogany wine racks that glisten with the jewel tones of wine bottles. There’s a small round ornate similar hued wood table in the room with four amber leather wrapped chairs. I flop into a chair next to Shannon and take my moment, staring at what will soon be my playground.

  The doorbell rang and we all got tense. Not a surprise really. Then Trish’s voice echoed through the house and Cara turned as white as a sheet in my arms and became rigid like stone. I tried to coax out of her what was wrong, but she was stuck. Frozen like a deer in headlights. Jake leapt into action when I couldn’t get through.

  He pulled Cara into his lap and cupped her cheeks, forcing her haunted eyes to focus on his.

  “Sweetheart, do you know that voice?” he asked her in a pointed yet soft voice.

  A tiny almost imperceptive nod followed and I jumped into action followed by Shannon and Shane. We all knew it in that moment. No questions to ask. No information required. Trish Booker tortured Cara.

  Now two pregnant women are going to torture and kill a Stepford Wife and enjoy every second of it.

  “I’m gonna go get some tools. Are you good on your own?” I ask Shannon who’s studying Trish like a lion stalks its prey.