by Jami Denise
I didn’t believe one word he had to say. I had to get out of there and find my father. I was done being a victim in the sick games of money hungry assholes. I was done, and he could kiss my ass.
I jerked away from him and ran, throwing my legs ahead of me with all the power I had in me. Getting away from his was my only thought, and the faster the better, before I ended up in the same predicament as my father and Vince.
I got to the room and sprung for my purse, pulling the 9mm Vince gave me from the interior and spun around, turning it on Flynn. He slid into the room, and his eyes went wide and his arms in the air.
“Put the gun down, Jayne, Jesus.”
I jabbed it out in front of me, threatening him. “Get the fuck away from me, or I’ll do it. I swear.”
“Janie, stop.”
Shaking my head, I grabbed my knit pants off the floor and pulled them up my legs as best I could with one arm. I had to get away from him. I wanted to get out of that house, out of his life, and as far away from Las Vegas as I possibly could.
“Just… give me the gun. I’m not going to hurt you, Janie. You know I won’t hurt you!”
“Do I?” I screamed. “I don’t know anything! You’re a liar, and you used me!”
He took a step forward, and I shook the gun out in front of me again. “Stay there!”
“You don’t know what you’re walking into, Jayne, and you’re going to get yourself killed! Do you think my father won’t kill you? He will! I’m trying to keep you alive!”
My lip quivered and my hands shook so badly I was afraid I’d drop the damn gun. I’d never had to pull a gun before, but I sure as hell knew how to use it. Vince made sure of it. But it didn’t make the situation comfortable in any way.
Aside of not wanting to kill anyone, I loved him. I was hurt and angry, but there was no way I could hurt him. I was pissed, but I wasn’t heartless.
As I stood there staring at him, thoughts from the days we’d spent together whirled around in my head like a tornado ready to rip away at my sanity. By far, they’d been the best of my life. I’d been happy, I’d felt loved, and more than anything, I loved. Deep in my heart, I had fallen for him, hard and fast, and he’d played me.
He’d fooled Jayne King, a task not many had ever attempted, and he was the only one that had ever succeeded.
It hurt. Never had I felt so empty and crazy inside. Like a carpet being pulled out from underneath me, I was upside down and confused. It was cruel and deranged that the only time I’d ever allowed myself a piece of the dream, it was nothing but betrayal and heartache.
Bullshit.
I’d never let myself be duped again.
“Just let me go, Flynn. There is no other way this turns out. This was all a farce, a lie, and I’m sick of lies. I’m sick of men manipulating my life, and I’m not letting it happen anymore. I’ve come this far, and I’m not letting Vince and my father down. They’re my family; they’re all I have left.”
He chuckled, an angry and frustrated laugh that sent chills up my spine. Before I could react, he lunged forward, smacking the gun out of my hand and throwing me back on the bed, pinning my arms back behind me.
“I won’t let you kill yourself. This is suicide, no matter what you think. You don’t even know where they are.”
“So tell me, asshole! Tell me where he has my father!”
His breath was harsh and his eyes furious as he stared down at me. I could see in his eyes that he wasn’t going to tell me where he was, or let me go, so I surveyed my options. There were several ways of going about it, but I decided time was not on my side, so I took the easy route.
I reared up, shoving my knee into his groin and slammed it into his nuts as hard as I could. As soon as he fell off of me, I rolled over and flew off the bed, grabbing my purse and my phone, and rushed from the room.
I could hear him yelling as I ran through the house. Halfway through, I realized I didn’t have a car, and cursed at the shitty luck. I took a chance and as I approached the front door, I grabbed the coat from the hook next to the door and searched through the pockets for some keys.
Thankfully, lady luck was finally pulling her head out of her ass and helping a bitch out, and I yanked them out, threw the door open, and ran like a bat out of hell toward the drive where his cars were parked.
His sleek black sports car was still parked close to the house, so I went straight for it, flicking the remote with my thumb and triggering the door locks to open. I climbed in, shoved the key in the ignition, slammed the door, and threw it in reverse.
Leaving skid marks as I fled the property, I didn’t allow myself to look in the rearview mirror, but I knew he was back there. Whether he’d come after me or let me race to my doom, I wasn’t sure, but it didn’t matter either way. I was done with him, and all I wanted to do was get answers. He wasn’t going to give them to me, obviously. His account of the situation was lacking fact, and I was done dealing with frauds.
He was right, though. I had no idea where I was going, but I had an idea, and that was a start. Now, knowing his father was behind everything all along, it narrowed down my options. He owned three casinos. I could check those, and I had a feeling the building I’d been visiting every Saturday morning held more information than anywhere. That had to be my first stop.
SIXTEEN
I turned on the radio as I drove to spare my brain from the constant compulsive thinking. The whirlwind of confusion was making me sick—literally sick to my stomach. I was too angry to cry, even though that’s all I wanted to do. There was more on the line than my heart, and that’s what I needed to concentrate on.
Before I knew it, I was on the strip and flying toward the high-rise on the other side of town. I tried to run an inventory in my head so I had a plan, but I was in shock and running on straight adrenaline. My brain wasn’t working, and it wasn’t like I had any experience with that sort of thing. I had no idea what I was going to do once I confronted Doyle Maguire. What do you say to the man that single-handedly ruined your life? A man that held your future in the palm of his hands, and had not a care of what happened as long as it ended in his benefit?
Another roll of terror thumped in my stomach. Every last thought went back to Flynn. How much did he know? How involved had he been?
The building came up on my right, so I swerved through traffic and sped up, taking the turn dangerously fast and absolutely carelessly. The minutes ticked away, and I knew my dad had very little time. God only knew what he’d been going through while I was frolicking around like a ditsy bitch in love with the man that put him in the predicament in the first place.
I spotted Vince’s Dodge and a knot lodged itself in my throat. It’d been three days. There was no conscionable reason for him to still be there after three days. Chills wracked my skin, and my spine snapped ramrod straight.
I had no idea what I was walking into. Actually, that was a lie. I was walking into a nightmare, and there was a good possibility that I wouldn’t walk out of it. I tried to keep myself from thinking about what I’d find once I walked in there. Would they still be alive? My gut roiled. It was unlikely, and I felt my entire body shake with the thought.
I steeled myself to face it. One way or another, I had to go find out. There was no way of getting away from the brutal truth. I wanted to cry—my eyes stung with the pain of tears—but those would have to wait.
I got out of the car and scoped out the area, looking for anything sketchy. I had no doubt someone was watching from somewhere inside, either from a window or some sort of surveillance. Now that I knew who I was dealing with, I realized he had plenty of resources at his disposal. That bastard could have me taken out before I even got inside, and after our meeting the night before, I knew he’d take great pleasure in doing it.
I cursed myself for not being more prepared. I was hardly dressed, had left my gun behind at Flynn’s. I was well and fully screwed, but I wasn’t letting that hold me back.
I took careful steps tow
ard the building and pushed through the double doors that led to the cold, empty lobby. Making my way toward the elevators, I looked around, making sure that I was alone, and pushed the button that would lead me upstairs.
The elevator ride did nothing to calm my nerves. My hands shook and my heart thumped against my ribs like thunder. My mind was tired and unable to process everything I was feeling, so planning was impossible. I was going to have to wing it, even if it got us all killed.
At that point, I didn’t even care. I wanted it over with. All of it. My life had been turned on its ass, and it would never be the same. I would never be the same. I knew in that moment, caged between the steel walls of that elevator, that if I made it out alive, I would be lost anyway.
The machine dinged, and the doors slid open with a swoosh. I looked up and found Sullivan standing outside, grinning like a smarmy cat.
“Miss King. Mr. Maguire is expecting you.”
I bet he was. I was sure his son alerted him to my escape, and the gut-wrenching pain lit up my insides like an ulcer.
He led me toward the office I’d met him in countless times in the past. The room where I’d had to pass over the money I’d earned while allowing men and women to use me for their amusement. Bitterness reared up in my throat, and I pushed back the urge to gag.
Flinging the door open and waving his hand in front of me, he followed me inside. As soon as I looked up, I wished I hadn’t come. I was in over my head, and I wasn’t ready for what I saw across from me.
My father was strapped down in a metal chair, his head hung down, lifeless and heavy. He was covered in blood, his once white shirt filthy with deep brown stains. Dried blood. Old blood.
“Daddy,” I choked. I flung myself forward, only to get yanked backward against Sullivan.
“I have to say, I didn’t expect this.”
My head swung toward the left and my eyes landed on Doyle, sitting like a fat king on his pathetic throne on the other side of the room. He smiled and then stood, nodding at my father.
“It’s a shame you failed, Miss King. It’s a shame you used my son to do your dirty work.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” I snapped. “You and your son used me!”
He chuckled, stood, and walked around the desk he sat behind. “I’d been impressed with your efforts, Jayne. I never expected you to step up and save his ass. But, I have to say, it was creative. I always thought you’d make a damn fine whore.”
“Eat shit!” I yelled.
“Yes, and a mouth fit for a whore.”
He walked closer, every step causing my body to shudder with disgust. “I paid you! You got your damn money!”
He nodded, his eyes never leaving mine. “The money was mine in the first place, Miss King. Did you really think I’d allow him to go free when you tricked me into taking my own money to pay a debt?” He clucked his tongue. “Tsk, tsk. You are a smart woman. You should have known better.”
Bile pooled in my throat. I’d been the one tricked by his selfish bastard of a son. All along, every penny I’d received from Flynn had been in vain. He’d taken me, and then taken the money. I’d been used in the most deplorable way.
“I had no idea Flynn was involved! I would have never taken a dime of his damn money had I known. All I wanted was my father!”
Standing in front of me, he reached out and ran his finger down my cheek, causing me to flinch. He grabbed my chin, holding me steady as he spoke.
“I can see what my son saw in you. You’re a damn fine piece of ass, but that’s all you are, sweet Jayne. A dalliance before he marries.”
My eyes widened.
“Oh, of course you had no idea. I have to say, I’m proud of the boy. He had his fun, and he made sure you didn’t screw me over in the process.”
His fingers squeezed down on my chin, and he brought his face close enough that I could smell the bittersweet smell of his cigar on his breath.
“And I got what I wanted, in the end. Your father has been a nuisance for years, and I’ve ridden myself of him. I wanted the girls, and your friend had no choice but to relinquish them. I don’t like people getting in my way, Jayne King. I always get what I want.”
The familiar sentiment shot through me with a pain I’d never felt before. Had it only been a few days before that his son said the same thing? They were all the same—men thirsty for power and nothing else.
A loud band rang out behind me, and we all turned to see who it was. The tears I’d held onto earlier suddenly fell from my eyes when I laid eyes on Flynn, disheveled and eyes as black as night.
“Get your hands off her,” he growled.
He stalked across the room toward us, and I felt myself pulled back against Doyle’s chest, a gun rammed underneath my jaw.
“This ends, Son. She dies either way. Take one step, and you’ll watch me blow a hole through her skull.”
Flynn’s entire body locked up, and his feet skidded to sudden stop. His name was on the tip of my tongue, a plea, to beg him to tell me it was all a lie, and that the days I’d spent wrapped up in his arms was the only truth.
“You have the money, King’s gone… Just let her go.”
Doyle’s arm wrapped tighter around my torso, and my breath felt tight. The cold metal of the gun felt like ice against my skin, and I had no doubt he would pull the trigger without a second thought.
Movement from the corner of my eye caught my attention, and before I could react, a shot rang out and I watched Sullivan fall to the ground with a heavy thud.
I cried out, and Flynn charged toward us. Another shot rang out, and then another, and I felt myself being dragged off my feet and carried across the room. It all happened so fast, like a blur. I couldn’t focus with the sounds of bodies falling and bullets flying filling my head like a symphony of madness.
I kicked at Doyle, desperately trying to get out of his grasp. His arms tightened, but I no longer felt the gun, so I took a chance and rolled over, shoving my knee into his groin. Hard.
He groaned, and I took that moment to flee. I looked around the room, and the shrill scream that escaped me was nothing short of gut-wrenching.
Vince lay bleeding not five feet away from me, his chambray shirt soaked in the gruel color of crimson and the floor beneath him stained with his blood. I had no idea where he came from. I was confused. At first, my instinct was to feel relieved that he hadn’t been taken by them, but with him lying on the floor in his own blood, I wanted to scream at him for being so stupid.
I scrambled to my feet, and as quickly as I could fell beside him. “Vince. Open your eyes. Please. Open them!”
A sob died in my chest as I took a shaky hand to his throat. It was there, a pulse, but it was faint, hanging on by a thread.
“Please, don’t die on me, damn you! Please!”
As desperate as my plea had been, it was futile and it broke my heart. There was no way I was getting him out of there, and he wasn’t making it out alive. There was nothing I could do. I was helpless, weak. After everything I’d gone through, I’d still lost everything.
“Go.” His voice was hardly a whisper, more of a choke than anything as his eyes fluttered.
“No!” I cried. “I can’t. I can’t leave you.”
He tried to take another breath, and then nothing. My chest tightened, constricted with pain, regret, and remorse. What the hell was I supposed to do?
There was a scuffle behind me, and shaking myself out of the cloud of confusion I’d been in, it hit me that Doyle was still alive, and probably ready to kill me.
I stood, still in shock and shaky, and turned to face him. My eyes widened when I saw Flynn flat on his back, lying in the same position as Vince, and like him, he was shot.
I covered my mouth, my fingers numb, and his name came out of my throat as a whisper. Fear pricked at my back as I looked around the room, finding it oddly calm and Doyle nowhere in sight.
He’d fled.
As badly as I wanted to go to him, I could
n’t. He broke my heart, left me to bleed out like discarded prey, and ironically, that’s exactly what I’d been to Flynn. Prey.
Sirens echoed from somewhere in the distance, and I knew I didn’t have another second to think. I let my eyes sweep over the room once more, the morbid reality hitting me like a live grenade.
Everything that mattered to me died in that cold, empty room. My father, Vince, Flynn… dead, or dying, and I was close to becoming the next fatality. Not knowing where Doyle had gone, or what he’d do if he found me, I broke into a full sprint and got the hell out of there.
My heart tugged—yanked on my soul and tried to drag my backward, back to the men I loved. I wanted to throw myself atop of their lifeless bodies and beg them to come back to me. Every part of me wanted to shake my father one last time, piss him off and tell him how he’d ruined my life. My arms yearned to hug him again and have him tug on my hair. There was so much confusion inside my heart.
Memories of pockets full of candy and long drives through the desert to shoot at tin cans flooded me. Handsome smiles and bright hazel eyes matching mine filled me with a grief so strong I didn’t think my legs would continue moving.
Having Vince hold me when I cried or when I was scared would never happen again. I’d never hear his laugh at my kitchen table or see his big dumb grin when I opened the door. We’d never lie on the beach and drink Mexican beer when he’d visit me in California. Nothing. I had nothing.
It seemed to be more difficult to pull the memories of Flynn to the forefront, even though I’d been with the man only an hour earlier. I’d already started packing them away, the hurt he’d caused too intense to process. I hadn’t had enough time, not enough distance. He chipped away at me, took parts of me away that I’d never glue together.
He’d ruined me.
Used me.
Thrown me to the wolves.
And in the end, he’d taken a bullet, or two. It was ironic, in a way, how things had worked out.
The glaring light from the sun outside blinded me as I hit the street below. I didn’t know what to do next, but the instinct was still strong, so I continued to run. I couldn’t go home, and I couldn’t go back to Flynn’s, so I was left with one alternative.
