by Sienna Mynx
“Oh, God I’m glad to see you!” Kassidy said.
“C’mere,” he took her face in his hands. He kissed her brow. “Are you okay?”
“Yea, I think so,” she said and welcomed his friendly affection. In the past she discouraged any type of affection offered by him because she didn’t want to lead him on. But today she was shaking with fear and excitement. What they were doing wasn’t just criminal, but dangerous.
“This isn’t all of it?” he asked
“Oh, yeah the USB thing is —”
“Mind if I join you?” A man’s voice broke above the frosty wind. Daniel glanced left, and Kassidy’s head turned. Tarek Marshall approached fast. Stunned, Kassidy took a step back. Daniel didn’t look terrified. With a perplexed frown he glanced to Kassidy for an explanation. As if she had set him up.
“I-I-I—” she stammered.
Tarek locked eyes with her, and her explanation clogged in her throat. The anger and hatred aimed at her, was as intense as the frigid air whipping snow around them. Daniel saw the look and stepped in front of her to shield her. But it was too late. Tarek had made her, and she knew that neither of them would escape his wrath.
“Back off Marshall. Now!”
“What do you have there?” Tarek asked Daniel.
“It’s none of your fucking business. Last I checked, it’s a free country,” Daniel said.
“Free?” Tarek arched a brow. “This country may be free, but Texas ain’t, especially if you’re stealing from me.”
“Everybody calm down,” Kassidy said.
“Don’t worry, Kassidy, he’s a bully, but he’s not crazy."
“Ah, so it's not Kassandra, it's Kassidy? Pretty name,” Tarek winked.
“It’s over, Tarek. Finally, we got you and your dirty family. My advice to you is to turn around and not make a scene—” Daniel said. But his words were cut short by a hard punch to his jaw. Daniel spewed blood out across the snow-slicked concrete. The binder flew out of his hand, and glided over ice and snow several feet away. Shocked, Kassidy stumbled back as Tarek began to savagely beat Daniel with his fists. Daniel's face became a bloody mess. Tarek stood and kicked him several times in the gut then he got down on one knee and held Daniel by the throat as he hit him with a tightly clenched fist, again and again.
The shock wore off at the sight of Daniel’s blood and the gurgling sound he made. Kassidy sprung into action. She leaped onto Tarek’s back and fought him with all her might, trying to scratch out his eyes. It was as if he felt nothing. He just kept pounding on Daniel with his leather-gloved fists.
“You’ll kill him! Stop it!” she screamed. “Help! Help! Someone help us!”
The snow and ice made the fight harder to manage. Tarek turned on her. She wasn’t sure when, but he did. He threw her off, and hard. The counter attack sent her flailing back toward her car. Her head hit the side mirror, and then darkness descended on her mind.
Tarek looked back. Kassidy was out cold in the snow. Her face was turned away from him. She’d taken a hard hit to the head and Daniel was unconscious from the beating. He looked down at the blood covering his gloves, and flashed back to the blood on his fists when he fought Yegor Kovalevsky. He realized how badly his rage had a hold of him. It was only the sight of her, that made him regret his actions. Tarek turned to Kassidy and rolled her to her side so he could look at her. There was a tiny cut above her brow. He checked her pulse and it was strong. She was alive. Relieved, he then got up and went in search of the documents in the black binder. Thankfully the binder was tied shut, so none of the documents escaped. He had what he came for. He opened the binder and stood over the two thieves, flipping through the thin sheets of paper that detailed his every sin over the past six months. He found contracts with his signature, and confidential financial records with expenses he’d approved. Most incriminating, were the things he kept from his father and brothers as he liquidated stocks to cover one debt after another. It was worse than a Ponzi scheme. It was a total take down, and the beautiful sorceress had been doing her research.
“Fuck me!” he groaned.
The anger rose in him like a dark tidal wave. He trembled with the urge to be violent once more. Daniel coughed up blood as if he were coming to. He walked over and put his foot down on Daniel’s throat and pinned him to the concrete. The man gagged and his eyes stretched, bulged in their sockets with terror.
“Remember this moment. The moment I let you live. Remember it’s the only reprieve you get. A word of this leaks to this press, and I won’t need to be merciful. Men a lot scarier than me will pay you a visit.”
Daniel gasped but couldn’t speak. Tarek sensed rebellion in the man, even now. Fucking idiot! He pressed harder with the silver pointed tip of his boot on Daniel’s jugular. “There are worse things than death, my friend. When I am done with you, everything you ever wanted or believed in will disappear. And I’m not talking about the fucking environment. You can put that promise on YouTube.” Tarek stepped back and kicked Daniel hard enough in his side to crack his ribs. He turned to leave and stopped. He glanced over to the unconscious woman again. How much damage had she done? How much information had she given up to this jackal about his family? How much more evidence did she have? And who the fuck was she to come into his life and try to break him?
He walked over and pulled her up by the arm. She groaned, but didn’t fully regain consciousness. He pulled her up and then knelt to scoop her over his shoulder. He stood tall and straight. The snow came hard and fast. Large crystallized flakes covered her face, hair, and coat. Tarek didn’t bother to retrieve her purse. Where he was taking her she didn’t need it. He reached his truck and opened the passenger door while balancing her weight, with the binder pressed under his arm. He put her inside. When he turned to walk around the truck to the driver’s side, he saw Daniel staggering to stand. The man wasn’t as much of a pussy as he suspected.
Tarek grimaced. He wanted revenge. He thirsted for it. He climbed inside the truck and tossed the binder to the back seat. He revved the engine and hit his windshield wipers. Daniel picked up Kassidy’s purse and looked at Tarek. Or so Tarek thought. He couldn't be sure because Daniel's face was covered in blood and his glasses smashed. Daniel yelled something that Tarek couldn’t hear. He limped toward the truck holding on to his side. Tarek pressed down on the gas and sped straight for him. The bastard barely jumped out of Tarek’s way in time. Tarek laughed. Daniel was rolling across the concrete parking lot as he sped out into the streets.
“Motherfucker!” Tarek chuckled.
He kept his hands tight to the steering wheel. The cars on the road weren’t moving as fast as he needed. Several patches of black ice had conquered them. Texans didn’t live, drive, or work well in the snow. Tarek had to literally push one car caught into a spin with the front rack attached to his Sema. Instead of the dumbass behind the wheel turning into the spin and correcting his mistake, he turned out of it and the car fishtailed into another. Tarek chuckled. He didn’t give a shit. He kept driving.
20.
Summer of 2000
Crystal Beach, Texas
Kassidy heard the soft roar of a motorcycle engine. She lifted her head from her mother’s breast and listened. It was Tarek and Clarissa. She knew it. She tried to push out of her mother’s arms, but her mother held on to her. She slept between her parents because she’d had a bad dream. And whenever she did they brought her to their room, no matter where they were staying. Her father lay on his back and snored. Kassidy’s mother held her in her arms, and kissed her while she slept. That was fine when she was a baby, but she was older now—six years old.
“Mama, I got to go to the bathroom.” She patted her mother’s cheek.
“Huh? Oh yes, okay baby,” her mother said, and let her go. Kassidy scooted out of her mother’s arms and off the bed. She dropped to her feet, and ran for the door. Her sisters slept in the room outside of her parents. The bathroom was down the hall; Next to it was a room the Garcia’s�
� let her play with her dolls in. A kid’s room for the guests. It faced the front of the house. She wasn’t afraid of the dark but she was afraid her mother would find out she didn’t have to pee. All she could think about, was Tarek and Clarissa. When she reached the room she found it too dark for her liking so she pushed up the light switch and went to the window. She could barely see out of it, so she found a chair and pushed it closer. Outside Clarissa was in Tarek’s arms. They were kissing. Kassidy grinned. She tapped the window with her hand but they kept kissing. She started to beat the window pane hard with her fist. Tarek peeked up at her in the window. He stopped kissing Clarissa, and they both looked up at her. Kassidy waved.
Clarissa shook her head and made the shoo away gesture with her hand that Kassidy’s mother often did when she was on the phone, and wanted to send her away from the room.
Kassidy pressed her face to the glass and her hands too. Tarek winked at her and it was as good as a kiss, because it made her happy. She kissed the window pane. And that was it. Kassidy was forever in love. She scooted off the chair and pushed it back to where it was. She then saw the paper and crayons she was drawing with earlier over the play table. An idea came to her. She sat down and picked up a blue crayon and wrote Tarek’s name. At least how she thought his name was spelled. She then picked up a pink crayon and drew several hearts. She worked hard on her picture. If she hurried, she could take it downstairs to Tarek. Clarissa could draw a picture too. She would show her how.
“Kassie? Sweetheart?”
She glanced up to see her mother standing in the doorway. She wore a powder blue robe that she tied tightly around her waist. Her mother had thick dark hair that was often wrapped up under a headscarf when she slept.
“What are you doing in here baby?”
“Drawing a picture,” Kassidy said, and colored in her heart.
“Picture? Let mama see,” she said. She walked over and stooped down. She took the picture and stared at it. “Wow, who is Taaick?”
“Tarek. He’s Clarissa’s boyfriend. Mama, how old do I have to be to get married?” she asked.
Her mother chuckled lightly.
“I think Daddy said forty-five,” her mother said.
“What?” Kassidy eyes stretched wide. “That’s ancient!”
“Come here sweetheart.” Her mother pulled her out of the chair and she protested. She had to suffer more kisses to her face. She tried to push her mother away but before she could object; her mother picked her up in her arms.
“No mama! I not sleepy. I not!” Kassidy protested. Her mother cut off the light, and carried her from the room. Kassidy looked over her shoulder at the picture on the table. She’d finish it in the morning and give to Tarek. She smiled when she thought of the kiss he sent her through the window. She rested her face on her mother’s shoulder and smiled.
Present
Kassidy felt a severe strike of pain lacerate her skull. Tears sprung to her eyes. The cool glass her forehead rested against helped. She touched her face and tried to sit back. Her vision blurred, but slowly corrected. She was in a car, no a truck, headed down an isolated stretch of road. She glanced over and her nightmare materialized. Tarek Marshall was driving with one gloved hand to the wheel. His gaze slipped over to her, and she remembered everything. The most vivid memory was the violent attack on Daniel, and her.
She cringed.
“Welcome back, sleeping beauty,” Tarek said.
“What are you doing? Why am I... and where are you taking me?” she asked. He didn’t answer. His gaze swiveled back to the road. Kassidy looked out at the land, and the ranch homes that were situated miles apart. The snow was still falling, blanketing everything in white.
“How long have you been stealing information from me?” Tarek asked.
Did he just ask her a question? What about her question? This was kidnapping. He glanced to her and she saw the deadly intent in his eyes. She was the first to look away.
“I want out of this truck. Now! I’ll call the police!” she reached for her purse to get her cell phone, and didn’t find it with her. She glanced to the back seat and didn’t see it.
“Looking for your purse?” Tarek asked. “Your boyfriend has it.”
“You’re insane,” she said.
“No. I’m quite sane. I question your sanity though. Playing fucking games with me? No one gets away with that shit.”
“I thought you liked games, isn't how all this started? I play you, you play me, I play you again, round and round we go?” she asked.
He smiled. “Ah yes,” he said. “You’re the damsel in distress.” Let's see what you do when you’re in real distress.”
“Where are we going?” She glanced through the window again, and tried to pick up landmarks, any familiar point. None were found.
“Somewhere we can talk. And you will tell me everything I want to know,” he replied.
“And if I don’t?” she asked.
Tarek offered a sly smile. “I have my ways to convince you. Or have you forgotten?”
“Unfortunately I can never forget you Tarek.”
Chapter 12
Kassandra had a plan B, but it was never in case of a kidnapping. Her gaze slipped over to her boss, ex-lover, with dread. The way he spoke, glared, and even worse, the way he attacked Daniel, was without remorse. He was far more dangerous than she could have imagined.
They rode in silence with each passing mile the snowfall came down harder and harder. And if they came across a stalled car, Tarek would purposefully speed past them, he’d crush their hopes for rescue. A few times he glanced over at her and winked, making her scoot closer to the door. She needed to come up with a plan. This was kidnapping, her brain screamed. He’d kidnapped her in broad daylight. And Daniel could be seriously hurt. She tried to think of what to do or say, and came up blank. And her head hurt.
“Mr. Marshall?”
“Oh, you know better than that. It's Tarek, remember me, sweetheart?” he asked.
Kassidy glanced to him. She then looked back out to the road. She made sure her voice was calm and at ease when she spoke. “Take me to the police if you want. I’ll confess. It’s time to bring this to an end.”
“Police?”
“That’s where we’re going? Right? Right?”
He kept driving.
“You have to let me go,” she mumbled.
Tarek flipped on the radio and turned up the volume. He cut her a sly wink and flashes of the ones he’d given her when she was a kid surfaced. She squeezed her eyes shut to block the memory out. Tarek accelerated at a dangerous speed. She gripped the side door handle.
“Stop! The road! Are you crazy?” she shouted at him.
Tarek slowed the truck as if the request was the response he waited for. Tears stung her eyes. “You’re fucking crazy!” she shouted. “Do you hear me? If you don’t let me out right now I will... I’ll... I’ll call the police on you!”
The truck harshly veered left throwing her closer to him. She was instantly repulsed, hastily moving away. The next stretch of highway they travelled looked more deserted than the first. For another hour she sat next to him silent, alert, prepared for anything. And then finally she saw a sign of life. A ranch came into view. There was flat land everywhere except for a few stables and another cottage on the property. It could be servant quarters. Was this the Marshall home? It didn't look like the place he'd taken her to before.
“It’s my home away from home,” he answered as if she had spoken the question aloud. She looked over at him disgusted.
“We own several ranches. But this one is special. It’s the first in the family, how we made our fortune.”
“Really, So I guess you stole this too?” she remarked.
He chuckled over her bite of sarcasm. “I come here sometimes... many times actually. But my family doesn’t. Don’t worry. I have you all to myself.”
“You can’t do this. Do you hear me? You can’t!”
“I'm your boss, remembe
r. I can, and I did.” He drove up the long paved drive without a care to the snow and ice. And then he parked.
“Time to go,” he told her before he threw open his door. He got out of the truck. She immediately reached over, and locked his door when it closed, and then locked her passenger door. Kassidy scooted toward the driver’s seat, tracking Tarek as he walked around the front of the truck to the passenger side. And without a hint of surprise or hesitation, he hit the automated key remote and the door unlocked. She tried to relock it, but the door was snatched open. Kassidy screamed when he grabbed her ankle. She kicked at him and struggled to keep a grip on the driver’s side door. All of her efforts felt futile when he dragged her to him and nearly snatched her to the ground by her ankle. But he prevented her from taking an ugly fall. Kassidy hit at him with her hands and fists. And her head hurt from her fall earlier. The more she struggled, the sharper the pain in her skull became.
“Stop it!” He shook her by both arms, glaring at her. “If I need to drag you in by the hair I will. Do you understand?”
Kassidy nodded that she did.
“Good. Good,” he said.
In a flash his temper cooled. Kassidy glanced to the long walk to the door of the two-story ranch house. The snow kept falling. It felt more like it was pouring out of the sky. Kidnapped by her boss? Things like this just didn’t happen in a sane world.
Tarek retrieved the binder with the incriminating information, and slammed the truck door. She closed her coat around her and shivered. Not from the cold, but from the madness in his eyes when he glanced her way.
“Ladies first.” He gestured toward the front door.
Kassidy walked on jelly legs stumbling twice, as her heels sunk deeply into the snow that was now two inches thick. She glanced back behind her. Tarek was close. She could run for it. She could try. But the land was vast. The snow was blinding her now, and she had no clue where she was. Kassidy folded her arms around herself tighter, and tried to think of a plausible escape. The last thing she wanted to do was go inside with him.
