Flames (A Special Agent Novel Book 3)

by C. P. Mandara

  Chapter Twenty-Five – Lois

  I woke up to the sound of screaming. It should have had my eyes snapping open, but they felt as if they’d been glued together. My head was pounding, as if I hadn’t drunk for days, and every limb in my body felt weak and unstable. Holy fuck. As the events of our last evening at Adamantines came rushing back to me, I yanked a hand up only to find it wouldn’t budge. Double fuck. Blinking back the grogginess of drug-induced sleep, I finally managed to focus my eyes, only to wish I hadn’t.

  “Do you know how many bones the human hand has?” The French accent that uttered those words sounded a lot like Adie, except this voice was more guttural. It sent shivers of cold steel up my spine, the ones that pierce bones. If the man’s voice could do that to me, I sure as hell didn’t want to look at him.

  “Do me a favour and save me the spiel. Just start breaking them and let’s get the hell on with this reunion. You have no idea how much I’ve missed you, Alain.” James sounded ridiculously cheerful, which I guess was his way of putting two fingers up towards his nemesis. I’d probably do the same thing.

  "Play nicely, James. You know what happens if you piss me off." I could almost feel the venom rippling behind every word Alain spat out, and it made goosebumps of terror erupt all over my skin. For the first time in a very long time, I wanted to hyperventilate.

  “What do you want to do to me now? You’ve already ruined my life in every conceivable way you can, so short of killing me, there’s not much left for you to dish out.” I was now beginning to realise there was a past history between these two that I was wholly unaware of. What had happened here? Whatever it was, it was deep, dark shit.

  Alain laughed – a cruel caricature of mirth, but it was a laugh all the same.

  “Yes, I’ve noticed you’ve not been fucking very many women lately, James. Have you developed a conscience in your old age? Here I thought I’d be killing off half the female population with your previously legendary exploits, and now it appears you’ve turned into a monk. I find this turn of events very interesting indeed.”

  "I bet you do, you bastard." There was yelling, and the sound of James in pain had my insides clenching in panic. Now that my eyes had finally adjusted to the bright light in the room, it was to find Alain had pinned James's hand in a vice and was nailing some of the two-inch surgical pins we'd prepared for yesterday's scene into it. His hand was turning a vicious shade of purple, and there was blood everywhere. I immediately closed my eyes to get the sick image out of my head.

  “Well, at least I take your threats seriously these days,” said James, after he’d finished yelling every cuss word known to man.

  “As well you should,” came the reply, “because I meant every fucking word I said. Would you like to remind everyone in the room of what that was? I think everyone’s awake now.” Turning towards me, his black eyes locked with mine. I couldn’t look at them and turned away almost instantly.

  “And why would I do that?” snapped James.

  “Because it’s only fair to warn Lois of exactly what she’s getting herself into if she decides to get close to you.” Alain was now very amused at James’s reticence to speak, and I found myself a little curious to discover where this was going. I knew I wouldn’t like it, by my curiosity was getting the better of me.

  “Go fuck yourself, and while you’re at it, punch another one of those nails into me. I’m getting bored.”

  Alain just grinned. “You always were a hard ass, James. Fine, if that’s the way you want to play it, we’ll use a different tactic.” Alain then walked towards me with one of the needles. Picking up my right hand, which was encased in a stainless steel cuff, he brought it up to his lips and kissed it. Letting his thumb gently caress my skin, he sighed.

  “So soft and silky, ma petite. It would be a shame to damage such exquisite perfection, but needs must when the devil drives.” He was so close to me, I couldn’t help but get a good look at him, and I almost jumped back in shock to find the man was the spitting image of Adie. They could have been one and the same, except that Adie’s eyes weren’t quite as devoid of life. Were these two twins? And where was Adie? Looking around the room frantically, I couldn’t find any sign of him, but right now I had more important things to worry about.

  My breath hitched as he held the needle above my hand. This was going to hurt. Closing my eyes, I waited for the inevitable to happen.

  “Don’t.” James’s voice sounded tormented, but I heard it, and so did Alain. He stopped what he was doing instantly, and a broad smile lit up his face as if Christmas has just come early.

  “What did you say, James? I’m sure I misheard that.” As he pressed the needle sharply into my flesh, I bit down on my gasp and waited for him to punch a hole in me. It didn’t happen. The man was toying with James. That didn’t mean I wasn’t about to get it, but it looked like I had a reprieve for the next few seconds or so.

  “Don’t.” His voice was louder this time, and rougher. The expression on his face was tortured, and again, I wondered what history these two shared.

  “You care about her.” It wasn’t a question – it was a statement. It was also a revelation.

  “Why don’t you kill me, Alain? I know you want to.” James was trying his best to take the focus off me, but I didn’t think the monster in front of us would fall for that tactic in a hurry.

  “There’s no way I’m going to kill you.” Alain wrinkled his lips up in distaste. “Besides, death would be too easy. You deserve to suffer for what you did, don’t you, James?”

  There was a long silence, and it prompted Alain to drive the needle deep enough into my hand to pierce the skin. Whimpering, I jolted up in my chair.

  “I do. She doesn’t.”

  “Then tell her why she can never have a relationship with you, James. If you don’t, I will, and I’ll also punch this steel pin through her hand and at least ten others for kicks. Your choice.” Alain waited all of a second before he drove the first pin straight through my hand, while his eyes gripped mine with maniacal glee. If Adie at his worst scared me, Alain fucking terrified me already, and we’d barely begun. Trying to stem the scream that bubbled up through my chest, I somehow managed to keep my lips closed. It muffled some of the awful wailing that wanted to escape, but there was no disguising the fact that I was in pain. Alain seemed most amused by my efforts.

  “She’s tough, this one, isn’t she? It will take a while to break her. You know how much I enjoy that shit, James. It’s almost like being given an early birthday present. How thoughtful you are.” His attention returned to me. “Beg him to tell you why he can’t fuck you, sweetheart, and I’ll try my best not to leave your right hand permanently useless.” Alain raised his eyebrows, his finger and thumb pulling at the spike that was embedded within me, so it felt like he was trying to snap one of my tendons, but I refused to give him what he wanted. If James thought telling me his secret would stop the pain, he’d have done it by now. The man wasn’t a complete bastard. At least, I didn’t think he was. I was beginning to wonder.

  "I'm all for a bit of acupuncture," I said brightly, when I finally got my breath back. "I hear it does wonders for your energy levels."

  Alain burst out laughing after this, his eyes dancing with something wholly unpleasant and yet utterly intriguing at the same time. I didn’t think he’d come across many women like me.

  “Oh, James. You did get me a birthday present. A sense of humour and the bitch is a masochist to boot. This is fucking fantastic.” I could almost see the bastard rubbing his hands together in delight as he began to plot his next move. Whatever it was, it would be designed to cut James to shreds.

  "Will someone tell me the punch line here? If it's not too much trouble? If I'm about to look like Edward Scissor Hands, it would be nice to know if there's a point to this show." My voice sounded bored. There was no guarantee I'd get what I wanted by asking, but I was pretty sure Alain wanted me to know, and with any luck, he'd tell me now that I'd reminded hi
m about it.

  “James?” Alain looked over in his direction, but James was staring straight ahead into the distance. He had no desire to play this game. Would Alain take pity on me? There was a long pause, as he probably wondered the same thing. Then he smiled, a cruel little smile, and I knew the game was on.

  “Fine. You want to know, I’ll tell you the whole damn story little miss inquisitive.”

  My hand felt as if Alain had skewered me with a fork and was slowly twisting it round in circles, as if trying to eat spaghetti. At this level of pain, Adie would have chugged me full of heroin, but Alain was a different beast. He liked to watch people suffer on a whole new level. I can't begin to imagine what James's hand felt like right now, and I instinctively knew he was dealing with much more pain than I was.

  The sound of Alain’s voice snapped my head up. “Once upon a time, Lois, I had a sister, Alaina. My father had something about the letter ‘A.’ Alain, Adrien, and Alaina - the terrible threesome. We were raised to be fearless and fearsome. All of us were destined to be heirs to the great drug and sex trafficking kingdom that my father had built. The three aces, if you will.” James snorted. We both ignored him. “I’m guessing that you think James is all sweetness and light, but he hasn’t always been on the right side of the law. He started out on my side of the tracks, just like me, and then decided to choose the wrong fucking side.” The look Alain gave James was withering, but it was wasted because James was staring into space. Although he must have been in an enormous amount of pain, there wasn’t the faintest tell on his face, and that was when I realised James probably had a great deal of practice at hiding things from people.

  "He worked for us for a while. Training the girls, picking up shipments, helping us test out product when necessary. He'd still have been working for us now if he hadn't decided to get his dick wet." Alain twisted the pin in my hand again, but I was ready for him this time and didn't make a murmur. He smiled thinly. "You see the trouble with James is that he has a problem with following orders. The man could have had any woman he wanted, bar my sister, but the lure of the forbidden was obviously too much for him. Never tell a man he can't have something. Isn't that right, James? Anyway, somehow they managed to keep the details of their relationship secret for over a year. A year! How was that even possible? They even made plans to escape when I finally caught them at it. Had I been a day later, they'd have flown off to Mexico, and done their utmost to disappear. No one disappears in my family unless we make them disappear, so everyone was a little ticked off when they discovered what had been happening right underneath their noses. When dad found out, he nearly killed him. Adie stepped in to stop him, and that's the only reason he's alive today. James and Adie have always been tight - both clueless little boys, with no idea how to get the job done. Just as well it's Geraud and I who run things. Anyway, Adie made a deal with dad to save James's life, but it came with consequences." Alain licked his lips, and there was a mean glint in those black eyes that said he was about to enjoy telling me the next part.

  "For ruining my sister, he was thrown out of Carte Blanche, and we severed all ties with him. That immediately made him a target for anyone who wanted to get back at us, and there are lots of people out there who hold a grudge for the way we ‘handle' things." Alain glanced over to James, who still appeared to be miles away, but I knew better. He was locked away inside his head in a very dark place, and one that he probably had no wish to relive. Unfortunately, I'd given him no choice in the matter. I'd brought us here, and this was on me. "He had to grow up fast, after that, but somehow he's managed to keep himself alive – against all the odds, I might add." Alain then picked up another two-inch needle and stood up. Walking back towards James, his smart black shoes thudding on the concrete floor, he held the needle, point first, towards James's left eye. The contents of my stomach immediately roared up through my throat and threatened to erupt everywhere. God, no. This couldn't be happening.

  “Are you going to tell Lois the rest of our story, James? I really think you should. It’ll sound so much better coming from you.” The needle hovered an inch away from his eye, and I began bracing myself for disaster.

  James just stared at him, long and slow, and then his lips curled in disdain. "Since when have those tactics ever worked on me? You want to blind me, go ahead, fucker. I've been living on borrowed time for years thanks to you." The needle wavered in front of his pupil as Alain considered his next move. "Suit yourself." When he began inching forwards, I couldn't hold myself back anymore. Twisting my head to the side, I threw up on the floor in front of me.

  Alain's eyes flickered to the mess, and he frowned. Tilting his head to one side, he then regarded me with a cunning little look. "Interesting. Does she care for Adie, you, or both? It's going to be fun finding out." Walking back towards me, Alain gripped my chin in his fist and ran the needle down my cheek, scratching my skin. "Do you think James would tell his sorry tale if I threatened to blind you? Let's find out shall we?" My stomach heaved again, and Alain dropped my face as more bile ended up on the floor.

  “Stop. Just stop,” James finally whispered.

  Adie’s eyes danced with amusement, and he looked like a cat that had just got a year’s subscription to a dairy farm. Here was a man who always got what he wanted, and by any means necessary. There was no conscience beneath the soulless black eyes, and his skin was merely a façade for the demon resting beneath it. “I’ve stopped,” Alain said, “so start talking.”

  “I want your word you won’t hurt Lois. You can do anything you want to me, but I want your word that you won’t bring her into this.”

  “She already in so deep her head’s underwater, James. You know how this works, but I’ll give you my word. I won’t hurt her, as long as you do everything I tell you to.”

  "No!" I screamed out the word, knowing something terrible was about to happen, but the testosterone in the room wasn't interested in listening to anything I had to say. It didn't stop me from trying again, though. "No. I got myself into this, James. I knew the risks. You are not to protect me at the expense of your own life." My voice was nearing hysteria now, and if I didn't stop to breathe in a minute, I was going to have a panic attack.

  "Calm down, Lois. I got us into this. I knew the risks but decided to send you in anyway. If anyone's to blame it should be me." James's voice was flat and dead as if he knew he was about to die, and it floored me. He sounded broken, and for a man who's never been anything but one hundred percent in control, it scared me far more than anything else could have.

  “Continue the story, James, or I’ll rescind my offer.” Adie tapped his foot in impatience, while his hand loosened the pristine white collar of his shirt. Dragging out a plastic chair, scraping the steel legs noisily along the floor, he sat on it back to front, facing both of us, so he could watch our reactions. I had never wanted to be invisible so badly in my life before, and I wished the ground would just reach up and swallow me whole. The scenario unfolding in front of me was far worse than any nightmare I could have imagined.

  Clearing his throat, James began to speak. He was careful to keep his voice devoid of emotion as the second half of the tale unravelled. Whether this was for Alain or me remained to be seen, but my heart bled for him. Whatever he was about to tell me, it was clearly something that had ripped his life apart.

  "Getting out of Carte Blanche alive required a sacrifice of me. Geraud and Alain had decided they would only allow me to live if the sacrifice I'd be forced to undertake would be worse, or at least almost worse than death. As I had trouble keeping my dick in my pants, the pair thought they’d use that against me. They told me that if I ever had sex with a girl more than twice, she'd be killed. For the rest of my life, they would have me followed wherever I went, and if I broke that condition, not only would the girl be killed, but I'd be forced to watch." He let those loaded sentences hang in the air for a moment before he continued, but I'd already caught on to the horror of what he'd just revealed. He could never
fall in love, he could never marry, and there was no chance in hell the poor bastard would ever be able to have children. Now his earlier actions in avoiding me became abundantly clear. He was trying to protect me. Oh my god.

  "I screwed up, of course, just as they knew I would. The first two years, I managed to keep my head down and my nose clean, but then one night I got drunk. So damn drunk I almost forgot who I was. I picked up a girl in a bar and didn't even know her name. To this day, I have no idea how many times we screwed that night, but I do remember it was a lot more than once. The next day I found myself pretty much in the same position I'm in now, with Alain standing in front of me with a pair of his favourite Japanese filleting knives. It took him a full week to kill the girl. She eventually died from blood loss, which is nothing short of a miracle when you took into account she'd been slowly bleeding to death over seven days. It was the most horrific experience of my life. Alain said that if I slipped again, he'd make sure the next one took two weeks to die. I can't go through that again, Lois. I'd rather take my own life." The pain in his voice was heart-wrenching. I had no idea how you lived with the knowledge you were responsible for another’s death, but I do know that it was probably the worst kind of suffering imaginable.

  "He's tried." Alain's voice startled me, and I looked up to find him twiddling a stray lock of my hair. My gut clenched instinctively in fear, but his focus wasn’t on me, it was on James. "The men watching him have orders to make sure the son-of-a-bitch stays alive, and when they found him with a gun pointing towards his head, I had to step in. To make sure he doesn't kill himself, I had to put in another little clause, didn't I, James?"