"We need to talk." Sierra finishes chewing her food and swallowing before looking to me to continue. "I know." I leave it at that for the moment as she stares at me in confusion. Her eyebrows pinch, as she seems to consider my words and figure out what it is I know. I only read her last passage but maybe there was more I missed in her other ramblings.
"What is it you know?" Her stare is unwavering, as she looks confident that I really don't know.
"First off you're carrying my child." Her eyes widen in horror as she realizes what is to come. "I will not worry about it at this time. I have a meeting and no time to deal with that issue as of right now."
"I was going to tell you. I just wanted to wait until after the meeting with your uncle. I was going to ask if you could show mercy and let me have a family with you. I know you didn't want kids and I promise if you let me have this one, the child will not be in your way. I don't want to go through what I had before. I also want this child. Our child." She pleads.
My heart tells me to believe her as it beats furiously in my chest. She wants a family. It is not just her child but ours. Then I remember she is a conniving little bitch who has been lying to me. I straighten up and give her my coldest stare. "Well I don't want kids. They are little demons and just get in the way. I will deal with this problem later." Her fear escalates as she grips the side of the island with one hand and holds her other hand over her flat stomach. She must not be that far along because as I recall she had her cycle nearly two months ago and her stomach is still flat.
"I also know you love another." Her confusion shows on her face. I wonder if she is trying to figure out how I would know that another man has caught her heart.
"I have no idea what you are talking about. I only love you." She shakes her head still seeming unsure.
"Ah, but you see, in your diary you claimed you loved another. Did you think I wouldn't have found out sooner or later? Is the baby even mine? Or is it the bastard you love?"
"I haven't been with anyone but you since you brought me back here and locked me up. The baby is yours. And how dare you read my diary. Those are my most personal and private thoughts. You promised me that my diary was mine and you wouldn't break that trust. How much have you read? Why would you even read it? Why did you break your promise?"
"My promise? I believe you gave me reason to look when you lied to me and said you loved me. My promise is moot when you have so blatantly lied to me."
"I have not lied to you."
"Who is he? I must know so I can take care of him and his disregard for what was mine." The anger boils beneath the surface. I badly want to strike but first I need to know whom it is I need to bury. I cannot have one my men getting away with this treachery. They knew she was mine and I will go through each and every one of them if she does not tell me and find the truth.
"There is nobody!" She screams as she stands facing me full on. I will not have her challenge me in such a way and lie to me. I swiftly back hand her and watch her fall to the floor clutching the side of her face and whimpering. No tears fall as she stays on the floor, probably waiting for me to strike again.
"Get the fuck up. Go back to your room. I will deal with you later. My uncle will be here shortly and once I am done speaking with him you better be ready to tell me everything."
Sierra slowly gets up still cupping her face and without a word, rushes up stairs to her room. The slamming of her door makes me even more angry. Her adolescent behavior will be punished as well as her lying and manipulation of me. I do not stand for that sort of betrayal and she has betrayed me for the last time.
"Sir, your uncle has arrived." One of my men whose name I don't know informs me. I haven't even had a chance to eat my lunch.
"Send him into my office and let him know I will be in shortly. And stand watch so he doesn't try anything. I don't need him going through my things searching for something incriminating."
"Yes sir." He walks off and I take a seat at the island with my lunch and eat. He can wait for me since he showed up early.
Once I am done with my lunch, I rinse my plate and stroll into my office with confidence. We are in my house and he cannot touch me here. He would be dead within seconds if he were to try anything. Taking a seat at my desk, I lean back and prop my feet atop of my mahogany desk and clasp my hands over my stomach. My uncle doesn't fidget once, which surprises me. I would expect a little fear but I guess he believes I won't kill him. We stare at each other waiting for the other to break the silence. I won't be the one to speak first and he seems to be fine with just sitting there quiet in the burgundy leather armchair across from me. This goes on for several minutes and I smile internally when he speaks first.
"I see you have been busy." I nod my head knowing where he is going with this. "This is much more successful then I could have hoped for. You are international now. Tell me, how have you become so large in such a small amount of time and not had anyone looking your way yet?" I see what he is trying to do but it won't work.
I shrug, "I guess I just know how to keep it quiet. I may have expanded the business in a big way but I am not stupid. We are very thorough in who we let in to this business. We check every inch of anyone coming into contact with us and every buyer has to show us current standings in all things that we check continuously and if there are any glitches then they are dealt with. I am much smarter than you are. My livelihood is not the only one at stake here. There are many in this business who would lose everything if they were to be caught. I like the throne I am on and will make sure everything is cared for appropriately in order for me to stay on top."
"You are not as smart as you think. There is much to be said about being on top and you my dear nephew, are going to be surprised when you are taken down to the bottom."
"What do you know?"
"I know that you are not as thorough as you believe and that you are being watched. You think that nobody has their eye on you just because of the fit you threw when they searched everything you had in hopes of finding Sierra. But there is a ghost out there. I don't know who he is but I can guarantee he knows everything you've been doing. I'm sure he is waiting for the right opportunity to strike. Now if you would like some help staying undetected, I am willing to help you for the right price."
He must think I am stupid. There is nobody who has gotten past me and my men that could have anything worth using in taking this operation and me down. Everything is in code and everyone brought in or around has been thoroughly checked.
Except two. Fuck.
I stomp my feet on the floor while sitting up and slam my hand down on my desk as I lean over and stare my uncle straight in the eyes. "Tell me who it is so I can kill the fucking bastard. Did you send those two men into my house?" My uncles smirk is grating on my nerves and I badly want to just shoot him right here, right now but I can't. I need answers and he knows it.
"That I do not know. I have not sent anyone to your place but as you can see, you are not as invincible as you may have thought."
"What do you want? Sierra? I've already sold her and I don't back down on my deals."
"I have no need for the whore. You've already ruined her for me. I do not need a woman. I want part of the earnings."
"You haven't earned shit. Why the fuck would I give you any of it?"
"I'm going to be apart of this business. I fucking built this damn business and it will not be ripped from me by my own goddamn nephew. Make me partner. Same rules apply as before. Except roles are reversed. You can be boss and I will do the grunt work. Find the girls, receive and transport, and keep our asses off the fucking radar. You got me?"
"Yea I fucking got you. We are not partners though. I will draw up the paperwork and mark down your part. You will have a large part but not partner." Fuck. How the fuck could this happen? We have been so careful watching everything around us. I've got eyes on the inside but apparently not the right ones.
"No deal." My uncle sits there smug and I want to fucking kill him. I kno
w he is right and even though I don't want to admit it, he has always been the best eyes and ears for the business. Problem is I know he will try to fuck me over in the end. As the saying goes, keep your friends close and your enemies closer. I am going to keep my uncle so fucking close we are going to be practically attached at the fucking hip.
"Fine. Deal, but there will be fucking rules you need to follow or the deal is off. I am not risking anything because of you."
"I understand. Why don't we go over all this now while I am here? I don't need to find out after I leave that you've changed your mind on me."
"First tell me who the fuck this ghost guy is."
"All I know is he has been tracking your every move. He knows entirely too much but nobody can figure out who it is. He does not show himself, he has no friends that I know of, but the Feds have been receiving info from this guy for several months now. He deals with one guy only and he ain't talking."
"Why do you want to help me?" There is no way he is just helping me stay off the radar for money. There is more to it than that.
"I don't want to help you. If you must know they also have had an eye on me."
"If they are fucking watching you then why the fuck would I want you here where they will be watching?"
"They are watching me but I have nobody to tell my secrets to this time. Obviously all my contacts have been severed since you fucking left me to die and took over my business. So they are not expecting me to continue from scratch. They are just keeping an eye on if I cover up evidence. I am not sure who it is but when I figure it out, we may even find the ghost. He can't be working alone and since you said there were two suspects in your house, then the ghost is working with someone nobody else, not even his contact in the Feds, knows about."
"That still doesn't tell me why the fuck you're helping me."
"Because when this is all said and done, I plan to kill you and take it all back."
"Why would you admit to that?"
"Because unlike you, I am not about stabbing someone in the back. This way you know what is coming and won't be surprised when I do it."
"I see you hold a grudge. Fine. Because you have been alarmingly honest about your intentions, I will let you in but don't think you are going to actually kill me. This is business and like you, at the end of this I will make sure you are buried deep underground in a location that nobody will think to look for you."
His honesty is respected but he is stupid. He should have made something up. He will be dead before he knows it. I will only need him long enough to get the info I need and then he will be six feet under. I have no need for him after this.
The walkie-talkie crackles quietly on my guard at the door. His presence was here to ensure my uncle didn't try anything stupid but it seems he has as I vaguely hear someone asking for assistance at the front gate.
"Sir. There is an issue at the gate. Would you like me to check it out?"
"Go. I've got it from here." My guard leaves, shutting the door behind him and it is just my uncle and I in a stare off. Then I hear a slight commotion outside my office door. I rise to head towards the door to check and see what is going on, but it crashes open and I instantly recognize the man standing across from me. The ghost of a man I thought I had killed all those months back stares at me with a cruel smirk. Dressed in all black and ready to rob my house, I know why he is here. I will kill him before he ever reaches Sierra though. I may not want her but I have a deal and I will not lose that deal because this man rose from the dead to take what he thinks is his.
"I thought I killed you. My mistake. I'll remedy that right now." Pulling the gun that hides against my back, I aim and pull the trigger.
Bang.
Blood trickles out slowly.
Chapter 9
Forrest
"Are you ready for this?" I know Damon is but I have to ask. I am nervous as fuck. I want to have this go as smoothly and safely as possible but there are so many things that can go wrong.
"Dude, let's fucking do this." We grab each other's hand in a manly grip and hug each other with a back slap. Doing a last minute check of our surroundings, I have already sent a text to my informant so they will distract the guards long enough for us to get into the house and to Sierra.
We cut the fence quickly and pull it back so we can go through and make a run for the balcony of Jeremy's bedroom the same way we had the night we scoped the house looking for Sierra's room. Two minutes, we are on our way down the hall as quickly and quietly as possible. Nobody is guarding her door and I am thankful because that could alert someone to our presence if we didn't disable them fast enough. Making it to her room, I signal for Damon to wait a moment and listen in while I check the stairs to see if there is anyone at the bottom. There is only the guard at the front door from what I can tell and Damon lets me know it is quiet in her room. Hopefully, she is in there. If not then we need to figure out where she went.
I let Damon know to head on in to her room while I go down and look around. He did not know this part of the plan but he must understand my need because he just nods his head and quietly slips through Sierra's door. Now that I know she is safe and Damon is with her I can relax enough to concentrate on my next move. Just as I step on the first step, I hear the radio crackle but cannot understand what is being said. I wait to see what the guard is going to do before I continue down the steps quietly. Just as I make it to the bottom, I hear another door open and I make a quick dash to the kitchen and wait for the person to show himself. It is another guard coming from a room just down the hall at the bottom of the stairs. I listen intently as he tells the guard at the front door they need to check out what is happening at the front gate.
Once I hear the front door shut behind them, I check around the corner and see if there is anyone else around. Its all clear and I quietly amble down the hall to the door the second man came out of. I listen for a moment and I hear two men whose voices I recognize talking about what I assume is business. Taking a deep breath, I put one hand on my gun on my side as I kick the door open. The men both look to the door to see who has interrupted their meeting and surprise flickers briefly over their features before irritation takes place.
"I thought I killed you. My mistake. I'll remedy that right now." Jeremy pulls the gun from behind his back and aims at me ready to pull the trigger but his uncle was faster. Before I could react, a shot rings out and Jeremy falls back into his chair but not before pulling the trigger on his uncle. His uncle's head falls back with a bullet hole in the middle of his forehead. His hand with gun falls to the side and the gun drops to the floor with a loud clang.
I stand there with my gun aimed at Jeremy ready to pull the trigger but wanting to make sure his uncle is truly dead.
"I think you need glasses old man." He laughs and then coughs with pain while still holding the gun aimed at me. I smirk because I am not going down this time without taking him with me.
"So you think you could just waltz into my house and take what's mine? Iy didn't work out for you the last time, what makes you think it will this time?"
"This time, if I go down you're going with me. I have been watching you. Planning and getting stronger. I'm stronger than I have ever been. And this time, I have all the facts. I know exactly who is on my side and exactly who needed to be taken down first. Even if you kill me today, you're going to die right along with me."
"My men will kill you before you make it out of this room." He smiles maliciously. I am ok with that. I knew it was a possibility going in and I am ready to meet my maker.
"Where are your men anyhow?" I smirk as his smile falls and he looks to the open door behind me than back at me. The corner of his mouth lifts and he nods his head.
"Touché. Where are my men?" I laugh knowing he's screwed.
"Probably in the back of a squad van about to be taken away."
"So you are here to arrest me?" He smiles as if that means nothing. But arresting him had never been in my plans.
"N
o. I am here to kill you." The smirk from my lips falls as I aim the gun at his chest. He laughs and I know he gets it. He isn't getting out of this alive.
"Kill me." His laugh becomes crazed as he drops his gun and spreads his arms.
"My pleasure." Just as I go to squeeze the trigger, another shot is fired and I can hear Sierra scream. Pointing to Jeremy, I tell him to stay put. I'm not worried about him getting far because the place is surrounded but I am still not taking any chances. I back out with my gun still pointed at him and call out for Sierra.
"Sierra." I yell.
"Forrest. They shot him. Oh god, they shot him. Help me please Forrest." She cries in panic and I know I have to go to her and see whom she is talking about even though I know in my gut it is Damon.
"Shit." I stow my gun back into its holster on my side but not before I run up to Jeremy and grab the gun he dropped and his uncles as I head back out of the room. "Don't worry Jeremy. You're fucking dead. I'm going to kill you when I get back so don't fucking go nowhere. Not like you'll get far anyhow." I laugh cruelly before running to where Sierra is huddled on the floor next to Damon.
"He was protecting me. He jumped in front of the bullet."
"Who shot him?" Before she can answer, I see another body slumped on the stairs. This guy must have been another of Jeremy's men.
"Hey buddy. You're going to be fine. I promise." I grab Damon's hand as his breath wheezes in and out.
"Sorry man...I guess I...fucked up." He tries to catch a breath as he talks.
"You didn't fuck up. You saved our girl. Now you need to just hold on a little longer until the EMT's get in here." Sierra holds Damon's other hand and cries silently next to him. I want to comfort her but I need to see if I can get someone in here quick before he bleeds out.
"Stay with him. I will go get someone in here. Take my shirt and hold it against the bullet hole to stop the bleeding for now."
"Ok. Hurry." I quickly pull my shirt off and hold it against Damon's side. Even though we both wore our bulletproof vests, he still could lose his life. The vest only protects so much but if you're shot through the side, there is no protection there. Leave it Damon to be the one to be shot through his side. I hurry out the front door and signal to my informant I need assistance and he hurries with the EMT's towards the house.
Break Me (Taken Series Book 2) Page 9
