by Cali MacKay
But then Finn was pulling me close, his strong arm wrapped around my shoulder as he kissed my temple and offered me sanctuary in his arms. “I need you to stay here for just a minute, while I go and speak to the nurses about finding us a more secure location where we can wait. Probably wouldn’t hurt to give security a heads-up too, in case Ray tries to get to your brother.”
“Shouldn’t the cops be doing that? What the hell? How is it that someone can get nearly beaten to death, but the cops haven’t shown one bit of interest?” Or was it because Ray was involved, and he had enough dirty cops on his payroll to make it all go away?
“I don’t know, love… Maybe it’s because the Feds are involved. They may have jurisdiction over this, and as a result, the cops are keeping their distance.” He ran a caring hand down my arm, looking far too worried about me. And I hated that I’d gotten him mixed up in such a mess. “So…are you going to tell me what the Feds want with you, or are you going to just let me guess?”
His brow furrowed as he got serious, and fuck, but I couldn’t keep from looking over at Finn’s two brothers, wondering just how much they knew about the Feds. They might be able to forgive me for a lot of my misdeeds and betrayals, but I had a feeling they wouldn’t be doing a whole lot of forgetting.
Worse still, I’d put Finn in the middle of it all, making me feel even worse about what I’d done. It’d no doubt leave him torn between wanting to defend me, and yet knowing his brothers had every right to question my reasons for working with the Feds and see it as a betrayal.
“Please…can we not talk about it here?” I couldn’t keep my eyes from looking over to his brothers, feeling guilty all over again for being the snitch.
Agreeing to work with the FBI wasn’t something I had gone into without thinking it through—I had. I’d given it a whole lot of thought, and though I hated the idea of betraying someone’s trust, Ray wasn’t just anyone, and he deserved whatever he got. And in a way, it was rather ironic that he was forcing me into betraying him, which was something I would never have done under normal circumstances, all because he’d forced me into doing things I’d never consented to.
“Fine. We’ll talk about it later—but we will talk about it.” He cupped the back of my neck and pulled me close, brushing his lips against mine in a restrained kiss. And when he spoke, it was as if he couldn’t pull away, keeping me there with a firm grip. “You’re not dealing with any of this on your own anymore.”
“I truly wish I could believe that.” Except that the Feds were the least of my problems or my secrets.
“There’s nothing more important to me than you, Sky. You’re my everything.” He stole another kiss, this one far more passionate, almost as if trying to remind me of all that was between us. “Just stay here, okay? I’ll go talk to the nurse about the more private area.”
He wandered off, leaving me with his two brothers. And yet the tension between us was suddenly all too palpable. I knew they were trying their best to not judge me, even though this was a big deal to them—and yet I couldn’t feel guilty for having gone down the road I’d chosen. Not when it meant putting Ray away, and getting him the hell out of my life.
“If you needed help with anything, Skylar, you could have come to us. You know each and every one of us would’ve helped you deal with your problem, instead of going and snitching to the Feds.” Slater glared at me as tears stung my eyes—even as Locke punched his arm, earning him a glare from his brother. “What? You know it’s the fucking truth.”
“Shut the fuck up, Slater.” Locke turned to me with a shake of his head. “Don’t listen to him, Skylar. He’s just an asshole.”
“I think I need a bit of fresh air. I’ll be right back.” I turned to go before my tears escaped, even as Locke called out after me, though I just kept heading down the hallway, rushing for the nearest exit, doing a horrible job of beating back my emotions.
And then a familiar hand gripped my arm as I felt the hard metal of a gun being jabbed into my ribs. “You should have never left me, Skylar.”
“Fuck off, Ray.” I ignored the fact that he had a gun—because what fun would he have shooting me when he could prolong my torment instead?—and struggled to get free of his grip, trying to fight back my panic, and drawing strength from anger instead. I looked around for help, but other than a mother pulling two young kids in tow, there was no one else around, and I didn’t want to involve them on the off chance Ray decided to do something stupid.
So I did the only thing I could think of as he hauled me toward the exit doors—I screamed.
His hand clamped across my mouth as he carried me out of the hospital, my struggles futile against his overpowering strength. With his mouth at my ear, he growled at me. “Is that all you have to say to me when I’ve been worried to fucking death about you? Maybe once I’m through with you, you’ll remember to be fucking grateful.”
And I knew…just like that…he’d make me regret the day I ever thought I could escape him and his wrath—and he’d make me regret the day I thought I could be happy.
I wandered back toward the waiting room, relieved that the hospital was letting us stay in the room Matt had been in previously. Unfortunately, he was still in surgery, though they’d let us know once they had any information at all.
I walked into the waiting room to find my brothers arguing with each other. But what hit me like a punch to the gut was the fact that Skylar wasn’t there. “Where the fuck is she?”
Locke glared at Slater before turning back to me. “She was upset, so she went to get some air.”
“When? When did she fucking leave?” Even though I was furious, dealing with my brothers would have to wait. Because right now, I just needed to find Skylar, and make sure she didn’t take off on me—or worse.
“She left about five minutes ago—headed toward the right.” Locke got to his feet and Slater followed suit. “Fuck, man…I’m sorry. I would have gone with her, but it was clear she was upset and wanted to be alone. Let us help you find her.”
I wanted to fucking bang their heads together. But there wasn’t time. “Split up, and call me the moment you find her. And so fucking help me, one of us better find her safe and unharmed.”
Their faces paled, as if suddenly realizing the gravity of the situation. This time it was Slater who spoke, looking fucking miserable, since I had no doubt Slater was guilty of upsetting Skylar even further—as if she wasn’t already dealing with so much. “I’m so fucking sorry, Finn…it was my fault. But I swear, we’ll find her.”
There was nothing more to say. Not when we needed to find Skylar.
Heading in the direction she’d turned in, I raced toward the nearest exit and out into the early morning sun, scanning the area as people bustled about. My heart was pounding in my ears as I tried not to think the worst, knowing that each second that passed was crucial.
Had she taken off of her own accord? Had the Feds grabbed her again? Or had Ray finally caught up with her?
She didn’t even have her phone, so I had no way of contacting her.
And then I heard the familiar shrieking of tires as I spotted Ray’s car peeling out of the parking lot, panic gripping my soul, even if I was too far away to see if there was anyone in the passenger side.
Not that I needed to see her to know…
Ray had taken Skylar.
Fuck. My car was on the other side of that lot and though I got to it in record time, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to catch up with Ray, especially when he was driving like a demon. I raced down the road, weaving in and out of traffic, desperate to spot Ray’s red Porsche even as I tried to figure out where he might be taking her.
What I needed was help.
My oldest brother, Ash, had all sorts of connections—and Dane, my computer hacker brother, might be able to tap into the local traffic cameras. I needed to know where the hell Ray might be taking her, since there was a good chance he wouldn’t simply head to his home with her.
I got Ash on t
he line, and quickly gave him a rundown of what was going on, even as I weaved between cars, my eyes still scanning the roads. “I need to find her, Ash. Ray could be taking her anywhere.”
“I know someone who might be able to help—though you’re right… Dane might be your best bet for figuring out where they’re heading. I’ll call him and let him know what you need, and I’ll let everyone else know what’s going on. There’s another option…I have a friend on the force. We can put this out as a kidnapping. Have him put out an APB on Ray’s vehicle.”
“There’s a good chance Dane can track them down, without getting the cops involved. Because once I get my hands on Ray, I’m going to fucking murder the bastard.” Especially if he had harmed Skylar.
It didn’t take long for Dane to get in touch with me. “Let me see what I can do… They’ve tightened their Internet security as of late so this might take a little longer than I’d like to get access to the traffic cameras. But I swear, we’ll figure this out, Finn. We’ll get her back.”
“I fucking well hope so.” Yet not knowing where else to go, I drove toward Ray’s home, knowing it was closer than the bar he owned, even if that was still a good half an hour away.
“And…I’m in. What sort of car does he have?”
“A red Porsche Panamera.” Yet as I drove toward Ray’s home, I had to wonder if he’d bother to take her to any of the places he owned outright, or if he’d pick a location few knew about.
Fuck… What if I was driving in the opposite direction than them? That meant it might take me twice as long to get to her. Yet I kept on going, hoping that he’d take her back to his home.
Because I had no doubt that once Ray got his hands on her, he’d make her pay for the fact that I took her from him, and each second would fucking count.
As Ray tore out of the hospital parking lot, his tires screeching on the damp pavement, I spotted Finn off in the distance—and knew he’d spotted me too. I desperately tried to unlock the door and push it open before he sped up down the road, but it was pointless, the door remaining latched.
“For fuck’s sake, just let me go, Ray.” Not that pleading with him would do any good. “You know I don’t love you, so why the hell do you want to be with me? It’s never going to change—not after all you’ve put me through. So why not find someone else who can make you happy?”
“Don’t you get it, Skylar? I fucking love you—but you insist on fighting me on this, instead of just giving in to what’s between us. It’s not my fault you make me so crazy.” He reached over and grabbed the back of my neck, pulling me to him. “Maybe if I get rid of that asshole Blackthorn…maybe then you won’t be so distracted.”
“Don’t you fucking dare, Ray.” I’d already seen what he’d done to my brother, and if he got his hands on Finn, I don’t think Ray would stop until he was dead. “I fucking hate you.”
After all Ray had done to land my brother in the hospital, after all the abuse I’d had to put up with, the mere thought of him hurting Finn had my anger bubbling to the surface in a white-hot rage that had me lashing out at him. With clenched fists, I punched him as hard as I could—and kept punching him, not caring if we ended up in a burning inferno as he drove us down the road.
Because I’d rather be dead than let Ray touch me again.
“Fucking bitch.” He punched me back, his fist connecting with the side of my head, shattering it with pain as inky blackness filled my vision—and then he hit me again and again, until the blackness swallowed me whole.
I didn’t know how long I’d been out for, but I came to as Ray scooped me up out of his car. Ignoring my screams and struggles, he carried me through the garage and into a home I didn’t recognize, laying me down in a bed. But I’d be damned if I wasn’t going to do all I could to fight him off, even if every move I made only reminded me in excruciating detail of the beating he’d already given me.
I kicked out at him—just like I had a million times before—but he was far too strong, and before I could do any real damage, he had me pinned under his muscular body, the weight of him making it impossible to escape.
And just like before, I knew what was to come.
I looked around, trying to find a way out of this mess, my heart hammering against my ribs as I tried to buy myself some time—and found nothing. “If you think holding me against my will and forcing yourself on me is going to somehow make me want to be with you, you’re fucking insane. That’s never going to fucking happen.”
“By the time I’m through with you, sweetheart, you’ll be willing to do whatever the fuck I want you to do.” And then the fucking bastard was overpowering me, trying to bind my wrists together as I struggled to break free of his grip. Yet he was too strong, even as I used my free hand to punch at him. “You always had to make this difficult, Skylar.”
He backhanded me hard enough to have my vision splintering—which gave him just enough time to secure my wrists together with a pair of cuffs, using another pair to bind me to the bed. I knew I needed to stay strong, but I was left fighting through my feelings of helplessness and despair, knowing full well what Ray was capable of when he was angered or jealous.
It was all so sick and twisted in his head. He swung from trying to convince me that he loved me, to hurting me for not loving him and wanting to leave him—all while he forced himself on me, as if sex would somehow link us. And he’d keep at it until he wore me down to the point where I could no longer fight him. That, in his sick mind, was close enough to me consenting or wanting to be with him, simply because I could no longer fight him off and I no longer had any voice left to say no.
And I knew…this wouldn’t be just one hour, or one night, or one full day. He’d just keep coming at me, never leaving my side as he flipped between hurting me and trying to tell me how much he loved me, until he’d hurt me enough that I’d agree to whatever he wanted to hear, just for a little reprieve.
Except this time was different.
I’d escaped back into Finn’s arms long enough to make Ray’s touch all the more unbearable. “Finn’s going to find me—and when he does, he’s going to fucking put a bullet in your head.”
He scoffed at me, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world. “Do you really think he’ll care what happens to you once he finds out you never told him you were pregnant—and you lost his child?”
“I didn’t fucking lose it—you stole it from me.” From us—from me and Finn. And I knew Finn would never forgive me for not walking away from Ray once I knew I was pregnant—even if it might mean my brother’s life.
“Consider it payback for trying to rat me out to the Feds.” He glared at me, his anger refreshed by this latest accusation, though I wasn’t at all surprised that he’d figured it all out once I wasn’t here to keep him distracted from what I’d been doing. And it sure as hell hadn’t helped when the FBI turned up at the hospital while Ray had been wandering the halls looking for me.
“Just because they wanted me to snitch on you doesn’t mean I did.” I needed to do whatever I could to deflect some of his anger and buy me some time, since I had no doubt Finn would do whatever he could to find me. “Why would I rat you out to them, when they were sending my brother to jail? I fucking hate them just as much as you do.”
He looked at me as if wondering if I was lying to him. But then his eyes softened, and his touch was gentle, as if he was once more convinced that he could make me love him. He bent his head to mine and covered my face in gentle kisses as his hips rocked his hard cock against me, forcing me to fight back every urge I had to push him away.
“Why does everything need to be so difficult between us, Skylar? You know I’ve loved you since I first laid eyes on you.” Forcing my legs apart, he rocked his hard cock against my pussy, making me grateful for the clothing between us. “Do you remember that day when you were walking home from school through the park? I’ll never forget it…the way you smiled and laughed with your friend. And then…our eyes met, and I knew there woul
d never be anyone else for me. Just you.”
He was fucking delusional. And yet, I knew I needed to play into those delusions if I had any hope of surviving this nightmare long enough for Finn to find me. “I remember it like it was yesterday, Ray. We could have been happy back then…and then maybe you wouldn’t feel the need to hurt me.”
“You know I’ve never wanted to hurt you, babe…but you make me crazy sometimes. And the thought of anyone else touching you…the thought of losing you…it makes me insane.” Each word was spoken between kisses that he tenderly trailed over my face and lips, as I fought the urge to turn away from him and fight him off.
I needed to lull him into a less dangerous state. But as he slowly started to strip me naked, cutting my clothing free of my body with a long, sharp knife when the cuffs got in the way, I couldn’t help but panic, knowing all too well what was to come.
As his hands roamed over my naked body, I had to fight back the shudder that worked its way to my very soul. “I know you’re trying not to hurt me, Ray…but I can only truly be yours if I’m here of my own free will, instead of being here because I’m tied to your bed. You need to let me go. And if it’s meant to be, then you know I’ll come back to you.”
I’d always been smart enough to be scared of Ray. After all, he dealt in fear like it was a commodity. But when he pulled out his gun, I’d never been so scared in all my life.
“I wish I could do that, Skylar. You know I wish I could. But I already know what it’s like to live without you, and if I can’t have you, then no one can.”
“Fuck. She couldn’t have just disappeared, Dane.” I finally pulled over, not sure of where to head to next, since Dane had lost them.
“Once you get into residential areas, the traffic cameras are few and far between. But we know what general area they’re headed in, so if we can track down his properties, then we might be able to figure out where he’s taken her.”
