by A. M. Myers
“Okay, here’s the plan,” Rodriguez says, pulling everyone’s attention over to him. “Tate, I want you to sit in one of the middle tables along the wall, preferably by a window.”
I nod. “Okay.”
“I’m going to be seated in one corner and Fuzz,” he explains, pointing to Fuzz in the front seat, “will be in another corner. Everyone else will wait outside.”
“I don’t fucking think so,” Lincoln growls and Nix nods in agreement. Rodriguez sighs.
“You either go along with this plan or I send you back to the clubhouse with Blaze.”
Blaze also really wanted to be here today but we all knew it would be a terrible idea with his history with Dominic and we couldn’t risk Dominic learning about Nix.
“No fucking way,” Lincoln snaps, squeezing my hand tight. “I’m going in there with her.”
“Babe,” I whisper and he glances over at me. “If you go in there with me, it’s going to change the whole tone of this meeting and we won’t accomplish what needs to get done today.”
He blows out a breath, running his hand through his hair. “I don’t like it.”
“It’s the way it’s got to be,” Rodriguez tells him. “But I’ll keep your girl safe, okay?”
“He better not touch a single hair on her beautiful fucking head, you get me?” he asks, narrowing his eyes on Rodriguez, who simply nods in understanding. I’m just about to berate them for being cavemen when I notice the diner up ahead and suck in a breath.
“Show time.”
“Last chance, Tate,” Lincoln urges, holding my hand over his heart. “If you want to walk away, tell me now.”
I roll my eyes, pressing my palm flat against his racing heart. “Is this going to become a regular thing for you? If so, I’m gonna need to find someone else to be with me when I give birth to our babies.”
He grins, pulling me closer as the van pulls into the parking spot in the back of the lot. “How about this… march your sexy little ass in there and handle your shit, baby girl. But if you get even one scratch, I’m going to whoop your ass all over this fucking lot.”
“Better,” I whisper, a shiver skating down my spine as I lean forward and kiss him.
“Ugh,” Nix mumbles, turning away from us. “Some things I just don’t need to know.”
“Fucking please,” Smith whines, rolling his eyes. “You and Emma couldn’t keep your damn hands off each other. Still can’t.”
Rodriguez snaps his fingers in front of us. “Can we focus, please? Fuzz is already inside and posted up in one corner. I’m going now. Tate, you give it five and come in after us. Remember what I said.”
I nod and watch as he climbs out of the van, subtly scanning the lot before he walks toward the door and slips inside. He sits in the corner opposite of Fuzz and Mia bounces over to him, a wide smile on her face.
“Just be smart, okay?” Nix says and I nod, grabbing his hand and giving it a squeeze.
“I will. I promise.”
Lincoln sinks back into the seat and sighs. “I fucking hate this.”
“Just think, after today, you and I can have a normal relationship.”
He scoffs. “Does normal include you tasing me?”
“I don’t know. I guess it depends on how much you piss me off.”
He laughs, slipping his hand into my hair as he pulls me onto his lips. When he pulls back, he brushes his thumb over my bottom lip and smiles. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.” I kiss him again before pointing a finger at Nix. “You both stay in this van, you hear? I can’t be worried about you and watching out for Dominic at the same time.”
They both roll their eyes.
“Yeah, we hear you.”
I nod and give Lincoln one last kiss before opening the door and stepping out into the Louisiana sunshine. My stomach rolls as I scan the parking lot and approach the front door, wondering if he’s here already. How stupid am I for not even looking at a picture of him? Truthfully, though, I didn’t want to know what he looked like. I didn’t want to put a face to the monster.
“Tate!” Mia squeals as soon as I walk in the door and I grin, bracing myself as she rushes toward me and hugs me.
“Hey.”
“What are you doing here? I thought you were on house arrest or something,” she says and I laugh. When the guys insisted that I have constant protection, I had to ask Roger to divvy up my shifts between the other waitresses and I told him I wasn’t sure if I was coming back.
“Not really. I’m actually meeting someone so I’m just going to hang out at a booth, okay?”
She nods. “Of course. Take whichever one you want.”
As she turns back toward the counter, my gaze flicks to one corner where Fuzz is sitting in a booth with his back to the wall. I choose a table in the middle, just like Rodriguez suggested and let out a breath as I sink into my chair.
“Coffee?” Mia asks, holding out a mug and I nod. She sets it in front of me and fills it up before propping her hip against the table. “So, what’s going on with you? I haven’t talked to you in forever.”
“Oh, I know. It’s been really crazy and I’d love to tell you all about it but I don’t have much time right now.”
She nods, glancing toward the door. “Sure. You want anything to eat?”
“No, I’m good with the coffee.”
She nods and turns back to the counter again and I try not to focus on the awkward vibe hanging between us as I take a sip of coffee and almost choke on it.
“Creamer,” I whisper to myself, grabbing a few from the bowl Mia set down and pouring them into my mug. My hands shake violently as I try to focus on drinking my coffee and I wonder how long it will take for Dominic to show up. He’s probably the type of man that likes to make people wait while he makes an entrance and I roll my eyes, irritated already.
The minutes tick by painfully slow and when I finish off my coffee, I motion to Rodriguez that I’m going to go to the bathroom. He nods and I push back my chair, feeling a little off kilter as I turn toward the bathrooms but I force myself to press on. I just need to stop, take a breath, and splash some water on my face so I can get this meeting over with.
Stumbling into the bathroom, I stop in front of one of the mirrors and brace my hands on the sink as I suck in a breath. My world spins and I shake my head, my heart rate spiking in fear. Something is wrong. I glance back up at the mirror and gasp at the familiar face smiling back at me.
“What are you…” I whisper, my voice trailing off as I become weightless and darkness descends over me.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Tatum
“Taaaatuuuuum,” the same voice from my nightmares whispers in my ear and warm breath trickles over my skin as a violent shiver racks my body and I let out a whimper. This isn’t real, I think to myself again and again as I slowly fade into consciousness. My head hurts along with the rest of my body and I fight through the haze to recall my last memory but come up empty. Where am I? “Are you awake, my sweet little Tatum?”
I suck in a breath as a chill blankets my skin, waiting for the laughter that always comes next but I’m met with silence. My chest aches and a tear falls from the corner of my eye. I peel open my eyes, hissing at the bright spotlight directly above me as pain ricochets around my brain. I try to cover my eyes but my hands won’t move and I glance up, holding back a scream when I see the white metal bedframe my hands are tied to. Biting my lip, I jerk on the rope and the bed rattles against the wall.
The high-pitched laughter that I know so well fills the room and my gaze snaps to the darkness surrounding me, searching for the source but it’s impossible to see past the harsh light above me. Light peeks through little slats in the wall and the smell of rotting wood fills my nose as I try to figure out where I am. It’s not much to go on but it’s something. Footsteps scrape along the floor and I suck in a breath as the room seems to close in on me and a figure steps out of the shadows. I gasp.
“Devlin?”
I ask, scowling up at the man I’ve known for the past three years as he stalks toward me, victory filling his gaze. Images of his face appearing behind me in the bathroom mirror flit through my mind and I shake my head, my mind struggling to process what’s happening. “What are you doing?”
“Oh, sweet Tate,” he coos, stalking around the twin bed as he stares down at me. I glance down and realize that he got me down to my bra and panties before securing me to the bed and I jerk my arms again, wishing I could cover myself. “There’s just so much you don’t know yet but by the time we’re finished here, I promise you’ll never forget.”
“So you’re going to let me go?”
He smiles. “Eventually, but first I need your help.”
“Of course, Devlin,” I whisper, trying to reason with him. Once, when I was younger, Mom made Theo and me watch documentaries about what to do if you’re abducted. At the time, I thought it was stupid but now it’s all coming back to me and I’m thankful for it. “What can I do to help?”
“I’ve always liked you, Tate,” he muses, shaking his finger at me. “From the first moment I started watching you, I liked your spunk and resourcefulness. Of course when I finally met you in person, you were just as sweet as can be. It’s really a shame that things between us have to end like this.”
My mind spins with everything he just told me and I don’t know which comment to address first. I meet his gaze as my lips part. “You… You’ve been watching me?”
“Oh, yes. For many years now. I first arrived in Baton Rouge during your freshman year of high school.”
I shake my head, disappointed in myself for being so damn oblivious. “Why?”
“Because I work for your father, dear.”
Gasping, I tug on the ropes, trying to put space between us as he laughs and clamps a hand down on my leg.
“Don’t do that, Darling. We wouldn’t want you to get hurt.”
My heart races in my ear as I try to connect the unhinged man in front of me with the one I’ve gotten to know these past few years and it just doesn’t make sense.
“Why did he send you?”
He shrugs. “To keep tabs on you. He wanted to know who his children were and that they were okay and he entrusted me with that.”
“So then why are you doing this, Devlin?”
He smiles. “Ah, now there’s the million dollar question. Do you remember when I told you about the love of my life?”
“Claire?” I whisper and he nods.
“Yes, my sweet Claire. She was my everything.”
I nod. “She died, right?”
“Yes,” he hisses, rage twisting his features as he stares down at me. “But that was only part of the story. Would you like to hear the rest?”
“If I listen to your story, will you let me go?” I ask, hoping against hope that I can reason with him somehow. He chuckles.
“I’m afraid not, sweet girl. People have to pay for the pain they caused me and that’s why you’re here.”
“How did you get me here?”
He shrugs. “It wasn’t all that hard. Mia is easily distracted and once her attention was on something else, I slipped something in your coffee.”
“And how did you get me out of the diner?”
“Ah, now that was a little more difficult but I managed to get you out of the window and into my car.”
I nod, meeting his gaze as my stomach flips. “Will you tell me about Claire?”
“I first met her when my family moved in next door. We were twelve years old and the second I saw her, I knew one day she’d be my wife.”
“What happened?”
He meets my gaze as rage fills his eyes and he leans forward, wrapping his hand around my throat. My mouth pops open and I wonder if he’s going to kill me here. “Your mother and father happened.”
“Please don’t hurt me, Devlin,” I whisper and his gaze instantly softens as he pulls his hand away from my throat. He tilts his head to the side as he brushes his fingers along my cheek, moisture building in his eyes.
“I wish I didn’t have to, Tate, but like I said people need to pay for what happened to my Claire.”
I swallow past the lump in my throat and remember the tips I learned in the documentary all those years ago.
Put your captor at ease.
Keep your dignity.
Be a good listener.
“What happened to her, Devlin?”
He closes his eyes as if the memories are too much to bear as he sucks in a breath. “After your mother left Dominic and he learned about you and your brother, he became despondent and many of the people close to him were worried about what he’d do.”
“Did you work for him back then?”
He nods. “I wasn’t in the inner circle like I am now but yes, I worked for him. I had just turned twenty-one and I was getting ready to ask Claire to marry me when Dominic decided that if he couldn’t have you and Theo, he would have another child. And the woman he chose to give him what he wanted most was my Claire.”
“Oh,” I whisper, tears filling my eyes as I imagine the worst. I know what kind of man my father is.
He nods. “Yes, it shocked and devastated us both but Dominic King is not a man you can say no to, not if you want to live, so even though she didn’t want to, she agreed to marry him.”
“I’m so sorry, Dev.” I don’t know what else to say to him and he may not believe me but I really do feel a great deal of empathy for him and Claire. I can’t imagine being ripped away from Lincoln like that.
“On their wedding night,” he continues, ignoring my apology. “Dominic was eager to start trying but Claire was still a virgin and she was understandably nervous. Dominic didn’t care. He forced her down on the bed and planted his seed in her five times before the sun came up the next morning.”
A tear streaks down my cheek and my hands tremble. “Devlin…”
He holds his hand up to stop me and I clamp my mouth shut as he stands and stares down at my semi-naked body.
“He did all this because your mother left and she stole you and your brother away from him so today, you will pay for her sins,” he snarls, anger filling his eyes as he inspects me and I tug on the ropes again, praying to a God I’m not sure I believe in.
“Please, no, Devlin.”
Without uttering a word, he pulls a knife out of his back pocket and climbs on top of me, straddling my waist. I buck my hips as much as I can with my arms and legs secured to the bed and he arches a brow as he presses the knife to my throat.
“Stop,” he orders and my body falls back to the bed, my heartbeat thrashing in my ears. “This is happening. You cannot stop it and if you fight me, I will make it worse. Do you understand?”
I feel numb as I nod my head, resigning myself to my fate. He climbs off me and disappears into the shadows only to reappear a few seconds later with a camera on a tripod.
“We’re going to make a little video for daddy. How does that sound?”
I turn away from him, another tear falling from my eyes. My soul is screaming in my ears, beating her fists against my rib cage to escape from the hell that I can feel approaching me with each passing second.
Devlin climbs back on top of me and grabs my bra, cutting it straight down the center as I suck in a stuttered breath. I’ve spent most of my life believing something like this couldn’t happen to me because of the training my mother forced upon me and now that it’s happening, it all feels like a waste. What was the point of it all if I can’t defend myself now when I need it most?
She would be so ashamed of me.
He moves down the bed and cuts both sides of my panties before pulling them away and groaning.
“I’ve been watching you since you were just a girl but I can’t deny that you’ve turned into a stunning woman, Tate.”
I bite back a scream and try to focus on this morning when Lincoln and I were wrapped up in each other and I was certain life couldn’t get more perfect. Devlin climbs off me and stan
ds next to the bed as he starts to undress. I squeeze my eyes shut and only open them again when he lets out a low groan. His cock is in his hand and his eyes trace my curves as he strokes himself and licks his lips.
“This is such a strange feeling,” he murmurs. “I’m attracted to you but I’m also sorry that I have to do this. I’m going to enjoy and hate it all at the same time.”
Shut up, a voice in my head screams as I turn away from him and look at the camera.
He climbs on top of me again and uses the knife to free one leg as I clench my teeth and hold back a curse. If he’d freed both legs, I’d have a fighting chance but I’m sure he knew that. The hopelessness of the whole situation crashes down on me. He’s been planning this for a while and he’s studied me even longer than that so I’m sure he’s thought of every scenario.
Devlin throws my leg on his shoulder and leans forward, opening me up as he spits on my pussy and presses his cock against my entrance. My chest feels heavy as I squeeze my eyes shut again and wait for the nightmare I know is coming. He thrusts forward, burying himself inside me and pain pierces through me as I cry out, pulling on the ropes.
“That’s it, sweetheart,” he whispers in my ear. “Look right in that camera and tell Daddy how awful it is.”
I shake my head, keeping my eyes shut tight. He may have me at his mercy right now but there’s no way in hell I’m giving him anything he wants. With a firm grip on my thigh, he pulls back and drives forward again, groaning as another wave of pain washes through me.
My mind shuts down and my body goes numb as I open my eyes and stare at the light above me, images of Lincoln flashing through my mind. I cling to them as Devlin continues tearing me apart from the inside out, stripping away pieces of me that I know I’ll never get back.
“I’m so sorry, Tate,” he groans, his hand grabbing my tit as he speeds up, chasing his release in my agony. “If you want to blame someone for this, blame your mother. She’s the reason this is happening to you.”
“No, it’s not,” I bite out. “You had a choice and you chose wrong.”
He shakes his head, burying his face in my neck as his thrusts get more frantic and tears pour down the side of my face.
