by A. M. Myers
“They have to pay,” he chants again and again. He kisses my neck and I buck against him, unable to take another second of this. He grabs my face and forces it toward the camera. “Tell Daddy how much it hurts, baby. Tell him how much his actions are killing you.”
He groans and his cock twitches, spilling inside me and I close my eyes and a deep, painful sob breaks free.
* * * *
Morning sunlight peeks through the slats in the wall and birds chirp outside, mocking me with their cheerfulness, as I lay naked with my hands and legs still tied to the bed frame. Everything feels tight and my stomach grumbles as another hunger pang hits me. I think I’ve been here for about fifteen or sixteen hours but I can’t be sure. I spent most of the night begging Lincoln to find me and save me but I think I’ve given up on that at this point.
The door opens and Devlin wheels a tray in, smiling at me. “Good morning, Tate. How are you feeling?”
“Go to hell,” I mutter, turning away from him. I don’t care about following the rules anymore. The rules got me raped and I see now that there is no distracting Devlin from his mission.
“I was hoping we could talk some more.”
I turn back to him as he perches on the edge of the bed. “What is there to talk about?”
“Oh, my dear, you only know half the story and you are not done paying penance.”
I glance at the tray and see a scalpel, a needle, and a thick black thread. My gaze flies to his and he smiles with a remorseful look in his eyes.
“What more do you want?”
He folds his hand in his lap and sighs. “After their wedding, Dominic spent months trying to get Claire pregnant, months of forcing himself on her to breed her like cattle, and it finally worked. After six months, she learned she was pregnant but his happiness didn’t last long. Just a couple weeks later, she miscarried and Dominic was furious. He beat her senseless and left her for dead, which is where I found her.”
I watch him as he speaks, unwilling to add anything more to the conversation.
“I carried her to her room and nursed her back to health for a few days. When Dominic came around again, he mistook my love for devotion to him and he promoted me – put me on her personal guard detail. I spent the next few years listening as your father raped and beat the woman I loved with my whole heart on a daily basis.”
“I’m sorry, Devlin,” I whisper. Despite what he’s done to me and the hatred I feel toward him, his story is still heartbreaking and I understand the rage he feels for my father.
He forces a smile. “Do not apologize. It got better when Claire and I finally gave into our love. We had to start sneaking around behind Dominic’s back but it was worth it to me. My Claire was different than before Dominic got ahold of her and there were parts of her that were broken but we both found a little bit of happiness again.”
“But it couldn’t last,” I whisper, pointing out the obvious and his lips flatten into a straight line as he nods.
“That is correct. Right after your father asked me to come here to watch over you and your brother, he heard rumors that someone had been sleeping with Claire. I obviously wasn’t there to witness it but I heard that there was a full on inquisition. Claire and I had been careful, though, and no one knew about us which only served to piss Dominic off further. When he couldn’t find answers elsewhere, he locked Claire up in the basement for three weeks and tortured her for several hours everyday.”
“How do you know this?” I ask, wondering how much of this story is actually true if he was here in Baton Rouge.
“I called to check in once a week. The other guards usually answered and they liked to chat.” He clenches his fists. “I had to sit down here and listen to the pain and agony he was subjecting Claire to everyday but she never broke. She never gave up my name.”
I nod. “And?”
“And he finally lost his patience and killed her,” he snarls through gritted teeth and I suck in a breath. It’s what I expected but still somehow shocking to hear. “Which is why you now have to pay for your father’s sins.”
I glance over at the tray. “What are you going to do to me?”
“Dominic systematically tore my girl to shreds. He broke her and so I’m going to break you and sew you back together again. For the rest of your life, you will be a physical representation of the one I lost.”
The instruments on the tray rattle as he reaches for the scalpel and I jump, sucking in a breath as the room spins. He pulls a remote out of his pocket and points it at the camera set up at the edge of the bed.
“The camera is rolling again so make sure you show him what he’s done to you.”
I close my eyes, my lip wobbling and my hands shaking as I wait for the pain to come and then I feel it. There’s pressure against my shoulder followed by a sharp burning sensation that claws its way down my arm. Gasping, I open my eyes and look over at my shoulder as Devlin pulls on a pair of gloves and grabs the needle and thread. He starts humming the tune of Don’t Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin as he threads the string through the needle and I stare at him in horror.
The whole thing is bizarre and I wonder if I drifted off to sleep at some point in the night. Is this just a dream? Or am I really living this moment?
Devlin grabs a piece of gauze off the tray and dabs the incision in my arm as I hiss and try to pull away from him. Arching a brow, he grabs my arm and shoves the needle through my skin as I whimper. It burns the entire time he’s pulling the thread through and the room spins as I try to focus on my breathing. I can’t pass out. I have to remain conscious and ready to flee if I get the opportunity.
When he finishes stitching up the first cut, he grabs the scalpel and positions it adjacent to the first cut before slicing away from it. I writhe on the bed, screaming as pain radiates all the way to my fingers and tears leak out of my eyes. He continues humming the song. He grabs the gauze again and repeats the process from before.
When I’m stitched up, he starts again. Time and time again, he tears through my flesh as my stomach flips and the room spins around me. I don’t notice the camera anymore, screaming through each cut as agony rocks through my body.
“Please, no more,” I choke out when he gets to my wrist and he sighs, reaching up and cupping my face with the bloody glove.
“Even though your pain causes me such pleasure, I am sorry that it’s you on the receiving end of this. You are the one thing on this earth your father cares about and I can’t stop. Not until he experiences my anguish.”
He moves the scalpel to my chest and cuts across my collarbone as I scream and darkness creeps in on my vision. As the needle starts piercing my skin, Lincoln’s smiling face pops into my mind and I wonder if I’ll ever see him again. I spent so much time pushing him away and now, I’d give anything for a few more seconds just so I could tell him how much I love him.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Lincoln
Night is falling, covering the city in darkness and we’ve officially passed the twenty-four hour mark since Tate was taken right from under our noses. Thinking back to yesterday, I rub my fist over my chest, trying to ease the ache that’s been tormenting me since I realized she was gone. Fuck, what if she’s really gone for good? My knee bounces and I scrub my hands over my face, imagining my life without her in it and it takes every ounce of strength I have not to break down in front of everyone. I don’t deserve her. It was my job to protect her, same as Nora, and I failed them both so miserably that I don’t deserve any happiness in my life. Maybe, if we get her back, I should just walk away. Each time I play that scenario in my head, though, my heart shatters in my chest and just when I think that this can’t hurt any more, it does. It’s an endless loop of pain but everything I deserve.
It’s so fucking selfish but I can’t let her go. Tate is every fucking thing that’s good in my life and I can’t do this without her. I can’t go back to the way I was before she walked into my life. Looking up at the ceiling, I promise God that
I’ll be better – a better man, a better partner, a better protector – if only he’ll bring her back to me and give me a second chance. Or third chance, I suppose.
Rodriguez walks into the clubhouse and stops short when he sees me sitting on the couch. He’s been at the station, trying to get a lead on my girl but when his face falls, I know he wasn’t successful. I surge to my feet and storm across the clubhouse, pinning his back to a wall. “You fucking promised me, Rodriguez! You said you would keep her safe and now she’s vanished into thin fucking air!”
“I know, Kodiak. I’m so sorry,” he whispers, hanging his head.
“You’re sorry,” I sneer, taking a step back from him. “What fucking good does that do me?”
“Hey,” Streak says, slapping his hand on my shoulder. “We won’t rest until we find her.”
I shake my head, ripping my shoulder out of his grasp. “Yeah? How are we going to do that? We have fucking nothing!”
I turn away from him and walk across the clubhouse before turning back and running my fingers through my hair. “She could be in motherfucking Chicago by now!”
I meet Nix’s eyes across the clubhouse as he holds Emma in his lap and his face falls, the loss of his sister weighing down on him. Glancing around the room, everyone mirrors his expression. Smith is sitting at one of the tables with his head in his hands and Blaze is posted up at the bar, nursing a glass of bourbon – just like I found him after Sarah’s death. In her short time with us, my girl has wormed her way into all our hearts and none of us will be the same without her. Collapsing into a chair, I bury my head in my hands and fight back tears.
I’ve already lost too much in my life – first, my father and then Nora – and I have no idea how I’ll survive this one. If she’s gone, she’s taking me with her.
God, why didn’t she listen to me?
Why didn’t I insist that I go in there with her?
That’s the worst part. I knew better and I went against my better judgment to make her happy. Now, I’d just be thrilled to have her here with me – pissed or not. The door to the clubhouse opens and I half-heartedly look up, my eyes widening as Dominic King strolls in with two armed guards behind him. Guns come out all over the room, all aimed at him as he holds his hands up and arches a brow.
“Put them away, boys. I come in peace.”
Blaze stumbles off the barstool and growls low in his throat. “You motherfucker!”
He balls his fists up and I flick a look at Moose, who grabs Blaze and wrestles him back into his seat before he can charge Dominic and make a tense situation even worse.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Nix asks and Dominic turns to him, smiling.
“Ah, you must be Phoenix. How nice to finally meet you after all these years,” Dominic says and I glance at Smith, who looks equally confused. We were all under the impression that Dominic had no idea who Nix or Blaze were.
“You know me?” Nix asks, standing up from the couch and moving his wife behind him.
Dominic chuckles. “Of course I know who you are. I’ve always known. When your mother came to me to make her little deal, I had a stipulation of my own. You see, she was taking my children from me so I told her she could never reconnect with you.”
“And if she did anyway?” I growl, my finger itching to pull the trigger as I keep my gun aimed at his head.
“Then I would kill Nix and her precious Blaze.”
Blaze roars, trying to jump off the barstool again but Moose keeps him contained, whispering something in his ear.
“You bastard,” Nix hisses and Dominic just grins like he was paid a compliment.
“Now, who is this lovely creature behind you?”
Emma tries to step out from behind her husband but Nix holds her back.
“None of your goddamn business,” he growls and Dominic laughs as he turns to me. There’s an evil glint in his ice blue eyes and my mind races as I try to figure out why he’s here.
“You must be the man who’s been sleeping with my daughter…”
My lip curls back in a snarl. “I’m her fiancé.”
“We’ll see about that. I brought you a little present.” He holds up a DVD case and I scowl. “You have somewhere we can watch this?”
“Moose, take Blaze to his office. Fuzz and Chance, hang out with Dominic’s friends here,” Storm orders, taking over as acting President while Blaze is incapacitated. “Everyone else, guns down.”
I slowly lower my gun, my heart pounding in my chest as I wish I could just put one between his eyes but that’s not who we are – not anymore.
“Kodiak, lead him to the TV room,” Storm orders and I glance over at him as he nods, a stern expression on his face. I slip the pistol back in my jeans and meet Dominic’s gaze.
“This way.”
I turn toward the TV room with Smith at my side. Dominic falls in behind me with Nix and Emma behind him and I wonder where he’s keeping Tate and what the hell this little visit is about. When we get into the room, Dominic strolls to the front and turns to all of us.
“First off, I need to make it clear that I didn’t take Tatum nor did I give the order to have her taken.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Then who has her?”
“My associate,” he answers with a sigh. “He was sent down here many years ago to watch over my children and report back to me. I always kept my promise to Sarah but I had to know that they were okay. When you do what I do, you make a lot of enemies.”
Scoffing, I glance at Smith, who is glaring daggers at Dominic. I knew he and Tate had grown close while he was helping me watch over her but I didn’t realize how close until she went missing.
“I’ve also done some digging since I’ve been here and I think there’s a large possibility that Devlin, my associate, is also responsible for Sarah’s death.”
“Why?” Nix asks.
“I don’t know why yet but I assure you, I will find out.” Darkness blankets Dominic’s face and I know that I would rather be anyone else than Devlin right now.
“What about the DVD?” I ask, gesturing to the case he still holds in his hand. He sighs and nods.
“I received the first video first thing this morning and I’ll warn you, it’s not easy to watch.” He walks over to the DVD player and slips a disk in. An image of my Tate fills the screen. She’s completely naked, sprawled out on her back with her hands and legs tied to a bed frame as a man I recognize from the diner straddles her body. I stumble forward and grip the back of the couch in front of me.
“No.”
“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,” he rasps, his voice going husky and my stomach rolls as tears build in my eyes and rage simmers in my veins.
No
No
No
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Smith whispers as Devlin climbs off the bed and starts undressing as he stares down at Tate’s naked body. I don’t want to see this but I can’t catch my breath to tell him to turn it off or look away. I need this – need to know what happened to her, what she went through even if it feels like I’m being shredded right where I stand.
“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.”
“Enough,” I choke out and Dominic shakes his head.
“No, not yet.”
Tate turns toward the camera as he climbs on top of her again and the defeated look in her golden gaze fucking kills me. I turn toward the wall and rest my forehead against it, struggling to draw air into my lungs. My hands shake and tears burn my eyes as visions of slicing this motherfucker open and spilling his guts on the floor assault me.
The sound of Tate crying out pulls my gaze back to the screen and a tear spills down my cheek as I watch him take her as she pulls on the ropes.
“That’s it, Sweetheart,” Devlin whispers.
“Look right in that camera and tell Daddy how awful it is.”
“Enough!” I roar, slamming my fist into the wall and Dominic nods, turning off the video. “Where is he?”
Dominic smiles. “We’ll get to that. First, there’s one more video to show you.”
“No, I can’t,” Nix chokes out, jumping to his feet and marching out of the room. Emma follows him, laying a supportive hand on my arm as she passes me and I suck in a stuttered breath as I wait for the next video to load.
“This video is one he was filming as we rolled up on him.”
I take a step forward. “She’s safe?”
“Yes.”
“Why the fuck didn’t you lead with that?” I growl, balling my fists and taking another step forward. He points to the screen where another image of Tate pops up.
“Because you needed to see this.”
Before I can argue, he presses play and the sound of Tate screaming fills the room. My stomach rolls and my heart stops as I watch Devlin drag a scalpel down her arm, slicing her open before he grabs a needle and thick black thread and starts stitching her back together again.
“Why?” Smith breathes and I glance over at him as tears build in his eyes. He presses his fist to his lips and closes his eyes, shaking his head like he can somehow erase the images we just saw but I know there’s no way in hell I’ll ever forget it.
“Turn it off,” I bark and Dominic nods, pausing the video before folding his hands in front of him as he flashes me an expectant look. “Where is he?”
He smiles. “I was hoping you’d feel that way.”
“I don’t know what kind of sick fucking game you’re playing but I want five minutes alone with this son of a bitch.”
Dominic holds his hands out with the sick smile still on his face. “I’m merely presenting you with an opportunity. Do you want my blessing to marry my daughter or not?”
“She’s not yours to give away,” I snarl as I take a step toward him. Who does this motherfucker think he is? He is the entire reason that this has happened to my girl and he has the fucking gall to come in here and act like I owe him something. Dominic takes a step toward me.
