by Bella Jewel
I want her in my life.
I want this boy in my life.
I'm fuckin' scared about bein' locked up before I can save her.
How did I screw up so damned badly?
And how the hell do I fix it?
21
ZARIAH
"Where are you taking me?" I ask as Steven pulls me along a gravelly dirt path towards a large building.
Three men are following me this time, of course, guns pointed on me. One thing that I have noticed is that nobody has hurt me. They're not treating me well, of course, but they're not abusing me, and it seems they're not abusing the other women, either. I'm thankful for that, mostly because I honestly don't think I could handle it if they were to hurt those poor girls, and I wasn't able to do anything to stop them.
"You'll see."
We reach the building, and Steven opens the door, stepping inside. I find we're in a massive hall. Upfront is a small stage; in the middle is a long table full of food and people. Those people being men, mostly. Only two or three women sit amongst them, and they're very quiet, not speaking or interacting. My stomach flips when I realize they're women who have been sold, and I'm currently standing in a room with people who are buyers.
Is this it?
Is he going to sell me?
Has my time run out already?
Panic grips me, and I struggle, pulling back, my heart racing.
"Calm down, Zariah. We've still got until tomorrow night before you're sold. You're just here to interact, meet potential buyers. They want to see what they're spending their money on. Come, take a seat, let them look at you."
Steven pulls me to the head of the table and sits me on a seat right next to his. Across the table, I see a girl. She's only young, sixteen or seventeen if I were to guess. She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen. When she looks at me, with her dark hair and brown eyes, my heart skips a beat. I gasp, and everything in my world feels like it's spinning as I take in her oh, so familiar face.
She looks like Samson.
Pain crashes into my chest as the realization of why Samson betrayed his club becomes real.
He's got a daughter.
There's no way that young girl doesn't belong to him. She has to.
She could be a sister, but I'd doubt that. She's too young.
"Oh, I see you've noticed my angel," Steven says, grinning over at the girl who is now studying me. "Just like her daddy, isn't she?"
I make a pained sound and grip my chest, wanting to go over to that girl and take her into my arms, protecting her. She's beautiful, and she's scared. I can see it in her eyes. The way she looks at me then glances at Steven. She doesn't speak, no doubt because she's not allowed to.
Poor thing.
"You've got Samson's daughter?" I breathe. "All this time, I wondered what you had against him. Now I know. How could you?"
Steven laughs. "How could I? Easy, of course. He's my brother, and he's part of a club that decided to stick their noses where they didn't belong. What did you think I was going to do, Zariah? Let him take me down? I don't think so."
"What's her name?" I ask, and then in a louder voice, I say to the girl. "What's your name, honey?"
Steven slams me across the back of the head so hard I gasp and then cry out in pain. "You do not speak to her. You do not address her. You do not fucking breathe in her direction. Do you understand?"
Tears burn under my eyelids, and when I look back at the girl, she's staring at me with a look of pain on her face. She mouths 'Lilian' and then looks away.
Lilian.
Beautiful girl.
I make a vow to myself at that moment that we'll get her back. That Samson will be with his daughter again. As a parent, I know exactly how it feels to want to do anything to protect your child. I'd betray everyone that came in my path for Jayden if it meant he was safe. I didn't understand before why Samson did what he did, but I do now.
"Oh look, someone I'm sure you've been missing," Steven says.
I glance to my left and see none other than Dax walking towards me, a massive smile on his face. It's a cocky smile, a smile that I'd love to wipe off. He's a god damned monster of the purest form, and he knows it.
"Hello, Zariah," he murmurs, low and husky. "Wonderful to see you again. Tell me, how's Waverly?"
I jerk in my chair and spit, "Go fuck yourself!"
"Feisty, this one," Steven laughs, and a few men at the table laugh, too.
"Glad to hear you're doing well," Dax laughs. "I'm sure you'll find a wonderful home with one of these lovely gentlemen."
I glance at the men, all staring at me, and my skin prickles. "In your fucking dreams."
Dax laughs. "She is hot-tempered, isn't she?"
He takes a seat next to Lilian and leans in close, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. She flinches, and I want to launch out of my chair and beat the ever-loving shit out of him. "Get your hands off her!" I snap, glaring at him.
"Do you need me to give you another reminder to shut your mouth, Zariah?" Steven growls, his voice a low whip.
"Make him take his fucking hands off her, or I'll make a scene that'll ensure nobody purchases me. You want me to sit down and shut up? Then you get that filthy slime ball away from that little girl."
Steven looks to Dax and nods his head. Dax removes his arm, and Lilian drops her head, staring at her plate of untouched food.
"Thank you," I grind out.
Steven laughs and holds up a glass of wine. "Let's get this party started, shall we?"
I sit in absolute horror as Steven parades around the girls he had stuffed into those horrible cages. They walk around, some of them more willing than others. It's like a god damned cattle auction, and my stomach turns as I watch them, knowing I can't do a damned thing about it.
"Your turn, cop," Steven says, shoving me until I stand up.
Two men take me by my arms and walk me around in a circle. I don't fight; only because I know he'll take it out on Lilian if I do. He announces me like some sort of prized bull, telling them all I'm a police officer. Some men growl, others cheer, others throw out bids already. My stomach turns, and I drop my head.
Please, Kendric.
Hurry.
Hurry.
I'M AWOKEN IN THE MIDDLE of the night to scuffling of people.
My eyelids flutter open, and a few seconds later, the sensor light flicks on. I see Dax, Steven, and Lilian moving towards me. Dax is holding Lilian tightly, his fingers curled around her arm, a gun in his hands. Steven is moving with purpose, and without making eye contact with me, he walks to the electrical panel and shuts the electricity to our cages down. As they die off, the other girls stir awake and look around, slowly sitting up.
"What's going on?" I ask, rubbing my eyes and looking to Lilian, who has tears running down her face. "What are you doing?"
"We're leaving," Steven mutters, pulling out cuffs and going into each girl's cage and grabbing them out. "You move, I shoot the fucking lot of you."
They do as he asks.
He leaves me in my cage.
I stand up and rush over, curling my fingers around the bars. "What are you doing?"
"Your little friends found us, Samson squealed. We're leaving. Dax, get everything out of these cages."
Steven points his gun towards the girls and takes Lilian, as Dax takes the foam beds out of all the cages and stuffs it into a large bag that he pulls from the pack he has on his back. It looks like nobody has been here now. The only thing left on the floor is a bowl each.
No.
No.
This can't be happening.
I had no doubt Samson would come through, but the fact that they're leaving means we'll be back to square fucking one. They're taking Lilian. The stakes are even higher now.
"You can't take her," I say, shaking the cage. "Please, what do you want? I'll do anything. Take me and leave her."
Steven laughs. "Do you honestly think I'm that stupid? That I'd take you, and leave
what he wants? No, the only way to get what I want is to have something he wants. You can tell him, while you're at it, that I'm going to make her life hell on earth."
No.
"They'll find you," I argue. "You're leaving this island. We know where it is now. We'll go to the police..."
"And what?" he mutters. "What will you tell them, Zariah? They know I own this island. Everything that can connect me to all of this is coming with me. There will be no security, no papers, no nothing for them. Even if you convince them to come out here, they're going to find absolutely nothing."
"These cages!" I scream. "They'll find these cages."
"And?" he laughs. "A bunch of dog cages?"
"They're suspicious."
"I'm sure they are," he chuckles. "Good luck on your adventure. I've no doubt we'll see each other again soon, Zariah. Thank your lucky stars this is over for you."
"Please," I cry, pressing my face to the cage. "Please, leave her here. She's your niece. She has to matter."
Steven drags Lilian to the cage and presses her face into it. She cries out in pain. "Look at her face," he growls. "Remember that because of your fuckin' club, because Samson turned on me, she'll suffer."
"I'm sorry," I say softly to her. "I will get you out of this. I will find you. I promise you, Lilian."
Her eyes meet mine, and a tiny movement of her hand catches my eye. She slips something through the cages, something she had clenched in her fist—a small slip of paper.
I nod.
She gives me a weak smile.
Then Steven jerks her back and looks to Dax. "We gotta move. We've got four hours if we're lucky."
"Let's move."
"You can't hide forever!" I scream after them. "Eventually, you'll have to come back here. Eventually, you'll have to return to work. Eventually, you'll have to show yourself."
Steven looks to me as he reaches the end of the cages. "You underestimate me, Zariah."
Then, they're gone.
I shake the cage, screaming out Lilian's name until the darkness takes them, and I can no longer see anything except the cages and the area around them that is lit up by a sensor light.
Within a few minutes, that light goes out, too.
I drop my head, and a tear rolls down my cheeks.
I failed.
I god damned failed.
22
KENDRIC
The second we step off the boat that we fuckin' stole, we know that it's too late. We know that somehow, they fuckin' knew we were comin'. The island is dead, not a single soul for miles. The house lights are off, and there isn't a guard or person anywhere to be seen. Alarick, Cohen, Samson, Bohdi, and I decided we'd be the only ones to come, being that we had to find a way onto the boat, threaten someone to bring us out here, and then take down god knows how many men.
That was a fuckin' challenge in itself, but we got onto it.
We came early evening when it was dark. We found the boat Samson pointed out, and we took it over. There were only two people on it at the time. We tied one and forced the other at gunpoint to bring us to the island. Somehow, even though one of us was watching the entire fuckin' time, they alerted Steven that we're coming.
"We're too fuckin' late," I bark, slamming my fist into the ship's side, then I turn on the man we've got tied and grab him by the shirt. "Did you fuckin' squeal? I'll blow your fuckin' brains out."
"I have been tied up the entire fucking time, you dick," he spits in my face.
Rage fills my body, and I slam him to the ground, pulling out my gun and aiming it at his face.
"Kendric, stop," Alarick orders. "Not yet."
My hand shakes as I look down at the man staring up at me with wide eyes. I shove my boot into his chest. "If nobody is here, you and your friend fuckin' die."
Then I turn to Alarick. "There ain't a soul here."
"He's too smart, I fuckin' warned you," Samson growls.
"Let's go check it out," Alarick mutters. "Move."
We get off the boat, Bohdi and Cohen dragging the two men with us. We go through a large house that is empty except for furniture. Some of the beds are unmade, which means they were here and got out quickly. My chest tightens with every step we take, and when we finish searching the house and go outside, I about fuckin' roar with relief. In a group of fuckin' cages, sits Zariah. She's in the middle one, right at the door, her fingers curled around the wire. When she sees me, she cries out, and I move.
Fuck, do I move.
I reach the cage and squat down, staring at her, feelin' somethin' explode into my chest.
Relief.
Pure relief.
"You came," she croaks, smiling weakly at me.
"Of course. Would never let you get hurt."
"Alarick!" I bark, and a moment later, Alarick comes running outside.
The moment he sees her, he mutters something to himself and moves quickly towards the cages. I stand, rattling the padlock. "It's locked. Zariah, step back."
Zariah stands and moves to the back of the cage. I pull out my gun, aim it at the lock, pray it doesn't bounce back, and shoot. The loud shot is piercing to my ears, but the lock busts open, and I quickly shove my gun into my jeans and pull the lock off. Zariah moves fast, and before I can say a word, she throws herself into my arms.
I wrap them around her, feeling how she trembles just a little when I hold her.
She's fuckin' brave.
Beautiful.
I let her down by treatin' her the way I did.
"I'm sorry, Zariah. Never meant what I said. You matter to me more than you know. You hear me?"
She looks up, nodding. "I hear you. Jayden?"
"He's safe, would never let anything happen to your boy."
She makes a pained sound, and whispers, "Thank you."
"You alone here, Zariah?" Alarick asks.
She steps away from me, but her fingers stay clutched around my hand. "Yes. He found out you were coming, and he left. He disappeared and..."
Her eyes go past Alarick, and she sees Samson walk out beside Cohen. The moment she sees him, she lets go of my hand and moves. The way she rushes towards him, I fear she's goin' to break his nose or something, but she doesn't. She throws her arms around him. Shocked, we look on. She hangs onto him like he's her best god damned friend, and she hasn't seen him in years.
Alarick and I move closer.
Samson wraps his arms around her, too, the pain in his face real.
Zariah murmurs something to him, and his eyes clenched closed.
What does she know?
She pulls back and hands Samson a small folded piece of paper. He looks to her for a moment, and then glances down at it and opens it. Whatever he reads, makes his face scrunch in pain. He bellows some curse words, and Zariah puts a hand on his arm, giving him a sympathetic look.
What the fuck is goin' on?
"You want to tell us what went on?" I ask her.
She looks at us. "I met his daughter. Steven has her. She's so beautiful, Kendric. She's beautiful, and she's scared. She left me a note."
Pain stabs into my heart when I look to my brother's face and see the pain in his eyes as he reads over the note, his eyes scanning it repeatedly.
"What does it say?" I ask, my voice thick.
"It says 'I'm sorry, daddy. Please come and get me.'" Zariah whispers.
Alarick makes a sound next to me, and then, in a low voice, murmurs, "Fuck."
"Yeah," I roughly say.
"We have to find them, Alarick," Zariah says, her voice careful. "I know it's hard, now more than ever, but we have to find him. He'll hurt her."
"We'll find him. Startin' with this island," Alarick announces. "Bohdi, find somewhere to tie those fuckers. We're goin' to search this place."
"He said he left nothing," Zariah tells us. "He told me that he took anything that could link him to this."
"Then we go to the cops," I throw out. "Let them find this fuckin' island."
"They know about
it, they know he owns an island," she goes on. "He has covered everything. Even if we could convince them to bring a team out here, they won't find anything. He's too smart. All they're going to see is a bloody vacation house."
"There are fuckin' cages..."
"That could be dog cages," Zariah sighs. "Look at them, really look at them. He could simply have animals in them. That's not illegal."
"Search," Alarick orders. "Search anyway. Find anything you fuckin' can. We will find this mother fucker and kill him."
Zariah squeezes Samson's shoulder and then walks over to me. I stretch and arm out and pull her close, needin' to have her by my fuckin' side. I can't lose her again. Can't let her out of my sight.
She's mine.
I'll make fuckin' sure of it.
ZARIAH WAS RIGHT, NOT a fuckin' thing shows up on the island. He's smart, alright. Everything is as it should be, just a vacation house where someone would come and enjoy themselves. Other than extra security like large fences, there is nothing to indicate he's doing anything wrong here. We upended everything, searched where we could. There isn't a single fuckin' thing that'll give us reason to get the cops out here.
As we're on our way back to land, we all sit in utter fuckin' silence. None of us know what to say, what to do. Yet again, these mother fuckers have taken us for a ride. Without Steven, we have nothin'. We fucked up, we let him get away, and now we're back to square fuckin' one, and I don't know what to fuckin' do about that. None of us do.
Zariah yawns beside me, smelling clean after she used the shower in the house before we left. She said the least he owed her was a fuckin' good shower. We also took all their fuckin' food, expensive items to sell, and anything else that we could take, simply to make us feel better. It's the only way we could flip them the bird. Fuckin' assholes have taken everything from us. It was the least we could do.
"Let's get you somewhere to sleep, goin' to be a long journey," I say, standing and pulling Zariah up.
We move out of the small living quarters, and I glance at Samson on the way past. He is sitting in the corner, hanging his head, utterly defeated. Breaks my fuckin' heart that he's feelin' this way right now. Everything he's done has been for nothin'. That can't feel good. Fuck, it can't feel good at all.
