Syren's Plaything

by Jennah Thornhill

  “Excuse me… Do you know where she went? Did you see her leave at all? Please I’m begging you, can you tell me anything?” I plead with her for an answer, any little bit of information she gives me could be useful.

  She eyes me for a split second seeing if she can trust me and I’m not an actual serial killer, before nodding at me.

  “I saw her leave, yes. She didn’t say where she was going, but she had a small suitcase with her and when she made it outside there was a black 4x4 sitting outside waiting for her.”

  “Did you see the driver?” I’m starting to shake.

  “Oh, yes. He was a mean looking man, he had a nasty looking scar on his eyebrow. I had to get my binoculars out just to make sure I wasn’t seeing things.” If I wasn’t getting so worked up, I’d have laughed at the nosey cow. I thank her, and she makes her way back in doors.

  Carlos.

  How could I forget about that fucker?

  Still doing Dominic’s dirty work for him I see, he’s in that deep now he can’t even come get his own daughter when she needs him.

  He’s going cost me more than I ever bargained for at this rate.

  Why didn’t I just tell her everything sooner?

  Am I going to make it there in time or will I be too late.

  That’s if Dominic lets me get within an inch of his place.

  He wasn’t all that best pleased when I had to ask him for help when the girls got kidnapped, so I can imagine that when he finds out that I’ve knocked up his little girl he’s going to come after me all guns blazing.

  What he forgets though, he taught me everything I know when it comes to looking after myself.

  So, if he thinks he can scare me, he’s got another thing coming.

  I will fight with everything I am for that woman, his daughter or not.

  Karina

  I couldn’t sit there any longer, I didn’t know what to do with myself, so I did the only thing I could think of… I phoned my dad. I couldn’t call Allie, because I know without a shadow of doubt that Johnny would have gone to see Connor.

  There was no time to waste, I needed to get myself sorted and gone quick before Allie turned up or Johnny came back, which I highly doubted.

  Once I got past the nosey old bag next door, I jumped in the back of Carlos’s jeep and I was on my way to see my dad.

  I’m shitting bricks, I don’t think I’m going to be able to hide my bump forever so it’s best I tell him now, if he found out by someone else, I’d be in even more trouble. I’m not going to lie… my dad scares the shit out of me at the best of times, even more so when he’s angry or disappointed in me.

  I know I’ve never agreed with what he does or how he does it, but at the end of the day he’s still my dad. My only living parent. What I wouldn’t do just to have my mum here right now, she would know what to do. She always used to give me the best advice, even if it wasn’t needed. The best one she ever told me, and one I’ll never forget was…

  ‘Don’t let other people choose your path for you, deep down you know the right way to go, so do the right thing and always follow your heart.’

  The day she died was the day my world ended, but I picked myself up and carried on. It helped I had John Boy in my father’s compound, he made life easier but just like everyone I love, he disappeared as well. When I think it about it now, it’s really quite funny that I now fall for a guy called Johnny, when back in my teens I loved a lad who we called John Boy. I don’t even know if that was his real name, it’s just what my father called him. The day he left he promised to come back to me. He never did. I don’t know what broke my heart more; my mother dying or him leaving. I would always see him with the girls my father had on tap and every time I saw him with one, it broke my heart that little bit more. I was only a scrawny kid back then, so I’m not surprised he never paid attention or came back, in the eyes of my father’s men I was a spoilt brat who had her daddy wrapped around her little finger. When in reality it was so far from the truth that I just let everyone believe it, it was better than the actual truth. When my mum died my dad closed off, some days he couldn’t even look at me. And when I tried to reach out to him I just got shut down. It’s only these past few months we’ve really had any sort of relationship, a relationship that’s going go down the toilet the minute he finds out I’m pregnant. And with a rock stars baby nonetheless.

  Once we pull up to the gates of my father’s compound, I start to sweat buckets, my leg is bouncing on the spot and my stomach is going 90mph with nerves. I’ve never felt so sick in my life and I suffer with morning sickness.

  Carlos pulls the jeep around the side of the building that is my dad’s living quarters, when he’s cut the engine I open the passenger door and slide out, my feet landing on the gravel with a thud.

  I stand there not moving, just taking in my surroundings. I used to love playing in the dirt when I was a kid on this land, but the older I got the more I hated the place. It felt like a prison, with its high walls, metal gates and top-notch security my dad insisted he needed.

  My little trip down memory lane gets cut short when I feel my phone vibrate in my jacket pocket, without looking I know who it will be, but because I’m sure a sucker for punishment, I pull it from the confines on my denim jacket and see that my prediction was indeed right. Johnny. Well he can go fuck himself, if he thinks he can talk to me the way he did then walk out on me, he’s got another thing coming. I’m not just some band groupie he can play with, I’m not now nor will I ever be anybody's plaything. I might be carrying his baby, but he can’t just dump me then pick me back up when he wants to. I’m only human, I have feelings too and there’s only so much shit I’m willing take. And I’ve just about had my quota of shit from Johnny fucking Owens.

  Ignoring his call, I slide my phone back into my pocket and turn to grab my bag from the foot well of the jeep.

  “You ready to see your old man?” Carlos asks me.

  Blowing out a deep breath, I give him a quick and sharp answer.

  “Yep!”

  With that he gets my overnight bag from the back seat for me and we walk towards the entrance of my father's lair. Not another word spoken between us. He always was a man of few words.

  When we’ve walked through the door, Carlos tells me my dad is in his office and that he will take my bag up to my old room for me, thanking him quickly I make the dreaded walk to face my dad. I feel like I’m on death row and I’m about to meet my executioner.

  Walking along the corridor, I suddenly come to a halt, more memories come crashing over me like a tidal wave when I spot the little table in the corner, minus the vase that used to be there.

  I come to a crashing halt, as I come bounding around the corner. He’s here, but he’s not alone. He has some girl pressed up against the door of the dining room, his hands are all over her. I can hear her enjoying what he’s doing to her, their mouths are fused together, whilst his hands look like they’re doing magic tricks to her body. It makes my heart fall through my stomach, I know I shouldn’t because in the eyes of the law I’m a child, but I can’t help but wish it was me he was touching and kissing like that. The way his body moulds to hers, I can’t help but stare at them. My eyes are glued to them, to him. I couldn’t move even if I wanted to, I’m totally mesmerized by him. They don’t seem to have noticed me standing and gawping at them, so I start to back away slowly. Finally snapping myself out of my dazed state, only I don’t get far when I knock into a corner table that’s behind me holding a vase that comes crashing down to the floor and smashing into tiny pieces.

  Why I’m thinking about him now I don’t know, I guess when I’m here I always think about him. I always think where he is in the world now, did he ever come back just to visit, and my dad never told me?

  “Karina!”

  My dad’s voice booms, knocking me out of my thoughts. I should’ve known he would know I was here now. He’s more than likely been watching me on the millions of cameras he has all around this place,
if you want privacy then you’re screwed once you walk through that door. Dominic Vale knows every move you make when you’re on his property, whether you like it or not, he’s watching you.

  Knowing I have no choice but to walk into the lion’s den, I walk with confidence I don’t have on the inside and go face the one man who’s always terrified me.

  Johnny

  I don’t know how I made it home in one piece, but I did. The amount of traffic laws I just broke should’ve landed me behind bars for the night.

  But all I can think about is her.

  I know she’ll be back at her dad’s by now, there’s no doubt about it. I’m trying to think of a damn good enough reason to go get her and drag her back out of that hell hole Dominic calls home. But without all the questions I will get from not only her asking how the fuck I know where her dad lives, but then from her dad asking why the fuck I’m sniffing around his daughter. Fuck. Will she tell him about the baby? When he finds out it’s me that has gotten her pregnant, well the shit really will hit the fan.

  After sitting in the kitchen for the past hour, I make the decision to suck it up and go get her, it can’t be any worse than her being there all on her own, with her father and the sick men that work for him. She doesn’t know the half of what they are all capable of. She’s not safe there, not even with her own father. I need to get her out of there, the longer she’s there, the worse it will be for her and my baby.

  With my mind up, I drag myself down the hallway and into my room, I go straight towards my wardrobe and seek out the locked box I promised myself I would never reopen, but when it comes to Karina and her safety, I’ll do whatever it takes.

  So, just this once I’ll break this promise I made myself. Needs must, and something tells me I may need it, whether I like the idea of it or not.

  Once I’ve located the box, I grab my keys out of my back pocket and find the small key I need to open it. Pausing for just a brief moment, I insert the key and it clicks open. Not giving myself time to talk myself out of it, I pick the item up that I was looking for and lock the box back up again, shoving it back into the wardrobe once I’m finished.

  Before I know where I am, I’m back in my car and on my way to Dom’s. I try my best to psych myself up, but nothing can prepare me for this place, nothing. The last time I was there, I had a good enough reason, Karina and Allie were both in danger so that thought alone kept me occupied.

  The entire time I’m driving to Dominic’s compound, I can feel the metal digging into my back that's tucked in the back of my jeans. I can still remember the day Dom gave it to me, he told me it was either me or them and I had to always look after number one. Me. Yet in the long run I knew he meant I had to look after him, he didn’t give a shit about me in the end as long as I got the job done and brought him his money at the end of the day.

  I wasn’t thinking about making sure he was ok; my only priority now was his daughter and she was in that shitty place with those vultures. I wouldn’t hesitate to blow their brains out if they hurt one hair on her head.

  Now I no longer work for the twat, I don’t have the access codes to the gates. Without thinking it through properly I pull up to the gate, roll down my window and get my face right up to the camera I know will be watching my every move.

  “Dominic fucking Vale, let me in now! I’m not leaving, so help me god if you don’t let me in I will climb the fucking walls!”

  The camera moves from side to side and I know that’s Dom’s way of telling me to ‘Fuck Off.’

  Well if he thinks I’m just going to drive away like some pussy then he’s clearly forgot what he taught me, and what I’m now capable of. Only he doesn’t know the half of what I am capable of.

  I climb from my car with more determination running through my veins than ever. My adrenalin getting higher and higher with every second that passes.

  I’m just about to start kicking at the gates when out of the corner of my eye I see movement. I can’t make out who it is, but I’d put my money on it being one of Dominic’s dogs, coming to do his dirty work for him.

  “If you don’t pack that shit in now Owens, I’m going to put you on your arse quicker than you can strum your next cord.”

  Carlos. I should’ve known.

  “Where the fuck is she?” I ask.

  I don’t need to explain any further, he knows exactly who I’m talking about. And the fucker has the nerve to just sneer at me.

  “Your precious princess, is currently with daddy dearest and judging by the screaming coming from his office, it’s not going too well.”

  Rage like nothing I’ve ever felt before is bubbling to the surface of my skin, I can feel the heat pouring out of me.

  Connor will kick my ass if he finds out I’ve come here alone, but I don’t have time to think about that now.

  “So, help me god Carlos, if you don’t let me in so I can see her I won’t be responsible for my actions.” I warn.

  The bastard has the nerve to fucking laugh.

  “Does she know who you are yet? Does she know what you did?” He taunts me. “Do any of your new-found friends know what you’ve done?” He continues.

  Without thinking I charge towards the gate that the bulky bastard is standing behind, but I don’t get very far as the gate is between us, and he jumps back out of my reach just before I could grab him. He just laughs harder. God help him when I get through. Re-thinking my next move, I stand back to see if I can make it over the gate. No such luck as it’s now got barbed wire running across it.

  Think Johnny, think. You know this place inside out.

  “See you around John boy.” He laughs at me again as he turns around and walks away.

  That’s it I’m getting in there one way or another, and as if I’m starting to turn back into my old self, I have my jacket off my back quicker than lightning, and I’ve thrown it over the top of the gate and it lands perfectly across the wire, it couldn’t have landed any better than if I had carefully and precisely laid it down.

  I jump up the gate at a good height and make it to the top in no time, using up no energy… I’m saving that for the prick who’s walking off none the wiser, he doesn’t know what’s coming.

  I make it to the wire and place my hands-on top of my jacket and flip myself over, it wasn’t the perfect execute but I’m over. The gate shakes making it rattle, in turn it also makes Carlos turn around, stopping him in his tracks…

  “What the fuck?”

  “Looks like I’ll be seeing you sooner than you expected ay Carlos.” Now I’m the one who’s laughing. “I thought you knew me better than that, just because I play a guitar now doesn’t mean I’ve forgotten my training, after all I learnt from the best… you.”

  “You fucking little shit…” I charge at him knocking us both to the ground. He gets a few punches in to my jaw before I manage to roll us so I’m straddling his thick thighs, then I go at him. One clean blow to his nose, a clear break, then I hear his cheekbone shatter as my fist pounds into him again. I just see blackness, nothing and no one are there, but then I stop myself, I’m not this person anymore, I’m not a monster, I’m nothing like these people.

  I pull myself up off him, standing above him.

  There’s blood all over my knuckles and Carlo’s face but I don’t care, this twat tried stopping me from getting to my woman and that in itself was a big mistake.

  I look my hands over, inspecting them for any more damage than what I can already see, I have a split knuckle from hitting Carlos. That I can deal with, but I’m getting pain from somewhere, flipping them back over so I can see my palms, I note I have little cuts all over them. I must have caught them on the wire when I jumped over the gate.

  “Shit.” I form a fist once again, only it makes them bleed more. Now the adrenaline is fading away, the pain is taking over. I can’t do anything about it now as Carlos starts to move around on the floor. He’s making the strangest grunting noises from where he’s lying, so to add insult to injury I
look down at the piece of shit lying at me feet and give him a swift kick to his ribs for the trouble he’s caused me. None of this would have happened if he’d just have opened the fucking gate.

  “I see you’ve still got it” Carlos says, though he’s struggling to talk as he’s trying to catch his breath back, the wind was literally kicked out of him.

  “Johnny! What the fucking hell are you doing here?”

  The second her voice registers in my brain, I seize up. She’s ok. Thank fuck.

  “Answer me, will you? How the hell did you find me?”

  “Fuck, shit and bollocks.” I say under my breath.

  I forgot I needed an excuse as to how I knew she’d be here.

  And like the wimp I am, I throw a pregnant woman under the bus.

  “Allie.” I mumble. Proud of myself for my quick thinking.

  Fuck me, I’m going to hell for that. And if not, hell Connors going to rip me a new one from here to bloody china.

  We don’t get to say anything else to each other because the next thing I know my ear drums nearly burst when I hear him.

  “Johnny Owens, get your backside in my office now boy!”

  Fuck me!

  If it’s not one dickhead trying stop me from talking to K, it’s the king of dickheads. Dominic.

  I look up at Karina and she offers me a sheepish smile, something isn’t right, what? I don’t know.

  But I guess I’m about to find out.

  Karina

  I’m currently sat in one of the old leather chairs in my father’s office, the chairs he refuses to get rid of because of sentimental value, whatever the hell that means. My legs are bobbing up and down like I’m on one of those daft exercise machines at the gym, I’m fidgety and twiddling my thumbs. My stomach is going around like it’s a washing machine on a fast spin. I’m more nervous now than the day I went for my first scan which confirmed me being pregnant and made it even more real to me. And the way he’s looking at me now from the other side of his desk, well let’s just say it’s making me want to pee my pants. Only I can’t because that would set him off too.