by Lisa Gerkey
“It’s out of our hands now, Jensen. The feds have the evidence they need to put people away. Miss Parker may not have been brave enough to call her blackmailer’s bluff, but she was smart enough to keep every piece of evidence hidden on the computer you found. The only thing is, I don’t think she knew exactly what it was she was hiding. We weren’t sure either, until we searched your house, Jensen.” He stops talking long enough to look down and scratch his fucking head. He’s stalling, but I haven’t got time for that shit.
“Tell me, Jon.”
“You’re too close to the situation. The feds are going to handle it without us. The plan is, by tomorrow morning, Malcolm Phoenix will have been shut down, permanently. My advice to both of you is to go get some rest while it happens.”
“Fuck rest, brother. I’m going to get cleaned up and spend a few hours at the club. I need to talk to Henley and see if we’ve still got a deal. I don’t want him to sell the damn thing out from under me. I think now that Malcolm is going down where he belongs I’m going to step back from this shit. I might take on a few local cases if somebody wants to bust a cheating spouse or something, but I think I’ve had enough of everything else for a while.”
I’m not surprised to hear this coming from Grant. I know the time he’s spent working these cases has taken a lot out of him. I’m also certain one of the women back there in that shithole we just came from has him all twisted up.
Grant’s been talking about starting his own exclusive club where people can purchase memberships. They can have a safe environment to play and explore different kinks and desires they might have. It won’t be like the ones we’ve been working to put an end to. I know Grant, and I know he’ll make sure the club is run right.
“Yeah, I don’t think I’m going to get any rest. The shit that happened back there… I’m going to get out of here. I’ll keep my phone close by. Keep me posted on what’s happening.”
I don’t know why I end up here. It’s too damn late, but if they’re like me, I doubt they can sleep much anyway.
I can tell Mrs. Parker is surprised when she opens the door and finds me standing on the porch.
“Agent Beck…is something wrong?”
I should’ve known seeing me here at this hour would make them think something terrible has happened. There’s no way I’m going to tell them something terrible might be happening as we speak.
“No, ma’am. I was just…is Mr. Parker awake?”
“I don’t think either of us has slept since Madison’s been missing. Come in, Mr. Beck. Phillip is watching television in the living room.”
“I’m sorry. I can come back in the morning.”
“No, come in. I insist. You didn’t just show up here without a reason, Mr. Beck. Do you have new information for us? Has Madison been found?”
Without answering, I follow Mrs. Parker through the house.
“Mr. Parker.”
“Have you found her?”
“Mr. Parker, I really can’t talk about…”
“Don’t give me that bullshit, boy. I can tell something’s on your mind. Just spit it out.”
“I have reasons to believe Madison’s been found, sir. It could be just a matter of hours until she’s been removed from where she’s being held. That’s really all I can say at this point.”
“Nana, is Mommy here?”
I watch as the beautiful little girl…my little girl crawls up onto the sofa to sit on her grandmother’s lap.
“No, baby, but very soon. Your mommy will be home soon, Jenny.”
I hope Mrs. Parker isn’t filling my daughter’s head full of empty promises.
I want to be the one who holds Jenny and consoles her while she cries for her mother. I’m not sure Mr. Parker has shared the details with his wife, so I can’t say anything…Well, I can’t say anything yet, that will let this little girl know I’m her daddy.
“Jenny, sweetheart, I have a lot of good friends who are out there looking for your mommy. I promise I’m going to do everything I can to make sure she comes back home.”
Mr. Parker isn’t taking his eyes off me.
“Jenny why don’t you give Mr. Beck a hug to thank him for everything he’s doing to find Mommy. I bet it would make him work even harder.”
I don’t miss the tiny smirk that plays at the corners of his mouth. I also don’t miss the reaction his odd remark just got from his wife.
Jenny shocks the shit out of me when she jumps down from her nana’s lap and comes to throw herself at me.
“Tank you so much for getting my mommy back home. I wuv you so much.”
“I promise, pretty girl, I’m going to bring her home.”
I wrap Jenny in a big hug. I have a little girl…I still can’t believe it.
I can tell Madison has done a wonderful job with her. Her doing it all alone will end now. I’m going to be a part of Jenny’s life, whether she likes it or not.
I place a gentle kiss on top of Jenny’s head.
“I should probably go.”
Neither of the Parker’s says a word. They’re both focused on their granddaughter, so I get up and let myself out.
I toy with the idea I might go home and see if I can rest for a while, but I can’t go back there right now. I know Jon and Grant are going to be mad as hell I didn’t listen, but I can’t just sit and do nothing.
Chapter Twenty Four
“Madison”
Jayson brought me down to the basement and the same cage where he put me the first night. I’m naked and cold. I’m terrified of what’s going to happen to me.
Michelle hasn’t said a word. She’s stood back the entire time, with a devilish look in her eyes. How is it I knew her for all those years, but I never had a clue she was the one behind everything?
She’s only a few months older than me. I don’t understand how she was able to pull everything off without someone else’s help.
“You’ve been a very bad little slut, Cinderella. It’s time to take your punishment.”
I look into Jayson’s eyes. He scares me more than any of the others. He doesn’t wait for me to speak. He takes hold of my hair and yanks my head back, hard.
“You wouldn’t listen to them. You’ll listen to me though. They all do. By the time I’m done with you, you won’t have a problem with taking orders.”
I can feel his spit spatter across my skin as he speaks. His breath reeks. He’s disgusting.
He takes a step back and starts walking back and forth in front of me. He’s talking to himself. I hear him mumbling and talking about Lindsey.
“I’m glad she got away. I know she found someone to help her. She’ll survive, and she’s going to send people here to end this madness.”
I rattle off words, uncaring if there is any truth to them.
I’ve pissed him off. He comes at me again and strikes me across my face with his open palm. He bends down to the filthy floor and takes hold of one of my ankles. He pulls until my legs are spread and fastens my ankle into place with a cuff attached to a chain that’s hooked to the floor. He moves over to the other ankle, spreading me even wider. I can’t stop the tears that drip down. I know what’s coming.
“Michelle, please, don’t let him do this. Please. We were best friends once. I loved you.”
Michelle doesn’t say anything. We’re both distracted momentarily when we hear a pair of heels clicking against the cement.
“Oh, shut the fuck up, Madison. You’ve never been a friend to anyone. You’ve been too busy being the perfect little bitch that eeeveryone loves soooo fucking much.”
“Hayley?”
My eyes dart back and forth between them all. I watch Jayson rummage around in a dirty satchel.
“You’re going to take your punishment, and then I’m going to fuck that ass.”
His laugh is a cruel sound.
“Have you had your ass fucked yet, slut?”
“Give me that and get the fuck out of here, Jayson.”
Hayley ta
kes the whip from Jayson’s hand. She must have some influence over him, because he doesn’t hesitate to hand it over. He scurries away like a frightened mouse from the small space we’re all crowded in.
“Hayley, don’t. Don’t you think we’ve done enough?”
I watch the exchange between my sister and the woman I once thought was my best friend. Hayley doesn’t seem to hear a word she’s said though.
I cry out when the whip makes contact for the first time. The pain is excruciating, like a fire burning across my back. Over and over, I feel the whip connect with my skin. She lashes my back, my ass, and the backs of my legs.
I hear a commotion, but it seems so distant. The racket grows louder and much closer. He’s here.
“Jensen.”
“It’s over, Kaitlyn. Get away from her. Your business partner, Malcolm, is in cuffs, and he’s being hauled to jail as we speak.”
The pain in my body is nearly unbearable, but I fight to focus.
I’m confused.
“How do you know her?”
Hayley doesn’t let Jensen answer.
“He’s my husband! I should thank you for leading me to him. I managed to get one thing my little sister didn’t get. See, little sis, the plan was we were going to snatch your stupid ass while you were at the beach house. But, the night when I caught you watching me, I got a good look at Jensen. I changed my plans. I forgot all about getting you for Malcolm, and instead, I made it my mission to get Jensen… for me.”
“I don’t…Michelle. What does Michelle have to do with this?”
“Madison, shut up!”
This time it’s Michelle who speaks, but Hayley doesn’t let her talk.
“Here’s the thing, Mommy Dearest, isn’t really my mother. Our perfect daddy didn’t know he was messing around with a drugged-up hooker when he met my mother. He paid her off and took me from her. He didn’t meet Nicole until later. My mother found me one day, and she told me everything. She told me how she loved me. She always loved me, but Daddy wouldn’t let her around me. I never told our father I knew Nicole wasn’t my mother. He never knew I had a relationship with my real mom. Didn’t you think it was strange you never met Michelle’s mother, Madison? Well, guess what, my skanky mama didn’t stop having kids when she had me. Michelle is my baby sister, just like you.”
“Oh, my god. This is all so crazy…”
I see another man in a uniform enter the tiny cell while other’s follow behind him with their guns drawn.
“Hayley Kaitlyn Parker Beck, you are under arrest…”
“Katherine Michelle Thomas, you are under arrest…”
Jensen and another man work to get me out of the chains while I watch Hayley and Michelle being dragged out in handcuffs.
“My sister…she…you married my sister? How?”
Jensen takes the longest time before he says anything. Every sound echoes throughout the filthy and damp space of the basement. Michelle and Hayley are screaming, and putting up one hell of a fight with the men who are trying their best to control them.
“Madison, we need to get out of here and get you to a hospital, and then we’ll talk, I promise.”
What’s left to talk about? I’m too weak and hurt to bother arguing with him though. Apparently, he’s been a part of this awful scheme right along with my sister and my best friend all along. Why isn’t someone arresting him?
“Madison! Stay awake, sweetheart. I promise things aren’t how you think they are.”
Nothing, not even the sound of the man’s voice I’ve spent years dreaming of, is going to prevent the darkness from consuming me. I can hear voices around me and feel my body being moved around, but there’s not a thing I can do to tell them to stop, or ask them what they’re going to do with me.
Chapter Twenty Five
“Jensen”
After an unconscious Madison is put into the back of an ambulance, I make my way over to the police car where Kaitlyn is sitting in the back. Before I can chase after my future, I need to let go of my past.
“Officer, can I have a word with her before you leave?”
“Yeah, sure. You’ll have to talk through the window though. I can’t leave you alone with her.”
“That’s fine.”
When the officer rolls the window down, I lean down so I’m looking straight at the bitch responsible for this mess.
“What do you want, Jensen? I didn’t figure you would leave your precious little Madison’s side. This must be important.”
I look at her for a minute. I’d give anything if I could go back and wipe out any memory I have of ever putting my hands on her. Now that I know they’re sisters, it fucks with me seeing how much they look alike.
“I’m filing for divorce, Kaitlyn. I spoke with an attorney. Because of the nature of everything that’s happened, there shouldn’t be any delay. I never loved you. I want you to leave here knowing that. I want you to know whatever tricks you played with people, or whatever plans you made, you failed. I fell in love with Madison years ago. There hasn’t been a single night I didn’t think about her and the time we had together. It might take some time, but I’m not giving up on being with her. You robbed us of so fucking much, Kaitlyn, not only me and Madison, but you robbed Jenny too. How are you able to live with yourself, Kaitlyn?”
“I think you loved me in the beginning.”
“I didn’t love you, Kaitlyn. I loved how in the beginning I could use what we had to keep me distracted. I didn’t think about Madison every single minute. I cared about you. I won’t lie about that. Before you showed your true colors, I did have feelings for you. I respected you. My parents raised me with strong morals and values. Had things been different, had you not turned out to be a fucking bitch, I would’ve honored the vows I took, no matter what. That’s the kind of man I am. I don’t have to feel guilty anymore. All I need to do now is focus on Madison and Jenny, while you get the punishment you deserve for everything you’ve done. Goodbye, Kaitlyn…Hayley…whoever the fuck you are.”
I don’t give her time to say anything. I can hear her bitching about something when I walk off to find my truck so I can get to the hospital. I make a quick phone call to Madison’s parents to let them know she’s on her way to the hospital. I know Madison needs them to help her sort all this mess out and deal with it. I feel bad for Mr. Parker because he has double the shit to deal with.
Madison’s been at the hospital for a couple of hours by the time I get there. They have her in a private room with limited visitors allowed in. Apparently, if you’re not on the list, you can’t see her. It takes me thirty minutes to convince the nurse to let her family know I’m here. I need to see Madison. I need to see she’s okay.
“Jensen.”
Finally, her dad comes out to the waiting room. I get up from my seat the second I see him.
“Mr. Parker, how is she? The nurses wouldn’t let me come in the room. I need to see her, please.”
I notice how tired he looks. He also seems torn because of what I just said.
“She’s still asleep. The doctor said it’s normal with everything she’s been through. They aren’t letting anyone in the room yet, besides her mother and me. You can wait if you’d like, but it might be best if you went home and got some rest. I’ll give you a call if she wakes up.”
“Nah, I’ll wait.”
“Have it your way. If anything changes, I’ll let you know.”
At least there’s a coffee machine in the waiting room. I’m dead on my feet, but I keep telling myself I’m not going to rest until after I talk to Madison.
Chapter Twenty Six
“Madison”
Beep. Beep. Beep.
“Madison, baby, wake up.”
“Mom. Dad.” My throat hurts when I try to speak.
“Madison, can you hear me?”
This time there’s a voice I don’t recognize.
“Madison, wake up, come back to us.”
Mom sounds like she’s crying.
<
br /> I try to open my eyes, but the light’s too bright.
“Turn the lights down a little.”
The strange voice gives the instructions.
I blink a few times until I can see a man hovering over me.
“Hello, Madison. My name is Dr. Shively. Welcome back, little lady.”
He seems pleasant enough.
My head is fuzzy. I try to understand what has everyone so scared and upset. Like a freight train roaring through, one image after the other comes flying back.
“Mom, Dad…Hayley? And…and Michelle. Mom! Why?”
“Shhh, baby girl, we don’t need to talk about it right now.”
“Yes, we do, Mom!”
A knock on the door interrupts us. A woman I’ve never seen before comes in.
“Hi, I’m Amy Townsend. I’m a therapist. Dr. Shively thought…”
“I don’t need a therapist. I’m fine…”
“I’ll leave my card. Also, Dr. Shively says you’ll be spending the night, so I’ll drop back in tomorrow. Sometimes a day can change how we feel about things.”
“Fine.”
“Mom. Dad. I need to be alone. I need to process everything that’s happened. I want to come home to Jenny tomorrow, and I want to put all of this behind me.”
“Baby girl, there’s someone else here who wants to see you…”
“Who, Daddy?”
“His name is Jensen Beck…”
“Not now. Tell him to go away.”
“I’ll tell him to give you some time, Maddy, but you need to talk to him. He loves you. Hayley hurt him just like she’s hurt the rest of us. I know Hayley and Michelle need to pay for everything they’ve done, but Malcolm Phoenix was the mastermind behind all of it. All three of you were his puppets. Jensen…never mind. I’ll tell him to give you time…”
“Thanks, Daddy. Take Mom and go home, get some rest. I’m sure Jenny’s upset that none of us are with her. Go, take care of my baby, and tell her Mommy will be there soon.”
I need time alone. I need to figure out how I’m going to deal with Jensen when I see him. I know he knows all about Jenny, even though I haven’t talked to him about her. I need to process everything and figure out how I’m going to move on, for Jenny’s sake.
