Dream Life

by Becca Van

  When she felt the car slow, she lowered her head back to the seat in the same painful position and closed her eyes. It was going to be difficult to keep her breathing deep and even, but she didn’t want them to know she was awake.

  Whatever they had in store for her wasn’t going to be good. She just hoped her stepbrother hadn’t totally lost his mind and she could appeal to the rapport they used to have. If she couldn’t make him feel guilt over what he’d already done and was going to do, she might not get out of this alive.

  She would listen and watch without them being aware she was conscious again and try to plan her escape.

  * * * *

  Brigg had never been so scared in his life. Not even while fighting in the military. He was too worried and tense to talk as Raiden sped over the long roads leading toward Cortez. He wondered if the sheriffs had spotted the fuckers who’d abducted their woman.

  “How far out are we?” Tane asked.

  “About five minutes,” Raiden replied.

  “We would have heard something from Luke and Damon if they’d seen them,” Tane said.

  Brigg wanted to punch his brother in the face for voicing his own fears. He clenched his hands into fist, and his jaw instead. His cell phone rang, and he quickly answered. “Talk to me. What? What the fuck do you mean they missed them? They’re the fucking sheriffs. Don’t they know how to do their fucking jobs?”

  “Who’s that?” Tane asked as he gazed at Brigg over his shoulder.

  He mouthed, Nash.

  “Yeah, I know they’re doing the best they can. I’m sorry. They have? That has to mean those bastards have Shyann holed up in Cortez somewhere. I don’t care how many people they have to call, get the sheriffs to use anyone and everyone they know to help locate her. We need to find her.

  “At least they have the Cortez sheriff and deputies helping. Can you stay on the phone and keep me updated? Thanks.” Brigg started explaining what Nash had told him. “No one’s seen them, but they have to be in Cortez still. All the entry and exit points to town are being watched. Luke and Damon are working with the Cortez Sheriff’s Department as well as friends they know in town. A couple of the deputies and the guys they know are driving around town trying to spot the car.”

  “Then let’s see if we can find them first,” Raiden said as he slowed the truck as they hit the city limit sign.

  “Keep your eyes peeled for that fucking car,” Tane ordered.

  “I will.” Brigg nodded determinedly. He and his brothers had to save Shyann, or their lives as they knew it would be over. That wasn’t an option he wanted to ever contemplate. His heart would break into a million pieces if the woman he loved more than his own life was injured or killed.

  * * * *

  Shyann’s fingers twitched as the car slowed down, turned, and finally came to a stop. She’d tried peeking from under her lowered eyelashes to see where they were, and while she’d seen the tops of buildings, nothing was familiar. When she’d moved to Slick Rock, she hadn’t ventured further afield and now wished that she had. If she had done the touristy thing by exploring the county, she probably would have known where she was. However, she didn’t have a car and had liked Slick Rock so much. She’d been content, at least for a time after she’d dealt with the grief and trauma of finding her mom and stepfather stabbed to death.

  She’d heard Danny muttering to himself on and off under his breath since she’d woken but hadn’t been able to work out what he was saying. The man driving the car either didn’t hear him or ignored her brother’s insanity.

  After the ignition was turned off, they got out of the vehicle, the car doors slamming shut. Obviously wherever they were, her stepbrother and the driver weren’t worried about being noticed. The back door near her head opened. When cruel hands reached in and grasped her upper arms in a hard grip, she bit the inside of her lip to stop herself from crying out. It was difficult to keep her muscles relaxed as she was being hauled from the vehicle head first, but she managed to keep her body floppy. An arm wrapped around her waist and another was shoved under her knees. She was lifted up against a muscular chest and tried not to shiver with fear and revulsion. The smell coming from the driver wasn’t noxious, but it caused her stomach to churn.

  “Go and open the door,” the man carrying her ordered.

  Shyann lifted her lids slightly, peering toward her stepbrother. Danny looked way cleaner than the last time she’d seen him, and that gave her hope. Had he stopped taking drugs? If that was so, then why had he abducted her? When she saw the deep bloody furrows down both of his cheeks, guilt assailed her, but she quickly pushed it away. She didn’t have anything to feel guilty about. She’d only been trying to defend herself.

  Driver Man carried her into an abandoned warehouse, dropping her onto a thin foam mattress. The air was shoved from her lungs, and pain pierced her already aching skull. How she stopped herself from crying out, she didn’t know. Being winded no doubt helped since she couldn’t inhale to fill her lungs with oxygen to groan.

  “How much of that fucking shit did you give her?” Danny shouted his question as he paced back and forth near her head. His hands were in his hair, and he was tugging at the strands as if he was trying to pull them out.

  “Stop fucking whining,” Driver Man snarled. “If you hadn’t hit her so fucking hard, she would have woken up already.”

  “You don’t know that,” Danny yelled. “You probably overdosed her, you stupid fuck.”

  “I’m the stupid fuck? That’s fucking priceless.” Driver Man laughed humorlessly. “You’re the one who killed his fucking father and stepmother trying to get your hands on their fucking money. You can’t do anything right. You left a shit load of evidence behind and are on the cops’ most wanted list. You told me you were supposed to wait until this bitch came over for dinner before you started killing them all, but you fucking lost it. She’s not going to sign all her money over to you after you murdered her mother.”

  What money? What are they talking about?

  Shyann knew her stepfather had been well off, but she and her mom hadn’t been. Did Collin have life insurance policies out on himself and her mother? Maybe he had one out on her, too. That was the only thing she could think of. If there was another reason for Danny and Driver Man to be arguing about money, she wasn’t aware of it.

  “She doesn’t even know about it,” Danny shouted. “Her half of the inheritance is being held in a trust until she turns thirty.”

  “Are you shitting me? Fuck, you don’t have a fucking brain in your head, do you?”

  “Stop yelling at me,” Danny roared angrily before he started pacing and muttering, but this time he was close enough for her to hear him. “Kill them. Kill them all. They need to die so you can live the life you want, you should have had from the beginning.”

  Shyann’s stomach started fluttering with fear until she felt sick to her stomach. She couldn’t believe this was all about money to her stepbrother. How could greed make people so evil?

  When she saw Danny turn his back to her, she glanced toward the other guy, thankful that his attention was on her insane brother. She spied the door about ten yards along the wall the mattress was next to and wondered if she would make it if she bolted.

  There was only one way to find out.

  * * * *

  “They’ve found them,” Brigg said from the back seat.

  Raiden slowed the truck and after checking the mirrors pulled over to the side of the road. It felt like forever had passed since he and Brigg had found Tane unconscious on the library floor. In actual fact, only a couple of hours had gone by. His heart hadn’t stopped racing in his chest as adrenaline pumped through his blood, and while he’d nearly let his fear and ire consume him a couple of times, he’d managed to tamp it down.

  “Where?” he snapped out.

  “North. Lebanon Road at the old Four Corners Materials,” Brigg replied.

  Tane input the address into the navigation system. As soon as the ro
ute came up on the screen, Raiden adjusted their course and pushed down harder onto the accelerator.

  “The Cortez deputy scouted the place out. As far as he can tell, there’s only three people in the abandoned building including Shyann,” Brigg said.

  “Get the guns out,” Raiden ordered as he slowed to veer off the main road onto Lebanon Road. He could see the deputy standing on the side of the road up ahead. Raiden eased the truck to a stop, glancing at the car parked near the side of the first building. Even though it was dark, the exterior lights on the warehouse were on. He hoped the interior lights worked too. Being able to see as he and his brothers went in would make their life a hell of a lot easier. He just hoped whoever was holding Shyann against her will didn’t have firearms. Though he knew that hope was slim.

  Raiden pulled the truck to the side of the road out of sight of the building. He took the 9mm Glock Brigg passed to him, checking the clip and to make sure there was a bullet in the chamber. He pushed the gun into the waistband at the front of his jeans after getting out of the vehicle. Tane and Brigg followed him toward the deputy.

  Raiden proffered his hand toward the officer. “I’m Raiden Tremaine. These are my brothers, Tane and Brigg.” He pointed as he said their names. “Where’s everyone else?”

  “Jack Weiss. They’re on their way. You must have been closer. You the boyfriend?”

  “We are,” Brigg answered.

  Raiden almost sighed with relief when the deputy didn’t bat an eye over Brigg’s statement. Living close to Slick Rock, he’d probably heard about the ménage relationships.

  Raiden turned when he heard a vehicle heading their way fast. His hand on the gun at his waist. When he saw the Slick Rock Sheriff’s car, his knees almost buckled with relief. He and his brothers were going to have backup. Although trying to convince Luke and Damon they should go in first would probably cause an argument, but he needed to see Shyann. He needed to know that the love of his life was still alive. He and his brothers could be a distraction while the lawmen came in behind them to take the fuckers out.

  “How’d you get here so fast?” Luke asked as he hurried toward them. He held up his hand before any of them could reply. “Never mind.” He met Jack’s gaze. “What have we got?”

  Jack told them what he knew.

  “Lock and load, Damon.”

  “Already have,” Damon replied, before he and Luke turned toward the empty building.

  “Wait!” Raiden and the others caught up to the sheriffs. “Why don’t you let us go in first? We can distract the fuckers.”

  Luke glanced at Damon with a quirked brow. Damon gave a slight nod.

  “I’ll cover the back exit,” Jack said, before he jogged away.

  “Are you sure you want to go in first?” Damon asked.

  “We are,” Brigg answered.

  “Then let’s go.”

  * * * *

  Shyann shoved to her feet as soon as her brother and Driver Man moved away. She ran as fast as she could, but her legs were heavy and uncoordinated from the drugs still coursing through her blood. She didn’t even make it five feet before she was caught.

  Driver Man shouted, “Stop!”

  Shyann ignored him but was jerked to a stop when the asshole grabbed her hair, tugging her neck back hard enough to hurt. She spun around, swinging her fist at the asshole’s face, crying out with pain as some of her hair was yanked from her scalp. He managed to duck her blow and maneuver her until he was standing with his front pressed against her back. She gagged when she felt his erection pressing into her. She was about to fight him off but stilled when she felt the tip of a blade against the side of her neck.

  “What are you doing?” Danny shouted as he stormed toward them. “She’s mine.”

  Shyann swallowed the bile trying to come up her throat. She’d hoped to try and talk some sense into her stepbrother, but when she looked into his eyes, she didn’t see any existence of the young man he’d once been. The stepbrother she knew was gone, and in his place was a crazy man.

  “What does it matter who kills the bitch?” Driver Man asked as he began walking, pushing her in the direction he wanted her to go.

  Shyann didn’t have a hope in hell of trying to stop herself or him, so she didn’t put up much of a struggle. She hadn’t seen the crate set up as a table, but since there wasn’t much light in the corner, that wasn’t a surprise.

  Driver Man shoved her away from him so hard, Shyann went down on her knees. Her chin smacked against the edge of the wood crate, hurting so much she cried out. When she put her hand to her chin, she wasn’t shocked to realize she was bleeding. She’d split her chin open.

  A cruel hand tangled around her hair, ripping more strands out by the roots. When the asshole holding her pressed his cheek against hers, she knew by his scent it was her stepbrother. He forced her face toward the papers resting on top of the crate. “Sign the papers, slut.”

  It was difficult to focus on the words when she was so close to the papers, but she didn’t really need to. She already knew what they were. It was a contract written up by a lawyer, and if she signed it, the money she hadn’t known about would no longer be hers. She didn’t give a shit about cash, but she knew if she signed the document, her brother and the other guy wouldn’t have any need to keep her alive.

  There was no way she was signing that contract.

  “Fuck you!” Shyann screamed.

  * * * *

  During the drive to Cortez, Tane had gathered some of his wits. He was still a bit sluggish, but whatever had been injected into him was wearing off fast. Maybe they hadn’t calculated his height and weight properly. He was grateful, whatever had happened. His head was still aching, but that was to be expected after being knocked out.

  He was still assailed with guilt and wanted to be the first of his brothers through the door. If anyone deserved to be shot, it was him for not protecting Shyann. Tane halted outside the slightly ajar door, glad the idiots mustn’t have realized the door hadn’t latched. He nodded to his brother and the sheriffs who were right behind them, reaching out for the handle. When he heard Shyann screaming, he pulled the door open, dove toward the right, and aimed his gun. Brigg and Raiden followed him in. Brigg went left while Raiden ran straight, bent at the waist in case shots were fired.

  His breath stuttered in his throat when he saw Shyann’s stepbrother bending over his woman with a knife held against her throat. He almost didn’t see the other asshole in the corner until it was too late. The fucker was aiming his gun at Shyann.

  Tane swung his gun to the side, squeezing the trigger. His aim was slightly off since his arm had still been moving, but at least he’d incapacitated the bastard. The bullet went through the prick’s upper right arm, causing him to drop his weapon.

  Luke and Damon entered just as Tane fired his gun, but he ignored them.

  “Drop the knife and let her go,” Tane ordered in a hard voice.

  “Tane!” Shyann sobbed. “You’re alive. Thank God.”

  “Yeah, sweetness. I’m here. So are Brigg and Raiden.”

  Shyann cried out when her stepbrother lifted her to her feet by her hair, spinning around with her in front of him to use as a shield. As soon as Tane saw the craziness in the prick’s eyes, he knew there would be no chance of talking the asshole down, but he had to try.

  “You may as well give up,” Tane said as he slowly walked closer, his Glock aimed right between the fucker’s eyes. “You’re not leaving here unless it’s in handcuffs.”

  Danny Bradley didn’t so much as flinch or shift his gaze. It was like looking into a cold green pit of evil. Tane realized the only way they were getting Shyann away from him was to shoot Danny.

  He just hoped his woman forgave him for killing her stepbrother.

  When Shyann moaned, Tane met her gaze briefly. He nearly roared with anger when he saw her. The side of her face was swollen, her chin was split, and she was covered in blood, but she was still upright and breathing. When he saw
her wink, he knew she was going to make a move. He just hoped it wasn’t the wrong one.

  * * * *

  Shyann was so happy to see Tane alive, tears welled, but she didn’t have time to let her emotions have free reign. She wondered why none of the guys had shot her stepbrother as she glanced at each of them. It took her a few moments to understand they were worried about shooting her and or maybe about killing her brother in front of her.

  She didn’t know this man at all. There was nothing left of Danny Bradley inside his body. Her stepbrother was gone.

  Shyann sucked in a deep breath, shifted her right arm up, and then shoved her elbow up and back into her brother’s face. The hand he had in her hair loosened, and the knife left her neck. She dove to the concrete floor and covered her head.

  Three shots rang out simultaneously.

  Air exploded from her lungs when a dead weight landed on top of her. Something slammed into the back of her head, causing her to see stars.

  Shyann tried to inhale and started to panic when she couldn’t breathe. The stars faded to an inky black, and the shouting she heard grew distant.

  And then she knew nothing.

  Epilogue

  Shyann sighed as she came awake. It had been a week since she’d been kidnapped by her stepbrother, and while she was still having nightmares, she was happy to be alive.

  She’d stayed in the Slick Rock hospital overnight after having her chin stitched up and for observation. Tane had stayed in the bed right next to her since he also had a head injury. They were released the next day, and she’d been recuperating at the Tremaine brothers’ house ever since.

  Raiden, Brigg, and Tane hadn’t left her alone for a minute. She hadn’t even been able to use the bathroom in peace. One of her men stood right outside the door, asking her question after question until she came out again.