“Eyes, Pierce.” I warn giving Matt a fake glare.
“Sorry babe, but fuck you look good.” I laugh, shaking my head as I walk to the bar.
Jeff the bartender took my order and I told him I’d be right back. I needed a breather. All the fake smiling is starting to wear me down, so I walk to the dressing room. Sitting at one of the vanities I look at myself.
I look good, but I’m far from happy and you can see it. I have no idea how I’m going to get Davenport to do anything that could possibly make him look bad. I don’t want to. He seems like an okay guy, other than the fact he uses escorts. But even then, I understand why he does it. He doesn’t have time to meet women, and he has needs. I’ve never heard of any complaints from the girls that he hires either or of him treating them badly. If anything they talk highly of him. From what I could tell he was an okay guy, an okay guy with pain in his eyes.
Closing my eyes, the small flip phone that I stuffed under the cups of my bra starts to buzz and I dig it out quickly looking towards the entrance door of the empty dressing room.
“Hello.”
“I don’t think I mind being put in your bra, angel.”
“Park?” I whisper looking around the empty dressing room.
“Security cameras.” My shoulders slump in relief. As much as I want him to hold me, I don’t want him close by in case Duke’s guys told him. Twiddle- Hot hadn’t left. He’s still out on the floor.
“You okay?” He asks and all the strength I’d been holding onto somehow whooshed right out of me. I want to hear him talk to me, I want to have him, but reality has set and Life once again showed me exactly what I cannot have. My breath hitches and I nod, my head down since everything is starting to blur.
“Baby,” he whispers, and I blink away tears.
“I’ll...I’ll be fine.” I say taking a deep breath.
“Angel… I….”
“I have to go. The drinks should be ready and…,” I start to say to get him off the phone.
“Who are you latched to?” He asks. You. Always you I want to tell him, I want to tell him so badly I feel it in the depth of my soul, but sitting in a dressing room I had promised myself I wouldn’t be in again, put back in a situation where hope feels slim, I can’t.
“I can’t do this right now, I have to go.” I urge him, panic I hadn’t let enter my veins starts to sweep in. What if someone sees me? What if someone tells Duke I’m speaking to his grandson?
“I’m tied to you, and whether you want to admit or not, I know you are tied to me too,” he says confidently, so damn sure it almost irritates me, “It’s going to be okay. I promise you. Trust me to make this right.”
I nod, knowing that he can see me. I close the phone, put it back in place. I look at myself one last time before taking a deep breath and make myself walk back out.
Walking into the private room, tray filled with drinks, I start to pass them out, and making sure John Davenport’s is the last one I serve. I can feel his eyes on me the whole time I serve the other guys drinks. Smiling sweetly at them and winking flirtatiously, until I get to him. By this time he’s in a plush chair at the end of the table scooted slightly back. He’d folded out of the game right as I reach him. He pats his lap, I take a deep breath and adding a fake smile, I sit.
“Aren’t you just a sweet thing,” he says slurring a little, his hand going to my thighs, my body freezes.
“Here’s your drink, Mr. Davenport.” I hand him his bourbon and he nods.
“You know me?” His dark eyes are assessing me.
“I...I’ve worked here for a while, sir.” I tell him, suddenly completely nervous.
“I would remember you.” Wow. Even if my stupid heart is in love with Parker Stone, that was a really nice compliment.
“I’m usually not the kind of girl you...prefer,” I tell him and he smiles wolfishly, giving him an air of arrogance, but charming cockiness. Raising an eyebrow, his dark eyes on me he leans in close, a mere inch or two from my face.
“I don’t have a type, baby.”
“Oh...right.” Oh right? God I suck at this. How the hell am I going to get him to do anything if I’m acting like an untouched schoolgirl on his lap? In my own thoughts, I didn’t notice he moved in closer, arms around me, his mouth at my neck. I swallow hard. His fingers are grazing my bare thighs, his mouth is close to my ear.
“Don’t worry, honey. Everything’s under control.”
“Umm…,” I say. My heart is racing. What if Duke made a deal with him behind my back? What if he thought I was just going to…!
“Your boyfriend gave me a heads up, laugh baby, we’re being watched,” he whispers softly against my ear and I do laugh, in utter relief. “Lean your head in.”
I do exactly as I’m told, scooting in close, my face in his neck when it happens. I feel something under me harden and I freeze and my body tenses.
“Ignore it. You’re a sexy woman, it’s just a physical reaction,” he whispers, his deep voice slightly hoarse but extremely sober. His face pulls away from mine, mere inches in front of mine, his strong hand cups my face in an extremely gentle way. Then he winks as he strokes the skin at my neck, and I laugh shaking my head. I laugh in relief as well as to his reaction.
“Fuck, John! You took my girl too!” A drunk Nick says smiling, winking at me and I smile.
****
Vikki glares at me the entire night. Especially since John hasn't let me off his lap. He’s been a gentleman, never crossing any lines other than a caress on my shoulder or touching the tips of my hair. I sit there smiling and laughing at their comments until John leans in close, "I need another bourbon, baby. Meet me in the room next door." He whispers calmly and I nod.
Tray in hand, I step out of the private room closing the door behind me. I’m not paying attention. I’d relaxed and let down my guard. If I would have been paying attention, I would have noticed Matt hadn't commented on me coming out. Instead I felt a thick arm grab me from behind, turning to say something sarcastic to Matt, when my eyes register a body in front of me.
Not just any body. Matt’s body, his poor body slumped next to the wall, red blood trailing down from his head. Not a little blood, a lot of blood. So much that it is creating a deep red pool on the ground. Before I can yell or fight, the person holding me slams the front of my body into the wall in front of me. Matt only inches away from me.
"Boss isn't happy with you." Marco, Twiddle- Creep, growls into my ear. Oh no, no, no! I look around but the corridor we’re in is dark, the hope that someone would see vanishes as soon as it flits through my mind.
"Lights out, sweet cheeks," he growls, taking a syringe out of his pocket, a sting hits the back of my bare thigh. I turn to look at him, but everything happened so fast, that by the time I try to fight, it’s too late. Every part of my body feels like it’s filled with lead. Black spots fill my vision until that’s all I see.
Black!
Chapter Thirty-Three
Parker
Watching Davenport with his hands all over her makes my blood burn, but it’s a necessary evil. We don't know who’s on Duke’s payroll telling him things and we can’t take any chances. Thankfully through, Jake actually knows John Davenport very well. He’d talked to him and helped get him on our side to figuring out what the hell my grandfather has planned. She'd left a while ago and hadn't entered the room John was supposed to tell her to go. I search the cameras.
She isn't on any of the three bars either, or in the dressing room. Picking up my phone with a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach, I call John.
“Davenport.” He answers.
“Where is she?” I ask him, trying to temper down my anger.
“Bar, bourbon refill. It is nice to talk to you too, Stone.” He says sounding like he could give a shit.
“Stone?” I hear Nick say. “That's a guy I need to be my new wingman,” Nick Riley slurs.
“Shut up, Riley,” John growls.
“I can't see her o
n any of the cameras.” I tell him.
“I'll go to the room, relax,” he says calmly. I hear shuffling as I watch him stand and smile to the guys, patting Mike Crown on his back as he walks past him.
“Fuck.” I hear him hiss, my stomach dipping low, “Parker? Call an ambulance.” My stomach is now flopping on the floor.
“Is it...?”
“It’s Matt. She’s gone.” Davenport says ending the call.
She’s gone. Davenport’s fucking voice repeating over and over in my head. I call nine-one-one as I rush out of the security room, passing the phone to Nick Riley, who had come out of the private room.
Matt is slumped on the floor, a huge fucking gash at the top of his head.
“Matt? Matt... Wake up buddy…,” I tell him.
He starts to come in and out opening his eyes slightly.
“He took her,” Matt slurs, shutting his eyes.
“Who?” I ask, my heart fucking racing. Fuck! Fuck! My angel was taken right under my fucking nose when I was supposed to be keeping her safe!
“Duke’s goon.” He slurs, drooping his head back. I can see he’s trying hard to stand but can’t.
Grabbing my phone, I text the unknown number that had warned me off earlier this morning.
Where is she? I text and wait for an answer.
Looking around, I notice Davenport doing the same thing.
“There’s an emergency exit over here. The security was tampered with.” Davenport says and I put my hands on top of my head. My heart is racing, my stomach heavy.
“FUCK!” I roar, l feel Davenport behind me. “FUCK!” I punch the wall in front of me. Hitting the wall over and over again, until I feel wetness on my knuckles.
“Calm the fuck down, Stone.” Davenport says, placing a calm hand on my shoulder.
Matt stands up slowly.
“Calm down? Do you have a clue what the fuck is going on!” I roar.
“Stone.” Davenport’s warning tone makes me look at him. Something about the look in his eyes makes me think he knows. I put my hands up on my head, pacing the small width of the corridor. I look at Matt, holding himself up, his eyes on mine.
“Let’s go.” He hisses, holding the cut at his head, wincing in pain.
“Where the hell do you think you’re going?” Davenport asks him.
“To find her,” he growls, leaning onto the wall for support.
“You can’t even fucking walk. What makes you think…,” Davenport starts to yell at Matt when my phone buzzes and I look at it.
Unknown: I don't have her. Duke didn’t show at event. What happened? Fuck!
They took her. The other guy hit Matt and took her, I immediately text back.
Fuck. Fuck! The feds were supposed to arrest Duke at some charity event he’s supposed to be at with my grandmother tonight. It came out that the feds had a lot of evidence and were ready to arrest him. Undercover agent Thornton had infiltrated my Grandfather’s organization and had worked his way up to becoming his right hand guy. I’d trusted that he could get this done! If anyone knew where my girl was, it should have been him!
Duke must have somehow found out his time was up and is running desperate and now he has my girl. Fuck. Fuck! The pictures Belle showed me of the girl that Duke had beat and had called Liz, are floating in my head and I want to throw up.
“The feds didn't get him. He didn’t show…,” I tell Davenport.
I don’t know why my grandfather is so hell bent on some sick type of revenge on Davenport, but after Jake had talked to him, John had called me to meet up. When I’d explained what Duke had planned and how he was using Liz, he hadn’t blinked. He hadn’t doubted what I’d told him about tonight was true, and without hesitation we had worked up a plan, informing my contacts and Jake of everything, until getting it all down to the last detail. Obviously, I’d failed.
Fuck. I’d failed my angel.
“Shit.” Davenport mutters as a slightly drunk Nick Riley has obviously been taking in the conversation. Nick’s head tilts slightly.
“I feel like I’m missing something.” Nick says and we both look at him.
“Fuck! Nick, go back in there, ask Jerry to come here and look this guy over. Keep Mike distracted. I’ll tell you everything, but later.” Davenport orders and Nick stares at the three of us and finally nods as he walks back into the room. “Stone, we need to find out where she’s at,” Davenport tells me, something in his eyes flashing.
“No fucking shit asshole.”
“Look. I don’t know how much you know about grand pappy dearest, but if he has her…!”
“I know.” We stare at one another for a second until Matt groans.
“Fuck. He fucking drugged me and I fell hitting my head.” Matt says, slamming his hand against the floor.
A tall guy steps out of the private room.
Tatted up arms beneath rolled up dress shirt sleeves, light green eyes, tanned skin that hinted at being of mixed ethnicity, he observes the scene in front of him. He looks a little surprised at the bloody scene with Matt now sitting back on the floor, holding his head.
“I didn't know I was on call.” He says sarcastically to the scene in front of him, his eyes on John, who simply shrugs.
“I’ll explain later,” he tells him and the tall guy rubs his head, nods and kneels in front of Matt.
My phone buzzes.
Unknown: I think I know where she is. Sit tight.
Sit tight? Who the fuck did this asshole think he was talking to? My angel was in the devil’s hands, and it was my fault.
Liz
My head feels heavy, my body is not my own. I’m floating, high in the air, but that can’t be because my body feels so heavy. The more aware I become, the sicker I feel.
Opening my eyes slowly, nothing but darkness surrounds me. Slowly, my senses start to come back to me, and I almost wish they didn’t. It’s dark. Something over my face, like a pillow case over my head. My first instinct is to take it off, but that’s when a couple more senses kick in. I realize my hands are tied behind my back, tightly with no slack. My legs are tied to the legs of the chair I’m sitting in.
“Shhh.” A deep voice whispers and my heart beats hard and painfully. I can feel it racing hard against my chest and even against my ears as pure unadulterated fear and reality sets in.
I try to remember what happened. My thoughts are swimming in my head.
The Twiddle-creep, Marco, grabbed me when I walked out of the room. He’d drugged me. Matt’s body was slumped against the wall. Oh God! Blood had been oozing out of his head. Oh no. No. No. No. Matt. Poor Matt! How long until someone finds him? How long until someone realizes I’m gone? Would Parker know? He’d been watching the security cameras.
Not that I know if there were any in that area of the club. If I was Belle, I would have them there. Just in case any members tried to pull shit. I’d have video to blackmail them with, to protect myself with. But that’s just me.
Defeat and fear are scary things, especially when that’s all I can seem to feel. I… I’m nothing. I am nothing but a freaking idiot.
My eyes are wet with unshed tears as my body trembles. I try to keep calm, but I can’t seem to get a handle on it. It feels like the more I try to steady my feelings, the more I shake.
“Boss will be here soon.” The creepy voice whispers, his disgusting stale breath at my neck.
He’s close to me.
I’m in a fucking nightie, the sides nothing but panels of black lace, a pillowcase over my head, and my body tied to a fucking chair with this creep close to me. I want to sob and scream.
“I’ll get my turn once he’s done….” He whispers and I whimper. I’d tried not to, but I’m so fucking scared. He laughs as if disgustingly he gets off on my fear. “He always lets me watch and then I get to play.” I feel his gross mouth on my shoulder and bile comes up my throat. I feel movement in the room. A door opens and closes, and all I can do is hope that Twiddle-creep left.
In
the darkness, tied to a hard chair, time stands still and I am scared out of my mind. I’m not sure how much time passes. My head is swimming, my body heavy and immobile, I stay completely quiet. I don’t yell. I don’t speak. I don’t cry. I’m frozen in what I can only describe as complete, gut wrenching terror.
I wish that I was a stronger type of woman. I wish that I had a little MacGyver/bad-ass chick in me that would somehow figure out a way to escape. But I don’t. I am a coward just sitting in frozen silence. But I know better. I’m smart enough to know that if I scream it wouldn’t help. Duke isn't a stupid man. If he brought me here, he would have thought about sounds made by a kidnapped victim.
The door opens slowly and my heart stops. This is it. Why didn’t I just agree to whatever Duke wanted years ago? Now it’s going to be worse. I feel nothing but fear and defeat race through me. I feel a body walk towards me and footsteps behind me. I take a deep breath, This is it, I think to myself when a familiar scent sparks hope in me.
Is that Parker’s cologne? Oh my God! It’s him. It has to be.
“Parker?” I whisper with hope into the silent room, and feel hands at my shoulders undoing some kind of knot on the case over my head. Bringing it over my head, I close and open my eyes slowly as they adjust to the brightly lit room.
“BOO,” Duke laughs and makes me jumps. His face is not three inches from mine and my body shakes. I grind my teeth.
“Awe, did you think he was going to come to your rescue?” He laughs.
He leans his head into his chest and takes a deep breath. “It’s not bad smelling cologne. It is just not my preference, but not bad.”
Etched in Stone (Six Degrees Series Book 2) Page 31
