by M Dauphin
“Gwynn, don’t waste your energy. I allowed you one hit. That’s it.” He pulls a gun from his waistband and grins at me. I search my memory to try and remember a face like his but I have nothing. He’s beautiful; I’ll give him that. He definitely takes care of himself, but that just makes me hate him more. The pitch-black hair, shaved on the sides and longer on the top, gives him a proper look with a side of wild child. He can’t be more than mid thirties and the body on this man… good God.
“What happened last night?” I growl, throwing on my pants and shoes while he chuckles.
“You’re not going to need those, Gwynn.” His accent is thick. Spanish, maybe? It’s definitely not one typically found here in the states.
Who the fuck are these people?
“How the fuck do you know my name?!” I shriek, fixing my ponytail and planning on heading towards the door. He catches me eyeing it and shakes his head. “You won’t make it far. The guards on the outside of that door aren’t very forgiving towards people that rebel. Had they caught that right hook of yours you’d be a dead woman by now.” He rubs his jaw and grins at me. Grins!
A dead woman? Who the hell is this man?
“What do you want from me?” I narrow my eyes at him and throw my hands to my hips, sizing him up. I’m an MMA fighter, but he’s double my size and most of that is pure muscle. I can take a dude, but not this dude. At least not until I’m not fighting with anger… I’m going to have to use my brain with this one. I can’t let emotions get in the way…. Even if I want to reach out and rip his testicles off.
“I don’t want from women like you.” He spits at me and I have to jump back a bit for it not to hit me.
“What the fuck is your problem?!” I shriek. “Jesus fucking Christ!”
“You know, you may just bring me more money than they say.” He chuckles. His laugh is deep, matching his accent. He rolls his sleeves up and takes a seat in the corner of the room, watching me as I pace, looking for a way out of this. Questions burn in my head but I can’t ask any of them. It’ll just be a waste of time and breath… he’s not going to tell me anything.
“Sit down. Please. Take a rest.” He gestures to the bed and I glare at him, hands on my hips.
“Who the fuck are you?” I growl. “I think I deserve at least that.”
He stands abruptly and storms over to me, taking my neck in his hands and lifting, cutting off air just enough to start making me dizzy as he looks into my eyes, so hard it’s like he’s trying to look into my soul. My hands tear at his wrists frantically but he doesn’t budge, so I throw my leg into his crotch, as hard as I fucking can, immediately falling to the floor when he drops me.
“Keep your fucking hands to yourself,” I growl, waiting for retaliation.
It never comes, though.
After he catches his breath, he looks at me and chuckles, then starts nodding his head.
“Oh, you’re going to regret that one, Gwynn.” He walks across the room and pours himself a glass of water then winks at me.
I narrow my eyes at him, watching as he downs the water then slams the cup on the desk.
“Women like you don’t deserve anything.” He shakes his head at me and goes for the door, knocking three times until it unlocks. From the outside?
“Wait, where are you going?” I move towards him but stop dead in my tracks when I notice the gun pointing at me from the man that is stationed on the other side of the door.
“Rest, Gwynn. Or shall I say… Red?” My heart drops at Eddie’s nickname for me and my mouth pops open, but I don’t have the time to respond before the door is being slammed and locked tight.
What the hell hotel has doors that lock from the outside?
I growl and kick the bed, hard. “Fuck!” I scream. Knowing it’s useless but needing to try anyway, I attempt to work any and all windows and doors in this large, elaborate room for a way to exit. There’s no luck, though. I’ve searched every drawer and cabinet for some way to get out of here but there’s nothing. It’s bare fucking bones.
Looks like I’ll have to find another way out of here. I can’t fight against a gun.
The sun outside is starting to rise and everything around the building I’m in looks unfamiliar. Where the hell am I? I can only assume from the nickname he used that this man knows Eddie, but what’s taking me have to do with anything? I try to focus on a way to get out, because if I start to think about everything I’m missing at home right now, I’ll break.
I can’t break.
***
A boot to the ass pushes me off the bed.
“What the hell?” I grumble, sitting up. I don’t know what time it is, all I know is I fell asleep shortly after my attempts to break free were futile. The bed looked too comfortable, and as angry as I was for being left alone without any clue as to where I am, whatever knocked me out the first time was buzzing in my system and made me fall asleep easily. Now, here I sit, trying to wake up while a man glares at me.
“Up,” he says in a thick accent. “Now!” he barks, kicking me again. I grunt, but slowly start to stand. I’m not an idiot, I know defiance is just going to get me hurt more.
I glare at him when he smiles at me.
“Nice,” he says, licking his lips. His hand reaches for me, going for my tit, but I take one swing to this fucker’s temple, dropping him in pain.
“Don’t fucking touch me,” I growl, starting to step over him when a voice stops me.
“I’m not going to have to tie you up, am I? I mean, I know you like that in the bedroom, but I didn’t take you as a hogtied prisoner type.” His words stun me and make my stomach turn.
“You’ve watched us?” I spin and glare at the man from yesterday. The man that still won’t tell me who the fuck he is.
“Oh, Gwynn.” He smiles. “I know much more than you believe. Children’s social security numbers, credit scores, birthdays… names… middle names…. Babysitter names and addresses…” he trails off as the realization of what he’s telling me washes over my face. “Angel Marie Roe, Dax Edward Roe, and let’s not forget about the old hubs, shall we? Eddie… your Tex. I know everything, Gwynn.”
“What do you want from me?” I whisper, weak from the unspoken threat to my children. My life.
“Cooperation.” He shrugs. “Come on. Let’s walk.” He steps aside and leaves the door open for me. Last time the door was this wide open there was a gun pointing at my face. I look at the man sitting on the floor now, holding his head and glaring at me. “He won’t touch you unless I give him the orders to. Trust me, getting hit by a girl isn’t the worst thing that’s ever happened to them. Even a girl that has a mean right hook.”
I glare at him, trying to calm my breathing so I don’t come off as nervous. I am, though. I’m nervous as fuck. I was calm and collected until he brought my kids into it… now I want to murder him with a carving knife and fry his fucking skin up for his men to eat.
I thought I had to take this shit slowly and I’m right. I have to play this game better than him.
Once I know what the hell this game is.
“Let’s go, we’ll be late.” He reaches his hand out for me and smiles that brilliant smile that would drop any unsuspecting girl’s panties.
Too bad for him I’m not about to fall for this calm demeanor and pretty face.
I walk towards him and raise an eyebrow at his hand.
“Ok,” he sighs, then chuckles. “You’re a tough one, you know that, Gwynn?”
“I’ve been told that before,” I mumble as we walk down the hallway. I was wrong when I thought this was a hotel. Hotels aren’t this homey. The pictures aren’t screwed to the walls and they definitely don’t have pets.
“Is that a python?” I ask in awe as we pass by a huge glass window. It’s like a fucking zoo viewing area! Who the fuck is this man?!
“Betty, yes. She helps us take care of things every now and then.” He lets me take her in and then his words hit me.
Snakes can only
help out criminals in one way… by getting rid of evidence.
Like people?
I swallow hard and continue following him down the hall. When we reach a door at the end of the hallway, he hands me a pair of large headphones.
“You’re going to want these. We don’t want you out of sorts in your first fight.”
I take the headphones and slip them on my head as he does the same with another pair. He smiles at me again, killing my calm when he opens the door to a waiting helicopter.
I can’t move. I already don’t recognize my surroundings, this is just going to take me further away from the ones I love.
“Come on, Gwynn. Clock’s a ticking.” He grabs me by the arm and pulls me behind him towards our waiting transportation. I see a man in the front seat eyeing us and when his eyes lock with mine he waves a gun at me.
Fucking great.
I climb in, not wanting to give them any reason to shoot me, and buckle up accordingly. I’ve never ridden in one of these things, but it’s loud as fuck even with the noise-canceling headphones on. I want to ask where we’re going. I want to ask what he meant about being good enough to fight. There’s so many questions I need to ask, but by the time we take off it’s so loud I can barely hear my own thoughts. As we pass over the city we’re in, the buildings mean nothing to me. This isn’t my city. I don’t even think this is Dallas.
Where the hell are we?
It’s not long before we are landing on the top of another building. The air outside is hot when the door opens. The man sitting next to me looks over at me and smiles.
He reaches up to his headphones and clicks a button, making a noise in my ear that startles me.
“Wait here. Ol’ Fin up there won’t hesitate to stop you if you decide you need to run.” He nods at the man in the front seat as he waves his gun at me again.
Got it, buddy, you have a gun. Fucker. Stop waving it at me as a reminder that my life is currently in danger.
The man gets out of the helicopter, leaving me in awkward silence in the cab as we wait. Not like I’d make fucking small talk anyway, I want to rip this dude’s head off, but he has one up on me… for now. Eventually I’ll get them where it hurts, then the tables will be turned and I’ll be the one with a gun. I’ve never considered it until now, pulling a gun on someone, but at this point in my week I’ll do whatever it takes to get back to my family safely.
When the door to the roof opens my stomach drops at what I see. As if I wasn’t already having a bad day, the faces that are now smirking at me, are the two faces I want nothing to do with.
Fuck me.
Eddie
“Mother fucker,” I grumble, watching the coffee pot overflow onto the counter. Apparently I didn’t empty out the leftover coffee from yesterday before making this morning’s pot.
I never had to worry about that shit with Red here… she always drank it all.
Dax is crying from his bouncy thing and Angel is running around the house without a lick of mother fucking clothes on. A week as a single fucking parent and I’m losing my goddamned mind.
Jesus, Red, I need you.
“Hey, Eddie, I’m throwing a load of clothes in the washer.” My sister Sarah came in yesterday to help out with things until we find Red… and I say until, because I’m not allowing the thought to cross my mind that she’s not coming back. Seven days without one lead or one fucking clue is enough for most people to give up. I’m not most people, though. I’m Edward mother fucking Roe and I will not give up.
Ever.
“Yea, good,” I grunt, wiping off the counter.
“Hey.” She comes behind me and lays her hand on my back. It’s been so long since my sister and I lived in the same house together, and last time we did it was under no better circumstances. “You’re going to find her.”
“Yea, in a fucking ditch somewhere,” I growl, tossing the towel into the sink before pouring myself a cup of coffee.
“You can’t talk like that, Eddie. She’s not gone for good. You’re too smart to give up this easily.”
“I’m not fucking giving up!” My voice carries through the hallways of the house and I shake my head. “Sorry. I’m not giving up. I’ll never give up. I just wish we had some type of lead. Anything.”
“Well, you know you’re looking for a black car, right? Same model as the one from the night that she disappeared?” She picks up Dax after hitting start on the washing machine and starts to calm him down.
“Yea,” I grumble. “I’m heading to the office.” I walk past them, laying a kiss on Dax’s head before making my way to my office and locking the door behind me. I don’t look in the bedroom as I pass... I can’t.
And I won’t sleep in that fucking bed until she’s back here with me.
I wake up my computers, all only having about three hours off when I eventually called it a night. The fans whir and the screens start to flicker to life while I sit and drink my coffee, staring at the wall, trying to come up with something that’ll help this case.
When Mac and Jase were found they both held little regard to being taken again… almost smug-like, really. They gave me nothing to work with other than a raging headache and a black car. That’s fucking it. And then, to top it off, they fucking were broken out of that place less than twenty-four hours after being taken! It’s un-fucking-believable how little security the Savage men had on them. That day I sat down with the Savage family and had a very serious come-to-fucking-Jesus about this operation they run.
***
“You’re telling me you don’t know when they broke out because you weren’t keeping fucking TRACK of your men?!”
“Things have been a bit hectic here. We trusted our men would do the job right. I’m so terribly sorry.”
“Sorry doesn’t bring my girl back!” I slam my fists on the table, the sound echoing throughout the walls. Tatum’s father, Al Savage, used to be the most menacing man in Texas. I was once afraid to sit in a room with him. Now there’s no fear here, and there’s barely any respect anymore.
“Maybe it’s time you take over what your father obviously can’t do anymore, Tatum,” I growl, standing from my seat. I hear the room go silent and turn to Al. “You better fucking pray we find her alive and well. I can bring you and everyone around you down in a mother fucking instant.”
He gives me a look filled with warning before I storm out of the room.
Fuck!
***
By the time I’ve finished my first cup of coffee I’m only an hour into the day’s work. It’s bad enough I have nothing to help me find my wife and no leads to go on, but I also have to keep up with my everyday work if I want to keep paying the bills. So, all the time I’ve spent working for other clients this week has just pissed me off royally because it’s time wasted; time that I could have been looking for Red.
I go out to the kitchen for another cup of coffee and to stretch my legs and see Angel on the couch. Where the fuck is Sarah?
“Hey, baby girl.” I slide in next to her and pull her onto my lap. She smiles a sad smile at me and scoots as close as she can get. “Where’s Aunt Sarah?”
“Dax needs to sleep,” she says then shrugs, making me glance back at the closed bedroom door. My heart breaks for this girl in front of me, my fucking baby girl. Being forced to grow up way too damn fast through all of this.
Jesus. I’m going to need to move my entire fucking office into the living room if I can’t keep an eye on my kids at all times. Sure we’re inside, but if someone were to come in now… fuck. I huff and make a mental note to talk to Sarah about not leaving them alone. At least until we know what and who we’re dealing with.
“When’s Mommy coming home?” She pouts her lip out at me.
Scratch that. It’s now mother fucking shattered. Four words from my baby girl have completely shattered my heart. Fighting back tears, the lump in my throat trying to push it’s way up, I pull her to my lap.
“Soon, Angel. Soon.” I don’t promise
her because I hate fucking empty promises, but God I want to. I want to promise her that Mommy will walk through the door tonight after work, just like any other night, and come to her room for late night snuggles… but I can’t. “She misses you, baby girl, and she loves you dearly. We just have to stay strong until she gets back. You’re the lady of the house for now, babe!” I boast, standing up and searching the room. “Here. This will help everyone that walks through those front doors know that you’re the lady of the house and you should be treated as such.” I flip my usual Texas drawl to a fake British accent as I crown her with her bright purple glittery crown.
Her face beams and she smiles up at me.
“Do I get to yell at you, too, when you won’t turn off the TV at night?” She starts to giggle and makes me break my first genuine smile all week.
“Yea, baby, you can yell at me all you want.” I’m probably going to regret telling her that when she’s sixteen and hating my guts.
Whatever.
“Daddy’s going to go grab his computer ok?” I turn up the volume to Miles From Tomorrowland, her favorite goddamned show, and she grins at me from her perch on the couch.
“Yay!” Her eyes go to the TV and she’s immediately in a trance.
Thanks, Disney.
After grabbing my computer, I plant myself on the couch next to her and get to work. It’s afternoon by the time I can start searching for Red again. I pick up the phone and call Tatum as my fingers search the letters on the keyboard for my password.
“Hey, man,” he answers.
“You find anything out yet?”
“A few of the guys saw a taller figure lurking around right before the two were broken out apparently, according to the time of death of the guards. Not one of those fuckers decided to do anything about it, though.” He curses under his breath and growls. “Eddie, I can’t apologize enough that this is happening to you, and I can’t help but feel like it’s my fault. My dad’s been slipping in the business the last few years, but we never expected it to get this out of hand.”
“If I recall, this isn’t the first time where your dad’s had no control over his men.” I roll my eyes at Al Savage. Just a few years back he let a snoop infiltrate his men and in return almost killed Tatum’s wife.
