by A. M. Myers
The instruments on the tray rattle as he reaches for the scalpel and I jump, sucking in a breath as the room spins. He pulls a remote out of his pocket and points it at the camera set up at the edge of the bed.
“The camera is rolling again so make sure you show him what he’s done to you.”
I close my eyes, my lip wobbling and my hands shaking as I wait for the pain to come and then I feel it. There’s pressure against my shoulder followed by a sharp burning sensation that claws its way down my arm. Gasping, I open my eyes and look over at my shoulder as Devlin pulls on a pair of gloves and grabs the needle and thread. He starts humming the tune of Don’t Worry, Be Happy by Bobby McFerrin as he threads the string through the needle and I stare at him in horror.
The whole thing is bizarre and I wonder if I drifted off to sleep at some point in the night. Is this just a dream? Or am I really living this moment?
Devlin grabs a piece of gauze off the tray and dabs the incision in my arm as I hiss and try to pull away from him. Arching a brow, he grabs my arm and shoves the needle through my skin as I whimper. It burns the entire time he’s pulling the thread through and the room spins as I try to focus on my breathing. I can’t pass out. I have to remain conscious and ready to flee if I get the opportunity.
When he finishes stitching up the first cut, he grabs the scalpel and positions it adjacent to the first cut before slicing away from it. I writhe on the bed, screaming as pain radiates all the way to my fingers and tears leak out of my eyes. He continues humming the song. He grabs the gauze again and repeats the process from before.
When I’m stitched up, he starts again. Time and time again, he tears through my flesh as my stomach flips and the room spins around me. I don’t notice the camera anymore, screaming through each cut as agony rocks through my body.
“Please, no more,” I choke out when he gets to my wrist and he sighs, reaching up and cupping my face with the bloody glove.
“Even though your pain causes me such pleasure, I am sorry that it’s you on the receiving end of this. You are the one thing on this earth your father cares about and I can’t stop. Not until he experiences my anguish.”
He moves the scalpel to my chest and cuts across my collarbone as I scream and darkness creeps in on my vision. As the needle starts piercing my skin, Lincoln’s smiling face pops into my mind and I wonder if I’ll ever see him again. I spent so much time pushing him away and now, I’d give anything for a few more seconds just so I could tell him how much I love him.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Lincoln
Night is falling, covering the city in darkness and we’ve officially passed the twenty-four hour mark since Tate was taken right from under our noses. Thinking back to yesterday, I rub my fist over my chest, trying to ease the ache that’s been tormenting me since I realized she was gone. Fuck, what if she’s really gone for good? My knee bounces and I scrub my hands over my face, imagining my life without her in it and it takes every ounce of strength I have not to break down in front of everyone. I don’t deserve her. It was my job to protect her, same as Nora, and I failed them both so miserably that I don’t deserve any happiness in my life. Maybe, if we get her back, I should just walk away. Each time I play that scenario in my head, though, my heart shatters in my chest and just when I think that this can’t hurt any more, it does. It’s an endless loop of pain but everything I deserve.
It’s so fucking selfish but I can’t let her go. Tate is every fucking thing that’s good in my life and I can’t do this without her. I can’t go back to the way I was before she walked into my life. Looking up at the ceiling, I promise God that I’ll be better – a better man, a better partner, a better protector – if only he’ll bring her back to me and give me a second chance. Or third chance, I suppose.
Rodriguez walks into the clubhouse and stops short when he sees me sitting on the couch. He’s been at the station, trying to get a lead on my girl but when his face falls, I know he wasn’t successful. I surge to my feet and storm across the clubhouse, pinning his back to a wall. “You fucking promised me, Rodriguez! You said you would keep her safe and now she’s vanished into thin fucking air!”
“I know, Kodiak. I’m so sorry,” he whispers, hanging his head.
“You’re sorry,” I sneer, taking a step back from him. “What fucking good does that do me?”
“Hey,” Streak says, slapping his hand on my shoulder. “We won’t rest until we find her.”
I shake my head, ripping my shoulder out of his grasp. “Yeah? How are we going to do that? We have fucking nothing!”
I turn away from him and walk across the clubhouse before turning back and running my fingers through my hair. “She could be in motherfucking Chicago by now!”
I meet Nix’s eyes across the clubhouse as he holds Emma in his lap and his face falls, the loss of his sister weighing down on him. Glancing around the room, everyone mirrors his expression. Smith is sitting at one of the tables with his head in his hands and Blaze is posted up at the bar, nursing a glass of bourbon – just like I found him after Sarah’s death. In her short time with us, my girl has wormed her way into all our hearts and none of us will be the same without her. Collapsing into a chair, I bury my head in my hands and fight back tears.
I’ve already lost too much in my life – first, my father and then Nora – and I have no idea how I’ll survive this one. If she’s gone, she’s taking me with her.
God, why didn’t she listen to me?
Why didn’t I insist that I go in there with her?
That’s the worst part. I knew better and I went against my better judgment to make her happy. Now, I’d just be thrilled to have her here with me – pissed or not. The door to the clubhouse opens and I half-heartedly look up, my eyes widening as Dominic King strolls in with two armed guards behind him. Guns come out all over the room, all aimed at him as he holds his hands up and arches a brow.
“Put them away, boys. I come in peace.”
Blaze stumbles off the barstool and growls low in his throat. “You motherfucker!”
He balls his fists up and I flick a look at Moose, who grabs Blaze and wrestles him back into his seat before he can charge Dominic and make a tense situation even worse.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Nix asks and Dominic turns to him, smiling.
“Ah, you must be Phoenix. How nice to finally meet you after all these years,” Dominic says and I glance at Smith, who looks equally confused. We were all under the impression that Dominic had no idea who Nix or Blaze were.
“You know me?” Nix asks, standing up from the couch and moving his wife behind him.
Dominic chuckles. “Of course I know who you are. I’ve always known. When your mother came to me to make her little deal, I had a stipulation of my own. You see, she was taking my children from me so I told her she could never reconnect with you.”
“And if she did anyway?” I growl, my finger itching to pull the trigger as I keep my gun aimed at his head.
“Then I would kill Nix and her precious Blaze.”
Blaze roars, trying to jump off the barstool again but Moose keeps him contained, whispering something in his ear.
“You bastard,” Nix hisses and Dominic just grins like he was paid a compliment.
“Now, who is this lovely creature behind you?”
Emma tries to step out from behind her husband but Nix holds her back.
“None of your goddamn business,” he growls and Dominic laughs as he turns to me. There’s an evil glint in his ice blue eyes and my mind races as I try to figure out why he’s here.
“You must be the man who’s been sleeping with my daughter…”
My lip curls back in a snarl. “I’m her fiancé.”
“We’ll see about that. I brought you a little present.” He holds up a DVD case and I scowl. “You have somewhere we can watch this?”
“Moose, take Blaze to his office. Fuzz and Chance, hang out with Dominic’s friends here,” Storm orders, t
aking over as acting President while Blaze is incapacitated. “Everyone else, guns down.”
I slowly lower my gun, my heart pounding in my chest as I wish I could just put one between his eyes but that’s not who we are – not anymore.
“Kodiak, lead him to the TV room,” Storm orders and I glance over at him as he nods, a stern expression on his face. I slip the pistol back in my jeans and meet Dominic’s gaze.
“This way.”
I turn toward the TV room with Smith at my side. Dominic falls in behind me with Nix and Emma behind him and I wonder where he’s keeping Tate and what the hell this little visit is about. When we get into the room, Dominic strolls to the front and turns to all of us.
“First off, I need to make it clear that I didn’t take Tatum nor did I give the order to have her taken.”
I cross my arms over my chest. “Then who has her?”
“My associate,” he answers with a sigh. “He was sent down here many years ago to watch over my children and report back to me. I always kept my promise to Sarah but I had to know that they were okay. When you do what I do, you make a lot of enemies.”
Scoffing, I glance at Smith, who is glaring daggers at Dominic. I knew he and Tate had grown close while he was helping me watch over her but I didn’t realize how close until she went missing.
“I’ve also done some digging since I’ve been here and I think there’s a large possibility that Devlin, my associate, is also responsible for Sarah’s death.”
“Why?” Nix asks.
“I don’t know why yet but I assure you, I will find out.” Darkness blankets Dominic’s face and I know that I would rather be anyone else than Devlin right now.
“What about the DVD?” I ask, gesturing to the case he still holds in his hand. He sighs and nods.
“I received the first video first thing this morning and I’ll warn you, it’s not easy to watch.” He walks over to the DVD player and slips a disk in. An image of my Tate fills the screen. She’s completely naked, sprawled out on her back with her hands and legs tied to a bed frame as a man I recognize from the diner straddles her body. I stumble forward and grip the back of the couch in front of me.
“No.”
“I’ve been watching you since you were just a girl but I can’t deny that you’ve turned into a stunning woman, Tate,” he rasps, his voice going husky and my stomach rolls as tears build in my eyes and rage simmers in my veins.
No
No
No
“Jesus fucking Christ,” Smith whispers as Devlin climbs off the bed and starts undressing as he stares down at Tate’s naked body. I don’t want to see this but I can’t catch my breath to tell him to turn it off or look away. I need this – need to know what happened to her, what she went through even if it feels like I’m being shredded right where I stand.
“This is such a strange feeling,” he murmurs. “I’m attracted to you but I’m also sorry that I have to do this. I’m going to enjoy and hate it all at the same time.”
“Enough,” I choke out and Dominic shakes his head.
“No, not yet.”
Tate turns toward the camera as he climbs on top of her again and the defeated look in her golden gaze fucking kills me. I turn toward the wall and rest my forehead against it, struggling to draw air into my lungs. My hands shake and tears burn my eyes as visions of slicing this motherfucker open and spilling his guts on the floor assault me.
The sound of Tate crying out pulls my gaze back to the screen and a tear spills down my cheek as I watch him take her as she pulls on the ropes.
“That’s it, Sweetheart,” Devlin whispers. “Look right in that camera and tell Daddy how awful it is.”
“Enough!” I roar, slamming my fist into the wall and Dominic nods, turning off the video. “Where is he?”
Dominic smiles. “We’ll get to that. First, there’s one more video to show you.”
“No, I can’t,” Nix chokes out, jumping to his feet and marching out of the room. Emma follows him, laying a supportive hand on my arm as she passes me and I suck in a stuttered breath as I wait for the next video to load.
“This video is one he was filming as we rolled up on him.”
I take a step forward. “She’s safe?”
“Yes.”
“Why the fuck didn’t you lead with that?” I growl, balling my fists and taking another step forward. He points to the screen where another image of Tate pops up.
“Because you needed to see this.”
Before I can argue, he presses play and the sound of Tate screaming fills the room. My stomach rolls and my heart stops as I watch Devlin drag a scalpel down her arm, slicing her open before he grabs a needle and thick black thread and starts stitching her back together again.
“Why?” Smith breathes and I glance over at him as tears build in his eyes. He presses his fist to his lips and closes his eyes, shaking his head like he can somehow erase the images we just saw but I know there’s no way in hell I’ll ever forget it.
“Turn it off,” I bark and Dominic nods, pausing the video before folding his hands in front of him as he flashes me an expectant look. “Where is he?”
He smiles. “I was hoping you’d feel that way.”
“I don’t know what kind of sick fucking game you’re playing but I want five minutes alone with this son of a bitch.”
Dominic holds his hands out with the sick smile still on his face. “I’m merely presenting you with an opportunity. Do you want my blessing to marry my daughter or not?”
“She’s not yours to give away,” I snarl as I take a step toward him. Who does this motherfucker think he is? He is the entire reason that this has happened to my girl and he has the fucking gall to come in here and act like I owe him something. Dominic takes a step toward me.
“I suppose you’re right but you can’t really think I’m going to allow you to marry her if you can’t take care of her.”
“The only reason she’s in that bed is because of you.”
He waves his hand through the air, dismissing me. “The point is, you have a chance to avenge her pain. Do you want to take it?”
“You have him?” I ask, watching him warily. He nods.
“Oh, yes. I’ve got Devlin and I’ll deal with him if you’re not man enough to handle it but what would she think if you didn’t end the monster who spent the last twenty-four hours torturing her?”
I nod. “Let’s go.”
“Kodiak,” Smith breathes and I shake my head. He’ll never understand – not unless it’s the love of his life lying in a bed being tortured.
“Stay out of this, Smith.”
“Tate wouldn’t want this,” he growls under his breath and I suck in a breath. The night she learned the truth about the kind of man her father is pops into my mind and I remember how horrified she was that he was a part of her. Dropping my head, I sigh as my mind wars with my heart. Images of what that animal did to her replay in my head and I want to hurt him even a fraction of how much he hurt her but Smith is right. Tate wouldn’t want me to become her father. Shaking my head, I turn to Dominic.
“I would love nothing more than to sink a blade into his gut a couple hundred times but Smith is right, that isn’t what Tate would want.”
Dominic laughs. “As far as I’ve heard, Tate is as fierce as some of my best men.”
“She is,” I say, turning back to the image of her on the screen and my chest aches. “But she’s also good and pure in a way that you’ll probably never understand. Besides, she already has one murderer in her life and you brought all this trouble down on her head so it’s only right that you clean it up.”
“What do you know of it?” he scoffs and I glare at him.
“I know that as that animal was forcing himself inside her, he wanted her to plead with you for rescue. Don’t act like this isn’t on you.”
He takes a step toward me. “Know your place, you little punk.”
“My place is by her side,” I assert, squa
ring my shoulders and meeting his gaze. “Now, where is she?”
Dominic studies me for a moment, a wry smile stretching across his face. “You know, I could just take her and go back to Chicago right now. You would never see her again. So maybe you should try to be a little respectful to your future father-in-law.”
“And I could kill you right now,” I assert, taking a step forward as my hand hovers over the gun in my waistband. “Where is she?”
He sighs. “Baton Rouge General, but don’t think this is over.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” I snarl, turning and walking out of the room without waiting for a response. Everyone files outside, including Nix, Emma, and Rodriguez, and I nod to them as I jump on my bike and fire it up. I don’t wait for anyone else as I peel out of the parking lot and no one stops me. They’ll catch up eventually but I’m getting to my girl now. Pulling down on the throttle, I speed up, racing through a yellow light as a car horn bellows. They can go fuck themselves. Nothing is stopping me now.
When I pull up in front of the hospital, I park my bike in a spot and jump off before running through the door. I spot a nurse and I sprint to the desk she’s working at.
“I need to find my fiancée. She was brought in here a little while ago.”
She nods. “Name?”
“Tatum Carter.”
She types something before glancing up at me with a sympathetic expression and my heart stalls.
Please tell me she’s okay.
She has to be okay.
“Second floor. Room 208.”
I nod. “Thank you.”
Turning away from the desk, I decide to take the stairs instead of waiting on the elevator and people shoot me looks as I race past them but I don’t give a fuck. No one in this hospital is as important as my girl. Once I get to the second floor, I find a sign and race down the hallway until I skid to a stop in front of room 208.
Sucking in a breath, I step forward and my pulse spikes when I see her lying in the middle of the bed with wires and tubes all over her. Her arm is covered in bandages and a tear slips down my cheek as I walk forward and grab her hand.
