by K. A Knight
Will it be me at his hand?
“You know too much,” he whispers, repeating Donald’s words as if to convince himself, his voice showing the tremor his body won’t, his training unable to let him.
“I understand, Spidey,” I assure him, letting him know with my eyes it’s okay. He has to do this, I know that now. He can never love, it leads to death...theirs. I knew the chances and yet I took them anyway because he was worth it. He was worth the pain and hurt...worth it all.
“It’s just business, Donald ordered it,” he defends, his gun unwavering.
“I know.” I smile softly. “Do it, Spider, but know that it won’t change how I feel though. We started with death, so it seems fitting it ends with it. I want you to know I’m not scared, you are with me, and Keanu? I love you, even your asshole side. Thank you for loving me, trusting me. Please save Alena and remember your promise to protect Scarlett.” I close my eyes as he digs the gun in deeper, punishment for my words. I don’t even blame Donald for his order, he’s doing what he thinks is best for his people, for Keanu...I can’t hate him for that, even if it stings.
“Brat,” he gasps, but I don’t look, I won’t make this harder for him than it already is.
A moment later, the hard pressure disappears and my eyes fly open as he presses his lips to mine and replaces his gun with his forehead, those green eyes searching mine. “Crazy fucking woman,” he mutters.
“You love it,” I reply, and then gasp as he turns the gun to Donald. “Spidey!”
“I can’t, I won’t kill her,” he growls strongly, and Donald nods.
“This is your choice? She is your choice?” he asks. “Are you sure?”
“Never been surer, I love her, Donald, if that means I die, then so be it.” He offers the gun to Donald and pulls me closer.
Donald looks at me. “You love him?”
“With everything in me,” I admit unashamed.
“Thank fuck,” Donald snaps and rolls his eyes, dropping the gun to the sofa in disgust. “I thought I was going to have to fake killing her to make you see how much you cared, stupid fucking boy.” He laughs as we both blink at him.
“Okay, I’m lost,” I murmur, and Donald smiles at me.
“I knew he would never admit it on his own. Sorry, my boy, but you are emotionally distant, and by keeping those words back, you thought you wouldn’t have to feel the pain of losing her, but now you realise you will. I wanted to be sure.” He looks at me. “I wouldn’t have let him do it, he loves you too much, and you are a good person, Nadia, good for him.”
Keanu growls and steps closer. “It was a trick, a game?”
“You can be angry at me, that’s okay, but I care about you, boy, always have. You are like a son to me and I hate seeing you alone, you have her, don’t ever let her go.” His voice is wistful, his eyes distant before he smiles at us. “Now, go rest then work on that list for me. I have some blasts from the pasts to deal with. You’re not the only one with a crazy woman,” he mutters before waving us away. “Go.”
I glance to Keanu who appears confused, but not angry. I grab his hand and twine our fingers, grinning up at him as I lead him from the apartment and to the elevator. When we are inside, I lean into him, beyond tired and aching, but happy to be with him. “Knew you liked me, Spidey,” I tease, and he groans.
“Don’t start, Brat.”
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Keanu
We don’t rest for long, just a few hours, and we shower, knowing we need to act fast before the girls and the clients disappear. Nadia is as serious about it as me, she’s a true partner in every sense. We start by paying a visit to her old friend Jamie, after all, I have a debt to settle with him.
We find him at his club, in his office. We don’t bother sneaking, not now. They already know we’re hunting him. We are sending a message, work or buy from Elijah and you end up dead. We are the messengers. Donald will be the sword to kill the snake now, it’s personal to him.
Nadia heads into the office while I grab Christian, who’s charging across the club at us. I drag him in after her and shut the door and lock it to see Jamie on his feet, staring like he’s seen a ghost, which I guess he has. Christian struggles in my grip, but I let my girl have this one, for now.
She saunters up to the shell-shocked man, pushes him back to his chair, and sits on his desk with her back to me. “Hello, hotness, missed me?” she mimics, and laughs as he just continues to stare at her. “What, no smart remark? Nothing? A shame, I wanted to fuck you up a bit before I let my man at you, he’s been waiting for this moment.”
When Jamie only continues to stare, she sighs.
“Really, nothing to say?” she inquires, and then turns to me. “Fine, he’s all yours.” She looks at Christian, and something akin to sympathy lights in her eyes. “He didn’t hurt me, but he didn’t try to stop it,” she tells me, and I nod.
Gripping his neck as he struggles, I snap it, making it quick before I step over his body to see Jamie almost pissing his pants as I round the desk. He’s stuck in his chair in fear. The big man brought to his knees, like Nadia once said, if it’s not drugged girls, he can’t handle it.
Grabbing his hand, I hold it between us as I watch him. “You touched my girl with this hand,” I point out, and then snap his wrist, making him squeal like a pig. I drop it and grab the other. “And this one.” I give it the same treatment and watch as he begins to cry, big, full on sobs with snot running down his face.
“Please, please, I have money,” he pleads.
“So do I.” I grin.
“I have connections,” he implores.
“So do I.” I shrug.
He runs out of things to offer me then, and he looks into my eyes, knowing I’m going to kill him. “Fuck,” is all he says.
“Nah, I’ll do that to him after, you’re okay.” Nadia laughs and leans against me as we both watch him. “Spidey, I’m bored, let’s end it. There are others you can torment.” She sighs, resting her head on my shoulder as we watch him cry and glance between us.
“Fine,” I mutter, and pulling the gun from my holster with the suppressor, I fire into his head, watching as he jerks back, the bullet directly between his eyes, his brain matter now spread out on his once clean white office wall. “Let’s go, Brat, we have a whole list to work down.”
She nods and leads the way out of the office. Uncaring that I just shot someone, she slips her hand into mine as we leave the club and stroll back out into the cold. Nadia turns serious again then, watching me as we head back to my new car that she picked out.
“Do you think we’ll find Alena?” she inquires, worry in her eyes.
“I don’t know, Brat, but I hope so.” I wish we do, for Nadia. Though for the girl, I don’t know if I do, it would mean she has been living in hell for the last two months.
“How are Sarah, Lea, and Poppy doing?” I query, changing the subject. I know she spoke to them last night before we passed out, wanting to check on them herself.
“Good, they are home, and we’re going to meet up next week or so.” She grins and then starts to skip to my car. “Can I drive?” she asks, turning when she reaches the black sports car and pouts.
“Fine,” I grumble, and toss her the keys. “Don’t crash it, or I’ll take it out on your ass,” I warn and she grins evilly.
“That a promise?” she purrs.
This woman.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Nadia
Two Weeks Later
Strolling up to the entry with the box in my hands, I ring the doorbell of the three-story townhouse and wait for Professor Lingfield to open the door. I grow bored when he doesn’t answer it straightaway. I know Keanu is already sneaking around back after cutting the security system and phone line. This is the sixth name on the list. It’s a slow process with nothing but their names to go on. Some have address linked, real ones, but not all. Others have fake names and real addresses, so it takes a while to sort out.
&
nbsp; We have freed all six girls, though, and I’m betting they will need help. They were all scared, abused, and violated. It makes me feel guilty we couldn’t have stopped that, but at least we stopped it now and they all seemed grateful. Donald has agreed to help them in any way that he can, and is going above and beyond for them. He has a strange way with them, like he can understand them and talk to them. He hasn’t mentioned Amelia or Elijah again, but I know he’s handling it. Keanu told me to trust him, and I trust my Spidey.
Until then, we will keep hitting Elijah where it hurts. In the business, and no, I don’t mean his junk, though the thought would cross my mind if I ever met him again. I will free every girl we can, while searching for Alena. Each time we take one of these sickos down, I pray it’s her here. It never has been so far. Maybe this will be my lucky house.
I ring the doorbell again and wait, plastering a fake smile on my face. He finally answers the door, his pants partially undone over his chubby beer belly, a blue shirt open to reveal a white tank top. He’s older than I was expecting, with grey hair and a grey trimmed beard. He frowns at me and then notices the box.
“Delivery,” I chirp cheerfully.
“I didn’t order anything,” he responds, his thick eyebrows slanting. Oh well, I tried to keep him distracted like Keanu asked, time for plan B—kick ass and take names.
“Yes, you did. It’s called payback, you sick fucking bastard,” I yell, before throwing the box at him and kneeing him right in the junk.
Most of these men are rich and pampered, not used to getting their hands dirty, so they don’t know how to fight back. Not all, but most, and this balding, chunky professor is one of them. He crumples to the floor, cupping his injured manhood and howling like a cat with its tail stuck as I step over him and shut the door, his head still in it.
“Whoops!” I giggle as I drag him farther into the polished hallway and shut the door again, locking it. I hear footsteps and spot Keanu standing in the archway on the right. He takes in the downed man and looks at me. “He didn’t fall for it,” I explain sweetly.
He rolls his eyes but heads over and smashes the man’s head to the floor, knocking him out and cutting off that horrible sound. “Come on, let’s find the girl if she’s here. If not, she will be at his summer house.”
“I’m betting she’s here, his pants were open and he took ages to get to the door, probably upstairs,” I point out grimly, and he nods, going first up the carpeted staircase.
There is one long hallway to the right with two doors, one standing partially open. I press my hand to his chest when I hear a sob. “Let me, she’s probably terrified of men,” I caution, and he steps back, letting me by.
I slip down the hallway and peek around the door to find a black-haired girl curled up on the floor. Her leg is restrained in a shackle to the bed, a collar around her neck like a dog, and even a fucking food dish is sitting in the corner of the room. I should have hit him harder.
Stepping into the room, I wait until she looks up at me, eyes red-rimmed but still filled with hope. Crouching down, I hold out my hands in a placating gesture. “Hi, I’m Nadia, my friend out there is Keanu, we are here to rescue you and take you home, okay? What’s your name, sweetie?”
She licks her lips, darting a nervous glance at Keanu’s imposing figure and cringing. “He won’t hurt you, I promise.”
“Kendra, my name is Kendra,” she whispers, and I nod.
“Will you let Keanu undo the shackles?” I query, and she nods her assent. I stay between her and Keanu as he enters the room and heads straight to the shackles. It takes him just under a minute to pick the lock and then she’s free. She grabs her ankle immediately, chucking off the chain and rubbing at her sore skin. I see it’s scabbed over, so I’m betting she has been here for a while. They seem to start in order of who bought first.
“Where is he?” she spits, not looking at me, but then her eyes lift, filled with hate. “Where’s Professor Lingfield?”
“Downstairs,” I answer firmly.
“Alive?” she whispers.
I nod hesitantly. “You don’t have to see him, we’ll take you out back.”
“No, no. I want to see him,” she snaps, and gets to her feet unsteadily. I reach out to help her, but she cringes and I retreat. She pulls up her pants that I didn’t even notice were around her ankles and straightens her white shirt—that’s all she has on. She looks at me with scared eyes. “He brought other women with him to hurt me.” I wince and anger floods through my veins.
“You will tell us who and we’ll take care of it,” I tell her, and she smiles brilliantly.
“Lead the way,” she replies.
I like this girl. I let Keanu go first and then trail behind him, hearing Kendra’s soft footsteps following after us. When we reach the entryway where he’s still knocked out, she freezes on the last step of the stairs. She stares down at him, contempt crossing her face, followed by hatred.
“He was my professor,” she whispers. “He was always flirty, he freaked me out, but he was a good teacher. Turns out he hired someone to kidnap me.” She snorts. “He wanted to fuck me and keep me as a pet, to fuck and order around. I’ve been here for over a year, I had almost given up hope...I tried so many times to escape.”
We watch her, unable to say anything to make this better. Her whole life has been changed. It will never be the same, she has seen the evil this world has to offer and survived something that no one else could possibly even imagine. But she isn’t alone. I step towards her but not too close, just enough to draw her eyes.
“There are other girls, we freed them. I can’t begin to understand how you feel, so I won’t bullshit you. But they will know if you want to talk to them, and if you don’t, that’s your choice, but I promise you, you won’t be alone again. We will protect you, look after you, whatever you want in the world. It’s a bitter offering, but it’s all I have,” I tell her and she nods, her eyes going back to the professor.
“No, it’s not,” she whispers, and I frown, so she carries on. “It’s not all you have. You have him.” Her eyes meet mine then, filled with a steel that undoubtedly kept her alive and sane in this…this torture house. “I want him.”
“Kendra,” Keanu starts, but I stop him.
“You want him? To kill? To hurt? You want to take your revenge out on him?” I ask, wanting to be sure, and she nods again. “Done, he’s yours.”
“Brat,” Keanu whispers.
“No, she’s a grown woman, she knows what she wants. This is personal for her. For us, he’s another name. Let her,” I reason quietly, before looking back at the woman in question. “We will wait for you in the kitchen, take as long as you need.”
I turn and drag Keanu after me, through the living room to the sparkling modern kitchen. Leaning against the counter, I prop my elbows there and smile at him as he glares. “Oh, get over it, Spidey, there are plenty of other sick fuckers you can kill.”
“It won’t help her,” he points out, leaning across the other side of the island so we’re whispering.
“Did it help you? Getting revenge on the bastards who killed your parents?” I counter and he doesn’t reply, making me grin. “Spidey, this is her choice. It might not help her, or it could, but that isn’t our choice to take away from her. She’s had so much stolen from her...we can’t steal her revenge, even if it does more harm than good.”
Sighing, he twines our hands on the marble. “You’re right.”
Pretending to be shocked, I flare my eyes wide. “What did you say? I’m going to need to hear it again.”
Rolling his eyes, he smirks at me. “Don’t push it, Brat.”
“Why, or will you spank me?” I purr, leaning closer. “Is Spidey mad? Is Spidey going to punish me?”
His eyes darken with hunger, dropping to my lips. “You’re a dirty girl, do you know that?”
I wink as I hear the first scream. “You love it, Spidey, now do we have any popcorn? I want to watch this show, tenner says
she gives you a run for your money at torturer of the year.”
Kendra played with the professor for an hour, I was very proud of her. She didn’t break down, not until he told her she liked it, that she had been teasing him for so long. I handed her the knife she stabbed him in the chest with. How my life has changed.
I felt nothing as I stared down at his dying body. He was a monster, one the police would have never caught. I know the old saying, an eye for an eye, and those who seek revenge dig two graves...but something about this feels right. I’m not judge, jury, and executioner, no...I’m his partner.
Looking down at the list, I scan the numerous other names, wondering if any are Alena’s buyer. “Spidey?” I call, and he turns to me as he’s driving, glancing between me and the road.
“What’s the matter, Brat?” he asks, noticing the look on my face.
“The girl, the little girl, do you remember?” I whisper, and he shivers in horror. I take that as a yes. “We haven’t found her yet.”
His hands tighten on the wheel. “I know, we will. We’ll find her.”
“What—God, what do you think they have done to her? She was a baby, just a baby.” Tears fill my eyes and I look out of the window to hide them as he reaches over and clasps my hand.
“I know. This is why we can’t stop, this is why what we do is so important. I can’t take back what happened to her or her family, but maybe, maybe I can bring their daughter home and give them some justice.”
That has to be enough. “Okay, next name Julen Onfred.” I shake off my tears, I don’t have time for them. We have girls to rescue and perverts to kill. I rattle off the address and he makes a U-turn, heading to the north side of town. He’s right, we can’t stop, I know I won’t be able to sleep until we finish these names, even if it kills me.
