As long as the twins didn’t seduce Tess out of her panties before they got her home.
Tess was his first.
Bastion would be waiting and counting up the hours for each punishing consequence when she returned. He would have her strip and go down on her knees, but her fiery gaze he would allow to look up. He wanted to watch her eyes, see her lips as he made her beg, calling out his name.
He’d claim back the submission that had almost been his before Tess was ripped from his arms by her past.
Then, when their girl was safe, he’d find her father.
He’d tell Greg he no longer had the privilege of caring over Tess’s welfare. Extract the price for every second Greg had pointed that gun at her.
Tess called him Bossy and he never let bad fathers get away with breaking the rules.
1
Tess
Bat Out of Hell
“We go to the cops.”
It wasn’t the first time Ashley had said that and Tess doubted it would be the last. At least her sister was talking.
Jason had gone into a silent but compliant mode: a walking zombie. It might be the shock from having seen their father pointing a gun.
Greg had revealed the monster Tess and Maddy knew well.
She was worried about Jason’s lack of reaction more than Ashley’s demands. As soon as they stopped for the night, she would get some sugar into him. Then, she’d force him to look her in the eyes and talk. No more staring out his window.
They weren’t going back.
Jason would have to deal, just like his sisters.
The only thing that came out of holding it all in were explosions. Fear or anger, it didn’t matter, either could catch you off guard and blow up in your face.
“Cops are out,” Tess told Ashley.
Wash, rinse and repeat.
“Why not?” Ashley snapped back.
Of course. Questions, stuff Tess didn’t want to answer. Important questions she had already considered and dismissed with their limited options.
Jason might not talk, but Ashley made up for it with incessant nattering.
Tess sighed, two-handed the wheel for stability and then looked over at Ashley in the passenger seat for a fleeting glance.
Her sister was scared, not being a brat or annoying on purpose. Ashley deserved an answer.
Tess looked back at the road. She had to say something. Usually her mind was full of ideas, but right now, she wasn’t planning anything. This was fly-by-the-seat-of-her-pants stuff.
“Do you know what we’re doing right now? What I’m doing? I’m breaking the law for you. We’re outlaws. I’d be arrested if we were caught. Kidnapping. Truancy.”
Tess felt her hands shake a little on the steering wheel as she laid it out to her sister straight. Child services were going to toast her ass if they got caught. Even driving the car was technically a crime.
She may as well add it to the list of things which could get them in trouble.
“And I’m driving on a learner’s permit without a licensed person having at least five years experience sitting in the passenger seat beside me.”
Tess gave her sister another quick glance.
Ashley was looking at her like Tess was supposed to have the answers, the adult in the car. Her sister clearly didn’t want to hear that all Tess had were problems rolling downhill and she was running out of ways to catch up.
“Who else can stop him? Dad had a gun. Was he going to shoot you or somebody else? We need to tell the cops. It’s the right thing to do,” Ashley insisted.
Tess’s bitter laugh in response to that was cut off with desperation as they approached a curve in the road a little too fast. She had to grip the wheel like their lives depended on it, easing up on the gas.
The best way to get the cops involved would be to get into a car accident, if they survived the twisted-metal ending. A real crash, or figuratively. What did it matter? They were screwed. So screwed!
Slow down, so you don’t miss those curves life throws you.
Tess should have stolen one of the guys' fancy, fast cars if they needed to make a quick getaway. War’s classic, cherry Spitfire would have just squeezed the three of them in. A car like that probably ate pavement and spat out speed better than their mother’s aged Civic had even done when it was new.
At least then she could have guaranteed the guys would come looking for her. Commit grand theft auto to get a guy’s attention? Talk about one-upping the usual flirting methods.
“What about Mom? We can’t leave Mom behind!”
“Ash, Mom is safer in the hospital than out here, running from the mob. Do you think Dad was dropping by for a long-time-no-see visit? We’re running. Mom needs sleep, meds, and heavily screened visitors. The nurses and doctors will take care of her,” Tess explained.
Her heart was pounding, adrenaline fuelling her as much as the gas pedal she was flooring on the car.
Guilt hadn’t caught up to them yet.
Regrets? Those had been temporarily chased away.
If the guys got her last message, Tess might be running from more than the mob. The only real question was if she wanted the guys to catch up. She had left too soon to really know, to decide, and that was why she left her cryptic calling card.
The guys would have to decide so she didn’t have to at that moment.
Could you fall for someone in less than a week?
All of them?
“You’re driving too fast,” Jason said.
It was said so calmly he may as well have said: it might rain today, so bring an umbrella.
Tess eased her foot off the gas because he was right even if he didn’t sound worried.
“Are you okay back there?” she asked him.
Jason didn't answer. He was done talking, having given her that little warning.
It was Ashley's turn again.
“Where are we going?” her sister asked.
Somebody else might have thought to ask where they were going before they got into the car. It wasn't necessarily a bad thing that Ashley had simply followed her older sister’s direction.
Heck, Jason was still in shock, as was obvious by his mostly silent and serious demeanour. He certainly wasn't going to question her.
The answer was a dead-end anyway, but she’d word it nicer.
“We’re going to my old school. Well, not the school exactly but close to there. I know the area well. I can probably find us somewhere to hole up for a bit. A place where we can collect our thoughts and plan what to do next.”
Somewhere where the guys at least had a chance of finding her if they were looking.
Kade knew her old school. He’d heard about it the first day, when they’d been sent to the principal’s office together.
“Isn’t Dad going to look there first? We need to go somewhere he wouldn’t expect us to hide. What about Vegas?”
What the heck was Ashley thinking?
“Why Vegas?” Tess had to ask.
“Doesn’t everybody run to Vegas? We could get lost there. A needle in the haystack. There are like a million people, in and out. Tourists from all over the world.”
It wasn’t the worst plan she’d ever heard. Unrealistic, but that was because her sister wasn’t in charge of their wallet.
“We couldn't afford to stay inside Vegas for even one night. It's better we go somewhere that I am familiar with the area, not too far from Mom, just in case.”
Tess checked her rearview mirror, noting the same lack of traffic again.
It was a blessing in disguise. Though her driving wasn't terrible, it still was far from perfect. Every mile they travelled got her a little more comfortable in handling the car.
Her lack of driving skill was embarrassing. She was figuring out how hard to push the gas to maintain a speed slightly above the limit, instead of her earlier speeding, and how far to turn the wheel to hug the curves, instead of weave around them.
It was the little automatic correction
s that gave away her novice-driving status.
She couldn't help but think about when Bastion had offered to show her how to drive his Mercedes. A lesson or two then might have made a big difference now. Although the Civic was automatic, Tess was sure the principles and the sense of ease while driving from practicing were all the same.
Thinking about Bastion was a bad idea.
He had been right. Once he got himself inside of her, Tess couldn’t get him out. He was in her thoughts: both fears and desires. He left her needy, embarrassed, and still a little angry. An edge he hadn’t sanded down enough with his abrasive dominance before he walked out the door.
That was okay. She needed all her sharp edges if she planned to keep the twins safe by herself. Cutting others was all that stopped her from bleeding, at least on the outside.
Words were a powerful weapon if wielded by the mind.
“How much money do we have?” Ashley asked.
At least her sister was being practical. The questions were never-ending, but Ashley was thinking through things logically while Tess drove them. These were things that needed to be worked out.
“We’re broke,” Tess admitted. “I have enough for us to be able to stay in a motel for a night or two, but then there's only change for food. We don't have enough for a rent deposit. I know a shelter that doesn't ask a lot of questions, but because you guys aren’t sixteen, I’m not sure we should take a chance. They might call child services on us.”
“So what are we going to do?” Ashley asked.
She sounded more worried again as she realized Tess really didn't have that much of a plan worked out.
“We’re going to keep on driving until we see a cheap motel off the highway in the middle of nowhere, then stop, eat, and go to sleep. Tomorrow is when we're going to make a plan,” Tess said.
She sighed and gave her sister another quick glance, gripping the steering wheel, so the car didn’t swerve in the direction of her eyes.
Sometimes the best answer was admitting you didn’t have one yet.
“I need one night, just one night, please. I wish I had the answers for you. I know you are both relying on me. I won't let you down. I'm going to figure this out, but I need one more night.”
“Why do you act like you have to do this all on your own? You're not alone. We're not really kids anymore. What about your friends? Do you really think they're going to walk out on you and that's going to be the end?” Jason asked from the back seat.
He was quiet but confident, reminding her of the reliable way War spoke to her. War had been strong and supportive, happy to stand in the wings and wait to see if she needed him to catch her.
She was falling.
It was her own fault if the guys had given up on watching out for her. Wasn't that what she had asked for, had wanted? With the threat of her father already dogging her heels, she couldn't allow anyone else to hold her hand and risk them taking the fall with her if she tripped.
“You’re right. I’m not alone. I have you two with me. We're family,” Tess said.
She looked at Jason in the rearview mirror, trying to catch his eyes.
That was when she noticed they were no longer alone.
She sped up, her heart accelerating again with the car.
“Somebody is following us,” Tess said, eyes checking out all the rest of the mirrors.
Jason looked, twisting in his seat to see through the back window.
“It’s just a couple of motorbikes. This is the main highway out of town,” he said, dismissing the threat as he turned back around and met Tess’s worried eyes in the rearview mirror.
“They weren't there a few minutes ago. You know the guys that work with Greg prefer bikes,” Tess said.
Ashley gasped. She tried to turn around in her own seat, a more difficult task given that she was sitting up front.
“Go faster,” Ashley advised.
“I’m already over the speed limit. If we get pulled over, then we're done. I don't have the right kind of license to be driving you guys all by myself. If child services find out about this, you can be sure they will take you away. There won't be any second chances.”
“Don’t stop, not for anyone,” Jason said. “Just ignore them and stick to the plan.”
“What plan?” Tess asked, still eyeing the rearview mirror as often as she could while also trying to keep her eyes on the road as they went faster. “We don't have a plan. That's what we were just talking about.”
“The plan is to get off at the nearest and cheapest motel, eat, and then sleep,” Jason repeated, proving that he had been listening earlier even if he hadn't contributed much to their conversation.
“Do you think it's safe to stop at a motel?” Ashley asked.
“Public is safer. We need somewhere to rest. Those bikes are still far enough back that they don't have a good view of us. If they really are from Dad’s—” Jason broke off.
She bet he was trying to think of a nicer word for the gangsters that their father associated with for his illegal business dealings.
“Nobody would be expecting us to stop so soon. We should hide where they least expect us. Tess is right. Let's not rush too far ahead. Sit, wait, and plan is a better choice.”
Tess hadn’t quite thought about it like that, but Jason was being strategic.
“Keep your eyes peeled for a motel. We won't be picky. The first one that we see and I'm pulling in,” she told the kids.
“I’m sorry,” Jason said, quieter. It was almost a whisper.
Tess scoffed. “What is there to be sorry for? This isn't your fault. None of this. Mom's ill. Dad’s selfish. Don't ever blame yourself!”
“He threatened you. Tess, you are my sister too. I shouldn't have left you,” Jason said.
Was that why Jason had been so silent? Regret and guilt holding his tongue?
“You did the right thing by getting Ashley out of there. It was easier for me to deal with Greg and not have to worry about him grabbing either of you. The guys were with me.”
“So why did you leave the guys behind?” Jason asked.
His eyes met hers in the rearview mirror.
She quickly looked away, focusing on the road ahead.
“It’s complicated,” she excused.
“They are going to come after you,” Ashley said with confidence.
Tess was going to break the steering wheel if she kept squeezing it so hard.
“The whole point is for us to run away and hide where nobody can find us. It would be a waste of their time. I'm pretty sure they have better things to do than chase after a girl they only met a week ago. Besides, they are in trouble, too.”
She took another peek at all the car mirrors, satisfied that the bikes weren't getting any closer to them. Although she had sped up when she first spotted them, she was now doing close to the speed limit and they were maintaining their distance.
This was just paranoia. It wasn't like she owned the highway. Lots of people traveled the road. It was only the time of day, or more accurately, the time of night it was now, which kept the traffic down.
A desolate road in the middle of the night.
She shivered. They’d had enough danger for today.
“Why are the guys in trouble? Do you know who they are? It doesn't matter how people call them the Musketeers and say stuff behind their backs. Everyone knows you don't mess with those guys. They're only playing losers,” Ashley said.
This wasn't the first time her sister had asked her if she knew about the reputation of her new friends.
The bullying that Tess had seen at school was remarkable because none of her guys were typical victims of social hazing and the usual high-school clique rituals. Those that excluded loners and people that refused to fit in.
If anything, her guys created the molds and they could break them at will.
Playing losers?
Ashley was onto something.
“I think they got into trouble with the same kind of assholes
Greg hangs around. You guys know what happened to the twins’ mom right? That car accident that Kade got blamed for because of drinking and driving?” Tess prompted.
“Kade was a straight-A student, a perfect prince that could have competed with Sebastian before last semester when it happened. His reputation was destroyed,” Jason said.
“Exactly. Why didn't anyone think that was suspicious?” Tess said.
“We’re not exactly in the same group as them,” Ashley said. “They’re older and cooler, way out of reach. Kade took down the reputation of his friends when he fell off his pedestal. They pretty much told everybody else to fuck off.”
Ashley swearing was unusual. She really was worked-up.
“Why? Do you know what really happened?” Jason asked.
“Yeah, I think I can guess,” Tess replied.
“So spill the beans,” Ashley demanded.
“It’s not really my story to tell. All I can say is that I think it was a frame job. The guys that were doing the framing are seriously bad dudes. The kind of men that bury their problems so you can't ask questions first,” Tess said.
There was a long moment of silence in the car while they all absorbed the violent intent associated with her statement.
“Better to play a dangerous delinquent than a victim?” Jason asked.
“Maybe?” Tess replied.
She thought the twins played a deeper and more treacherous game than simply hiding from the mob.
“Holy shit,” Ashley said.
“Do you think they are all involved?” Jason asked.
“Absolutely.”
“Holy shit,” Ashley repeated.
Her sister wasn’t paying attention to the road ahead. She had her eyes glued on Tess and they were as big as silver dollars.
“They're tied in with Greg somehow. I had no idea at first. Greg had been staying away since the restraining order Mom got against him for me. He’s still with the same dirty cops and robbers, but there are some new players in town here. I think it's the new guys that the twins are messed-up with and that's what ties them all together,” Tess said, sharing what she had figured out.
Duplicity (Victory Lap Book 2) Page 2
