With that, I proceeded to tell my brother everything she had told me. The more I talked, the more he paced back and forth like a caged lion. His anger grew to mirror my own.
“Shit,” he said when I’d finished. “Why didn’t you tell me this sooner?”
“You never gave me the chance.” I glanced back at the club anxious to return to Thea. I’d been gone far too long already, and when I’d left, she’d flashed me a beaten down, exhausted look. “You coming inside?” I asked Caleb.
He nodded. “Like you said, Thea might know where they’ve taken Cherrie.” He clasped me on the shoulder and walked past me into the club.
A lump formed in my throat, knowing that, at last, my blood-brother was on my side. I returned to the bar with a glimmer of hope growing inside me and wished to see that same glimmer, which often appeared in Thea’s eyes when she looked at me. But when Caleb opened the door, all I saw was despair and anger. Bono had Thea locked in his arms, while Lucky and Jameson looked on.
“WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?” I roared charging over. Bono let Thea go the instant he saw me, and she fell to the ground. If it were any other motherfucker, I’d have decked them.
Thea scrambled to her feet and rushed to the door. “Thea, wait,” I called, chasing after her.
Growling, she turned around and looked for all the world like she was going to punch me in the face. “Did you know about Cherrie this whole time? Is that what you weren’t telling me in the car?” She edged towards the door again, but I yanked her back to face me. “Do you have any idea how much time we’ve wasted? What Daniel could have already done?” Tears glistened in her eyes. “We’ve wasted so much time.”
Chapter Nineteen
Thea
The tears in my eyes blurred my vision, but I stared at Cane’s perfect face. How could he have kept Cherrie being taken from me? And Greg... God, if Greg died it was all on me, no matter how much Cane would say otherwise. I brought Daniel to their door. I caused them to get taken and hurt when they’d only shown me kindness.
I needed to go. I had to phone Daniel and get him to release Cherrie in exchange for me. More than anything, I desperately had to get away from Cane and put whatever feelings were growing inside me away.
Nausea rose in my stomach and threatened to bring up what little I’d eaten of my sandwich.
I blinked away my tears and looked down at Cane’s hand, still holding tight to my wrist. “Let go of me,” I said, my voice a little higher than a guttural growl.
Cane’s expression hardened. “I’m not going to do that.”
“You don’t even know me. I’m not worth Cherrie’s suffering.”
Cane lifted my head with his strong hand. “Stop. I know you. I know how much you’re worried about Cherrie, and what you would sacrifice to keep her safe. I know you’re one of a kind and I’m never letting you go.”
The man beside him shifted on his feet and drew my attention for the first time. He was a few inches taller than Cane and stockier. His face was clean-shaven, and he had close-cropped hair like Bono’s.
Noting my gaze, Cane nodded his head in the man’s direction. “Thea,” he said in a low and calming voice, as though talking to a spooked child. “This is my brother, Caleb.”
I shook my head and tried to expel my conflicting emotions. Caleb had the same eyes as Cane. And they were both very large and muscular, but there the similarity ended. “You have to tell him to let me go,” I pleaded with Caleb. “You’re the only one with any sense. Call Tony and make another deal.”
His deep, brown eyes, so like Cane’s flashed to his brother before settling back on me. He glanced at my cheek and neck and grumbled. “I made a mistake before, and for that I’m sorry, but it’s not one I’ll make again. We can get Cherrie back and make sure you’re both safe.”
My heart sank at his words. He was a fool. They all were. I looked at the door. Helplessness burned inside me. I didn’t dare look at Bono, Lucky or Jameson. I was too afraid of meeting more condescending gazes.
Turning back to Cane, I shook my hand in his grip and huffed out a breath. “You can let go,” I said, unable to look in his eyes. “I’m not going anywhere.”
My heart pounded, but I focused on keeping everything together. I sure as hell didn’t plan on giving more of a show for these assholes.
Now that my attention was no longer trained on the exit, Cane released my arm. I inhaled deeply through my nose, set my shoulders, and walked calmly over to the bar stool and the remains of my sandwich. With my back to the others, I focused on taking small bites out of my food and swallowing it down. I had a feeling; I’d need the energy in the time to come.
“Thea.” I flinch at the touch of Cane’s hand on my shoulder and shrugged it off.
“Bono,” I said, turning to the other man. “I’d like another lemonade if that’s okay. Then, I guess we need to talk about how we’re going to get Cherrie back.”
“No problem,” Bono said, stepping between me and Cane. “Just give her some time,” I heard him say in a low voice. I felt the tension in the bodies of the two men behind me, and closed my eyes, hoping they wouldn’t tear each other to shreds.
I held my breath and waited to see what would happen.
“Cane,” Caleb said unexpectedly. “We should make a call to the hospital, see how Greg is doing?”
Cane responded with a snarl until Bono put a guiding hand around him and led him in the direction of the door. “Just give her five minutes to process what’s happening and realize that turning herself over in exchange for Cherrie isn’t a sensible option.”
Rex called out, stating he would return to monitoring the CCTV to make sure we had no surprise visitors. I stayed rooted to my seat. Rex, Lucky, and Jameson all headed toward the back stairs, and I sensed Cane, Caleb, and Bono shuffle closer and closer to the corridor and outside. There was no way I could let Cherrie suffer any longer. The thought made my mouth dry and caused a strange tightness in my chest. I had to get away. Now.
Without moving my head, I scoped the area for any possible exit. This was a club for Christ’s sake. There would be fire exits everywhere. My heart hammered and my head pounded as I considered my options. I needed to go, to get out of here. Before Cane came back to my side. Before I lost my nerve and changed my mind.
Finally, I spotted the exit I needed. I jumped off the stool and darted to the great double doors, barreling through them into the late afternoon sun.
Before I’d made it twenty feet, a black Lexus LS, I recognized as belonging to Daniel, pulled to a stop in front of me and slammed on its brakes. The moment I saw it, I knew I’d made a huge mistake. Daniel would never give up Cherrie if he already had what he wanted in return: Me.
Everything moved in slow motion, as though I was caught between one heartbeat and the next. Daniel opened the back door of the limousine and exited the car. Another man I recognized as Phillip, who worked for my stepdad, jumped from the driver’s seat. Daniel stared at me with a knowing smile. He straightened his cuffs and squinted in the sun while Phillip darted over the bonnet of the car to reach me.
“It’s lovely to see you again, Thea,” Daniel said. “Thank you for making our lives easier. I do feel you’ve caused far too much trouble, already. Don’t you agree?”
Two black SUVs pulled up behind them and ten more men jumped out. My gaze darted from the men back to Daniel. I barely heard Cane call out my name. The note of worry in his voice.
“I said, don’t you agree. It seems your manners have become lax in our time apart.”
“Please forgive me, Daniel. Yes, I do agree. I’ve caused far too much trouble and am ready to come home.” I gulped in a breath to steady my nerves. “Please, would it be possible to allow Cherrie to do the same? She has family and friends who are very worried about her.”
“As we’ve been worried about you.” He tilted his head to the side as though thinking before placing a finger on his lips. “As her friends delayed our reunion, and I note, are returning
you in a far worse condition than I left you in. Perhaps, they can wait a while longer before their friend returns.”
Phillip leveled a gun at my head. “Don’t make me kill such a beautiful bitch,” he said to Cane and the others, whose presence I felt a few feet behind me. “Would be a shame, don’t you think?”
“You get the fuck away from her,” Cane snarled.
My legs almost gave way beneath me. I’d been such a fool. Again. I really was more trouble than I was worth. Tears threatened my eyes and my insides screamed at me to run, but the only thing that mattered now was going with Daniel and getting him to release Cherrie unharmed. No matter what that meant to me.
Without risking a glance back, I kept my eyes on Daniel.
“Cherrie will be returned soon,” I said loud enough for everyone to hear. “Daniel has said he will return her, and he’s a man of his word.” I blinked my eyes and choked back a sob. I hadn’t lied, when Daniel gave his word he would do something, he did it. I just hoped my challenging his honor in this way would bait him to give it. “Isn’t that right, Daniel?”
He raised an eyebrow, but confirmed it was. “From this moment on, I give you my word that Cherrie will not be harmed.” I shut my eyes tight at this response, worried what it meant he had already done to her. Daniel continued, “She will be treated well for the remainder of her stay with me and shall be returned to you in two days.”
Caleb growled. “Release her now.”
“I think not. We wouldn’t want anyone to feel short-changed in this arrangement. A life for a life,” he said, and I knew he either believed Greg was already dead or that he would succumb to his injuries. He also knew about Jacob. “A two-day inconvenience for a two-day inconvenience.”
Phillip took another step towards me, and Cane told him to back the fuck off. Even though I hadn’t turned to look at him, I pictured the tension flooding through his body.
“No,” Phillips said. “She’ll be coming with us. Something tells me she means more to you alive than she does to me.”
Cane projected his voice beyond Phillip and addressed Daniel. “You telling me you’re okay with this fucker shooting Thea in the head?” he said. “Seems to me, if she were dead, everything you’ve done would be for nothing.”
Daniel smiled. “You’re quite right. None of these men would kill Thea.”
“But you fucking would.”
“Not with a bullet to the head.”
The air stirred and for the first time, I risked a glance back. Cane edged forward, his neck corded and fit to burst. Caleb placed a restraining hand on his arm.
“If she isn’t in the car in the next minute, shoot her in the arm. If any of these fine gentlemen move, shoot her in the other arm.” Daniel turned his attention from Phillip back to Cane. “I often find pain and fear more effective in getting what I want than the threat of death. It’s amazing what people will do if you break them piece by piece. Isn’t that right, Thea?”
I balled my hands into fists, my body tense, and my heart pounding and flooding my ears with its pulse. “Yes, Daniel,” I said and inched towards the car, hoping I sounded braver than I felt.
“Now, gentlemen, if you’ll excuse us, we have a family reunion to attend. I’m sure you understand.” With that, I sat in the back of the Lexus, closing my ears and heart to everything, and everyone outside the car, lest my feelings break me.
Daniel joined me. He held my hand and pulled it over the dividing compartment separating the back seat into two parts. “I have missed you terribly,” he said. “I do wish you hadn’t decided to run away.”
“I’ve missed you too, Daniel,” I said by rote. “I’m sorry to have caused you so much trouble.”
He trailed his fingers over my palm and wrist in soft circles. “No worries, I’m sure you’ll make it up to me.”
As Phillip entered the car and drove away from Cane and the club, the world around me became a hazy blur. My stomach rolled and a heavy sensation veiled my head in a pressing blackness. I took a deep breath and blinked my eyes to try and stop myself from passing out.
“Are you not well, my dear?” Daniel asked. I wanted to look back at Cane and see his perfect face one last time, but resisted, knowing I could never let Daniel see how much I cared.
“I’m just hungry. I haven’t eaten much today. Thank you for asking.”
He released my hand and pressed a button, lifting the small table that formed part of the dividing compartment, and then opened the compartment and pulled out two glasses and a decanter of whiskey.
“We can arrange for you to have some food when we return home. As Mother said, we wouldn’t want you to lose those lovely curves. Until then, this should suffice.”
I took the offered glass and sipped at its contents. “Thank you, Daniel.”
He sipped at his own and glanced out the window while I stared straight ahead.
“Tell me,” he said after a moment. “Who is Cane Landon and what has your relationship with him been the last two days? He does seem rather protective of you.”
I tried to calm the beating of my heart and the fear that coursed through my veins. “His cabin was just a place out of the way where I stayed for a short time. After my experience with ketamine, he saw me as a child he needed to protect and keep safe.”
“Are you sure there was nothing more?”
“Yes, Daniel. I didn’t even know his last name until you just told it to me.”
“That is good to know. Though I’d hate to think you were lying to me, Thea.”
“I would never lie to you, Daniel.” I took another sip of whiskey. It was smooth and sweet and slid easily down my throat. The only sound was the hypnotic light hum of the engine and the soft whirring of the tires. “Might I ask you a question, please?”
Daniel put down his glass and looked at me with questions of his own burning in his eyes. “Of course.”
My hand flew to my neck and the bruises I knew rested there. “Jacob raped me. I killed him.” I gulped back the lump rising in my throat and took another sip from my glass. Daniel tensed at my words and his face pinched in anger, but I swallowed my fear and continued my lie, knowing that if Daniel forced me himself, and realized I wasn’t a virgin, blaming Jacob would be my only hope of avoiding a session. “Why did you let him hurt me?” I asked.
Daniel placed his glass firmly on the table and took a deep breath. “I did not.” His words were clipped, and his nostrils flared. “I would have killed him myself had I known he touched you.”
Tears streaked my face. Daniel reached over the divide and took the glass from me, before holding my hand tight. I wiped the tears burning my skin and tried to stop the raw panic building inside. My only option was to stay still. I’d already showed too much emotion, risked too many words.
When he spoke, his tone was pitched to be soothing. It didn’t work. “I am sorry you had to endure such an ordeal. It must have been terribly harrowing. I wanted to collect you myself, but Father insisted otherwise. He made a mistake sending Tony. He has always coveted you.”
“He said that you weren’t bothered about my condition.”
“Ah, then I have to admit, some of the blame rests on my shoulders. I had worried those brutes would have harmed you in some way and instructed Jacob to bring you back whatever your condition. He twisted my words for his own agenda. For that, I apologize, I shall speak more clearly in the future.”
“Thank you, Daniel.”
“Though, I do hope you realize by running away much of the blame rests on your shoulders. Jacob would never have been sent to collect you if you’d stayed home.”
“Yes, Daniel. I know. I’m sorry.”
He poured more whiskey into our glasses and handed mine back to me. “Then all is forgiven on both sides, and we can put this terrible ordeal behind us.” Daniel turned and looked out his window. I risked doing the same and watched the buildings disappear and the mountains close in around us. “You should know,” Daniel said after a while, “I have
spoken to mother and father and we’ve agreed it best that you move in with me in the pool house. I have taken the liberty of having your possessions relocated, but fear we may be crowded. Perhaps in a few weeks when you are feeling more yourself, we can look for a place of our own.”
A cold chill settled over my body and the whiskey turned harsh with the bitter taste that rose in my throat. I trembled inside, but outside, I kept my tone neutral. “Yes, Daniel,” I said.
Chapter Twenty
Cane
Rage roared inside me and I let out a bellow of pure agony when Thea sat in Dan’s car and closed the door. With my heart pounding in my ears and my knuckles clenched tight, I surged forward only to be pulled back by some unseen force.
Without thinking, I spun around and shot out a right hook, missing my target by mere millimeters.
Caleb rallied in a heartbeat and grabbed hold of me in a giant bear-hug, easily lifting me from the ground despite my own tall stature and feral strength.
“She’s alive,” Caleb shouted. I struggled in his grasp. “Focus on that. Know that as long as she’s alive, there’s hope.”
“Let me go, Caleb,” I snarled.
“Damn it, Cane. Don’t fucking fight me here. I know what you’re going through. I know you desperately need to reach her and keep her safe. But if you charge ahead like a bull in a fucking china shop, then you’re dead. He’ll shoot you and then where will you be?”
I stopped struggling against Caleb’s iron grip and looked into his eyes. Not for the first time, I noticed the anguish beneath their surface. To say things had been fucking tense between us lately would be an understatement. A hollowness shrouded Caleb in a world of darkness since Amber left. He’d raged for days, desperate to find her, to reach her. I understood that now. Despair raged beneath my own surface and my chest felt as though it were caving in on itself.
Forever Midnight MC Collection: Books 1-3 Page 11
