by Beck, J. L.
The rusty springs beneath me dig into my side, but the pain is only minimal. Forcing it away, I close my eyes and try to pretend I’m somewhere else… anywhere else.
Funny to think how I felt like a prisoner in the apartment, Zane kept me in. The whole time I was there, I tried to get out. What I wouldn’t give to be back there right now? To be locked away, safe and sound from the world. Locked away with Zane by my side.
Another sob wracks through my body, leaving me a shaking mess. A sound from outside my cell has me quieting down in an instant. I sit up straight and wipe away the tears with the back of my hand. If they come in, I don’t want to look vulnerable. I’m not giving them the pleasure of seeing me cry. It’s something small I’m holding on to, the one thing I’m not going to give up easily.
A key enters the lock, the mechanical of it fills my ears. The door is unlocked and opened a moment later, and one of the men who has been guarding me appears in the doorway.
“Time to come out and take a piss,” he growls. “Unless you prefer to go in the bucket?”
It doesn’t warrant a response. Pushing myself off the dirty mattress, I get up and walk toward him on shaky legs. He hasn’t touched me, other than jerking me around by my arm when he takes me out of the cell. Which I’m thankful for, but the way he looks at me is enough to make shivers of disgust skate down my spine. Like I’m some piece of hanging meat that he’ll eventually be able to take a bite of.
Creep.
He drags me down the hall and shoves me into the bathroom. I close the door behind me, grateful for the privacy. There is no window in here either, so it’s not like I can go anywhere. I do my business quickly, so I have a minute to wash up, and because the last thing I want is for him to walk in on me with my pants down. I splash water on my face until he opens the door and wraps a mammoth hand around my arm, tugging me out of the closet-sized bathroom.
“Dinner will be here in a little bit. My men eat first, and you’ll get the leftovers… if we have some. Unless you want to eat now? I’ll let you sit on my lap, and you can eat all you want.” He grins, and the look in his eyes tells me he is anything but joking. He’s serious and while I’m hungry. I’m not hungry enough to take him up on that offer.
“I’ll wait,” I mumble.
The guy starts laughing like the whole thing is funny to him. I feel like anything but. I feel like screaming, crying, and destroying this place with my bare hands if I could.
His laughter is suddenly cut off when the sound of some commotion carries through the long hallway. I can’t see anything, the brute’s oversized body blocking my view, but I hear the ringing of guns off in the distance.
What the hell?
“Fucking shit!” The guy with the death grip on my upper arm growls as he starts walking faster, dragging me right along with him. He moves me like a rag doll, my legs barely making it possible for me to keep up with him.
Then something hits me. I’m not sure what it is, but I don’t even think. I just react. Normally, I don’t fight him, but something about this moment tells me I should. Digging my heels into the ground, I try to slow him down.
I start struggling in his hold, hoping to get away from him, but all he does is pick me up like I’m a stubborn child. He throws me into my cell, and I land on my back against the cold hard floor. My bones rattle, and the impact knocks the air out of my lungs.
The door is slammed shut before I can get back on my feet, and the guy walks away. It takes me a moment to stand up, but when I do, I rush to the door and hold my ear to it.
For the next few minutes, I hear men fighting, more guns going off, and then silence. When I don’t hear anything at all for a few seconds, I realize that no matter what’s happening, no matter who saves me, good or bad, I need to get out of here.
If they leave me here, I will starve to death in this cell. I can’t die yet. I refuse to let my life amount to this.
“Help! I’m in here, please, help!” I yell at the top of my lungs while banging my fists against the metal door. It rattles only a little bit beneath my harsh raps. “Anyone, please! I’m begging you, please, save me!”
It feels like I’ve been banging on the door forever when I finally hear someone approaching. The footsteps are muffled through the door, but I know whoever it is, isn’t going to be good. The door is unlocked, and I step back toward the center of the room. Even if I wanted to hide, I’d have nowhere to go.
The door swings open, and two large men curiously look into my cell.
“Who do we have here?” one of them asks, his eyes roam my body up and down like he is evaluating me. For what, I don’t know, nor do I want to find out.
“Answer,” the other one growls, more in disinterest than anything. “Who are you, and why are you here?”
“I-I’m no one. I work in an animal shelter. Some man kidnapped me and brought me here.” I don’t know why that is the first thing I reveal about myself. They don’t care where I work or who I am. I can’t think straight. My thoughts are swimming, and the words I grasp for seem to slip right through my fingers. “They just took me and have been holding me here since. I don’t know why. I don’t know who they’re or what they want with me? Please, just let me go. Please.” I try to make myself look as innocent and fragile as I can.
I’m desperate to escape this place, to feel sunlight on my skin, to be free. I need to find Zane. No way do I actually believe he’s dead. I need to get out of this place. Away from these crazy criminals.
The two men look away from me and back at each other, engaging in some kind of silent conversation. Then the silence breaks and the one closest to me, yells down the hall, “Ivan, we’ve got an issue over here.” I jump, startled by the darkness in his voice.
Oh god, are they going to kill me? What’s going to happen next? Panic bubbles up inside of me, but neither of them makes a move toward me.
For a few moments, we all just stand there looking at each other until the man named Ivan joins the other two in the hallway.
As soon as I see him, I instinctively take another step back. It’s like my body knows how dangerous this guy is. I thought the two men who opened my door were big, this Ivan guy looks like he could eat both of them for breakfast, and then me. Strangely, my eyes snag on a tattoo that is peeking out of his collar and winding up his neck. It makes him look even more intimidating, not that he needs it, his size and the harsh look on his face is enough.
Yes, they are definitely going to kill me.
“She says she works at the animal shelter; they took her and have been keeping her here. She doesn’t know why,” one of the men explains to this Ivan guy, who I’m assuming is their boss. Ivan stares down at me, and I try not to look like a cat that’s ready to hiss and claw her way out of this room.
“Go, clear the rest of this place. I’ll deal with this myself,” Ivan growls, and I almost pee my pants right then.
The two men disappear from view, their heavy footfall getting further and further away, and all I can do is look at this mountain of a man filling the entire door frame and bite my tongue to stop myself from begging those other guys to come back.
“What’s your name?” he asks softly, finally breaks the silence after staring at me like I’m a puzzle he can’t figure out. His voice doesn’t match his appearance one bit. He’s like the devil but with a heavenly voice.
“Dove… Dove Miller,” I stutter, trying to keep my voice even, though it doesn’t seem to help.
“Look, Dove, here’s what’s going to happen. You’re going to come with us until we can verify that you are who you say you are and that you don’t know anything of importance to us. If you’re telling the truth and you are no one and know nothing, then you’ll be free to go… as long as you can keep your mouth shut.”
“And if I don’t?” I ask, even though I know I shouldn’t.
Ivan looks at me blankly, there isn’t a sliver of emotion in his eyes. “Let’s not think about that right now.”
Instant
ly, I feel as though I’ve been tossed into the ocean. I’m bleeding out. The sharks are circling in on me. Who will bite first? I should’ve listened to Zane. Should’ve believed him when he said there were far worse monsters in this world than him.
“Okay,” I answer because what else am I going to say? No, just leave me here to die? That’s not really an option.
Moving out of the doorway, he motions for me to exit, and just as my feet pass the threshold, he says, “If you run, I’ll shoot you, and I really don’t want to have to do that.”
A second ago, I was tempted to run, to try and escape, but the threat in his words revealed the truth. If he had to, he really would shoot me. I choose not to run. Hopefully, it’s not the biggest mistake of my life.
3
It takes me a few days to heal up, which drives me batshit crazy. My bullet wounds aren’t completely healed, but they’re as good as it’s going to get for now. I should be out there, searching the globe for Dove, burning cities to the ground and slaughtering people, not sitting in a bed, staring at my hands, willing answers to appear out of thin air. However, I can’t do a damn thing without weapons and the information that Matteo promised me.
He says he’s got eyes and ears everywhere, and if Christian makes one move, he’ll know about it. So far, he hasn’t done squat shit because Matteo hasn’t come to deliver any new information to me. I shove out of the cot and come to stand, my boots scuff against the marble floors. I hate this place. I hate that I’m stuck being someone else’s little bitch, but more than anything, I’m afraid. Afraid of what’s happening to Dove.
The thought of one of Christian’s men putting their hands on her. It makes me murderous. Clenching my fist, I dig my nails in my palm. Rage simmers just below the surface. If I get the chance, I’ll kill him, draw out his death, make him wish, plead, and beg for death.
“Knock, knock…” Matteo’s voice reaches my ears, and I force myself to unclench my fist, sliding the mask of emotionlessness across my face before turning around to face the door. I’ve already exposed my biggest weakness, and the last thing I need is to expose my emotions further. I refuse to let him or anyone else know how close I am to losing my shit.
“I hope you have some information for me?”
Matteo doesn’t look amused by the way I talk to him, but the way I see it, if he wanted to kill me, he would’ve done so already.
“I do, but I think it’s important you realize just who it is that’s calling the shots here.” I withhold an eye roll. I’m not used to working with anyone, let alone someone that mirrors Christian to a T. I don’t take orders. I’ve worked as a one-man team my entire life. Now, I’m being forced to take orders from some prick in a suit. All I want to do is find Dove, do this asshole’s dirty work, and fucking leave this place behind.
“Tell me what I need to know…please,” I grit out. Matteo smirks at me as if he enjoys seeing me grit pleasantries through my teeth. Little does he know; he’d be dead too if I didn’t need him as badly as I do. I’m not about ass-kissing or becoming his best friend. I just want Dove, and I’ll do whatever the fuck I have to do to get her back.
“That sounds much better… glad you cleaned up your attitude because I would’ve hated not sharing news about your little Dove.”
Her name rolling off his tongue makes me want to slit his throat, but I withhold as a bubble of hope fills my belly.
“Where is she?” I demand and take a step toward him.
“An insider let me know that there was an ambush at one of Christian’s secret compounds. We believe that’s where they were holding Dove. I doubt she’s still there as Xander Rossi’s men were just seen leaving the place.”
Xander Rossi. Fuck. More bad news. Slicing my fingers through my hair in both frustration and rage, I try and think, instead of reacting. Using my fists isn’t going to help her right now. I need to think. But all I can think about is my sweet fucking Dove, how she was tossed from one cage to the next, landing now with the worse villain of all.
“What do we do?” I ask a moment later.
“We?” Matteo blinks, “We aren’t doing shit. You are going to go there and check the place out, see what the hell happened, and if there is anything that was left behind. Maybe they did leave her there, who knows? I’ll expect you to return though, and if you don’t, well, let’s just say there will be more than a bounty on your fucking head.”
“I don’t take orders from you.” I clench my fist, ready to slug him in his arrogant face. I’m so close to losing it, to shutting down completely and going on a killing spree, that it’s not even measurable at this point. And this fuckhead standing in front of me will be my first victim.
“You do if you want my help.”
Like a volcano seconds from erupting, I shudder with a burning rage. Coming here was obviously a mistake. I don’t know if Matteo is going to be worth all of this trouble. He’s dangerous, yes, but what level, I haven’t figured out yet.
“All I need is a gun and a car,” I say without even looking at him.
“I can provide you with both of those things. I’m also sending two of my men with you. Can’t have you trying to run off if she is there.”
“Yeah, yeah, I know, I owe you, and I better return. Get it.”
“I’m warning you, Zane, if you find the girl and hide her somewhere, or if you try and disappear, I will find you, and when I do…”
I look up, and most men would be cowering in fear from the look he’s giving me, but I’m not most men. I’m not afraid of this fuckwad, but I am afraid of what he can do to Dove, or at the very least, what he’ll try to do. Double-crossing him isn’t something I want to do unless I absolutely have to. With no one in my corner and no other help, I’ll have to wait for the perfect opportunity to leave.
“If she’s there, I’ll return with her.”
His gaze hardens, almost like he’s trying to see if I’ll break under the pressure. Luckily, he has no clue what I’m truly capable of and the lengths I’ll go to save the woman I love.
“I’m trusting you, Zane. Don’t make me regret it.”
I don’t respond. Instead, I give him a blank look. I’m going to find Dove and kill every fucker that touched her if it’s the last fucking thing that I do.
* * *
Punching the GPS coordinates that Matteo gave me into the car, I rev the engine and leave his mansion—my prison—in the rearview mirror. My muscles are tense, and I’m ready for a fight. I’m consumed with the need to find Dove. All I can do is hope and pray that Xander left her there, though the likelihood is slim. Mercy isn’t something that man shows, and I doubt he would just leave a vulnerable, beautiful woman alone to fend for herself. Grinding my teeth together, I try not to think of that bastard putting his hands on my Dove. The drive is a little over an hour, and I white knuckle the steering wheel the entire way.
I see the car with Matteo’s goons following me the entire time. Useless idiots. Sending them is an insult more than anything. As if I couldn’t take these two out if I wanted to.
As the miles tick down, knots of fear tighten in my belly. What if they hurt her? Raped her? What if she’s broken, and I can’t fix her? What if it’s too late? The thoughts keep coming, suffocating me with fear. I need to get a grip, to focus, but the idea of finding Dove unsafe and hurt is enough to make me sick.
I slow the car as I turn onto the road where the compound is supposed to be. Off in the distance is a ten-foot fence surrounding a house. That must be it. The organ in my chest starts to gallop, beating a little faster the closer I get.
One would think a place such as this would be guarded, but I suppose there aren’t any guards left. Knowing Christian, he probably went into hiding the moment the Rossi’s ambushed him. I mean, he’s always had me around to fight his battles, without me, I can’t imagine he’s going to be picking up a gun to protect himself or rid the world of his enemies. No hiding is more his style. Turning onto the road and driving through the beat-up gate, I spo
t two men lying on the ground. As I pass their bodies, the bullet holes in their foreheads confirm to me what I already knew. Everyone here is dead.
Closing in on the property, the feeling of dread consumes me. There are three more bodies lying on the lawn. I park the car and kill the engine. Then, I grab my gun and climb out of the SUV. I doubt I’ll need it, but I’d rather have it than not.
The car with Matteo’s men pulls up behind me, and the two guys get out of the car a moment later. I try to ignore their presence completely and concentrate on finding the woman I love.
I don’t know what I expected when I showed up here, but it wasn’t this. Crossing the lawn, I walk around the side of the house. There are more men, more dead bodies. Reaching the side door, I don’t bother opening it since it’s already kicked in.
As soon as I step inside, I smell it. Death. Blood. Mayhem. It’s everywhere. It coats the walls, the floor, the air. There is only one thing in my mind as I walk down the hall… please, don’t let her be dead.
Ignoring the bodies, and the smells assaulting my nose, I make a quick sweep of the house, checking every room as I go. Before I go into each room, I fear that I’ll find her dead inside, lying between the other bodies. But over and over again, I find the rooms empty, a short burst of relief rushing through me every time.
Not finding her dead might be a relief, but not finding anything at all intensifies my anger. I need to find a clue, anything that will help me find her.
When I find a door that leads down into a basement, my heart skips a beat. Running down the steps, I’m desperate for something, anything. Before me is a long hallway, and as I start to walk down it, I find that there are cells on both sides. The space is far too quiet to have anyone in it. Still, I can’t let the hope in my chest die.
My eyes scan each cell, looking for the slightest clue. I grow more and more disappointed as each cell leaves me with nothing. Reaching the last one, my heart leaps out of my throat, and I rush into the room, grabbing the thin jacket I gave Dove the day we left the bunker. It’s lying on the floor next to a dirty mattress. There is a bucket in the corner of the room where she was most likely forced to piss. The place is… it makes my stomach churn. It’s hell on Earth.
