Tori Read online

  You took the one I love from me.

  Now I’m going to take yours from you.

  Can you be everywhere all the time?

  Can you save her?

  Not when you’re looking for me.

  But then, who’s looking after her?

  So young. So beautiful.

  Such a shame.

  How does it feel knowing her death will be on your hands?

  And there is nothing you can do to stop it.

  What. The. Fuck? I run from the living room to the car, realizing I have left her alone out there with this threat. When I make it back, she is staring at me like I have lost it. I unlock the door and pull her into my arms, smelling her hair and kissing her head. She lets me hold her for a minute before she pulls away.

  “Tori, will you please tell me what the hell is going on?”

  “Kensie, I need you to do something for me. I am going to order you security for right now. Can you promise me you will let them do their jobs?”

  “Security? What the hell? No. I don’t need security. Especially when you are not telling me what is going on.”

  “Shit. Do you know what my brothers and I do?”

  “Yes. Lanie told me. What does this...”

  “Someone broke the window and left a note threatening you. I need you to let me protect you. As much as I want to be, I cannot be at two places at once.”

  I rattle it off before I lose it.

  “Tori. I get what you’re saying. But I can't walk around campus with bodyguards when I go back.”

  “The fuck you can’t. This is not a request. You will have security and that’s that.” Stubborn ass woman.

  “Oh, we will see about that, buster.”

  Why don’t I like the sound of that?

  Chapter 8

  Kensie

  After going round and round about the stupid fucking bodyguard, I have had enough. I can’t take anymore arguing. I am exhausted.

  “Tori, I promise you me and the baby will be just fine at school.” I slap my hand over my mouth. Fuck. I turn back to face him.

  “Baby?” he asks. “You aren’t on birth control?”

  “Are you fucking kidding me? Why would I need birth control? You were my first.” I am getting angry and when I get angry, I start to cry. Which makes me madder, which makes me cry more. It’s confusing as hell to be honest.

  “Is it mine?” he asks, and I see red.

  “Of course, it’s yours,” I shout. “How could you think that?” I ask, damn near sobbing.

  “Shit, I didn’t mean that, baby.”

  “Yes, you did, or you wouldn’t have said it,” I say gulping in too much air, getting the hiccups.

  “Kensie, please calm down,” he says. Yeah right, like that is going to happen.

  “I can’t be here anymore,” I say storming out of his house. My car was brought here earlier, thankfully. I grab my keys from my purse and get in my car. The only place I can think to go back to my dorm room. I still have some clothes and things there as well as all my furniture.

  On the way it starts drizzling, by the time I get to the interstate it’s a torrential downpour. I have a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. I feel like I should go back and work it out with Tori, but I am being a stubborn bitch. I want to have my tantrum and figure this shit on my own.

  Once I arrive at school, it’s still raining, so I make a running dash from the car to the dorm. I am almost to the door when I am shoved from behind. I hit the ground on my knees. My keys fall from my hands. A bag or something in thrown over my head and my purse is wrenched from my hands. I hear it hit the ground with a wet plop. Before I can say anything, I feel what I think is gun at my back.

  “If you want to live, you’ll do as I say,” A voice says. It’s raining so hard, I can’t tell if it is male or female, but for my baby’s sake I do what I am told. I nod and then I am lifted to my feet and shoved forward. “Walk,” the voice says. There must be no one around, because no one is coming to rescue. I am shoved into the back of a van where the bag is taken off of my head and a cloth is placed over my mouth.

  The last thought I have is that I should have told Tori that I loved him.

  Then everything goes black.

  Chapter 9

  Tori

  Why the fuck isn’t she answering the phone? I have been calling Kensie for the past three hours since she left in a huff thanks to my being a typical asshole man. I didn’t mean anything that came out of my mouth after she said ‘baby’. I had already kind of figured it out, but I lost my mind. I know without a doubt she has never slept with anyone before me and I know she would never cheat on me. I was just...well hell...I was shocked as fuck. Pregnant. My woman is pregnant. As soon as she said it, the pride went through me knowing my kid was in her stomach. But then another thought occurred to me at the same time. She said it as if she has known for a long time. How long has she known? Which is why my mouth got away from me.

  Not to mention, we are already at it about the security. I should have ripped those fucking keys out of her hand, threw her on the hood of my car and fucked her into submission. Instead, here I am, pacing my fucking kitchen, thinking the worst. Picking the phone back up I call her number again. “Come on baby. Pick up the damn phone.” When her voicemail comes on, I hang up. My mind is going to the worst possible scenario.

  Fuck it. I need to make sure this shit doesn’t happen again when I finally get a hold of her. Grabbing my keys, I hope in my car and drive to Jorgensen Jewelers. Time to make her more than my woman. Should have done it the same fucking week I met her like I wanted to. Done with the being chivalrous shit.

  “Tori. It’s about fucking time I see you in here. I thought somehow the gene had passed you, Unc.” I give Torran the look. He chuckles because he knows he is knocking against a sore subject for me.

  “Shut up.” I hit him upside the head. He laughs.

  “You want the vault of course.”

  “You know it.” I watch as he goes to the back. My leg won’t stop shaking. Not knowing where she is, if she is ok, if she needs me, it’s fucking with me good right now.

  “Here you go.” He drops the tray in front of me. I gaze upon the jewelry of my ancestors and feel a sense of pride that I come from a long line of men who knew how to show their women they loved them. Looking down at the tray all of them are magnificent, but there's only one that catches my eye. I pick up the single white gold solitaire. It’s simple and beautiful. Much like my Kensie.

  “I like this one.” I say to Torran showing him the ring.

  “Yes. That one is beautiful. Here’s the card for it.” he hands me the card that tells of the ancestor that owned it and though I can make out the words ‘Queen’ and ‘Thyra’ the rest is jumbled. Normally, words are not an issue for me, but given how pissed and stressed I am about Kensie and the threat, my mind won’t cooperate. My eyes, squinting trying to make the words correct themselves. I can feel the defeat rising inside me the longer I stare at this card. I am like a few seconds from tossing the fucking thing across the floor when Torran pulls it form my hands.

  “It’s ok Unc. I got it. It says our ancestor was Thyra. She was the Queen of Denmark married to King Gorm the Old. She was responsible for the creation of the defensive system in Jutland. She was said to be wise and kind to be so young.” Sounds like my Kensie.

  “Thanks, Torran. Sorry your uncle is so useless.” I shake my head holding it down. My dyslexia has always been the part of me I couldn’t quite place in a box and not let it overtake my self-esteem.

  “Stop saying that Unc. Nobody feels that way.” I chuckle. I always find it humorous that though technically I am his uncle, he is five years older than me, but he insists on calling me Unc., though I have told him it’s not necessary.

  “I know. I can’t help but feel like maybe Kensie has it right. Maybe she should have run from a man that isn’t man enough to be able to read a simple card. Fucking loser.” I mumble to myself as I gather my s
tuff to leave.

  “For fuck sake Tori. Cut that shit out. You are no less a man than the rest of us. And any woman worthy of you will know that.”

  “Thanks man. Listen, thank you for the ring. I need to go. Love you Tor.”

  “We all love you too Unc.”

  I walk out of the shop and drive home, as I am getting out of the car, I call her once again. Expecting to hear the voicemail again, I almost yell a hallelujah until I hear another guys voice on her phone.

  “Hello.” The fuck!

  “Who the fuck is this and why are you answering my woman’s phone?” If he doesn’t answer me right, he is a dead motherfucker.

  “I found this phone along with a purse and some keys in the bushes.” Fuck no!

  “I’m sorry ...what?”

  “Yes. The purse belongs to a Kensington Lyons.” My heart falls. Air leaves my lungs in a huff and doesn’t return as everything around me begins to spin and blur. They got her. I fall to the ground not sure what is going on around me at the moment. How did I let this happen? I let her get in her car and walk away, knowing there was danger. I fucking let this happen. My woman and my baby are out there somewhere and fuck if I know what to do. I haven’t cried since I was a boy, but I can feel it building. I pull out my phone, barely breathing and dial my brother.

  “Hagen, I need you. They took Kensie.” I say, my voice broken and cracked.

  “The fuck!!! Who took her Tori? Where did they take her?” Hanging my head, I answer him the only way I can.

  “I don’t fucking know.” I have to find them.

  Both of them.

  Chapter 10

  Kensie

  I wake with a start. For several minutes, I can only take in deep gulps of air. My first and only thought is that of my baby. What does chloroform do to fetuses? Though it kills me, I can’t worry about that right now. I have got to get the fuck out of here. I decide then and there I will not be telling these people that I'm pregnant. Who knows what that information will cause them to do? I am not sure how long I have been here, but it is daylight. I am starving and I have to pee so bad. What am I going to do? How am I going to get out of this? Admitting defeat, I stand and walk over to the door. I am grateful that I can see. I turn the knob and of course, it’s locked. Moving away from the door, I sit back down on the floor and decide to get this shit started.

  “Hello?” I call out. A few minutes later, the door swings open and a woman enters. I frown. A woman?

  “Oh look. The little prisoner is awake,” she says with a heavy Boston accent.

  “What am I doing here?” I ask.

  “Your man took what was ours,” she says simply. I frown again. I have no idea what she is talking about. “I can tell by the look on your face that you don’t know what I mean.”

  “I’m sorry. I don’t.”

  “I am Bridget O'Connor.” O'Connor. Boston. Everybody knows that name is synonymous with organized crime. It’s all over the news. I school my reaction though.

  “I am Kensington Lyons,” I say trying for polite.

  “I know who you are just as much as you know who I am. Don’t play dumb with me.”

  “Sorry,” I reply automatically.

  “My son was killed by your man. He will come for you.”

  “No, he won’t,” I lie. “He doesn’t love me.” I choke back a sob, swallowing it down.

  “We will see when I send him a little package.”

  “What kind of package?” I ask hesitantly.

  “Don’t you worry about that.”

  “I promise you, I am not the best hostage. He’s not going to care. We are just messing around.”

  “I think you are selling yourself short.” Why is this old lady being so weirdly nice?

  “Bridget let's get this show on the road,” another woman says, coming into the room.

  “Siobhan, please.”

  “My husband is dead and yet this one lives. I won’t stand for it anymore.”

  Things are starting to make a little more sense, but I am dreading the outcome of this more and more.

  Bridget seems sad whereas Siobhan seems pissed.

  Sad and pissed can’t be good for me.

  I don’t know what the hell is going on, but I can bet Tori’s job has something to do with it.

  What the hell did he do?

  Chapter 11

  Tori

  “WHAT THE FUCK IS TAKING SO LONG?!?” I yell at everyone in the damn room. I know we have only been at it for about five hours, but it feels like days. I am going out of my mind not knowing if she is ok. If my fucking baby is ok. Where the hell is she? “Ahhhhhh.” I stumble back as everything I just shoved to the floor breaks. Three hours ago, we received a video of a knife, covered in blood, and a photo of Kensie tied up in a basement of some kind. My life began to crumble in that moment. The message was loud and clear. “A life for a life.” Fuck!!!

  “Tori calm down. I know…”

  “No, you don’t fucking know, Om. You have no goddamn clue what this feels like to have your woman and child out there, God knows where, with God knows who. I don’t know if she is being hurt or who knows what. You don’t fucking know Om. Taryn and your kid are home, with you, where you know they are safe.” I fucking hate that shit when people try to sympathize with you and start off with ‘I know’.

  “You’re right little brother. I’m sorry.” And now I feel like an ass.

  “I’m sorry Om. I didn’t mean to lose it on you. I’m just...I’m scared. I can’t lose them before we really have a chance to become a family.”

  “I swear to you, we are going to find her. Kensie and your baby are going to be fine.” I want to believe him. But the thing is, in our line of work, we have crossed and pissed off some of the worst of the worst. If any of them have come back for revenge, I might not be so lucky.

  “TORI! Tell me it’s a lie. Tell me my little sister is not out there somewhere, with a monster. Tell me you know where she is. T-tell me...Tori...s-say something.” I grab Lanie before she hits the floor, looking to Erik to help me. His wife is in my arms, crying her eyes out, belly swollen with my new great nephew.

  “Baby come to me. Come on Lanie. This not good for my son.” He says rubbing her stomach. “My uncles are good at what they do. They will find Kensie. Right?” He looks at me, eyes accusing and pleading. I know what they both want from me, but the truth is, not even I am so sure.

  “I will do my best. Take her home Erik. I will call as soon as I know something.” When they walk out, I exhale. Turning around in the room I am in, I look at everything around me, but I see nothing. Everything is a big blur. Clouded by visions of what I thought our life was going to be like.

  “I got it!” I turn toward Hagen, heart hammering in my chest, filling with hope.

  “What? What did you find?”

  “I traced the IP address from the message. It is somewhere in Boston. Located just south of Medford. Oh shit.”

  Oh, shit is right. Everything is becoming clearer. The fucking O’Connor’s.

  “I just got off the phone with TSA. Ford sent me this.” Axel, who has been here since I called the Colonel, turns the laptop toward me. On it, is a still frame of Bridget and Siobhan O'Connor getting off at O’Hare airport in Chicago. Then, renting a car at the same airport.

  “How the fuck did Bridget O'Connor get information on Kensie?” I am real keyed up now. Her son, Patrick, was the nastiest, most dangerous son of a bitch to ever hit Boston. He made ‘Big Jim’ O’Leary look like a fucking nun. If it wasn’t for the fact that he was in bed with some of the bastards in the sex trade, he wouldn’t have been on our radar. When it came down to the takedown, he went out shooting. And so, did we.

  “You ready to gear up Tori?” Axel asks as he packs his heat and his go bag.

  “You can bet your fuckin life on it. That’s my family they took. Let’s go get them back.”

  I grab all my shit. In my mind I am also wondering if her youngest, Ryan, has decided to s
tep into his brothers’ shoes. If I have to, I will end him too.

  I’m coming baby. Screw anybody in my way.

  Chapter 12

  Kensie

  Sitting alone in the dark is the hardest thing I have ever done. I've never been afraid of the dark before but now all I want is Tori. Tori, with his strong, tanned, arms wrapped around me. Protecting me. I need him. I am seriously hating myself right now. Why didn't I tell him that I love him? Why did I fight it? I knew the second he slid his massive cock into me. Instead of being a bitch, I should have agreed with him.

  He does this for a living he would know better than I what could happen. I should have listened when he was so frantic, when he was so upset that someone would do this.

  But no, of course, I only thought about myself. I didn't even think about our baby. What kind of mother am I going to be? Right now is not the time for all of these thoughts, but they are blowing through my brain. I don't know why they're manifesting now but all I know is that sitting alone in the dark is not good for me. It's not good for our baby. It's not good for anyone. I feel guilty as hell like this is all my fault even though rationally, I know that it isn’t. When I met him for the first time, I was only fourteen. I never thought a thing of it. I never realized I was saving myself for him, but I did, and I am so glad.

  I am feeling sorry for myself when suddenly the door bursts open, letting in the light from the hallway.

  Siobhan comes into the room, flipping the light on. I am proud of myself when I don’t flinch when I see the knife she is holding. The giant chef’s knife she is holding. I almost bust out laughing. The size of the knife is comical and completely unnecessary. It’s almost as if she has never done anything like this before. Bridget comes in next with a phone and a gun.