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Page 12
I just stared at him. He was baiting me, and I wasn’t going to fucking bite. Let him have out what he wanted from me then he would leave and I could get Clara to her father in England so this shit wouldn’t touch her. I’d then have to get ahold of Todd and his father.
He shrugged. “Just as well I get on with it, right.” It wasn’t a question. “I need you for a drop. This kinda job I want no part of. I’m trying to pull out a bit. People are out for my head and I can’t risk it. Sending you in, my son, my blood will make them believe I have family at my back. The old families won’t fucking touch me.”
“No.”
Fuck. I didn’t even flinch when I said that. I was goddamned proud of myself. I felt Clara grab roughly onto my arm.
I watched as my father’s face went to stone. He took a step closer to me.
“No?”
I came forward, blocking him from Clara and getting right up in his arrogant face. I wasn’t smaller than him anymore. I was a good two inches taller and I was using it. “Yeah, I said no. Did I fucking stutter—Father?”
The man smirked, and it was wicked and full of all kinds of promises of pain that I used to be scared shitless of. But I was no longer his whipping boy. I was a man and I could stand up to this shitty fuck now.
“Is that your final answer, son?”
“Yeah.” I felt my jaw work then I heard a squeal.
I averted my gaze from my father just in time to see two men grab my girl. I moved without thought. I took a swing at one and then a blinding pain slammed into the back of my head. I hit my knees hard.
“DAX!” Clara’s pained scream did things to my chest. Everything went tight and I knew two things for sure. My dad would and could now kill Clara, and I had no choice but to do my father’s fucking bidding.
I looked up and took in the two men holding my Clara. One I knew all too well. He liked to mete out the raping punishments. Fucking liked dick and asshole more than he liked fucking food and water. The other was new, but he nodded in my direction and I looked down until my father took hold of my hair and yanked it upward.
“So, boy, now that I have insurance, what do you say? Will you do my drop?”
“Yes.” My teeth were clenched and I watched that wicked satisfaction coast through my father’s gaze. He shoved my head forward and snapped his fingers. “Take her to the car.”
I was on my feet and swinging at my father before I could think. I knocked him clean in the jaw and he started to laugh again as he stumbled back. “Like fuck you're taking her! She stays here!”
Clara was screaming and kicking at the two men. I moved towards her as they pulled my heart farther and farther away from me. I heard the click of the safety, then the cool metal of a gun against my temple.
“Clara, tell your boy here to let you go.”
She was crying. This fuck had made my Clara cry. We would have it out, and very soon. She opened her mouth and my father’s trigger finger got itchy. “Well, Clara?”
“Dax, let. Me. Go.” She said each between a weak sob. My strong girl was turned to rubbish under my father’s evil hand.
The gun was gone and being shoved in the holster under his arm. “Very good. Gentlemen, put her in the car.” He clapped me on the back. “Don’t worry. So long as she behaves and you do, she will be living fucking lush. See you next Friday.” At that he smoothed out his coat, buttoned it and left.
“Fuck!” I roared. I went to the window and watched Clara allow them to shove her into a black Bentley. Why the fuck was my father this far from Chicago? I didn’t waste time fucking around. I pulled my cell from my pocket and called Todd.
He answered on the third ring and there was fumbling, laughing, then, “Hello.” It was husky and sounded like he’d just been fucking.
Shannon or Cat?
He would be better off with Shannon but I could tell he liked shy little Cat.
“Get the fuck over here now.”
“Fuck, Dax. I got─”
“My dad came and took Clara. I need to get ahold of your dad too.”
There was a muffled profanity, then, “I’ll be there in five.”
I hung up.
Hang in there, Clara.
***
Clara
My nerves were shot. Stuff like this didn’t happen to me. I was a normal girl, in a normal world.
Whose mother was killed by the head of a drug and arms cartel. Who was also your boyfriend’s father. Who was currently taking you farther and farther away from him.
I shifted in my seat until my gaze looked out the back window. We were currently sailing down the 10 freeway heading towards Los Angeles.
Farther away.
No one was following us, I realized as I turned back around in my seat in a huff. Marcus was in the front seat with one of the men that had strong-armed me into the car driving. Next to me was the man that looked creepily familiar. I couldn’t place him as I pinned him with a hard gaze. He turned towards me, his knee brushing mine, and I sucked in a breath and looked out the window.
Damn. I was such a fucking wimp. I just let this band of assholes take me away. What if they killed me? What if they raped me? What if they tortured me and lied about allowing me to leave once this whole drop deal was done?
I could feel the tremors in my hands and shoved them between my legs and clamped them. Hot breath tickled my cheek. My hair billowed softly. I went to squeal and a palm covered my mouth, muffling my scream.
My eyes shifted back and forth between the two men in the front and the man next to me that was about to do something horrible. Well, I didn’t really know he was going to do something horrible; I assumed. Because well, they were bad guys, and bad guys did bad shit.
His voice was low, husky. It sounded like gravel was rumbling around in his throat. It was almost sensual. If it wasn’t altogether totally terrifying.
“Keep your head down, your mouth shut, and don’t instigate Marcus. He will see it as an open door to start something. Nod if you understand.”
I did.
“Good. If you follow my lead, we will both get out of this fucked-up mess alive.”
His warm palm slipped away from my mouth and I nearly yanked it back. The urge to scream bloody murder was strong. God, I wanted to just freak out. I never freaked out. I was cool and calm. I was Switzerland in a sea full of chaos. We drove for what seemed like hours in silence. I knew it was realistically only about an hour. The driver exited the freeway somewhere in downtown Los Angeles and the car moved through the busy city streets until it stopped in front of a huge high rise. I’d lived in this state for quite awhile but I’d never been to anything like this. Strong arms wrapped around my upper arm and pulled me from the car—roughly. I looked up into the eyes of the man that had warned me.
It was then I caught them. That odd mix of aquablue. I knew those eyes. Those eyes had once looked down at me like that. With compassion.
Todd.
Could this man be—?
No. Todd’s dad didn’t know where Dax’s father was.
But…
We just stared at one another for far too long. He knew I’d figured it out. I swallowed hard and tried to regain my balance as he pulled me even rougher for show when Marcus snapped his fingers. We headed towards an elevator bank and I tried to look around. It was a whole lot of black marble, black leather, and a huge security guard behind a bank of televisions keeping an eye on the property. He gave me a sharp glance and I quickly averted my gaze. We were in the elevator for too long. Going up, up. I mean, the guy used a key to unlock the top floor button. While we travelled, Marcus moved in close to me. I tried not to look. I swear I didn’t want to instigate the man, but—
“That was quite a show you put on with my son. You know, when he was at my side we used to share all our women.” I felt his vile, slimy hand against my lower back. “I’m pretty sure he’d get turned on as fuck watching your hot little mouth suck my cock.”
Ding.
My heart was like a jackhammer
in my chest and I could feel the ache of tears all the way to my throat. I would not cry and give this man power over me.
The doors slipped open and the man holding me yanked me forward into a huge foyer of white marble. My bare feet padded on the ground. It was so empty and mausoleum-like. The man holding me pulled me faster. I dared a glance behind me and there was Marcus hot on our heels. I whimpered and looked up at the man pulling me. I was so hoping I wasn’t wrong about this man. If I was right, he was undercover and I was smart enough to not blow it for him. I let my tears free as I watched his jaw muscles work. He was pissed. Todd did that when he was pissed and I saw it all. He was Todd’s father.
I wanted so bad to breathe a sigh of relief and collapse against him. But I played up my struggle until he tossed me into a room with the lights off. My legs tangled and I hit the ground. I was in total darkness and I could hear the two men shouting at each other from the other side of the door. Sitting on my butt, I hugged my legs and got in the smallest possible ball to make sure no one could see me if they did storm my room. My body broke out in revolted shivers when I thought of Dax’s father trying to shove his greasy member in my mouth.
The shouting faded out and then doors were slammed and I was alone.
I breathed out that sigh of relief and crawled through the room until I found the wall. I felt around for a switch and flicked it. The room illuminated in a dull glow. I turned around and sucked in my breath. The room was all white. The bed was huge and was raised up high. It had a white fabric headboard and was against a wall of windows. Turning my head to the side, I saw a tiny remote device on the low dresser that reached to about my hip. I scrolled through options until I got to the curtains and with a low hum they opened up to display the city of Los Angeles before me. I even had a view of the Hollywood sign.
“Holy shit!”
I walked over to the wall of glass and looked over the moving city below. They were totally aimless. Moving about and selfishly assuming all was right with the world. I was making silent wishes to the Powers that Be to help me. Hoping that that man who looked very much like Todd was in fact going to keep Marcus’s gross body away from me.
Please find me, Dax.
Chapter Seventeen
Dax
“What the fuck is taking so long?”
I could hear Todd behind me, pacing. I knew I was being a douchecanoe, but I didn’t fucking care. My sadist fuck of a father had my girl. On top of that we had just called away her only hope of protection.
Todd’s father.
He’d assured us last night—too late for my liking—on the phone that Clara would be looked after. Nothing was going to happen to her. Yeah, how was anyone going to assure that when he was fucking on his way over here with us?
A car door shutting drew both our attention and we waited before Paul came striding in the door looking like an older version of his son. If Clara didn’t put two and two together then she wasn’t as clever as I thought she was.
He could see the look of pure rage on my face and held up a hand.
“Son, keep it down. She knows. I dropped her a few hints when we were in the car. I could see her potential for a meltdown and had to do something. She was about to blow, Dax.”
I clenched my fists at my sides and had to close my eyes. My chest was on fire and the ache was pure fucking agony. The one thing I wanted more than anything in the fucking world was now at risk—because of me. I felt strong hands squeeze my shoulder and I looked back at Paul.
“She’s good. I locked her in the guest suite. Literally, only me and one other guard has the code and he’s part of my team. He ain’t getting in. Marcus did that shit on purpose so not everyone had every code. He was pretty fucking pissed, though.” He walked away from me and into the kitchen. Todd and I followed. Paul pulled a beer from the fridge and tossed it my way. “Fucking let it go. I got this. You really think I’m going to let anything happen to your girl? Give me and my team some fucking credit. I’ve been with that fuck since we got you out.” I popped the top and took a long swig.
Todd was looking between us both and took a very cautious seat at the table in the corner. “So, what’s the plan, Dad?”
It was weird seeing Todd call Paul dad. They were rarely around one another but the bond was unfuckingbreakable. Todd told me his mother bolted when he was ten, unable to handle Paul’s job, or a kid, or anything in the adult sphere. When Paul was away, which was most of the time, Todd’s aunt took care of us. She was nice, everything a mother should be. Then she’d died of cancer last year. Beat both of us the fuck up.
Paul leaned back against the counter and chugged down that beer like it was the nectar of the fucking gods.
“We’ve actually had more than enough to take him down for over a year now. The thing is, one of the big time Mexican cartel bosses just got off. There were some threats on jurors and a few witnesses were tracked down in witness protection.” He shrugged. “We were being cautious.”
He paused and pinned me with that fucking stare Todd did when he was all ready to drop some serious bomb on me. “We knew he was watching you. I figured we were safe—all of you were safe so long as my team was in with him. I had no fucking clue he would take Clara. Fuck.” He stabbed his fingers through his hair and leaned his head down. Fuck. I’d never seen this guy beat himself up before. He was always so strong, arrogant, and alpha fucking male to the max. To see him taken down a few notches—it did something to the pit of my stomach. I wanted to fucking vomit. “I figured he would just come for you. He’s never let it go. He wants to watch you suffer. When he talked to Clara in the elevator, I knew…” He trailed off. Oh, fuck no!
I rose to my feet so fast the chair clattered to the floor behind me. “What the fuck did he do?”
Paul was in front of me, his hands on my shoulders and kneading them like I dig into Clara’s ass when she’s riding me. “Listen. He implied a few things, said you both shared.”
“Not fucking willingly! Every fucking chick I brought home he would seduce and fuck in front of me just to prove he could. They loved it. Clara—” I shoved away from Paul and turned, punching the wall one, two, three, four—hole. I scrubbed my hands down my face.
“FUCK!” I screamed into my hands. When I turned back to Paul he looked pained and helpless. “With Clara it will be rape, Paul. She won’t let him just have her like the others. She’s not like that.” My voice cracked on a few words and Paul nodded.
“I swear I won’t let that happen to her. If I have to blow the whole job and take him down—I will. I’ve dealt with a lot of bullshit with this sick fuck. I won’t let Clara end up like you.”
I nodded and looked away. I took another swig of my beer as I gazed out my kitchen window which faced her now empty house. Shannon hadn’t come home yet and that was a good thing. How the fuck was I supposed to explain to her best friend how I let Clara walk off with a fucking madman?
“So what’s the plan?” Taking another swig, I didn’t look away from her house. I think I was half expecting to see her pass by one of the windows and give me that blushing smirk.
“Well, you’re going to go to the drop. It is a weapons drop. He’s selling to some big guys out of Argentina whose boss is based in L.A. What they don’t know is a member of my team is in with them. I had him manipulate the drop at that location so we could not only drop Marcus but get Clara back in one piece. I have men inside that will keep her safe. Todd, you’ll be going in for her on the all clear. Dax will be busy at the docks and I can’t have her risked inside any more than she already is. The other right hand is a fuck. He was one of your main tormentors. He doesn’t know the keycode but I don’t put it past him to be able to torture it out of one of my guys.”
I turned. Paul blew out a breath and pulled me into a tight hug. He was the closest I had to a proper father. Todd a brother. “She’ll be okay. If she’s not you can skin my fucking ass.”
I clapped him on the back. “I’m holding you to that.”
I took the phone and Paul turned to leave. “Oh. One more thing. Dax, why the fucking video?”
I went tight and hot all over. Shame was a living thing inside my fucking belly and I couldn’t make eye contact. “I was fucking stupid.”
“Got that right. Let’s not blow it. I like Clara. She’s strong but not enough to deal with you and your father.”
I could only nod as he turned and left. Todd came up behind me. “Want to get really fucking drunk?”
I smirked, “Yeah.”
Any fucking distraction would be good.
***
Clara
I’d been left alone for most of the night and next day. I found that I was totally okay with that. Around noon that mysterious man showed up with lunch, showed me how to use the television and that a small tablet device in the bedside table worked with an Amazon Kindle account and I could have at it. Although I didn’t touch the tablet, I allowed myself to binge on a few Netflix things I was behind on. At around three in the afternoon someone fussed with my knob. Then, that voice dripped through the door.
“Answer the door, little Clara.” Marcus.
My heartbeat pitched up a few notches and I curled up in bed and threw the sheets over me. Like that was going to stop the demon from opening the door and doing vile things to me. His misleading soothing tones kept trying to coax me out. “Little girl. I want to show you something. I have food, wine, all kinds of things. Not to mention I need to wet my dick in young pussy. It’s been a whole twenty-four hours.” He paused. “I figured since you were here, and you liked to wet my son’s dick. I’m much bigger than him.”
His voice was like sludge all over my body. I felt like I needed a shower. Throwing the sheets off me, I ran to the bathroom and locked the door. I could hear pounding, then I flicked on the shower. It had about three different points of impact so I successfully drowned out the asshole.