Текст книги "TORMENTED"
Автор книги: Jani Kay
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Текущая страница: 11 (всего у книги 17 страниц)
Chapter 34 – Harrison
Twenty-four hours later, covered in dust and dried blood, tired to the fucking bone, Savage and I lay on the back of a truck as it rattled its way over potholes and rocky dirt roads.
A small commercial airplane had landed at the airstrip in Germany just hours after we were stranded and Savage and I, after negotiating a ride, took off with threats and warnings ringing in our ears for disobeying orders.
We were fucked if we did and fucked if we didn’t. But one thing I could never be accused of was being a traitor to my country. This mission, after all was said and done, was an important one for the protection of my fellow countrymen, and the rest of the peace-loving world. They could sleep in relative safety in their warm cozy beds at night because of people like us risking our lives to make the world better.
In the big scheme of things I could care less how the job was executed—as long as the outcome was what we desired and we still breathed, it was a success.
“You look like shit, man,” Savage said, rolling a cigar between his fingers. He didn’t smoke, but he always had two cigars in his pocket, and it was our tradition to blow circles of smoke into the air to congratulate ourselves on another mission well executed.
I looked down to where dried blood on my pants reminded me of the lives I’d ended a few hours earlier. If there was one thing that freaked me the fuck out, it was the sight of blood, yet it was part of my fucking job to face my fear head on time and time again. It never got easier.
The airplane taking us home was only an hour away, across the border in Pakistan. After they fixed the technical problem, they’d messaged us. The aircraft had landed a short while ago and they were preparing to make the return trip back to the USA.
I rolled the cigar between my fingers without lighting it. I was far from celebrating. There were still thousands of miles between me and Eva, and countless hours of travel across the ocean before I was even in the same country as what she was.
“We’ve got to get back to the plane. If we don’t, our next chance to get out of this hellhole is in five days. I can’t wait that long to get back. Every day that I’m not there finding Eva is another day it gets more difficult to save her.”
I grimaced as the truck drove over a rocky road and we got thrashed about in the back. It smelled of urine and straw and an ungodly stench from our fellow passengers. I’d seen this in movies and always laughed at how cliché it was, never thinking it could actually happen to me—that I’d be stuck on the back of a truck with a handful of stinking scraggly sheep and two cocky roosters tied together by their claws.
For the price I’d paid the driver to take us across the border, I would have wanted a lot more comfort. But since we had no alternatives, this was the best it was going to get for the next hour until we got to Pakistan and the airstrip. That detour had cost me extra, and I hoped I wasn’t going to have to pull a fucking gun to get the man to stick to our agreement.
“You know those fuckers aren’t going to wait for us, don’t you? As soon as they reload and collect their cargo, they’re flying back home without us. We weren’t scheduled to fly back with them, so they don’t have to take us back.”
I let out a long sigh.
“Don’t remind me. I’m not even sure we’ll be able to convince them to take us. This is so fucked up. We’ve done what we were sent to do; I don’t have time for all the fucking red tape involved. It’s doing my fucking head in just thinking about it.”
Savage chuckled out loud. I didn’t have a clue what he had to feel chirpy about. Raising an eyebrow, I gave him an inquiring look. “I’m not crazy, if that’s what you’re thinking. I’m just happy to be fucking alive. A few times during the skirmish today I thought it was the end of us. How the hell you managed to actually pull it off, I’m not sure, but I’m never taking anything for granted again.”
It was my turn to laugh. “You’re so right it’s scary.” I put my hand on his shoulder and stared him down for a few moments. “Savage, you’re the best friend a man can have. I’m proud of what we did today. It wasn’t easy, but by sticking together and to the plan, we survived. If we could do this, we can do anything.”
Savage wiped the sweat trickling down his face from his brow. Dirt stuck between his frown lines and suddenly he looked so much older and worn down than I’d ever seen him. “There’s no better partner than you. Granted, you’re a crazy motherfucker, but I wouldn’t trust my life to anyone else like I do you.”
I swallowed hard. “Hey, I’m going to put this sappy talk down to a sleepless night and all the shit that went down today. We’re not okay yet, so let’s not get carried away. It’s a far way home and until we touch down in LA, I’m going to be holding my fucking breath.”
We traveled in relative silence for the rest of the way. I watched as Savage’s eyelids grew heavier and how he fell asleep in spite of the bumpy ride. I stared up at the cloudless sky for the longest time, trying to imagine what Eva was doing at that moment, worried about whether she was okay.
Finally I gave in and closed my eyes too, falling into a restless kind of sleep, that strange space between consciousness and deep satisfying slumber. My entire body ached, yet I was too afraid to give myself over to the unconsciousness it yearned for.
Chapter 35 – Eva
All too soon, tomorrow had arrived. A shaft of bright light crept through a crack in the drawn curtains and threw a thin sharp line on the opposite wall. A new day was dawning. A fateful day. I shuddered and screwed my eyes closed, pretending it wasn’t happening.
I thought back to when I was a child and how tomorrow had seemed so far away, especially if it was the day before my birthday or Christmas.
It had been the longest night of my life. Sleep had evaded me as images of my future flashed through my mind. Tears had rolled down my cheeks into the pillow, but I was careful to not make a sound as I cried for every dream that would never see the light of day.
I’d begged him, and finally Nolan had given in and untied my wrists before he’d rolled over and fallen asleep. They still hurt from when I’d struggled to free myself, and I rubbed over the tender reddened skin.
When Harrison tied me up—with his handcuffs or whatever way he chose—it was sexy as sin. It didn’t leave me feeling powerless and lost; instead, I gave my submission willingly because I truly wanted to.
Holding my breath when I heard Nolan stir, I lay still and pretended to sleep. The mattress dipped as Nolan moved and got off the bed and went to take a pee. He hummed an upbeat tune while he had a shower and brushed his teeth. It took forever before he finally left the room.
With a heavy sigh, I rolled over and stared blankly at the wall. Tiny dust particles floated unhurried on the single beam of light from the window that had grown in intensity. Even though I was free to move around the room, I couldn’t make myself get out of the bed. I wanted to roll into a little ball, pull the covers over my head and fall asleep to never wake up.
Gravel crunched nearby, becoming louder and louder until it changed to quick heavy footsteps falling on concrete. I hugged my knees to my chest just like I had when I was a little girl and afraid of the dark.
A rapid, hard knock was followed by the door opening on squeaky hinges. I blinked as harsh sunlight streamed into the room. I’d been in darkness with the curtains drawn for so long that I had no real concept of what time it was. Not that I really cared anyway.
Jones’s large frame filled the doorway, blocking out the sunshine. He stepped inside with a young woman on his heels.
“It’s time to get ready. Senator Parker is expecting you in just over an hour. He’s arranging for a small ceremony. I brought Sofia to help you. Your dress will be delivered as soon as it arrives. Take a bath while you wait.”
My gaze fell on the pretty girl behind Jones. She was a lot younger than I was, with a dark olive complexion and a shy smile. She held a basket of toiletries in her arms, and clean towels.
“Hello Sofia,” I said, smiling for the first time in days.
“She doesn’t speak English. She’s here to help you, not be your new best friend.”
Asshole.
I shrugged. “Okay.”
“There will be a photographer. Senator Parker will release the photos to the press. Do your best to look good.”
Did Nolan really expect me to get all dressed up? This farce was becoming ridiculous. Yet the only other alternative was the crumpled clothes I’d been wearing for days. My hair felt a tangled mess and my skin was dehydrated. It was going to take considerable effort to just look half decent.
Once Jones left the room and locked the door behind him, I repeated my greeting in Spanish, thankful that I’d learned another language and hoping that the girl would understand me. Maybe, just maybe, and if I was very lucky, Sofia could help me escape this madness.
Excited to see another female, I started asking her all kinds of questions. At the very least, I needed to figure out exactly where we were.
Sofia looked at me with a perplexed expression. She didn’t answer my questions or offer any explanation. Despair crept into my soul. She isn’t going to help me. Either she was linked to one of Nolan’s men or she’d been paid a lot of money for her silence. Or both.
Sinking my head into my hands, I allowed the built-up frustration to run its free course. Sobs shook my body, and I slumped forward where I sat on the edge of the mattress.
Filled with dread and gloom, I wished for a way out of this mess.
A warm hand on my shoulder was the closest thing to comfort I’d felt since being abducted. Shocked, my head snapped up to look at Sofia. She gestured to her ears and made a gargling noise.
Oh my God. No wonder she didn’t answer me.
Sitting on the edge of the bed, Sofia rubbed my back. Her small gesture of kindness only made me cry harder. She wasn’t unsympathetic, just unable to communicate in the traditional way.
Trust Jones to thwart thoughts of escape this way. It reminded me to never underestimate him.
Sofia patted my hand and pushed me back against the pillows, then took the basket and went to the adjoining bathroom. I heard water running and soon afterwards the aroma of jasmine filled the air. Funny how such a small thing could lift my spirits. Kindness from a stranger and a hot bath weren’t things I’d usually even register in my busy life or feel such deep gratitude for.
Guess it’s the simple things . . . the things we take for granted that can mean the most.
Sofia appeared in the doorway and gestured for me to come. I rolled off the bed, but as soon as I stood up, dizziness and nausea caused my knees to buckle under me, and I dropped to the floor with a heavy thud.
An animalistic sound emitted from Sofia, and within seconds she was by my side. She stroked my arm gently, a strange mix of anger and confusion on her face. I pointed to the bruises on my arm and the back of my hand where the drip had been inserted. She nodded, understanding and empathy showing in her dark intelligent eyes.
With the support of Sofia, I got up off the floor and slowly made my way to the bathroom. Sofia helped me undress, not even flinching when we got to my naked ass—as if not wearing panties were totally normal.
Sinking under the water, I relaxed my body and leaned against the bath with my eyes closed, just soaking the warmth into my aching bones. I slipped under the water for a few seconds to wet my hair. God, it felt so damn good that for a while I forgot all my worries.
Sofia soaped up a sponge and indicated for me to lift a leg. Besides my mother bathing me as a child, I’d never been washed by a woman, yet it didn’t feel awkward because of the way Sofia just went about it as if it were perfectly normal.
“Oh, Sofia, you have no idea what kind of trouble I’m in, do you?” I said, more to myself than to her. She just smiled at me and kept scrubbing my skin.
As I emerged from the bath, another curt knock on the door startled me. I didn’t want Jones to burst in and see me naked. I grabbed the towel from Sofia and held it in front of me. She swung around when she saw me peering over her shoulder and slammed the bathroom door shut.
A small glimmer of hope that Sofia was on my side sparked inside me. But what good would that be? I couldn’t discuss an escape plan with a girl who couldn’t communicate.
Damn Jones and Nolan. They were smarter than I gave them credit for.
Chapter 36 – Harrison
By some miracle, Savage and I had managed to worm our way onto the aircraft just minutes before departure. The flash of admiration I saw in the captain’s eyes when I told him we’d completed the mission and were ready to fly home, and the fact that they were basically ready for takeoff and didn’t have time to clear our return with head office, was what got us on board.
I took a couple of deep breaths. The smell of hot spicy food made my mouth water, but there wasn’t any chance of getting my hands on it until we were up in the air because the plane was already taxiing down the runway.
No doubt the captain would have some explaining to do when we got back, but I was grateful that he’d used his initiative instead of going strictly by the book. At least something was counting in my favor for once.
We took our seats, and with a click both Savage and I buckled up and closed our eyes, giving our bodies over to sleep. I’d hit empty on all levels and was depleted and totally worn-out.
When I finally woke, the vicious rumbling of my stomach reminded me that I hadn’t eaten in nearly two days.
“Savage, why the fuck didn’t you wake me?”
He sat beside me, digging into his plate of spicy food like a starved man. He grinned at me, his mouth full, as he indicated to a crew member to come over.
“I tried . . . several times. Then I thought the smell may do the trick and wake you.” As soon as the guy reached us, Savage pointed to me. “Get the man some food.”
The guy nodded, and a minute later he returned with a stacked plate of rice and chicken and potatoes. I inhaled the fragrant aroma of cumin and cinnamon and smacked my lips.
“Thanks. I think my stomach is fucking gnawing itself. I could eat a horse.”
I dug in, chomping away as I devoured everything on my plate, not bothering to make conversation and only taking a break from chewing to slurp down a drink. Although the food was basic, it tasted like the best gourmet meal I’d ever had.
Savage belched. “Feeling human again?”
I nodded, took another gulp of my drink, and matched his belch. It was tradition to see who could show his appreciation of the food we’d wolfed down the loudest. I won by a hair’s breadth margin.
It was a small thing, yet it meant something to us. It meant we were alive. We’d survived to live through another day. When you constantly stared death in the face, traditions like ours bonded you in ways few people would understand.
With my stomach full and my body rested, my mind went back to Eva.
“How much longer before we land?”
“Two hours. Just as well—you’re starting to smell bad.”
I laughed. Yeah, a quick hot shower was the first thing I needed. And then I’d burn the fucking clothes I was wearing and start looking for Eva.
*****
I hadn’t spoken to my mom in a couple of weeks and guilt ate at me for not letting her know I was still kicking, but I didn’t have time to explain myself to her. I made a mental note to ask Jade to arrange a family dinner, but no sooner had the thought flashed through my mind when I got distracted by my partner and forgot all about it.
Savage assured me that he could handle the fire coming our way from the powers above. We were in deep shit, but that was nothing new. Somehow we’d get out of it because the fuckers knew we were the best in the game and they needed us.
For the first time since I’d signed up, I was putting myself—my needs and wants—above my job and everyone else. If Eva chose to be with the senator, I wanted to hear it from her own mouth.
But what if Jade was right? What if Eva was in love with me? Could I handle that?
Could she handle it?
I wasn’t worthy of a woman like Eva. She deserved so much better. My darkness was more than most people could bear. Just look what it had done to Jade and her unborn child.
Back at my apartment, I stripped and got beneath the hot stream of water of the shower. I set the nozzle to full-jet stream, enjoying every moment of the cleansing process—letting the tiny splatters of blood wash off my skin, and the weight of taking yet more human lives wash down the drain hole.
Finally, I was ready to call Ryder back. The phone only rang three times before he answered.
“Tell me you’re back and ready to help find Eva?” His voice was brusque and filled with worry. No greeting, no pleasantries.
Fuck. That could only mean he’d come up empty.
“Don’t tell me your club couldn’t come up with a single bit of information?”
Ryder sighed. “No. Nothing.”
I sucked in a breath. “And Bill? You’ve questioned him?”
“Yeah. He said he had no idea where Nolan took her. He hadn’t thought to ask at the time because he was just so relieved to get her away from you.”
I smirked. “That’s irresponsible and dumb.”
“Let’s leave the compliments for another time. The point here is getting to Eva. We’ve still heard nothing from her, and it’s worrying me.”
I ran a hand through my hair. “I’ll put out some feelers. I have a few informants who may be able to help.”
I didn’t tell Ryder that I had human sniff-dogs that could find a fucking needle in a haystack. He didn’t need the disappointment if my guys came up empty. For the first time since Jamie’s disappearance, Ryder and I were on the same page.
“Okay. I get what you’re saying. Let’s forget our differences and focus on Eva. For now.”
Ryder grunted, as if he was pained. “Yeah, I can work with that. For now,” he growled.
“I’ll let you know if I find anything. You do the same. That way we don’t waste time. Agreed?”
“Agreed.” Silence fell between us before Ryder spoke again. “Thank you. Eva means a lot to me. I don’t want her to be hurt.”
That made two of us.
“We’ll find her, okay?” I was consoling myself just as much as I was Ryder. If Eva had been taken against her will—and I was suspecting it more and more—Senator Parker was in for a shock. The biker and the cop uniting forces to unravel his game wasn’t going to be fun for him when we found him. But he was mine. I was the one who was bringing him to his knees. The fucker had toyed with my life, but even worse, if our suspicions were right, he was hurting the only woman on the planet who really meant something to me, outside of my family.
I hung up the call with Ryder and made a few calls. I’d never put this high a price on information, so I was sure I’d get something back within a couple of hours. The underground grapevine worked fast and effectively, and for the right price, somebody was always willing to talk.
Shocked when my phone rang twenty minutes later, the value of the mighty dollar hit me hard.
“Sonny, you got news for me?” Surely it couldn’t be this easy?
“Seems a few people don’t like the senator much. He’s not a nice man, from what I hear. But yeah, I got news for you.”
“Meet me at the usual place in thirty minutes.”
“I’ll be there. Bring the cash.”
It always came down to the money. Cold, hard cash trumped anything else.
I removed the duffle bag from under the floorboard and counted the money. I didn’t believe in putting my savings in the bank. Interest rates were so damn low that it wasn’t worth the effort. Besides, I felt more at ease knowing exactly where my money was. I didn’t want it invested in dodgy shares, or to watch its value tumble as I’d seen happen to so many of my father’s clients.
I’d been saving for a nice house closer to the ocean. This was my life savings, and I was just about to give almost half of it up for information. How fucking screwed up was that?
Thirty minutes later, I sat across from Sonny. I ordered a Coke and burger with everything, as well as fries on the side. Nothing like a greasy American meal to make me feel like I was back in my own country.
Sonny watched me with wide eyes as I devoured the entire meal in a few minutes.
“Man, you’re a crazy motherfucker,” he said, laughing.
I wiped the sauce from the corners of my mouth and grinned. “And don’t you ever forget that fact,” I warned.
I pushed the bag toward him. “Half now and half when I’m happy you delivered as requested.”
Sonny put his hand over his heart. “I’m hurt you don’t trust me, after all these years. When have I not delivered?”
I shrugged. “You know it’s nothing personal.” I picked at something stuck between my teeth. I hated when that happened. “It’s also the most money I’ve ever forked out, so you gotta understand I need assurance first.”
Sonny removed an envelope from his pocket. He held it against his chest and smirked. “These picture are worth a fuckload of cash on the black market. The senator probably has a few more enemies than he knows about who wouldn’t mind using them for extortion and blackmail.” He leaned forward as if he wanted to confide in me. “I’m giving them to you at a rock bottom price because I like you.”
I snorted. Yeah right.
I pushed the bag toward him and held out my hand. Sonny wouldn’t sell to me if I weren’t the highest bidder. But if I needed to, I’d give the fucker every cent I owned. Fuck I’d even borrow more if that wasn’t enough.
Sonny leaned forward and grabbed hold of the bag. He zipped it open and checked inside, then quickly closed it up again and placed it on his lap.
“Give me what I paid for,” I said, itching to get a look at the contents of the envelope.
He placed the envelope in my hand. With a slight tremble I ripped the envelope open and braced myself for the contents. Locking my jaw, I flicked through the pictures while keeping a poker face.
Pictures of Eva being carried into a place with whitewashed walls and tropical plants. Pictures of a huge motherfucker walking beside Parker with my girl in his burly arms, unconscious. Pictures of her wrapped in a sheet, her hair covering parts of her face.
What the fuck had they done to her?
Rage filled me, and I had a hard time controlling myself.
Ryder and Jade were right. No way in hell Eva was there out of her own choice. Fuck, why had it taken me so long to get that?
“You look shocked.” No shit. “What is this woman to you?”
I sucked in a breath.
This woman. She was everything to me. Everything.
I’d been a dumb-as-fuck asshole, too self-absorbed in my own fucking pain to see the truth stare me in the face. If something happened to Eva . . .
“She’s the sister of a friend.”
“Ah, that explains why you look so pale. It’s personal.”
“My friend won’t be happy when he sees these pictures.”
Ryder was going to go mental. And I wouldn’t blame him. As for Sonny, the less he knew about my personal involvement the better. If he had any idea how invested I was in the outcome, the price could easily double. The motherfucker would bleed me dry and not blink an eye.
