Dylan, page 4
I need to get her back. “Sir, she’s not at her old apartment.”
“Where is she?” Damn it, I should have had access to the tracker myself. I intentionally didn’t give myself that power because I’d be a crazy stalker, but now I don’t care.
“It looks like she’s with her cousin that’s getting married.”
“Oh, yes. The wedding is in a few days.” Married. It’s what I should be doing; I should be getting married to the love of my life instead of pushing her away.
I hate myself more than I ever have before. I made a call I should have made a long time ago—to a therapist.
The following morning, I go to the first session that day and explain everything, letting it fall from my mouth like verbal diarrhea. It almost feels cathartic to let it out. No one knows my true past, only that I was adopted and my mother died. There is nothing else about my past, and I have no one that I ever shared it with.
The therapist leaves me with a bit of comfort, explaining that it’s something proven to be passed on, and we are who we are based on how we are raised. Many children like me suffer with PTSD because it’s a reminder that we were a product of force.
I see the therapist again for a second day because I want help before going to fix my relationship with Harley.
“You don’t need to hide away from relationships. That’s only going to hurt you. Think about people who are born to alcoholics, and yet one child is an alcoholic and the other never touches a drink in their lives because they don’t want to become their parents. You don’t have to hurt a woman, because you don’t want to. Do you have urges?”
“What urges?” I ask, wanting to know where she’s going with this.
“Urges to hurt women?”
“God, no. Never. I don’t feel anything for almost all women.” Only one woman do I have any feelings for, and they are deeply rooted in my soul. Embedded, engrained, etched into my heart—they’ll always be there even if she never forgives me.
“Then why are you so afraid?”
“Ever since my adoptive mother told me the truth, I worried about what I could become.” Shame fills me as I confess those words.
“How old were you?” she asks, putting a sympathetic hand on my thigh.
“About thirteen.”
“Oh, so just at the start of your hormonal stage. Any arousal would have frightened you, right?”
“You nailed it.” I used to get hard with the wind blowing. God forbid if I saw a movie with a pretty woman in it. Then as I got older, I wasn’t aroused by much but my own fantasies of a happy life until Harley swept by me. All fantasies became about her and imagining her in my arms, writhing with pleasure, crying out my name as I ate her out.
“You should consider the fact that you’re in your late twenties and just lost your virginity as a sign you had no intentions of hurting anyone.” I don’t need to be reminded that I was a virgin and that I shared that with anyone. It’s kind of embarrassing. She leans in, lowering her glasses and adds, “You’re handsome, wealthy, and you could probably pay your way through discretionary affairs. There are clubs that allow for privacy for those craving dominance and submission.” Is she hitting on me?
“I’m not interested in anything like that, Doctor.”
“You could find yourself in one of those places.” She licks her lips, and I’m out the damn door.
“I will no longer require your services.” I step out and leave the damn secretary a message. “I want the bill, and I don’t want any more sessions. No calls. I want the doctor and this office to lose all of my information. Understood?”
“Yes, Mr. Hunter.” Where did I get her number from in the first place? Fuck, now I remember. James Majors, when he said the company-recommended therapy sessions help release stress.
I just need to find Harley and get her back. No matter how perverted that bitch was, I did learn something. I’m not my father, and I can love Harley.
“I need to find Harley,” I tell Timothy.
“Sorry, sir. We don’t have a location on the necklace.”
Chapter Eight
Harley
It’s been miserable without Dylan. His words stung just as much as the way he left, going to his other home. I found out from one of his men, whose name I don’t remember, that he doesn’t even live at the condo all the time. It’s where he brings his hookups. This was just temporary, something he does from time to time.
Yet, I miss him so much. A part of me doesn’t believe a word he said because I remember the way Dylan was, and that was a man conflicted and not a man playing a game. I was his after the first day. He could have had me over and over if he wanted, and yet he refused to touch me, holding out until he lost control. Still, he shoved me away, telling me that it was over and so was his need for me.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. I need some air, Lillian. I’m going to go out for a walk.”
“Don’t go too far, okay?”
“Of course.” I head out with my keys and my purse and walk down her block. I only get about halfway when there’s a cloth placed over my face. I gasp, and then everything goes dark.
My vision’s fuzzy, clearing up as the road grows bumpy, and I slowly wake up. My hands and feet are tied but I’m not blindfolded, so I see who is in the passenger seat and I’m not as shocked as I should be. Her blonde hair is a clear giveaway, but then her shrill, bitchy voice is the dead giveaway that sent the chill down my spine—Sandra.
“James, baby.” I almost vomit in the back. I can’t slap my hand on my mouth and it’s too late anyway because she hears me. “Oh, shit. She’s awake.”
“Well, well, well. Pretty little pussy’s awake.”
“They’re going to love her.”
“Love breaking her,” she says with an annoying giggle that turns dark, something I hadn’t expected even from Sandra.
“They are going to do so much more than that, or maybe Hunter will give us tons of money to get her back.”
“Oh, he so will. He never gave any woman a single ounce of time, and suddenly he hires her as his personal assistant. He wanted his mousy little woman, and I’m sure he’ll do anything to get her back.” I’m so confused and scared that I drop my head back on the seat and try to think of a way to get out of here. Whoever they’re taking me to isn’t a good person and nothing good can come of what’s going to happen to me, so I’ve got to get myself out of trouble.
“Hunter’s got deep pockets, and we’re going to take him for so much.” I can’t believe that my cousin was involved in my own kidnapping. How sick and twisted does someone have to be to do it to their own family?
I disliked James before. Now, I despise him with everything in me and if I ever get out of here, I’m going to find a way to make him pay for his involvement. The road only gets more and more bumpy as he flies faster, sending me bouncing around the vehicle, plumping to the floorboard in the backseat.
“Hey, slow down, James. She’s going to get hurt back there.” Wow, a modicum of sympathy coming from her takes me by surprise. “Malone’s not going to be happy if we damage the merchandise before we get there,” she continues, and then I’m no longer shocked. Can’t be looking ruined for the buyer. I can’t believe they are doing this to me. Taking a hard breath, I try to calm down and focus. Since I’m not strapped down, I consider my options.
They are flying way too fast for me to pop out and make a run for it, so I’ll have to wait for them to make a stop, but then what would be my next move? Shit. Things are crazy, and my mind is whirling. More like actually spinning at the moment; whatever they drugged me with is giving me a killer headache. Suddenly the vehicle slows, turning onto a gravel road, and my tension picks up. I’m beyond frightened, but that’s not going to do me any good, so I stay strong as the vehicle comes to a stop.
“Come on, little bitch. It’s time to make me a lot of money,” James sneers, staring at me from the front seat. The back door flies open, and my head tilts up to see a massive brute leering down at me.
“How about that. Look at the treat you brought me today. This is a nice one. I might want to sample her first.” I hold back my shiver of disgust so he can’t sense my fear. He grabs me around the shoulders and quickly pulls me out of the car and throws me over his shoulder. The bastard hurriedly moves into a small building out of the fading sunlight to avoid any passing cars on the road. The blood rushes so fast to my head that a new wave of nausea causes the spins, and I’m a little off on my surroundings.
“Boxer, she’s a beauty, isn’t she?” my cousin says. He looks like a damn underground heavyweight boxer.
“She is,” he says, leering at me with a dirty look in his eyes and licking his lips.
“Let me go, you filthy fuck.” I kicked him violently, attempting to break his hold. It almost works, and he nearly sends me falling to the ground. The prick must be used to dealing with women like me, and he snatches me up in a more precarious position, holding me tighter.
He smirks as he tosses me into a cage. Fuck, this isn’t good. “Oh, feisty, is she? You never told me that.”
“Well, we had no idea. She’s a little mouse.”
“Let me steal your freedom and see if you cower, you dirty cunt,” I hiss, grabbing the metal and tugging on it, but it’s useless, so I spit on the fucker.
He wipes his face with the back of his hand while glaring at me. “Watch your mouth, little treasure box. You don’t need teeth to suck dick.” I try to still my expression, but I can’t stop myself from clamping my lips shut.
“Don’t want to lose profit on a precious commodity,” James says, stopping the wrath of my jailer.
“True. We have enough crackhead whores. A pretty little skirt like her would make a killing even if she’s not a virgin.” I slide back into the far corner of my small enclosure and consider my options. There aren’t a lot of ways out of this.
They step out of the room, and then suddenly only two men rush back in: the man who carried me, and a new man. I recognize him from my time with Dylan. He was on his security team, and he brought me my things to the hotel from Dylan’s condo. I see him, and I believe he’s here to rescue me.
“Oh, no. Is that you, Harley?”
“Yes, please help me.”
I move closer to the edge of the cage. He stares at me lecherously, and I try to move back but I’m too late—he already has the cage open and drags me out by my hair. “Oh, my, my. Finally, I’ve got you alone.” He brings his face to mine, about to kiss me when his eyes drop to my chest. “What the fuck?”
“I told you to take the fucking necklace. It has a damn tracker. Hunter put it in there to follow her ass.” He violently rips the chain from my throat.
“No,” I scream.
“What? You’re upset that your boss can’t come to find you? He’s not looking for you anyway. He’s too busy sitting at home like a lost fucking puppy.” He laughs maniacally, and I’m growing more terrified by the moment. There’s something different in him than the others. They’re greedy and unscrupulous. He’s insane.
“Who are you?” I question, scrunching my eyes as I try to remember his name. I know that I’ve seen him around many times, but his name isn’t ringing a bell.
“What? You’re going to play dumb with me?”
“I don’t know your name or anything, other than you work for Dylan.”
“Bitch,” he roars, slapping me across the face. “You ignore me, but drop to your knees for him.” He huffs and attacks me. Damn it. I feel the strikes until the other guy pulls him off me.
“Chill the fuck out.”
“Sorry.” I groan and lie there, still.
“Leave her for now. Let’s dispose of this shit.”
“We’re going to have to move her now that he can trace this.”
“Damn it.”
“Well, she’s fine for now. Let’s go have a drink and think about our plans. She’s not going anywhere for a while.” The second they leave the room, I make my way to the door on my tied hands and knees. The rope digs into my wrists, twisting with each inch I move. The pain is excruciating, but I’m able to get to the door that isn’t locked. Fucking idiots.
I open it just a bit because there is a light nearby that can seep into the dark room. I shimmy it open just enough so that I can scoot out, and I make a break for it. Getting to my feet, I look around and dash back to the main road and start running.
Even with the pain racking my body, I use my skills as a runner and push through it, remembering that I’ve run on bloody, blistered feet before. Unlike before, my hands are tied, so I fall just a quarter mile from the little shack. I heard them shouting, so I duck down. As I do, I find my savior—scrap metal on the road. Keeping myself ducked in the overgrown brush, I used the metal as a knife and sawed my ropes over it until my hands were free.
Quickly they scan the area, but it’s getting dark, and so I run on an angle and run for miles. It’s a little bumpy, but I end up reaching a small town that looks familiar. I see the name of a building, and I remember where I am. It’s the town where we were kicked out of the bar, so we aren’t that far from Dallas.
Sweat pours down my neck and stings as I duck down between buildings, looking for the one I remember well. They tore off my necklace that Dylan put a tracker in. Why would he do that if he didn’t want me? None of it makes sense, but it doesn’t matter because finding shelter and safety is the most important thing right now. I move around until I see my refuge in sight: a place I remember with a man I hope I can trust. My gut says I can, and I pray that I’m right.
It’s just after sunset when I pound on the back door of the bar, begging for help. It’s Dylan’s older twin who comes to my rescue, bringing me in and asking me what’s wrong, but I feel like nothing I’m saying is making any sense. “Sweetie, talk to me. What happened?” Dylan’s older twin asks me. He wipes me down, and it feels nice.
“Attacked, ran away,” I mutter. He grabs on to me and it hurts, but everything hurts right now and I’m so tired.
“What’s your name?”
“Harley.”
“I’m going to get you some help, Harley, and then we’re going to find this bastard.”
“Okay.” The world goes dark.
When I come to again, I can see that I’m bandaged and I have new clothes on. I look to the side and am startled by a woman sitting in a chair. “Oh, sweetie. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. I came to see how you were doing, and I’ve been sitting here since you started moving around.”
“Where am I?”
“You’re just above the Panhandles Bar in Steeleville. I’m Crystal.” She gives me a wave and a smile.
“Am I safe?”
“Yes, you are. We won’t let anything happen to you. Are you hungry?”
“No.” I don’t feel like eating. I haven’t felt like eating since I was unceremoniously expelled from Dylan’s condo. Not his home, though. He has another one of those.
“You do need to eat. You’re weak, and you’ve been here almost a full day.”
“Really?”
“Yes. We can bring you food and if you feel like eating, please do. We’re here if you want to talk. I recommend you stay up here a little longer, though. We don’t know who is after you, so we can’t say if you’re safe just yet.”
“Thank you.” I already know who set me up—my beloved cousin, James, his whore, Sandra, and one of Dylan’s security guards. That asshole security bastard told my seller named Boxer to rip off my necklace because it had a trace on it, but I don’t know who I can trust just yet, so I’m going to be quiet. So far, these people look like they want to help.
Chapter Nine
Dylan
“Hey, boss. I’m surprised to see you in here,” Russell says.
“I need you to do something extremely top secret for me. I have a tracker on something, and suddenly it stopped functioning. I don’t have access to the account because I’m an idiot, now I need you to run it and find out the locations of its movements.”
“Sure. Do you have the original tracker information?” I give him everything I got when I bought the piece, because I need answers. Someone on my team is lying to me. It didn’t just go cold, and we can’t trace her. I’ve watched too many crime shows to know that you can fucking track things easily and ping the damn records.
“Okay, here you go. Here are the last ten days.”
“Hm…” Baby, please be safe. Fuck, I’ll destroy everyone in my path, and then I’ll take my own damn life if you’re not in this world anymore.
I follow the trail and take several of my men with me, but not the asshole who knew about the tracker in her necklace. In fact, I inform my team that I’m going on a business trip to Houston because I don’t want them to be suspicious. My trail ends at an abandoned shack. She’s been there, but there’s nothing I can do because she’s gone. “Where is the nearest town?”
“Sir, that’s Steeleville. That’s where she went for the bachelorette party.”
“How do you know?”
“Because Tim told us. He said the bikers there were crazy and the girls got kicked out of the bar in a matter of minutes. He said he almost got spotted by her.” So he fucking lied to me when he said that he wasn’t noticed by Harley.
“Thanks.” We make the short, two-mile drive to the very nice, quaint town, but it will be a pile of rubble if they’re holding my woman against her will and, God forbid, they’ve harmed her.
“Where the fuck is she? I know she’s here.” I’m just calling their bluff, but this is the bar she’d been at and if my woman is anywhere in this town, this is the place to start.
“Where is she?” I bark out at the bastard who has me doing a fucking double take.
“You can’t come in here acting like you own this place.”
“I’ll buy this place and have it shut the fuck down in a heartbeat if you don’t tell me where she is.”
“You can try, boy, but that shit won’t happen.” This old man stands tall, like he isn’t the least bit intimidated by me. I would be impressed, but since he didn’t tell me he didn’t know who I was talking about, I’m about to kill him.
