Monster In The Shadows: A stand-alone dark romance, page 18
Sway looks at me like I’m crazy. “He’s at the library like he is every Saturday night.”
I pull out my phone and bring up the library feed. My teeth grind and I let out a growl when I see Leanne and Paige tied together with tears running down their faces.
I toss it to Sway, and his eyes harden.
“You were right about taking this slow, but I was thinking about what I would do if I wanted someone to come in with guns blazing,” I explain. “And I wouldn’t have the girls in an obvious location. I’d send them with someone I trust and make it look like I was guarding something. I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I want you to get the girls. I’ll go with Mark and his brothers and make a big scene, just like Hector wants. Then you go in and get the girls and take them to my safe house. Anyone but me comes there, kill them. Anyone.”
Sway nods, his jaw clenched.
We walk out of my house, and Sway and Mark hop on their bikes while I get in my car. If I die tonight, at least I know it was doing something good.
“Everyone is in position. You caught an error neither of us did, so I want you to tell us when to go.”
I nod and look around, trying to figure out the best way in. Mark and I are behind a large bush and his men are scattered around the property. I hear yelling and hold my hand up, wanting Mark to wait.
“Stay here. When the first shot is fired, storm the place. I have an idea,” I announce.
Mark looks at me like I’m crazy, but nods.
“As soon as I’m inside, text Sway to go.”
I leave him my rifle and put my handgun in its holster. Walking up, I raise my hands as three men come over to me with guns pointed at my face.
“I want to talk to Hector and get my girl back,” I tell them.
They smirk. They have no idea that I know where the girls are, and that’s what I want.
They take my gun and pull me into a large room, where Hector is sitting. His face is red, but he smiles when he sees me.
“Frankly, I’m surprised you came alone, Donovan,” he says calmly.
“I just want my girl back. I’ll take her, and you’ll never see either of us again,” I plead with him, trying to sound desperate.
He laughs and grabs a drink from the table next to him. Judging from how he’s sloshing it around, I’d guess he’s already had a lot.
“Why would I do that? You want me dead. I’m not an idiot, Don.”
“Never said you were, Hector. I’m assuming you already know I don’t like women being sold. But I’ll leave Chicago and never come back if you just let her go. Hell, you can fucking kill me. Just let me see her one more time.”
My phone chimes with Sway’s ringtone, and I pray that he’s telling me the girls are safe.
Hector stands and stumbles. Why did he get drunk enough that he can’t even walk straight? I’ll be able to kill him with my bare hands.
Two of Hector’s men keep their hands on me, and then out of nowhere, a gun goes off. Did Mark get sick of waiting?
I punch the guy to the left of me in the face and grab his gun. I turn, and Hector is already lying on the ground, blood pouring from his head.
Who the fuck killed him? He was supposed to be mine.
I don’t have time to think too much about it, because all hell is breaking loose. I kill the two men who were holding me and shoot another who was in the room with us.
I hide behind the bar so I can pull my phone out. I see that Sway has the girls, and that makes me happy, but now I have to get out of here alive.
“Don’t fucking move,” a woman says.
I turn in the direction of her voice, holding my gun up.
She points her gun and smiles. “Drop the gun, Donny. You aren’t going to shoot me.”
I freeze and slowly drop the gun. My chest is tight, and I can’t breathe.
It’s my sister, Ciera. My sister, who I thought I buried years ago.
“How are you here right now?” I ask.
“Did you really believe they killed me, Donny? Why would they do that when they could rape me every day?”
Bile rises in my throat. How is this even happening?
“I saw the picture. You were blue. I buried your body.”
“I was drugged and cold. You didn’t bury my body; you buried some chick who overdosed. I thought you were smarter than that,” she scoffs. “If you’d just opened the fucking coffin, you would have seen it wasn’t me.”
“I tried to save you,” I whisper. “But I was just a boy.”
“Yeah, and you let the monster who took me be your mentor. You kept the house and staff and the luxury we were used to while I was passed from cock to cock.”
My blood runs cold. “What are you talking about, Ciera?”
She laughs, but it’s cold and hollow. “You think you don’t trust people, but you trust too fucking easily. Did you know I wasn’t kidnapped at all? Dad sold me to Winston, trying to gain more power. Nothing was ever good enough for him. He always needed more. Then Winston killed him. He knew you would be his perfect little solider. A man with nothing to live for can kill and do things that other men can’t. So he got rid of everyone you cared about.”
She sits down, still pointing her gun at me. But she was right before. Even if I could get my gun, I would never be able to bring myself to kill my own sister.
“All men are stupid, though. A wet pussy can get them to do just about anything. How do you think I got my stupid husband, Hector, to do all my dirty work? I’m sick of sitting at the bottom of the totem pole. If I have to be a whore, at least I can be running this whole operation. But I couldn’t just take my own husband out. No, I needed you for that. But that stupid fucking girl. She just had to get in the way.”
“Where is she?” I ask, playing stupid.
I need to keep her talking. If she finds out the girls are gone, I’m a dead man.
Ciera laughs. “Not here, idiot. That was also my idea. I’m the brains of this organization. Hector was a fucking moron. But because I was born with a vagina, men don’t take me seriously.”
“What makes you think they’ll follow you now? What’s to keep them from just appointing someone else?”
She screams at me, and I realize that this world has made her crazy. I guess that happens when you’re in a fucked-up place for over fourteen years.
If I had a heart, it would be breaking right now. But she stole that heart, or the men who bought and sold her did. I wish I could have saved her from this. But I did believe she was dead. And dead would have been better than this.
It’s all my fault for not looking closely enough. For trusting the wrong people.
“They’ll see, Donovan. They’ll see that I was the one who did all this. I’m the mastermind, not my fucking dead husband.”
“They’ll see that you killed him. That you set him up to fail.”
“No!” she screams, shaking her head, her light brown hair falling around her face.
She’s so skinny; I can see all her bones. How could anyone treat a woman like this?
When we were younger, she used to be so full of life, but there is no life left in her eyes. She’s just a crazy woman who did what she had to do to survive, and there’s no trace left of the Ciera I used to know.
“I can get you out of here. I can save you,” I tell her.
She shakes her head. “You had your chance to save me. It’s too late. This is all your fault. If you would have just done what you promised me when we were kids, none of this would have happened. I blame you, Donny. You said we wouldn’t have to live these lives, but look where I am now. Because of you.”
She stands and grasps the gun with both hands, slowly walking over to me.
“You couldn’t save me. You won’t save your girl. And I get to watch you die.”
She aims the gun at my chest, and two guns go off. Mind-numbing pain rips through my chest as I collapse to my knees and fall over next to Ciera’s lifeless body. I watch as the blood drains from her mouth, her eyes completely lifeless now. She shot me, but someone shot her too.
The world starts to spin, and I have a hard time keeping my eyes open. So, this is how I die. I always knew I wouldn’t last long in this world.
I didn’t save my girl, but Sway did. She’s safe. She’s alive. And that’s all that matters. I succeeded in one thing in my life.
I squeeze Leanne’s hand as best I can with her back pressed to mine. We’re tied together back-to-back, and the rope is cutting into my stomach and sides.
“They’ll get us. I promise,” I whisper.
“Why did they take us?” Leanne whispers back.
The man who took us grabs my face. His breath reeks of alcohol and cigarette smoke.
“You’d do good to shut your mouth,” he sneers. “I mean, I’d be happy to stick my dick in your mouth to keep you quiet if you want.”
“Just try it. I’ve always wondered if a jaw was strong enough to bite a dick off,” I say defiantly.
He slaps me hard across the face, and I whimper from the sting.
“Fuck you,” I bite out.
He pulls his gun out, pointing it in my face. “You can act strong all you want. But you’re just a dumb bitch. If I wasn’t under orders not to kill you, I’d pull this fucking trigger and shut your smart mouth up.”
Leanne grabs my hand, and her body shakes from the tears. The man laughs at her and unbuckles his pants. He starts pulling out his cock, and I want to vomit.
“You look sweet. Why don’t you be a good little girl and suck me? If you bite, I’ll blow your brains out. No one gives a fuck if I kill you or not.”
“Don’t!” I scream.
This is all my fault.
“Shut up, you stupid—”
His words are cut off with a gurgle.
“No one touches my girl,” Sway snarls.
He cuts us apart, and I see the man lying on the ground with blood pouring from his neck.
Pulling Leanne into his arms, Sway kisses her head.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispers into her hair.
She clings to him and sobs. He pulls out his phone, and it looks like he’s texting someone.
Wait. Sway’s here, but Donovan isn’t. Why? He knew I was taken, so why wouldn’t he have come for me?
“Where’s Donovan?” I ask.
Sway’s jaw ticks, and he grabs the back of his neck. “He went after the head of the human trafficking ring.”
Leanne pushes him away. The look on her face tells me that she’s putting the pieces together and has figured out that he’s not just a mechanic.
“What the fuck are you guys actually involved in?” she asks.
“Now’s not the time. I promised Donovan I would take you to a safe house. We have to get out of here.”
“What about him?” I ask, pointing to the dead guy in my library.
“My brothers will take care of it.”
Sway’s phone rings, and he answers. As the person on the other end of the phone speaks, his brows start to furrow.
“How’s Donovan?” He pauses. “We’re on our way.” He puts his phone in his pocket and looks at me. “Change of plans. Donovan’s been shot. We have to get him to a hospital.”
I gasp and cover my mouth. I can’t lose him.
“He’ll be okay, but we have to go now.” He tries to grab Leanne’s hand, but she pulls away.
“Let’s go,” I say, grabbing Leanne’s hand and pulling her along with us.
Please don’t die, I silently beg.
“Where the fuck is he?” I ask, pacing the hospital room as we wait for Donovan to come out of surgery.
I had to tell so many lies when we brought him in. I’m just thankful this isn’t the hospital I worked at; they would have known half of it was lies.
Leanne wraps her arm around me and pulls me into her side. “You know surgery takes a while. They have to make sure he’s stable.”
I nod into her chest. I’m a fucking nurse. I know all of this, but it doesn’t make it any easier. It’s torture not being able to do anything other than sit in a hospital room waiting for another person I love to die.
“Mrs. Maxwell?” an older lady asks as she walks into the waiting room.
I haven’t seen her yet, so I think she’s the surgeon.
“Yes,” I answer.
I feel guilty about lying, but I knew they wouldn’t give me any information unless I said I was his wife.
“The surgery went well. I was able to stop the internal bleeding, and the bullet didn’t do as much damage as it could have. He’s very lucky to be alive. Are you sure you don’t know any more about how this happened?”
I shake my head, knowing to keep my mouth shut.
“No. My girlfriend and I were out tonight for my pinning ceremony, and then her boyfriend picked us up. Donovan was supposed to meet us at her house, but he didn’t show up. We drove by our house and found him outside the gate. Someone must have mugged him, because his car, wallet, and keys were gone.”
She nods. “Okay. The police will be here soon to take your official report. Donovan will be brought back here in about thirty minutes.”
I thank her and turn to Leanne.
“You have a whole fucking lot of explaining to do when we get out of here,” she whispers to me.
I nod. I know it’s time to come clean about everything. It’s kind of hard to lie to your best friend after your boyfriend was shot in the fucking chest. Honestly, I’m just done with lying.
“When the cops get here, tell them the same story we’ve been telling everyone,” Sway tells me.
“I know,” I assure him.
He reaches out to grab Leanne’s hand, and she pulls away. She’s pissed at all of us for lying to her. When she glances at Sway, I can also tell she’s hurt. I think she was falling for him, but this has thrown her for a loop. She has to make her own decision about whether his way of life is the life she wants for herself. I’ve already made up my mind about what I want. I want Donovan, and I know what that means in terms of a life. But Leanne needs to weigh her options on her own.
Donovan is wheeled into the room. His eyes are barely open, but he’s alive.
“He needs his rest, so please keep the visit short,” the nurse tells us.
I nod at her, rushing over to grab his hand.
“Oh, my God, I thought you were going to die. I was so worried.” My words are rushed, and tears are pouring down my face.
“Can’t get rid of me that easily,” he says softly, and when he tries to chuckle, he winces with pain. Then he turns to Sway. “What’s the story?”
“You got mugged. They stole your wallet and your car. We found you outside the gate for your house. Lucky we got there when we did.”
Donovan nods. “You were supposed to go to the cabin.”
Sway shrugs. “Change of plans.”
I know they aren’t saying everything because of possible listening ears, but Sway already told me that Donovan might be pissed because I’m here and not at a safe house.
“I missed you,” I tell him, and lean down to kiss him gently.
“I fucking hate that I’m so weak right now.” A yawn slips through his lips.
I put my hand on his cheek. “Sleep. That’s the only way you’ll get back to your crazy, dominating self.”
He smiles, and his eyes close.
After pressing a kiss to his forehead, I motion for Leanne and Sway to follow me, then turn and leave the room.
“I don’t want to leave him, but he needs his rest,” I tell them when we get out into the hallway.
I could also use some rest, but Donovan is all I care about right now.
“You girls go get a nap; you’ve been through a lot too. I’ll stay and help with the cops if need be. If they want a report from each of you, I’ll call, but since we were all there at the same time, it should be okay for just me to give a report.”
I don’t know why, but I throw myself into Sway’s arms for a hug.
“Thank you for being there for him,” I tell him, then grab Leanne’s hand.
I notice the way Sway stares at her, and the fact that she didn’t pull away from me. He’s upset that she’s putting distance between them.
“So, are we going to talk about this?” Leanne asks when we get to her car.
“Can we get to your place first, please?” I beg, wanting to change into something comfortable.
She nods and pulls out of the parking lot. The drive home is completely silent, everything we’re leaving unsaid hanging in the air between us.
We both change into soft pajamas and grab a glass of wine before sitting on Leanne’s bed to have a conversation.
“Just ask your questions and I’ll be honest,” I tell her after a long, awkward silence.
“First, how could you lie to me?” Her voice breaks and a tear falls down her cheek.
“It was to protect you. I thought I was doing what I needed to do in order to keep you alive.”
“We tell each other everything!” she screams.
I pull her into my arms like she’s done to me so many times. We’re always there for each other, but lately it’s been her soothing me. It’s nice to return the favor. I just hate that I’m part of the reason she’s upset.
“Why were we kidnapped? Why were all those people dead?” she asks, sobbing into my shoulder.
“Donovan and Sway are involved in shit I wish I knew nothing about. If you stay with Sway, I’ll tell you more, but if you choose to end things with Sway, I think it’s best for your safety and mental health that I don’t tell you much. The more you know, the more danger you’re in.”
“If I stay with Sway, will I always be in danger?”
I shrug. “I don’t have that answer. According to Sway, they shut down a human trafficking ring, and that’s why we were kidnapped. The men running the ring wanted to stop them. But our men are smarter than people think. Even bad men have things they just won’t do. That’s Sway and Donovan. They do bad things—criminal things—but women and children are not to be harmed.”
“It was only supposed to be sex with Sway,” Leanne murmurs, pulling away and swiping at her tears.
“And it’s grown?” I guess.
She nods. “He’s all I can think about. But I’ve learned tonight that I don’t know him at all. I guess if I decide to stay with him, I’ll have to have a conversation like you did with Donovan.”
