Breaker's Point Bad Boy Billionaires Boxset (28 page)

“
W
hat the hell
do you mean she was here and then the cops took her into town?” Riley’s voice boomed through the house, bouncing off the walls and echoing back to his ears as though mocking him.

He should have been here. He should have been the one to open the door to her, comfort her…

“She was really upset, saying some guy called Marcus had stabbed her dad. I thought calling the cops was the right thing to do… I tried calling you and there was no answer and…”

Riley cut Griffin off as he moved in closer, his fists balling into the front of his brother’s jumper, dragging him closer until they were eye to eye.

“You called the cops here in Breaker’s Point and then you let her leave with them? Did you not think it was a little odd that they insisted she go to the station? Victims of violent crime aren’t treated like criminals and bundled into the back of cop cars!”

“Riley, I’m sorry. What was I supposed to think? They’re the cops. I tried contacting you, I really did, but you weren’t picking up…”

“Then you should have tried harder! Christ, Griffin, if anything happens to her, I’ll hold you personally responsible.”

Riley released him as suddenly as he’d grabbed him, shoving him away and out of his reach.

“When did they leave?” Riley said, pushing his hands back through his hair.

“About thirty minutes ago, maybe forty…” Griffin said, dipping his head to stare at his shoes.

“So what do we do now?” Stuart asked, his voice low and angry.

“I’m going up there. I’m tired of waiting, of biding my time, especially after what we found up at Marshall’s airstrip. If Marcus has flipped, then I’m not going to wait around for him to hurt her or…” Riley trailed off, images of Holly swirling in his mind.

Guilt gnawed at him and Riley knew he should have gone to his contact at the bureau sooner. He’d been an idiot to sit on the information but hindsight was always 20/20.

He’d threatened Griffin, but he was the one at fault. He’d waited far too long. If he’d gone with his gut instinct to begin with, then none of this would be happening.

“Clay said to give him time,” Stuart said.

“To hell with Clay. I can’t wait any longer, Stu. If anything happens to her it’ll be my fault. I’m going up there now to finish this once and for all.”

“Then I’m coming with you. You’re going to need some sort of backup and that’s one thing I’m good at.” Stuart grinned and reached behind his back to pull a gun from the concealed holster he wore.

Striding into the office, Riley pulled one of the books on the bookshelf next to the desk and a panel slid open, revealing his own private collection of firearms.

Grabbing the Glock 17 from its resting place, he slid out the clip and checked the bullets. It felt good to finally be doing something and the thought of putting a bullet through the centre of Marcus’ head if he’d laid a finger on Holly again made him feel even better.

“Let’s go,” he said, heading for the car.

“Riley, I’m really sorry…” Griffin said. Riley could hear the remorse in his voice but none of it mattered, not now, not when he had to focus on finding Holly safe and sound.

R
iley gunned the engine
, the car easily manoeuvring around the sweeping bends of Cliff Road.

It was proving difficult to keep his thoughts positive and every time he let his mind slip, the car veered across the white line.

Stuart’s phone began to shrill and Riley shot his brother an impatient look.

“It’s Clay…” Stuart said, lifting the phone to his ear. “You’ve done what?”

Riley fought not to snatch the phone from Stuart’s hand and press it to his own ear to listen to what Clay had to say.

Rounding another bend, Riley hit the brakes hard enough to make Stuart swear. The tyres squealed and the smell of burning rubber filled the car.

The car came to a complete halt and Riley gripped the steering wheel hard enough for his fingers to lose their colour. Holly’s car sat on the hard shoulder, the front and side of the car a mangled wreck.

The sight of it was enough to make Riley gag.

The back door on Holly’s car opened and Clay stepped out, one side of his face a mask of bright blood. The sight of him halted Riley’s heart completely and without waiting for Stuart to say anything, Riley hopped out of the car and ran.

“
T
hank you
, Officer,” Marcus said as the cop who had driven Holly back to the house dragged her from the backseat.

“I can take it from it here.”

“Are you sure, because there’s only so much covering we can do for you. You got lucky this time; don’t let it happen again,” the cop said, twisting Holly’s arm until she was forced to stop struggling or risk having her arm snapped like a twig.

“I’m going to tie everything up later this evening. Tell George I’m ready to proceed.”

“Please don’t do this. He’s a killer, please!” She pleaded with the cop holding her, twisting in his grip to stare up into his face.

He didn’t even look at her as he nodded at Marcus and pushed her towards him as though she were simply a piece of property getting returned to its owner.

“You can’t do this!” she shrieked, fighting against Marcus as the police officers walked away, leaving her to his mercy.

He manhandled her up the steps and in the front door, his hand twisting viciously into her hair as he dragged her through the hall and into the living room.

He shoved her hard, driving her to her hands and knees on the floor. Holly froze, her struggles dying as her eyes found the large bloodstain spreading across the floor.

“I thought that might stop you,” Marcus said, circling her slowly.

Holly crawled backwards, scrabbling across the floor in an attempt to escape the horror that soaked slowly into the carpet.

“You murdered him,” she said, her voice low as she tried to compose herself.

“I had no choice, he attacked me. I merely defended myself.”

“Was it self-defence when you murdered Nessie, too? Or was that something else?”

Marcus laughed, a short abrupt burst of noise that reminded Holly of gunfire. She cringed and came to a halt as she backed into the sofa.

“Nessie was a stupid little girl. She liked to blame those around her for all the bad choices she made. But in the end, everything she did she did for her…”

“She had an addiction and you used it against her. I wouldn’t exactly call that free will… But then I guess, Marcus, it just goes to show that girls will only screw you when you blackmail them.” Holly pushed to her feet and raised her chin defiantly, staring him down.

His eyes were practically black with rage and Holly could feel the emotion as it prickled along the edges of her skin, searching for a way in, a way to suffocate her.

“What does that say about you, Holly? I’ve blackmailed you and yet I haven’t touched you. I’d rather shove my dick in a toaster oven than have to force myself to get hard enough to fuck you.”

It was Holly’s turn to laugh, the sound escaping her with an edge of hysteria. She could feel the emotion building within her, welling up inside and it threatened to steal whatever last little piece of courage she had left that was holding her together.

“I won’t marry you now. I’ll never marry you. The deal was to leave the ones I love alone and you messed up when you stuck that knife in my father.”

“He called out for you. Called out your name as he bled out on the floor. The sobbing was pitiful, so many regrets…

“But I took him out of his misery before he died, Holly. You see, I’m not as cruel as you are. I stayed with him, held his mouth open and poured a bottle of whiskey down his throat.” He gestured to an empty bottle that lay on the couch. “It was the first time I ever saw Niall try and refuse a drink…” Marcus smiled but the rage still filled his eyes. It lurked, hiding behind the glint of cruel humour that filled his gaze.

“You bastard, you’ll never get what you need from me now. I’ll die before I ever let you win.”

Marcus advanced towards her, scooping down to flip open a box on the table. Holly felt her eyes widen as he lifted the syringe from its resting place, the liquid within clear and deadly.

“All in good time, my dear. I just need you pliable for the wedding and I believe this will do the trick.”

He lunged at her, his weight carrying them both backwards onto the couch where he pinned her beneath him.

Holly grabbed his hand, holding him back, but he was too strong and she could feel her arm weakening as he pressed his weight down on her.

The needle pierced the skin of her neck as her other hand closed over the solid shape of the whiskey bottle he’d forced her father to drink.

She felt the rush of liquid flood beneath the surface of her skin, the sting as it spread outwards.

Holly raised the bottle and brought it down on Marcus’ head with all the force she possessed. He stared at her, confusion evident in his eyes as his grip on her lightened.

Holly hit him again, this time smashing the heavy glass against his face. He slumped over her with a mumbled groan and Holly was left struggling to climb from beneath him.

The stinging fluid spread, the sensation of it overwhelming as she shoved against Marcus’ body and twisted out from beneath him.

Her heart hammered in her chest as the first wave of dizziness hit her.

Whatever was in the needle was strong enough to immediately fill her head with fog. The dizziness slammed into her again and Holly moaned, the floor tilting dangerously beneath her feet as she fought to stay upright.

Marcus didn’t move as she climbed over him and started for the door. She had no way of knowing if she’d killed him or just knocked him out and as far as Holly was concerned, she wasn’t going to hang around and find out.

Careening into the doorframe, her shoulder slammed against the wood. The jolt of pain momentarily cleared her mind, giving her the strength to make a dash towards the front door.

Her heart continued to thud and Holly pressed her hand against her chest, certain that at any moment her heart would pound out through her ribcage.

Her hand closed over the doorknob and her head spun in sickening circles as she tried to pull it open but her body was sluggish to respond.

Holly screamed in frustration but it came out as little more than a whimper.

What if she got stuck in the house? What if she wasn’t able to escape in time? What would happen to her then?

Holly stared down at her hand on the door and willed it to obey her brain’s commands. She could feel the weakness creeping closer towards her legs and she knew without a shadow of a doubt that if she didn’t escape now, when her legs gave out there would be no getting away from Marcus.

The door shifted as the fear cut through the drugs coursing through Holly’s body and her hand finally tugged it open.

She propelled herself out through the door, a headlong race that took her to the banister on the steps.

Her legs turned to jelly as the drugs started to win the battle waging inside her body and it took every ounce of strength she possessed to not simply tip over and down the steps.

Her car sat in the drive but in her head it may as well have been a million miles away.

Tears dripped from the corners of her eyes, clouding her vision completely. She swallowed back the sob of despair that fought to escape.

It would be so easy to just give up, give in to what was slowly taking over inside her. But Riley’s face popped into Holly’s mind, disappointment in his eyes at her surrender.

If she gave in now, then her father’s death would be for nothing. Marcus would win, he’d take everything she held dear and destroy it before then killing her.

The realisation of what would happen was crystal clear in Holly’s mind as she started down the steps.

If she fell and her legs refused to cooperate then she would crawl to the car. But as long as she was alive, she wouldn’t give in to Marcus, not now, not ever!

Gritting her teeth, Holly started across the gravel, the uneven surface making each step that much more difficult, but as she fell against the side of the car she couldn’t help but release a long breath.

Tugging the door open left her breathless. The simple act of lifting her arms now was nearly impossible and her body felt as though it was made entirely of lead.

Sliding into the car, she gripped the steering wheel and flipped the key in the ignition, the engine roaring to life as Holly’s head spun again and her vision blurred.

The car surged forward as she clamped her foot over the accelerator.

Concentrate, Holly, just concentrate,
the voice in the back of her mind commanded as she narrowly avoided crashing through the gateposts. Veering out onto the road, the car picked up speed, careening over and back on the road.

“Holly!”

The voice that called her name wasn’t inside her head and for a moment the shock seemed to clear the fog. But just as quickly as the clarity had arrived it slipped away again like sand through her fingers and this time the fog was heavier, harder to fight against as it swallowed her.

Her hands slipped from the steering wheel and the car veered towards the metal barriers that lined the cliff’s edge.

A man appeared, leaning over her as he jerked the wheel off to the side and Holly tried to scream, the sound leaving her as barely a moan. She’d been so certain she’d escaped Marcus and his men and yet she knew, despite everything, he’d managed to find her again.

The car slammed into the barrier, the sound of screaming metal filling Holly’s ears before the darkness claimed her completely.

“
H
olly
!” Riley shouted, his voice hoarse with emotion. The only clear thought in his mind was getting to the car.

Saving her.

Clay started to speak but Riley brushed past him and reached the driver’s door.

The front of the car was a crumpled mess and a flicker of flames that began to build around the engine filled Riley with panic. He struggled to pry the door open as the fire slowly spread. Each time the metal groaned he felt his heart squeeze with the fear of what he’d discover within.

Finally dragging it open, the door folded back like the lid of a tin can. Holly lay slumped over the steering wheel, the used airbag completely deflated beneath her body. Her blonde hair covered her face but Riley could see the blood and the sight of it constricted his chest, making it difficult to breathe.

Reaching into the car, he slowly eased the seatbelt off her before lifting her free of the wreckage. Carrying her to the side of the road and staring down at her body—limp, and lifeless—in his arms was one of the hardest things he’d ever found himself having to do.

Setting her down, he felt along the side of her neck, searching for a pulse. As his fingers slid over her skin, the delicate fluttering made him pause, his mind convinced that he was obviously imagining it.

“Please, Holly, just open your eyes. Please,” he whispered, holding her gently as he brushed her hair from her face. How could so much change in a few short hours?

“What the hell happened?” Riley barked, his temper flaring as he spotted Clay heading in his direction.

“She’s lucky to be alive, that’s what happened. I managed to get a seatbelt on her just as we hit the barrier but she was all over the road, didn’t even notice when I got into the backseat.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Riley said, staring down into Holly’s bloodied face.

He shrugged out of his jacket and pressed it against the gash over her forehead, willing her to wake up.

“My guess, someone drugged her. Either that or she’s just the worst driver on earth.”

“This isn’t the time for stupid jokes,” Riley said, turning to Stuart. “Have you called the paramedics?”

Stuart nodded, and as though on cue, the sound of sirens ripped through the air, growing closer and closer until Riley could see the flash of the lights at the end of the road.

Dragging his gaze away from the ambulance closing in on them, Riley spotted Clay walking away, his long stride quickly carrying him up the hill.

“Where the hell are you going?” Riley called after him.

“I’m not hanging around here for the cops. They ask too many questions and they usually don’t like my answers.”

“You’ve got to stay, you’re the only one who knows the truth about what was going on. You saw the state she was in when she got into the car, you said it yourself that you think she was drugged.”

“Look, I did what you asked me to do and I saved her ass, too. I think after all of that, I don’t need to hang around here and find myself hauled in for questioning by a bunch of crooked cops.”

There was no point in arguing. Clay had clearly made his mind up and if Riley was honest with himself, he didn’t particularly care what he did with himself.

The only thing that truly mattered now was getting her to the hospital and making sure Marcus never came near her again.

The mere thought of Marcus was enough to make Riley’s blood boil. As soon as he could get his hands on him, he would take great pleasure in choking the life out of him.

The ambulance pulled onto the gravel that lined the side of the road and Riley was forced to step aside and let the paramedics work on Holly.

“What’s her name and how long has she been unconscious for?” the male paramedic asked.

“Holly, it’s Holly McCombe, and I don’t know how long she’s been out for,” Riley said as the other man nodded.

Watching them check for a pulse and fit an oxygen mask over her face as the other paramedic began fitting the I.V line made Riley anxious.

They looked young and inexperienced if he was honest with himself they reminded him of Griffin. The thought of someone like his brother working on Holly to save her life made him distinctly uncomfortable.

“Holly, can you hear me? My name is Mike, I’m one of the ambulance crew and I’m here to help you.”

Riley watched them struggle to get any sort of reaction from her but nothing was forthcoming.

“We think someone drugged her before she got into the car… I think that’s what caused her to crash.”

The paramedic shot him a curious look over his shoulder before resuming his work on Holly.

Stuart grabbed Riley’s arm, tugging him aside and out of hearing range.

“You can’t tell them too much or they’re going to think you had something to do with it.”

“Going to think I had something to do with what?” Riley said, glancing over Stuart’s shoulder. If she woke up, he wanted her to know that he was here for her and he wasn’t going to leave her side. Not again.

“That you had something to do with her getting drugged. They’ll think it was you and then it’s just going to end up in one giant circus. If the cops are as crooked as we think they are, then they’ll only be too happy to jump on it and blame you for the entire sorry mess.”

Riley shook his head and scrubbed his hands over his face. Stuart was right and yet that didn’t make him feel any better. How was he supposed to look after Holly, protect her, if the very people who were supposed to help her could also prove dangerous to her?

“We’re going to move her to the hospital,” the paramedic who had called himself Mike shouted over.

“I’m going with you,” Riley said as he started to push past Stuart.

His brother grabbed his arm, halting him in his tracks before he could walk away completely.

“Just trust me on this, Riley. I know you want to do what’s best for her. But you ending up in jail for something you had nothing to do with is not what’s best for Holly.”

“I know, I heard you. You don’t have to worry.”

The look in Stuart’s eyes as he stared at him was one of concern and it wasn’t the first time that Riley realised he was grateful to have his brother on his side. With a nod, Stuart released the grip he had on his arm and Riley moved over to the back of the ambulance where the paramedics were loading Holly.

“Sir, we’re going to have to ask you to step back and wait for the police to arrive. They’re going to need a statement and…”

Riley cut him off, his voice harsh and firm, “I don’t care what they need, they can get it all from me at the hospital because I’m not letting you leave here with Holly unless I’m with her.”

Mike looked as though he was about to argue, a frown creasing his brow.

“Fine, get in,” he said, changing his mind.

Riley didn’t waste any time. Climbing into the back of the ambulance, he took Holly’s hand in his. Her skin was cold and clammy to the touch and he had the overwhelming urge to rub her hand between his in an attempt to put some warmth back into her body. But the I.V line in the back of her hand stopped him and he had to make do with stroking his fingers across the back of her knuckles.

“Holly, if you can hear me please wake up, love. I’m so sorry I let you down. Just wake up and I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. I won’t ever let you down again, I swear.” Riley leaned in over her, whispering against her ear in the hopes she’d hear his voice and there would be some sort of reaction.

Instead, Riley found himself greeted by silence as the ambulance pulled away and started for the hospital.