Captive to the Dark (18 page)

The room turned completely silent. Mary’s weight increased as she eased into my arms. Chemical. Not good enough. He was still going to pay. I’d make sure of it.

“We’re leaving. I’ll call in a few days to check on my sister. I expect to hear better news than I did tonight.” I headed for the door, more holding Mary up than leading her. Jordan dashed in front of the entrance before we could make it through.

“Let me go.”

If I wasn’t holding up Mary, I would have launched him across the room. “Get the hell out of my way.”

“No.” Jordan shook his head. “I want to go with you. This man…let me help.”

With how sensitive Mary’s mind was, I wasn’t about to allow her to get upset again. My hand covered her ear and I leaned her head into my chest, trying my best to block out any sound. “This is for Mary, not for you to get off on.”

“You don’t think I know that?” He snapped. “I want to come
for
her. Let me.”

All I could do was glare as he went on.

“Listen, I’m sorry your sister was taken. I understand why you’re doing this. Hell, I probably would have done the same thing. But once you get Lily back, Mary’s coming to me. I’ll be taking care of her. Let me be there to offer comfort in one of the biggest moments of her life.” He moved in closer. “Please. I’ll leave the moment you ask. She just needs to know that I’m here for her.”

There was no doubt in my mind that Jordan cared for Mary. He truly did. It didn’t matter, though. She wasn’t his. “Mary has me. Now move or I’ll make you.”

It took a few seconds, but Jordan stepped aside. I swept Mary through the restaurant, pausing to tell the hostess to charge the drinks to my tab. The elevator opened and I pressed the button, hugging her to me tightly. Jordan stared from across the large open area and I wasn’t sure why, but I leaned down, kissing the top of Mary’s head. The narrowing of his eyes were full of threats. Let him bring it. I smiled just as the door shut, closing us in.

“Everything’s going to be okay, darlin’.” I stroked her hair back while she stood there more in a trance than anything.

A laugh burst from her mouth. “Did you see my father? I should have stabbed him.” The sentence hadn’t ended before it was followed with sobs. “I’m scared. I can’t think straight. This isn’t me. What’s happening?”

All I could do was hold onto her tighter. “You’re in shock, Mary. It’ll pass soon. You’ve been through a lot tonight. Marcio said this was going to happen. Just try to stay calm. I’m here for you. I promise I won’t leave your side.”

“Lily?” Her head jerked back. “I missed it. What happened? Is she on her way home?”

“Not yet. Don’t worry about that. She’ll be okay. We’ll get her back before you know it.”

Mary licked her lips and leaned back into my chest.  I opened my cell, calling Marcio just as the elevator gave way to the lobby. He answered on the first ring. “We’re downstairs, bring the car around.”

“On my way.”

“Did you get him?”

The laugh I’d heard countless times in the past filled my ear. “Sure did. He’s being taken back to the penthouse now. We’ll put him in the spare bedroom down the hall. Afraid he’s pretty banged up, though. The guy put up a hell of a fight. I’m afraid the other one wasn’t so lucky.”

“Shit happens. I’ll see you soon.” I hung up and led Mary to the front. A good two minutes went by before I saw the limo pulling around the corner. Pressure jerked my arm, and I locked in around Mary’s waist. The sight of Jordan cupping her face, kissing her, made the animal in me go wild.

“I’ll come for you soon, Mary. I promise.”

Marcio pulled up and I opened the back door, more tossing her in than anything. My sights were only set on one thing, and that was Jordan. I flew at him with everything I had. The beast within pounded against my insides, trying to claw its way out.

“Are you fucking stupid?” We hit the ground hard and I slammed my fist into Jordan’s face. The connection was solid and he grunted at the impact. He didn’t hesitate to return one, but from his angle beneath me, he didn’t get anywhere near the power I knew he was capable of. I swung again, the blood appearing from his nose, driving me on.

My vision blurred for the briefest moment as his fist smashed into my temple. “You think I’m fucking stupid. You’re the one messing with another man’s future wife.” Jordan swung wide and I deflected it, returning with a jab.

“She hasn’t even said she was going to marry you. Fuck. You haven’t even asked her. Don’t you think she at least deserves that?” We rolled to the side as he pushed from the cement. Pain shot into my back and Mary’s shoe kicking Jordan, too, caused both of us to go still. The anger on her face had us jumping to our feet.

“You two men are the most…insufferable, arrogant.” She took turns shoving us. “Do either of you not know when to behave? Fighting out here in front of a fucking hotel? Jesus.” She turned on Jordan. “And you. Kissing me like that.” The sound of the crack of her hand across his face left his eyes looking more wounded than shocked. “I am not yours. Not yet. Don’t you ever touch me without my permission again.” The moment her attention came to me, I raised my eyebrow, waiting for her to say something. Instead, she shook her head and stomped back to the limo.

Marcio stood at the driver’s side door with his arm resting against the top of the car, amused. Of course he’d think this was funny. I spun back to Jordan. “Did you see my name on her chest earlier? Mary’s mine.”

The side of Jordan’s mouth lifted. “There’s this cream they make that helps ease the appearance of scars. I think when Mary comes to me, I’ll add some to the top of the
D.
Then take my time carving the edges until it looks more like a
V.
It’ll say
SLAVE
, and you’ll be no more. It’ll be perfect.”

The power behind my swing had him hitting the ground, out cold. Fucking change my name so Mary could become his slave. Over my dead body. The man standing at the door looked at me with big eyes. He would have seen Jordan run up and kiss her. I wasn’t worried in the least.

“You might want to call his daddy, Mr. Brighton. He’s upstairs.” I paused. “Or, don’t. I don’t give a shit.” I got in the limo and was immediately met with Mary’s glare. Oh hell. I’d really pissed her off now.

“Couldn’t resist, could you?”

Throbbing pulsed in my hand, but I didn’t move it to try to conceal my busted up knuckles. “He deserved it.”

“You’re probably right.” Chattering took over her jaw as if she was cold. The rattling had me immediately taking off my jacket to wrap around her. A small sniffle followed new tears. “The fog is clearing but I still can’t stop my body from spazzing out. I’m sorry. I hate this.”

I was going to cut this motherfucker up good when I got back. “Hey, look at me.” My finger pushed the bottom of her chin, making her lift her head. Green eyes met mine. “Good girl. Now tell me, who do you belong to?”

“You, Master.”

“That’s right. And I don’t have weak slaves, Mary. You hear me? What you’re going through will pass. No apologizing for the way you’re acting.”

A stiff nod had her sitting taller. Should I tell her? How would she react if she knew I had her rapist sitting in the far bedroom, ready to die at my hands? She’d have to know eventually. I wanted her realize it was over. Would she be mad if I didn’t tell her until afterward, and he was long gone? She wouldn’t believe me. Victor had already lied to her once.

Shit. But she was still somewhat in shock. Yes, she was coming back to normal, but the truth would surely make her worse.

“Care to enlighten me with what you’re thinking about? I’ve never seen you so distracted.”

All I could do was hold my arms open to her. The light weight of her body settled onto my lap and I cradled her, slowly rocking while the city lights blurred by in a mass of colors. Then it came, fell from my lips with no warning. “I have Thomas, Mary. I have him in the penthouse and I’m going to kill him.”

As if I’d struck her, she flew back and stared at me.  Unreadable. Completely closed off. The shock completely concealed, if she even held it anymore. Mary had many masks. The one she’d donned upon my confession scared me the most. What was she thinking? I soon realized I wasn’t going to find out any time soon. She reached for the electric window opener and only got it down halfway before she bolted off my lap and became ill, retching horribly. My eyes closed, praying she wasn’t judging me too harshly. For fuck sakes, he’d raped her. The man deserved to die a slow and painful death. She’d just have to understand the price of being my slave. No one messed with what was mine without facing the consequences. The event may have happened long ago, but it was affecting her wellbeing while she was with me. That was unacceptable.

The window rolled up and she collapsed to the floor. Blonde hair stuck to the side of her face, windblown. The moment my hands lowered, she swiped them away and reached for a small travel size bottle of Jack Daniels. In one long chug, she finished it off and threw it to the floor.

“You’re going to kill him for me?”

I nodded. “Yes. I’m going to do what should have been done a long time ago. No more pain, Mary. It’ll be done for good this time.”

“And if I say no?”

Confusion had me shaking my head. Why in the hell would she spare his life? After what he did? No. I couldn’t let her make that decision. “I’m sorry. It’s not negotiable. Tonight, your past dies. You’ll wake up tomorrow reborn into my world. You’ll have a fresh start.”

Chapter 14

Mary

Thinking was becoming easier as the minutes flew by, but the fuzziness was still flirting with the edges of my sanity. One minute I was crying, the next, ready to laugh at things that weren’t even funny. Words poured from my mouth like a waterfall with no control on my part. Only after I said them did it dawn on me what’d come out of my mouth. But I was getting better. Already, I could process a lot more than when we were at the restaurant, at which I remember little of after I woke up. It was all a blur, but one that was fading fast.

“Your world? Fresh start?” I laughed and shook my head. It was rather funny. There was no such thing as a fresh start. Sure, I could call it that. Pretend to begin a new life. But the past never truly died. Murder wasn’t going to give me my innocence back, or change the last ten years of self-hatred. Only acceptance and forgiveness would. I knew that. Thing was, I’d accepted what had happened a long time ago. Forgiveness would never come. Maybe that’s why the words fell from my lips with ease. Shock? A moment of clear-headedness? Who knew? Regardless, either one would have been the same. “I want to watch.”

Nausea fluttered in my stomach again at the movement of the limo. I couldn’t see the road. Couldn’t see in front of me. Slade and I kept our eyes locked as I eased back onto the seat next to him. Only briefly did I glance to the road to get my equilibrium back.

“I’m not sure you’re up for that right now, Mary.”

“If you’re so worried about it, wait until I am. My mind’s not going to change. I want him dead more than anyone. Half tempted to do it myself.” Now that might have quite possibly been the shock talking. I truly wasn’t sure I had the guts to kill a person. Even if it was the man who’d ruined my life.

Slade shook his head. “Absolutely not. This is my thing. If you want to watch,
that
we might be able to do. You killing someone is out of the question.”

Relief filled at having the decision out of my hands. I could have argued, but I wasn’t about to. Taking a life would only fuck me up even more than I already was. How Slade would manage to take on those sort of demons was beyond me. He was stronger. I saw that clearly now.

“Shit.” Slade’s voice was but a whisper, yet that one word was laced with such aggravation that it had me peering toward the front entrance of his building.

The middle divider came down and Marcio glanced back at us in the rear view mirror. “You want me to take you to the underground garage?

A group of people stood out in front, appearing to move toward the limo even from half a block away. It took me a moment to register the cameras. Fuck, news crews. How could I have forgotten I’d exposed my existence to the world by going out tonight? If anyone was watching my father, they’d surely have seen Slade and I leave the building. Not to mention the attention Slade caused on his own. His fight with Jordan would probably be all over the papers by morning. The crowd thickened the closer we got. They reminded me of seagulls. One speck of a crumb of information and they were gathering in masses to squawk and shit all over everything.

“Mary? We can get this out of the way now, or wait. It’s up to you. But, truthfully, with Thomas upstairs, I’d really like to get it over with.”

My eyes narrowed. There was a certain pleasure on Slade’s face that had nothing to do with my rapist. He wanted the world to see me going into his place. I wasn’t sure I was all right with that, but I kept quiet.

“I’m good, Marcio. Take us to the front.” I said the last part under my breath but Slade’s silent chuckle shook his chest. “I don’t have to talk, right? They just need to see me alive?”

“Exactly. Just leave it all up to me. I’ll take care of it.”

My hand reached out to his as we neared. “How?”

“Trust me.” Lights flashed against the windows and it wasn’t long before some of the men from the hotel began pushing the people out of the way. The door opened and Slade stood, helping me out. I immediately put up my hand, trying to block out the strobe lighting effects from the cameras.

“Mary Hagen, Victoria from Channel 3 News. Can you tell us what happened? We’re getting reports that you weren’t in an accident, after all. Have you been with Mr. Roberts the entire time?”

“Of course she has,” Slade replied, nudging people out of the way. “She’s obviously alive and well.”

The wind blew my dress away from my legs as reporters were ushered back by more staff. Where the hell were the police, or someone of authority? We took a few more steps when Slade paused. My heart jumped into my throat at him pulling my body in to mold against his. What was he doing? I wanted to jerk away, yell at him, but his arm was like iron around my waist. The mischievously dark look he was notorious for took over and I knew whatever was about to happen was
not
good.