Death of Cupids (The Blood of Cupids MC) (8 page)

Grace

I could hear mumbling.  It was quiet and I couldn’t
make out what they were saying, but someone was definitely talking. 

My eyes wouldn’t open; they were so heavy.  I fought my
lids, begging them to rise so I could see my surroundings, but they wouldn’t
budge.  Or was that…?  It was a blindfold.  I couldn’t see
because I was blindfolded.

Smell.  It was damp and musty: like dirt.  Were we
in a basement?

I tried to wiggle my fingers.  They were slow, but they
were moving.  I felt… my lap.  My hands were in my lap.  There
was some sort of twine or rope around my wrists… and my ankles.  They were
tied together too.  I was seated on the cold ground, but I didn’t think I
was bound to anything.  Could I stand?  No.  In my effort to
move, I felt the floor slam across my face.  It was dirt.  The floor
was dirt.

I opened my mouth to speak.  In my head I heard my
groan, but my tongue kicked against some sort of gag.  Even if I could
scream, it would be muffled.  No one would be able to hear me.

I was lying on the cold ground, bound, blindfolded, and
gagged.  Welcome home to me.

Time didn’t move.  The mumbling came and went and came
and went.  But it didn’t come again.  It stayed gone.

“Finally.”  That voice.  The voice that haunted me
since childhood was once again standing over me.

I felt light.  Does that make sense?  If it does,
then someone turned a light on; I could feel it on my skin.  Why weren’t
my arms covered?  Was I cold?

“So they’re gone?”

Anne Marie Carter was talking.  Was she bound? 
Why wasn’t she gagged?

“Where are we?”  A young voice called.  Was that
Joseph?  It sounded familiar, and yet distant.

“We are currently in the basement of the clubhouse for the
Blood
of Cupids Motorcycle Club.
”

I knew we were in a basement, but how were we here? 
The
Cupids
would never let Sean into the club after what he did.

“You see, after Gracie’s daddy blew up the original
clubhouse, I had this secret basement added to the plans for the newer
model.  Only me and the contractor knew, and sadly, he’s now passed on to
a better place.”

“Sean, you didn’t.”  Anne Marie warned.

“How dare you think that of me, Annie.  People get in
accidents all the time.”

Annie?  And what of the contractor?  Had he really
staged an accident for the only other person who knew of his secret hideout?

I moaned as loudly as I could.  I needed to know what
was happening.  I needed to see what was surrounding me.

“Oh look, Gracie’s awake.”

I felt my face lift off the floor and my back sat up against
a wall.  I felt his breath on my face and his hands at my temples as he
lifted the blindfold from my eyes.

The room was bigger than I thought it would be, only lit by
a small standing lamp in the corner of the room.  There was a couch and a
desk, but otherwise, the room was bare.  As I had thought, the floor was
dirt.  It really was more of a high ceilinged crawl space than a basement.

He pulled the gag from my mouth.  “Can you talk,
Gracie?”

I tried to say words. I have no idea if words came out, but
I did try.  Sean was laughing at me.

Anne Marie, Joseph, and Sarah were all sitting on the couch
staring at me.  They were sitting, unbound on the couch.  Why was I
the only one tied up?

“Gracie?  Gracie?”  He was snapping in my
face.  “Focus your attention here.  Now I know things might seem
confusing right now, but I had to drug you.  Hey, hey, look at me.  I
needed you to be quiet, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep you quiet just by
threatening you.  It was just a bit of that fun Rohypnol stuff the kids
are playing with these days, but it worked quite nicely.”

He drugged me.  Right.  I remembered the tea and
then not being able move. 

“Now you should know there’s a slight chance of miscarriage,
but,” he cackled, “you gotta do what you gotta fucking do, right?”

I saw Anne Marie stand.  “Miscarriage?  Is she
pregnant?  Sean,” she came up behind him, “Sean, you didn’t tell me she
was pregnant.”

“Shut it, Annie.”

He didn’t tell her I was pregnant?  But why would she
have expected to know that?  Why was she speaking so casually to him?
 What was I missing?  Why couldn’t I talk?  Why couldn’t I
demand to know what was happening?

Sean knelt in front of me, taking my hands in his. 
“Well isn’t this pretty?” He rolled my ring between his fingers.  “Ryan
decided to make an honest woman out of you, huh?  You two really thought
you were finished with me, didn’t you?  That’s kind of adorable, and kind
of depressing.  I really thought you would miss me, Gracie.”

He brushed the back of his hand against my face.  “You
really are a beauty, Gracie,” he whispered into my ear before he lifted me off
of the ground.  My body went limp in his arms.

“Anne Marie, take the kids home.”

“Sean…”

He cut her off.  “Do as I fucking say, woman.”

Anne Marie shook her head and corralled her children,
pushing them toward the other side of the room.  Sarah broke free and ran
back to Sean.  She was close enough that I could see the water forming in
her eyes.  “What are you going to do to her?”

“That’s none of your concern, Sarah.”

“I just don’t think…”

“Exactly, you don’t think.  Now get the fuck out of
here.”

After a sharp intake of breath, Sarah turned around and made
her way to her mother and brother.  Before they disappeared, she whipped
her head around quickly.  “I don’t think she’s as bad as you say she is,
Dad.”

They were gone.

Dad.  Sean was their father.  I should’ve
known.  Although the world around me was unfocused, this one fact was
clear.  They were never taken hostage.  This whole thing was a set
up, and Ryan’s mother was in on it from the very beginning.

Ryan and I had fallen for their trick, just as Sean had
expected we would.  His mother had played such a believable role. 
Especially with my hatred toward her, I can’t believe I didn’t see through the
bullshit.

“It’s just you and me, Gracie.”  Sean teased as he
lowered me to the couch.  “Try to fight me.”  I tried to swing my
arms but they wouldn’t move.  I moaned, in disgust, pain, and fear. 
I tried to swing again, but I could barely rotate my shoulder.  I was
helpless.

His lips spread, and his eyes twinkled.  “Perfect.”

To our child,

My thoughts keep turning to you as I wait for the sun to
set and the moon to rise.  I can’t stop thinking of how terribly I messed
up.  I let your mother out of my sight, and now both you and her are in
danger.  Since I found out about you, I’ve been wondering if I’ll be a
good father.  Circumstances like this only place more doubt into my
mind.  Would a good father allow his pregnant wife to walk into a
situation that might prove to be a trap?  Was I that unfocused that I
didn’t see it coming?

And what of you?  Are you safe?  Is whatever
stress your mother is under harming you?

Your mother is my life.  Before her, I didn’t know
my right from my left, my eye from my mouth, or my head from my heart. 
She is the most spectacular person I have ever met. That all being said, there
are a few things you should know about her.  I want to make sure you’re
aware of them, just in case... 

Don’t let her fool you; she’s the most loving person
you’ll ever encounter.  I wanted to start with that, so you would know
that everything she does only stems from the love inside of her.  Okay, so
here’s the rest.  You don’t want to fight her; she’ll win.  Not only
does she keep fighting until she wins, but she’s always right, so it’s not
worth the fight in the first place.  She’s a protector.  While in her
care, you will be safe, you will never worry, and you will never want. 
Remember that, because sometimes the price you pay for that protection seems
extreme.  Sometimes you’ll want to take on those battles yourself. 
But she’s watching.  She’ll save you.  And the most important: your
mother is strong, but it is possible to break her.  Please, whatever you
do, don’t try it.  It’s heartbreaking to watch her collapse.  Once
those pieces come down, they can’t be put back up. 

The sun has now set and the moon is approaching its
height.  I’m going to find your mother.  I’m going to find you. 
I’m going to make this right.

Today, tomorrow, and past the light,

Your father

Ryan

I slipped my letter behind the one Grace had written, and
zipped up her bag.  I don’t know what I was looking for, or if I was just tearing
through her bags trying to keep myself occupied, but I found the letter she had
written and couldn’t put it down.  I thought it might be comforting to
write my own.

It was.

I rubbed my eyes, feeling the dampness of the tears that
were starting to dry up.  I then moved back to the dining room table, next
to Grace’s signature in the dust, and picked up the message that was left for
me to find upon my return home.

Ryan,

You missed something at the clubhouse; I’m going to need
you to come back.  But not yet, you eager beaver.  If you step foot
on that property before 10:00 p.m., I will kill her on the spot.  I’m sure
you know I’m not joking about that by now.  And, the great thing is that
if I kill her now, I’m killing two birds with one stone.  Your wife and
child are at my mercy.  I couldn’t have planned this better if I had
tried!

See you soon, but not too soon,

~S

It was 9:45.  I was ready to go find my wife.

I pulled into the club parking lot at 10:01.  It was
quiet, not a single bike was left in the lot.  It would just be Sean and
me in this fight; exactly how I wanted it.  I stepped out of the car and
pulled out the 9mm Rocky had loaned to me.
 

“Put it away, kid.”

I swung around, the barrel of my gun landing only inches
from Sean’s face.

“Believe me, if you shoot me now, you’ll never find her.”

I couldn’t take that chance.  I lowered the gun to my
side, but he held out his hand.  “Come on, Ryan, just give it to me now.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Did you miss the part about me being the only one who can
lead you to your fucking princess?  God, when did you kids stop
listening?”

I dropped my gun to the ground and kicked it across the
parking lot.  I didn’t want to hand it to him; I couldn’t risk the
possibility that he would turn it around and shoot me.  Then, no one would
be able to find her.

“Okay, I can handle that.”

“Now take me to Grace.”

“Cool your jets.”  He laughed.

“Where the fuck is she, Sean?”  I wasn’t playing
around.  I needed to know she was safe.  I needed to hold her.

“Would you like to ask me why I’m doing all of this?”

“I don’t give a rat’s ass.”

“Well that’s heartless.  I’m still your uncle. 
You’re supposed to love me, even if I am a little messed up.”

“I’ll remember that.”

Why was he stalling?  What was he doing?  Why
wouldn’t he just tell me where my wife was being held?

“You see, Ryan, I have a proposition for you.”

“I don’t care.”  My answer was clipped.

“But you don’t even know the proposal.  I’m willing to
let Grace walk free, don’t you want that?”

My face softened.  “More than anything.”

“Great, you do what I want you to do, and I’ll let her go.”

“Fine.  What do you want me to do?”

“Well, see there you go jumping into things.  You can’t
just offer to do it.  You don’t even know what I’m going to ask.”

“If it means Grace will be safe…”

“I want you.”

I stopped talking.  What did he want me for?  He
hated me.  He’d been torturing me for years: first emotionally, and then
more recently, physically.

“See, Ryan, the problem is that when I started my little
quest to ruin Grace’s life, I didn’t realize how much trouble I would put
myself in.  You have to see it from my perspective.  Her mother was
the bane of my existence.  God, your father never shut up about her. 
Emily this and Emily that.  Could we find her?  Did I think she would
leave her fiancé for him?  Then, did I think she would leave her
husband
for him?  I mean, it’s enough to drive anyone insane.  But the thing
is, I killed her too quickly.  Isn’t that always the case?  I didn’t
get closure.  So, as you could imagine, when I saw Grace, I felt like I
got my second chance.  I’ve been having a blast fucking with her. 
And, now I don’t mean to pat myself on the back, she’s way more fun like this,
don’t you think?”  He paused, waiting for the reaction I refused to give
him.  “Come on, when you first met her, she was kind of lame.  Now,
she’s a fighter.  She’s interesting.  If you ask me, you owe me a big
‘thank you’.”

He took a good five seconds right there to laugh.  His
monologue was pouring out beautifully; he was proud of himself. 

I just wanted to punch him across the face, but I had to
restrain myself.  He had Grace; I couldn’t do anything stupid.

“But, and here comes the part where I need your help,
fucking you two up didn’t really sit right with either family.  The
Cupids
tried to kill me with a hand grenade, that was fun, and once the
Shadows
found out what I did to Grace, they strung me up and beat me senseless,
before hanging me out in a cornfield for three days.  I’m sure they
would’ve killed me had my little buddy, Danny, not found me first.  That
one, he’s not a quitter; he just keeps coming back to me.”

“Get on with it Sean.”  My patience was waning.

“I want my own club.”

“What?”

“You heard me, don’t play dumb.  My dream has always
been to be president of an outlaw MC.  I was supposed to be president of
the
Cupids. 
That’s what I was promised.  Your father took
that from me.  And then, just when I thought I had finally paid my dues,
he offered you the VP spot instead of me.  That’s when I realized I needed
to find my own way.  This is me doing just that, Ryan.  So, I want my
own club.”

“So start your own fucking MC.”

“Mmm, trickier than you’d think.  No one seems to want
to willingly join me.”

“Surprise.”

“So,” he walked over and slapped my back, “you’re going to
recruit.  There’s this thing about you, the same thing your Pops had,
where people just seem to like you.  I can’t figure it out myself, but I
don’t ask questions.  That’s why you’re going to do the work I need to get
done.  You’re going to train the newbies, and then you’re going to stay on
as my vice president, or as I’d like to call it,
my bitch.”

“
What the hell makes you think that I would stay on
under you?”
“And that’s where Grace comes in.  You do that for me; I’ll let her go
free.  I’ll leave her alone forever, or at least as long as your
allegiance lasts.  You have my word on that.  The catch, of course,
is that you don’t get to follow her.  Ever.  You’ll be indebted to
me.  So, what do you think?”

What did I think?  It fucking sucked, that’s what I
thought.  Grace and our baby would finally be granted the freedom they
deserve.  I would just never see them again.  Could I handle
that?  Would it be for the good of the baby?  Is that something a
good father would do?  But would I be able to live the rest of my life
without Grace, knowing that she was out there without me?  Would she be
safe?  Would our child be safe?

“You know what, Ryan?  I see your face twitching in all
these directions.  Why don’t I let you spend the night with Grace, and you
can tell me your answer in the morning?”

He was offering to take me to Grace.  It was the best
deal I could hope to get.  I nodded and followed.  I just had no idea
to where I was following him.

We walked back to the ring where I had had so many matches
in the past.  Beneath the stage was a small latch, which he lifted,
twisted, and pulled.  We climbed down the dark staircase, and I followed
him down the shadowy hallway.

We came upon a thick metal door, and he pulled a set of keys
out of his pocket.  There were four locks holding the door closed, each
with its own key.  He was making it obvious to me that there was no way
out of his prison.  I didn’t care.  I was about to see Grace, ensure
that she was okay, and then we’d have the night to make this decision
together.  Together: the way we had promised each other we’d make
decisions, especially of this magnitude.

“Grace?”  I walked into the freezing, dimly lit
room.  “Sean, where the hell is she?”

Was this another trap?  Was he just luring me down into
his dungeon the only way he knew how?

He motioned to the couch, which was sitting in the middle of
the room, facing the opposite wall.  “She’s on the couch.  Oh, and I
should warn you, she’ll be like this for another hour or so.  Try to have
some fun with her.  I sure did.”

I turned back to him, but all I saw was a slight wink as he
slammed and then locked the door behind him.