Denied (19 page)

Monster (Present Day)

They reached the
bottom of the metal stairs and Monster felt his cell phone buzz in his pocket.

What now?

He took the phone out and checked the screen. A small part of him relaxed. It was only Mason calling to let him know they’d arrived at the airfield.

Sean came running across the asphalt toward them. He took in the sight of the blonde young woman Lily was helping down the stairs. “I assume the other guy has been dealt with?” he asked.

Monster nodded. “Yes, Lily shot him.”

Sean gave her a surprised nod of approval. “Good to hear it. So we’ve got two dead bodies. What do you want us to do with them, sir?”

Monster glanced back at the multi-million-dollar private aircraft. “Stick the other one on the plane and torch it.”

Sean’s eyebrows lifted. “Seriously? That’s going to make a hell of an expensive firework.”

Monster shrugged. “It’s not our money we’re burning.”

They crossed the airstrip, toward the hangar, Lily with her arm around the young woman’s shoulders. As they walked toward the building, the crumpled shape of the other dead man became clearer on the ground. He was a skinny man in his late twenties—or at least had been. He didn’t look like someone Monster would lose any sleep over.

Monster turned to find Lily staring down at the dead man. He hadn’t expected her to be able to shoot the trafficker and she’d taken him by surprise when she had. He just hoped this wouldn’t affect her into the future. Lily was going to have to go and start a new life now as someone else, and she wouldn’t have anyone to lean on in order to help her process what she’d been through. That she would have to deal with the emotional fallout alone made him hurt deep down in a way he’d never experienced before—a physical pain combined with a sickening sensation of dread.

Monster reached out to touch her arm. “Are you all right?”

She nodded. “That’s the other guy who was at the shipping container when I was taken. He’s the one who threatened to rape me.”

The idea of someone else touching Flower caused a bubble of rage to swell inside him. “It’s a good thing he’s dead or I’d kill him myself for putting his hands on you.”

She nodded and folded her arms around her body as though hugging herself. “I’m glad he’s dead, too. I know there will be plenty of others dealing in this sick trade, but at least a couple of them have been shut down for good.”

The topic still made Monster uncomfortable. After all, he’d used this trade himself and thought nothing of it. In his mind, it had simply been a way of getting what he wanted. Only since he’d met Lily did he find he needed to think about the emotions and well-being of others. He still wasn’t completely comfortable with the situation. Having to consider other people’s thoughts and feelings wasn’t something he’d ever had to worry about, never mind having to process his own.

“We can’t stay here too much longer,” he said. “I’m sure all the gunfire won’t have gone unnoticed by whoever lives in the property across the street. They might not have called the cops because I’m sure they’ll have been aware of what’s been going on, but that doesn’t mean we won’t garner unwanted attention.”

Lily nodded. “I’d thought on the way here that the people in the house must have been involved in some way or another. I hope when the police find the traffickers’ bodies that they’ll ask whoever owns the house some difficult questions, too.”

“Unless the traffickers owned the house as well,” he mused. He felt sure they’d be earning enough money to purchase a property like that, and owning a private airfield as well as the adjacent homestead would certainly have made transporting women a lot easier.

From the front of the hangar, he heard the sound of a car pulling up, and his cell phone buzzed again.

“Mason and Evans are here,” he told Flower. “They have your friend with them.”

He watched her stand up straighter, her eyes widening in the direction of the car. He resented that this other man had managed to worm his way into her life, but he had to accept a certain part of the blame for that himself. He’d left her open and vulnerable, and she’d turned to the first man who’d shown her any interest. He wished he could get rid of the guy—just push him out of their lives for good—but he’d made a deal with her, and he’d done enough to destroy how she thought of him. He didn’t want to make her hate him in the moments before they’d be forced to say goodbye forever.

His men walked through the hangar, pushing a younger guy forward between them. The other man was annoyingly good looking, with jaw-length shaggy hair and a leather jacket, and the sort of few-day-old stubble that appeared groomed even though it wasn’t. Monster’s stomach twisted. He could see why Flower would be attracted to the man. He had all the sort of relaxed, rugged good-looks he knew was so distant in his own rigid, smart persona.

Had she done that on purpose? Gone for a man who was the complete opposite of him? Had she been so desperate to forget about him that she’d immediately attached herself to a man who was nothing like him? Even though Monster knew he’d played a part in Cameron entering Flower’s life, he couldn’t help the familiar surge of jealousy rising up inside him. It was such a powerful emotion—the flame of which was intense enough to burn away all rational thought.

Consumed by jealousy, could he be responsible for his actions?

Twenty-five

Lily stared at
Cameron and her heart lurched. His left eye was swollen and bruised, and a cut split down the middle of his lower lip. His shoulders were down and his eyes darted from side to side, his jaw locked in fear and anger.

He caught sight of her and his eyes widened, his back straightening. “Lily! What the fuck? Are you okay?”

She nodded frantically. “I’m fine. I’m so sorry, Cameron.”

Lily felt Monster stiffen beside her and tension crackled between them all.

Aware she still had a frightened, vulnerable young woman beside her, and not wanting Jess to have to witness whatever was about to happen next, she gave the girl a small push forward.

“Go,” she told her. “There’s a car waiting up front. Go and get in the back. We’ll be out in a minute, and then we’ll take you somewhere safe, okay?”

Jess looked around at her, her eyes wide, and then between the men. Clearly picking up on the tension and not wanting to get caught in any more trouble, she didn’t ask any more questions, but instead ran toward the front of the hangar and the hope of safety.

Cameron looked between each of them, and his gaze alighted on Monster, his eyes flicking down the side of the faded birthmark. She didn’t know if it was the way Monster was standing, with his body angled possessively toward hers, or if there was just an invisible connection between the two of them that Cameron picked up on.

Understanding dawned in his hazel eyes. “Fucking hell, Lily. That’s him, isn’t it? The bad boyfriend. All of this was because of him?”

She didn’t know what else to say. “I’m so sorry, Cameron. I tried to tell you not to get involved with me.”

“Yet, you still got me involved,” he said.

Desperation rose up inside her, and she wished she could go back and do things differently. “But everything’s all right now. You’re going to be allowed to go, isn’t he, Monster?”

“What did you just call him?” Cameron asked in baffled confusion.

She shook her head. “Don’t worry about that.”

Monster scowled and didn’t say anything.

“Cameron’s allowed to go now. Isn’t he,” she said with more determination, not phrasing the sentence as a question.

Monster nodded. “Assuming he agrees to some conditions, of course. The first being that he doesn’t report any of this to the police.”

“He won’t do that, will you, Cameron?”

“I’m sure the man can speak for himself, Flower.”

“I don’t think I have a whole heap of options,” said Cameron.

“Oh, you do,” said Monster. “Your other option is we kill you and forget you ever existed.”

“Monster!” she exclaimed, shocked.

Monster gave a smile which appeared forced and cold. “I won’t do that because I made a promise to Lily. But if I find out you’ve even laid a finger on her again, I’ll consider that promise broken.”

“Monster …” She growled her warning.

He exhaled a sigh. “Look, we’re letting you go, purely because Lily has vouched for you. If the faintest idea starts to cross your mind about going to the police or even the newspaper, or hell, telling your story to some friends at the bar, remember we know where you live, and we won’t hesitate to use force to keep you quiet. There are two dead men in that plane over there, and I’m more than happy to add you to the body count.”

Cameron’s eyes flicked to the plane, and furrows of worry appeared between his brows. Lily followed his line of sight. Sean hurried out of the exit and ran down the steps. He didn’t slow his pace, but continued to run over to them.

Monster narrowed his eyes as Sean approached. “Everything all right?”

“I did what you asked, but we should probably get out of here. I don’t know how much fuel is on the plane, but it’s going to cause a hell of a bang.”

Monster nodded. “Okay.” He turned to Mason and Evans who were still holding Cameron. “Let him go.”

They roughly shoved him forward, causing Cameron to stumble slightly. He looked between the men, as though wondering if he should take this opportunity to run or if it was all a trick.

Feeling anxious, Lily glanced behind her again. The light in the plane’s windows had changed, a warmer glow that flickered.

“What about you, Lily?” Cameron asked her, his eyes searching hers. “Is this what you want? Are they holding you here against your will?”

“Please, Cameron. Just go home. Forget I ever existed and go back to your life.”

His jaw tightened, a muscle twitching beneath his right eye. “I don’t like leaving you like this.”

“I’m fine. Please, go home.”

He nodded. “Okay. Do I get to say goodbye?”

Lily glanced toward Monster. She hated that she was basically asking permission to say goodbye to a friend, but she understood how fragile the atmosphere was between them all right now, and she didn’t want to do anything that might cause things to erupt.

Monster gave a slow nod, a consent she assumed must have taken all of his will and strength to do. She knew how possessive he was, and seeing Cameron and knowing they’d spent time together must be killing him.

She reached out and touched the back of Monster’s hand. “Thank you.”

This would be the last time she’d ever see Cameron, and while their friendship had been short, she didn’t want his last memory of her to be of her standing at the side of the man who’d had him held and beaten.

“We’ll be waiting for you inside the hangar,” Monster said. “Make it quick. We need to get out of here.” He jerked his chin at Sean, and the two men called Mason and Evans, though Lily still had no idea which of the tall, dark, suited men was who.

As though sensing she needed this space, Monster started toward the hangar, his men following his lead. She was grateful to him for giving her these few moments.

She ran up to Cameron and put her arms around his neck. She wondered if she was finally starting to learn how to hold other people without wanting to push them away. His arms wrapped around her waist in return, pulling her tight in a hug.

“I’m so sorry for what I’ve put you through, Cameron. I hope you’ll forgive me one day.”

He didn’t answer, but she felt his hand at her waist, movement at the waistband of her jeans. Then sudden space.

“I’ll save you from him, Lily,” he whispered in her ear.

Her heart lurched. “What—”

But he’d already stepped away from her. She was frozen in time, captured in a bubble of terror and disbelief.

Cameron raised the gun he’d pulled from the waistband of her jeans and pointed the muzzle at Monster.

“No!” she screamed, but she was too late.

Monster turned at her cry, but the crack of the gunshot rang out and Monster spun in a pirouette.

She stared in horror as Sean pulled his weapon, and without hesitation fired off two quick shots.

Beside her, Cameron flew backward and hit the ground.

Lily let out a scream that pierced her own ears, and she clutched her hands to her mouth.

Her gaze moved between Cameron lying, unmoving, on the ground, and Monster holding his shoulder and attempting to crawl.

How had this gone so bad so fast?

Monster (Present Day)

At first he’d
felt nothing, more like something had shoved him in the shoulder. Then he’d hit the ground and the pain had exploded like someone had just stabbed him with a red hot poker.

Monster knew he’d been shot, but his first thought was with Lily. Perhaps Cameron held her responsible for everything he’d been through and planned on punishing her, first by killing him and then her? What if this guy turned the gun on her and he was about to witness her being killed? The thought alone made him forget his own pain and he turned, wanting to protect her, but all of a sudden the world blurred around him. The ground spun in a slow circle and while he tried to crawl forward to reach her. He suddenly didn’t know if he was even upright.

Another two shots sounded and ice lodged in his heart.

Had those shots been meant for her?

Nearby, a body hit the ground and he forced himself to focus. His vision was blurred, but he stared and blinked hard. The shape of the person wasn’t slender enough to be Lily, and he was sure they wore a leather jacket.

Cameron.

Relief surged through him. One of his men must have taken the other guy down. Lily was safe—for the moment, at least.

Monster squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again. The blurred lines of the shapes around him grew solid again, and he was able to focus. He lifted his hand to where his shoulder throbbed and burned, and when he pulled his hand away, his fingers were red with blood.

His stomach lurched in alarm.

Lily wasn’t fine. She was crouched over the man who had shot him, crying into her hands. He didn’t understand. Why was she crying over him when he’d been the one to shoot first?

Something else was wrong.

He became aware of the presence of his men, shouting something and pulling at his shirt. There was something he needed to know, something vitally important, but his brain seemed to be hooked on a loop about Lily and the reason she might be crying over a man who had tried to kill him.

Something went pop in the distance, together with a hollow explosion, followed by a roar. The shouts of his men grew louder, the yanking on his shirt increasing in force, pulling him backward.

The plane!

They’d set fire to the plane and it was going to explode at any moment. The sound he’d heard must have been the windows blowing out. His men were trying to drag him to safety, but all he could think about was Lily still crying over Cameron and how no one was doing anything to make sure she’d be okay.

Finding the last of his strength, he pulled himself out of their grip and staggered to his feet. He lurched forward, focused only on Lily’s bent head.

“Flower?” he said, though his voice was slurred, as though he’d been drinking heavily. “We have to go. Now, Flower!”

She lifted her face, and he noted her red eyes and tear streaked cheeks. “This wasn’t supposed to have happened.”

“I know, but the plane is going to explode. We need to go.”

She suddenly seemed to notice his bleeding shoulder. “Oh, God. Are you all right?”

“Yes, but we need to go.”

“Cameron?” She reached for her dead friend.

“He’s gone. We can’t help him now. Please, Lily.”

The sound of her real name seemed to get her attention, and she nodded. She reached out and placed her hand over Cameron’s eyes, dragging his eyelids shut. “I’m so sorry, Cameron.”

Sean’s voice. “We have to go! Now, sir!”

Monster took her hand and pulled her to her feet. He tried to run, but his legs were like jelly beneath him. A supportive shoulder wedged under his armpit, and he realized Sean was helping him out of there. Lily supported his other side, on the side where he’d been shot, but her much smaller stature meant she wasn’t hurting his shoulder.

Together, they ran for the hangar.

The plane exploded in a fireball behind them. They all ducked as one, the heat and blast of air hitting them with force from behind, throwing them forward.

Monster let out a yell of agony as he landed on his injured shoulder, and white pain exploded behind his eyeballs. His connection with the outside world vanished for a few seconds as he passed out … and then came back again.

Lily? Where was Lily?

He reached for her, but disorientation swept over him, and he couldn’t tell where she was or even what direction his hand was groping toward.

Around him, people coughed and choked. The stench of plastics and chemicals burning filled the air, and he heard moans of pain. But then people started to get to their feet and his own head began to clear.

Monster looked around. Lily was pushing herself to standing only a couple of yards away. She appeared pale and frightened, but physically she was uninjured.

“We need to get out of here, fast,” said Sean, between coughs. “There’s no chance that’s going to go unnoticed.”

Lily turned to Sean. “Merrick needs help.”

The sound of his name from her lips felt like a defibrillator to his heart.

“We’ll get him help,” said Sean, “but we need to get out of here first.”

Once more, Lily and Sean supported Monster, first pulling him to his feet and then wedging their shoulders beneath his armpits. He needed to be stronger—wished he could be stronger—but his vitality seemed to be ebbing away with every pulse the gunshot wound made.

They hurried through the hanger. The other two men led the way, between the small planes, ducking under wings, until they reached the front door which led out onto the road where the vehicles were parked.

The two men pushed through first, standing back to hold the doors open for Sean and Lily as they helped Monster through.

Bang bang!

The shots rang out just as they ran through the doors and out onto the road beyond. Still not fully with it, his mind spun as both Mason and Evans slumped to the ground. Both with identical bullet holes in the middle of their foreheads.

“What the fuck?”

Lily’s scream dragged his attention, and he tried to shove her back into the hangar, while Sean began to shoot, but his body didn’t want to move as fast as his mind, and movements were ineffectual. Return fire caught Sean, and he flew backward, hitting the outside wall.

Lily screamed again.

A male voice drew his attention. “Hello, Merrick.”