Rose In Bloom (27 page)

Skylar

I’ve watched the sun rise and set now for three days from this bed. I don’t know how much longer I can keep this act up around him. I’ve worked so hard to gain his trust these past few days, trying to buy time for Sebastian to find me. I know my husband and I know he will move heaven and earth to get to me, but part of me is losing hope fast. Feeling my baby move inside of me is the only thing that gives me strength. I’ll do anything I have to do to keep her safe, even if it means pretending that I care for Brandon.

Listening to how he’d grown up definitely explains why he is the way he is. It’s been so hard to sit here and listen to the things he’s done to other people, even as a young child. Some of it is said with remorse, while other times he speaks as if he’s proud of himself. He’d even asked for my forgiveness for what he’d done to me that night at Jaxx’s. I didn’t have a choice and ended up lying to him that I forgave him for it. Maybe he really does feel badly for trying to rape me, but I don’t know what to believe when it comes to him. How am I supposed to believe someone is sorry when he’s kidnapped me and handcuffed me to a bed? He says he loves me, but this isn’t love. It’s insanity.

Brandon comes staggering in sometime this morning, collapsing on the couch in the corner. I don’t know how long he is planning on dragging this thing out. Every time I press him to tell me, he says it is still too soon. He wants to make Sebastian suffer for as long as possible, it seems, but there is no way I can live for weeks or months like this. I’m afraid I’ll lose my mind if I do.

Settling back against the pillow, I carefully adjust my handcuffed wrist so that I don’t wake Brandon. Closing my eyes, I place my hand on my stomach, rubbing it softly.

“Daddy’s coming for us.” I whisper softly.

Please, hurry Sebastian. Please.

Sebastian

“Please! Someone help me!” Skylar screams.

“I’m coming baby! Just hold on!”

Her screams grow louder. I fight to open the door. She’s just on the other side of it.

“NO! Don’t touch me!”

Slamming my hand on the steel door, I fight to find a way to pry open the lever!

“Get away from her, you motherfucker! SKYLAR!”

“PLEASE! GOD NO!” she screams hysterically, and then there is silence.

“NO!”

“Sir? Wake up, sir.” Harrison’s voice startles me awake.

“Skylar,” I whisper as I open my eyes.

“You were having a nightmare. I heard you screaming from across the other side of the house.”

Looking around, I find myself in Skylar’s favorite lounger downstairs. Stroking the soft suede fabric, I’m reminded of my beautiful girl who could spend hours cuddled up in this chair reading. We’ve even made love here, quite a few times.
Oh God, I’m dying inside without her.

“You dozed off, sir. I didn’t want to wake you up. You haven’t slept in days.”

“I told you to wake me up if I fell asleep.”

“But sir, you’re no good to anyone unless you get some rest.”

“You want me to rest?” I ask, raising my voice.

Hesitantly, he nods at me. He can see I’m about to lose it.

“Then fucking help me bring my wife home. I won’t rest until she’s back home safe.”

“I assure you that I’m working damn hard on doing just that, sir. One of my contacts just phoned me back with new information on Brandon.”

“What information?”

“Brandon was spotted leaving
Insidious
with a stripper last night. He bought some cocaine from a dealer I know. Seems he bought a shit load of it actually. When my fellow asked him what he needed that much for, Brandon told him he’d be gone for a while.”

“Gone? What else did he say?”

“He didn’t know any more than that I’m afraid, but it proves he’s getting messy. “

“The only thing it fucking proves is that he’s even more dangerous around my pregnant wife.”

Looking around the room, I turn back around to face Harrison.

“Where is Lucas anyway?”

“He left a little while ago. I think he said something about needing to pick up a change of clothes. He said he wouldn’t be long.”

Harrison’s phone rings in the other room. Excusing himself, he hurries down the hall to answer it. Sitting up, I drop my head down in my hands. I can feel her, and it’s killing me. I’m slowly losing my mind. Today is day four and I’m borderline delusional. Just last night, I’d thought I saw her lying in our bed. Lucas had to stop me because I was talking to the comforter.

I haven’t eaten more than the few bites that Lucas finally forced down me yesterday. I’d watched him chase his with a bottle of Jack Daniel’s whiskey. God knows how much I want a drink. Just one drink to make all of this pain and torture go away. But that one drink had done all of this from the beginning and I’ll be damn if it will ever touch my lips again. I’ll take the pain sober. I have to be clear-minded when I finally get word.

Lucas

“Where’s Sebastian?” I ask, sitting the food down on the island in the kitchen.

“He’s asleep upstairs. I put a mild sedative in his coffee. He’ll be angry with me for letting him sleep, but he’s become too irrational. If I hadn’t done something, he would have ended up jumping the gun and getting her killed. I don’t know what we are going to do if this drags on for much longer. He’s already broken furniture and put holes in the walls. Not being able to do anything is driving him mad.”

Harrison jumps and turns his head, listening to something coming through the radio in his ear.

“Yes, bring it on up to the house,” he says, pressing the ear clip.

“Sir, the men say there is some sort of delivery down by the front gate. They’re bringing it up to the house now. Perhaps we need to waken Mr. Thorne.”

“No, I’ll handle it. There is no sense in disturbing him unless we have to,” I reply, following Harrison to the front of the house where the men are approaching the foyer.

“Sir, a Fed-Ex truck just delivered this package. We checked the driver out before we allowed him to leave. He’s a legitimate employee for them.”

“Perhaps I need to check the package first,” Harrison offers, but I refuse, shaking my head.

“No, I’ll do it,” I reply. Inspecting the box for clues, I see that it is addressed
THORNE FAMILY
with no return address on the label. As I walk back into the house, the men remain outside. Harrison, still uneasy, follows me into Sebastian’s office where I quickly retrieve a letter opener. I break the seal of the clear tape, fold back the flaps, and spot bright colored tissue paper with a fluffy white rabbit’s ear hanging out. Relief floods my body.

“It’s just a baby gift.” I look up at Harrison, who returns the same look of relief.

“I’m going to go check in with the men and make sure they are careful with any deliveries in the future. You never know when Larson might try something,” Harrison says before leaving.

Just as I start to shut the box, the tissue paper moves and I spot the dark red blood on the other stuffed rabbit’s ear. When I lift it, the dried blood covering the other side stops my heart, and a note is pinned to front of the rabbit.

It’s time you pay.

Brandon

Holding up his finger for me to wait, Mikey screams to whoever it is on the phone.

“What do you mean you don’t have room for it? This shipment is part of your deal too, you cock sucker. Yeah? Well, you listen to me. I’m going to move this shit on my own, and when my Pops gets back into town, he is going to fucking end you!”

Hanging up the phone, he turns to take his anger out on me. “Jesus Christ, Brandon! Why haven’t you been answering your fucking phone?”

“Excuse the hell out of me! I’ve been busy with shit. I’m here now, so what the fuck is the problem?”

“The problem is that this cooler is broken, and it’ll be tomorrow before the guy can fix it. This delivery’s got to be kept cold or it’s gonna go bad. I’m bringing it over to the warehouse to use the one there. I was just going to give you the heads up, since you seem to be spending all your fucking time there anyway.”

FUCK
! If he goes there now, he’ll know everything. I can’t risk him seeing our father’s body in there.

“Um… You can’t. That cooler’s been fucked up since before I went to jail. Pops never had anyone look at it since he had other places like this one.”

“Then what the fuck am I going to do with this shipment, Brandon? If it doesn’t get somewhere quick, then that’s three million bucks down the drain. Care to explain that one to Pops when he gets back? I know I don’t.”

“Fine! Let me think. How about we ask Antonio if we can use his place, just until we can get this one running again. We’ll give him a cut for doing it,” I suggest.

“Get him on the phone. I don’t see how we have any other options.”

Breathing a sigh of relief, I phone Antonio and make him a deal he can’t refuse.