Tormented (21 page)

“I was
that
bad, huh?”

She smiled and shook her head. Her eyes glistened, and she blinked fast. “No, you were just being protective. It’s what you do.”

I took her hands in mine. “I’m really sorry. Can you forgive me?”

Women were so strange. She nodded, smiling at the same time as tears trickled down her face. How was that possible?

“I love you, Harrison. Nothing will ever change that.” Her voice hitched as she wiped the tears away with the back of her hand.

“I’m a lucky man,” I said simply. There weren’t enough words to describe how damn much.

Ryder had come outside too. He wrapped an arm around Jade and pulled her against his chest. “Jesus, why do you make Jade cry?” The annoyance was clear in his voice.

She turned in his embrace, and placed a hand on his cheek and kissed him. “It’s okay. We were just making up. It’s all good.”

“Oh,” Ryder said, but he still shot me a warning glance over her head.

Finally, I got it. Sometimes we hurt the people we loved the most because we were too dumb to know any better. At least, that was too true in my case. It took a bigger person than me—my baby sister—to show me that. I could feel her unconditional love, even though I was responsible for one of the worst things that had ever happened to her.

“Let’s go inside. Tell us what you found out about Eva.” Ryder sounded anxious, and deep worry lines marred his face. With his hand protectively on the small of Jade’s back, he steered her back indoors.

The way Ryder treated Jade, as if she were the sun and moon and stars to him, made me swallow the thick lump in my throat. I wanted that, too. Only I’d been too busy wallowing in my own darkness to realize how much.

It was strange how when we suddenly became aware of something new, we saw it everywhere around us. Love was strong in this home. Just the way the two of them were around one another answered all my questions about whether I was capable of having that in my life.

I want it more than anything. With Eva.

“Why are you smiling?” Jade was sharp, and her eyes missed nothing.

I wiped the smile off my face. This wasn’t the time. Eva was still in danger, and Ryder was watching me like a hawk. “I’m not.”

“Tell us what you found out.” Ryder was straight to the point. He didn’t mince words or fuck around.

“Can we sit down? I have some photos to show you.”

Ryder arched an eyebrow, the one with the odd slash through it. “Sure.”

He pointed to a seat before he sat on the couch and pulled Jade into his lap. He stroked over her stomach, keeping his hand on her pregnant belly as if he were protecting his unborn child from me. I got the message loud and clear. Ryder didn’t trust me anywhere near my own sister.

Clearing my throat, I produced the pictures. “Eva has been abducted. Nolan fucking Parker and his minions at work.”

Ryder grabbed the pictures from my hand and studied them intently. His normally suntanned complexion turned pale. His jaw clamped tightly as he looked through the pictures one by one.

“The motherfucking piece of shit!” The way his voice boomed made both Jade and I jump. Senator Parker had chosen the wrong two men to fuck with.

Jade took the pictures from Ryder. With shaking hands, she studied them up close.

“What did they do to her? She looks drunk or passed out. Oh my God.” My sister sounded as if she was on the brink of tears, and I wasn’t sure how good that was for the baby.

I gently took the photos from her and slipped them into my pocket. “She’s probably drugged. For that alone, I’m going to cut Parker’s balls off and let him bleed to death.”

Ryder held up a hand. Maybe I was being too graphic, so I toned it down a notch when I continued. “My guys have a pretty good idea of the location, too. Parker has his full detail of security with him. Tough motherfuckers who are all ex-military. We need to move fast, and we need numbers.”

“I can arrange that. The boys are just waiting for my call.”

“How many you got?”

“Five. More if you need them.”

“Add me, you and Savage, and that’s eight of us. That should be enough. We need to leave as soon as possible. It’s a two-hour flight to our destination.”

Ryder grimaced. “Fly? Some of my guys don’t do flying.”

“Well, there is no other choice. Riding a few hundred miles will take too long. God knows what condition Eva is in. Plus, we need to keep this as low-key as possible. Nobody can find out or warn them that we are coming. The element of surprise is our best weapon.”

“Can I come too?” Jade looked at Ryder, then at me. Her expression was serious.

“No, baby. You have to stay here. I can’t be worrying about you while we’re doing this. I’ll ask Mia if you can stay at their place and get one of the boys to watch over you.”

“But I want to help Eva. She’ll need a woman—”

“Jade. I said
no
. I’m not risking your life.” Ryder’s voice was soft yet stern. In spite of how much I disliked the biker, I had to take my hat off to the man. He kissed her belly and then smiled at her. “You have to look after our babies. That’s your job, okay?”

“Babies?” I gasped.

For a brief moment, Ryder cracked a smile. “Yeah, we’re having twins.” Pride shone in his eyes, and Jade beamed from ear to ear.

“I guess you’re right. I’ll hang out with Mia and we can watch movies and eat popcorn.”

Ryder chuckled. “That’s my good girl.”

I was relieved he’d been the one to refuse Jade. This was no vacation we were going on. It was risky and dangerous. Parker’s men would be heavily armed, and I wasn’t taking chances. I wouldn’t be surprised if blood was shed either.

I glanced at my watch. “How soon can you be ready? I’m chartering a small aircraft to take us.”

“My guys can meet us there. It’s easier if they come to the airfield directly from the club. I’ll go with you and we can strategize during the trip.”

There were things Ryder and I had to talk about that I didn’t want Jade to hear, so it suited me just fine.

“We’ll pick Savage up on the way. This is all systems go.” I rose to my feet, ready to start moving. I couldn’t wait to get going.

Ryder kissed Jade, and I excused myself to go to the bathroom to give them a private moment. I took a while and when I came back into the room, the two of them were still at it. I cleared my throat. “Hey, let’s get going.”

Jade blushed a deep pink as Ryder let her go and she slipped off his lap. He smacked her ass playfully before she crossed the distance between us and put her arms around my neck to hug me.

“Please be careful, Harrison. Bring back Eva and Ryder in one piece. And yourself. Promise me that?”

The lump in my throat threatened to choke me. “I promise.”

Ryder’s eyebrow rose again. He wasn’t taking my word for it.

I kissed Jade on the forehead and took a step backward.

My gaze met Ryder’s. His eye twitching, which had been barely noticeable when I’d arrived, had become far more obvious. My stomach roiled at the sense of impending doom.

As soon as we got into the car and drove away, I turned to Ryder.

“You okay?” The twitching was making me nervous as fuck.

He wavered for a second before he answered. “I have a bad feeling, man. Like something is happening to Eva . . . something really, really bad.” His face was hard as granite, and small beads of perspiration had formed on his forehead.

My heart thumped against my ribs.
Fuck no
. I’d bargain with the fucking devil himself if he’d keep her from harm. I pressed my foot down on the accelerator, and we sped through the neighborhood until we hit the freeway.

S
tanding with my ear to the door, I listened until I heard footsteps and then a door slam shut. I nodded at Sofia to open the bathroom door. It was hot and steamy with the door closed, and I was still feeling faint and queasy. With my heart beating rapidly in my ears, I wondered what was waiting for me in the room.

On the bed lay a wedding gown of pure white lace and silk. Although it was beautiful and most likely very expensive, it wasn’t what I would have chosen myself. But then, neither was the man I was getting married to. And knowing Nolan, he’d be sure to have a watertight pre-nuptial agreement in place so that I’d never escape unless he wanted it.

Maybe, if I was lucky, he’d tire of me and toss me to the side. How crazy was my situation and my thoughts? What bride went into what was meant to be the biggest day of her life with trepidation and fear, hoping for it to fail before it even started? The promise I’d made was becoming too much to bear. Would Harrison ever realize the price I was prepared to pay for his life and his freedom?

Sofia took me by the arm and led me to the vanity. I sat in front of the mirror, still and lifeless as she combed my wet hair, then dried it. I avoided looking at the gown, the symbol of my imprisonment, by turning my head so that I wouldn’t see the reflection of it in the mirror. As the minutes ticked by, dread filled my soul.

Sofia’s nimble fingers weaved flowers into my dark hair. Their sweet fragrance filled the room, and I closed my eyes and took a few deep breaths to calm myself. She made a strange soft humming noise, as if she was trying to soothe me. I loved that she tried to help me in whatever small way she could.

Eventually, I had to face the dress waiting for me. Jones had returned to tell me I had fifteen minutes to go until he was coming for me. Fifteen minutes before my life changed forever.

A sense of emptiness gripped me as I stared at myself in the mirror. The sooner I made peace with the void that would reside where my heart used to be, the better I’d cope with the situation.

I’ve sold my soul to the devil.

But it would be worth every agonizing moment if it meant that Harrison was spared. He’d never know of my sacrifice, but I would, and that was enough for me. True love wasn’t about oneself or about one’s ego; it was about ensuring that the one I loved was safe and happy.

For a moment, I stared into my own eyes in the mirror. They seemed vacant, as if I’d already left my body and gone somewhere else.

Just over a year ago, I would have been the happiest woman alive marrying Nolan. I didn’t know what kind of man he was then. It was strange how sometimes the people we believed to be our heroes turned out to be nothing like the character they portrayed to the outside world. Behind the mask was another person we didn’t know existed.

I wasn’t the only fool though—thousands of people trusted Senator Parker to be a standup guy of good morals. If only they knew that beneath the façade of decency lurked an evil man who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted. I shuddered as I thought of all the promises he’d made to get elected. I wouldn’t be in the least surprised if nothing came of it.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d become a Stepford wife. Pretending to be something I was not was one of my worst nightmares. Most likely, I’d end up stabbing my new husband and landing in prison. At least that wouldn’t be as bad as living a lie.

Sofia brought the dress to me and held it so that I could slip into it. I gulped for air.

This is it.

Cagey and overwhelmed, I stepped into the frothy creation with my heart pounding in my ears. I stood dead still while Sofia fastened the row of tiny buttons at the back.

For the first time, I was glad my mother was dead. I’d dreaded my wedding day since she’d died of cancer because I’d miss her presence so damn much. But now I was relieved that she wouldn’t have to witness how I’d sold out on my dreams.

Sofia smoothed the dress with the palm of her hand before helping me slip into the shoes that had been left with the gown. Everything fit perfectly, including the satin underwear I wore underneath. Nolan hadn’t spared any expense; that much was clear. Only it wasn’t what I would have chosen.

“Thank you,” I said with a weak smile as she handed me a bouquet of white lilies.

I hated lilies. To me they were the flower of death.
How appropriate.

My head jerked up when the hard door knock came again. Jones stepped inside unceremoniously, and raked his gaze over me.

“Not too bad. You’re a bit too skinny for my taste; I like my women full and voluptuous. Some meat on their bones to hold on to.”

For a fleeting moment, I wanted to burst out and laugh. Jones’s revelation was far more information than I’d ever expected from the serious, badass dude I’d become accustomed to. I relaxed just a little, letting my shoulders drop a fraction.

But before I could even comment, the hard mask had slipped back over his features. The moment was gone as suddenly as it had appeared. Yet it made me realize that no matter what we portrayed to the outside world, no matter how tough we appeared, we were all only human. Even Jones.

For the second time in a matter of minutes, Jones surprised me by holding out his arm to escort me out. My bodyguard was keeping me close. Smart man.

His ominous voice spoke in my ear. “I wouldn’t do anything silly if I were you. Smile and act like a blushing bride as if your life depends on it. There are cameras waiting.”

My heart pounded and my mouth went dry. I had no option but to slip my arm through that of the burly man because my knees were shaking so hard I was afraid I’d be unable to stand through it all.

Jones started walking toward the door. Sofia shuffled closer, and lifted the train of the dress off the ground. It was time to do this.

T
he bright sunlight reminded me that I hadn’t been outside in days. I blinked a few times and my eyes watered as I fought back a sneeze. I wondered what it was about the bright sun that caused a person to have such a strong reaction.
I must Google it.

My mother had always said
“bless you.”
How I wished she was there to rescue me. She would have seen right through Nolan and put a stop to this.

Funny the stories we make up in our heads when we don’t want to face the harsh reality of what was happening to us.

“People survived the Holocaust by keeping their minds strong. Remember that, Eva.”
My mother’s voice spoke in my head with every step I took closer to my ill fate.