Torn from You (16 page)

The waiting
was driving me senseless.

Never knowing
when anyone was coming. Afraid of the creak in the floorboards. Of
a distant scream. Of how the air in the room shifted.

The sound of
Logan’s footsteps as he walked away echoed over and over in my
mind. He’d left me. He gave me to Raul. He didn’t argue. He acted
as if I was nothing to him.

He told me he
would, but I always had this crazy, far-off idea that he’d defend
me. He may have brought me here and kept me in this place, but he’d
also protected me against it too.

I was
wrong.

He’d walked
away.

He didn’t care
if I was sold or killed.

Logan walked
away from me.

The door burst
open, and I emitted a tiny scream, but I didn’t cry. I wouldn’t. No
one deserved my tears in this place.

Hands grabbed
my wrists, and I recognized them. Logan’s. It wasn’t Alfonzo or
Jacob. Was he going to torture me? Was he the one taking me to a
new owner? Could he be that cruel?

He took off
the ropes on my wrists then tore off my blindfold and helped me
stand.

Our eyes
locked.

And somehow I
knew. Whether I felt it or saw it in his expression, I didn’t know,
but the man standing in front of me was the man I used to love.

“
One
chance at this. One. We aren’t ready, but there’s no choice. He’s
selling you and ... Mouse, get changed. Now.” It was then I noticed
the clothes on the bed. Logan grabbed the front of the black lace
dress and ripped it off me then threw it aside. I stood dumbstruck,
staring until his voice cut through my shock. “Clothes.
Now.”

He picked up
what looked like an oversized black T-shirt and a pair of jeans and
tossed them at me, then walked back to the door. I kept looking at
him as I changed, uncertain what was happening. There was a stern
determination on his face, unrelenting and dangerous as he put his
ear to the door.

I was doing up
the zipper of the jeans when he strode towards me. “I needed you
gone ten minutes ago—move it.” He grabbed my arm just as the door
burst open again. Logan shoved me so hard behind him that I fell to
my butt.

“What the ...
Sculpt?” Alfonzo’s eyes went from me to Logan. “What are you doing
here? She’s sold, Sculpt. I’m taking her to her new owner.”

“No.” Logan’s
voice was steady and calm. “That is not going to happen.”

I climbed to
my feet.

Alfonzo’s eyes kept darting between me and Logan. “Your
father will crucify you, then her.”

Father? What?
My eyes widened, and I staggered backward until my back hit the
damp cement wall. Raul?

Oh God. Logan
was Raul’s son? Logan was Raul’s son.

“Maybe. But I
get to live with the satisfaction of what I’ve wanted to do for
weeks.” Logan took two strides and swung hard and fast, his fist
connecting with Alfonzo’s jaw and sending him back into the wall.
“You. Are. Scum. A parasite.” Logan hit him again and blood
splattered from his nose and upper lip.

Alfonzo
grunted and tried swinging back, but he was no match for Logan, and
as soon as he went for his gun, Logan kicked it from his hand, and
it went sliding across the floor.

“You touched
her. That was your mistake.” Logan continued to punch Alfonzo again
and again until Alfonzo was lying on the ground unmoving. I was
staring, watching, confused and not knowing what the hell was going
on except that Alfonzo looked dead and Logan was covered in his
blood.

I glanced at
the gun then back to Logan who stood over Alfonzo staring down at
the motionless form. I didn’t know what was going on, but I wasn’t
letting the chance escape me.

I dove for the
gun.

My fingers
curled around the butt, and I jumped to my feet just as I heard
Logan’s voice.

“Emily. Put
the gun down.”

I shook my
head back and forth as the gun trembled in my hand while I pointed
it at him. “No. I’m getting out of here. And you’re not stopping
me.”

He took one
step forward, and I steadied the gun with my other hand then cocked
the hammer.

“You’re right.
You are getting out of here, but not on your own, and I think you
know that. I’m going to help you.”

I backed up as
he came forward. “No. I don’t believe you. Why would you do that?
You brought me here. You’ve kept me here. He’s your ... he’s your
father. That man is ...” I couldn’t say it again; it made me sick
to my stomach to think I’d willingly slept with that bastard’s
son.

“Put the gun
down.” He held out his hand. “I never lied to you.”

I jerked the
gun toward him as I spoke. “Bullshit. You lied to me every single
day. Were the nights a lie too? Am I just like all those other
girls? Maybe I’d be better off with a new owner, at least I know
when he fucks me I will hate him. Not like you. You made me love
you then you wrecked me with it. Then ... then you gave me back
piece by piece every night only to take it away all over again in
the morning.”

“I’ve never
lied to you. Ever.” He nodded to the gun. “You shoot that thing in
here—we’re both dead. Every man in this place will be down here.
I’m trying to help you, and this shit is about to blow up in our
faces.”

I didn’t
believe him. My trust had been destroyed, just like I was going to
do to his heart when I shot him. “Stay back.”

“I can’t do
that.” He dove for me.

I tightened my
finger on the trigger and closed my eyes.

Then I felt
the jarring pain in my back when Logan threw his weight on top of
me and we both crashed to the floor. He grabbed the gun out of my
hands and slid it in the back of his jeans.

Without a word
he pulled me to my feet, slid his cell from his pocket, and snagged
my hand.

He pressed a
number on his phone and put it to his ear. “Deck.”

Deck?
Georgie’s Deck? What? No, it couldn’t be.

“
It’s
now,” he said abruptly into the phone. “I don’t care if your guys
aren’t ready. This happens. You sure your man has her safe? Good.”
He nodded then his back stiffened as he listened. “Not happening,
Deck. I’m not taking that chance.” Silence, except for the thumping
of my heart and the blood rushing through my veins. Logan pulled me
up the stairs. “Deck, I don’t care. You hear me? Change in plans.
She goes. I’ll deal with Raul and the consequences.” He propelled
me down a hallway, then out a side door that led us outside. He
stopped, placed his hand over the receiver and said,
“Dave.”

Dave appeared
from behind the bushes. “We’re taking a risk meeting.” He nodded to
the phone. “Taking a risk using that. It’s for the end game.”

“This is the
end game. It needs to happen. Alfonzo is down.”

“
Shit.
Sculpt, that wasn’t—”

“We get her
clear, and I’ll look after the rest. You got the signal?”

Dave ran his
hand through his hair. “Yeah, but Sculpt. Jesus. Not a good idea.
Deck says—”

“Do I look
like I care? Do it.”

I was so
confused having no idea what was happening except Dave was shocked,
Logan was losing control, and Deck was yelling through the speaker.
They were speaking to one another as if ... as if this was planned.
Could it be true? Was Deck here? Could Logan be talking about
getting me out of here? Why now? Why would he suddenly change his
mind?

The flicker of
hope was trying to emerge from beneath my fear. I was scared of
what Logan was doing, of what would happen if he was caught, if we
were caught. I was confused as to why Dave was helping and worried
that this was some kind of setup.

“What?” Logan
said into the phone.

I could
hear Deck on the line, “Sculpt, you screw with this, you’re fucked.
I told you it will go down, but you need to wait. My men are on
mission, I’m waiting on two more. We need them, Sculpt. We don’t
have enough men for a complete take down of this place. You fuck
this now, he’ll know something’s up, and if he escapes, neither of
you will be safe for the rest of your goddamn lives.”

“I’ll deal
with Raul. Get her out.” Logan closed his eyes for a half a second
then looked at me. The pain I saw there was so raw that my breath
hitched, and I wanted to go to him to ease it. How could I feel
this way? He didn’t deserve anything from me.

“Raul will
torture you until you piss and puke blood. Then he’ll kill you,”
Deck shouted over the phone. “Just hold the fuck up. We know what
we’re doing.”

“It’s too late
for that. Dave’s bringing her out. Be ready.” Logan dropped the
phone from his ear. He must have pressed the End button, because
Deck’s shouts could no longer be heard. “You know what to do.” He
reached in his pocket and pulled out what looked like a passport.
“This will get you home.” He passed it to me.

My hand shook
as I took it from him. Why was he doing this? It didn’t make sense.
He’d made her fear him and threatened to sell her. He’d told her
he’d not protect her if she misbehaved.

“Man. Deck is
right. A few more days—”

“
She
doesn’t have a few more days, she has zero.” He was talking about
me as if ... as if he cared what happened to me. “Deck will meet
you. Don’t come back, Dave. Don’t ever come here again. What
happened to your sister ... fuck ... I’m sorry.”

Dave stiffened
and nodded as if no more needed to be said, and Logan put his hand
on Dave’s shoulder and squeezed.

Sister? What
happened to Dave’s sister? Could she have been a slave? Was she one
of the girl’s she’d seen? Had she been killed? Why did Logan care?
How good of friends were they?

When Logan
shifted, his eyes met mine.

The Logan I’d
fallen in love with, not the cold man who held me captive, stood in
front of me. I saw it in him, the way his eyes warmed, the way his
fingers stroked the back of my hand.

And it
terrified me. Because no matter how much I’d fought it, I still
loved this man.

Dave tugged on
my arm, and mine and Logan’s hands separated. I stared, unable to
move.

“Emily.
Go.”

Dave
yanked, but I refused to budge. “
Chiquita
, we have to leave now.”

Then the
coldness descended over Logan’s face. “Get out of here, Emily. This
is who I am. Don’t think any different just because I fucked you a
few times.”

I gasped. Dave
swore beneath his breath.

“Get her out
of my sight.”

I glared
at the man that just sucked the last bit of hope from my heart.
“Why are you letting me go then? Just sell me, you bastard! Why
take the risk?”

He shook his
head. “I’m risking nothing. My father will be marginally upset, but
I’m his prize fighter, and if I choose to let you go then that is
my choice.” His tone softened, the hardness in his eyes remained.
“Go repair from this place, Emily.”

“Sculpt.” Dave
sighed and lowered his head, clearly unhappy at what was going
down.

My response
was automatic, as if the words were sitting on the tip of my tongue
waiting to be spoken. “Some things can’t be repaired. You break
them bad enough, they can’t be fixed.”

His body
flinched. His jaw clenched, and I saw his index finger twitch
against his thigh. He was angry, but I also recognized the pain in
his expression. And I was glad he hurt.

I’d live. I’d
survive.

I realized I
didn’t have it in me to forgive him or to forget. But I’d find a
place in me that could—live.

Dave yanked
hard on my hand and we ran. The last vision I saw of Logan was him
turning his back on me.

Dave hauled
ass through the compound, sticking to the shadows while dragging me
behind him. I was too frazzled to do anything but follow him, and
if it was true and I was getting out of here, then I’d do anything
he asked of me.

He stopped
behind one of the houses, his finger up to his mouth making certain
I stayed quiet. I heard the steady patter of paws and feet and
leaned up against the wall, holding my breath, praying they
couldn’t hear my heart thumping erratically.

When the guard
and dog passed, Dave gestured to me to stay put while he crept low
across the yard. I saw the flash of his knife reflect against the
moonlight as he unsheathed it. In one swift movement the guard
standing near the wall fell to the ground.

Dave gestured
to me, and I went running to him.

Suddenly there
were three loud gun shots and lots of shouts as guards started
running toward the main house.

“Fool.” Dave
said staring off in the direction of the gunshots. “That’s our
signal.”

He grabbed my
hand again, and we ran the length of the wall. It felt like forever
as I scrambled after him, trying to stop from ducking as more gun
shots went off.