Bound by Love's Gravity (29 page)

When the back door flew open, and Gavin’s sinister face appeared, she knew something had happened, and it wasn’t a good thing. “Hi, honey,” he sneered. “We’re home.”

We?
Before she could ask, he turned his back on her and lifted something off the ground. With a huff and a puff, he spun as though in slow motion and stuffed a body in the rear seat of the luxury SUV.

As soon as she saw Adam, Sarah broke down, sobs shattering her body. “Adam,” she cried. “Wake up. Please wake up.”

However, Adam didn’t awaken. His big body stayed still, disturbingly motionless, alarmingly soundless. He was utterly lifeless. And from where she was, she couldn’t even tell if he was breathing.

Terror crashed through her as the possibility of losing him, of having already lost him, barraged her brain. Frantic, she crawled between the two bucket seats, over the console, and dove for him. But Gavin stopped her. He jumped into the front seat and came at her from behind.

Catching her by the waist, he hauled her body back and threw her into the seat she’d just vacated. As soon as her bottom hit the soft leather, Gavin smacked
her.
The back of his hand slapped across her face. The resulting crack of flesh meeting flesh sounded almost as bad as the pain that splintered in her cheek felt.

“Don’t be stupid,” Gavin snapped. “I didn’t kill him. I’ve waited too many years to let him off the hook that easy. No, he is going to pay for stealing the only person who ever mattered to me. And then he is going to pay again because he tried to take you from me, too.” Pausing, he curled his lip. “That bastard fucked up my life—not once but twice—and he is going to live to regret it
before
I slit his throat and watch him bleed.”

With a maniacal grin that had her squirming, he settled into the driver seat and started the Escalade before pulling away from his hiding spot. Goosing it, he drove past the evergreen tree recklessly, using more speed than she was comfortable with. “Looks like it’s a good thing I drove this bad boy today. The big engine and roomy interior are going to be quite helpful.”

Anxious, Sarah threw her hand over her eyes and covered them. But soon, unable to bear being blind with a madman, she peeked through her fingers. “Slow down,” she screeched as he blew past a side road as though it were nothing more than a blip. “You’re going to get us killed.”

Taking his eyes of the road, he slid a haughty glare her way. “Are you scared yet?” He practically spat the words. “If so, let’s keep you that way.” He accelerated quickly, plastering her body to the black leather seat.

Terrified, she gripped the arm rest with one hand while digging her nails into the console with the other. “N–n–no,” she stammered, refusing to admit her fear to him. “You don’t scare me.”

Chuckling, Gavin glanced out the windshield before immediately back at her. “That’s a shame. I guess I’ll have to fix that.” The moment he finished speaking he put the pedal to the metal, pushing the Escalade to drive at its top speed.

One hundred and twenty. One hundred and thirty. One hundred and forty…

When the needle reached one hundred and sixty, Sarah panicked. “Okay, okay. I’m scared,” she blurted out, despising her weakness as she did.

Gavin barked a laugh. “Are you sure? I think we can push it a little harder. What do you think?”

I think I’m going to hurl.

Rather than waiting for a response, he took off like a bat out of Hades. “We’re about to find out.”

* * * *

Deke was driving like a lunatic, swerving and speeding at will. He barreled down the road, headed in the direction he figured both Adam and Sarah would have gone. About ten minutes later, he spotted Adam’s car behind Sarah’s.

Slamming his foot down on the gas, he demanded his car go as fast as it could. Luckily, it did. And soon, he was racing up to the cars.

Jerking his wheel, he pulled half-ass off of the road then threw his car into park. Without wasting a second, he jerked the door open and lurched out. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he was running. “Sarah! Adam!” His voice was loud in the still silence, reverberating around him, but he didn’t care. He continued to scream their names, time and again, while he searched for a sign of them. Opening and shutting doors, sprinting around the car. But there was nothing. No person in sight. No sound in the air.
Fuck.

Panting, he rubbed his head, wishing he had strands so he could pull them. That’s when he saw it—blood. Without questions, he followed the freshly dried blood until he found Sam, passed out and bleeding profusely.

“Oh my God,” he swore, his voice still piercingly loud, as he ran for his car and reached for his phone.

Dialing Hale, he got to his feet and started pacing. When his friend answered, he didn’t have a chance to say a word before Hale started in on him.

“I just got a strange call from Sarah,” Hale said. “I think she’s in trouble. Wyatt’s trying to trace her cell phone.”

“I don’t think you’re going to have much luck,” he replied, remembering that he hadn’t seen her purse or phone in the car. “Try Adam’s. I have a feeling he’s with her, and he’s in danger, too.”

Hale cursed. Then Deke heard him cover the phone and murmur something to whoever was with him, presumably Wyatt. “Give us ten minutes,” he said when he came back. “And get your ass here. I know you, Deke. You’re not doing this without us.”

“I need to take care of Sam,” he retorted angrily. “He’s bleeding like a fucking pig. Then I’m going after BR.”

Hale scoffed. “Stop being stubborn. Get Sam in your car and bring him here. Chason is here with Ansley. They’ll take care of him. If it is something they can’t handle, they’ll get him to the hospital. But it’s a pretty damn long drive to get him there if he isn’t stabilized.”

Hale had a point. “Fine,” Deke agreed begrudgingly. “I’ll be there as soon as possible.”

Hale didn’t reply. He just hung up.

In great haste, Deke hustled Sam into his car with minimal movements. Despite the dead weight, he managed to get his friend settled in the backseat and get back on the road within a handful of minutes.

Racing back to The Edge, he ran through several possibilities of where BR would have gone. But that was the problem. There were
numerous
places for a rich man to stash whatever and whoever he wanted. And he had no clue where to even begin.

When he finally reached the club, he saw several of the staff waiting for him. Standing together, Chason and Ansley were prepared for Sam. They both held numerous medical supplies in their hands. Not far from them, Kylia was in a semi-circle with a distraught Declan and fierce-looking Lucian. And by them, Hale and Wyatt were huddled together.

Skidding to a halt in front of The Edge, Deke didn’t wait. He got out of the car, barking orders and demanding answers. For the first time today, he felt nearly in control—at least of this.

“Chason, Ansley, take care of Sam,” he commanded brusquely as he circled around to the group. “Wyatt, did you find anything out?”

Wyatt grimaced. “They’re headed toward the hunting lodge BR’s dad owns outside of Serenity. I can’t swear that’s where they’re going because he’s not quite there. But I’m pretty fucking sure.” He cleared his throat. “We’ve been there before. Remember?”

Oh yeah, Deke remembered. They’d gone to one party there, and they’d never gone back. It wasn’t exactly the kind of place they wanted to spend their time in. He hadn’t minded the décor or the dungeon. It was the people’s actions that had revolted him.

“Oh shit,” Deke cursed as he realized what the bastard was up to. “He’s taking them to the dungeon.”

Hale nodded. “That’s what we suspect.”

“Fuck,” Deke swore. “He’ll…” He couldn’t even say the words.

“Not if I can fucking help it,” Delancey Sorensen sneered as she appeared in the doorway. The Edge’s female instructor wore a determined, deadly expression on her face. “I’ll feed him his balls first.”

Deke would’ve felt sorry for BR, if he didn’t want to kill him himself, because Delancey would do what she said. Given half the chance, she would happily castrate BR, and she would sing “If You’re Happy and You Know It”
while she did.

“I’ll feed him more than his balls,” Sebastian Blackwell promised when he strode out of the club and stepped forward. Immediately, The Edge’s male instructor moved to stand by Delancey. “BR hurt Sarah, and I think we should return the favor.” His severe expression lifted for just a second, a bloodthirsty grin lighting up his face. “Tenfold.”

“I have an idea,” Delancey announced. “Anyone interested?”

Throwing his hand up for any naysayers, Deke nodded. “Yes, Delancey.”

Smirking, Delancey asked, “He doesn’t know that you guys are on to him, correct?”

“Yes,” Deke replied as he focused on Delancey, everyone around him fading from his sight. “Well, we think he doesn’t.”

“Call him,” she replied easily. “Pretend nothing is up, and play with him. Watch the bastard squirm. Lure him in and trap him. Then we’ll all go after the motherfucker and take him down.”

Hale nodded. “BR is a narcissistic bastard. He wants to be the center of attention. Let’s play on that.”

It sounded like a plan. And right now, that’s what Deke needed. He would try anything, including tempting the devil himself.

Reaching into his pocket, Deke pulled out his cell phone. “Fine, I’ll call. But someone needs to get a hold of Reed. He can get Chief Widener and the others gathered together. We’re going to need their help. And notify the police in Serenity. Belle, Ash, and Keegan have to be told what’s going on.”

Hale whipped out his phone. But before he called anyone, he said, “Belle and Ash are already at Sarah’s apartment building with Reed and Tristan. I just talked—”

Deke didn’t listen to another word his right-hand man said. Instead, he looked up the number of his enemy in his contact list on his phone then dialed the number. With a thudding heart, he waited to see what happened.

Ring. Ring. Ring
.

* * * *

Sarah heard Gavin’s phone ring as he pulled in front of what looked like a giant hunting lodge. Or at least, it looked like a stuck-up version of a hunting lodge. This wasn’t a place for real people. It was a mansion for the rich.

“Hello, Deke,” Gavin whispered into his phone silkily, distracting her from her perusal of the place where someone might very well die today. “How are you?”

Gavin’s completely calm persona amazed Sarah. Most people would show some sort of emotion, but he didn’t. He sounded perfectly at ease, and he looked it too. If she handed him a cigar and a Hawaiian shirt, he wouldn’t look any more at peace.

As she listened, realization struck. He was talking to Deke.
My Deke.
Freaking out, she checked on Adam in the backseat. But he was still out of it.
Crap
.

“That’s good to hear,” Gavin said as he obviously continued his conversation. “Ah, I’m perfect.”

Narrowing her eyes on him, Sarah noticed something, something disturbing. He was rubbing his crotch frantically as he talked to Deke. With his eyes closed, he looked seconds away from coming in his pants.
Oh my gosh. He’s got a thing for…Deke!
Then she realized something else.
That’s who he thinks Adam stole from him.

Her palms broke out in a sweat as she reached for her buckle and released it. As soon as her buckle clicked, Gavin manacled her wrist, shooting her a look that
really
scared her. Then something Deke said made him laugh, and he seemed to lose interest in her.

“Yeah, Deke. I would love to get together sometime soon.” Nodding, he added. “Actually, I’m at my dad’s lodge today. Why don’t you come up for lunch?” Pausing, he glanced at his watch. “Say in an hour?”

Going quiet, Gavin leered at her. “I have a couple of things I need to do first.”

She’d bet he did.

“Sounds good,” he murmured then hung up. Turning to her, he gloated, “Your other Dom is coming. He’s going to be here as soon as he can drive the distance. That should give us about an hour. We need to get you dressed up and Adam dressed down before he arrives. I would hate for Deke to miss all the action.”

“You’re going to make him watch?” she croaked, disgusted and horrified at the same time. “Seriously? That’s just…heinous.”

Gavin patted her leg condescendingly. “Sarah, Deke gets off on pain. All Doms do. They like to pretend they don’t. But they’re lying to themselves.”

Not for one moment did Sarah believe Gavin. Doms didn’t enjoy pain for the sake of pain. But she didn’t say so. Right now wasn’t the best time to provoke the psycho. Although, she wanted to. Now that she knew what BDSM really was, what it stood for, she didn’t like people stereotyping the lifestyle like that.

“Let’s get in the lodge,” Gavin ordered. “I have a surprise for you.”

Why did that make her want to vomit? Oh yeah, because he’s a freaking wackjob. However, she found herself nodding and doing as he said. She feared if she didn’t, he would change his mind and kill Adam on the spot. And she wasn’t going to leave him to his death. She loved him too much to walk away.