Heat (Parker Reed Book 1) (33 page)

I don’t know how long it was before I woke. I was curled into a ball on the bench of the limo, alone. Sitting up, I whimpered as my center throbbed and stung from the abuse. I didn’t know if Devin had raped me. He could have done so when I had passed out.

I spread my legs and looked down, biting my bottom lip to keep from crying. My thighs were bruised with fingerprints. Black and blue marks marred my pale skin. Although the lights were dim in the vehicle, I could see dark red blood beginning to dry against my mound.

Standing on shaky legs, I wiggled until my dress slid back down my waist before slumping onto the bench. Tears rolled down my cheeks.
Please. I need out.
I never prayed. I found no point to it since God didn’t keep my parents from dying or prevented the abuse that was inflicted on me by Devin, but I was desperate. And I would do anything to survive.

I swallowed a sob as thoughts of Parker and Troy forced their way into my mind. God, they had to be so worried.

The sounds of deep voices nearing the limo made me sit up straighter. The door opened and Devin peeked his head in, a grin spreading across his face when his gaze landed on me. “Ah. You’re awake. Just in time to greet our visitor.” He slid into the vehicle and made his way towards me and then I saw Parker sliding in behind him.

“Par—” My cry of shock was interrupted as Devin shoved the cloth gag into my mouth, tying it around the back of my head.

Parker’s gaze locked with mine as he sat casually across from me. His cool, calm demeanor gave off an air of superiority but he didn’t seem at all surprised to see me. My eyes narrowed, watching as Devin sat down beside him.

“So my man, do you like your surprise?” Devin asked, clapping a hand on Parker’s shoulder.

Parker rubbed his chin, a slow smirk spreading on his face. “What are we going to do with her?”

My eyes widened. I struggled against my bonds, muffled cries leaving my lips. No. He couldn’t be in on this. He just couldn’t be.

“We can share her.”

Both of the men turned to me, an evil energy leaving them at Devin’s suggestion.

I looked away. My heart felt like it shattered, breaking to a million pieces over once again being destroyed by a man. The sound of rain hitting the roof of the limo, vibrated in tiny motions over my skin. My stomach churned.

“So, did you make her bleed? I heard you like that shit,” Devin asked, a slight leer to his voice.

“No, but clearly you’ve had some fun with her,” Parker bit out.

I met his gaze, keeping a straight face, silently asking him what he was doing. His face was so passive that I couldn’t tell if he was lying, if this was all an act, or if he truly was on Devin’s side.

And that’s when I saw it. The warmth of love shining bright in his jade eyes. I could almost hear him coaxing me, telling me not to give up and forcing the strength back into my body.

“Yeah. As much as I’ve fucked her over the years, the hot little thing still remained nice and tight.” The way Devin talked about me like I was some tool for his sick personal pleasure made me wish that I wasn’t bound. I would ring my hands around his thick neck, pushing on his jugular until the life left his dark eyes. And then I would split open his dick like he had done so many times with my body. My jaw clenched and I looked away.

“Let me show you how much fun I’ve had.” Devin sat beside me, inching his hand up under my dress, pushing it to my hips. “Spread your legs.”

I glared but kept my knees locked tight. With rough hands, he spread me open. Muffled sobs escaped me when a growl sounded form the other side of the limo.

“What the hell did you do? Channel your inner cannibal?” Parker shouted. His gaze moved from the evidence of my abuse that lay between my legs to my eyes. His eyes were dark, a stormy rage billowing behind the green depths.

Devin laughed, pinching the sensitive skin at my thigh.

“Cover her up, fucker!” Parker bellowed. “Do you have the shit I need?”

Devin pulled my dress down and patted a manila envelope on his lap. “Right here.”

“Good.” Parker slapped a wad of cash into Devin’s hand and took the package from him. “Everything’s here?”

“Yup. Passports. Cell phone.” Devin moved to his spot beside Parker and leaned back, brushing a hand over his short brown hair. “I don’t know why you’re leaving.”

“I won’t be gone for long. There’s a leak in the system and I need to force it out before I can go on with everyday business.”

“You have people running your company?”

“Don’t worry about my company,” Parker snapped.

“You have everything you need right here.”

“Our partners in Canada can’t run shit. They have a mole that they don’t even know about. I’ll find out who he is and be back.” Parker slid the envelope into the inner pocket of his suit jacket.

“Well the shit spewing through the tabloids doesn’t help you either.”

Parker grinned. “It’s all an act, my friend.”

I bit back a scoff. If only Devin knew how true that statement was. I just prayed that I was right and that I wasn’t reading into things because I was being hopeful. Blind to what was actually going on around me.

“What are you doing with her?” Parker asked, nodding towards me.

“Why? Do you want her?” Devin asked, his cold gaze challenging him.

He shrugged. “I already had her.”

“Yeah. My sloppy seconds.” Devin sneered at me. “How does it feel knowing the man that you thought you knew, you hardly knew at all? Every single word he said to you was a fucking lie.” He turned back to Parker. “Did you tell her that you invited me to New York? And that you gave me the address to your cottage?”

Parker chuckled. “No, but the look on her face right now is fucking priceless.”

I blinked back the tears, wishing I could shut off the sound to my ears.

“Maybe we should have a last hurrah before we split. Fuck her at the same time? Like the old days.” Devin waggled his eyebrows.

My heart raced, a cold sweat sliding down my back like icy fingers of fear.

Parker met my gaze, his eyes darkening with an impending fury. “Nah,” he said, casually. “As appealing as that sounds, I’m not interested. Drop her off at the hospital,” Parker instructed the driver.

“What? Are you fucking crazy?” Devin shouted.

“Yes.” Parker laughed. “We have shit to do.”

“But—”

When we came to a complete stop, I saw the bright red lights of the emergency department staring back at me. Parker closed the distance between us and slid something in my hand.

I met his gaze, trying to mentally force him to do something. Talk to me. Kiss me. Show me some sign that he still loved me.

“I’ll explain everything in time,” he whispered in my ear before roughly pulling me to my feet.

A flutter ran through me at the scent of leather and man but an underlying smell nudged at me. It was sour, metallic. Blood and death.

“Tuck and roll, bitch.” Devin laughed. “Oh, and Keely? I
will
be back for you.” He laughed even harder. “Next time, I’ll fucking break you for good.”

I gasped as I was pushed out of the vehicle, landing hard on my back. The sound of a snap, followed by a surge of agony up my arm, ignited a scream to leave my lips.

And that was when darkness swallowed me whole for the third time that day.

My eyes fluttered opened and closed before finally gazing into the warm eyes of my best friend.

“You’re awake,” Troy said softly, his voice wavering.

I sat up, noting that I was in a white hospital room. Patrick sat in a brown leather chair in the far corner of the room, smiling when he looked up at me.

“What happened?” I croaked. My body felt heavy, like gravity was pushing me towards the earth.       

“I got a call from Parker that you were here. I was surprised to find out that he wasn’t with you.” Troy frowned and sat on the chair beside my bed, holding my hands.

I swallowed hard, remembering the cold look that Parker gave me but then I remembered the warmth in his eyes. My stomach fluttered. I was so damn confused. I had no idea what was going on.

“What happened, Keely? The nurses said that you were bound and gagged, left on the ground at the entrance.”

Tears fell from my eyes at that point; the liquid was cool against my skin as the air hit my cheeks. Other than that, I had no idea that I was crying. Maybe I was losing it. And for good this time. I stared at Troy but didn’t say anything. What could I say? He only knew so much of Devin’s wrath. Although he saved me from that nightmare, was it really saving when I was forced into another one?

I brought my hand up to wipe my cheeks when I saw the plaster cast on my right wrist. I sighed and curled away from Troy, hugging myself into a tight ball. I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t want to see anyone. I wanted to be alone. Forever. I didn’t know if Parker was coming back for me or if he truly had dived into the clutches of Devin’s sadistic ways.

“Keely?”

I looked up as a female police officer came into the hospital room.

She smiled warmly at me and pulled up a chair. “I’m Officer Hall. Can we chat for a couple of minutes?”

I nodded and reached for Troy’s hand. She looked between us two.

“He’s my best friend. I need him here,” I croaked.

Officer Hall nodded and pulled out a notepad. “I was speaking with the doctors. Did you want to tell me what happened?”

Troy squeezed my hand encouragingly. Taking a breath, I jumped when Patrick rose from his spot in the corner of the room, completely forgetting that he was there. He whispered something about giving us some privacy before I continued. I told Officer Hall everything that I could. Not that there was much to say since I really had no idea what was going on.

“Were you hurt in any way?” She pointed to the cast on my wrist. “Besides that, I mean.”

“Are you asking me if I was raped, Officer?” I sat up and scrubbed my good hand down my face.

“Were you?”

I pinched the bridge of my nose as an onslaught of pain erupted behind my eyes. “Devin Tate abused me, yes. I have no idea if he raped me, though, but he…”

“The doctors found traces of semen. By two different males,” she gently added. “And there is evidence of abuse. Keely, what did Devin do?”

At that point the tears flowed down my cheeks. I took deep cleansing breaths while Troy rubbed his hand over my back in soothing circles. “How do you know it was Devin that hurt me?”

“He has a history. Has he raped you before?”

I bit back a scoff. “Yes.”

“Did you ever report it?”

“No. I was a sixteen-year old girl,” I bit out.

Officer Hall nodded, her eyes warming in understanding. She rose to her feet and handed me her card. “If you think of anything else, please don’t hesitate to give me a call.”

“I will,” I whispered.

“Keely?” she said, stopping once she reached the door. “We’ll get this bastard. I promise you.”

A sob escaped my lips and my body shook, cries of anguish and pain wracking through me. They were so hard I could feel my bones rattle, my throat becoming raw as sand paper. I felt another presence and saw Patrick joining us. He held my good hand, a lonely tear rolling down his smooth cheek.

I cried even harder, held and soothed by the only men that had never hurt me. Troy had warned me in the beginning to be careful. To not give into Parker’s powerful seduction but I didn’t listen. I craved him like I was a junkie needing my next fix. My heart hurt as if a fist was gripping it tight, squeezing with everything in it.

“Parker,” I sobbed. How could he do this to me? My cries quieted when I remembered the item he had slipped into my hands. “Was there a note or something?” I asked, my voice raw.

“Yes.” Troy handed me a folded-up piece of paper.

I opened it. I looked between Patrick and Troy before rereading the note.

“What does it say?” Troy asked.

“It’s an address to a bank. Giving me the number for a security box,” I said, frowning.

“And that security box will answer some of your questions but not all,” an older man in a black suit with a brown briefcase said as he came into the room.

“And you are?” Troy asked, his eyes narrowing to sharp slits.

“I’m Daniel Woodridge. Mr. Reed’s attorney. But please, call me Daniel.” He held out his hand towards me.

I slowly slid my fingers into his grip, returning the hand shake.

“Now.” Daniel snapped open the locks on the case. “I won’t take much of your time as you need to rest. But I have strict orders from Mr. Reed to give this to you right away.”

I took the paper from him, my eyes widening at what I read. When I was finished, I sat up straighter. “Why?”

Daniel rose to his feet. “I’ll be at the cottage in two days. Until then—”

“Where is he? What the hell is going on?” I snapped. “Tell me.”

“Goodbye Miss Price.”

I sat there in total and utter shock as the older man left the room.

“Well, that was fucking odd. What does the paper say?” Troy asked, rubbing his hand up and down my arm soothingly.

I thrust it at him and let out a heavy sigh.

“Parker wants to make you…he’s giving you his company?” Troy’s eyes glanced back and forth along the legal paper.