Hostage (16 page)

“Come for me. Come for me, Wren.”

She does. And it’s the most incredible sound in the world.

I follow her over, holding myself still as wave after wave of pleasure wash over me. It’s never been this good. Never in my life have I had sex like this.

Leaning down, I kiss her. Slowly. Tenderly. And all I can think is that I don’t ever want to let this go.

Nothing’s gonna make me do that.

Not one fucking thing.

Wren

When I wake up the next morning, Code still has his arms around me.

I like it.

A lot.

I’ve never felt this way in life. Like I belong, like I’m treasured, like he knows me for who I really am and wants me anyway.

It’s exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. I feel both emotions coursing through me as I open my eyes and shift in his arms.

I want to keep waking up like this, keep feeling like this, keep following the pathway of light through the dark billows until I reach the bright horizon. I want it so much it hurts. But I just don’t know if it’s possible.

If there can ever be a couple who are inevitably star-crossed, doomed by fate, it’s us. He took me hostage, kidnapped me. I know anyone I talk to right now will say I’m deceived, I’m suffering from Stockholm’s Syndrome, that what I feel isn’t real.

I don’t think that’s what’s going on here, but I’m not sure how I’d argue against them. I could drop everything, give up my whole life, to go with Code to Mexico. It doesn’t really sound that bad. He wants me with him. We could be together, happy, a couple.

I don’t really want to live in Mexico. And I don’t want to do that to my dad.

“What are you thinking?” he asks, as if he senses some of my tumultuous thoughts.

“I’m thinking about what it would be like to live in Mexico.”

I feel his body tighten against mine, but his voice is even as he adjusts us so I’m looking into his face. His eyes are soft. “It might be nice.”

“Would we be on the run the whole time? Can’t Americans be extradited from Mexico or whatever?”

“Yeah. But they’d have to know where I am. You can get lost in Mexico pretty easily.”

“What are you planning to do to support yourself? You’re not going to keep robbing banks, are you?”

“I told you I never wanted to do that. I’ll get a job. I’ll…do something.”

I thought of what Code might have wanted to become if he hadn’t turned to a life of crime. “Is there something you always wanted to be when you grew up?”

He snorted slightly. “I wanted to be a cowboy.”

I smiled, trying to imagine what little-boy-Code would have been like. “I mean later. Were you planning to go to college and everything?”

“Yeah. I don’t really. My parents wanted me to be a doctor, but I never wanted that.”

“I guess you could get some sort of job to begin with and then think through what you want to do in the long run.”

“Yeah.” He lets out a long breath. “All I really wanted was…”

“Was what?”

“I don’t know.” He glances away, as if it’s something hard to admit. “To be free.” He reach out to cup my face. “And what about you? What do you want?”

“I don’t know. I want to be with you, but I don’t know if it could ever work. What would I do? I’m not really qualified to get a job other than waiting tables or something like that. I’d do it for sure, but it’s not what I want to do for the rest of my life. I don’t really mind leaving my friends and college classes and everything, but my dad…I can’t see doing that to him. We were never really close, but I think he…he loves me.”

I think about his face, the broken sound of his voice, when he saw Code taking me at the bank, and my chest hurts—an agonizing clench—at the thought.

Code is silent for a minute. “We could somehow let him know that you’re okay. We could make sure he wasn’t worried.”

I think about that, wondering again if such a crazy idea can possibly work.

I want so much to be with him. Maybe it can somehow work.

Code goes on, as if he’s halfway talking to himself. “For years now, all I’ve wanted is some kind of peaceful place, where I don’t always have to be running, fighting, struggling to keep my head above water. A peaceful place, where I can really be free.”

The words touch me strangely, speak to something deep inside me too. “That’s what I want too. There’s this painting I like. By Monet. I don’t think it’s really what the painting is supposed to be, but to me it always looked like a pathway of light. To a bright place, safe from the storm.”

“Maybe we can find it in Mexico. Together.” He leans forward and kisses me. “You know I’m crazy about you. Right?”

I feel a giddy shiver at the word. “Me too. I’m crazy about you too.”

“Good. That’s all that matters. The bus doesn’t leave until nine, so you have a few hours to decide. You can always cross the border with me and then, if you change your mind, just come back with the tour. No harm done.”

I can’t help but smile at the thought, filled with visions of not having to say goodbye to Code after all. “Maybe I’ll do that.”

I see his face change and know that he’s thrilled by my response. I’ve never believed a man can care that much about any of my decisions.

“I guess we better get up,” I add, glancing back at the clock. “I’m kind of hungry.”

“You stay in bed.” He hauls himself out the bed, stretching and giving me an excellent view of his mostly naked body. “I’ll go get us something for breakfast.”

I smile at him, rather fatuously. “You’re pretty nice to have around.”

“Then you should keep me around for as long as possible.”

We’re both grinning at each other like dopes as he pulls on his pants and t-shirt and then walks to the door of the room.

“Keeping you sounds like a good idea,” I say, just before he leaves.

He gives me one more smile, over his shoulder, and then shuts the door behind him.

I let out a long sigh and pull the covers up to get comfortable again. This is good. Delaying the decision another day or two is good. I can go across the border and then decide what I want to do.

No use to tear myself in two right now.

I relax for a few minutes and am just starting to drift into a doze when a loud bang startles me so much I sit up straight in the bed.

Then I realize the sound has come from someone opening the door so vigorously that it banged against the wall.

I think at first it’s Code, but it’s not.

As I blink at the man in the doorway, I remember when I’ve seen his nasty face and oversized body before.

The guy from Code’s crew who found us in that hotel a few days ago, who tried to kill both of us.

Deke.

And he’s in the hotel room with me.

“Where is he?” Deke growls, scanning the room with cold eyes.

“He’s not here,” I manage to force out, a cold chill running through me so strongly that I literally can’t move.

“Where is he?”

“He went out. I don’t know where.” I hope he’ll believe me. I don’t know where Code went, although I can guess based on the available places around that would have breakfast.

Deke seems to ignore me because he’s seen the case that Code has been carrying this whole time. The case with the diamonds. He closes the door—he must have lifted a key because he didn’t bust into the room—and strides over to grab the case. He opens it and verifies the contents.

“Just take it,” I say, pulling the covers up since I’m just wearing panties and a t-shirt. I feel shaky and vulnerable and still incapable of moving.

“I’m planning to take it, but fucking Code isn’t going to walk away from this.” He look and sounded malicious and dangerous. “I’ve been chasing him for fucking days.”

“How did you find him?” I ask more to distract him than anything else.

“Jamie. He trusted the wrong person.”

I’m suddenly furious at the bastard who was supposed to be Code’s friends and have him a shitty car, fake IDs, and then ratted him out to Deke.

I should be thinking like crazy, coming up with a plan to deal with this nightmare, but my mind is totally a blank. I still can’t move.

“Code has a nice little set-up here,” Deke says, his face changing as his eyes rest on me. He steps closer. “I see he’s been having a good time with you.”

I gulp, the fear rushing up even stronger into my throat, my head, my eyes.

“I guess I can amuse myself until he gets here.” He’s stepped even closer to me, his eyes crawling over me and something almost savage igniting in his eyes. “Only fair, after what he’s put me through.”

“No,” I choke, fear finally letting me scoot away from him, toward the other side of the bed. He’s like twice my side, so there’s no way I’m going to be able to fight him off. “No.”

“Yes.” He reaches out toward me. “Get over here.”

I try to scream, but it’s like a nightmare because I can’t get my voice to make more than a strangled grunt. He’s grabbing me then, and I kick out at him, but it doesn’t faze him the slightest bit.

He’s going to rape me. It’s surreal that it’s actually going to happen, and the world blurs into a shaky unreality. It’s sort of like when Code grabbed me in the bank, but worse.

So much worse.

In a rush of terror and fury both, I grab for anything I can reach. A pillow, which only bounces off his face. Then the lamp on the nightstand.

It worked last time, and I get in a decent hit, but he just grunts and grabs the lamp out of my hand, throwing it onto the floor.

“Fucking little cunt,” he grits out, grabbing me with both hands and forcing me under him. “You’re going to see who’s in charge here.”

I’m still trying to scream, trying to kick out against him, trying to writhe in a desperate attempt to get away. But I can’t. He’s too big, too strong, too horrible. And I’m absolutely powerless against him.

My eyes blur even more as he holds me down and starts to unzip his jeans with one hand.

I’ve been raped before, and there was nothing I could do about my step-father. I never resisted because it just wasn’t something I could do at ten years old. I feel the same way now. Let him do this. Even though it’s wrong. Even though I hate it. Even though it hurts me so much I don’t know how I can stand it.

Let him do it.

Don’t say no.

Because that’s me. I don’t say no.

Except I can. I know now that I can. And I’m not going to let this animal rape me without doing everything possible to stop it from happening.

“No!” I scream, my voice finally breaking through my fear. “No! Help!”

He slaps me hard across the face. “Shut the fuck up.”

“No!” I cry out again, a little louder this time. I don’t know if anyone can hear me, but I’m sure as hell going to try. I’m still trying to get leverage with my legs so I can kick him in a way that will do some damage.

He rips off my t-shirt, exposing my naked breasts and then reaches down for my panties.

“No!” I scream one more time.

The door to the room bangs open again, and both of us turn to look.

Code is standing in the doorway, taking in the scene.

Then his face changes, and it’s like nothing I’ve ever seen before in my life.

Code

What the fuck?

For a minute, I’m too stunned to speak, to move. But once I snap out of my stupor, I take in the scene in front of me. There’s only rage. It’s like everything stops. Wren stops moving and Deke is above her, his fucking cock in one hand, while the other is holding Wren down.

“I’ll fucking kill you.” I close the door and step further into the room.

Deke laughs. “I don’t think so. I think that I’m gonna beat the shit out you—just enough to do some damage—but I want to make sure that you’re still lucid enough to watch my fuck this bitch.”

Wren struggles beneath him, and as much as I want to jump on him and fucking wring his neck, I need to keep his focus on me so that Wren can get away. “Code, please,” she whispers but I refuse to look at her. I need my attention to stay on Deke. I need to focus.

“Yeah? You think you can fucking take me?” I laugh to taunt him. “I don’t think so. You don’t do any fucking thing for yourself. You’re alone. No one’s here to do your dirty work.” I take a step closer. “C’mon. Leave her alone and come and get me. Let’s finish this.”

I can see him start to shift off of Wren and something in my expression must have given me away because Deke stops and slaps her across the face—hard. “Oh, I’m gonna finish this. But I’m going to have some fun first.”

Rising from the bed, he quickly zips his pants as the two of us circle one another. “Do you have any fucking idea what you’ve cost me? I shot Axl! I fucking killed Axl! That wasn’t part of the plan, Code. You fucked up a perfectly simple plan. But then again, you’re nothing but a fuck up. I gave you a chance. I took you in and you had my protection. And what do you do? You fucking stab me in the back!”

I shake my head furiously. “No, man. I never wanted you to take me in—I didn’t want to part of your fucking crew. All I wanted was to leave. I didn’t want anything from you but you made it what it is. You shot Axl? You were going to fucking kill me! I did what you asked—I risked my own fucking life and you set me up!”

An evil laugh came from Deke. “It was the perfect plan. But somehow you managed to fuck it up and now I’ve had to kill Axl, his hostage…your bitch over here broke Cam’s fucking nose, my face is all over the goddamn papers—not yours—and I’m tired of chasing you. Now be a good boy and let me fucking teach you a lesson,” he says calmly. “I’m going to enjoy it.” Then he leers at Wren again. “And then I’m going to enjoy her.”

“She’s got nothing to do with this,” I warn.

“She’s got everything to do with this. No one has a fucking clue about who you are. You managed to stay off the security cameras and for all the chaos at the bank, the only one that people seem to be concerned with is me! I’m on the fucking run, and you’re here playing house with this bitch!”

“Not my fault,” I say, hoping to keep him talking, distracted. “This was your plan, not mine. Just…let her go.”

Something evil crosses his face. His smile is almost a little bit scary. “I don’t think so. I think this bitch means something to you. Those diamonds? That money? They mean something to me. You took what’s mine so I’m gonna take what’s yours. The only difference is that I’m not gonna take it and run. I think I’m gonna keep us here for days and make you watch me fuck her. What do you think?”

He’ll have to kill me first.

I can see that I’m not going to be able to reason with him. I don’t have any weapons and I’m pretty much scrambling to think of what I can do to get him the hell out of here. Out of the corner of my eye, I can see Wren. She’s motioning to something.

What?

The lamp. She’s motioning toward the lamp.

I know what she’s thinking, I just have to find the right time to grab it and use it. “Not gonna happen,” I say.

He laughs again and stops moving and lunges for me. He’s so fast that I don’t see it coming. His hands are around my throat—hard—and for a minute, I think he’s gonna win. That he’s gonna make good on his threats.

“I’m gonna fuck her and you’re gonna watch,” he growls in my face. “Then, while you’re sitting there, begging to die, she’s gonna suck my cock. How do you like that? Her cunt and her mouth will be all over me and she’ll be mine.”

My vision is starting to blur, and every word out of his mouth is making me sick.

No
. No, he can’t. I’ll fucking die before I let him do that to Wren. No one will ever do that to Wren again. Ever.

My knees start to give out and in the distance, I can hear Wren crying out my name. It was just enough to cause Deke to loosen his grip as he turns around to tell her to shut up.

I take advantage of the situation and knee him right in the fucking balls. He goes down hard. “You mother fucker!” he cried. “I’ll kill you!”

He jumps up and swings at me and I duck. Wren is hiding on the other side of the bed, clutching her ripped shirt.

“Just take the diamonds and the money and go,” I say, trying to sound calm, trying to just end this.

Deke shakes his head. “No fucking way. You don’t get to just walk away from this. You’ve cost me too much. I’ll take the diamonds and I’ll take the cash, but I’m gonna have my revenge first.”

He swings and this time he manages to connect with my jaw—just grazes it - but it’s enough force for me to stumble back a couple of feet.

To the bed stand.

To the light.

I pretend that his fist hit me harder than it did. “Damn it, Deke! What the fuck?”

He laughs again. “You’re such a pussy. I always knew you were. I’m kind of sorry that I didn’t get to shoot you that day. I wanted to watch the look of shock on your face when the bullet hit you. It damn-near gave me a hard on just thinking about it.”

I rub my jaw as I turn partially to face him.

With my left hand.

It’s a good thing I’m right handed.

Reaching behind me, I grab the lamp and swing it around hard. It smashes into the side of Deke’s head, right at his temple. He instantly collapses to the ground. There’s blood everywhere.

Wren screams, and I drops the lamp to the floor.

Maybe now it’s over.

“Oh, shit!” Wren climbs over the bed. “Are you okay?” She’s got her hands on my face and is scanning it and my throat looking at the markings that Deke left. “Seriously, Code, are you all right?”

“I’m fine,” I say breathlessly. I look her over too. “What about you, baby?” I ask softly. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

She shakes her head. “I thought he was going to…I’d almost given up. At first I was just going to let him do it, but then I kept thinking ‘no.’” She takes a shaky breath. “No.”

I pull her to me and hold her close. “I’m so sorry. I’m so fucking sorry. I never should have left you alone. This is all my fault. I dragged you into this goddamn mess.”

Cupping my face, Wren forces me to look at her. “No. It’s not your fault. I don’t think that. You saved me.”

Jesus, does she even hear herself? “You wouldn’t even be here right now if it wasn’t for me!” I step out of her embrace with disgust. I can’t even believe what a fucking nightmare this is.

I look down. Deke isn’t moving. I know I should feel some remorse, but I don’t. That fucking bastard was going to kill me—and Wren. Crouching down, I feel for a pulse but I can’t find one.

I hang my head down.

I’d almost made it.

I’d almost made it to freedom, to that final peaceful place, and now it’s going to be taken away from me anyway. And instead of just bank robbery and kidnapping, now I have to deal with this.

I look up and meet Wren’s eyes.

“He’s dead.”