Lily: Captive to the Dark (11 page)

Chapter 13

Zain

Beeping had my eyes fluttering open, only to close again. Something wasn’t right. I could feel it, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it might be. I was too tired. Hurting too bad to roll over to see what time it was. No. I had to get up. I had to see what Lily was doing. Had she left for work yet? Did I sleep through her morning routines?

Like a cannon blast, the memories exploded into my brain. My hand flew to my chest at the memory of the gunshot wound and my eyes jerked open. I’d been awake before. A couple of times already, but every time I went to sleep, it was as though my mind shut down and refused to remember that Lily had been taken. It was too heartbreaking. Too much of a reminder on how I failed her.

“Good morning, Mr. Cook.”

An unknown voice had my head turning to the far side of the room. Three men, and they were all staring at me as if I were the enemy. They were all tall and wide. The hatred behind their stares was all I needed to know that these men were not my friends.

My attention went to Slade. “Where’s Lily?” My throat was scratchy. Raw and burning from whatever the nurses and doctors had done while I was dying.

“Maybe you can tell us,” said the man in the middle. “If you don’t mind, I have a few questions for you. I’m Special Agent Gaige Sullivan. This is Blake Morgan, and you know Mr. Roberts.”

“Questions?” I went to move my arm and winced at the pain.
Lily…she’d gotten me good.

Gaige walked forward while Blake and Slade followed closely behind. “Let’s start off with the obvious. How do you know Ms. Roberts? What was the relationship between the two of you?”

Realizing they hadn’t found her yet, my heart ached even more. I looked between the three men, unsure as to what I should say. Lily needed my help. My family could possibly have her. But did I risk exposing our past to these men? What would happen if I confessed? Would the police cart me off to jail for who I was?

No. They had no evidence that I’d done anything wrong.

Cook. Fuck, they know who I am.
I pushed the button to make the bed rise a good few inches. There seemed no way around what I knew I had to do.

“I met Lily three years ago. She’s my…girlfriend.”

“As in, she’s your girlfriend now?”

Slade’s eyes were narrowed as he stared. I’d worry about him later. I needed to work with this agent. Maybe he could tell me what they knew so far.

“I was trying to get her to be. She was worried about her brother not approving.”

“Ah.” Gaige raised the notepad, jotting down something on the paper. “So, when you dated, was it before or after she was taken the first time?”

There it was. I’d known this moment was coming. Again, I looked at Slade. This time, I didn’t break away. “During. Lily was brought to my father’s house as a slave. I took care of her. Protected her while she was there. I fell in love with her.”

All three men seemed to lock up in shock. Their bodies stiffened and not a single eyelid blinked.

“I came here to escape the life I, myself, had been kidnapped into. My father killed my mom and stepfather when I was eight and raised me from there on out. The life I’ve led has been far from glamourous. It was downright hell until Lily. She changed things. Changed me.”

“I’ll fucking kill you.” Slade took a step forward, his arm reaching toward me. Blake caught him just before he reached the bed. “Mark my words,” he said, pointing his finger, “you’ll never get near my sister again for what you’ve done.”

“Try to stop me.” My voice was weak, but the threat was clear. “I love Lily and she loves me. No one will keep her away from me. Not even you, Slade.”

The tightening of his jaw was joined with the clenching of his fist as he shrugged Blake off with a hard jerk. “We’ll see about that.”

“We will. Have you noticed how unhappy she is? Have you been there to see? No, but I have. She wants me. She loves me, but refuses to try to make it work because of how much she loves
you
. She’s afraid to find happiness, Slade, all because she’s too focused on yours. How we met…I can’t change that. I don’t have any part in the trafficking, but yes, I was surrounded by people who did. Death wasn’t something I wanted, sorry. And death wasn’t something I was willing to let find your sister. That’s the only reason I’ve held off for so long. Do you not think I could have killed your men to get to her? It would have been so easy. Yet, I waited, bided my time. Me,” I growled. “I risked
our
happiness to give her time to adjust to life and make her safe. Now this? It’s nothing more than a slap in the face for the precautions I tried to lay out.”

The last words faded as my voice gave out from the rawness. I closed my eyes, only able to open them when Slade began talking again.

“You don’t have to worry about finding her anymore. Mr. Morgan will take care of that. I’m sure you can thank him later for taking care of your other problems, too.”

“I will not sit back and do nothing. Lily belongs to me,” I forced out. “And I’ll be damned if any of you are going to stop me from searching for her.”

A loud knock was followed by the door opening. The nurse paused, glancing at the three men. “I’m sorry, are you family?”

Gaige smiled and shook his head. “Police business,” he said, quickly flashing a badge. “We’re almost finished.”

“No, you’re finished now. Get out of my son’s room.”

I heard my father before I saw him. My stomach turned and my eyes jerked to Slade. All I could do was shake my head, a silent plea that I didn’t want it to play out like it was.

He grabbed Gaige’s jacket, but still stared at me. Something flashed behind his eyes and I knew he didn’t have the rage he’d projected toward me. He was scared about Lily, but he didn’t hate me entirely.

“Sir, I’m going to have to ask you to step out of the room until we’re finished.” Gaige’s anger was visible in his words and the other man, Blake, was staring at my father like meal. All three eyed every movement he made, but my father appeared not to notice as he shook his head.

“It’s okay. I’ve got this.” I threw off my hardass look — the one that said I didn’t let anyone push me around. For seconds, he looked between all of us. Surprisingly, he stepped out. Gaige wheeled around, leaning close to Slade.

“This isn’t a real investigation, Mr. Roberts. Do you know the trouble I can get into if he reports this to my superiors?”

Slade kept his focus on me. “If it comes down to it, I’ll say I came to you to file a real report. Right now,” he said, walking toward me, “I want to know what’s going to happen.”

It was the perfect question. One I already had the answer to. “I go home,” I said, looking into his eyes. “If they have Lily, I get her and we escape. It’ll knock out my biggest suspicion of them taking her. But, if she isn’t there and I can’t find proof…”

Blake came closer to the bed. “That’s where I’ll come into play. I’ll start searching here. You’ll look there. In one week, I will show up at your residence. Let’s say…at two in the morning. You’re going to be outside waiting for me. From there, we will discuss what we know.”

My head shook. “You don’t even know where I live.”

His eyes grew cold while he crossed his arms over his chest. The long-sleeve black shirt hugged his wide shoulders tightly as he tried to stare me down. “Well, you can spit it out real quick, or you can waste an hour of my time while I search for it. Regardless, I
will
find it.”

“No, you wouldn’t. Pen,” I breathed out. Fuck, my eyes were so damn heavy. Why the hell was I sleeping so much? I needed to get out of here fast. I needed to get back home so I could see if my family had Lily. Or maybe, I’d luck out and learn the truth before…

“I’m ready when you are.” I read out the address from memory, keeping my voice low in case my father was somehow listening. If he knew I was working with these men, he’d kill me on the spot. Maybe that was his plan anyway. Did he know I was the one responsible for two of my uncle’s deaths?

Blake pushed the notepad into his pocket, stepping back deeper into the room. Gaige followed and I couldn’t make out what they were saying. Slade, coming even closer, wiped away any care I may have had toward the tracker.

“You say you protected my sister while she was there. How so? By fucking her? By using her as your own personal sex slave?”

Slowly, I rose to sit up straighter, ready to crush his throat in my good hand. Pain flared, making my jaw clench, but I refused to back down. “If you ever say anything like that about her again, brother or not, I’ll fucking kill you.”

“Answer the question, Zain.”

Why should I give him the satisfaction of knowing? I hated it, but I knew why.
Because you love her and she loves him.
“Lily was a gift from my father. A gift I couldn’t refuse. One I’m glad I didn’t. If I hadn’t taken her, she would have gone to someone else in my household. Have you seen the scars she carries from the girls there? That,” I emphasized, “could have been her if she hadn’t been mine. Girls died in her arms. So beat up and broken, there was nothing either she or I could do. I never once hurt your sister, but I sure as hell have killed a lot of men who’ve tried. Lily is my life and I love her, whether you accept that or not.”

“Slade, let’s go.”

Gaige and Blake were already by the door. Slade stepped back, not turning away from me. “If they have my sister, you better find a way to get ahold of me.”

“You have my word.”

His attention stayed on my face for a few more seconds before he nodded and turned his back. And like that, they were gone. My eyes closed and heaviness settled in my bones as I rested back against the pillow. Lily engulfed my mind and I let her take me over.

“What the hell is going on here?”

I never heard my father come in, but he was good at that. There was no one I feared more than the soulless man only feet away. I knew it was because of the impact he’d made when I was a boy. Lily had been right in one aspect—in my mind, I’d made him into something he really wasn’t.

My eyes opened. “Hello to you, too, Father.”

“Don’t hello, me. I just flew halfway around the world. What have you gotten yourself into, Zain?”

A groan left me as I turned more toward him. Fuck, how was I going to explain this without it sounding completely fabricated?

“I got mixed up with the wrong girl. I think she had a boyfriend. Let’s just say he wasn’t too happy when he showed up at my place and found us leaving.”

“A girl? That doesn’t sound like you.”

I twisted my mouth. “What, am I not supposed to date?”

Still, he stared, reading me. “It just wasn’t what I suspected.”

“What did you think I did to get shot?”

My father’s hand rose, his signal for he didn’t want to talk about it. He trusted nowhere but his home to speak openly. He was smart. Too smart.

“How did you know I was here?”

He exhaled deeply while reaching into his suit’s pocket and pulling out a piece of paper. “I called and you never answered. There was something I needed to discuss with you and when you dropped off of the radar, I had my people search. It didn’t take long for them to find you here.” He thrust the paper in my direction and I took it, reading the Arabic words before me.
Amir is taking your place. You’re coming home.

A deep breath left me as I fought to think. The medication they had me on was fucking with my head. I couldn’t focus enough to decipher what I should do. If Amir was staying, more girls were going to be sold. If I went back, it very well might be because my father knew what I’d done to my uncles; possibly knew I’d been here for Lily the whole time.

“I’m okay, really. I can still continue.”

“No. It’s decided.” He kept it short and from his tone, I knew pushing the issue was pointless.

“Alright.” My eyes closed and I let them stay shut. It was time to come up with a plan. I couldn’t let my brother continue in my place. And my father wasn’t taking me anywhere. This was my chance to finally end things with him, once and for all. Away from his home full of guards. The three men ready to bring me to the ground were my only answer, but could I get to them before it was too late?

Chapter 14

Lily

Silence. The cocoon of safety my mind had slipped into left me in a weird state of being. I didn’t speak. Didn’t cry. My only solitude and peace of mind was seeing my Master play out as I slipped into a dream state. Awake or asleep, I stayed there, blinding myself to what surrounded me.

My crate was long gone, now replaced by four wooden walls and a white ceiling with peeling paint. The windows were boarded up. The smell of my new home, thick with mold. A mattress sat on the floor in the far corner and although it wasn’t an exact replica, there was something about this place that reminded me of where Zain and I had spent the majority of our time.

I’d been sleeping when footsteps woke me from my Master’s arms. I hadn’t wanted to return to the pitch black of my coffin, but the reality of what I was hearing had my hands flying up, ready to beat against my prison. Desperation begged me to scream for help. Instinct told me to keep quiet and wait. If I was dealing with traffickers or Zain’s family, again, I knew better than to react frantically. They’d feed from my fear—bask in it and beat me to shut me up. A task they loved to do.

At the splinting of wood, I kept my eyes closed, pretending I was asleep. My heart rate had my whole body trembling and I knew there was no point in pretending I was either asleep or dead. I couldn’t stop the jerks that left my limbs twitching.

Light filtered through and I squinted at the brightness, praying my eyes would adjust so I could defend myself against an attack if need be. It was pointless. Tears streamed down my face from the sensitivity and I was ripped out before I could see where I was being taken. My feet stumbled and I fell three times, but I never hit the ground. The hand held tight and didn’t leave until one of my abductors opened a door and threw me inside.

That was days ago.

My eyes traveled over the small space to take in the stash of food and water that rested on the floor by the door. No bowls or dishes. Two large milk gallons had been filled with water and a store bought loaf of bread sat beside it. Now, they were practically gone. How long had I been here? Been missing?

Days blurred together and I couldn’t get a good frame of time. Surely my brother knew something was wrong when I hadn’t come home. He had to be looking for me. And if Zain was alive, maybe he told the police and they were looking for me, too.

My legs drew up closer to my chest while I pressed my back deeper into the corner I was huddle in. A spring pushed through the mattress and I shifted to get it further away from my bare thigh. The black dress I wore was torn and broken in more places than I cared to think about, but I couldn’t stomach removing it. Not only because it would leave me exposed, but it held the memories of the passion my Master had before our lives changed forever. Fuck, I missed him. Guilt ate away at me and I pushed the side of my face harder into the wall. The need to scream almost made it uncontrollable to sit still. I wanted to explode. To destroy everything in my path for the predicament I was now in. For what I’d done to him. What if I hadn’t hurt his arm? What if I had stayed in his home instead of leaving? He would have killed them. I knew he would have. And we would have been together—safe.

Knots met my fingers as I buried them in the front of my hair, lowering my head to rest on my knees. What was I doing just sitting here? I may have checked this place repeatedly, but I shouldn’t be giving up now. What if I had missed something?

The moment I stood, the door flew open, making me jerk back defensively. I hated showing fear. Hated even more that I was back to the point of being afraid. I’d spent years living with my nightmares. Now, here I was, living another one.

A finger pointed back to the corner where I’d been sitting, as if to say, “Sit back down”. Slowly, I rounded to the far side, further away. There was no way I was obeying their order. The wall stayed at my shoulder and I crept lightly toward the corner straight ahead. The figure took a step forward, but didn’t come after me. I could see their hesitation, almost as if fear shone in their eyes. The dark depths made jerky movements between me and the bed, but seemed to give up on making me obey. They grabbed the nearly empty jugs of water and disappeared. I listened, waiting to hear the bolt slip into place.

Still, the man wore a dark ski mask, only revealing his eyes. And he’d be back soon. I knew there was someone with him. He’d been the one to knock me out. It was just like last time. Just like…

My eyes narrowed and a snarl left my lips.

“Bethany!” I rushed toward the door, slamming my closed fists against the wood. “Bethany! Charles! Open this fucking door, you psycho motherfuckers.”

Harder, I hit, until my hand went numb. I was determined not to stop until they opened. It didn’t take long. The door swung, slamming into the wall. I scattered back at the gun pointed directly at my chest.

“Do we have a problem?”

Different man. And this one didn’t seem afraid of me. Had it been the other one, I’d have snapped that gun right out of his hand and shot him with it. I’d learned enough self-defense to kick any normal person’s ass. With these men, I wasn’t going to risk it until I learned more about them.

“I know Bethany and Charles are behind this. They took me, didn’t they? You’re just, what? Watching me so they’re not exposed?”

I could see the guy’s eyes squint and suddenly, I wasn’t so sure.

Green eyes. I’d have to remember that.

I kept the questions quick, to buy me some time.

“What are you planning to do with me? Are you going to kill me? Hurt me? Sell me? Is this connected to me? My brother? Zain? Speak!” I yelled.

The man stalked forward, moving the gun to my head as he forced me back against the wall. Metal from the barrel pushed into my forehead and I could feel myself shaking. But not from fear—pure adrenaline.

At this point, I had nothing to lose.

“Shut…the fuck up,” he said through clenched teeth.

My left hand shot out, grabbing his wrist, while at the same time, my right hand grasped the gun, bringing it down out and turning it back on him. The action was so fast and natural, I was still holding my breath. It was a move I never thought I’d have to use, but I’d never been more thankful to have learned the one thing that helped with my fears. Martial arts had become my life and although I hadn’t had my instructor come over for the last few months, it was like riding a bike. Natural, like the air I breathed.

The shock had him frozen and I knew I wasn’t dealing with professionals. Had I done that to Zain, he would have taken that gun from me just as fast, if not faster. Maybe I wouldn’t have even got it away from him.

“Move.” My thumb slipped down to check the safety. It was off. Another blessing I’d made sure I’d learned after my return. I was one hell of a shot. Once a victim, always a survivor. And I’d live through this. No one took my control away anymore. No one but my Master.

“Move!”

The guy scrambled back toward the door just as another man came rushing through. I didn’t think. Didn’t want to after seeing the gun resting by the man’s thigh. He was carrying and I wasn’t going to chance it. My finger pulled back the trigger, once, twice, three times…four. Two in each man. One in the chest for my master, one in the head for me.

I didn’t wait. I rushed past the door and was met with an empty, rustic looking living room. I didn’t lower the gun until I spotted my saving grace. A cell phone rested on the coffee table and I grabbed it, gripping it like a lifeline.

Boarded windows also covered these walls. I went to the front door, easing it open as I peeked outside. Trees. Lots of them. As if I were in a forest.

A gust of went sent a shiver down my spine. I glanced down at the black dress and cursed. Would anyone else come back? Regardless, I couldn’t go out there dressed as I was. I’d freeze to death. It felt like it was about to snow.

My fingers dialed Slade’s number as I quietly moved through the house to a bedroom in the back.

“Slade Roberts.” There was a certain breathlessness that filled his tone and I nearly smiled and burst out crying at hearing his voice.

“I’m alive,” I rushed out, fighting back the tears. Burning scorched my throat as I held them at bay. I tried to see the closet before me, but I was starting to break down and I knew it wasn’t a good thing. I’d done so well.

“Oh shit. Lily! Lily? Brace! Get that shit tracking. Sweetie, talk to me. Where are you? What happened?”

I sniffled, grabbing a long-sleeved shirt. “Some men took me. They weren’t very good at being kidnappers, though. I killed them, but I’m not sure if more will show up. There’s lot of trees outside and it’s cold. I don’t know where I am.”

“I’m on it, honey. Hold on and keep talking.”

“There’s a man.” My throat nearly closed and I sobbed. “His name is Zain. He was shot. Do you know if he’s alive?”

Slade got quiet and I took the time to grab a pair of men’s jeans and slide them on.

“Do you know?” I asked, impatiently. “He was shot when I was taken. Surely, you’ve heard about it. It was across the street from the penthouse.”

“He lives.”

My legs grew weak and I fisted a jacket I’d reached for. “Thank God. You have to tell him I’m okay. Tell him I’m sorry for everything. You—”

The sound of the front door opened and I froze. “Slade, someone’s here. Oh my God, hurry.”

“Don’t hang up, Lily. Just…fuck,” he growled. “Brace, tell me you have something.”

The deep voice of my guard only sent my heart racing even more. “Not yet, boss.”

My voice lowered. “Tell him…tell Zain I love him, Slade. In case…” I wiped my nose, lowering to see if I could fit under the bed.

“Bullshit. In case, nothing. You’re coming home. We’re going to find you Lily. Don’t doubt that. I have a man in the FBI and a tracker hunting you down now. You
will
come home. I promise.”

Voices got louder and I had to force myself to fit in the tight space under the frame.

“What the fuck?” A surprised tone had my eyes closing. I knew they’d found the bodies and it only made me tremble even more. The amount of fear I felt was indescribable. Either I was going to get caught and suffer greatly, or these men might very well kill me.

“Get the room, I’ll check outside.”

My eyes opened just in time to see black boots rush through the doorway. At their approach to the closet, I felt myself automatically lean away the slightest amount. Danger was all too real and it didn’t take seeing it before me to know how much trouble I was in.

Heavy breathing filled my ear from Slade and although it put me into a deeper panic that they’d hear him, having my brother by my side comforted me. Even if he wasn’t physically there.

“Fuck,” the guy whispered under his breath. Bangs filled the room and I tensed at the crash of something heavy.

Please don’t let him find me. Please.

The box spring above me squeaked and I tried not to make a sound as I waited.

“Brace, anything yet?” Slade’s whisper had my lips pressing together. I knew they probably couldn’t have heard with as silent as he’d been, but my senses felt heightened and everything was more intense.

“Oh…well, of course,” a man said. One minute, I was safe, the next, the mattress and box spring was pushed up and thrown clear off the frame. A scream left my mouth as I rolled to my back and raised the gun, just as he reached for it.

Bang!

The jerk to keep it within my grasp caused me to miss. His fingers pushed at the barrel, but not before I pulled the trigger again. And again.

“Bitch!”

What felt like a sledgehammer caught the side of my face. Bright lights filled my vision and I blinked hard to focus. Blood on the side of the man’s arm came into view just before I was slammed over to my stomach.

“You’re going to fucking pay for that, cunt.” Tugging against my pants had me throwing all my weight to rock him off. Still, I screamed, but I hardly noticed. Flashbacks of my multiple rapes left my sanity shattering into a million pieces.

“You like it rough, huh? So do I. Keep this up and we should have a good ol’ time.”

“No. God. Fuck!’ Muscles tore in my stomach as I repeatedly tried to jerk to my side so I could squeeze out from under him. I knew moves to help defend myself while lying down, but none for being on my stomach. I felt helpless and I couldn’t stand it.

Stomping grew closer, but I was too focused to look up.

“What the hell are you doing? Get up!”

The heavy sounds grew closer and the resistance against my back eased. Cool air brushed my thighs and I sobbed at realizing how close I was to getting raped all over again. Would he continue?

“The bitch shot my arm. She deserves to pay.”

“Is that a fucking phone?” I looked up for the first time, right into a face that looked extremely familiar. My mind spun as I tried to place him.

“What?” The guy covering me shifted just as the other reached down to my side, grabbing the cell. Slade’s yells broke through for the first time, but they didn’t last. The phone was shut and the evil shining through the man’s eyes nearly took my breath away. I knew those eyes. I knew that face.