The Devastatingly Beautiful Series (10 page)

19

Tatum

I’m about a mile away when my phone rings. It’s my father, naturally.

“Don’t think for an instant I’m letting you out of this, Dad. Those men KNEW what was happening tonight and I’ll be damned if I don’t get to the bottom of it. You better pray they haven’t gotten to her yet,” I growl. I’m beyond pissed that one of my dad’s men let it leak where we were and what was happening.

“You needn’t worry about that now, son. I’ve taken care of the problem. Things like this don’t happen more than once.”

“What do you want, then? To tell me that?! I have to get to Molly before they do!” I’m starting to panic that I’m not going to make it.

“Listen to me. We have had some developments. Molly’s old assistant, the one she called Evie, did you know her?”

“No, she was gone right before I started. Photography school I think. What the fuck does this have to do with her?”

“Everything, Nate. Just listen….”

It’s then that my father goes on and tells me what actually has been happening the last few years. It’s then that I know this is way deeper of a problem than just some missing money. Molly is wrapped up in a very dangerous case of revenge and she doesn’t even know it.

“GODDAMMIT! All these years!?” I hang up and run faster.

Molly

Evie is sitting in her chair, staring at me. Every now and then she looks over at Brian and smirks. Each time, they hit her again. She isn’t giving any information away, though. No matter how hard they beat her. Every hit makes me want to puke. Tears were streaming down my face. How can she not be crying?

“STOP IT!” I yell. “STOP, JUST STOP!”

“Your little bitch friend is behind all of this and you want me to stop torturing her? All she has to do is give away where the money is and we will let everyone go. You know she has the money hidden?! All because it is apparently my fault her dumb ass father is dead!”

“Never,” Evie says through her bloodied mouth. “You are the reason I had to grow up without a father. You are the reason that I had to leave my mother alone. You are the reason everything is fucked up. I will NEVER tell you. I’d rather die.”

“Very well.” Brian shrugs and nods at his man in the corner. “This here is Phil. Not a very exciting name, but I assure you he is the best at his craft. What’s his craft you might ask? Making peoples wishes come true, one might say.”

I start screaming. Still stoic, Evie sits there. Not showing any sign of giving in.

“Tell your parents hi for me. I should have wrote them more,” she whispers right when the gun was raised to her head.

“Brian, NO! STOP THIS! SHE’S JUST A GIRL LET HER GO AND WE WILL WORK-”

My pleas are muted by the gunshot that blasts through the room. Everything falls silent as Evie’s body slumps forward.

Tatum

GOD DAMNIT that was a gunshot. I will burn all of those fuckers if they touched one wild hair on her head. Heading up the side of the house while keeping to the shadows, I wait for the right moment. Glancing through the windows on my way made me aware of at least three male figures inside the house. Fuck. My men had specific instructions not to enter the house. I sneak a peek on the front porch and my suspicions are redeemed when I see the security detail laying in a puddle of blood. Dammit! How many more people have to die over this?!

Beyond pissed, I walk back to the dining room window and glance in. My heart sinks when I see a lifeless female slumped over a chair, but lifts a little when I see my Molly still alive, being yelled at by Brian. I can only make out a little what he is saying, but by the sounds of it he’s pissed that Evie was involved and he still believes without a doubt that Molly knows where the money is. It’s when he hits her that I lose all control. Not just one hit, three pistol whips to the face. No screams leave her, but I know how much pain she is in. One of those hits is enough to put me down, three could be deadly if done right. I run for the front door and barge in, shooting his two men point blank before they know what hit him.

When I walk into the dining room, I see Brian and his gun resting on Molly’s temple. I need to keep my cool. This man is nuts. He might actually do it if I can’t talk him down.

“Nate, so glad you could make it to our show.” Brian smiles and reaches toward Molly. “Isn’t she just so wonderful to agree to be the lead in this little adventure?”

He reaches down and rips her shirt down the front. I can hear the blood boiling in my veins and I’m about to rip him apart.

“Tell us what you want. You know me. You know the money I have. Tell me and I’ll make it worth your while to walk away,” I growl.

It’s a low blow, giving in, but she is mine. No one will ever point a gun at her again. No one but me is allowed to rip her shirt.

Ever again.

Brian laughs at me.

“You really think I’d take that from you knowing who you are? I wouldn’t ever be safe another day in my life!” Brian reaches and grabs one of Molly’s tits and I flip.

“Don’t fucking touch her again!” I raise my gun and cock it, knowing full well that this may not end well.

20

Molly

I should have bit him when he ripped my shirt. The asshole is just doing this to raise Tatum’s hackles and it’s working. Then, he grabs my tit and I want to kill him. Apparently so does Tatum because the next thing I know he’s getting ready to shoot him. No. I will not let him have Brian’s blood on his hands. I need to do something to stop this before it goes too far.

“Tatum, stop!” I yell.

“What the hell, Molly, this man has his hands all over you, he’s been beating you, and you don’t want him to suffer?”

Oh my god, I hope he forgives me.

“No,” I choke out the hardest lie I’ve ever had to say.

“What?” He lowers his gun and looks at me. The saddest look I’ve ever seen.

“I can’t see you do this to the man I used to love. The man who fathered my baby. The man I still may be able to love one day.”

I can’t look at Tatum anymore so I chance a glance at Brian. It’s working! His grip on his gun as softened and he’s looking at me in a whole new light.

“What are you saying, Molly?” Tatum growls. Ooh angry Tatum. Note to self:
don’t make Tatum angry.

“I’m saying that…. Well, this was fun, but if Brian will have me, I’ll show him where the money is.” Looking into Brian’s eyes, I add, “We can have it all, babe.” I grin my best fake grin, hoping that Tatum sees through it and Brian believes me.

“Fuck that, Molly,” Tatum says.

“No, really, I think I believe her, Tatum. Molly wouldn’t have even been with you had she known I was still alive. She loved me with all her heart. This whole thing was just a giant misunderstanding, really.” He starts to untie me. The moron really is untying me! I am shaking at this point. Fear that I have lost Tatum is coursing through my veins and I can’t look at him right now. I just need to be untied and standing before I make my next move.

One. Rope. Left.

Unfortunately, that rope was my leg rope and in order to untie it, Brian goes between my legs to reach around… and plants a kiss right between my legs.

Tatum yells. I hear a shot, but it misses the target I’m guessing, as Brian stands and whips around to slam into Tatum. He isn’t a bigger, or a more muscular man, but sometimes you just have to have the right leverage. Tatum goes down, hitting his head on a nearby table and falls to the floor.

Brian grins like he just won gold and turns to me.

“Now, where was I?”

He continues his trek to untie me, all the while I can’t take my mind off of Tatum lying on the floor.

As soon as I’m untied, I wrap my arms around Brian.
God he stinks.
It’s good I have no feelings towards him, it makes what I’m about to do a lot easier. I grab him, like I am trying my hardest to get him hard. He grunts and backs up.

“Hey now, baby, there’s time for that later.”

I laugh. “Sorry, but it’s been so long since I’ve had a real man. I need to remember,” I try to say in my most sultry voice. It’s so hard pretending with Tatum right there. I don’t know if he’s conscious or not, but it makes me feel like I’m going to puke.

Brian looks at me for a minute before flicking his gaze over to Tatum, then grabs my hair and pulls. Maybe I’m not that great of an actress.

“You think I’m buying that, bitch?!” he yells, then throws me against the couch and comes towards me. Leaning down, too close for comfort, he adds, “You were never that type of girl, Molly. I’m not gonna fall for that.”

“You untied me, though, so obviously you did fall for it.” I spit at him. Probably not the best idea, but I’m on my last hope. If I stall long enough maybe Tatum will wake up.
Wake up, damnit!

“Whore! I should have done this last time I had you.” Brian backhands me, still holding his gun. He moves his hands lower towards my pants and starts undoing them. He has me trapped against the couch and I have nowhere to go. I can’t knee him from my position and my hands are being held by his. Pushing his way into my panties, I start to yell and squirm. I’m so light headed and in so much pain, but I don’t give up. I can’t give up. I’m not his anymore.

“Oh god, Molly, you were always so wet, so tight.” He’s kissing my neck now, talking low. I’m crying and squirming, trying to get out from under him. He grabs me and I scream. NO! This is not how tonight was supposed to go! He removes his hand and starts to use it to unbuckle his jeans. Jesus, this is actually happening. I can’t take this. I have to fight!

In one moment I feel his hold on my arms slipping and I make my move. It may get me killed, but I have to try. I pull my arms free and start punching him, the pain in my arms feeding my anger towards him. He moves back, astonished that I had the balls to attack him. I’m standing now, just a few feet from a seething Brian. I think everything in my body hurts, or it should, but I can’t register that right now.

“That was a bad move, you cunt,” he growls and plows into me. I go down swinging, but he won’t stop hitting. I can’t feel the pain anymore, just the pressure from all of the punches. He keeps yelling and hitting. I wish this would all be over.

“You weak bitch, let our DAUGHTER DIE! If you had any sense you would have killed yourself years ago!! NOW you are hiding MY MONEY from me!”

The hits continue. I see Alice and what our family would have been. I see Tatum smiling at me in the park and feel that initial twinge of love that I felt just a few days ago when I first laid eyes on him. I remember it all, and in my darkness I cry for what might have been.

Then all I see is black.

Tatum

Dammit my head hurts.

I slowly open my eyes and take in my surroundings. Ok, I’m still at Molly’s house. God, it’s so bright here. Where is she?

Then the panic kicks in. I hear the fall, the fight, the grunts. I pray to God that I’m not too late. I push myself up to see Brian straddling an unconscious Molly, glaring at her.

“You bitch, I’ll make sure you never forget tonight.”

He starts to rip the rest of her clothes off, at the same time preparing himself.

I. See. Red.

Literally, flames feel like they are coming out of my fucking ears.

That motherfucker. A guttural scream comes from me; a noise I didn’t even know I could make.

Brian twists around to meet my gun facing him. I shoot. I don’t even think, I just point, aim, and shoot that fucker right between the eyes.

I’ve never been so clear in my whole life as when the decision to kill him came over me. I never thought I’d be able to love again after what happened in my past. I blamed myself for so long and thought that I didn’t deserve a shot at a happy life. Molly has changed that all. The fact that he has already done lord knows what to her, knocked her unconscious and was about to do more, just put a nail in his coffin.

He slumps over and I kick his body off Molly. There’s still a pulse, but it’s light. Fuck. She has so many bruises and there is so much fucking blood. Grabbing my phone, I call my father. He makes the arrangements and within ten minutes I have people at the house to help me. That’s the thing about my father, police don’t ask him questions, even in this part of the country.

They take Molly to the hospital and I trail behind the ambulance, the whole time cursing the workers who thought they could keep me away from her. When she wakes up from this, (when, because ‘if’ is not an option) I will never stop showing her how much I love her.

I rush into the hospital when I finally park and ask to see her. More like demand, but these damn nurses don’t know the amount of panic they are going to see if they keep me from her much longer.

“Mr. Savage, Ms. Ward was taken directly into surgery. You will have to wait in the waiting room since you aren’t family.”

“Fuck that. The woman I love was just beaten, sexually assaulted, and now is in surgery and you aren’t going to give me anything else to survive on?” I growl at her. I’d hate to make a scene, but I’m Nate Fucking Savage. I don’t wait in waiting rooms.

The doors open and my father comes strolling into the hospital.