“Your boyfriend will not take me long to sort out. I didn’t get paid to dispose of his body, so I just need to end him and then you and I,” he laughed, “you and I will have a little fun before I go.”
Vomit surged up my throat and I began to choke on it, the bandana refusing to allow it to exit my mouth. The acidic taste of the bile caused my eyes to water again causing me to panic. It was the one thing I had tried not to do.
I couldn’t breathe, I couldn’t see, I couldn’t hear anything but the man’s awful laugh getting closer. He pulled the fabric out of my mouth and I spat the fluid all over his shoes, my tears now mixing with the vomit dripping down my chin.
I tried to drag air into my lungs as my face hung pathetically forward, the fluids still dripping out of my mouth.
“You little bitch!” he said in a very controlled tone. He took a step back and slapped me across the face, the loud smack against my eardrum causing it to pop and feel wet.
My eyes began to close again, unable to deal with the pain.
I’m going to die tonight …
CANE
I was losing control. All sense of rationality was slipping away.
I heard her get sick and the sound of him hitting her. Each sound ripped through me and I winced as if I could feel it myself.
My blood boiled with the need to make him—whoever he was—pay and to get to my girl.
If they are in my office, I could get to the stairs and down the hallway. But there was no way to get to Jada with him in the room.
Fuck!
Even if he was after me, he’d kill her in a fucking second. Me not going up there was saving her life. As soon as he realized I was in the house, we were both dead unless I could kill him first. And he was obviously prepared for war.
I just needed a distraction.
Where was the fucking police? Please, Max, please have gotten my text!
The chiming of the doorbell caught my attention and I heard him move above me.
“Doorbell, bonita? Are you expecting someone?”
I moved quickly to the end of the staircase, realizing that Lucy’s little connection may provide just the opportunity I needed. The ceiling began to creak as whoever was in my office made his way to the front of the house.
Quickly, I went upstairs, my heart pounding in my chest. I had to get to her while I could.
I had taken my gun off and put it in the glove compartment on my way home and, like a dumbass, hadn’t grabbed it when I got out of the Denali.
What the fuck am I going to do? Think!
I made it to the top of the staircase before pausing, listening for any clues as to where the intruder was. The doorbell chimed again and I heard the click of his gun in the foyer. I padded quickly down part of the hallway and into my office.
And.
My.
Heart.
Fucking.
Broke.
What had this motherfucker done to her?
I had thought a few times before that if I had a heart it would have cracked. Well, I fucking knew I had one now because I could feel it splintering into fucking tiny little jagged pieces. It felt like shrapnel blistering its way, ripping its way, through my chest.
Through my life.
Through my fucking soul.
My eyes filled with tears as I made my way across the room. She sat there so broken, so helpless and it killed me.
It slaughtered me.
It fucking incensed me.
As her eyes began to lift to mine, I knew one thing was for sure. This was going to fucking end my way.
JADA
My head hung against my chest like weights were tied to my neck, pulling it down. My eyes were so swollen from the hits that I couldn’t see.
I couldn’t even fucking cry.
I just wanted to close my eyes and let go, get a respite from the pain for a few seconds.
The scent of cedar and a touch of tobacco caused me to slowly lift my heavy head. I struggled with my eyes, understanding the urgency but not able to focus on anything. It was all a haze. But I knew he was there! I could sense him like I always could.
I have to find him!
I have to warn him!
He has to know what was going on before it’s was too late!
I began to struggle against my bounds again, not nearly as forcefully as I had originally, but with everything I had left in me. I wanted to yell out, but my throat was too raw.
Suddenly, his beautiful face was right in front of mine, his breath warm on my face.
“Shhh, Jada. I am here. It’s me, baby.”
I began to struggle harder, trying to tell him the things he needed to know.
Listen to me, damn it!
Tears felt like they were trying to pool in my eyes, but there was nothing there. There was no room for even a tear beneath the swollen eyelids.
“Sit still. The police are coming but he can’t know I’m here. Do you understand? Sit still, Jada.” Cane’s voice was nearly a whisper but stern.
My chest rose and fell quickly. I wanted to grab him, to hold him, to protect him from whatever evil plan the bastard in here had devised.
But I was bound, beaten, and unable to even cry out.
Hell, I couldn’t even cry. There were no more tears. Only pain. So much pain.
Cane kissed me quickly on the forehead before whispering one final time, “Be still,” before stepping out of my sight.
CANE