Chapter 29
When I woke, Logan was gone, but there was a note on the pillow, and I smiled as I unfolded it.
“Love you baby. In the city at the studio with the guys. Don’t leave the farm, Emily. Matt’s staying with you for the day. Dinner tonight, my mom’s coming over.”
Oh, shit, I thought, then finished reading.
“Don’t panic, Mouse. She’ll love you. And I’m cooking. Call me when you’re awake.”
His mom was coming over, and that felt serious, because Logan hadn’t shared his mom with anyone except maybe Kite. I realized that we were going to be together, but I still needed my own place. This was Logan’s farm, and I know he’d say different, but it felt like his, not mine. It wasn’t my home, and regardless of what was happening to us, I still needed that. The question was when and how was I going to bring that up to Logan.
I reached for my phone and already there were three messages: one from Georgie asking what the hell happened last night and how did she end up sleeping in her bra and panties on Deck’s bed, another from Kat about ten minutes ago asking for help rounding up the horses in the east field who broke through the fence—my guess it was Havoc reacting to all the noise last night, then a text from Logan saying good morning and to call him.
I quickly dressed, a little sore from last night’s marathon. I texted Georgie back first as I went to wake up Matt.
Drunk. Deck took you home. And he didn’t look happy.
Georgie immediately texted back.
Not drunk. Sloshed. LOL. Feel like Deck plowed my head into the side of his car. Did he?
I laughed. No doubt Deck felt like doing that.
Not that I know of. Text you later. Horses broke out last night, party must have scared them.
Georgie sent me a sad face.
Matt was passed out in the spare bedroom next to my old one. I nudged his shoulder. “Hey. Horses are out. I need to go help your sister round them up.”
Matt groaned then rolled over and threw the covers back. He still was wearing what he had on last night. “F*ck. How’d they do that?”
“We had a party last night, Matt. The horses were probably scared of the noise. Come on. If they get on the road, someone could get hurt.”
“Yeah. Yeah. I’m up.” Matt ran his hand back and forth over his head and then down his face. “Give me a sec.”
I quickly called Logan while Matt went the washroom, but it went straight to voice mail.
“Morning, honey. Have fun at the studio. Still thinking about last night and thinking I need some more of that tonight. After you mother leaves. And Logan, thank you. For wanting to share her with me.”
As we walked out to the back field, I didn’t see Kat or the horses. Shit, that meant they’d probably gone over to the neighbor’s or on the road.
“So, you and Sculpt are good?” Matt said, his arm slung over my shoulder as we walked up the hill.
I smiled. “Yeah. We are. Really good, Matt.”
He squeezed my shoulders. “He loves y—down.” Matt suddenly shoved me away from him and I fell to the ground.
Bang.
“Matt!” I screamed as I watched him crumple to the grass. “Matt. No, Matt.”
“Go near him and she dies.” Alfonzo held a gun to Kat’s head, and I could see blood dripping from her temple. She was gagged, and her hands were tied behind her back. Her eyes were wild with a mixture of fear and anger.
“Come here,” Alfonzo bellowed.
I hesitated as I looked to Matt who was clutching his leg and trying to crawl to Kat.
Bang.
I screamed as Matt’s body jerked and he fell forward onto his face. “No. Stop. Stop. I’ll do whatever you want.”
Alfonzo was burning with hatred, his eyes wild and unsteady as he leered at me. His clothes were dirty and his hair was greasy like he hadn’t showered in weeks.
“Bitch, get on the ground.”
I slowly sank to my knees sobbing.
Kat made a sound, and Alfonzo raised his gun and slammed the barrel into her head. She cried out and fell to her side, and he reared back and kicked her in the ribs.
“No!” I screamed and jumped up, running toward her. I fell on top of Kat to save her from the brunt of his abuse. He continued to boot me in the side until finally, he stopped, and picked me up by the hair and forced me to kneel in front of him.
Alfonzo raised the gun.
Click.
Bang.
I screamed at the same time the bullet went off, and I saw Kat’s body jerk.
“Nooooo! Oh God. Oh God. No. Kat.” I was screaming hysterically now, tears streaming down my cheeks as a pool of her blood started to seep into ground staining the green grass.
“Shut the f*ck up, bitch.” Alfonzo aimed the gun at me, and I waited for the pain as I crouched over Kat, refusing to leave her.
“They’ll crucify you,” I promised through sputtered breaths. “Deck and his men. Logan. They’ll kill you.” My voice grew steadier. If Kat was still alive then her only chance would be to get pressure on the wound and to a hospital.
Over Alfonzo’s shoulder I saw the white mare--Havoc. She must have heard my screams and the gunshot. Eyes steady and watching. Nostrils flaring. It was the only thing I could think of—I whistled a long, high-pitched sound.
Havoc’s ears perked, and she tossed her head then came galloping toward us. Alfonzo heard the hooves pounding into the hard ground and turned. I did two things—pressed Redial on my phone then dove for Alfonzo.
I landed hard on top of him, my hands going for the gun. Havoc’s hooves kept coming toward us. Alfonzo elbowed me between the ribs and knocked the wind out of me. I fell backward, and he came on top, the gun shoved hard into my chest.
“I like fighters. The more you fight the better. I’m going to string you up and f*ck you until you bleed. You’re going to suck me, and then when I’m done I’m going to sell you.”
I grit my teeth and refused to look away from him.
Havoc whinnied behind us, then reared up, legs flailing.
Alfonzo turned and pointed the gun at Havoc. I yelled just as the bullet went off.
I felt the vibration in the ground as Havoc fell.
“Havoc,” I yelled.
Alfonzo jammed his gun so hard into my chest that my breath was cut off.
“Don’t move.” I could hear Havoc screeching and thrashing to get to her feet. “Raul should’ve killed Sculpt when he had the chance. Bastard was too greedy. Thought his son would join him and become his prize fighter. I knew. I warned Raul Sculpt was planning shit. But the bastard was too cocky. He thought no one would attempt to take him down.”
“When Logan gets his hands on you—you’ll wish you were dead.”
He laughed. “He can try. But once we disappear in that world, no one will find us. Not even those elite commando guys. And your boyfriend? That bastard’s blessed as f*ck he’s still alive. Your fighter boyfriend didn’t look much like a fighter when his father tortured him for months after he let you go.” I swallowed the bile in my throat. Oh, Logan. No.
“I bet he couldn’t even walk when that Deck guy got him out. That bastard managed to shut us down. Found Raul too. But he hasn’t found me and now I have you. Raul intended for Sculpt to die a long, slow death for his betrayal. Instead, I’ve made it my mission to let you take his place.”
Alfonzo got up, and then pulled me to my feet. He put my hands up behind my head and tied them together.
I glanced over at Kat, trying to see if she was still alive, but I couldn’t see anything. Matt moved his leg, then I saw him slowly reach in his pocket and take out his phone. He was halfway to reaching the phone to his ear when he dropped it and went still. “You can’t leave them like that.”
Havoc was lying on her side, her chest heaving in and out, but there was no longer any fight to get up. Deep red blood soaked into her white coat where the bullet had penetrated her neck.
He pulled me behind into the tree line. “Kat!” I screamed.
I tried to pull free of Alfonzo, but with my hands tied above and behind my head, I quickly lost my balance and fell hard to my knees.
“Get up.” He kicked me in the side, and I tried to stand, but couldn’t. He grabbed hold of my elbow and pulled me through the bush until we reached the road where a car was parked.
I knew the worst thing I could do was panic, Logan taught me that. He also said to never get into a car. They always had the advantage at a second location. I knew once I disappeared, I’d be lost. Logan had told me that. Alfonzo told me that.
He patted me down, found my cell, and cursed, throwing it into the long grass in the ditch. I prayed it had gotten through to Logan, but I didn’t know, and all I could rely on right now was myself.
He opened the trunk and tugged me toward it.
No. This wasn’t going to happen to me. I swung around just as he was about to push me inside, and my elbow hit him in the side of the face, then I ducked at the same time as he made a grab for me. I stumbled. Fell to my knees on the gravel and tried to get up.
His hands were around my waist, and I was picked up off the ground kicking and screaming as loud as I could.
“Logan! Kat’s shot. Matt. Havoc’s field. Alfonzo.” I prayed my screaming reached the phone. That somehow, Logan’s voicemail picked up what was happening.
The trunk slammed shut, and I was immersed in darkness.
Logan
“We hitting Avalanche later?” Crisis asked. “After smokin’ hot Georgie last night, I need some p-ssy riding this horse fast. Damn, that woman rocks. I think I came a little bit when she said she wanted to f*ck me.”
“Touch that ass and your ass will be no longer. That’s Deck’s.” Kite tossed his sticks in the air, caught them, then placed them in his back pocket.
Logan looked at his phone and grinned when he saw a missed call from Emily. His cock twitched when her sweet voice sounded on his voice mail.
“What the hell, Kat’s Ream’s, but he’s not doing her, and Georgie’s Deck’s, and he’s not doing her. I’d be doing them both and at the same f*cking time.”
“Jesus, Crisis.” Kite said.
Logan glanced at Ream who was standing with his hand on the doorknob ready to leave the studio. The voicemail clicked to the next message, and while he waited for her voice again he said, “Having dinner with my mother tonight guys. Emily is—f*ck.” Logan raced toward the door, the phone pressed to his ear.
“Man. What?” Kite said.
“Sculpt? What the f*ck?” Crisis said following.
Ream yanked opened the door. “Sculpt?”
“Call the police, and have an ambulance meet us at the farm.”
Ream grabbed his arm just as Emily’s screams went through the phone.
“F*ck,” Logan shouted. No, f*ckin’ way. Alfonzo was not getting his woman. Logan had never felt this intensity of fear and rage cut through him. He needed to reel it back in before he lost it completely. He pressed the phone harder to his ear and listened closely. There was the sound of Emily screaming Kat’s name. Then Alfonzo was talking about the torture. He heard a car door then Emily screaming for him. She yelled something indistinguishable and muffled then the word shot and then Havoc something. Logan heard the squealing tires and the line was silent.
The ambulance was waiting when he arrived. Deck was talking with two officers, but as soon as he saw him he jogged over.
“The police are searching the house, and my men are already headed for all known locations for transporting girls.”
Logan felt sick to his stomach. “I was supposed to protect her. I promised her.” The emotions running rampant through him were debilitating as thoughts of any harm coming to Emily. “F*ck.” He smashed his fist into the hood of the car.
“There was no way Alfonzo could’ve known she was here. Someone had to have told him. Someone we trust.”
“Jesus.” Logan started toward the house, but Deck stopped him grabbing his arm. Logan shoved his hand away. “I have to find her.”
“Yes, we do. But that’s not going to happen if you’re acting irrational. You know that better than anyone. I need to hear her message.”
Trying to act calm and patient was killing him. All he wanted to do was find her. Hold her. Protect her. God, he didn’t deserve her. F*ck. How did this happen?
Logan took out his phone and cursed when he saw his hand shaking. He went to his voice mail, then passed it to Deck.
Emily’s voice could be heard over the phone and it felt like a knife was ripping through him. When he heard her scream the name Havoc this time he heard the word field too. He looked at Deck and they both went running for the horse’s field.
It felt like his feet were in quicksand. The thumping of feet were behind him as they all went running. He went over the dip in the hill and stumbled when he saw first the horse’s body lying in the grass, then Matt and Kat.
“I got Matt,” Deck shouted.
“Jesus.” Logan dropped down beside Kat’s body, blood pooling beneath her.
Logan checked for a pulse. F*ck, Kat. He needed to keep it together. Calm and controlled.
“No.” Ream’s stunned voice was behind him.
Logan nodded to Kite who grabbed Ream’s arm just as he fell to his knees beside Kat.
His voice was a haunted whisper as he repeated Kat’s name over and over again. One of the paramedics snapped a collar around her neck then they gently rolled her over onto the stretcher.
Matt was surrounded by three officers and a paramedic. Logan heard someone calling in another ambulance over the radio.
Deck had his phone to his ear and was calling out orders to whoever was on the other end.
Logan’s mind was in a whirlwind, and he was trying desperately to keep control, but Emily’s scream kept haunting him. He knew the sex trafficking ring; he knew how fast girls disappeared, and if Alfonzo still had connections, Emily could be out of Canada within hours never to be seen again.
F*ck, he knew it. Deck said Alfonzo had surfaced, but neither of them thought he’d link the farm to Emily. They’d taken precautions just in case, had security at the party, kept a man following them whenever any of them came to the farm to make certain they weren’t tailed. But Alfonzo had somehow found her.
“F*ck!”
One paramedic applied pressure to the stomach wound while the other took one end of the stretcher and Crisis the other.
“Kitkat,” Ream said. “Don’t you dare die on me.” Ream had tears in his eyes as he gripped her hand.
“Kat.” Logan heard Matt shout and a paramedic urged him to stay still and don’t talk. “Is she alive, damn it?”
Logan heard the paramedic trying to keep him calm and then Kite was talking to him, telling Matt Kat was fine. Logan wasn’t sure if that was true or not, but Matt had to calm down or he’d do worse damage to himself.
An officer was beside Havoc applying pressure to the bullet wound, but the mare wasn’t moving.
Logan looked at Deck and he shook his head. He knew what it meant—no sign of Emily.
His heart felt like a cement block had landed on it. He was having trouble breathing; even the churning in his stomach had stopped as if it was building into a huge wave of unbearable pain.
Ream and Crisis helped the paramedics with the two stretchers back to the ambulance, and Ream jumped inside.
“I’m going to the hospital too,” Crisis said.
“Not good, man. You and Ream all f*cked up and in the same hospital. I’ll go,” Kite offered.
“No. It may not look like it, but Ream’s my best friend. This is his chick, and she’s my friend, I’m going.”
Another ambulance pulled up and the paramedics rushed to load Matt into it. Crisis jumped in with Matt.
Deck was striding to the car as he listened to whoever was on the phone with him.
Logan started after him then jumped in the car. Kite got in the other side and nodded to him.
Kite was the guy that would stand behind you a hundred percent even when there was a chance you might not come back alive.
Deck threw the car in gear. “That was Georgie. Raven was the one who gave away Emily’s location. She’s helping Alfonzo.”