39. Phoenix
Chapter 39
Phoenix
“ D on’t touch her.” I pull on the restraints and shoot a venomous glare in Tyler’s direction, even though I know it’s pointless.
Eve wakes up from the ruckus I create, and it kills me to watch Tyler unlock her chain without being able to interfere.
“Where are you taking her?” If I thought I felt rage toward Eve before, it’s nothing compared to the plain fury I feel toward Tyler.
I’ve never hated another person in my life as much as I hate him. I want to pummel him into the ground with my bare hands until he’s unrecognizable.
He drags her up by the chain, and she cries out.
I snarl at him, “You’re as good as dead.”
His gaze collides with mine. Like earlier, he smiles, right before he jerks on her chain so hard she falls out of bed.
Bastard.
I will kill him.
I will kill him.
I. Will. Kill. Him.
Tyler shifts his attention to her, caressing her hair before patting her head. “Such a pretty pet. Come on, let’s go for a little walk.”
Eve flinches and leans away from his touch.
Tyler laughs in response. “Naughty pet.”
With an eyebrow wiggle at me, he spins and walks away, leaving Eve with no choice but to follow him or she’ll be dragged. She looks at me over her shoulder with wild, terrified eyes and mouths the three words that are simultaneously like a balm and an arrow to my heart: I love you .
“Eeeeeeeve, Eeeeeeeve.” I yank on my handcuffs, the metal noise loud in my ears.
I can’t let her go with that disturbing piece of shit.
Clang.
I need to get to her.
Clang.
What if he hurts her?
Clang.
What if I never see her again? An icy chill curls up my spine.
Clang. Clang.
Blood runs down my wrists, a rush of debilitating fear mingling with it.
And she’s gone.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck.” The metal bites into my raw skin, and I drop my hands into my lap.
Think, Phoenix. Think.
But there’s nothing.
I don’t have my phone or any other way to contact someone, nor do I have any tools to get out of these handcuffs.
I have nothing .
Now that I’m alone, I turn away from the camera and let go of the brave face for a moment.
I breathe deeply, sitting limply with my hands still in my lap. I can’t exhaust myself. I need to conserve every ounce of energy.
Think, Phoenix. Fuck. Think.
There’s nothing I could use to try to free us, absolutely nothing. I stare blankly around the room. It’s barren except for the bed and a chair in the far corner. It’s a different kind of prison, this time made out of wood and insulation, but a prison all the same.
I still can’t believe Tyler is the reason I was locked up. Or that I survived three years behind bars to have this be my end.
Sweat beads around my hairline, and I wipe it away, flinching when metal comes in contact with my raw skin.
I don’t even know the guy.
What is he doing with her right now?
Where did he take her?
Is he touching her?
A feral growl comes from deep in my throat, and I wish I could punch something, or better yet, wrap my hands around Tyler’s throat.
Why is he doing all of this?
I hate that none of this makes sense. It wouldn’t change the situation to understand his reasons, but the confusion only adds to the mindfuck.
I sag against the metal headboard and push my handcuffs up my arms and as far away from my open skin as possible. It’s not much, maybe an inch, but it gives my wrists at least a small break .
You should have thought about that sooner, dumbwit.
Well, it is what it is.
Closing my eyes, I tilt my head so it’s angled toward the doorframe and listen. There’s some chatter in the distance, but it’s either too far away or too quiet to make out any details.
Tyler said he’s taking her for a walk, so that means he’ll bring her back, right? He has to.
There is no other option.
He’ll die, no matter what. But if he hurts a single hair on her head, he’ll be begging for a quick death. All the rage I built up behind bars toward Eve, the desire for vengeance, all of it finally has a real target. The real perpetrator.
An image of him lying in a puddle of his own blood and staring at me with vacant eyes flashes in my mind.
That’s more like it.
He will find his end soon.
Footsteps sound downstairs, yanking me out of my daydream.
Tyler walks in first, Eve not far behind him.
I give her a once-over. She seems okay, nodding at me in reassurance. My heart finally slows down its erratic beat. Tyler fastens her chain back to the bed, and after another caress over her hair, he steps away and approaches my side. I flip around, not wanting to let that motherfucker out of my sight for even a second.
Tyler unlocks my chain and grabs it. At the same time, he pulls out his gun, pointing it directly at me. “Let’s go.”
Unease trickles like ice water through my veins, and I try not to dwell on how he didn’t get his gun out for Eve but did for me .
One glance at Eve is all I manage before Tyler hauls me out of the room. There wasn’t even enough time to tell her I love her. Anger and fear war side by side inside me. What if this was the last time I saw her?
Tyler pushes me toward the staircase. “Upstairs.”
Fourteen. That’s how many steps the sleek wooden staircase has. I counted them all in an effort to keep my cool. I’m no use to Eve if I’m dead. I need to play along with Tyler’s game until I know how to get us out of here without putting Eve at risk. If he regularly takes us upstairs, maybe there’s a way to overpower him here, especially if he takes off the handcuffs.
The light is bright as my feet hit the carpet, and it takes a second for my eyes to adjust.
Tyler jabs his gun into my back. “Kitchen.”
I stiffen but shuffle toward the oversized kitchen island on the left where Ruby stands in front of a large window. The sun is setting behind her, and she briefly glances up when Tyler attaches my chain to one of the metal poles of the breakfast bar. No reaction. She simply focuses back on the food in front of her.
Tyler grabs a plate from her side of the kitchen island and dumps it unceremoniously on the floor before me with a huge smile. “Eat, pet.”
Since he seems to take so much pleasure from the degradation, I don’t blink an eye and sit. There’s no point in pissing him off when I’m handcuffed to a metal pole, and he’s the one with the gun.
There are two slices of bread, a banana, and string cheese on the plate.
I’ve had way worse in prison .
I pick up a slice of bread with shaky fingers, ripping off a piece to toss into my mouth.
Tyler’s eyes are on me. I stare back and demolish my food. It’s not much, but it’s better than nothing. And I need every ounce of sustenance I can get right now. Who knows when he’ll feed us next. He takes a bottle of water from the counter and throws it my way, narrowly missing my face.
Dickhead.
Although I remember Tyler from when we were younger, and I saw him at the café when I picked up Eve, I never really paid much attention to him. He’s grown into his body since his scrawny teenage years, just like I did. His build is similar to mine, but I have ten or more pounds of muscle on me, thanks to Holden and his workout obsession.
Holden. What are the chances he’ll miraculously find us? Since we had to hand over our phones, I doubt anyone can track our whereabouts, not even Holden with all of his skills and contacts. The psycho probably destroyed the devices. A flicker of hope flares inside me. Maybe there’s a way Holden can figure out our last known location though?
Tyler’s taking me in the same way I do him, his jaw clenching the entire time. We continue to stare at each other, and I take comfort in the fact that the hand holding the gun is facing the floor and not me.
I finish my water and screw the cap back on. “Why are you doing this, Tyler? If it’s about money, it’s easy to solve.”
He scoffs. “You’re just like your father. Immediately thinking it’s all about the money.”
“My dad?” I tilt my head to the side and frown.
What the fuck does he have to do with this?
“Yes, your dad.” He strides a few steps into the living room, then stops to glare at me, before walking some more. “You know, when I first met you, I thought maybe you were different from him, but then you looked down your nose at me the same way that arrogant ass did.”
The more he talks, the more confused I get. Instead of answers, I’m left with a million questions. “I don’t even know what you’re talking about. What does my dad have to do with you kidnapping us? Is this all about him? Did he screw over your parents, and you’re doing this for revenge?”
He glares at me and rushes over to where I’m still on the floor. My eyes widen, and I scoot back. Away from him. He takes my chain off the pole, his movements hasty and angry. He yanks me up without warning, and I groan when the metal bites into my burning skin.
Tyler jerks even harder, a sick, satisfied smile forming on his face. My stomach goes tight with knots.
He drags me across the room. “You have two minutes.”
The air stalls in my lungs. Two minutes for what?
He shoves me through an open doorway and stalks off, leaving it wide open.
A bathroom. It’s a fucking bathroom.
I blow out a breath and don’t waste any time. I do my business, wash my hands, and splash water on my face. Movement up in the corner catches my eye. The red light of a camera blinks at me.
Fucker.
Was he watching Eve too?
I inhale deeply and repeat my new mantra. Bide your time, and you’ll get your revenge. Lose your cool and lose everything .
More images of my hands squeezing around Tyler’s throat soothe me.
As if summoned, he appears in the doorway, his gun trained on me. “Pick up your leash, pet, and hand it to me.”
This pet thing is getting really old, but he clearly gets off on the shaming.
So I do as he says, and he yanks me out of the room. A hiss escapes my teeth, and I watch his pleased smile reappear.
“Let’s head back downstairs to your betrothed. It will be a big day for all of us tomorrow, and you both need your rest.” He rams his gun into my back hard enough for me to stumble.
A thousand ants seem to crawl over my skin.
Thankfully, I catch myself before I reach the staircase, carefully moving downstairs. The setting sun offers a new hurdle. It’s dark in the space, with only a few high basement windows letting in light.
Every step toward the corner room is filled with new thoughts. I’m bigger than Tyler. I need to find a way to overpower him. The second he uncuffs me, I’ll have to take my chances. If he never removes them, I need to find a moment when his guard is down. When he doesn’t aim his damn gun at me.
Bide your time, and you’ll get your revenge. Lose your cool and lose everything.
When the time is right, I’m going to take this bastard down.
I turn the corner into the room and sigh in relief when I see Eve sitting on the bed. She was probably waiting for me the same way I was waiting for her .
Tyler reattaches my chain and promptly walks toward the doorway. “Night, night, my pets. See you tomorrow.”
Eve and I immediately turn toward one another, holding on to each other’s hands like they’re our lifelines.
I lean in as close as possible and open my mouth to say something, but Eve is faster.
“Ruby thinks he can’t hear us if we whisper.”
My eyes go wide. “Ruby talked to you?”
“No, but she had a message ready on her phone for me and slid it over with my food when Tyler was distracted.”
I squeeze her hands, wanting her to say more. Wanting her to tell me something that will help us get out of here. “What did she say?”
Eve nods. “She wrote it like short bullet points, but basically she apologized and said Tyler is keeping Mason in one of the upstairs bedrooms, and he’ll kill her and Mason if she disobeys.”
“Anything else?”
Eve sighs. “Something about a signal jammer.”
A low sound emerges from my throat. “Fuck. That complicates things.”
“No cavalry, I’m guessing?”
“Not likely. I was pretty sure they took care of our phones so they can’t be tracked, but Holden would try to get a hold of Ruby and Tyler after our disappearance since they were at the café as well. But they’ll be untraceable with the jammer.” I raise her hand to my lips, the contact comforting. It’s nowhere the same as holding her in my arms, or kissing her, but it’s better than nothing.
I tell her what transpired during my quick visit upstairs, and she seems just as confused as I feel .
“You know, although this seems a bit extreme, after what you told me about your dad, I wouldn’t be surprised if someone came after him or even his family.”
I nod. “Yeah. And that old investor even told me my dad has made a lot of enemies and tried to warn me. But when he said my dad would drag me right down to Hell with him, I never pictured anything like this.”
We’re both quiet, and I can tell by Eve’s wandering gaze she’s deep in thought.
Once she’s done processing, she stares at me. I wish I could kiss away the frown lines on her forehead, but I can’t, so smoothing them out with my fingers is the next best thing.
“Thanks.” One side of her mouth quirks up and drops again. “You know what doesn’t make any sense though? If this has something to do with your dad, how do I fit into all of this?”
I was thinking the same thing. “Maybe we underestimated how deep his feelings run for you. He’s always looked at you a little more possessively than he should have.”
Eve hums but doesn’t say anything.
The silence hangs between us like a dark cloud until a panicked expression flitters across her beautiful face. “Do you really think we’ll make it out of here alive?”
Her voice is so quiet, so broken, it rips my heart wide open.
I can’t tell her that I don’t know. That I’m scared shitless. That no matter how hard we’ll try, it won’t be enough, and we’ll die here. An invisible weight presses on my chest for a moment, robbing me of breath .
“Yes.” The word shoots out of my mouth, and I swallow the sudden lump in my throat. “We will.”
She nods, but I’m not sure she believes me. I hate seeing her this worried, and a deep desire to ease that worry overcomes me.
Maybe we both need a distraction.
Eve—and her body—are my favorite escape, but for obvious reasons, that’s not possible right now. One of her favorite escapes is romance novels, and if it helps keep her mind busy, we might have a chance.
“Angel.”
“Yes?” Her mouth lifts a fraction at my nickname.
“Can I tell you a story?”
“Please.” Even the dim light can’t hide the spark in her eyes.
“All right.” I clear my throat. “Once upon a time, there was a very handsome prince, and he fancied his new friend’s younger sister. He’d never seen anyone as beautiful and sexy and magnificent as her, and when she smiled, his whole world tilted on its axis. She was the sunshine he never knew he was missing, and she quickly wormed her way into his heart. He?—”
Eve huffs a breath. “That’s one cheesy prince.”
I tap my finger on her nose. “Quiet in the audience, please.”
She presses her lips together but can’t hide the twitch at the corners. “Sorry, I’ll be good now. What happened next?”