47. Chapter 46
Chapter 46
Blake
H e’s leaving . I knew he would, but that didn’t make it any easier to watch. You can do this . My internal voice sounded a lot like the strong, protective, caring man who’d just gotten in his car.
I willed myself not to flinch as the overly enthusiastic guy frisking me made sure my boobs, butt and crotch were device free. Cringing internally, but refusing to give AJ a reason to come back, I didn’t react. Holding my head high and back stiff, I endured the torment.
For the first time in my life, I embraced the idea that violence might be the answer. Listening to their taunts, I couldn’t imagine there was anything I could say to keep these guys from stealing every dollar I had, and the millions I would have, then raping and killing me.
I blinked away my tears as AJ backed out of the lot, taking Meg to safety. He’ll come back for me . He promised he would. I prayed AJ wouldn’t betray my trust.
A second guy tied my hands together before the first guy said, “Get in the van,” pointing at the open sliding door with his gun.
His gun scared me. No, it wasn’t the gun that scared me; it was the guy holding it.
I rolled my tongue over the tracker. Please let it work . Max had warned me I’d have no way of knowing when they turned it on, so I’d have to trust them.
I do . I didn’t understand why, and it didn’t really matter. I trusted them, trusted Andrew, to find and rescue me.
Maybe it was because they were my only hope, and not trusting them meant giving up.
When the door slammed into place, I flinched in my seat.
Panic set in when the locks clicked.
What if the tracker isn’t working? What if Andrew can’t find me? Where are these guys taking me? What will they do to me?
I fidgeted in my seat as my heart raced.
“Don’t worry your pretty little head, Darlin, we won't hurt you,” the guy who frisked me said.
“Why are you doing this?” I asked in a shaky voice. Why did I ask? I already knew what they wanted . Did I really want to start a conversation?
“Well, Darlin’,” God, I hate it when men call me that, “Your daddy owes our boss, Mr. Roman, a lot of money, and you have a lot of money.” His voice made my skin crawl as he confirmed what SSI had told me.
Not yet, I don’t.
Remembering no one had seen my father since the day before, I asked, “What’d you do to my father?”
“To him? We didn’t do anything to him. You’ll see for yourself soon enough.”
“You kidnapped him, too?”
“You’ve got it all wrong,” he made eye-contact in the mirror, “he came to us.”
What?
My world shattered as bile rose in my throat. I’d wanted to believe my father was innocent. That the evidence of his involvement was a set-up. That the warrant issued for his arrest was one big, ugly mistake. But how could I deny it now?
He’s voluntarily working with these guys .
“Don’t look so surprised. Your daddy’s been helping us for a long time.”
I didn’t bother wiping away the silent tears tracking down my face. My father was a criminal. Everything I’d known, everything I’d believed, had been a lie. He wasn’t a good guy, a lawful citizen, or an honest man.
And now, because of him, I’d been kidnapped. I didn’t care if they took all my money, but thinking about what they’d do terrified me.
Please, God, let Andrew find me .
“Get her a tissue,” the driver ordered the guy next to me. “We don’t want her all blotchy for her reunion with Daddy Dearest.”
I stared out the windshield as the world passed by in a blur. Why did he do it? Was Priscilla guilty too? How long has this been going on?
Did my mom know? Somehow, that’d be the worst betrayal of all.
A sob escaped my lips.
Someone shoved a tissue into my hands. Instead of using it to wipe my face or blow my nose, I tore off tiny strips and let them fall to the floor.
Breadcrumbs that couldn’t leave a trail.
Would never be seen.
I was wrong. I can’t do this.
“It’ll all be over soon, Darlin’. As soon as you turn twenty-five and pay off your daddy’s debts, you’ll be free to go.”
Why didn’t I believe him?
I lost track of time, but it didn’t seem like it was more than fifteen minutes before we parked at an abandoned two-story farmhouse and they dragged me from the van.
When I stumbled, the driver grabbed my elbow and said, “Let’s go.” Then pushed me towards the door.
Empty fields surrounded us. The dirt road gave off dark desert highway vibes, despite being in farm country.
The half-dozen cars and trucks on the lawn hinted at a full house.
The nearest house wouldn’t survive a strong gust of wind, so I couldn’t imagine anyone living there. There was no one to witness them forcing me inside. No one to hear me scream .
We passed through a crowded dining room with half a dozen men playing cards and smoking cigarettes at the table. The thick, nasty smoke filled my lungs, causing me to cough.
They stopped playing to stare as I walked by. Several of them licked their lips as their eyes roamed up and down my body. One of them said, “I like a girl with meat on her bones. Gives me something to hold on to.”
I couldn’t have stopped my involuntary shiver if my life depended on it. The predatory look in his eyes was more than I could handle.
I prayed. Please hurry Andrew.
A voice cut through the din coming from the kitchen.
Daddy.