Chapter Six
MONIQUE
––––––––
Trevor snatched the phone from her after Raz was done addressing her and said he wanted to talk to Trevor. On the inside, Monique was smiling as she listened to the things Raz said to her sorry-ass ex-husband.
Trevor's eyes widened with each word her man uttered. If his eyes got any bigger, they'd pop out of his head. He probably preferred that over what Raz had planned for him.
"Trevor," Raz growled, sounding more like an animal than a man. "You stole money from the casino. And I gave you a second chance. You lied to my family. And we let you live. But you've fucked up now. I don't know who gave you the balls to pull this, but I'm going to chop those balls off when I find you. You took my heart from me. A man can't live without his heart."
Oh, Raz. Happy tears welled in her eyes. She found herself wrapping her arms around herself, wishing she was wrapped in Raz's embrace.
"I will get her back and make you wish you'd never heard the names Monique Rose or Orazio Cattaneo. And whoever helped you take her from me will suffer my wrath, too. Get ready, bitch. And don't try to run. There's nowhere you can run or hide to escape the pain I'm about to deliver to your weak ass."
The line went dead. Trevor was practically trembling as he clutched the phone tightly. Then, his wild gaze jerked to where she was seated on the edge of the bed, still chained up.
"This is all your fault, bitch," Trevor roared, taking a step in her direction.
Her father rushed forward to block Trevor's path to her.
"Son, you need to calm down," Pastor Rose told Trevor. "This isn't the way to handle things."
Trevor's face contorted with rage, his eyes never leaving Monique. "You think I don't know that?" he spat, practically foaming at the mouth. "But what am I supposed to do now, huh? None of this shit is going according to plan. And she knows too much!"
"Listen to me, Trevor," Pastor Rose insisted, approaching him cautiously. "We can figure something out together. First, we have to let the girls go."
"Let her go?" Trevor laughed bitterly, the sound sending a chill down Monique's spine. "And then what? She'll just go running back to Orazio Cattaneo and tell him everything she's overheard here."
"We haven't discussed important things in front of her," Pastor Rose pointed out. "You should try calling the head of the family. Don, or whatever his name is. Maybe you can make another deal with him. Or with that other family you work for."
"Deal?" Trevor scoffed, his wild eyes darting around the room. "There's no dealing with these people! They come to you when they need you, not the other way around. They're ruthless, and they'll stop at nothing to take me down now that I'm no longer useful to them. Because to them, I know too much and I played both sides. Now, both families will want a piece of me."
"Then what do you suggest we do?" Pastor Rose demanded, his patience wearing thin. "We still need money. And lots of it."
"Simple," Trevor replied, his gaze flickering to Monique for a brief moment before returning to Pastor Rose. "We sell her to one of my clients. That way, she's off our hands, and we still get the money we need. We won't get as much as the Cattaneo Don promised. But if we sell all three of them, we'll get enough to get out of our problems."
"Absolutely not!" Pastor Rose yelled, outrage painted on his face. "I told you before, that's not an option, Trevor. I'm not trafficking my daughter."
"But you trafficked..."
"I'm not selling my daughter," Pastor Rose roared, speaking over Trevor.
"Then give me a better solution!" Trevor snapped, his fists clenched at his sides.
As the two men continued to argue, Monique's mind was on the sentence her father hadn't let Trevor finish. Had her father been trafficking women? Impossible . Yeah, he was a horrible dad, but surely Pastor Rose wasn't a trafficker.
He preached against that in church. He'd organized funds to stop human trafficking. But as they said, the devil was one of God's brightest angels. If he could fall, a mere man could do so too. She could hardly believe what she was hearing as she continued listening to them.
Trevor's plan was monstrous, but Pastor Rose seemed just as desperate to protect himself. How long would he hold out before finally giving in to what Trevor wanted? She couldn't trust either of them. The only person she could trust was Raz. Please hurry, Raz.
"We're doing things my way," Trevor yelled, sidestepping her dad to approach her. The look in Trevor's snake-like eyes let her know that his mind was made up. He was going to traffick her and her friends.
"Please," she whispered, hating that fear was forcing her to beg a man she hated. "Don't do this."
"Shut the fuck up!" Trevor roared, glaring down at her. "You've caused enough trouble already!"
"Enough!" Pastor Rose shouted, shoving Trevor aside to step between him and Monique. "This ends now. We're not selling her, and we're not hurting her any further. Do you understand?"
She couldn't recall the last time her father had stood up for her or protected her. Though she despised him, his current actions were bringing tears to her eyes. It made her recall her childhood days, when he would walk hand in hand with her to the bus stop, carrying her lunch box for her.
She'd almost forgotten about that. Even now, it felt like someone else's life, not hers. Her father had changed drastically over the years, becoming the man he was today. But right now, she was seeing a glimmer of the man he was so many years ago. A man she'd forgotten all about due to her hatred for him that still burned within her.
Trevor glared at her father, his jaw set in defiance. Trevor's gaze shifted from her dad to Monique, then back to her dad. Yeah, her dad was older, but he was also bigger than Trevor. She could tell that Trevor was a bit intimidated. Eventually, Trevor sighed in resignation.
"Fine," he muttered. "But if this comes back to bite us, it's on you, Pastor ."
As the tension in the room began to dissipate, Monique couldn't shake the feeling that the danger was far from over. She knew that even if Trevor agreed to let her go, this nightmare would continue to haunt her for the rest of her life.
It would haunt her for as long as Trevor was alive. He was a threat to her safety and her sanity. For the first time in her life, she wished death on someone. It was a horrible feeling. But she'd always choose herself if it came to her life or his.
"I'll let her go," Trevor said with a nod. "I'll even let her friends go. But don't stand here and pretend you're holier than thou. Don't think saving her will salvage your relationship with her. Tell her about the women," Trevor insisted. "Tell her why you need the money so badly. Tell her why you've always thought of me as your son. Tell her how you met me before I ever met her."
As the significance of Trevor's words hung in the air, Monique couldn't help but stare at Pastor Rose. Yeah, he'd been a shitty dad, but he'd always been known as a pillar of their community, a man dedicated to helping those who were struggling. But now, she saw something darker lurking beneath the surface as he glared at Trevor.
"It's time to be quiet now, son," Pastor Rose said, voice too calm given the situation.
"Tell her," Trevor urged. "Or just answer a few questions for me. Is it true what they say about you? That you force women at your shelter to sleep with you in exchange for aid?"
A gasp escaped her. Pastor Rose shifted uncomfortably, his eyes darting between Monique and Trevor.
"I don't know where you heard that," he muttered, avoiding her gaze. "But I assure you, it's not true."
"Really?" Trevor's anger flared. "Because I've met some of those women, and they told me otherwise."
"Enough!" Her father barked.
"Tell her how you used me to silence those who threatened to go to the police," Trevor continued. "Tell her how you had an affair with my mother when I was in grade school. Then, when she got pregnant, you poisoned her and had me placed in a good home with someone you knew. You didn't think I knew that, did you? All this time, you probably thought I treated you like a father because you helped me when my mom died. But all along, I knew you were the one who killed her. Don't look so shocked. Blame your friend for telling me the truth. My foster father never failed to tell me why he was forced to raise me. It was because you had dirt on him. And since he couldn't beat you, he beat me. He beat me every day while cursing you out."
"Stop lying," Pastor Rose roared. "Monique would never believe this fairytale you've created."
But Monique did believe him. Little things Trevor had told her when they were dating and the inconsistencies about his past were starting to make sense. Trevor laughed, a harsh, cruel sound that sent fear threading through her veins.
"You give me too much credit, Pastor. I'm not imaginative enough to come up with that kind of story. Tell her about how years later, when I was in high school, and my foster family kicked me out, how I came to you for money, and you hired me to help you find women on the street to traffick. The money we made from selling women and children was how I paid for college. Tell her how you forced me to date her. And when I refused, you threatened to pin all your crimes on me. I knew the police wouldn't believe me over a pastor, so I did it. I flirted with her, even fucked her fat-ass to keep from going to prison. It made you so happy because you thought you had me under your thumb and that I'd never reveal what I knew about you since I was your fat-ass daughter's husband."
Monique recoiled, horrified by his callousness and the horrible things he and her father had done. The room seemed to close in around her, suffocating her with the knowledge that these two men held her fate in their hands.
And as much as she wanted to deny it, she couldn't escape the truth: they were both monsters. Monsters who'd used her for years. Monique's heart raced as she stared at the two men before her.
Trevor and Pastor Rose were both animals wearing human faces to deceive those around them – wolves in sheep's clothing. And she was pretty sure her mother knew of her father's deeds. Her mother's silence made her a monster, too. Monique clenched her fists, nails digging into her palms.
"Enough of this," Pastor Rose said suddenly, his voice tinged with a hint of fear. "I'll take Monique and her friends home. We've caused enough damage here. Forget the money. I'm done."
"You're not done until I say you're done," Trevor yelled.
"Enough, Trevor. Haven't you had enough? Aren't you tired?"
Monique's thoughts swirled like a storm inside her head as the two men continued to argue. They were both the worst of the worst – there was no denying it. But if she had to choose between the lesser of two evils, she'd take her chances with Pastor Rose.
At least he was trying to free her. Once free, she could escape him and report both of them. They both needed to rot in prison for what they'd done over the years. How had she lived with a devil for so long and not seen his horns?
How had she slept beside him at night and not realized she was sleeping next to evil? She'd thought she was a pretty good judge of character. She was wrong. So, damn wrong!
"Fine," Trevor growled, seeming to give in to her father's demands. "Take her and go. But remember what I said, old man. If I go down, you're going down also."
"We'll talk again later," her father sneered before facing her. "Come on, let's get you out of here. Then we'll go get Meka and Toya."
"The chains," Monique whispered, barely resisting the urge to lean away from her father. She didn't want to be near either of these men.
"Oh, right. Let me take care of those chains," Pastor Rose murmured, gaze dropping to her ankle.
Monique couldn't help but notice how his hand trembled as he pulled the keys from his pocket. Was he scared? Was he wanting to change his mind? Please don't change your mind, dad.
She held her breath, barely believing her dad was about to free her. She stared at him as he began removing the cold metal cuffs from her. She couldn't believe the man who'd given her life had also taken the lives of so many.
"Don't believe a word he said," her father whispered as he unlocked each cuff. "When we leave here, I'll make sure he never approaches our family again."
Family? Monique's family was her friends and Orazio Cattaneo. This man was just a criminal in her eyes. But she kept her thoughts to herself as she nodded to her dad. He smiled at her as he unlocked the last lock.
"I'll do better in the future," her father promised, eyes rising to hers. "I swear. I'll do better. Okay, sweetheart?"
"Okay, dad," Monique replied, willing to say anything in that moment.
Just as the last chain fell away, a gunshot rang out like a clap of thunder, making her jump. Blood splattered across Monique's face, hot and sticky against her skin. Her father's eyes widened, and then she watched as the light drained from them, as the life drained from him.
"Dad," she whispered, mind not truly understanding what had happened.
The world seemed to freeze as her father slowly fell back. She stared in horror at the lifeless body of Pastor Rose, collapsing to the floor with a bullet wound in his head. Blood pooled onto the floor. So much blood. Her father's blood. For a brief second, there was nothing but silence, shocked disbelief.
"NO!" Monique screamed, her voice tearing through the silence like a knife.
Her father... her father was dead. The gravity of the situation hit her full force, and the realization that her chance at freedom had been ripped away sent her spiraling into despair. Blood dripped from Monique's face, mingling with her tears as she stared at the lifeless form of Pastor Rose.
The metallic taste of her dad's blood on her lips was a sickening reminder of what she'd just witnessed. This was not a dream. Her nightmare was real. She could hardly breathe as fear and horror twisted in her gut.
"Get up," Trevor growled, grabbing her arm and pulling her to her feet.
"Get your fucking hands off me," she wailed.
Monique tried to fight him off, punching him so hard that his head jerked back. Before she could swing again, he slapped her across the face with his gun twice, sending her face jerking to the side.
Her entire face throbbed from the force of his blows, and she was pretty sure she was tasting her own blood now. Placing his arm around her neck, he dragged her from the room, kicking and screaming. As she screamed for him to release her, she stared at her father's body on the floor.
He was dead. He was really dead. Her father was gone. Her mother was alone now. Would her mother be able to survive on her own since she'd depended so heavily on Pastor Rose?
Why was she even thinking about that right now? At least her mother was safe. Monique wasn't. Trevor dragged her outside, shoved her into a car, and handcuffed her to the steering wheel.
She cursed at him, demanding he release her as he slammed the door shut and walked back toward the building to get her friends. Monique pulled with all her might. Even as she did so, she knew she'd never be able to break the cuffs or the steering wheel.
Turning to the side, she tried to kick the window out. She was hurting herself more than she was hurting the window. Even so, she kept trying until she saw Trevor leaving the building without her friends.
No. Where were they? Where were Meka and Toya? A fresh wave of fear washed over her. Had he killed them? Please, God, no. He climbed into the car and uncuffed her hands from the wheel. Again, she tried to attack him.
"Where are they?" Monique shouted, striking him across the face. "Where is Meka and Toya?"
He twisted her arm until she cried out.
"Be still," he ordered as he handcuffed her to the little handle above the passenger side door.
"Did you kill them?" she cried. "If you killed them, I'm going to..."
"Do nothing. You're not going to do anything. Your dad was right about one thing. Maybe I should make another deal with the Cattaneos. It's worth a shot. Raz may be coming for you, but I'm taking you to his father. I'm sure he'll still pay me something for your life. Especially since he can still use you to keep his son in line. He's been searching for a way to keep that fucker in line. All he does is complain about how the family is starting to look to Orazio for guidance more than they look to him. This will give him some leverage to keep Raz in check since the bastard seems to like my trash." He pulled out his phone. "I can't remember where the guard told me to take you in case of an emergency. Ahh, here it is."
"You're an evil motherfucker," Monique whispered.
"I've been called worse," he told her as the GPS on his phone told him where to go.
"I want my friends, Trevor. I want them now."
Trevor chuckled. "Your friends are busy."
"What? What do you mean they're busy? Busy doing what?"
Her ex faced her, his gaze meeting hers. "They're busy dying," he told her with an evil grin on his face.
His eyes moved to the building. Monique looked that way also and saw smoke rising from the abandoned building. Her mouth dropped open. The bastard had set the building on fire with her friends inside.
Because of her, her friends were going to die. They were going to burn to death, be burned alive because of her ex. And there was nothing she could do to save them. Monique jerked against her restraints, trying to break free as Trevor's laughter filled the car.
I need you, Raz. I need you right now.
Or was it already too late for them?