11. Sian
CHAPTER ELEVEN
SIAN
I can’t believe I’m even contemplating leaving with this man, but the more I weigh up my options, the more unsettled I become. I either stay here and pray that Daniel doesn’t return, which is very unlikely, or I leave with Tate, the guy who hasn’t hurt me and has been at my side ever since my ordeal. I’m not stupid to think that I’ll be completely safe, as I’ve seen what he’s capable of, but he hasn’t touched me since he carefully removed me from the shower. Tate looks like my better option, and until I can see a safe way to escape both Daniel and Tate, I’ll use that to my advantage. If I can get Tate to trust me by keeping his secret, then I need to try to trust him. Plus, the thought of me being all alone here for just a second longer has my feet moving.
With that mindset, I get dressed, trying to avoid catching my sores on the clothing as best I can. I quickly brush my teeth, pack a few belongings in a small bag, and head down the stairs.
When I walk into the living room, Tate and Rick turn my way. I stumble back a step at their intimidating glares and strong frames.
“Let’s go,” Tate says, breaking the tension.
“Where are we going?” I ask nervously. I’m suddenly doubting myself. I can’t leave with two complete strangers.
“I’ll explain everything when we get there.”
“Okay.” On shaky legs, I slide between their large, hard bodies.
They share a moment, like some kind of silent conversation, before meeting me at the door where I grab my bag from where I threw it down and collect my keys. I lock the front door and follow sheepishly behind them. God knows what the neighbors must think, seeing me with two stern-looking, strapping men, one on either side of me.
Tate gets into the driver's seat of the Range Rover as Rick opens the back door for me to climb in. I’m still hesitant.
“You’ll be safe with us, Sian. I promise.” I look up at him as he smiles. I glance inside the car at Tate, but he’s too busy putting the key in the ignition to notice or care. That’s two people and two promises.
“I’ll hold you to that, Rick.”
His shoulders jump a little as he chuckles. “I have no doubt you will.” He nods to the car. “Climb in.”
And I do, careful not to hurt my tender bones. I'm a little more mobile today, so I guess my bruises are finally starting to heal some. Maybe Tate was telling the truth when he told me it’s been two days since that night. I knew he was around, but did he really stay with me the entire time? Why would he do that? He doesn't even know me. What if he’s messing with my head, just to keep me confused?
The drive is extremely quiet. You could hear a pin drop, or my heavy breathing as my heart pounds against my chest in anticipation of where I’m going and what they plan to do with me. I’m trying to remain calm, and I keep repeating what Rick said when I got in the car.
I’ll be safe. I’ll be safe .
Curiosity is getting the better of me, and I can’t stand the silence any longer. “Where are we going?” I ask, breaking the quietness.
“You’ll see when we get there,” Tate answers, giving me a quick glance in the front mirror.
I look away, choosing to look out of the window as the world passes by. I wonder how many civilians know this dark side of the world exists. “How far away is it?”
This time, Rick answers me. “A little farther.”
I nod and take note of what roads we’re taking, just in case I need to escape.
As the minutes tick by, I watch helplessly as the numbers change on the dashboard. We’ve been driving for more than forty minutes, and the busy roads and office buildings begin to fade away. In their place are long, winding roads, empty fields, and trees. Are they taking me to the middle of nowhere, where no one will hear my screams?
I gulp. “Are you going to hurt me?”
Tate doesn’t even pause to think about how to answer me. “I haven’t decided yet.” I whip my head around to look at him. His lips curl up on one side.
“Why are you laughing?” I narrow my eyes, unsure of how to take his comment but needing an answer, because why would you laugh about something like that?
“I think it’s fucking hilarious. I’m here with you when I’ve got more important things I should be doing,” he bites, and it’s the first time he’s been anything other than kind and understanding towards me.
“I never asked to be here.” I’m already regretting my decision to leave with them.
“No, but if you weren’t sneaking around my club like a female James Bond, you wouldn’t be here.”
“I wasn’t sneaking. I was looking for the ladies’ room,” I say, telling the truth.
“Of course you were, sweetheart.” He shakes his head.
“Let’s just agree to disagree,” Rick pipes up. “Sian, if we hadn't showed up at your house, you wouldn’t have got the help you needed from Imogen, and you’d still be at home feeling unsafe or lying in a hospital bed surrounded by police.” He pops his head around the headrest. “Am I right?”
I don’t say anything because he is right for the most part, and as much as it pains me to say this, maybe I am safer with these two.
We stop at a crossroads. The roads are completely free of cars.
“Look, this isn’t an ideal situation for either of us, but it is what it is. Get used to it,” Tate states.
His voice is full of irritation. I don’t know what I’ve done or said to make him hostile towards me, but I put it down to being an inconvenience to him. He’s got other stuff going on from what I overheard at the club, and I know if I speak again, I could send him over the edge. It’s not like I don’t have practice in biting my tongue when needed.
I choose to keep my mouth shut until I see a black van speeding past us, not stopping to check if the road is clear.
“What the f…” I say, shaking my head, but I’m put on edge when I spot Tate and Rick looking across at one another and speaking in their silent code. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Put your seatbelt on,” Tate says, surprisingly calmly.
In a panic, I struggle with the belt but eventually get it on and tug on it firmly. It never even occurred to me that I wasn’t wearing it before.
My hands are shaking uncontrollably, and if I thought my heart was beating fast when I first got into the vehicle, it’s about to give out on me now. “Do you think it’s…” I can’t even say his name out loud. “Do you think he’s following me?” I start hyperventilating in the back seat.
“Sian, I need you to be quiet. Rick, get Clint on the phone and tell him our location,” Tate demands.
Rick pulls out his phone and puts it against his ear. I don’t know what he’s saying, as I’m busy controlling my breathing and trying to slow my heart rate down before it explodes.
“He’s on his way with back up,” Rick confirms to Tate.
“Back up? Back up for what?” I rub my forehead and take deep breaths. In through my nose and out through my mouth. “Oh my God, this is how I’m going to die. In a car, with two killers, who ironically, I thought would be the ones to kill me. Not the way I thought I’d go, I must say.” I laugh nervously because I don’t know what else to do.
“No one is dying, Sian. At least, not yet.”
Even in my state of panic, I still understand the level of danger these men can cause, but right now, I’m trusting them to keep me safe from whatever we’re about to face.
I grip the top of the seatbelt across my chest and close my eyes as the motion of the car moving again hits me. When I brave a peek, we’re about to pass the fork in the road. I notice their heads whipping in every direction, obviously looking for something.
The tension and level of testosterone in the confinement of the car is intoxicating.
Tate suddenly puts his foot down, and the force pins me in my seat.
“On our six,” Tate shouts over the rev of the engine.
I have no idea what he means, but I don't have time to ask, as the car is launched forward. An almighty bang and the scraping of metal filters through my ears. I close my eyes and scream until my lungs burn.
There’s so much noise. It sounds like carnage. Fear drowns me.
I refuse to open my eyes as my body is being thrashed around, and I think at one point, my head clashes with the windowpane. I curl my hands over my ears and cover my head where the pain is radiating from. It’s sticky and wet, but still, I refuse to open my eyes.
“Sian. Sian.” I hear my name being called, but it sounds like it’s miles away, and why do I have a huge amount of pressure in my head?
I feel weightless.
“Fucking hell, Sian! Can you hear me?” I faintly hear Tate.
“Is she dead?” I recognize Rick’s voice. He sounds breathless, like he’s just run a marathon.
“It would be a lot easier for me if she were.” I feel a soft touch on my neck. “There’s a pulse.”
A sharp pain stirs in my side and the muscles in my neck and back feel tender as hell.
What the fuck is happening?
Like a film trailer, images flash through my mind. Tate and Rick, being in the car, the concerned features of them both and then getting rammed from behind.
In one rush of breath, my eyes spring open and I’m confused.
Why is Tate upside down?
“We need to get you out of here before the car goes up in flames.”
I thrash, in fight or flight mode as black clouds surround us and the burning smell of metal tingles my nose. That’s when I really take in the seriousness of the situation. I struggle to locate the button to release my seatbelt, and when I eventually find it, it doesn't budge. “I’m stuck. Oh, God. I can’t undo it.” I look at Tate for help.
This is the moment of truth.
Will he save me?
Was I right to trust him to keep me safe?
Can this cold-hearted murderer be redeemed, or is his heart so black there’s nothing left in him to repent?
To him, I’m nobody. Just a woman who fell into his dark, sadistic world, and now he needs to deal with me. He did say he could kill me and make it look like an accident. Is this all part of his big master plan to kill me? Let my body burn until there’s nothing left to identify? Was this all a ruse to fool me into believing he was one of the good guys?
I don’t want to die. Not like this.
A massive pop close by startles me. “What was that?” I rush out, getting breathless in my weak attempt to pull the seatbelt again.
“It’s the fuel tank expanding from the heat. When it gets hot enough, it’ll combust, which is why you need to get moving.” He shrugs like it means nothing to him. Maybe it doesn’t. It's not like he’s the one trapped in a burning car.
How is he so damn calm? I’m scared for my life, and here he is without a care in the world for the danger we’re in.
“I’m sorry. You go about your day. I’ll be fucking dandy,” I spit, not at all bothered or fearful of my words. If this is where I die, I’ll say what I fucking like.
“I’m currently dodging bullets just so I can speak to you. And Rick is busy watching the other side of the car.” At that moment, he lifts a gun and pulls the trigger. “But I'm glad you haven't lost your sarcasm.”
He smirks. The crazy fucker smirks. What the fuck have I missed? I thought we’d just lost control of the car and crashed.
“If you wouldn’t mind, I'd like to live so I can fight another day,” he jokes. “Be right back.”
“What, no… wait! Please, Tate. Help me,” I roar at his retreating body. “Don’t leave me.” Tears rush across my forehead. Being upside down isn’t helping me at all, and my head is starting to pound.
Gunshots ring out around me; some even hit the car with a twang.
I have no choice but to try and free myself from my restraints. The one job the fucking seatbelt was designed to do is save me in a crash, and now, it’s the one thing that’s going to kill me. How ironic.
I push the release catch down repeatedly with one hand, and with a death grip on the seatbelt with the other, I pull as hard as I can.
It doesn’t budge; the belt is locked into place. I’m sweating from the strain of using my already sore muscles and the heat. I hear the crackling and hissing of the fire as it reaches the inside of the car. I cry out when the back window shatters as the metal begins to burn away.
I have no energy left to try the belt again. My body is getting weaker with every second that passes as the blood rushes to my head. I have nothing left in me anymore as I await my fate.
Tate isn’t coming back for me.
How stupid was I for thinking someone like him would be my savior?