13. Sian
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
SIAN
O nce Tate finishes up doing whatever he does in these situations, we drive away from the crash site with speed. Tate, Rick, and I sit in silence for the rest of the journey. I’m numb and in shock at what happened. Old aches and pains surface again. Even though everything has quietened down, my head is still rattling. I still don't know where he's taking me, or what he plans to do to me when we get there. That thought should frighten me to the core, but as I sit in the back of the car and watch Tate's shoulders relax, the occasional glance in his mirror to check on me, I feel myself relaxing too.
He saved me.
He could have left me there to die, along with the information I have on him. It would have been an easy solution, yet he chose to save me. Imogen did tell me he isn’t all bad. Maybe there is some truth to her words after all.
Maybe he's not a total monster like I assumed he was. Maybe there’s light in his dark world and he just doesn’t know it.
We take a sharp corner, and shortly after, we arrive at huge, gray wooden gates. They stand tall, blocking out what’s behind. Tate presses a button on his dash, and like magic, the gates begin to open. When they’ve opened all the way, we drive through, Tate clicking the same button. I turn in my seat and look out the back window as the gates close us in.
“Impressive,” I say out loud.
“If you think that’s impressive, you haven't seen anything yet,” Rick says with a soft chuckle.
I swing back around and angle my head in between the two front seats as we approach a grand building.
My mouth hangs open in wonder. “Wow. Is this where you live?” I glance at Tate as he puts the car in park.
“It is.” He jumps out and then my door opens. “Out.”
I swing my legs around and gently and slowly slide out of the car.
It’s something else. Haunting vibes mixed with a modern exterior. My eyes scan the entire building. Its large double wooden doors with big iron lions for the door knockers, and the black frames around the windows. The number of windows tells me there are more than two floors to this place. I spin around and take in the gorgeous view. Miles and miles of land surrounds us, enclosed with tall trees and brickwork to ensure total privacy. I’d love to explore the outside more, but I’m also interested in how the inside of the building looks.
I feel his presence close by. “It’s an old museum that closed years ago. We kept some of the original brickwork but modernized it over the years.” He stops at my side.
“I bet this place has secret hideouts and loads of stories to tell.” I smile, trying to ignore the pain in my head and neck.
“It’s got history, that’s for sure.” He turns. “Come.” He tilts his head towards the house.
“Why am I here, Tate?” I haven’t forgotten what I saw him do at the club in the midst of the chaos.
“All will be revealed once we’re inside.”
We cross the threshold, and Rick closes the door behind us. “Is this where you lock me up and hold me captive so I don’t inform the police of what I saw the other night?” I laugh hysterically. The bang to my head must have knocked my brain. This is not a laughing matter, and the fact that neither of them responds puts me on edge.
Tate’s shoulders tense, and he won't look at me. I glance at Rick for some answers, but he shrugs.
My laughter turns into a jumble of cries. “You can’t be serious? Please, tell me you’re joking.”
I don’t get an answer.
“Tate… tell me this is some sick joke.”
His shoulders drop, along with his head.
My heart beats wildly as I stomp the small distance between us. “Look at me,” I demand, but he doesn’t. “You have the balls to take me from my home, yet you don’t have the balls to look at me? Even after everything that's happened?” The tears I’d been trying to hold back leak from my eyes. They aren't tears of weakness but of anger and frustration. “I saw someone get shot at your hands, I was raped by my abusive ex, and then I was run off the road and almost fucking burnt to death. Don’t you think I’ve suffered enough? You said I’d be safe. You promised you wouldn’t hurt me. You lied to me.”
Still no reaction from Tate.
“Well, fuck you, Mr. fucking Matthews.” I don’t know what comes over me, but I can’t stop it. I raise my hand and slam it against his cheek. He doesn’t budge. In fact, the only movement it caused was for his head to whip my way, and I’m met with a terrifying growl and pitch-black pupils. Tate’s nostrils flare.
He takes a step forward so we're nose to nose. “If you ever pull a stunt like that again, you won’t like the consequences.”
I’m sick and tired of men thinking they can control me. I’ve had enough of overbearing control freaks to last me a lifetime. I’m done being walked over. I’m not weak or pathetic, I’m a strong woman, and I need to start believing that I can overcome what was once my life.
“Fuck you and your consequences. I’m leaving.” I storm towards the door and tug the handle, but it doesn’t budge. I pull harder but have no luck. “Rick, open the damn door.”
He crosses his arms. “No can do.”
“What you mean, no can do?”
“Boss man says no.”
“If he told you to suck his dick, would you do that too?” I huff. I surprise myself with how brash I’m being, but I’m past caring.
The corners of Rick's mouth lift slightly. “Good one.” He leans forward. “And it would depend on the circumstances.” His smirk is wide.
“Enough!” Tate snaps. “I've got too much shit to deal with to think about who's sucking my dick.” I turn to face him, knowing I'm not getting through that door any time soon. “Unless you're offering, sweetheart?”
I screw my face up in disgust. This time, Tate’s lips twitch into a smirk, and it affects me differently. It's hard to explain, but the way he's looking at me makes me want to please him, which confuses me even more. There's no point denying that he's a fine specimen, but I'm not giving him the satisfaction of knowing just how much he affects me.
I bury all my thoughts at the back of my mind. They have no reason to be there. This man has practically kidnapped me. I scrunch my nose up. “In your dreams.”
“I’m already imagining it, sweetheart.” He closes his eyes, releasing a moan.
I cross my arms over my chest. “You’re disgusting.”
His shoulders move up and down as he laughs at me. He slowly opens his eyes. “I’ve been called far worse than that. I have stuff to do. Make yourself at home.” He turns to leave.
I scan my surroundings, looking for another way out of here.
He stops abruptly, gaining my attention. “Oh, and Sian, you can try to escape, but you won’t get far.”
My shoulders sag. How did he know that’s what I was thinking?
Rick brushes past me. “If I were you, I’d do as you’re told. Don’t make this harder for yourself.” He gives me a reassuring look. “Tate wouldn’t have brought you here if he didn’t think it was necessary. Look on the bright side. You’re safe from the man that hurt you,” he adds with a shrug, then follows Tate.
I’m all alone for the first time since the night of my attack, and I don’t know what to think or do with myself. Tate’s made it perfectly clear that I’m not getting out of here any time soon, so I need to get that into my head.
I swing my arms around, taking in the foyer. It’s a grand foyer with a huge staircase at either side and a single round table in the middle with a vase of flowers on it.
“Fuck this. I’m out of here.”
I wander to the side of the stairs to look for an exit. I find a door, thankfully unlocked, and head inside. It’s a huge lounge, no other doors, so I head back the way I came and find another door that leads to a dining room with a huge mahogany table, but there’s another door at the far end, so I pace that way. When I push the wood open, I’m disappointed to find it’s just the kitchen—a grand kitchen, but still… no escape for me. I once again find myself back where I started.
A voice from above freezes me on the spot.
I hear Tate say, “I know what you’re thinking, Mary, but this isn’t the same thing. Sian is nothing like Jodi. She was a malicious, traitorous bitch who used me. What happened to Sian was real, and I know she hasn’t fully come to terms with it, but when she does, she’s going to need all the help she can get. Right now, here is the safest place for her.”
“And what do you plan to do, kill the man who did this to her? Don’t you think you’ve got more pressing issues to deal with right now?” a woman’s voice replies.
“I’m dealing with the issue, and if it comes to it, yes, I’ll kill him, and I’ll make him suffer. He doesn't deserve to breathe the same air as she does.” Tate’s voice rises, as does my breathing. I’m finding it hard to listen to him.
He’d kill Daniel? Just like that? And who’s Jodi, and what did she do to him?
Tate speaks again, more calmly. “Until I know I can fully trust her, she stays here, and I want you to watch her.”
“You know I will. But that poor girl doesn’t need to be treated like a prisoner. The grounds are highly guarded. Give her some breathing space. From what you’re saying, she’s going to need it.”
“Fine, but under no circumstances does she leave the grounds, Mary. Am I clear?”
“Absolutely. I’ll see to her right away.”
“One last thing. I’ve called the doc to check on her in case she was injured in the crash. She'll be here soon.”
“I'll make sure she’s seen,” Mary says.
“That will be all.” Tate ends the conversation.
I shuffle on my feet, fearing I’ll be caught eavesdropping and try to act normal, whatever that looks like. The last few days of my life have been anything but normal, to the point I've forgotten what’s real and what isn't.
Will I ever feel like myself again?