15. Zeiden
FIFTEEN
zeiden
“The plan is simple. It’s going to be one of these three cars. Probably.”
X’s pupils were dilated in excitement.
“Please tell me this is going to be a chase. God, I love a good chase.”
My phone beeped, and I looked down seeing two texts from Daisy. I kept my face straight and my body ready for a fight, but my heart fucking skipped like a little schoolgirl on a Sunday picnic.
What I heard had my blood boiling.
I held the phone out to my family, keeping it quiet enough but on speakerphone for everyone to hear. Calliope and Rylee included.
It was clearly her father in the first message.
“I’ve made my decision. You will go with the judge today. Your mother already has the wedding planner working for a wedding next week. You’re his problem now.”
I glanced up at X. “It would appear that, yes, brother, it will most likely be a chase. New plan.”
I glanced at the cars and headed for the driver who was too busy looking at his phone to notice me. I rapped on the window and he startled. Good. Nothing like adrenaline to cause things to work out.
He rolled the window down and I handed him a roll of hundreds only to pull it back as he reached for it.
“Is this Raymond Hart’s car?”
I had it pretty well narrowed down, but the two cars were from a service and I didn’t have my computer, making hacking into their system a bit more cumbersome, and right now I didn’t have the time.
“What? Judge Hart? Yes.”
I nodded.
“Great. You will get him into the car pretending all is normal. You do that, and you get this. Here’s a taste.” I pulled off a hundred and held it just inside the window.
“I should warn you. You cross me, and no one will recognize your body. Such a shame really.”
He nodded like a bobblehead but took the money.
“Just get him loaded up? That’s all?”
I didn’t say anything, just glared at him, and a drop of sweat rolled down the guy’s temple.
“You will need to fade into the cemetery and hitch a ride back home. And from there? Well, you saw nothing. My brother right there?” I glanced over my shoulder. “He will ensure that you are taken care of, and you will be finding new employment. We can’t have loose ends. Be a good man and do as you are told.”
I watched him and glanced at the screen of his phone.
“That your daughter?”
I could hear every nervous huff of air.
“I… Yeah.”
I pulled my phone up and sent a text.
“You do as you are told, keep your lips shut, and she’ll have a bright future.”
His hands shook.
“How… how will… I mean… but…”
He must have seen something in my face, but he shut up.
“I have someone looking into you right now. You will have a college trust fund or whatever you choose set up and waiting for your signature by the time you get home. She’ll live a better life because her daddy keeps his mouth shut. Agreed?”
The way his mouth opened and closed told me he wasn’t really sure what to think. He finally seemed to suck in a good long breath.
“Got it. Just get him in the car and then walk away.”
Something inside me stirred. I would either be able to grab her and take her or, well, I would be doing that all the same. I stepped back to my boys.
“He shouldn’t be a loose end. Regardless, if you can grab Daisy—Cas, X—he will need to be dealt with. Track my phone. Meet me in an hour.”
Nothing else was said. Nothing else needed to be said. A tracker had been put onto the private limo that was indeed owned by the pretentious senator. The other car would be another senator. One that had always seemed far too stupid to be in his position. Seeing him here? He appeared to be just another puppet who might be losing his puppet master soon enough.
“Add fresh meat to the grocery list as well.”
Xander was damn near jumping.
“Sparky, you ready to put your skills to good use?” X asked Cali. Something was fucking wrong with her, but the way she looked up at my brother? Just like Rylee watched Cas.
“Family dinner tonight. But set the table for six.”
I walked away from them, letting them do what they did. Fawn over their women or squeal or fuck. I had no idea.
I slid behind the wheel of the car, my hands white-knuckling the damn thing. I’d spied Daisy as I kept my presence quiet for the moments the funeral came to a conclusion. Goodbye pig was all I could say in my mind, sending up a little prayer to whatever god had decided I was a good choice to gift to this world.
The last text. The one I hadn’t shared, played on repeat. Over and over.
“Just a pussy.”
He wasn’t going to touch her. I wouldn’t let him. Except right now, I didn’t have a lot of control over the way he was dragging her to the car, I could see everything through the sideview mirror. It was taking everything in me not to jump from the car and kill him right now. Instead, I had plans, she just needed to last a few minutes longer.
I clenched my teeth as I saw her shoe get stuck, and all he could do was pull her away as she fought him. Finally I noticed my new friend open the door.
“Good afternoon, sir. Madam,” the old driver said.
“Shut the fuck up and just get going.” My hands ached to squeeze his neck, but all I could do was grip this damn wheel.
I kept myself hidden behind the screen for the moment, keeping it cracked so that I could hear everything but no one could see me.
The door finally slammed shut, and all I could hear was my dove practically crying.
“Let me go. I won’t make a good wife.”
The driver who would be taking our friendship to the grave walked up to the window, passed over his cap, and gave me a ridiculous thumbs up. Whatever.
“I will break you and remold you just the way I want you. I don’t care,” said the judge.
His words pissed me off, and I slammed on the gas, the car lurching forward, and a few swear words replaced him yelling at my woman.
The partition rolled down.
“What the hell? Take it easy. I have precious cargo.” I kept my eyes diverted from the rearview for a moment, trying to make sure he didn’t recognize me.
It didn’t take long for him to start back in on Daisy.
“Your father’s money is useful to me, and therefore your job will be done after you have given me an heir. I won’t need you then, and what happens to you after is up to you.” The bite in his voice was obvious.
My eyes followed Daisy as she tried to slide further from him, but the car was limited on space and she didn’t get far.
“You’re threatening me?”
He chuckled, but there was zero humor in that sound. He was deranged and that only made my future plans all the better.
“Oh, Daisy, threats imply I will only act if I need to. I most definitely have plans for you regardless of your behavior; however, you play wife nicely, and I might just let you have a little freedom.”
I heard her gasp, but I was proud when she didn’t seem to buy into his bullshit.
“A little freedom? Oh goody. So maybe my life will be almost as good as it was with my daddy. I couldn’t help but notice how close you and my frigid bitch of a mother were though. Does the good senator know about that?”
We were now on the main road heading into downtown, back to a place I thought of as our playground.
It would be a few before we could reach it though.
“You think you can threaten me, you little whore?”
I watched her in the mirror and smiled as I saw a look on her face I’d never seen before but that looked good on her. My body was vibrating with excitement. Things were just getting better and better.
I sent a text to Daisy as we passed through a stop light that marked the end of small, private residences and started to give way for apartment buildings.
Water. Get him to drink it.
I didn’t hear her phone beep, but then again, her ringer had been off before I’d given it to her. Still, I caught the motion in the mirror and knew she’d read it.
“Bitch. That phone will be the first thing I take from you. You will have no need. I will be your lord and your entire universe.”
I saw her shift toward where the waters were. It wouldn’t matter which one, we’d drugged all of them. If Daisy drank one, the worst thing that would happen to her would be missing the show.
I turned as I got closer to the city, working my way to our building with a basement built for all of our demons.
“Fine. Let me start now, my lord. Here, please have some water.”
I could hear the forced, sickly sweet tone of her voice, but it obviously wasn’t something the judge cared much about.
“You think this will spare you? Your father guaranteed an obedient daughter. Such a disappointment.”
The backseat was quiet for a second and I glanced back noticing that he was drinking. Sometimes the best laid plans worked out well.
“Now, since I wasn’t given the obedient daughter he promised, I think it’s time I claimed the little slut that I did get.”
His words caught my attention and every single molecule in my damn body was on high alert.
“Don’t you dare touch me, you jerk,” she said, her voice high and panicked.
She hadn’t noticed who was driving the car any more than he had. Shame.
“Your pussy better be worth the trouble you are giving me. Maybe that mouth can be put to good use later.”
Every word this rich twat said was getting cataloged. And each of the harsh words against my little dove would be punished.
“Get your hands off me.”
I slammed on the brakes and a satisfying thud accompanied a few more swear words.
“Watch the fuck where you are going. I’ll have you fired if you do that again.” He pushed his way back against the seat. “Fuck. You’ve been nothing by a thorn in my side. Your father thinking we’re friends because I was willing to marry you. Willing to take his bribes with you as partial payment to ensure certain benchmark cases would be overturned and others would get the outcome he wanted. I deserve more.”
I caught the movement in the rearview mirror before I heard her scream.
“Get off me. Stop. Please.”
I pulled the gun from my belt and slammed on the brakes of the town car as we stopped in the middle of traffic.
“Get your fucking hands off my little dove.”
Recognition registered as car horns blared around us.
“She is my property. Where the hell is my driver?”
I didn’t move for a long breath.
“I wouldn’t worry much about him. In about three minutes or so, it won’t matter.”
His face seemed like it was turning an odd shade of purple as a vein popped out of his temple.
“What the hell are you even talking about? Fuck you.” He pulled a phone from his jacket, and before he could dial, Daisy grabbed a glass and hit him over the head. The glass shattered, and for a moment, he just glared at her. I was ready to shoot though.
“You, bit—” His words died as he slumped over.
“Oh my god. Did I kill him?” Daisy reached forward and put her hand on his neck, right where the pulse would be easiest to find. She sighed in relief.
“What would it matter? He will be dead sooner rather than later anyway.”
She looked back at me, and without another word, she launched herself at me and planted a kiss on my lips.
The warmth of her was everything that I was starved for, and fuck if I cared about the cars outside. But I would if a cop found me.
“Daisy, sit tight. I have a surprise for you.”