Chapter 30
The fluorescent sign above the building was no longer lit up, but you could still make out the bubbly outline of a bodybuilder next to the dark blue words “Smitty Fitness Center.” Layne stared up at the sign with her bag of fun slung across her body.
She had done a quick change of clothes in her car in the designated flat lot across the street into an all-black ensemble. If Eric wanted to play his games, she was going to play hers.
Her hand reached into her pocket and pulled out a small piece of black cloth. She slid it over her face, covering the lower half. A familiar emblem was stamped across the front of the fabric, one mimicking Joey’s skull-faced mask. The only difference was that this one had orange and green ribbon criss-crossed across the teeth imitating stitches keeping the mouth shut.
Layne walked around to the side of the building finding the side entrance already propped open with a dumbbell for her. Undoubtedly, it was Eric’s invitation. Well, here went nothing.
She pulled out her favorite baby Glock and stepped foot in the darkness of the abandoned building. The only thing lighting her way was the dim red glow of the EXIT signs.
Quietly, she stepped one foot in front of the other as she kept her hands on her gun in a two-handed grip. Her green orbs darted to the right, then to the left as she looked for anything or anyone that might jump out at her.
As she walked further into the establishment, she felt something underneath her boot. It didn’t crunch. No, it was something much softer that gave away under her weight. If she hadn’t been on high alert, she wasn’t sure she would have noticed it otherwise.
Layne knelt and placed her fingers on the floor where she had just stepped. Locating the object, she picked up the bulb and realized it was the head of a now partially squished rose. The silky texture of the petals between her fingers gave it away as she examined the shape of it.
Eric was being a fuckin’ dramatic bastard.
Dropping the floral prop back down to the floor, she stood back up and returned her hand to her weapon as she continued to advance through what appeared to be the cardio section with all of its machines lined up in neat rows.
Her ears perked up as she heard the sound of classical music playing lightly over the gym’s speakers. He was definitely being a fuckin’ dramatic bastard.
Layne wasn’t sure what she should be prepared to see or hear, but she did know that she was mentally prepared to do what needed to be done if she was going to get Rebecca out of there alive. Whatever the cost was going to be, she was prepared to pay it in full with interest.
She had only been inside of Smitty’s a few times before, and it was a couple of years ago. Her recollection wasn’t particularly spectacular with remembering how this joint was laid out. However, she did remember that it housed many of the standard amenities. It had an indoor pool, an extensive weight room, group fitness studios, and a spin room in addition to all the typical features of locker rooms, saunas, and tanning beds.
Bang!
A gunshot rang out and shattered the illusion that danger wasn’t immediately present. Layne immediately dropped to the floor. The sound of the impact was on the other side of the room, indicating that she hadn’t been close to being on the receiving end of it this time around. Deciding not to be a sitting duck she pushed herself back up onto her feet and burst into a full run.
Bang! Bang!
She flinched, her arms automatically raised and shielded her head as her legs propelled her forth as fast as they could.Layne ran into the first room that she came across. Dashing inside, she immediately crouched behind a corner trying to silently catch her breath. Tightly, she pressed herself up against the wall, her hands readjusting her grip on the pistol.
Eric’s voice came over the speaker from the ceiling, interrupting the background music. “What a good little harpy, you did so well at following directions by coming by yourself. Let’s play a little game. If one of my men finds you first, you come along quietly. If you find me first, then you and your friend will be allowed to go on your way.”
Layne hated games. She hated them even more when it was clear the odds weren’t in her favor.
He spoke up one final time. “Welcome to my playtime.” The loudspeaker cut off.
She leaned her head back against the wall and steadied her breath. Quickly, she had to strategize on the fly. The darkness was both an asset and a hindrance, and she needed to take the path he didn’t anticipate her to take.
In a barely there whisper, she cursed under her breath. “Fuck me.” She needed to commit to a decision and do it quickly.
Finally, she made a move and got back up and moved away from the wall waiting for a bogeyman to lurch out of the shadows at her. The second she stood up though, the game’s rules suddenly changed. Light after light began flickering on throughout the center. The weight room she was in was no exception.
Eric’s voice rang throughout the place once more. “Oh, I did forget to mention that I don’t like losing.” Of course, he didn’t. Lunatics rarely did.
Layne needed to move quickly now that it was likely eyes would quickly be on her. As quietly as she was able to manage, she scurried through the weight room to the door on the far side. With its blocky, rectangular symbol adhered to the front, she knew it had to be the men’s locker room.
She pushed the door open silently, to be greeted with yet another seemingly empty area. Making each turn carefully, she kept her eyes focused to avoid any surprises. When she made it to the back past the showers, there was a second doorway with the strong scent of chlorine and other pool chemicals floating in the air surrounding it.
Using her body, she pushed open the door slowly to take a peek into the pool area. The coast was clear from the limited angle she had. Continuing to emerge from the locker room, she nudged the door open a little wider with her shoulder.
The pool itself had taken on a swamp-like green color, presumably from the lack of chemicals being used to maintain it after the center shut down. The surface of the water was eerily still and glasslike.
Suddenly, the door was pulled open on her by an unknown man. Instinctually, she straightened up and rammed the rest of herself into the door to give it enough momentum to smash into his face. He shouted out as he released the door and put both hands over where it connected with his face.
Layne aimed and fired off a shot into his stomach. The acoustics in the pool area seemed to amplify the sound of the shot enough that she may as well have used an air horn to announce her location.
The man who was struck in the stomach by her bullet dropped to the tiled floor, and before his cry of pain could continue, she re-aimed the lethal end of her gun at his forehead and silenced him.
With a heavier set of breaths coming from her, she had less than a few seconds before she heard a pounding echo through the pool area from up high. The muffled yells of her name were shouted. When Layne looked up, there was another floor up where offices overlooked the pool. Behind the large glass windows was Rebecca with her hands bound together in small fists banging against the glass.
Her friend was suddenly pulled back away from the window and Eric appeared there with a shit-eating grin etched across his face. In his hand was the receiver of a phone and his voice came over the speakers once more.
“You’re not very good at hiding, little harpy. I’m disappointed.”
Layne flipped him off with her non-dominant hand and her eyes set in a hard glare. Then, she saw three men emerging from various points around the pool.
“If I were you, I’d ditch your toys and let my boys bring you up here to have a chat about what to do with your friend. Alternatively, you can do things the hard way and I will just have to pass the time up here with Rebecca. I’ve been telling her all about my favorite room in my house while I’ve been waiting for you.” The way he spoke promised terrible things no matter which path she took.
Layne dropped her duffel to the floor with a light thud. She tossed her gun down on top of it carefully.
“Good girl.” The words he spoke didn’t have anywhere near the same impact on her as when Joey said them to her.
Though he couldn’t see it underneath her mask, a small smirk twitched at the corner of her lips and the glimmer of rebellion reached her eyes. She had him right where she wanted him: feeling confident.
Two of his crew members came up beside her, each grabbing an arm painfully hard. They led her away from the pool area and took her up a set of stairs right outside the humid room that led to the office one level up. The sole asshole that didn’t have his hands on her, separated from the group and took up the lead ahead of them. Eric must have been worried if he had four of his men ready to take her on, minus the one she left in a bloody puddle outside the locker room door.
When the office door opened up, she immediately scanned the interior of the office. Her escorts filed into the room with her and the door lightly clicked shut after the last of them. Inside, there were two desks, one wall of large floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the indoor pool, a television mounted on the wall, some filing cabinets, and a sofa.
The sofa is where Rebecca was seated with Eric next to her, his arm draped across her shoulders like they were old buds. Her hands were in her lap, visibly trembling while the wrists were secured tightly with duct tape. Her blue eyes were red from tears that had been shed.
Her voice shook as she looked over at Layne. “Layne, I’m sorry…”
Layne shook her head at Rebecca. “Don’t worry, you’re getting out of here.” Her eyes darted to Eric who had an arrogance wrapped around him.
He reached up to Rebecca’s face and took a handful as he squeezed her cheeks in his hand. “She’s just as cute as a button, isn’t she?”
“Drop the theatrics, Eric. You got me here. Release Rebecca and we can talk things over.” Her voice was emotionless despite the rage running rampant inside of her that he dared to lay a finger on her friend.
He laughed outright and dropped his hold from Rebecca’s face before standing up from his seat there on the sofa. Eric approached Layne, stopping directly in front of her, and waved off the two guys with their aggressive grasps on her.
“Theatrics, you say? Let’s not throw stones here, Layne.” His finger reached up to hook on the top of her mask and lightly began to tug it down. Before it got halfway out of position, she abruptly threw a fist at his smug face.
Her knuckles smashed into his cheek before his men were able to react quickly enough to snatch her back. Unfazed by her attack, Eric grinned as his fingers rubbed his face where she made the connection. “There’s the little harpy I know and love. You’ve got so much fight in you.”
He stepped up to her as she pulled against the grasp of the two brutes restraining her. The fires of violence lit up in her eyes. Eric’s hand yanked the skull mask the remainder of the way down her face. “It will be so much fun breaking your spirit.” Then, his fist thrust harshly into her stomach.
The blunt pain caused her to grunt out and double over. Immediately, a wave of nausea rolled through her causing her to cough and gasp for air simultaneously.
Eric nodded to his two men as they released their hold and dropped her to the floor. Layne placed a hand on her stomach as she winced. Before she could fully recover, Eric’s foot connected with her ribs in a kick that sparked another type of pain as Layne cried out and rolled in on herself. Immediately, she knew he had injured one of her ribs from the sharpness of the pain accompanying each breath.
With her hands hidden underneath her body, she covertly located the previously planted mini switchblade inside the waist of her pants. She encased it in her grasp while she was curled up in the fetal position.
Rebecca shot up from her seat. “Stop it, asshole! Leave her alone!”
One of the three hired hands inside the office shoved Rebecca back down onto the sofa to prevent her from interfering. His gruff voice barked instructions at her. “Shut your cockhole, blondie.”
Eric knelt and grabbed a handful of Layne’s hair to lift her head so he could look at her face. “Let that be a lesson of what happens when you step out of line. It seems that you didn’t learn anything after being left to burn. At first, I was furious that you hadn’t perished in the fire. I stood to inherit a pretty penny from the insurance policies you signed.”
Through clenched teeth, she struggled to breathe through the pain, including the pain that came with every breath she took. Her eyes met his, reflecting the resilience and stubbornness she was born with. Hell if he was going to be the one to snuff it out. Layne gritted her teeth and managed to push words out of her mouth. “What the fuck do you want, Eric?”
“Oh, you already know what I want.” An amusement dangling on his words before he released his hold on her hair.
She swallowed down a little more pain and nausea and nodded her head. “Okay, I’m all yours. Me and everything that I come with.” She propped herself up on one arm while the other hand remained on her stomach. Her eyes met Rebecca’s across the room and then looked up at Eric. “But she gets out of here unharmed first.”
He gave a drawn-out sigh. “Promises, more promises, and all of them fucking lies. That’s all I’ve been getting from you, so how am I supposed to take you at your word now, hm?”
Layne groaned through the pain as she chuckled. Slowly, she pushed herself up onto her feet, wincing but fighting through the pain.
Eric didn’t share the same amusement in whatever was going on in Layne’s head. “What’s so funny?”
“You. You were so desperate to get me here. So desperate that you kidnapped my best friend, and went through all of this trouble. I’m the one thing you can’t buy, and it pisses you off. You make business deals all the time, yet you can’t even close a deal on a real woman.” The pain still lingered on her face despite her amusement at the situation.
The flicker of rage on his face as she bruised his ego was paired with an angry snarl, predictably so. She braced herself as he grabbed her by the back of her neck with a painfully tight grip and dragged her over toward the large windows overlooking the pool.
Eric pressed the side of her face up against the glass, her cheek flattening against the smooth surface. The warmth of her breath left a small circle of fog on the glass. Layne braced herself with one of her hands against the window.
Her eyes caught a small detail down below. The bag of goodies she had left at the poolside when Eric’s men grabbed her was nowhere to be seen. She suppressed the smile that wanted to pull at her lips.
“Do you remember when we first met? I made it clear that one day you’d beg for my soft touch.” Eric’s mouth roughly sucked on her ear and gave it a hard nip before he hissed into it. “I’m going to be cashing in that bet.”
His mouth and the words that came out of it made her stomach twist into more knots. “One request?”
Intrigued, Eric tilted his head some. “Hm?”
“At least look me in the eyes like a damn man. I don’t beg for cowards.”
He spun her around to face him, slamming her back up against the window. His cold eyes looked to penetrate deep into her soul. “That is one request I will grant because I want to see your face as I take you past your thresholds and into a whole new world of pain. The very same world that I thrive in.”
Her eyes met his and smiled sweetly at him. “I want to see your face, too.” Click. The switch of the blade in her hand flicked open and then sank into his upper stomach getting lodged just underneath his ribs.
The look on his face was everything she had hoped it would be as she kept the knife held deeply embedded into his gut. Her green gemstone eyes didn’t look away from him, even when the door was nearly knocked from its hinges as it got kicked in.