Chapter 11
Ryker
Sometimes, luck brings something to your doorstep that’s hard to believe. I’m not a person who believes in luck, but this time fate is smiling on me. Well, maybe not fate itself.
Theo hands me a gift with a smile on his face. Not just any ordinary gift. He gives me the man we’ve been looking for, for the last ten years.
When I ask him how he found him, he just shrugs and cryptically says that I should enjoy the moment without wasting energy on insignificant details.
Excitement takes over in the first few seconds when my eyes fall on Norman.
It’s sad to see the guy sitting tied to a chair in one basement we use as an interrogation room. Despite his shorts and T-shirt, he’s wet. Sweat drips from his forehead and mixes with his tears.
It’s not that he hasn’t tried, but his attempts to free himself from Theo’s specialized restraints are futile. Theo’s a master at this, though I’ve never found out how he got to be one.
One way or another, there’s no hope for poor Norman.
I punch him again straight in the jaw. It’s already turning purple, and his right eye is so swollen he can’t open it. I should switch hands so he at least looks symmetrical. In fact, it won’t matter to him anymore.
“Where is she, Norman?” I ask in a deadly serious tone. I’m sure he’s got the message that this is no joke.
“Ryker—please,” he moans, his breath shallow.
I don’t have much time, seeing his condition. This guy isn’t cut out to be like us. He’s not trained to be a killer, nor is he skilled at being interrogated.
“The time for pleading is long gone. Where is she?”
“I remember... I remember when you were... a child. You weren’t... him then…”
I wasn’t him then. I wasn’t my father then! That's what he means.
Next strike. This time, straight to the nose, which makes a crunching sound as it breaks. Beautiful red blood flows in a stream, and the room is filled with his moans.
There’s a metallic smell in the air.
“I’m not him! I’ll never be him. But to find my sister, I’ll move heaven and earth and kill anyone who stands in my way.”
Unwanted memories from my father’s office come back to me. My little Aisling. Me. Mom.
Hatred and determination boil inside me. The darkness takes control of my body, soul, and heart. My pact with the demon is still valid. And it wants to play.
I walk over to the table where I’ve laid out a few things. I suspected they might come in handy today. My gaze wanders over my favorite knives, hammer, and scalpel until it lands on the cordless branch cutters.
No one said gardening couldn’t be useful in my world.
I love these shears. They’re relatively short, but I don’t need much. The upside is that you don’t need any strength at all to hurt someone.
I approach Norman with the tool. “Where have you been all these years?” I ask.
He looks at my hands with slight horror and then immediately seems to accept his fate.
“I’ve been in hiding for years, so don’t be surprised.
I had a feeling something was off during the whole flight.
When we landed and I managed to slip away from your father, I knew I had no other option but to hide Otherwise, my life would have been forfeit to your father’s wrath, or I would have met my end at your own hands after you searched for me.
In either scenario, I was as good as dead. And I am. I know it.”
My nod is all he gets.
“I remember that day like it was yesterday, when I was flying the plane with Aisling on board. Before dawn, I received instructions to be ready for takeoff,” he continues, spitting blood.
“I remember how she screamed, crying and begging for help. My heart broke with every passing minute. Hatred consumed me for what was happening, but I had no choice, man. They threatened to kill my entire family if I didn’t follow orders.
There was no way I could take on the horde of bodyguards escorting her. ”
“I don’t want to kill you, Norman. I’m thirsty for blood, but I don’t want to kill you. Tell me what you know. Where were you flying that plane to?”
Without further struggle, he confesses, “We were flying to Spain. Your father never found out about it, but thanks to my connections, I was able to place my mother in the house where Aisling was being held. At first, she was a cook, but she quickly became Aisling’s nanny as well.
She took great care of her and tried to give her at least a semblance of family warmth.
You have my word that she never harmed her. She raised her like her own daughter.”
If that’s true, I’m willing to thank them for everything they did for her. But if he’s lying, there will be no mercy.
“Is she still there?” I ask. “In Spain?”
Norman looks down and shakes his head.
A chill runs through me.
This isn’t the answer I want to hear. Holding my breath for a moment, I cling to a glimmer of hope, but when I exhale... the hope is gone too.
“What the fuck do you mean?” I growl, trying to control my hands, which are shaking now.
“Three years ago, Aisling ran away from that house. Right after my mother died. I’ll be honest with you, Ryker.
I don’t know if she was afraid to stay there alone with no support, or if it was for some other reason.
But she ran away and since then, the house has been empty.
When they were both there twenty-four hours a day, nearly a dozen people monitored the house.
And then one day, they all disappeared.”
“Where did you get that information?”
“Because shortly before her death, my mother got one of my friends a job there. He was there for maybe a month. He disappeared like everyone else. Just like that.”
The fear of what might have happened to my sister, what else she might have experienced, chills my blood. Maybe she’s still in our father’s hands, or maybe she’s hiding somewhere. She’s a grown woman now, and I hope she can take care of herself.
Fear cannot suppress my anger. A strange sound comes out of my throat as I hit Norman again.
“This is for not keeping my sister safe,” I hiss as he sobs. “But I also owe you my thanks, as I can no longer thank your mother for taking her under her wing.”
I switch the scissors to my other hand, walk around Norman, and grab his little finger. The quiet sound of the scissors echoes as I press the button on the device. Impressed by how easily the device cuts through human flesh and bone, I pause.
Right after that, Norman’s screams and whimpers fill the air. The basement is soundproof, so he can scream as much as he wants. Only the rats can hear him here.
“You see, Norman...” Almost in a daze, I put the scissors to his other little finger.
“Please, don’t do it...”
“I owe you my sister’s life. That’s why I won’t kill you, but there are other scores we need to settle.”
Once again, I press that magic button, and then the music of screams and sobs resounds.
At midnight I’m once again in the club.
From the private elevator, I go straight to my private penthouse, avoiding the eyes of random people. I could walk through the middle of the place covered in blood and no one would dare say a word to me, but we live in shitty times, and I don’t want my father to hear a word about it.
The less attention I draw to myself, the better.
First, I go to the bathroom. I rarely use it, but sometimes it’s necessary.
In the mirror, I see my blood-stained shirt. A few drops are also drying on my neck and face. Taking off all my clothes I jump into the shower without waiting for the water to warm up.
I close my eyes and stand under the cold stream, welcoming the relief it offers.
Today I made progress, though it doesn’t feel that way. I learned crucial details about Aisling, yet this mystery remains unsolved.
Where the hell are you?
If she could, she would contact me. She would give me a sign that she was alive, that she was okay. That's what I used to think. Now, however, I have my doubts.
What if she blames me for all this too? What if she’s afraid of me now? What if she thought I wanted to hurt her too, and that’s why she didn’t try to find me for three years? What if she hates me?
The very thought stings. I’m to blame for this situation; that’s true. But I don’t want her to be afraid of me.
These thoughts are unbearable, so I bang my head against the wall. I have to find her and explain everything.
Determination tenses my muscles.
After a swift and complete wash, I hop out of the shower. A moment later, I’m standing in a fresh shirt and new tailored pants.
The paperwork waiting for me makes me sick, but I have to take care of it. Evil never sleeps, money never waits.
I walk to the office, but as I head for my desk, something stops me in my tracks. A song playing in the club below reaches my ears. I’ve heard it before, but it’s not the melody that stops me; it’s the lyrics.
’Cause I’m feeling like a ghost
Drifting
Through the shadows of the night
I’m waiting for you
Through the shadows of the night.'
A few blinks, and I understand. I just know...
Instead of going to my desk, I slowly walk to the gallery window. On the east stage, directly opposite me, she stands in the shadows. My Shadow. In all her glory, wearing a mask. She looks into my office window like she knows I’m here, as if she can sense me. Even though she can’t see me.
Admit it, she’s got bigger balls than many men.
What would happen if someone recognized her in that mask? Why is no one—not even my security guards—reacting to this? Do these idiots think it’s part of one of the girls’ costumes? And who let her in there in the first place?
Questions pile up in my head, and I don’t have an answer to even one of them.
More importantly, Shadow is coming to my club. She’s coming to me. And that means...
She already knows who I am.
I shake my head. For a moment, I can’t believe she’s here, but I should have expected it. She’s wicked smart. And that alone turns me on like hell.
She’s standing down there waiting for me. My blood boils when she continues to look at me and starts swaying her hips.
“Fuck.”
I rush to the door like a hungry dog, run down the hallway, and without patience pound on the elevator button. God knows why I’m not using the stairs, but if I turn back now, I’ll only lose more seconds. I can’t afford that.
Finally, the door opens, and I’m on my way down.
Even so, it’s too slow.
When the door opens again, my eyes instantly find her.
A small smile appears on her lips. She reaches her hand out toward me and beckons me with her index finger and I, like a lovesick mutt, follow her. I’m totally powerless against the thread that connects us. This feeling—
The same song begins again.
I don’t know how she organized it all and how many people around me she bribed to make her stand here at this very moment. All that matters is that she’s here. I’ll deal with the rest later.
When I stand right in front of the stage, I swallow hard. As if hypnotized, I just stare into her green eyes. And when she sways her hips in ever wider circles, tempting me more and more, my eyes can’t leave her body.
Green eyes...
I want to go on that stage, throw her over my shoulder, and take her to my office, where she can put on a show just for me. I want to do it, but I don’t. This is her moment, so I decide to let things take their course, intrigued by what she has in store.
Shadow slowly walks up to the pole in the middle of the stage and stands in front of it. Leaning back, she rests her back against it and slides down. Dressed in tight leather pants, she spreads her knees. She doesn’t take her eyes off me, and I don’t take mine off her.
Good God.
I bite my lower lip. My throat is dry; I involuntarily lick my lips. There is less and less room in my pants.
Fuck me. I want everything she can give me.
This woman is going to kill me one day. She’s like the wet dream of every horny teenager. And that’s exactly how I feel. Like a teenage boy.
Her hands first slide down and then move up her body, brushing her breasts along the way. They caress her neck and move suggestively down again.
She’s incredibly alluring.
Shadow’s lips open slightly, her chest moving faster. She’s as excited as I am, and I hope the show she’s putting on for me is the reason.
A moment later, Shadow gets up from the dance floor and starts a real pole dance. This is…
Jesus Christ. It’s indescribable. It’s pure magic. Her seductive movements, spinning around her axis... Her delicacy and unprecedented flexibility are mesmerizing. And when she hangs sideways, holding herself up with only the strength of her arms…
“I’ve seen nothing like this.”
I turn around. Another man is staring at her like she’s the most delicious dessert, and I dream of gouging his eyes out right there.
My murderous instincts kick in. “I advise you to look away and fuck off in the opposite direction, because in ten seconds you won’t be able to look at your dick ever again.”
The threat does the trick, and the guy takes his frightened face out of my line of sight.
I scan the room, confused, and then notice more daredevils, more of those moronic walking corpses, by the stage.
Not only that. They’re all staring at Shadow. My Shadow!
I want to explode and bury each of them under the lowest floor of the club.
Another fucker speaks up. “That’s a brilliant move. A masked temptress. I’d love to—”
“Wouldn’t finish that sentence if I were you. You want to live to see tomorrow, right?” I say in an ominous voice.
The guy raises his hands in surrender. Maybe he has some sense after all.
Trying to ignore the company, I look at Shadow again. She dances, completely unaware of the interest she’s generating. She’s so beautiful, sexy. She exudes confidence, her movements promising unearthly pleasure.
When the song ends, she slides down the pole onto the floor. Her parted lips tremble, and I have to bite my cheek because I want to sink my teeth into that plush delight.
She catches my eye and closes her eyelids slightly. Then, on all fours, moves slowly in my direction. Leg after leg, hand after hand, until she reaches the edge.
Shadow leans. Her warm breath on my skin.
“I’ll be in touch. I have a proposal for you,” she murmurs.
“Why don’t we do it right now?” I ask, clenching my hands. The urge to touch her is unbearable.
I’m so turned on that even breathing is painful.
“Not today. Just dropped by to say hello.”
She’s standing now, towering over me, and my hands are itching to grab her waist and steal her for myself.
My words stop her as she turns and is about to leave. “One day, I’m going to marry you.”
“We’ll see.”
“How do you know who I am?”
She peeks over her shoulder. Before she winks at me and disappears into the darkness where she belongs, she says, “A shadow never reveals its secrets.”