Chapter 34
Chapter Thirty-Four
L ondyn
Londyn sat quietly in the car. After wringing herself dry with tears, she had nothing left. She felt numb. Tired. Sad.
The exhausting emotions had her on a roller coaster, but what she felt most strongly was fury. What happened to her sister should never have occurred. It was made worse by the fact that the man responsible, the man Londyn swore would pay for his actions, would never know justice at her hands.
And her sister would die. Seeing Paris’s condition and hearing the grim prognosis from the doctor on his late-night rounds, Londyn realized the inevitable. Even if transferred to a better facility, with better doctors and better treatment, Paris would likely never recover. Despite the expert care, she was slowly wasting away. The stroke, the overdose’s aftermath, and the beating she endured were all too much for her battered body.
Londyn swallowed a choked sob. It wasn’t fair. None of this was fair. Her sister, her defender, her protector, and cheerleader deserved so much better—so much more than a wasted life at the hand of a monster like Adam Franklin.
Oliver was deathly silent. Londyn figured he was giving her space as she struggled to accept the reality of her sister’s fate. A few times, she glanced his way, noticing how the muscle ticked in his jaw whenever the car was illuminated by streetlights. He had denied Londyn’s second plea to remain with Paris while assuring her that arrangements were in place to fly her sister to New York the following day.
It’s not enough. Paris needs me.
Oliver reached for her hand. Londyn considered pulling away, but with a small sigh of resignation, she let him entwine their fingers together.
“Are you okay?”
She jumped, his voice startling her. With her free hand, she absently tugged at the choker around her neck before replying, “I’m not sure. I don’t think I am. It’s just… it’s a shock. Seeing her like that.”
“I know.” He rubbed the top of her hand with his thumb. Tiny, soothing circles that were surprisingly effective in relaxing her a little. Occasionally, he passed over her wedding ring. A jarring reminder that they were actually married.
“I wanted to stay with her.”
“I know you did. But I couldn’t let you do that,” he said, almost apologetically. “I can’t take the chance that something will happen to you. You are in danger, Londyn. Far more than your sister is.”
Londyn turned her head, looking out the window into the blackness of the passing landscape. When Oliver said things like that, like she really was important to him, it made her stomach swoop. It made her feel like he truly would do whatever necessary to keep her safe, even if he went about it in the most infuriating way. “You promise she’s being moved to a facility where I can visit her whenever I want?”
“Yes, dove. I promise.”
The road they traveled was a winding, sparsely lit, two-lane stretch. It was the same highway they’d traveled to the care facility. Londyn knew from growing up here that the road was treacherous, with hidden driveways and intersections that only required stopping for approaching side traffic. But Oliver maneuvered the car through the curves as if he’d been driving the area and this particular road his whole life.
“Where will I live?” Londyn asked softly.
“You’ll live with me.” A smile was evident in his tone as if her question were almost too silly to warrant an answer. “Do you really think I’d allow anything else?”
“But where?”
“The Den,” Oliver explained firmly. “It might seem strange at first; believe me, I once felt the same, but the mansion is enormous. We can go days without seeing anyone else if we want to. One section of the house is set aside for my use, although I’ve rarely used it. I’ve kept on the move as much as possible over the last few years. It will be different now, though. Kingston and I… we’ve been working through issues that go back a long way, but I understand him more than ever before.” He squeezed her hand and lifted it to his mouth, brushing her knuckles with a soft kiss. “And his fiancé, Ava, she’s a very special girl. The two of you will become friends in no time. Both of you are easy to love.”
Londyn froze at his unintentional use of the word, but Oliver continued as if he’d not just insinuated he might actually love her. “And there’s always the cabin in Colorado if we want a change of scenery. Or some privacy so we can spend time alone with one another.”
“You’ll be with me, then?” She could not help or hide the trembling hope in her tone.
“Of course.” The look he gave her then was dark. Intense. “You are my wife, Londyn. Your place is with me. It doesn’t matter where I am, where I go, or what I’m doing.”
His gruff voice soothed something untethered inside Londyn. It made her feel wanted. Safe . She craved that sensation, melting into its warmth. Did he love her? Was he capable of such an emotion? The man was brutal. Cruel. Hard. But he made her feel like she was the most valuable treasure he’d ever held and that was intoxicating. Her heartbeat accelerated until it raced madly. She may never be able to say aloud what her soul felt, but she could not deny it to herself.
She was in love with Oliver Benedict Winter. Her husband. Her tormentor. Her villain turned unlikely rescuer and savior.
“What will happen if you find Sheriff Franklin?” It was difficult to moderate her tone when she was shaking all over. How could she act normally when her life had suddenly been turned upside down by the realization that she loved him?
“Not if . When.” Oliver’s cell phone rang through the car speakers as he spoke. “Once he’s found, I will erase him from existence. I won’t tolerate threats to my wife’s safety or her happiness.” Before Londyn could respond to that surprising declaration, he clicked through to the call. “Yeah?”
“Lawson here. Just confirmed the deputy we’ve been watching did another drive-by surveillance of the facility. He’s headed down Route One toward the airfield. I suspect he’ll be coming up on you shortly. I’m in pursuit but currently held up at 5th and Main by a goddamn train that’s stopped on the tracks.”
“What about Paris? She’s still secure?”
Londyn gripped Oliver’s hand tightly, terror ricocheting throughout her body until she was dizzy. There was only one reason a deputy would be pursuing them, although what he hoped to accomplish was a mystery. Oliver would never let them be separated, and she knew for a certainty that her husband would kill anyone who even tried it.
“Affirmative. I’m no more than ten minutes behind you. Wanted you to be aware of the development.”
“Got it.” Oliver released Londyn’s hand so he could grip the steering wheel with both hands. The car accelerated, the powerful engine roaring in response to the increase in pressure on the gas pedal. “We’re almost at the airfield. I’ll call you once we’ve taken off.” He ended the call, scowling as he took a curve so fast the tires squealed. The high-performance luxury car purred as Oliver pressed the gas pedal even more.
“Oliver… I’m scared,” Londyn whispered.
“Don’t be frightened, dove.” He flashed her a sardonic half-smile that was meant to calm her nerves. “Whatever you are thinking, I want you to stop right now. You are safe, Londyn. Safe, do you understand? Nothing is going to happen that I can’t contr?—”
The abrupt screeching of tires and crashing metal shook the car, sending it into a tailspin off the side of the road and flying into a shallow ditch. Londyn screamed as the car rolled as if in slow motion. She blacked out; the worldwas dark and cold as the car turned over one more time.
Coming to, she realized they’d finally landed with the wheels facing the sky, the hood sinking into thesoft, red dirt. Sobbing, she tried freeing herself from her seatbelt but could not unbuckle the latch. Beside her, Oliver hung upside down from his own, his shoulder grotesquely twisted in the strap. He groaned in pain. A gash on his temple slowly dripped blood as the car shuddered and the engine made strange, clunking sounds. The airbags had gone off in the collision, and now, the interior of the vehicle was cushioned by white clouds of fabric.
“Oliver?” Londyn coughed weakly, her head lolling. Her hair hung in her face, creating a curtain she could not see through. “Oliver, can you hear me?” Her voice sounded muffled. Reaching a hand toward him, her fingers brushed through the thickness of his hair, coming away sticky and wet. “Oh, my God. Oliver!”
He let out a weak grunt but did not respond beyond that. Londyn twisted her body within the tangled seatbelt, desperate to free herself but failing miserably. Shattered glass littered the inside of the car, and the faint odor of gasoline permeated the night air. Because her hands were now wet with blood, her wedding ring easily slipped off her finger, landing somehow in the open center console next to Oliver’s cell phone. It glittered like a beacon in the dashboard’s slow-blinking lights.
“Come on, hurry the fuck up. We’ve gotta get her out of there before his crew rolls up and finds us.” A man’s voice came from the other side of Londyn’s busted window and the airbag. She whimpered, realizing the accident was intentional. Someone had crashed into them on purpose, T-boning Oliver’s side of the vehicle with the hope it would incapacitate both of them. And possibly kill them.
“Man, this is some fucked-up shit. Why did we let Adam talk us into this?” a second voice breathlessly asked, accompanied by the ear-melting scrape of metal grinding against metal. Someone forcibly yanked on the passenger car door, cursing when it did not budge.
“Why? Because if we don’t do it, the bastard will turn us in for every racket we’ve been running.” The first man grunted with the effort of prying open the door until suddenly, something broke free. More glass sprinkled onto Londyn. She shrunk back as a pair of hands appeared in the opening. “I know I don’t want to lose all the money we’ve been making, do you?”
She glanced at her husband, who had not moved since the crash. He looked dead. Panic swelled inside her until she thought she might be sick.
Oh god. Oliver, wake up. Please wake up…
“We’ve got nothing on our dirtbag of a sheriff and you know it,” the second groused. “He’s the fucking worst of the worst. Fucking that girl up like he did, and now this. He’s more crooked than we are, and he won’t keep his word. You know it and I know it.”
“Let’s just do this and get out of here.” Those hands finally reached her, a switchblade knife sliced through the seatbelt harness, and Londyn would have tumbled to the bottom of the upside-down car if not for the grip on her sweater.
A scream escaped her, loud and shrill, as the man dragged her out of the car door opening.
“Fuck, she’s still fucking gorgeous, isn’t she?” one of the two men said, hauling her upright and turning her around so she couldn’t see their faces. “Barely a scratch on her.” Together, they army-marched her to a waiting squad car, where she caught a glimpse of the vehicle that had rammed them. It was a beat-up, nondescript model. Older. Cream colored. The front end was smashed in a bit, obviously from crashing into Oliver’s sports car. The driver’s side of the Bentley was crumpled so badly that Londyn doubted anyone could open that car door without mechanical help.
“Yeah. Get her little ass into the car. We’ve only got an hour before that plane takes off. We’ve got to get her to the next county if we’re gonna make it. I hope Franklin fucking appreciates this.”
They’re taking me… kidnapping me… where are they taking me?
Londyn began struggling, and the more upright she remained, the more clearheaded she became. Her screams rang into the night, drowning out the cacophony of crickets and night creatures. She kicked, bit their hands, and swung her arms so wildly that she connected a couple of times with their chests, striking what felt like hard body armor.
“Oliver!” Her voice cracked as she screamed over and over. “Oliver!”
“Shut the fuck up.” A balled-up fist connected with the side of her head so forcefully that the world went black for a moment. Stunned, she wobbled on her feet before she was flung over the hood of a police cruiser parked behind the Bentley. Her hands were yanked behind her back. Cold, metal handcuffs clicked into place, and Londyn sobbed in terror. “Be quiet now so we don’t have to hurt you,” the first man said in a grumbling, mean voice. He tied a piece of cloth over her eyes, cutting off her vision.
She could barely breathe from the panic that overtook her. It suddenly felt like she was being buried alive. Her worst nightmare roaring to frightening life. Two strips of duct tape that crisscrossed each other were quickly slapped over her mouth. The patrol car’s back door was opened, and one of the men unceremoniously shoved Londyn into the backseat. She landed on her stomach, unable to right herself. Tears drenched the handkerchief around her eyes until they soaked into the leather seat. She gasped for breath around the makeshift gag as the car door was slammed shut.
“Whadda we do about him?” The owner of that voice was the man who did not sound quite as mean as the one who had struck her.
“Not a goddamn thing. Franklin isn’t forcing us to do anything other than get the girl. And I’m not going to be the one to put a bullet in his skull, are you?” More doors slammed as the two men got into the front seat of the cruiser. “I don’t want or need the trouble that would come with that. He’s fucking connected, dude, and if you think he’s a bad motherfucker, you don’t want to meet his older brother. The two of them are fucking savages. We got what Franklin wanted, and now, we leave the guy where he is. Do you think he’s gonna care that much that we stole this chick from him? Guys like that get pussy anytime they want of all varieties, all shapes and sizes. This one is a nobody, so why create trouble with the Winters if we don’t have to? The way I see it, we do this, and Franklin has no reason to turn us into GBI.”
Londyn cried silently. These men were operating on Sheriff Franklin’s orders. They were abducting her with the sole intention of taking her to Colorado. Her mind frantically worked at putting it all together. She knew that whatever connection existed between the sheriff and Diamond Lake Ranch would soon come to light.
Oliver, please wake up. Please don’t be badly hurt. Please don’t let them sell me again. Please come for me and rescue me from this nightmare.