Drayton
“Please. I can’t wait any longer. Hey, wake up.”
Vibrations. Sniffling. The buzz near my ear accompanied with Marian’s voice drew me from a place so deep and dark, I couldn’t process where I was.
A groan sounded, and it took me a moment to realize it had come from me.
The pain that quickly followed stole any questions I had as my eyes shot open.
Rage was immediate. The urge to decimate anything or anyone near me had my heart racing.
My entire face felt like someone had broken a baseball bat across it. But it wasn’t a bat. No…
Memories of Marian’s foot coming right for my face had a louder sound leaving me as I fought to push myself up to sit.
Mostly blonde hair was curtained around her body as she curled to the metal headboard in a fetal position.
Her legs were drawn in tightly to her chest, and her face was peeking over as she kept it close to her knees.
The swollenness of her eyes had me recalling her heartbroken cries.
The ones that had reached a part of me I didn’t think existed anymore.
Humiliation. That had been my goal for making her spread her legs before me. It was what I needed for her the most. I longed for her to hurt. I wanted her to feel a slice of the helplessness that I had. But seeing her break fucking broke something in me, and I hated it.
“P-Please.”
Buzzing sounded again, and I stood, slightly swaying. I grabbed my phone off the floor from the broken table. Quinn’s number registered, but it was the time and date that had me shaking my head as I tried to calculate how long I had been out.
“P-Please. I have to go to the bathroom. I can’t hold it anymore. I’m sorry for what I did. I know you’re mad. I—”
My hand shot up, and I hit the button, bringing the phone to my ear.
“Yeah?”
Fuck, my voice sounded raspy.
“Where the fuck have you been? I’ve been trying to call for hours. I was getting worried.”
“Please, help! Please! My name is Marian LaRoe. I’ve been kidnapped, please!”
I pointed and she sobbed, hiding her face back against her knees.
“What is it?”
Quinton paused. “I see she’s not happy. Neither am I. We can’t get him, Dray. Bastian hasn’t left the hotel since it happened. Cops came. Marian’s disappearance is all over the news. His team is pulling guard on the entire floor. We can’t even get close.”
“Fuck.”
I opened my mouth wide, feeling my nose and the muscles in my cheek scream. I could feel the dried blood on my face pull at my skin with every movement.
“What do you want us to do?”
My head throbbed as I tried to get thoughts to come.
“I’ll call you right back.”
“Dray.”
“Yeah?”
“You okay? You sound… different.”
“I’m good.”
I hung up, hitting Elec’s number and heading for the door.
“Wait! Please, I have to go to the restroom. You don’t understand.”
I didn’t turn around or stop until I was cracking the door behind me. Ringing filled my ear, ending almost just as fast.
“And here I thought I was going to have to send help. You’re alive.”
My eyes rolled at his slight laugh that followed, and I winced at the pain it caused. “Shut up. Are you watching me?”
“Here and there. I’m bored; it’s slow. What’s your plan?”
“They can’t get to Bastian.”
“I heard hours ago. Are you in a hurry?”
My fist curled around the phone tighter. “I am. We didn’t expect him to come. With Bastian so close, it works in my favor. We can’t lose him. If he heads back to his country, it’s just going to take longer to tie up my revenge. I want this now. I don’t want to wait.”
“I see.” Again, a soft laugh came through. “That was a solid kick. I’m impressed. Take off the mask so I can see the damage she did to your face.”
“Fuck off, Elec. What do we do about Bastian?”
A pause. “Well, we wait for him to come out. Or…you could lure him out.”
I blinked through his words, turning back to the door as my heart pounded. “Lure him. Yes… We could ask for ransom. He might do a drop off if he thought he was getting her back.”
“It could be a fun game. Or a big mistake. I’ll talk to my team and see—”
“No.” Impatience and bloodlust had me swallowing past the last few hours.
My weakness over her cries had the anger flaring to scorching heights.
I was not going to cave to these stupid emotions that were fucking with me.
I had to think about what was best for my revenge, and that was both Marian and Bastian.
I couldn’t risk losing him now that I was so close.
“No team for the drop off. We have a better chance ending this if we make her part of it. It has to be this way. I want to be the one he comes face to face with when he tries to rescue her.”
“Please! Hurry up!”
I ignored Marian’s yells, waiting for Elec.
“She doesn’t have to be present for him to comply. I can come stay with Marian while you go.”
“So she can do what? Wait for me to return? No way. She stays with me.”
“That’s not safe. Let me take her to Headquarters. We need to interview and assess her anyway.”
“You’re not listening to me. I’m making her part of this.”
“That’s very risky.”
“So is leaving her with you. I knew you in college, but we’ve just met again.
So much has happened since then. You married, you had a family…
but then you lost Vivia and your children in a car accident.
There’s this part of you that no one knows about.
The dark part. The one that enjoys killing and hurting people.
Until I can trust this new you, Marian stays with me.
Our plan will work. Bastian will pay ransom, and he’ll come for her.
Marian caused all of this. Now, she can face the consequences for it. ”
Silence. It lasted for seconds before Elec cleared his throat.
“Drayton Pennington, you trust me. Despite working on the inside, I’m not the bad guy.
I’ve explained this to you before, but it’s complicated.
What is bad when it results in good? In time you will see.
” He paused. “We’ll do this your way. I’ll let the teams know you’ll both be a part of this new direction with Bastian.
I advise against it, just to be clear, but the decision is yours. ”
“Great. I want to proceed.”
“Then we will. Oh… grab the dye while you’re out there. They dropped it off while you were passed out. We’ll talk soon.”
I hung up, looking down at the bag by my foot.
I picked it up, spinning back through the door and shutting it behind me.
I headed for the table, propping it up on the broken leg.
It would have to do for now. Placing down the bag and my phone, I reached down to the duffle on the floor.
I stared down at the syringe, swallowing through the way my salvation pulled me to cradle it in my palm.
Quiet.
Asleep.
Just me and her.
No one to watch but me and… well… fucking Elec.
But I could fix her hair and make her even more the Marian I dreamed about. I could plan for this next part. I needed to work on this without her hearing. And I could have her in these stolen moments. In our moment. I slid it in my pocket as I stood and grabbed the key to the cuffs.
“God, I can’t hold it any longer. Fuck. Please.”
I took my time, heading over to unlock her.
I didn’t let Marian get control before I fisted her blonde hair and led her out of the bed.
I grabbed the bag off the table, practically dragging her down the short hall to the toilet.
She didn’t fight. All she did was shake and cry as I held to her head tightly.
And I didn’t let go until she finished, flushed, and was starting to stand.
The moment she did, I reached into my pocket, biting the cap from the syringe and stabbing it into her neck.
Marian let out a yelp as I pushed in the medicine.
“That’s it.” Her legs buckled as I scooped her into my arms. Small whimpers left her as she tried to turn back and forth to escape. But she couldn’t move. She couldn’t even lift her hand to swing. “Sleep. Just… sleep.”
One slightly bruised undereye. A busted lip. A red-tinged nose. I looked like an abused Rudolph. What the hell had I been thinking to let my guard down with her?
I couldn’t stop looking in the bathroom mirror at my reflection.
Damn, I was glad I didn’t have to wear that mask.
Soon, I wouldn’t have to at all. But it was at a cost. This was not the way I wanted our first few days to go down.
Bastian was meant to act rash and rush out after her.
To search the city in hopes he’d find us.
He didn’t, which shouldn’t have surprised me.
He didn’t love Marian like I did, so why would he feel the same desperation I had felt at losing her?
Maybe if I had had more time to plan his capture in Miami, I would have realized that.
As it was, none of us expected him to show up here.
Taking him from his estate would have been easier than this.
Elec had men everywhere and had prepared.
But, taking him from the hotel? With no real preparation?
This was going to be a problem. Especially if he managed to make it to the airport before we could get to him.
I dialed Quinn, hitting the speaker and letting his voice fill the bathroom.
“Hey Cuz, Elec said you wanted in on Bastian’s capture.”
“Absolutely. Did Elec relay my plan about the ransom? I know you all must have come up with something too.”
“We did, but I think yours is the better choice. Having Marian play a part to lure him out will be huge, I just fucking hate that you’re putting yourself in the middle of this. As heir, that’s risky as hell.”
“Don’t worry. He won’t know it’s me. Not until I want him too. By then, it’ll be too late.”
“What about her?” Quinn paused. “Does Marian know it’s you?”
“Not yet, but she will. Sooner than I’d like. I hate this fucking mask, anyway.”
He laughed. “It’s restricting but fun.”
“Fun? Try getting kicked in the face while wearing it. There’s nothing fun about it. I can’t see shit in that thing.”
“She kicked you in the face?” Quinton burst out laughing. “Did you cry?”
“Shut up. No, I didn’t cry.” I paused. “She did knock my ass out. Thank God she was restrained and couldn’t get away.”
“Damn.” The word was elongated as he laughed even harder. “No wonder you weren’t answering.”
“I hate you. You and Elec both.”
“Elec? Why Elec?”
My head shook. “There are cameras here. He saw. Or… checked in on me and probably rewound the tape to see what happened.”
“I bet he was laughing his ass off each time he watched it. Do you think he’d send me the clip?”
“Fuck you both. God dammit. This isn’t funny. I could just… beat her for this.”
“How is she? How’s she taking it?”
I glanced over, sweeping my gaze down her nude form resting in the bottom of the shower. Red dye was staining her hair, and she appeared peaceful… beautiful enough to make my heart ache.
“I knocked her ass back out.”
“You didn’t. Already? Isn’t that dangerous?”
“I don’t need lectures. Marian is fine. She’s scared just like I wanted.
She’s trying not to be, but she can’t hide it.
Right now, I’m dying her hair back natural.
When she wakes up, the significance will add to that fear.
I need you and the men here before that happens.
” I got quiet, stuffing down my own concerns from the shots.
“Quinn, I need you to get with the team and look into Bastian’s past. Marian mentioned rumors of him beating his mistresses.
Almost killing one. She doesn’t believe it, but I happen to think he’s capable of harming women.
The way he shut down Marian when she was defending me.
” My head shook. “I saw something in him that I didn’t like.
I don’t just think he’s a piece of shit just because he was going to marry her; I think he’s an abusive monster.
I want proof so she can see for herself.
Do you think you can look into it for me?
“Damn right I can. I’ll get with the team.”
“Great. Thanks. How’s Penny?”
A pause. “Giving me dirty looks as we speak. She’s silent but angry. A fucking spitfire if I get too close.”
My lips twisted.
“That bad?”
“She’s a fighter, Dray. I don’t know what all happened to her when she was taken, but she was fighting me to the death.
It didn’t matter what I said. She wasn’t having it.
I had to shoot her up with half a syringe just to calm her down.
Oh… right.” He let out a sigh. “I almost forgot. Katia called me when she couldn’t get ahold of you.
She’s on her way to collect Penny. She’s been informed of Marian, and she’s pissed, just so you know. ”
“Great. She’s the last person I want to deal with. Does she think Marian is just missing, or does she know that I have her?”
“She’s FBI like Elec. Plus, she’s high in the circle, and her and Marian are best friends. Of course she knows you have her.”
I glanced to the woman unconscious in the shower.
How had I forgotten about that? It used to be her and Vivia as best friends, but after she left, I’d heard she and Katia got close.
Her mother would have approved of that. Melissa hadn’t liked Vivia, and I had never known why.
It didn’t matter. The truth was, I had no idea who Marian was anymore.
We had been young lovers tied by trauma and lies from our past. She was the victim, and I was the suspect.
And where the past wasn’t true, there was no mistaking our roles right now.
She was innocent, and I was the guilty party. My, how the roles had reversed.