Chapter 5
FIVE
KENNEDY
"It's perfect on you," the dressmaker gushed.
I looked at myself in the full-length mirror. Swished this way and that.
"I love it," I said.
Like the guys, I would have preferred black, but the green dress with red sash around my waist was suitably Christmas-y and cute at the same time. The bodice hugged my breasts, while the skirt fell to just above my knees, showing off my long, lean legs.
I got in as much time in the gym as I could, practicing gymnastics and aerials on the silks. Partly because I wanted to keep up those skills and partly for fitness and flexibility.
Although the guys helped in the flexibility department as much as they could. They were generous that way.
"Thank's for fitting me in at the last minute," I said.
Usually, she was booked out months in advance, especially for a big event like ours.
On the other hand, if she hadn't, she would have been threatened. Not by me, but she knew it was better to accommodate me than it was to turn me away.
I didn't like intimidating anyone, especially someone who was more or less innocent. In this case though, I was well aware making dresses was a side hustle. She was involved in some other, more serious shit.
Believe me when I say threatening her would be was a victimless crime.
"Of course," she gushed again. "It's an honour to make anything for you. And Chelsea, of course." She nodded toward the change rooms where Chelsea was still fitting into her Christmas dress.
I had no doubt it'd look amazing. It could be a paper bag and it would still look good on her.
I was comfortable in my own skin, otherwise I'd feel dowdy beside her.
Chelsea was taller than me and undeniably gorgeous.
Wherever she went, heads turned. She never treated me as anything less than an equal though, which was all I could ask for in a sister-in-law.
"Are you good in there?" I called out, half-teasing, mostly curious.
Chelsea's dress was definitely not a paper bag.
"I don't know, it's a little bit…" Chelsea unlocked the door and opened it slowly. "It's a little bit revealing, don't you think?"
She wasn't shy about her body, but I could immediately see what she was concerned about revealing.
"Are you—" I started.
A hint of colour crept up her cheeks. "Yes. I wasn't going to announce it like this. But I suppose it's as good a time as any."
I let out a soft squeal and hurried over to give her a gentle hug, careful not to squash her growing baby bump.
"Ice is going to be an uncle." He was going to be thrilled. This baby would have so many people to look out for them and take care of them. They'd want for nothing. Honestly, they'd need it, growing up in a place like Dusk Bay.
I couldn't imagine bringing a kid up here, but I was happy for her and her boyfriends.
"Your guys must be thrilled."
"If they can ever agree on what the nursery should look like.” She rolled her eyes, but smiled indulgently.
"I'm sure if you gave them some suggestions they'd…listen," I said.
All of them had strong opinions, and ideas, but they tended to revolve around making her happy. The same way my guys did the same for me.
"I can try," she said, "or I could put Uncle Ice in charge of the design."
"I'm not sure if that's a good idea or a terrible one," I said with a laugh.
It would either be the most beautiful nursery to have ever existed, or it would be full of handcuffs, pliers, and chains. When it came to him, it could go either way.
"Probably a little of both." She smiled. "I'm going to get changed. I won't be long.” She closed the fitting room door behind her, leaving me to admire my dress for a few moments longer before I slipped in to get changed.
"Do you feel like getting something to drink?" she called out over the top of the door. "I mean a coffee."
I figured she meant that, being pregnant and all. She wouldn't risk her baby by drinking anything she shouldn't.
"I'd love that," I said back.
I slipped out of the dress and pulled on my t-shirt and shorts before pressing my feet into my shoes.
"Great. I'm just going to ask for another little alteration. I'll meet you at the coffee shop on the corner?"
"Okay. I'll save us a table.” I grabbed up my bag and phone and headed out the door.
I only made it a handful of steps when something was thrown over my head and I was shoved forward, into what felt like the back of a car.
The door slammed behind me and the car roared away.
"Are you sure that’s her?" A deep, masculine voice spoke as the car door opened.
"Of course I am. What do you take me for?" another voice replied. Also male.
"You've fucked up before." The second voice wasn't giving an inch.
"Yeah. Well, it's her, isn't it? Matches the photo."
"Yeah. Let's get her out of here.”
Rough hands grabbed for me, pulling me out of the car and picking me up. My hands were tied behind my back. My ankles were bound too.
I didn't bother to struggle. Instead, I listened. Paid attention to everything around me. Every voice. Every sound. Even the lack of sound. Every so often a car went past but never slowed. We weren't in the middle of nowhere. I wasn't in the car long enough for that anyway.
Wherever we were, we were still in Dusk Bay. Maybe fifteen minutes from the dress shop. Give or take a couple of minutes.
I pictured a map of the town in my head, trying to pin down where we might be. In the end, there were too many variables. Not enough information to conclude anything at this point.
I kept listening. Any tiny detail could come in useful later.
"Put her in here," the first voice said.
I was lowered down onto what felt like a lumpy bed that rattled underneath me. One of those flimsy metal-framed beds, if I had to guess. The kind that would collapse if you tried to roll over too vigorously.
"What are we doing with her?" the second voice asked.
Good question. I was wondering that myself.
Who was stupid enough to risk kidnapping me?
Knowing my guys would come after me and tear them a new one, if they were lucky, which they wouldn't be.
When Ice got his hands on them, they were going to enjoy a prolonged stay in his workroom, having the skin peeled off their body a strip at a time.
I might watch.
"That's not for you to know," the first voice said. "You worry about following orders and let me deal with everything else."
The second man grunted. Either with annoyance or agreement, possibly a combination of the two. He was curious, but knew better than to get in any further over his head in…whatever this was.
"We better get paid for this," the second man said.
"Don't worry about that, Chuck. We'll get paid, enough that we can get out of this shithole. Wouldn't have done it otherwise. Fucking with someone like this is suicide if we get caught," the second man said.
"I don't plan on getting caught," Chuck replied.
"We play it cool and wait for our orders," his companion agreed. "I've let them know we have her. Shouldn't be long."
"Better not be. I still think this was a really bad idea." Chuck sounded surly.
"A bad idea would have been taking Chelsea Miller too,” the first man said. "If we took both of them, we might as well go for a walk in the ocean right now."
They should probably do that.
"Do one last job, they said. It'll be fun, they said,” Chuck muttered.
"Stop losing your mind," the first man said. He sounded older. Old enough to know better, but apparently desperate enough to try.
Those were the worst. Desperation made people dangerous. I'd seen it plenty of times before.
Once in a while, I went out with one of my guys to deal with someone who put a toe out of line. I'd seen people on their knees begging for mercy, ready to throw anyone under the bus if it got them out of trouble. At times like that, everyone was fair game. Even their own mothers.
"I'm just saying is all," Chuck said. "You know I trust you, Tony."
They both laughed.
Clearly, neither one of them trusted the other.
Funny, I didn't trust either of them either. If I had a knife, I might stab both of them in the groin. Right now.
Ice would be disappointed to miss the opportunity to play around with them. But he'd get over it.
That reminded me, had Chelsea noticed I was missing yet? The moment she did, she'd be calling my guys.
I hoped like hell they got here before Chuck and Tony's employer did.
That, or I managed to find my way out. All I needed was the right opportunity. A turned back. An open door. A handy knife to cut the zip ties off my wrists and ankles. Something.
I wasn't going to despair. An opportunity would arise. It always did.
I just had to wait for it and grab it.