Chapter 23
23
Gwendolyn smiled as she sipped her drink. It was a good night for visitors. She had the house ready for them, knowing her bait was more compelling than theirs had been.
Gwendolyn would miss Joyce, but she was a sacrifice Gwendolyn was willing to make. Dead weight, so to speak. Without any girls around to take care of, Joyce’s usefulness had run out. Gwendolyn made Joyce available for the men who wouldn’t accept that the supply wasn’t there and needed a woman’s body, willing or not.
But Joyce was gone, and Gwendolyn would not offer herself up as the next available body. She needed to regain her favorite girl.
Sometimes it was just too easy.
“Two people are approaching,” Fernando said. “Walking up but not as subtle as they think.”
“It’s Nina and her brother,” Gwendolyn said, watching the camera she installed down the street. The entire house was surrounded by them, with many more in places no one knew about. Like the camera on Shelter in the Storm, and the one outside Zeke and Montgomery’s house, the one at Rose Protection Agency, and the ones near the police station. Gwendolyn didn’t take chances.
“Do you want me to kill them?” Fernando asked, his trigger-happy hand already reaching for the gun on his side.
“No. I want them to think they’re smarter than me and get inside. Then I want you to tie up the brother. Nina and I have things to discuss.”
Fernando nodded, then let himself out of the room silently.
Gwendolyn watched, and waited for her sister to come home to her.
It was easy to get inside. Too easy. Every step Nina took told her the only thing waiting for them was a trap.
But she couldn’t turn back. She had to see it through. She had to stop Gwendolyn once and for all.
Nina fingered the knife in her pocket. Monty gave it to her on the ride. He had guns, but she refused. A knife wasn’t better, but it felt less threatening. After everything, Nina knew she wouldn’t be able to kill Gwendolyn.
She almost laughed. The night she left, she wanted to kill Gwendolyn, and probably would have if she’d had the chance. But a month with Zeke and Monty and the Curvy Vigilantes changed Nina. She saw the light in the world. She knew things could be different. She didn’t want Gwendolyn free, but Nina agreed with Frannie that Gwendolyn needed to face the consequences of her actions.
Nina could convince her. She had to. Tell Gwendolyn to stop killing people and take her in. If the FBI found her, Gwendolyn would not give up. But Nina could reason with her. She had to.
Nina’s old room was upstairs, at the back of the house, but she knew that wasn’t where Gwendolyn would be waiting for her. Gwendolyn didn’t come into Nina’s room often. When they were together, they were always in the family room. The cozy, sunken room was a converted old porch. It was cold in the winter, and hot in the summer, but Nina and Gwendolyn loved it. They spent all winter snuggling under blankets and watching movies about people falling in love and happy families and holidays neither of them had ever known.
It felt like a bonding experience back then. Not the manipulation it clearly was.
“Come in and sit, little sis,” Gwendolyn said once Nina got to the door. Her voice drifted from the darkness. “Bring your brother in, too.”
Nina took a step into the room, then heard an oof and a thud. She turned back and saw Monty on the floor. “Monty!”
“I wouldn’t do that,” Gwendolyn snarled.
Her threat was reinforced with a gun to Monty’s head. “Go sit, Nina,” Fernando growled.
Nina tore her gaze from Monty and walked into the room.
Gwendolyn lifted the blanket next to her for Nina to sit while Fernando dragged Monty into the room and propped him up in the armchair in the corner.
Nina stared at her brother and prayed he was just faking it. That he would jump up at any second and overpower Fernando and Gwendolyn and the whole thing would be over.
Zip-ties went around Monty’s wrists and ankles. He didn’t fight once, not even a groan.
“Is he dead?” Nina whispered. A trickle of blood ran down the side of Monty’s face.
“No reason to tie him up if he’s dead, sis. He’ll be fine. Killer headache, though.” Gwendolyn waved her fingers at Fernando.
He produced a small vial from his pocket.
Nina flinched and drew back. More drugs. No. She couldn’t leave Monty, but she couldn’t…
Fernando waved it under Monty’s nose.
Monty inhaled and jerked, snapping back. His eyes opened, and he instantly fought the binds. “Leave her alone.”
“You’re not in a position to make demands right now,” Gwendolyn said.
“Nina, get away from her,” Monty growled.
Gwendolyn slapped a hand onto Nina’s lap. Her nails dug into Nina’s thigh, and she winced.
“She’s not moving. We’re all going to have a little chat.”
“I have no interest in anything you have to say,” Nina said.
“That’s not very nice. After everything I’ve done for you.” Gwendolyn shook her head. “It doesn’t really matter what you say, though, because we’re going to sit here and talk like we used to. Maybe watch a movie. Didn’t you have a favorite?” Gwendolyn picked up the remote. “Maybe we can find it and watch it tonight. Then we’re going to leave, and your brother is going to sit here until the house is demolished.”
“What? Gwendolyn, no,” Nina said.
Gwendolyn turned to her. “You don’t get to tell me what to do.”
Nina closed her mouth, the years of threats and having them carried out far too fresh in her mind to ignore.
“I’ve missed you, sis,” Gwendolyn said, her voice soft. “I was so hurt when you left. And then you tried to trick me. I thought you cared about me.”
“You held her hostage. Why would she care about you?” Monty hissed.
Gwendolyn flicked her wrist. Fernando stepped forward and punched Monty in the face.
“No!” Nina shouted, moving to get up. Gwendolyn’s fingers tightened on Nina’s thigh, making her cry out in pain.
“If you move, he does it again,” Gwendolyn snarled. “If he keeps interrupting, Fernando will keep going. We’re going to talk. He doesn’t get to interrupt.”
“Monty, please,” Nina whispered.
Monty met her gaze and nodded once. He slid an angry look to Gwendolyn, but he kept his mouth shut.
“Good boy. You would have done well for me if I rented out my men. I never liked to do that, though. Too emotional. Women were much easier. I only had to kill one every few years to keep the rest in line.”
“Why did you kill them? Any of them?”
Gwendolyn looked at Nina as though she was the biggest moron. “To make sure the rest of you listened. I couldn’t have anyone trying to sneak out or fighting back. I had a few men that would take care of the women who were fighters, men who liked that kind of thing, but the rest of you just needed one dead body to remember what your duty was.”
“There’s no one left. No one to threaten. Why didn’t you just leave? Why didn’t you stop killing people and just leave?”
“You know the answer, sis. I needed you. Your brother doesn’t care about you the same way I do. He stopped looking for you a week after you came to me. Forgot all about you. I’ve been watching you every day since you left me.”
“You’re a psycho,” Monty growled.
Gwendolyn clucked her tongue at Monty, holding her hand up to stop Fernando from punching him again. “You think you’re so good, but I know all about you, Montgomery Rose. I am not afraid to use deadly force when necessary, but you have your father’s blood in your veins. There’s a dark side to you, one you can’t always control. Like the night your father left.”
“What is she talking about?” Nina asked her brother.
Monty didn’t answer.
Nina swung her gaze to Gwendolyn.
Gwendolyn looked surprised. A hand to her chest. “Me? Now you want to know what I have to say?”
Nina choked back a sob. “You’re a liar.”
“Then why would you ask me? Just ask your perfect brother. Ask him why your father finally left. Ask him how long he pounded on dear old daddy’s face. Ask him if he broke poor dad’s hand.”
“Monty? She’s lying. I know she’s lying. Tell me she’s lying.”
Monty looked at Nina, the truth written all over him. “She’s not lying. I… I beat him until he couldn’t fight back. Until he was almost unconscious. Mom pulled me off of him.”
“Monty, no.”
“See, Nina? This is the monster I was saving you from. You thought he was so good, but he’s no better than your father. The man you told me you were terrified of when you moved in with me. I took care of you. I made sure you were safe and strong. I made sure you had everything you needed. Come home, Nina. We can start over.”
“She’s lying,” Monty growled.
“You would think so, Montgomery. You’ve lied your whole life. Not everyone is like you, though. Not everyone has to manipulate the truth to make others think they’re decent.”
“No.” Nina shook her head. “No. You’re wrong. My brother is a good man. He was protecting Mom and me. He didn’t hurt our dad for sport. Not like what you do.”
“It’s not sport, Nina. It’s business. If you don’t like it, you can leave.”
“I’ve seen what you do to people who try to leave!”
“And yet you left. And you talked to the FBI. My homes, my privacy, my legacy! You’re the one who stole all of that from me. After everything I did for you, you stole it all.”
“None of it was yours, Gwendolyn. You cheated and stole and lied and built everything on the lives of people you kidnapped.”
“They all wanted a better life. Something new. Different. Flashier and more fun. Just like you,” Gwendolyn growled.
“I didn’t want to be raped when I was eighteen. Or drugged. I didn’t want to be offered up to whatever man paid for me. I didn’t choose any of that.”
“You chose when you walked into Club Curves and asked someone to call me. When you handed your innocence and your life over to me. When you moved into this house and asked me to provide for you. Did you really think I was doing all of that for free? Did you think I was going to pay for you to live here out of the goodness of my heart?” Gwendolyn cackled like the crazy person she was. “God, Nina, you are so stupid. You want me to treat you like you matter, but you just don’t see things the way they are. Like going to visit Star and Monica. You thought you could walk in and they would be all happy to see you? So stupid.”
“What did you do to them?” Nina snarled.
Gwendolyn glared back. “What should I do to them? I left them alone for now, but if you don’t behave, I will go get them. Are you willing to trade your life for theirs?”
“Nina, no,” Monty demanded.
“Stay out of it, big brother,” Gwendolyn taunted. “I have no problem gutting you and dragging her away while you bleed out on the floor.”
“No,” Nina shouted. “Leave him alone. Leave all of them alone. You can’t. I’ll go.”
“Nina, no! You can’t. She’ll kill you,” Monty yelled.
“I love you, Monty. So much. But I can’t let her hurt you. Or anyone else. I have to go with her.”
Monty struggled against his binds. Red marks screamed on his wrists, droplets of blood forming.
Nina wanted a proper goodbye with her brother. A chance to tell him how she felt. A real moment to hug him and forget about everything else.
But she didn’t have that.
“Time to go,” Gwendolyn said, her voice victorious and cheerful. She stood and reached for Nina’s hand.
“I will hunt you down,” Monty growled at Gwendolyn.
Gwendolyn grinned. “I look forward to the chase, Monty. It’ll be fun watching you run around in circles and acting like you know where you’re going, the whole time wondering if the next delivery you get will be a piece of your sister or if she’s still alive somewhere.”
“I’ll kill you!”
“Oh, there’s the monster I know and love. Threatening an unarmed woman. Wow. Such chivalry.”
“Nina, don’t go. Please, Nina.”
“You’ll be safe, Monty. Everyone will be safe.”
“Let go of her,” Zeke growled from the doorway.
“Zeke,” Nina breathed.
Gwendolyn pulled Nina in front of her, using her as a shield. “Oh, the boyfriend is here. I was hoping I’d get to meet you. Obviously, my sister didn’t share anything before, so I had to do some digging. But it’s so much better to get to know you in person.”
“Get the hell away from her.” Zeke had a gun pointed at them.
Gwendolyn put a gun to Nina’s head, the edge of the barrel pressing into her temple.
Nina yelped and tried to move away. She’d prayed for death a few times. Hoped the hell would end. But facing it, having a gun to her head and knowing she really was not going to have a future was so much worse than she’d feared.
“Don’t fucking move,” Gwendolyn growled, yanking Nina’s hair.
“This isn’t going to end well for you,” Zeke said.
Gwendolyn snorted. “You clearly didn’t take stock of the situation, boyfriend. We have big brother in here, and he’s not going to be very helpful to you. So, you’re outgunned.”
“I’m willing to take that chance. You’re not taking Nina. She’s mine.”
Nina shivered at the possessive tone of his voice, a smile lifting the edges of her lips.
Gwendolyn laughed. “Oh, this is rich. I love it. This is just like the movies we used to watch where the hero comes in and saves the day, acting all chivalrous and good. But you’re not good. You’re not even mediocre. Barely made it out of high school. Zero ambition or goals in life. You’ve been hanging on to big brother’s coattails forever. Just waiting for the chance that you could be a part of their family. Why would Nina want you?”
Zeke blanched, drawing back for half a second.
“Don’t listen to her,” Nina said.
Gwendolyn yanked Nina’s hair, keeping her in place as her shield. “Boyfriend and Big Brother are going to be good boys and they’re going to listen right now. We are going to walk out of this house, Nina, me, and Fernando. And if you try any funny stuff, someone gets a bullet.”
“We can’t let them come after us,” Fernando said.
“Hmm. You’re right,” Gwendolyn said. “Shoot him.”
Nina screamed as a gunshot went off behind her. “Monty!” Nina shoved Gwendolyn, breaking free and sliding on her knees to her brother’s side.
Monty laid on the floor, one hand free. Blood seeped from his arm onto the wood. Nina pressed her hand over the wound, hoping it was enough to stop the bleeding.
Another gunshot rang out, and a thud behind her said Fernando was down.
“NO!” Gwendolyn shouted.
“Hands up,” Zeke growled.
Nina watched them over her shoulder.
Zeke’s gun was on Gwendolyn. His eyes were hard, unyielding.
Gwendolyn snarled at him, but she raised her hands. The gun she’d stuck against Nina’s head dangled from one finger.
“Put the gun down,” Zeke commanded.
“I don’t think I’m going to do that.” Gwendolyn spun the gun into her hand and pointed it at Nina. “Are you willing to risk that you’re faster than me?”
Gwendolyn didn’t give Zeke a chance to answer before she pulled the trigger.
The spark at the end of the gun was bright. Brighter than Nina expected. She’d never stared into the end of a gun as it was fired. She drew back, as though that would help. As though it would save her.
She watched, waiting for the bullet to hit her, waiting for death to claim her.
Zeke shouted. His body flashed in front of Nina.
She flinched.
The sound of the bullet hitting Zeke was made worse by the way he collapsed to the ground in a heap, not bracing himself before he hit the floor.
“Zeke!”
“Come with me, Nina. We can call the police when we’re gone. They might survive. But if you refuse, I’ll kill you, too.” Gwendolyn pointed her gun at Nina again.
“Don’t go,” Monty breathed. He pressed something against her hand.
Cold metal. With a trigger.
Nina didn’t think or wonder or hesitate. She grabbed the gun and swung, pulling the trigger as many times as she could, bullets popping out like fireworks.
Gwendolyn jerked as a bullet hit her arm, then again when one hit her chest. Her gun slid across the floor away from her as she fell.
Nina drew a sharp breath. The silence was almost as deafening as the gunshots.
Laughter came from Gwendolyn, a wheezing sound breaking up the evil laugh. “I always knew you had it in you, Nina. That’s why I took you in.”
Nina went to Gwendolyn, standing over her as blood pumped out of her body. “What are you talking about?”
Gwendolyn grinned. Blood stained her clothes. Her teeth were red. Her blonde hair was copper. “That evil runs deep in you. You’re a killer, just like me. Your brother and your father were your first examples, but they scared you. I made you strong. I made you what you are today. I raised you well, Nina.”
“I’m nothing like you,” Nina breathed.
“I’m so proud of you, sis. So proud.” Gwendolyn exhaled and went still.
Nina stared at the woman. Tears streamed down Nina’s face. Her gut clenched with fear, her hand on the gun that gave her the power to take a life. “I’m nothing like you.”