Chapter 14
Lili
“Come on, Finn. Don’t do this.”
“Don’t do what? Punish you for being an ungrateful cunt? You deserve this. Liliana.”
Phineas is more unhinged than I’ve ever seen him. His eyes are wild with tiny pupils as if he’s on some kind of drug. I’ve never known him to abuse substances. Even alcohol, he keeps to a minimum. So I can’t imagine what he could be on.
“We’re going to fix things. And we’re going to have a baby.”
He holds up the knife he’s been sharpening. “But first, you need to be taught a lesson.”
“I have to pee,” I blurt.
He stares at me wild-eyed and seems to be a little confused.
“What?”
“Pee. Bladder? Mine is full. I need a toilet.”
“Don’t even think about trying anything. The doors are wired with explosives. You’ll kill us both.”
If I didn’t have Victor and Grace to consider, I might do just that. Death doesn’t scare me. Not nearly as much as leaving Victor and Grace alone.
“I swear, Finn, I won’t try anything. But you hate messes, and if you don’t let me up, I’m going to pee right here on the chair.”
He looks visibly repulsed as he cuts the ropes at my wrists and jerks me up toward the bathroom.
“Door stays open,” he snaps as he shoves me inside.
I sit on the toilet and try not to think about the fact that he’s watching me. Instead, I go over everything Victor taught me and Grace in the gym.
I will not cower and wait for someone to rescue me.
There is no way they aren’t looking for me, but I can’t wait for them.
It’s impossible to say how long it will take them to find me.
This cabin is secluded and off the books.
The only reason I know about it is because I followed him out here one day without him seeing me.
After I finish in the bathroom, I wash my hands at the sink, and Finn puts me in front of him to return to the chair.
I ram my elbow into his rib cage and turn away from him before he can swing the knife.
Thrusting my knee up into his groin at the same time, I slam the heel of my palm into his nose.
The sound it makes is revolting, but I can’t lose focus.
I’m glad Victor warned me about that sound in our training session in the gym.
The knife clatters to the ground and I crouch long enough to snatch it up.
I barrel towards him, still semi-crouched, head-butting him in the groin.
I shove him back, so he stumbles over the chair.
The surprise in his eyes as I straddle him with a knife to his throat gives me a little thrill. But I hesitate, and he laughs.
“Still so weak, Liliana. Why do you think I had to find someone else to take care of me?”
With a deep breath, I plunge the knife into his palm, pinning his hand to the floor.
He screams as I search him for other weapons. I find a pistol and two more knives.
“Don’t even think about trying to escape. Doors are wired, remember?” I whisper in his ear as I point the gun at him.
A square patch of the floor flips up, and it’s my turn to scream as I raise the pistol I found. I’m immediately silenced when Victor’s face pops out of the hole in the floor.
Trap door.
“Spitfire, it looks like you’ve got things under control.”
“Hardly. The doors are wired. How do we get out?”
“You and I are going to leave, and then we’ll blow the doors and take this piece of shit out at the same time.”
Victor steps behind me and takes the gun from my hands.
He must notice my hesitation about leaving Finn here because he tucks a hand under my chin and stares at me intently.
“What do you want, Spitfire? Do you want him in prison or in the ground? I know what I want, but you deserve a voice in this too.”
I stare at the unhinged man on the floor at my feet and shake my head. Then I spit on his face. “You’re not even worth killing.”
Turning to Victor, I put a hand on his arm. “I want him dead, but something’s not right, and we need to find out what’s going on. Look at his eyes.”
Victor bends down and forces his eyelids open when he squeezes them shut.
“He doesn’t use drugs. And he has one drink at parties or late-night business meetings, and that’s it. He’s adamant about staying in control.”
Victor stands, digging his boot into Phineas’ ribs as he does. “I see what you mean, Spitfire. Well, come on then. Let’s get this bastard out of here.”
He pulls out a radio and clicks a button. “We’re bringing Phineas and Liliana out. Have someone meet us in the tunnel.”
He wrenches the knife from Finn’s hand and tosses the bloody weapon away. “Let’s go, asshole.”
Phineas stumbles as Victor pulls him up by the arm. He pats him down, sticking his hands in his pockets, socks, under his shirt, basically anywhere he could be hiding something.
“I checked for weapons. Found the gun and two more knives besides the one he cut me with.”
Victor’s eyes storm as he glares at Phineas. “He cut you?”
Before I can stop him, Victor flicks open a knife from his own pocket and slices it across Finn’s cheek, causing a deep laceration. Phineas screams as blood rushes from the wound and down onto his shirt. “You bastard. You’ll die for that.”
Victor laughs. It’s wicked and sends a cold shudder down my spine. I’ve fallen in love with a man just as dangerous as the one I married. “Doubtful. You hurt the wrong woman. Your days are numbered. Now, where is the detonator for the explosives?”
“Up my ass,” Phineas snaps.
“I’m not above a cavity search, if that’s what it takes,” Victor says icily.
My husband must believe him because he points to the counter in the small kitchen. “Phone.”
“Grab it, Spitfire. And let’s get out of here.”
In the tunnel, two more armed men are waiting to guide us out, and we emerge a few hundred yards away from the cabin.
Victor hands the phone to Phineas. “Blow it.”
The wild look in his eyes has tamed a bit, but he’s still not in his right mind. His hand shakes as he takes the phone and taps a button. The ground beneath us shakes as an explosion rips through the cabin.
I wince, and Victor squeezes my hand. “You’re safe, sweetheart.”
“I hate to interrupt, but we need to get Phineas out of here before the cops arrive if we’re going to convince anyone that he’s dead.” A tall Black man, who seems to be in charge, emerges from the group of security along with Hunter.
I blink. “You’re faking his death?”
Hunter shrugs. “It seems your husband has some information we need, and I’ve been convinced against my better judgment not to hand him over to the police. Yet,” he adds, pointedly looking at Victor. My guess is he’s implying that Victor should not kill him.
I still haven’t decided which side of that argument I’m on. If he dies, I can slip into the shadows and rebuild my life a lot faster than if we go through a lengthy and undoubtedly public trial and divorce.
“Warehouse?” Owen asks Victor with a raised eyebrow.
Victor shrugs. “Or the bottom of Lake Mead. I’m good with either.”
We walk a little farther until we get to a group of vehicles. Victor shoves Phineas towards a pink sports car, but Hunter stops him. “Like hell that bastard is riding in my wife’s favorite car. Shove him in the trunk of one of the sedans or the back of the SUV.”
Of course, the pink car is Trinity’s favorite. I’ve heard rumors about Hunter’s car collection. This must be one of them.
Owen puts a hand on Victor’s shoulder. “I can handle getting him settled at the warehouse. You and Lili should get to Grace. She’s blowing up my phone again.”
Victor looks at me. “Are you good with that, or do you want to go to the warehouse?”
“Home. Please,” I whisper, suddenly overcome with emotion as I realize how close to death I came. Maybe dying does scare me after all.
Hunter steps forward, his phone to his ear before Victor can respond.
“I would like to suggest that we all go to your club. I’m having my wife taken out of the hospital.
If the mayor has anything to do with this, she could want Trinity eliminated, and our media stunt today means everyone knows where she is, including the mayor and anyone who works for Draven.
I’m not taking any chances. What do you know about Amarjit Singh? ”
I raise an eyebrow as Victor’s gaze turns icy. “Where did you hear that name?”
Hunter smiles. “My network will always be better than yours, Serrano. Get used to it. I’ve heard she’s one of the best doctors in the country. I’ve also heard she frequents your club.”
Victor sighs. “I’ll get you in touch with her.” Then he turns to me.
“Is the club OK, Spitfire?”
I shake my head. “I just want to see Grace.”
His expression softens. “You will. Let’s go, sweetheart. We’ll all be together soon. We have a couple of stops to make, though.”