Chapter 13 Letty
“We’re still going on our date, right? Before we leave?”
Gage nods. “Yeah. I already put your stuff in my saddlebags. We can go whenever you’re ready.”
Perfect. I won’t have to come back to the house for anything once we leave the beach. I’m not worried about saying goodbye to my mom. She’s got her issues to work through, and I can’t keep letting her try to control my life.
“So, I get a date on the beach and a ride on my favorite biker?”
“Anything you want, beautiful.”
“That’s a dangerous promise.”
“It comes with a dangerous man.”
“Good point,” I laugh. “Come on!”
The sun is already high by the time we leave the house, walk across the deck, and take the stairs that lead down to the beach. The hot sand makes it a little difficult to avoid tripping, but Gage doesn’t seem to have any issues with his boots.
He scoops under my knees and lifts me. “You’re sinking with every step. We’ll never get to the water.”
“Very funny.”
I loop my arms around his neck as he carries me, enjoying the summer salt breeze that blows my hair in the wind and prevents sweat from clinging to my skin. It’s one of those days that I’ll remember long afterward because of how happy and content I feel.
Funny how having that one person you can’t live without makes all the difference. It shifts your perspective.
Gage lets my feet fall into the sand as we reach the edge, where the water laps the shore. Waves recede as we stand there, staying in place as the water rushes back.
“You have to experience this with bare feet.”
“Letty.”
“Boots off,” I order. “I’m serious.”
He crouches to untie his boots, but the wave that hurtles toward us is bigger than the last one. It hits us with enough strength that we both go down. I laugh hard as Gage’s ass plants in the wet sand.
Kicking off my shoes, I walk a little closer to the water’s edge and hold out my hand. “Come on!”
Gage joins me. I notice that he’s rolled up his jeans to the knee, which is smart. His hand clasps around mine as the next wave slams into us, and we resist toppling over. I feel the granules slipping away beneath my feet, and it never fails to thrill me.
“That feels odd,” Gage observes.
I know just what he’s talking about. “The sand is disappearing from underneath you because the tide is washing it away.”
“Yeah.”
“There’s no other feeling like it.”
“It could be less cold.” He spits as foam sprays our clothes. Some of it gets in his mouth. “Fuck, that’s salty.”
“Right? You never think about it, but the ocean is very salty. I try to avoid getting any in my mouth. But it’s worth it to feel the power of the ocean and the sand beneath your toes.”
“I’m gonna agree with you, babe.”
We stayed on the beach for over an hour. The sky is overcast, but I know from experience that your skin can still burn. It’s almost worse when it sneaks behind the clouds. I’ve had some bad burns in the last four years. I’m better at protecting my skin now.
“We’d better take off, or we’ll burn.”
Gage helps me up the beach until we’re away from the spray. We have to shake out our socks and shoes, clearing them of sand. It won’t get rid of it completely, but it helps not to walk on it with wet soles.
By the time we walk back to the house, I notice Mom’s car. It’s outside the garage instead of inside, but maybe she’s leaving again soon and doesn’t want the hassle of dealing with the garage door.
Gage corners me on the deck, just outside the kitchen doors. His hand lifts, circling my neck. I step back against the wall as his big body cages mine. Just that little action makes me wet for him. I bite into my bottom lip as he growls.
“Do it again.”
“What?” I ask, nearly breathless with the way his hand tethers my throat.
“Bite your lip.”
I blink, feeling too warm all over like I’ve just been dunked in hot water.
“Bite into that pretty, puffy pink lip and show me how bad you want me.”
Good God, this man is sin and grit, danger and an adrenaline shot. All of it injected straight into my heart and beneath my skin. He’s my addiction. I won’t ever get enough.
His mouth slams down on mine, and on instinct, I arch into him, needing friction and connection. Just as he’s about to deepen the kiss, I feel him stagger like he’s been pushed.
He grunts as someone appears behind him and swings a baseball bat. The wood cracks against his skull as I scream.
The sliding glass doors open, and a hand clamps over my mouth. I try to fight, but I’m not strong enough. I’m easily overpowered as I watch Gage hit the deck. He’s unconscious.
It’s not until I see Liam and Theo that everything clicks into place. They found me.
I don’t understand how this happened. How did they get into the house? Where the hell was the extra security that Brekker promised?
The fire alarm in my house goes off. It’s loud and disorienting. I don’t process what’s happening until I smell smoke.
Then I know, Liam and Theo are here for revenge.
“YOU’LL NEVER GET AWAY with this,” I hiss as I fight against the ropes binding me to one of our kitchen chairs. My ankles and wrists are pinned in place. I can’t move, no matter how much I squirm and struggle.
“Doesn’t matter. You’ll be dead before anyone can save you,” Liam announces.
Theo is holding a long, serrated knife. The kind that you hunt with and is intended to slaughter an animal.
I’m the fucking animal.
“How did you find me?” It shouldn’t be possible. WIT SEC has security measures in place.
Liam laughs. “All we had to do was keep an eye on our big brother.”
“We knew Gage would look for you as soon as he got out of prison.”
They followed him. Shit. Didn’t Gage think about that?
The smell of smoke grows stronger, and my body prickles with awareness. I’m tied to a chair, unable to move, and my house is going to burn down. . . with me in it.
There’s a soft cry coming from the living room. I blink, trying to imagine who it is, when Liam grins at Theo and leaves us. He’s quick to return, dragging my mom with him.
She’s bleeding from the side of her head. The bastards hurt her! “Mom!”
Mom doesn’t answer. She’s not quite awake yet. They must have hit her with the bat like they did Gage. Fuck!
My gaze shifts outside, where I can see him still sprawled on the deck. They hit him hard. I’m scared that he’s going to bleed out or have permanent damage to his brain.
“Gage!” I scream, hoping he hears my voice and it helps him wake up. “Help!”
A look of disgust appears on Liam’s face, and he lifts his hand, slapping me so hard that my teeth nearly rattle. I taste the metallic tang of blood and hold back a moan. My skin tingles.
That hurt.
“Shut the fuck up! If you scream again, I’ll gut you with my fucking knife,” Theo warns.
I know he’ll do it. “Okay.”
They tie my mom to a chair and shove her beside me. We’re both away from the sliding glass doors, so anyone looking at our house will see Gage on the deck but not us tied up inside.
My gaze shifts back to the deck. There’s no one there.
Gage is gone!
Hope blossoms in my chest. He won’t let me die in here or burn to death. I bet he’s finding a weapon. I’m positive he carries a gun with him. I’m pretty sure it’s stashed in the saddlebags on his Harley.
Please help me, I beg silently, before it’s too late.
Mom needs medical attention. She’s not waking up. Her head slumps over as she breathes, but blood is trickling from her head, dripping onto her white pants.
“You don’t need to hold my mom. Let her go. We all know I’m the one you want.”
Liam shakes his head. “You’ve always been a stupid cunt.”
“Worthless,” Theo agrees, “except for that prize between your legs. Maybe we should see if that pussy is worth all the trouble.”
Liam’s laughter is dark as he steps toward me. “She already likes fucking one brother. Why not all three?”
“Fuck you both!” I shout. They’re not going to rape me. Fuck them. I’ll claw, bite, and fight them with my last breath first.
“I told you to shut the fuck up.”
I know the punch is coming, and I try not to tense before his fist connects with my face. Pain explodes behind my cheek and left eye. Dazed, I feel my neck crack as my head snaps to the right. I suck in a breath. Then try not to move because this is agony.
I’m going to have a black eye. I’m sure of it. I have to fight the urge to fall asleep. It’s a struggle to remain conscious.
“Funny how she’s going to die just like Gage’s mom,” Liam observes.
I freeze. What?
“That bitch got what was coming to her,” Theo agrees.
“What are you talking about?” I demand. Gage’s mom died when he was nine. The cops said it was a robbery gone wrong.
“Dad ordered the hit on her. She was asking too many questions.”
Oh, God. I hope Gage never learns about this.
“There’s a video.”
I look at Liam in horror. “What video?”
“Her rape before she was shot.”
I want to throw up.
“But we’ve got a better plan. You’re going to burn with your mother. There won’t be enough left of you to determine if you had sex before you died.”
“You’re sick,” I blurt. “Both of you.”
“This is about revenge,” Liam snarls.
“An eye for an eye. Gage took our father from us. Now, we’re going to take you from him.”
“But we’re going to play with you first while the fire gets closer,” Liam adds.
He looks like a shark that scents blood in the water. His eyes are so dark they’re almost black. Dead looking. Void of emotion. He looks ready to attack his prey.
This house is huge and old. Built sturdier than houses now. I know the fire is spreading because I can smell the smoke, but it hasn’t reached us yet. We still only have minutes before it’s going to engulf us.
Liam and Theo are psychotic.
The side of my face is throbbing with pain, and my head aches. My eyes keep closing despite the threats and danger. If I pass out, I’m going to die. I know it, but I can’t seem to muster the strength to fight as I need to.
Mom screams as her eyes pop open. She realizes we’re both tied to chairs, smells the smoke, and blinks at Liam and Theo. “Why? I tried to help you both.”
“You’re a fucking liar,” Theo roars. “You set us up. It’s your testimony that sent the feds after Dad.”
What?
I knew Mom cut a deal, and that’s how we ended up in witness protection, but I didn’t think anything happened with the case because Mifflin died.
“All Dad’s assets were seized. We’re left with nothing!” Liam screams.
I don’t know how the neighbors aren’t hearing what’s happening or calling 9-1-1 because of the smoke. We’re not super close to the next house, but close enough for a fire to threaten everyone on the street. Fires like this can destroy neighborhoods fast.
Theo lunges toward my mom. I see the knife in his hand. It feels like slow motion as he lifts it and stabs her in the stomach.
I know I’m screaming, but I can’t seem to stop. Another punch silences me. I taste blood from where I just bit my tongue.
Fabric rips at my chest. It’s being cut with a knife.
I open my eyes, and the blurry image of Theo cutting my clothes is terrifying. He yanks on the material, tugging until I’ve got nothing on my upper body.
“Nice tits,” Liam observes. “At least she’s pretty.”
“Or she was,” Theo laughs. “Not now that she’s roughed up a little.” He reaches for the ropes and begins untying them.
I try to fight him off, but I can’t. That second punch really messed me up.
Where the hell is Gage? Why isn’t he helping Mom and me?
Theo tugs off the rest of my clothes until I’m naked. “I’m going to tie her hands behind the chair and her knees open. You can fuck her before we leave them both to die.”
Liam appears excited. I see him undo his belt before I’m spun around and tied to the chair again.
My ankles are lashed to the chair legs, while my hands are pulled through the slats on the back, and my wrists are bound on the other side.
I won’t be able to stop either one of them from doing whatever they want to me.
Terror seizes my brain.
I open my mouth to scream, but quickly close it. If I do, they’ll hurt me worse.
“What? Got nothing to say before my brother fucks you?” Theo taunts.
Someone shoves their hand between my legs.
“She’s wet,” Liam announces.
“Go ahead, but be quick.”
I try not to think about what’s going to happen. In my head, I retreat to the beach. I’m holding Gage’s hand. We’re laughing as the waves lap at our bare feet.
“Get the fuck away from her!”
I don’t feel pain anymore. Just the sand disappearing beneath my toes. It’s nice. Peaceful.
Gage smiles at me. Maybe this is heaven.