Chapter 48 Lincoln
Iknew Laynie was lying, but I had to figure out why. It ripped out my soul to treat her that way, but I was determined to catch Don in the lie I knew he had created with her. When I eased up on them in the parking garage, I overheard Laynie saying what I knew to be true. He had threatened her to say what she said.
I could tell something was off at the party. She was completely on edge and not herself. Don’s presence did that to her. Now that I was standing in front of him with my gun aimed at his nuts, it made it that much easier to pull the trigger. The sound echoed through the garage and made a siren go off. Laynie jumped and covered her ears. The bullet penetrated Don’s groin, and he screamed in agony. I watched the blood soak through his pants before firing one more shot into his stomach.
He cried out as Laynie and I made our way back into the elevator. I was going to have J.C. wipe the camera footage of the entire building that night, so I wasn’t worried about being seen.
She was crying, sobbing, actually. Her chest was vibrating through her gasps.
“It’s over. It’s all over, baby.” I held her against me and she clung to my shirt.
“I didn’t mean it. I didn’t want this.”
“I know Laynie. You don’t have to explain.”
“I thought you believed him,” she said, trying to collect herself.
“Of course not, but I couldn’t kill him in front of 20 witnesses, either.”
“J.C. let him in the room,” Laynie said without looking up.
“What?” My brain was still processing what she said.
“She tricked me. She made me open the door thinking it was her and she let him in.”
I clenched my fists. Why would J.C. do that? He had control over her, too. It was the only explanation.
When we walked back into the apartment, all the guests had left. I assumed J.C. had told them the party was over.
I saw J.C. rocking back and forth on the living room floor.
“What the fuck did you do?” I couldn’t contain my anger.
“I’m sorry, Linc. He made me,” J.C. said, jumping up off the floor. Her eye makeup smeared down her face, making her look like a raccoon.
“Why wouldn’t you tell me? I was right fucking here! Do you know how much you set her back with this shit?”
“I didn’t set her back! He’s been doing this. She hasn’t been honest with you.”
I turned back towards Laynie. Her eyes resembled those of a kid who had been caught red-handed. She was shaking her head, but she wasn’t speaking.
“How long?” I asked.
No one spoke and the silence cut through the room.
“How long?!” Both girls jumped at my voice.
Laynie turned and pressed the bottom on the elevator over and over.
“Think about what you’re doing right now, Alayna. I will not chase you.” I walked over and stood in front of her trembling body. “Have I ever given you a reason to be afraid of me?”
She shook her head.
“How long?”
“Since the hospital,” she said.
I slammed my fist into the wall near her head. That fucker! I turned back to J.C. “And you fucking knew?”
J.C. looked down. “He would have killed me.”
“J.C. it’s me. I have always protected you. What has he done to you?”
She shook her head and stared at the ground.
I must be doing something wrong if neither of the most important women in my life felt that I would protect them from this fucking monster.
“Somebody needs to start talking and tell me what’s been going on.” My rage was building, thinking about what they had kept from me.
The elevator opened, but no one moved and we watched it close after a few minutes, empty.
“He threatened me that if I told, he would send me to a warehouse in Europe and no one would ever find me. I couldn’t tell you.”
“I don’t give a fuck what he threatens, Alayna, I will protect you.”
“What happened when you left the hospital?” I moved closer to her, and she backed into the wall behind her.
She closed her eyes when she spoke. “He made me have sex with all of his friends.”
I grabbed a bottle on the counter near me and threw it across the room. It busted against the wall. “Fuck! Alayna, how could you keep this from me? J.C. where the fuck were you?”
J.C. cried. “I wasn’t there. I’m sorry Laynie. I am so sorry. I’m a coward.” She whispered the last sentence.
“Did he do the same to you?”
“No, never,” J.C. said.
I really didn’t have the energy for J.C. right now. All I could think about was Laynie being raped after she was dealing with her new diagnosis. I had sent J.C. to get her, and she fucking sent a monster. The thought of her being alone with him and his friends made my stomach hurt. That’s why she felt sore the first few days after my release. It all made sense now, and I was bubbling over with rage.
“I shot him J.C. I need you to wipe the cameras for the entire hotel for the last 24 hours.”
“Is he dead?” she asked.
“I hope so.”
J.C. walked past me and into the office. I knew she would have it wiped in less than 20 minutes.
I walked closer to Laynie and grabbed her face between my hands. “I’ll never stop until they’re all dead.”
She leaned her forehead into my chest. “I want to go to bed.”
I walked her to the bedroom and got her into her pajamas, and tucked her in.
“Are you coming to bed?” she asked.
“Not right now. I’ll be back, baby.”
“Be careful,” she said.
* * *
I left the girls’ home and took my rage out on the people that deserved it. I called Liam, and he met me outside Alek’s last known address.
On the drive over, I called Charlie.
“What’s wrong?” she answered.
“Why does something have to be wrong?” I asked.
She scoffed. “What do you want?”
“You back?”
“Got back yesterday. Why?”
“I need your help tonight,” I said. I knew Laynie couldn’t stomach this, but Charlie could, and she deserved to get her revenge.
“Who?”
“Alek.”
“Fuck yeah. I’m coming.”
I texted her the address and waited outside Alek’s place for both Liam and Charlie to arrive. I knew Charlie hadn’t told Laynie she was back yet. Their relationship had been tense, but I kept in contact with Charlie. She didn’t have anyone, and I wanted her to know that I’d be there for her if she needed me. Although she acted like she hated me, I knew she secretly enjoyed having someone care for her.
I couldn’t stop thinking about Laynie. How much she had endured the last few months and kept everything a secret from me. We had had little sex because I know that sex for her must be her choice and I want her to have that choice. It makes sense now that she was distant and sometimes sleeping in the guest bedroom a few nights a week. I should have known something was wrong when she ran out of Don’s house that night. I know Laynie thinks she is weak, but she is the strongest girl I know. Her ability to mask her pain and continue on like normal is insane. Maybe she had been talking to her therapist about this. I hadn’t checked her thighs lately for cutting, but I knew I needed to. Sometimes she fought me on it and those would be the times I saw the cuts.
Charlie walked up to my car and knocked on the window. I unlocked it and she climbed in. She looked tanner than before, but she still had black dyed hair and had added a few more facial piercings since I last saw her.
“Hey, Wednesday Adams,” I said.
She flicked me off, but then leaned over to hug me. I embraced her over the center console.
“You okay?” I pulled back to look at her.
“Not really,” she said, staring at her hands.
“How was Spain?” I asked.
“Beautiful.”
I nodded, but kept my eyes on her. “Are you seeing a therapist?”
“I don’t have time for that shit.”
“Charlie, make time for that. You have PTSD, whether or not you believe it. That shit doesn’t just go away. It festers in your brain until one day you explode.”
“Oh yeah, and what would you know about that?”
“More than you think,” I said. “Have you been talking to Laynie?”
“Not really. I actually lied and told her I’d be home next month because I needed more time alone.”
“She’s your best friend. Why are you avoiding her?”
Charlie fiddled with a button on her cargo pants. “She’s not the same person.”
“And you are?”
“I like to believe I am,” she said.
“How do you go through something like that and come out with the same person? How is she different?” I was curious to hear what Laynie was like before she was taken.
“I know I’m going to sound like a bitch.”
“Well, good news. I already know you are,” I teased.
“Fuck you,” she said, smirking at me. “I don’t know, Lincoln, she was never a bad ass, but she was funny, open-minded, ambitious. I just don’t see any of that anymore.”
“You haven’t even been around her enough. She is still funny, but it comes in waves. Is she not open-minded? She’s dating a fucking drug dealer. How close minded can she be? And ambitious? She’s waking up at 4 am to work in my coffee shop, even though she has access to my accounts and doesn’t need to work. Ever.” I paused for a moment, letting Charlie take in what I said. She was staring out her window. “I think the real problem is that you have found peace without her and reattaching yourself to her means worrying about someone again. You spent the last 5 years worrying about her and now you need a break.”
Charlie said nothing.
I continued, “Now, you know she has me, and the burden has been lifted. But she still needs you. She doesn’t tell me everything. I found out Don and his friends have been raping her and they threatened, if she told me, they would send her to a warehouse overseas.”
Charlie whipped her head around. “What?” I could see the fire burning in her eyes.
“Yeah, but I shot Don in my parking garage, but I don’t know if the fucker died or not. I guess we need to watch the news.”
“Why didn’t you shoot him between his eyes?” she snarled.
“Because I wanted him to suffer.”
“Good idea,” she said.
“You ready to do this?” I nodded towards the house.
“I was born ready.”
Liam was waiting in the car in front of us. He was on the lookout in case anyone else showed up, including the cops.
It was raining outside. We kept low and moved towards the house.
It was a small home, it almost looked abandoned, but if my sources were good, then he was inside.
Charlie picked the lock with her tool, and I held back my impulse to say, “Go go gadget, go.”
The house was empty except for a beige, dirty couch in the middle of the living room. There was no TV or other furniture. The floors were wood planks that creaked as we stepped on them. The back bedroom had the door closed, and a light shone from the bottom of the floor. I nodded to Charlie, and she moved towards the door.
I kicked it open with one kick and it fell off its hinges, falling forward onto the floor.
Alek sat sleeping on a mattress on the floor, alone. He woke up confused by the noise and reached for his gun that was on his pillow next to him. I kicked it away and smiled down at him.
He moved towards the wall, using his feet to kick himself back.
“Alek, long time no see. Have we got a treat for you?”
Alek noticed Charlie standing behind me. “Are you bringing back my merchandise?”
I looked back and saw Charlie was breathing hard, trying to pull herself together.
I leaned into her. “I will not let him hurt you.”
She nodded and shook off her fear.
I pulled Alek up by his shirt collar and drug him into the kitchen. There were no chairs to tie him to, so I kept my shoe on his neck while Charlie pulled out a pair of pliers.
“No, no, please. Please stop,” he begged. “I’ll let you go. I’ll make sure no one looks for you,” he said to Charlie.
She smirked and stepped on his wrist.
I moved a foot to his other wrist while my other foot pressed against his neck. My black boots were digging into his skin, cutting off his airway. After a few moments, I would release the pressure and watch him struggle for air.
“This is for Laynie,” Charlie said, attaching her pliers to one of his fingernails. She ripped it off with ease, and he screamed.
I pressed harder on his neck to keep his screams lower. I watched as she ripped every single finger nail off.
His bloody hands were flailing under our boots, and we laughed.
“What next?” I asked Charlie. As much as I wanted my revenge against him, he was Charlie’s kill.
Charlie pulled down his pants, and he kicked at her. I took two knives that were on the kitchen counter and pinned his hands down with them. The curdled cry left his throat. I moved to step on his ankles so Charlie could do whatever she wanted.
He was still for a moment waiting for Charlie to decide what to do. Eventually, Charlie pulled her gun out of her waistband and aimed at his privates.
“Please Charlie, I’m sorry. I’m sorry. Don made me do it.” His voice was like background music that no one paid attention to.
She fired once and he let out another scream. Blood puddled underneath him as he writhed under my hold.
She shot again and again and again. Eventually, he stopped screaming as life left his body.
Charlie was still standing there, aiming the gun at him.
I took her arm and removed the gun from her hand. “Let’s go.”
She stood, like she was in a trance. I patted her cheeks, trying to get her to come out of it. Eventually she did, and we left Alek naked in the kitchen, in a puddle of his own blood.