24. Lilith Reborn
Olivia lowered her arm and began to walk confidently towards the group, seemingly uncaring that four weapons were trained on her.
Ignoring Carmichael’s gray gaze on her, she locked eyes with Allison, narrowing her eyes at the little girl’s state, and her fear. She softened her gaze and took another step towards them, seeing three men turn their rifles to her family behind her.
However, one stayed on her and another on Allison. She refused to raise her hands, not showing any weakness at all. They didn’t deserve to see it.
Allison’s trembling became worse as she whimpered, slipping on her tiptoes as Carmichael hauled her up slightly higher by her hair. Her little fingers were clawed around the bunny.
“Mommy I’m scared, but Uncle Colin’s daddy is here with me,” she said in a little trembling voice.
Olivia fought back a wave of nausea, not knowing if that was a comforting thing or a bad omen. They couldn’t quite figure out this new found gift of hers yet.
“Hi, baby. I’m so sorry that one of the bad guys got you, but I’m here now. And we’re going to slay this dragon together, okay?” she said with a wink. She saw Allison’s trembling start to slow as she held her bunny to her mouth, seemingly unable to speak any longer.
Olivia took a few more steps toward Carmichael and narrowed her eyes even more. The headlights from the cars illuminated over all of them brightly and her hair flickered around her face in the wind.
Colin felt his chest tighten and moved to go to her. He audibly growled as Jonathan reached a hand out and stilled him with a vicious look. The other henchman momentarily trained his rifle onto Colin’s chest and a muscle ticked in his jaw as his muscles locked up, fighting every instinct, wanting to go to Olivia, who was speaking.
“Let my baby go, Carmichael,” she hissed. The air was thick with tension as her entire demeanor changed in front of everyone. Her features became sharp and tight as she regarded the stoic, regally held man in front of her. Her green eyes looked vicious and confident. No sign of the submissive inside of her was presently visible to other people.
Carmichael’s eyes flashed at her as he tightened his hand on Allison’s hair. The henchman’s gun stayed trained on Allison, unwavering.
“Allison, close your ears now baby. Don’t take your fingers out for anything, love,” she crooned softly. She waited until the little girl put shaky hands up to her ears and plugged her ears hard.
Colin chanced a quick look at the four henchmen that were bracketing him, Jonathan, and Vanessa. Two on the left of Colin and Jonathan, and two on the right, near Vanessa. Vanessa clung to Jonathan’s arm hard, barely holding back whimpers. Her eyes kept flitting from Olivia to Allison. That red dot from the fifth henchman stayed trained steady on Allison’s forehead now.
There was complete silence as everyone held their breath in anticipation. The car headlights glowed brightly, highlighting the gnats in the woodsy humid air which buzzed within the lights that were also illuminating Olivia, Allison, and Carmicheal.
Carmichael took a tiny step backwards, his grip on Allison’s hair yanking her with him.
“Carmichael,” she said sharply, the man narrowing his eyes on her. “I hope you realize, if you hurt her, no one is making it out of here alive. I will kill you first. This entire operation is going to end in a blood bath. So I want you to think very, very hard about what your next moves will be. And what you truly want.”
Carmichael curled his lip as she stepped further towards him. Colin’s chest tightened; his blood boiled.
“You don’t get to make demands! This goes how I want it,” Carmichael spit out and Allison cried as he gripped her hair tighter. The little girl had snot running down her nose and was visibly shivering. Little whimpers escaped her lips as she stared at Olivia in fear.
Olivia narrowed her eyes before flicking them to Carmichael once more. Her nostrils flared as her lip curled.
“You should have thought about who gets to make commands when you kidnapped my daughter then. Shouldn’t you have, Carmichael?” Olivia said, her voice sickly sweet.
Carmichael’s eyes widened before narrowing, his face flushed red as his eyes glanced from Olivia to Vanessa and then back again. “Your daughter? I thought this was your niece?” the man said, disbelief in his eyes. His gaze flitted now from the little girl to Vanessa.
“Then that’s what your dumbass gets for thinking. Do you know what happens when you fuck with a mother”s child? Do you want to find out, Carmichael? I’m horribly offended right now, and I mean I am greatly displeased. The only reason why I know you is because of her. I had to enter Esmeralda’s ring to take care of her. You’ve majorly fucked up,” she whispered, taking a step forward. Her head cocked as she spoke, and Colin noticed she sounded completely different.
“Wel-Well. I didn’t know. I’m sorry Kat,” Carmichael said. His face was red in the light, sweat dotted his forehead.
“Olivia,” Colin growled at her, his whole body tensing as he took a step towards her. She put her hand out to still him. He gritted his teeth hard as the henchman shoved the gun into his chest.
“Watch yourself, before you get a bullet in your chest,” the henchman said threateningly.
Colin took a deep breath and willed himself to calm down. He turned his head back to Olivia as she continued to speak, addressing Carmicheal.
“I will go with you willingly, but only if you will let them all go, unharmed, and alive. Including Colin,” she said softly, her voice turned deadly. She sounded different, confident, in charge.
Carmichael’s eyebrow raised. “And what are you going to give me in exchange?” he said haughtily, stepping back minutely with Allison, his grip on her hair unrelenting. That red dot stayed steady on Allison”s forehead.
Colin’s own forehead broke out in a sweat and his hands clenched.
“Oh no, Carmichael. If I go with you, it’s going to be all about what you give me, isn’t it?” Olivia said, her voice sweet as a siren as she steadily walked another step towards Carmichael and Allison, and a step further from Colin.
Colin’s lungs burned as Carmichael nodded.
“Yes Kat,” he said, his voice changing, becoming deeper, sexual.
Colin snarled.
“Good boy,” she crooned at Carmichael, running her hand sensually down her hair and her chest. She took another cautious step forward, her steps light and easy. Her hand paused at her belly. “Matter of fact, I think you can give me something now,” she purred. Looking through her lashes at the older man.
“Tell me,” he said, stepping forward towards her with Allison. Eager.
“I’m going to come with you, and you’re going to make sure my baby gets out of here before we leave. And if you let everyone go, I’ll do that thing you like, that you always begged me for. Ohhhh, how I miss you begging,” she trailed off with a sensual whisper.
“The thi-thing I-I-I-wanted?” Carmichael stuttered, his hands loosening on Allison”s hair.
“Yes, you know what I’m referring to. And to sweeten the deal, I’ll even give you a taste of what you want before we even leave here, if you let them watch me do it to you. All I want is to be able to say goodbye to my husband after he watches me give you what you’ve been wanting from me this whole time,” she said softly, her voice turning sexual, her breathing audibly hitched.
Carmichael shook his head.
“Yesss,” she hissed, her hands coming up to play with her hair. She preened for him, coming closer until the dot trained on her back instead of Allison’s head. Colin visibly shook.
“Let her go, baby,” she whispered, swaying her hips as she stepped even closer, she reached out her hand to caress it down Carmichael’s shoulder and arm until her hand wrapped around his, plucking it off Allisons head and pulling the little girl to her with her other arm. In one swift move, she turned them, placing her back against Carmichael and pushing Allison towards Vanessa.
Allison ran, her little legs pumping hard as she ran sobbing, barreling into Vanessa.
“Zero get her to the car now, and drive,” Olivia called to her security agent. Raising her hand gently, placing it on Carmichael’s cheek. He’d buried his nose into her hair and closed his eyes breathing deeply.
Zero barreled forward, all of Carmichael’s men’s guns trained on him as he took the screaming little girl and ran to one of the cars not even bothering to put Allison in her own seat. He held her close to his chest and sped off, dust kicking up behind them.
Colin’s chest relaxed minutely, glad that if anyone got out of this alive tonight, that it was that little girl.
“Carmichael. If I even get a whiff that you hurt her, I’ll fuck you up so bad you will wish you would have killed me,” Olivia said quietly, starting to rock slightly.
Carmichael’s arm came around her torso to hold her tighter to him.
Two red lights trained on her now, Colin glanced around, looking for the other three.
Looking down, he saw one on his chest, and another two on Jonathan and Vanessa. The henchman closest to his side had turned his gun as well as his gaze to him.
Fuck, we”re in serious trouble.
“I just wanted you, baby. I wouldn’t have hurt her. I knew you’d come,” Carmichael said, his hand pressing into her stomach pressing her harder into him.
Colin’s heartbeat went into overdrive as he tensed, every muscle standing in sharp relief.
“Don’t,” Jonathan said quietly. “Colin, let her do her thing,” he breathed the words across the foot of space between them.
Colin watched as Olivia nodded, turning her head to look up at the older man. “Are you ready for them all to watch Carmichael?”
“Call me Daniel.”
Colin felt nauseated.
“Ok, Daniel. Are you ready?” she said, hearing the car with Allison fading away into the night.
“Yes, God. Yes.”
“Good boy,” she whispered, her eyes on Carmichael’s. She turned fast as shit and before anyone saw it, they heard a sharp crack echo around the clearing. The man’s head whipped violently to the side as she slapped her hand as hard as she could across his face.
“That’s for my daughter,” she snarled.
Vanessa let out a shocked gasp. Colin’s eyes widened.
The henchman who had his gun trained on Colin glanced up in surprise and over at Olivia and Carmichael, but still kept his gun trained on his chest.
Carmichael turned back to her, caressing his jaw lovingly. He was looking at her with a sick adoration. The wind blew slightly, ruffling her red hair like a flickering flame around her body.
“This is how this is going to go. I’m going to punish you for daring to hurt my baby. You scared her, Daniel. And as a mother, tell me how I’m supposed to accept that lying down?” Olivia said, her hands lifting to his belt and unbuckling it, the sound loud around the space. Everyone was so quiet, no one dared move. Carmichael’s men shifted uncomfortably as she whipped the belt out of his pants so fast it made a cracking sound.
“I-I don’t know. I don’t expect you to,” Carmichael sniveled, and as Olivia looked up at him, her eyes narrowed.
“On your knees!” she barked so loud that Vanessa flinched in shock next to him and Jonathan. Jonathan inched slightly closer to Colin, their shoulders almost touching.
They all watched in disbelief as the man obediently sank to the ground in front of her.
Olivia moved, walking around him slowly. She went behind him and kicked his legs further apart, making his stance wider and Carmichael made a sick sound that turned Colin’s stomach. She finished her circle, coming to his left side and squatting down next to him.
Carmichael went to turn his head to find her.
“No no,” Olivia said sharply, with a small laugh. She tilted her head. “You know how this goes; you don’t get to look at me when I hurt you,” she said, her teeth baring as her tongue came out to lick her lips. She snapped her head forward, sinking her teeth into his earlobe and growling.
Carmichael cried out, trying to reach for his ear but Olivia slapped a hand forward, stilling him. Colin scrunched his nose, feeling his blood pressure rise impossibly high.
“What are you fucking crying for, you piece of shit? This is what you wanted, isn’t it?” she sneered at him, wiping blood off her mouth.
Colin regarded Olivia quietly, seeing that she’d lost it. She didn’t even look like herself.
If we get out of this, she’s going to have tetanus shots, a blood transfusion, blood tests, and anything else medical that I can think of to make her go through,Colin thought.
The sight of that man’s blood on her mouth, in her mouth, made him think about just going ahead and ending this whole thing in a bloodbath. In this moment he hated that he’d spent so many years with horrible anxiety and suicidal ideations. It made him too comfortable accepting the end, however it needed to end.
There were a tense few seconds as she crouched there next to him, regarding him from the side. She inched closer. The dots all relocated to the ground now, as the henchmen were now invested in watching the drama between their boss and Olivia play out.
“Are you going to rape me, Daniel?” Olivia said in an excited tone, her eyes wild. She licked her lips, as if she liked the thought.
The man nodded, trying to look out the side of his eye to watch her. Olivia smiled, standing up and then walking in front of him. She stood silent for a second before she looped the belt and then slapped Carmicheal aside the face with it. The crack echoing much like when she used her hand. One of the henchman’s guns went off as he squeezed the trigger in shock. The bullet dug into the ground.
One less bullet to worry about going into one of them.
Jonathan’s hand came up to cover his mouth, grimacing slightly. Colin heard Vanessa fall behind them to the dewy grass with a gasp, but he couldn’t move, couldn’t look away from his wife.
Carmichael roared out in anger.
“I said you can’t look at me. Did you think I was playing with you or something?” Olivia hissed, squatting down again. She took his jaw in her hands, her fingers clawed, digging into his skin. She pulled him slowly to her, shuffling, backing up two steps, making him crawl on his knees towards her. She sighed.
“Bad boooyyyy,” she said, like she was disappointed. “I was hoping you could show my family how well I’d trained you,” she huffed, closing her eyes. She slapped the belt rather absentmindedly against her hand and then opened her eyes back up before tsking. “I mean, aren’t I worth all this you went through to get me?” she said, placing a hand against her breath and sniffing. A tear rolled down her face and she shoved her face slightly into his and lowered her voice, as if she only wanted Carmichael to hear her. “Why are you embarrassing me, huh?”
Colin’s jaw dropped. Vanessa was moaning and dry heaving in the background.
Carmichael’s eyes widened as he gasped. A horrified expression passed over his features. Colin could see a vicious welt raised across his cheek and temple.
He felt joy, pure and unadulterated.
“Yes! Yes you are, I love you, Kat. I would never embarrass you,” Carmichael implored, shuffling forward slightly, his eyes wary, almost hurt.
Olivia nodded, wiping her tear away. She leaned forward and pressed her forehead into his.“Then why can’t you behave like I taught you? I mean, we spent four years together. Was it all for nothing?” she whimpered, rocking a little, like she was in distress.
Carmichael’s henchmen were now watching in earnest, rapt, with their guns still lowered.
Colin looked over at Jonathan, who had something akin to pride in his eyes watching the whole thing. For some reason, Jonathan’s look calmed him and he took a brief reprieve in the feeling.
“Wow, she’s good,” Jonathan said under his breath. Giving his head a little shake. Colin looked back at Olivia. She was stroking the man’s chest. Murmuring.
She stood up from her crouch looking down at Carmichael.
“You have to know, that every time you rape me, the beating you ask for afterwards is going to make you question your entire existence. The more you rape me, the worse it will get. Until there will be nothing of either one of us left. I bite, Daniel. That will never change. I don’t give pleasure, I give pain. You already know this,” Olivia said softly. “Pull your shirt up. Let’s finish this so we can go.” She stepped back, crossing her arms as the man hurriedly complied.
She made a disgusted noise. “Fucking embarrassment. Hold your screams in.You sicken me and I don’t want to hear you. I only want to hear this belt, do you understand?” she hissed at him; the man nodded.
Closing his eyes, it was clear he was mentally getting ready for her. Olivia took the opportunity to turn to look behind her, locking eyes with Colin momentarily. The look she exchanged with him was one of pure love before her eyes hardened, almost turning black.
Olivia walked around Carmichael, before standing behind him and giving her arms a little shake. She snapped the belt a few times, warming up, making the tension grow. She spread her feet about two feet apart and with a little huff, she pulled her arm back and let loose, the belt slapping harshly against his back. Carmichael tensed, his face going tight as he clenched his jaw so hard Colin heard his teeth grind. She pulled back her arm again, striking him repeatedly. The slaps echoing sickeningly throughout the small clearing they were in. Colin shook his head in a slight motion, disbelieving what he was seeing.
Slap after slap echoed out, and nary a sound escaped from Carmichael”s lips as he knelt there, enduring what was the worst beating Olivia had ever given anyone in four years of her servicing Esmerelda”s ring.
The henchman’s jaws dropped watching her whip their boss. Colin had to admit, it was incredibly confusing even to him how the tables turned.
Colin watched stony faced as Olivia let out a little grunt with every whip of the belt. Carmichael let out a little whimper on a particularly vicious downstroke and she stopped mid swing. Standing there and breathing hard.
“What did I say?” she asked incredulously, almost with a laugh.
Carmichael’s eyes widened, and he started sniveling.
“Wait, no. I didn’t Kat! I didn’t!” he said, his deep voice a few octaves higher. Colin grimaced as he saw his pants were tented. The man was getting off on this. He almost swallowed his tongue.
Motherfucker.
She walked around to face him, standing slightly to the same side the two henchmen were next to him, watching enraptured. Olivia looked at Carmichael with a stunned expression on her face.
“Yes you did. Yes you did!” Olivia said with a laugh. “Soooo, now you’re an embarrassment and a liar? Daniel, what happened to you while I was gone sweetheart? What the hell? I’m so confused. You got us all out here in the fucking woods, in the fucking DARK!” she gasped, sounding annoyed. “Trying to make me prove to everyone how good and worthy I am, and you can’t even fucking do what I asked you to do?” she bent to stare in his eyes for a second before she looked away scoffing, placing her hand on her head pensively.
In turmoil, she stared off at the trees in the distance before suddenly nodding to herself and dropping the belt. It hit with a thud and clank as it hit a spot of dirt where grass refused to grow. Her arm lowered and she turned her wild eyes to Carmichael once more.
“You know what, have him kill me!” she snarled into his face. “Apparently, I’m not worth it after all,” she said, turning and pointing to one of the henchmen.
Carmichael just kneeled there, his eyes flickering from Olivia’s to his men then back again. He shook his head minutely, disagreeing.
When no one moved, she walked up to the nearest man next to Colin, who was standing there shocked, giving her the opportunity to grab his gun and place the end of the barrel to her forehead.
Oh fuck no. No!Colin felt his heart stop. He let out a pained groan. Jonathan’s hand wrapped around his forearm and clenched down.
“Nooo!” Carmichael screamed, shuffling forward. “Derrick, don’t you fucking dare,” he roared. “She’s MINE!”
“I’m not good enough,” Olivia cried, closing her eyes, pressing the barrel of the gun harder into her head. “Pull the trigger Derrick!” she screamed at the henchman. Everyone jumped at her wild, unexpected shriek.
Oh my God, I could kill her myself. Matter of fact, I am. As soon as I get out of this, I”m burying her in the backyard so she can”t go crazy ever again.Colin felt his heart suddenly racing at a breakneck speed, watching Olivia hold the man”s gun to her head as if she was fearless.
“NO!” Carmichael yelled, clamoring awkwardly to his feet.
“I SAID PULL THE FUCKING TRIGGER!” she screeched, spit flying out of her mouth as she stared at the blue-eyed henchman in his eyes down the barrel of his gun. “Pull it,” she whispered, both of her hands now wrapped around the barrel of the gun and taking a step forward, making her and the henchman move back about four feet behind Colin, Vanessa, and Jonathan.
“Pull it, pull it, pull it, pull it,” she began chanting, a little growl emitting from her throat. The henchman’s blue eyes widened, looking truly afraid, and his finger twitched on the trigger in the light of the car’s headlights. Their silhouettes stood in sharp relief of the lights, the only color visible was Olivia’s fiery red hair.
And in that brief moment, he saw what everyone else saw. Lilith. Chaotic, demonic, man eater Lilith. He shivered.
Fuck she was beautiful… otherworldly.
“Don’t you fucking DARE,” Carmichael screamed, pulling a gun out of nowhere and shooting Derrick in the head, missing Olivia by a fraction.
Colin watched in slow motion as blood sprayed everywhere, and the man hit the ground, his gun falling to the side unnoticed in the chaos erupting around them.
The three other henchmen slightly shuffled away with confused looks on their faces as they stared at their fellow comrade on the ground, a part of his face gone and blood pooling onto the ground under him.
Colin felt Jonathan wrap his arms around him and squeeze so hard that he felt a rib crack. He heard roaring echoing around the clearing, realizing it was coming from him. Jonathan yanked him back a few feet.
“Calm the fuck down. Look at what she’s doing stupid!” Jonathan growled in his ear. “Look at the power she has over this man. Chill the fuck out. Or you’re going to get us killed,” Jonathan hissed.
Colin panted, shaking in Jonathan’s hold, eyes straining to stay on Olivia.
Covered in blood, Olivia twisted around as if a man didn’t just get shot in front of her and looked at Carmichael, who was panting for air himself, looking half out of his mind.
“You naughty boy. Would you like me to help you stop making noise? I can do that thing you like now,” she said quietly, walking to him. Not even minding the gun in his hand. Carmichael sniveled; his eyes wide as he stared up at her in awe.
“Yes. Yes, please,” he whispered roughly. “I’d like that very much.”
”Okay Daniel, I have a question for you,” Olivia asked softly, reaching forward to caress his cheek, she let him maintain eye contact with her for several seconds before she bent at the waist and put her lips dangerously close to his.
”Anything Kat, ask me!” Daniel sniveled, trying to lean down closer to close the gap between their mouths. Olivia turned slightly, and placed her eyes on Colin’s.
”Would you shoot him if I asked you to?” she whispered, turning to look back at Carmichael.
He nodded, and his arm raised. Carmichael tilted his head as his eyes found Colin’s.
Colin kept very still.
”No, no... I just wanted to see if you would do it. I don”t want you to kill any of them,” she said, whipping out her arm. She slapped it over his forearm, making his gun lower back down, and with the action, another bang rendered the air as another bullet wasted into the ground next to them. Olivia smiled almost tenderly at the man. “Put the gun in the back of your pants baby, and get back on your knees,” she said, her voice coming out soft, almost the same voice she used to talk to Allison or baby Ian.
Carmichael hurried to comply.
“Oh, can Colin put some music on real quick? I want to play his favorite song while I do this to you. I think it’d be such a sweet ending don’t you think? Then, every time he hears it, he’ll think of you. And me together. That way he’ll never forget me,” she said, bending down to press her lips softly to the side of his mouth. Colin felt bile rise in his throat. “He needs his phone,” she called out to the other henchman.
“Give it to him,” Carmichael bit out, almost angrily.
The henchman dug into his pocket before pulling out his phone and tossing it to him. Colin stared incredulously at her, his eyes narrowing. He was seething on the inside.
“Oh and don’t even think about calling the police, Colin. This is going to be too good to interrupt,” she said in a sultry voice as she looked down at Carmichael, licking her lips.
Colin growled as Jonathan gave him a little shove.
He reluctantly walked to the car, one of the henchman’s guns trained on him as he opened his car door and took his phone, putting it into the docking station and turning the volume on high. The music blasted through the trees. He hit the button that signaled help through the car’s software, also activating the signal that indicated the need for help but with an SOS for help to be silent. He prayed quietly that his decision didn’t just sign all their death certificates.
Breathing a small sigh of relief that no one came over the speaker, he saw the dash light up, letting him know that the message was sent. He didn’t know at this point if help would make it in time.
Colin walked back to where he was and groaned as he saw Olivia beginning to dance, her eyes on Carmicheal. She gave her hips a little wiggle before moving her body in such a sexual way that as much as he hated to admit it, he got hard. Even in this very fucked up situation where they might die, he still wanted her. His jaw dropped as she suddenly got on her hands and knees and crawled seductively towards Carmicheal, the belt dragging next to her in her hands.
She sat back on her knees and dragged her hand slowly up the man’s stomach, up to his throat before squeezing lightly, almost like she was giving him a massage. Her breaths came out ragged, like she was enjoying it. Her nails dug in and she suddenly squeezed hard, making him whimper and tense up.
“Don’t worry Daniel, I’m going to make it so, so much better. You just let me know when you’re ready,” she moaned. The sexual sound scared them all as it was so unexpected. Carmichael groaned as she kept going, making breathless, moaning noises.
Colin’s eyes narrowed as he saw the man suddenly twitch, a wet spot spreading on the front of his pants.
“Oh my God, this is sick. This is so fucked up,” Vanessa whispered from her spot on the ground. She was leaning against Jonathan’s leg, wrapped around him, trembling.
“Patience,” Jonathan whispered back. So low Colin wondered if he even heard him right over the music.
Olivia looked down at Carmichael’s pants and tsked.
“Oh noo. What have you done? Daniel, I didn’t say you could come,” Olivia whispered. “You took the good part away from me,” she slapped him across the face once more with one hand, then followed up with a slap with the other hand, the element of surprise catching him off guard. “Oh well, you ready? I’m only going to do this once,” she said, a little hurt look on her face.
“No, no! More than once, Kat. Please?” the man whined.
Whined. A grown man sniveling and whining like a bitch,Colin fought hard against dry heaving like Vanessa was. It was truly disgusting to watch.
She shook her head. “I said once,” she hissed.
“But please. Please,” he whined, sounding like a child.
Olivia paused, everything was silent for several seconds as she tilted her head slowly, tapping her fingers against her arm. “Ok,” she said. “since you begged so nicely. JONATHAN!” she suddenly barked.
Jonathan raised his eyebrows, turning his eyes onto hers.
“I need Colin to turn around and look the other way. Make sure he doesn’t see this part. There are just some things a girl’s gotta keep to herself you know?” she said this last part rather quietly, and Colin’s stomach turned.
Olivia began unbuttoning her pants. The henchman watched, riveted with their guns lowered once more. Colin’s vision went red. Jonathan turned him quickly, putting his back to the scene and getting into his face. Jonathan wrapped a hand around his throat warningly.
“She’s doing this to be a distraction. We are going to die if we don’t find a way out of this,” he whispered very low so as to not be overheard.
Colin started shaking as he heard Olivia pull her pants off, the shuffling noise barely able to be heard over the music. He saw Vanessa stand and take four steps backwards, her eyes wide, hand over her mouth.
“Lay down on your back and open your mouth, you filthy, disgusting, sick son of a bitch,” Colin heard Olivia hiss from behind him.
“She’s buying us some time. Look at me. Look at me, brother,” Jonathan whispered.
Vanessa suddenly turned pale, then gray. Both of the henchmen made a startled sound, backing up in surprise themselves, they were spread out in a crescent moon shape, flanking Olivia and Carmichael.
Colin’s ears strained. He could hear a trickling noise, then rough gurgling as if the man were choking on liquid.
Vanessa’s eyes rolled into the back of her head and she fainted, hitting the ground with a sick thud. But Jonathan kept his eyes on him. The man continued to gurgle and Colin swore he was going to die of a heart attack just like his mom. This night had taken several years off his life. But Jonathan was still talking, and Colin needed to pay attention.
“Swallow it,” Olivia hissed suddenly.”Stop being disgusting, you”re spilling it, fuck.”
Colin blinked, not sure he could vomit past Jonathan’s grip on his neck, but they were all about to find out if this shit didn’t stop soon.
“I’m going to let you go in a minute, and I’m going to get the gun from the dead man next to us,” Jonathan said, peeking over Colin’s shoulder before turning his eyes back to Colin. “Then I’m going to give it to you. But we need to wait for her signal. She has one, I just haven’t seen it yet,” Carmichael let out a deep groan before chuckling. The sound moving through him like someone was shoving razor blades in Colin’s ears.
Colin nodded minutely, not bothering to tell Jonathan that he wasn’t waiting for a signal. After what he just heard, he figured he’d be happy for them all to die tonight.
Jonathan looked back behind his shoulder and Colin heard the unmistakable sound of her pulling her pants back on. He turned his head to look at the henchman, they were not even looking or caring about them at this point. Jonathan nodded at him and let him go, and he turned, his eyes flicking all over Olivia and the surrounding area. He stiffened, seeing the ground was wet beneath where Daniel was now raising himself up from. He looked dazed.
Holy fuck. No. She didn”t. No way, there has to be some other explanation.Colin thought.
Olivia sniffed as she backed away a few steps, waiting for him to get back into position for her. She didn’t raise her eyes to Colins.
Moving behind Carmichael, she placed her feet on either side of the man’s legs in a wide stance. Slowly, almost erotically, she wrapped the belt around his neck, slipping the end through the buckle and pulling. She held the belt with one hand and fisted her hand in his silver hair, pulling his neck all the way back to look at her.
“Are you ready, dear?” she asked with a little giggle. “It’s going to hurt.”
Colin suddenly realized that Jonathan had disappeared, unnoticed. He’d slipped away quietly while everyone was distracted. Colin didn’t move, not wanting to call attention to their area lest the three other henchmen notice he left. He waited for a second before he felt Jonathan’s presence come back, slightly behind him and pressing the dead man’s rifle into his hand. He grasped it, his fingers feeling alongside it as he held it behind his back. Learning without sight the gun’s mechanism, he prayed the other henchmen didn’t realize anything suspicious was going on while their attention was diverted.
Colin moved fast, crouching down and swiveling, aiming at the henchman next to him and shooting him between his eyes. The man groaned, hitting the floor. Dead.
With a loud cry, Olivia slammed her foot into Carmichaels back, pushing him forward and tugging on the belt with a growl, choking the man hard. She’d bent down, with a harsh grunt, shocking everyone. Standing back up with the gun Carmichael had in the back of his pants, she pressed it to the back of his head.
Vanessa was sitting up, startled by the sudden commotion.
Colin swiveled fast, taking out the third henchman in a millisecond before he could pull the trigger. Hearing the thud of his body, he turned swiftly to train his weapon on the fourth man who he saw Jonathan was currently active with, with no weapon. He turned back to Olivia who was currently grappling on the ground with Carmichael, the gun she’d had was nowhere to be found.
The hair on the back of his neck stood up as he saw Jonathan fake a grab and then leap for the henchman.
Jonathan lunged at the henchman as his gun went off and he fell to his knees with a grunt, hand across his chest. The henchman turned with his gun, the red dot racing across the ground towards Olivia.
Colin’s heart swelled with pain, the panic almost choking him. He took aim at the henchman aiming for Olivia and shot him down fast. Then it was just them and Carmichael, who was straddling Olivia and had his hands around her throat. She was yanking on the belt hard, trying to find purchase.
As enraged as he was, Colin calmly stood up and walked to the man, who was so intent on hurting Olivia that he didn’t notice him at first. Colin came up to his side and put the barrel of the gun to his head, stilling the former judge’s actions. He heard Olivia wheeze for air.
“Look at me,” Colin said sharply, smiling evilly as the man turned. The second Carmichael’s eyes met his and widened, he pulled the trigger and heard a slight click, quickly realizing there were no more bullets. Carmichael laughed.
Unfazed, Colin turned the rifle quickly and knocked him hard across the face with it, hearing a crunch and a sickening scream come from the man. He fell to the side and Colin bent forward, grabbing the man”s hair with a harsh grunt and dragging him several feet away from Olivia, who was scrambling trying to get up.
She ran towards Jonathan and her sister.
Colin dropped the weapon and pulled his fist back before snapping forward and sinking his fist into the man’s stunned face with a sharp crack, feeling bones crunch. He repeated the motion again and again, uncaring of the man’s screaming. He didn’t stop until he quieted, and he let him go, watching the man slump to the ground. He was moaning, twitching.
Colin stood up to go to one of the other henchmen to grab their gun but then there was a deadly silence.
He heard the music suddenly stop; the song turning off. No other sound except for Vanessa’s crying and Olivia’s wheezing. He turned once more, scanning the area quickly for help, hearing sirens way off in the distance. Too far.
“Colin!” Olivia suddenly screamed as Jonathan moaned, tipping to the side. Vanessa caught him, holding him upright.
Colin ran over to Jonathan in a hurry, seeing that Vanessa had taken her shirt off and was pressing it against the wound at his chest.
Jonathan looked at Vanessa, smiling, placing a bloody hand on her cheek. “I love you,” Jonathan said to Vanessa weakly.
“Olivia, get the phone,” Colin said sharply, seeing his friend’s face pinch, his eyes shutting.
Olivia tore off in the direction of the car and a second later, he could hear her yelling. Colin turned his head slightly, hearing Carmichael groaning in the distance.
Colin pulled Vanessa out of the way before hauling his fist back and punching Jonathan square in the face. Jonathan’s eyes fluttered open, looking angry. He inhaled on a deep ragged breath, shuddering.
“Motherfucker, you are not allowed to die. Not today, pussy,” Colin snarled, putting himself under Jonathan’s good side and hauling him up. He got the big man to the SUV on adrenaline and the grace of God.
“Get in,” he yelled at Vanessa, who launched herself into the hatchback, unable to crawl into the backseat with the way Jonathan was laying across it. Olivia crawled into the passenger seat, shaking as she tried to tell the police where to find them. Colin slammed his hand into a few buttons on the car’s computer system and a weird sounding noise filled the car, disconnecting the current call with the police.
“Your location has been sent to all local police stations, and the nearest cop has been alerted to your area. Do you need medical assistance?” A disembodied woman came over the phone.
Olivia gaped at him as Colin said, “Yes,”
He roared the engine before backing up several feet, turning the car harshly.
Olivia’s eyes widened as he trained the headlights on Carmichael’s barely moving form. He had lifted his head off the ground, his face looked unrecognizable. The engine roared again as Colin stomped on the gas and they shot forward, the tires kicking up dirt and squealing beneath them. They shot forward and Olivia braced herself. Colin hit the man straight on and the car bounced as it went over him, going airborne slightly.
Colin put the car into reverse before turning, placing his arm on the back of Olivia’s headrest and looking behind him as he stomped the pedal again, sending them flying backwards over the man again. Olivia held a shaking hand to her mouth and leaned backwards, shuddering. He glanced at her, meeting her eye before putting the car back into drive and sitting there for a second, panting. He revved the engine a few times before stomping down and the car bounced hard as he ran Carmichael over for the third time.
He looked in the rearview mirror, catching Vanessa’s eye and her mouthed ‘thank you’ to him. He nodded tightly.
He spun the car quickly, tearing off into the night, the engine roaring, the dirt road kicking up behind them. As he looked at Olivia sharply, his features hardened.
“Baby, did you do what I think you did to that man back there?” he said quietly, not even able to say the Judge’s name. Filled with rage, he revved the engine harder, pushing it as hard as he could.
Colin just needed to know.
He knew they lost precious seconds while he filled his need to run over the sick fucker repeatedly. One time for Olivia, one time for Jonathan, and one time for Allison.
Olivia looked at him with a haunted look on her face.
“Yes,” she said on a tortured moan, her voice sounding very far away.
“So, we need to have a conversation about whether or not we need to fix that memory for you. If you catch my drift.”
Olivia’s face turned the reddest he’d ever seen it. He would have told her he was joking, if he was. He’d do anything to reroute her memories and take away her trauma.
Vanessa suddenly laughed in the backseat.
“You know bro, EMDR is so much more effective than that you sick freak,” Jonathan said weakly from the backseat, his voice also sounding very far away but for a different reason.
“Oh my Gooooddd, you are one sick fucking man Colin,” Vanessa said.
Colin grinned suddenly feeling very elated. He knew they were going to all be ok. He just knew it deep down.
“Jonathan’s passed out,” Olivia said suddenly, turning to reach into the backseat.
He pressed the pedal harder, thanking God for sports cars.
They heard multiple sirens after a few minutes. Once they turned onto a blacktop road, they faced an onslaught of lights. There were several cop cars, an ambulance, a firetruck, and several black SUVs.
Colin screeched the car to a stop and got out, yanking the back door open and pulling Jonathan’s limp body out of the car quickly. He placed him gently on the ground, careful not to crack his head onto the asphalt.
“He’s been shot in the chest, unresponsive,” he yelled to the cops that came running. Vincent and their team followed close behind. “Vanessa, you need to go with Jonathan to the hospital. I’ll show the authorities the crime scene.” He turned to Olivia, who looked shocked. She turned towards Jonathan as the paramedics started swarming.
“I couldn’t do it. I’m so sorry, I had the gun in my hand and couldn’t do it. Jonathan wouldn’t be hurt if I had just shot him. Oh Jonathan, I’m so sorry. I’ve never killed anyone before! I’m so sorry,” she cried, fat tears falling down her face. She stumbled over to him and sank to her knees next to the injured man who was fighting to stay conscious.
Colin pulled her out of the way, hauling her up to his chest again.
“Baby,” he whispered, placing his forehead against hers. “You did so good. You did so good, mami. My beautiful fucking smart wife. You saved our lives.” He pressed his lips against hers, kissing her again and again, his hands cradling her face, feeling her tremble and whimper. She gripped his shirt hard, trembling. He continued to speak, keeping his eyes on hers.
“Honey, I need you to keep it together now. You have to go to Allison. She needs you,” he whispered, kissing her forehead. “I’ll be right back, ok?” he said as he nodded at Vincent, who pulled Olivia to him, quickly ushering her away to the authorities and his team. Colin watched as they carefully maneuvered her to safety before he turned and nodded at the police officer who was trying to get his attention.
As Colin got in an unmarked SUV, he was unaware that the lit-up lights and sirens hasn’t bothered him in the slightest as he gave them directions to where they all almost lost their lives that night.