Resisting Ryann Page 5

  My mouth tips at the corners. “Not my type,” I murmur back. Marcus and Warren both chuckle, as I push past them and step inside the shop. I follow a trail of blood that leads me directly to a tied up Samuel. Gage holds a knife in his hand and hovers over him. He’s got that strung out look in his eyes. My gaze falls to the ground where I spot a couple of sawed off fingers and a lot of blood.

  “Tell me,” Gage growls, then grabs him by the collar. “Where is the money?” Samuel tries to speak, but he’s gagged. I can’t make out a word he’s saying. Gage takes the knife to another finger.

  Samuel’s face pales, and his eyes widen as he screams. He’s already lost a couple pints of blood.

  “You’re going to kill him before he has a chance,” I spit. “Take out the gag.”

  “You think you can do better?” Gage places a cigarette between his lips and gets in my face. “Be my guest,” he says, bumping my shoulder as he walks out of the room. “Five minutes,” he grumbles. I watch him ‘til he’s gone, then turn to Samuel and bend down so we’re eye to eye.

  “Look, I need you to be honest with me, Samuel.” I gesture over my shoulder. “You want him to rape your wife … kill your children?” I ask, untying the gag.

  “Please, you’ve got to believe me,” he says.

  I watch as beads of sweat cover his face. “We paid them a visit the other day. If you care about your family, you’ll tell us everything. Where is the money?”

  One of his eyes is swollen shut, and his face is bloody. “I told him,” he moans. “I had the money—went where they told me to go, waited about fifteen minutes. Nobody came,” he replies convincingly. “I called Glenn and asked him if there was some kind of miscommunication.” He swallows. “Then, before I knew it, everything went black.” He shakes his head. “You’ve got to believe me,” he pleads. “Please, don’t let them hurt my family. They’re innocent!”

  “If someone took the money, why’d they leave you alive? What would be the point?” I ask.

  “I don’t know … to buy time maybe. To make me look guilty. C’mon, it makes sense!” His eyes widen. “You could be out looking for them, but instead you’re wasting time on me!”

  “Who took it?” Gage asks from behind me. Marcus and Warren stand beside him.

  Samuel looks out of steam. “I told you, the cartel. Untie me, man. It wasn’t me. Valdez took the money!”

  “He’s worked with Glenn for years. Why would he do it?” Gage replies.

  “Because he’s evil!” Samuel cries. “Everyone knows that.”

  “Not good enough.” A second later there’s a loud pop. I crouch down to the floor and hear several more.

  “What the hell, man?” I glance over my shoulder. Gage stands, pointing his gun towards Samuel’s now executed body, ready to unleash some more. I look down and find his blood all over me. The rest of it drains from his body to the floor.

  “I think you got him,” Marcus grumbles before Gage releases a couple more.

  I walk out of the room, my blood boiling, my head ready to explode.

  “Where are you going?” Gage asks.

  Pressing my lips into a tight line, I turn to face him. “That wasn’t your call in there.” I point back to the room. My fists are clenched tight. I can barely stand to look at him. If Andrew doesn’t come through with some news, I’m going to crack.

  A menacing grin crosses his face. “You sayin’ it was yours?” he asks, lifting his brows.

  “I’m saying I believed him. I’m saying he didn’t have to die.” Filthy prick.

  “He lost the money. If Glenn doesn’t get paid, we don’t get paid. I’m not sure about you, but when it comes to food on the table, there ain’t any room for second chances.”

  “You and I are nothing alike,” I reply, pushing out the exit.

  He follows behind. “C’mon. We got shit to do.” He walks down the road and breaks into a silver Honda, placing the AK in the back.

  I cock a brow. “What kind of shit?”

  His head tips toward the shop. “They’ll take care of the body.”

  That wasn’t an answer, and I need to get as far away from him as possible. I do a once over of my appearance, still covered in Samuel’s blood. “Nah, I’m going home. I need a shower.”

  The corner of his mouth tips. “You’ll have to wait. We aren’t finished.”

  “Finish without me. You can handle it.” My eyes move to the weapon in the back.

  “Handle it I can, but your father has orders. It’s time to prove your loyalty. You think you’re ready to do that?”

  My eyes narrow. “Are you shitting me? Haven’t I done that already?” I make my way around the car, then get in and slam the door, knowing there’s no way around this.

  Gage cackles before driving us away. “You sure you want me to answer that?” His eyes stay on the road. We merge to the right and take the highway that leads to Phoenix.

  “Where the hell are we going?” My heart rate quickens. I don’t want this guy anywhere near Reese—not even in the same city. The same state is too close.

  “Tying up some loose ends.” He purses his lips. “You don’t have any loose ends, do ya, Luke?”

  “What are you talking about? No, I don’t have any loose ends,” I reply.

  He laughs. “Oh, I think you do.” His hands tighten on the wheel.

  “Phoenix is a two-hour drive. What’s so important that it can’t wait until tomorrow?” I’m not playing his game.

  “Samuel’s wife knows too much. Glenn wants us to take care of her.”

  “Kill her, you mean?”

  “Something, like that,” he says, and grabbing his dick, adds, “Though I plan on having a little fun with her first.”

  I stare out the windshield shaking my head, thinking about Samuel’s pleas. “Their kids will become orphans.”

  He laughs. “That’s where you come in. You can do it in their sleep.” He nods. “They’ll never know what happened.”

  I scrub my face with my hands. Are you kidding me? “Glenn wanted this?” Of course he did.

  Handing me his phone, he says, “You want to ask him?” I’m not sure why this surprises me.

  I toss it back. “I don’t need to call him.” Shutting my eyes, I think of a way to contact Andrew. We need to get his family out of there. But our only source of communication is back in the attic, which is a shame since nobody bothered to check me tonight. It’s the first time they haven’t searched me from head to toe since I started. Damn, I need that phone.

  I look out the window and spot a gas station. An idea comes to my mind. “Pull over at the Chevron, so I can piss.”

  “We’re not far enough out. I don’t want to chance it.”

  I growl. “Chance what? You want me to piss all over the car? Pull over.” I need to find a payphone, somewhere out of view. If he gets suspicious, he’ll go straight to Glenn. For whatever reason, he’s his little puppet, yet he’s made it clear he hates him. Maybe it’s a, ‘keep your enemies closer’ kind of thing. Either way, this could all blow up in my face. He’d know I was up to something, which I have no doubt could put Reese in danger. He’d kill her to make a point—maybe more. It’s been instilled in my brain all of my life. Nobody fucks with Glenn Ryann. But I’m changing the rules. He threatened the woman I love, and it’s a line he’s going to wish he never crossed. I’ll make sure of it.

  “You’re gonna have to wait another twenty minutes. You can piss on the side of the road.” We pass the exit for the gas station. I want to slam my fist in his face again, but I force myself to stay calm.

  At least an hour rolls by before Gage pulls over between Phoenix and Casa Grande. Too wrapped up in my thoughts, I hadn’t noticed how much time had passed. Plus, I’d lied about needing to piss in the first place. Now it feels like a good idea. I get out of the car and shut the door. Gage follows behind. Neither of us walks far to relieve ourselves, then we climb back into the car—minutes away from our destination.

  My ne
rves are shot. It’s hard not knowing how the next hour will play out. What Gage is planning to do? And how far they want me to go to prove myself. Do they expect me to turn into some twisted fuck like the rest of them? I can’t do that.

  We pull into the complex, and Gage kills the engine. Both of us step outside, neither one of us speaking. It couldn’t be any more desolate right now. Talk about the perfect set up. The asshole doesn’t waste any time, striding down the path leading directly to their apartment. He pulls out a set of keys, unlocking the door on the third try. He must have taken them from Samuel.

  We walk around the apartment in the dark, not bothering to flip on the lights. Gage has his back to me when I knock a couple pictures off the wall, and they make a loud crash. I hold up my hands like it was an accident. Gage shoves me back. I’m ready to fight him right there, but he pulls out a gun from his waistband then shakes his head in warning.

  I hear a creaking in the floor and wonder if it’s the kids, their mother, or maybe both. Gage peeks around the corner. “I’ve got some business to take care of,” he says, tipping his head. “Keep an eye on the kids. When I’m done you can have a turn.” He thrusts his hips back and forth with a crooked smile.

  “You’re a sick son of a bitch. You know that?” My jaw clenches. I look over my shoulder at the room behind me, assuming it’s where the kids are. Gage is more interested in the room to the right.

  His grin grows wide. “After tonight, you’ll be just as sick as I am.” He turns and makes his way toward the bedroom.

  I head into the other room and look for the kids, but their beds are empty. One side is decorated for a boy the other for a girl—Spiderman and Princesses or Fairies, whatever you call them. Whispers come from the closet. I close my eyes with a sinking feeling in my stomach, quietly shutting the door. For a moment I thought they’d escaped this, but no such luck.

  I open the closet and press a finger to my lips, seeing the fear in their wide eyes. The girl clutches a blanket like it’s her lifeline. Her brother tries to comfort her. I have a flashback of my sister and I around the same age.

  “I’m not going to hurt you,” I whisper to the girl. I don’t think she believes me. Her chocolate-colored hair hangs in ringlets. “Can I borrow your brother for a second?” She just watches me and doesn’t answer. I wasn’t really expecting her to. I walk over to the window and slide it open. Noises come from the other room, each of them turning toward their door. They know something’s happening to their mother.

  “I’m going to keep you safe. I promise,” I say, showing them my palms. “But you’re going to have to listen to me, all right?” The girl nods, which is progress. The boy steps out of the closet. I pull him to the side. “You like Spiderman, right?” He nods again, then his sister starts to cry when she hears her mother’s muffled screams. My adrenaline picks up.

  “Listen.” I grab his shoulders. “I need you to be Spiderman tonight. It’s very important that you save your sister. Can you do that for me?”

  He glances at the door. “Is someone hurting my mom?”

  “That’s what I’m going to find out.” My eyes flick to the girl. “You worry about your sister, and I’ll take care of your mom.”

  I wave the girl over with a shaky hand. “Come out of the closet, sweetie.” She hesitates, afraid. There’s no reason for her to trust me, but they need to get out of here now.

  “Come on, Izzy,” her brother says. “He’s not a bad guy.” She slowly creeps out of the closet, and I rush them to the window. One after the other I help them out, leaving the rest of the responsibility to the brother. Either way, they’ll be safer.

  I lean out the window. “Do you have a friend who lives nearby?”

  “Yeah,” the boy answers, taking his sister’s hand.

  “Take Izzy and go there,” I whisper. “Don’t come back. Wait for your mother or me. We’ll find you.” He nods, and they run away hand in hand.

  I close the window and make my way down the hall. The door is partly cracked. Pushing it open, I step inside. Gage, with his back to me, is holding the gun against the woman’s head. She’s naked and kneeling in front of him, tears spilling down her cheeks. My jaw tightens. I’d love to take that gun, shove it up his ass, and pull the trigger.

  “Stop crying, bitch, and do as you’re told,” he growls, grabbing a fist full of her hair. “Or I’ll wake up your kids and make them watch?”

  Her eyes widen. “No! Please don’t. Don’t hurt my babies. I’ll do anything,” she cries. “Anything you want!”

  “That’s better,” he says, tugging on her hair again. He slowly slides the gun away from her temple and frees himself from his jeans.

  I sneak up behind him and reach for the gun, but he spots me right before I’m able to grab it. Instead, I knock it out of his hand. He dives for it, and I tackle him, slamming him into the dresser.

  “Your dead, Ryann,” he hisses. We both fall to the ground. I hammer him with each of my fists, and we bump into some furniture. Something heavy lands on my face and shatters. I shake it off, trying to grab the gun, but Gage is there before me. He has it cocked and ready to shoot. “Say goodbye, Romeo.”

  “Eat shit, you pathetic waste of a human.” I shove his hand away, climbing on top of him, prying his fingers off the gun. All I see is red—the woman on her knees with her tearstained face, the little girl in the closet, a younger version of Reese with her hands tied behind her back, her cries for help. I pound a fist into his face over and over again. Then the gun goes off, and I still—not knowing if I’m shot.

  Gage’s body goes limp beneath me. The gun is now in my hand, free from his grip. I slide off him and back away so I’m leaning against the foot of the bed. He’s bleeding out all over the carpet. My eyes lift to his face, and it only confirms what I feared. Gage is dead, and I’m the one who killed him.

  “Take a little,” I tell her. “Trust me, I have plenty more.” The cash is in my hand, but she refuses to take it. After helping her find her kids, she was kind enough to lend me her phone, her shower, and a clean pair of clothes.

  She continues to thank me. “You’ve done enough. We don’t need it.”

  The feds will be here any minute, and the family will be taken into protective custody, where they belong. We hear a ringing in the other room, reminding me of what I did.

  I glance at her. “Is that yours?”

  She shakes her head, then her eyes widen.

  I turn around and make my way into the room. My gaze falls on Gage’s dead body. “Shit!” The ringing is coming from his pants. I’m not sure what to do. I lean over and pat down his pockets. When I find it, Marcus’s number flashes across the screen. I rake a hand through my hair and panic.

  If I don’t answer, they’ll sense something is wrong and probably come down here. If they figure it out, they’ll go after Reese just to spite me. That leaves me with no choice. I flip open the phone.

  “Took you long enough,” Marcus groans. He sounds tired. “You guys finished?”

  “Not yet.” My words are clipped.

  “Well, what’s taking you so long? Never mind, don’t answer that. Anyway, my work is done. I’m going to bed. I’ll talk to your perverted ass tomorrow.”

  My tension fades a little. “Later.” I flip the phone shut and pinch the bridge of my nose. That could have gone a lot worse.

  A minute later I’m giving my condolences and saying my goodbyes.

  I spent at least thirty minutes in the shower, hoping, by the time I got out, Logan and Gia would be over their little spat. Thankfully, things have died down. Slipping into one of Luke’s old t-shirts, I replay Logan’s earlier words in my head. Our conversation in the hall is really starting to get to me—that and his confidence that Luke still loves me. Why does part of me feel guilty for thinking any less?

  I cover my legs in lotion then turn off the light, moving toward my bed, nearly tripping over what feels to be a large pair of shoes—a pair of shoes I realize are not mine. Half of me st
ills when I spot someone sitting on my bed, but the other half recognizes him immediately—from the squared jawline to his thick, muscular build. There’s a familiarity permeating the air that only his presence brings. Electricity crackles between us, and goose bumps prick the back of my neck. I cover my mouth with shaky hands. “What …what are you doing here?” My heart triples its normal pace.

  His head is in his hands, and he hasn’t moved or made an effort to look at me. How dare he show up like this without warning. I’m so angry I could physically attack him. Why isn’t he saying anything? Do I remind him that this is over … make him get out? Do I give him a chance to explain? Our only light comes from the moon shining through the window, though I’d recognize his shadow from anywhere. A single tear makes its way down my cheek. I resist the urge to wipe it away. He doesn’t deserve to know the power he still has over me.

  “Answer me, damn it!” I yell. “If you’re not going to speak, you should leave!”

  When those brown eyes lift to mine, there’s a sinking in my stomach. I run over and flip on the light; scared, I slowly walk toward him. His appearance makes me gasp. His eyes are red and swollen, as if he’s been crying. There are strange little cuts on his face—not the kind that come from fighting. They don’t look like he got them in the cage.

  His expression holds so much anguish that it terrifies the living hell out of me. I can see that he’s in pain, and not just the physical kind. It’s much worse. The sight of him breaks my heart, and my walls quickly crumble.

  I reach out and cup his face, trembling on the way. “My God, Luke, what happened to you?” I gasp, feeling my anger dissipate.

  He’s gazing at me as if it’s the last time he’ll ever see me, then he shuts his eyes and wraps his arms around me, pulling me down on the bed. The action surprises me. “I’m so sorry,” he says, full of emotion. “I’m so sorry. You’ve got to believe me.” He rests his head in my lap, his face pressed against my stomach, and starts to weep. I’m frozen by the rawness and vulnerability of it all.

  His tears seep through my shirt, onto my skin. I’m biting back my own, softly stroking his hair with my fingers. His arms clench me tighter, and I lean down to kiss the top of his head. It’s amazing how much I want to slap and kiss this man at the same time.