Thankfully, a dim glow started creeping over the horizon and one of her many questions was answered. Morning usually began around 5:00 a.m. at the Carter house, with the sun not too far behind.
Okay. So it was around six, maybe?
That made her feel a tiny bit better. Too bad a cup of coffee wasn’t on the menu for the morning. Sipping that hot liquid energy would do wonders for her nerves right about now. She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, trying to savor the memories of that first morning cup.
All semblances of peace evaporated with the slam of the back door. She jumped in her seat, spinning around to check on Nicholas before peering out the back window. Her son was fine. But Steven now stood on the outside of the car, puffing hard on a cigarette as he paced back and forth. She’d never seen him act like this. Aside from his angry outbursts, he was always in control. Nothing ever shook his resolve.
This can’t be a good sign.
A quick glance back at her son and she held her next breath. The unexpected slamming of the door stirred him in his sleep. He rubbed his eyes with both hands and yawned before rolling over to face the back of the seat, content to keep on sleeping. She let out the inhaled air slowly, more than a little relieved. That was best. He didn’t need to be up running around and getting on Steven’s last nerve. Especially now.
She licked at the moisture forming on her upper lip. Their fate pushed ever closer.
Where are you, Ryan?
He was searching. She felt his frustration. The not knowing if they were still alive or hurt had to be tearing him apart piece by piece. He was a strong man—a man who’d given up the last ten years of his life to protect her and the boys. How could she have been so clueless all these years?
He’d told her about his military background, about losing his wife and unborn child in some kind of bizarre gang related incident. Now she was thinking his terrible loss had more to do with his dealings with the FBI instead. A fact he’d neglected to tell her about. She shivered at the thought of losing one of her children or Ryan. It would destroy her, leaving an empty hole she wasn’t sure anyone would be able to fill. Yet even after all the suffering he’d gone through, for some reason, he’d opened his heart and let her and Michael in—allowed himself to love again.
A knot tightened the back of her throat. She would forever love him for that. No matter what happened between them when this all ended, she would never forget the sacrifices he’d made to keep them safe.
Ricky fidgeted in his seat beside her, his large hand swiping at the sweat on his brow. His uneasiness freaked her out the most. Was it Steven’s odd behavior that had him on edge as well or the mysterious item he’d lost? Not that it mattered exactly what it was. His attention focused on Steven to the point of being eerily abnormal could work in her favor and give her the upper hand she needed. She’d taken defense classes and studied the vulnerable spots on the body. The nose, the eye sockets, the throat and the obvious but difficult to hit, groin. Opportunity was all she needed.
That one allusive risk she’d been waiting on for hours.
Dang it.
If only she’d been able to figure out a way to leave a trail behind—anything that might lead Ryan and the FBI in the right direction. But with her hands bound behind her back and Steven’s goon watching her every move, the extra effort only drained her and worked to steal what little hope she clung to.
Stop it. Don’t go there
.
You can’t afford to let despair take over.
Nicholas needs you.
She eyed their surroundings again, the dirt road they’d traveled down now visible. Just as she’d feared. They were off the main road. Inside the boundaries of someone else’s large estate. Property owned by one of Steven’s associates. She studied the tidy grounds now lit by the bright morning light. The land was flat and endless. Very little landscaping. No place to hide if they did get the chance to make a run for it.
The situation couldn’t get much worse.
Steven pounded a fist on the trunk. “Ricky, let’s go. It’s time.”
Ricky flinched in the seat beside her at Steven’s outburst, his large frame, so powerful, so intimidating, yet he looked almost childlike at that moment. He almost appeared human and she started to wonder again about how he became involved with Steven. Had he had a choice? Was he blackmailed, coerced in some way? There was a glimmer of compassion trying to form inside her, but she forced it back.
He’d chosen this path.
After what Ricky had done to her, made her to do to all those helpless children, his reasons for being involved were null and void.
“Don’t get any ideas.” Ricky gained his composure quickly, the brute from long ago now staring her down with more hatred than any one person should ever possess.
Makayla nodded. What she wouldn’t give to wipe the moisture from her upper lip. The last thing she wanted was to show him any fear. Sure. She’d bide her time wisely. And then, when they least expected it.
Wham.
She’d beat them at their own game.
She watched and waited as Ricky exited his side of the car and made his way to her door. The sun was rising fast, giving her an even better view of the estate. Still flat as a pancake, but totally unidentifiable. Not one single clue helped her pinpoint their location. Where they still in Florida? They weren’t on the road long enough to go too far.
One thing was for certain. She’d never been here before. The house itself looked to be over ten thousand square feet in size. Its stone and stucco exterior was surrounded by sweeping verandas and patios. Much too fancy to be one of the places they hid the little girls before selling them.
Her door flew open. “Get out,” Ricky growled. “Slowly.”
Her heart skipped beats as she followed Ricky’s instructions to a tee.
What or who was waiting inside the house? The not knowing what to expect once they went inside, sent chills racing down her spine.
“Turn around and face the car.” He shoved her hard, his large, sweaty body pressing against her backside. “Don’t move.”
Horrifying images zipped through her head as his bulky hands groped her flesh. At first, she thought he was getting off on it. Then she realized he was searching for something. She closed her eyes and swallowed back the bile as he degraded her inch by inch.
“Good girl, Makayla,” he said. His mouth was way too close to her ear. She felt the spit as he mumbled his next words. “You will pay for all the misery you’ve caused me. And if I find out you’re hiding something, I’ll take my time. Make you beg me to finish.” With his hand still gripping the base of her neck, he spun her around to face him. His fingers dug into the muscle, tightening to the point pain shot to her toes. He could crush her skull as easily as he breathed.
“Ricky, you done?” Steven’s voice held a lethal tone, his body stiff as if ready to launch one hell of an assault. But he held back. “Retrieve the boy from the backseat,” he said, tossing his cigarette to the ground before heading to the front steps without another glance or word.
“You heard the boss. Get going.” Ricky shoved her toward the house with a grunt and walked to the back of the car.
Makayla dared to stumble around the front of the limo where she maneuvered her body into the one tiny sliver of shade on the property grounds to keep the glare out of her face. She wanted a clear view of Ricky as he helped Nicholas out of the car. If he so much as caused a whimper from her son, she was going to let Steven in on Ricky’s little secret.
“Come on, kid. We have to get out of the car now.” Ricky’s voice was almost soft and encouraging when he spoke to Nicholas. Makayla’s maternal instincts spiked to a new level. One fact rang clear in every word. He had no intentions of hurting Nicholas. The
why
made her want to scream. Steven’s sick plans, whatever they were, included her son. She inhaled deeply, clenching her fists behind her back as the numb she’d longed for suddenly flooded her.
She’d prepared herself for not making it out of this alive. But she hadn’t let herself believe Nicholas would be left behind. Steven’s goal here was to own her again, to make her pay for her betrayal.
Wasn’t it?
Tears stung her eyes and she blinked hard to keep them back. Her body trembled at the horrible thoughts playing tag in her brain. She shook her head, wishing them away and forced her mind to focus on details that might aid in their escape.
As the sun’s rays heated her skin, she decided the owner of the estate had something against trees. There was only one. A huge palm tree of some sort, but it did little to block the sun or provide shelter from the elements. The extra humidity and lack of even the smallest breeze made each breath a struggle. Damn. They would have little time and a lot of ground to cover in full view of their tormenters. A lump of bitter defeat filled the back of her throat.
“Mommy.” Nicholas was wide-awake the minute his feet hit the soft ground. He looked from Ricky to her and then surveyed their surroundings. Could he feel her panic? See that she was dying inside?
“It’s okay, sweetheart. Let’s do what Ricky says.”
Nicholas nodded grumpily, but willingly let Ricky guide him around the back of the car. She blew out a sigh of relief and turned her attention to Steven. He was on the phone now, but she couldn’t hear what he was saying. Just what was her ex up to? Was he planning to sell Nicholas to the owner of this estate? Is that why they’d stopped here? Why they’d waited outside in the car?
She gulped back her anxiety and turned to look down the long driveway expecting to see someone coming to meet them. Time was running out quicker than she thought.
“It’s hot, Mommy.”
“Yes, it is.” Boy, that was an understatement. She felt the sweat rolling slowly down her back and longed for a simple drink of water. Just what the heck were they waiting for?
Nicholas was bored and resorted to hopping in a circle first, then skipping around Ricky. Ricky said little, but kept rolling his eyes. Just as she feared. The soda hadn’t completely made it out of Nick’s system yet.
Every few minutes or so, she checked Steven’s mood for signs of irritability over her son’s constant energetic episodes. Oddly, Steven appeared taken with Nicholas. He watched, captivated as her son ran back and forth across the driveway from the huge fountain sitting in the middle to the car. Steven stood on the covered porch in the shade and kept checking the door knob. But each and every time the result was the same. The door was locked.
“Can I go swimming with the fish, Mom?” Nicholas said, leaning over to touch one of the occupants, a large gold and white Coy.
“No, honey.” Makayla tried to calm the nervous quiver in her tone. “Nicholas, leave the fish alone.”
“Oh, don’t bother the boy. Let him have some fun, Mom.” Makayla stiffened. Steven had never called her mom. He’d never said the word the entire time they’d been married. Not even when he talked about his own mother. His using the word now was like an eerie omen.
“So I can? I can go swimming?”
Utterly confused by the chain of events, Makayla nodded yes and Nicholas bolted for the fountain, leaving a high-pitched squeal in his wake. This was all so surreal. Steven was working on some kind of timetable due to the fact he kept a close eye on his watch and phone. She didn’t like the implications of that fact.
His phone shot off a rhythmic tone and Steven gave her a wary smile as he read the text message. The next thing she heard was the front door creak open. Wait a minute. Steven didn’t have a key. He hadn’t moved to retrieve one either.
What the heck?
Had he been waiting for someone to unlock the door all this time?
Ricky walked up, grabbed her by the elbow and led her around the car, up the porch stairs and straight to Steven at the front door.
“Now isn’t this fun?” Steven stroked her sore and bruised cheek, his lips twisting in a questioning look. “What happened to your face, Myka?”
Makayla twisted her head out of his reach. “Ricky slapped me. Back at the park, remember?” She decided to keep Ricky out of trouble a little while longer, hoping to buy her more time to come up with a plan.
“Ouch. I sure don’t remember it being that swollen.” Steven glanced at Ricky, his eyes narrowing to deadly slits. “Make certain there’s no more visible damage, would you?”
“Yes, boss.”
Ricky tugged on her arm, leading her into the foyer. “Smart move,” he whispered in her ear.
“Wait. What about Nicholas?”
“He’s fine. The water ain’t that deep. Now sit here and wait.”
Makayla did as he instructed and let her back slide down the wall till she reached her bottom. Steven’s comment gnawed at her insides.
No more visible damage
. She swallowed hard and winced at the audible sound it made. Could she be the one going up on the auction block?
Craning her neck, she looked out the open door and tried to keep Nicholas in sight. His laughter along with the splashing water told her he was in heaven, but she knew any minute Steven could change his mind. And if Nicholas didn’t’ follow his instructions exactly as given, her son would pay dearly for it.
“Well, what’s he supposed to wear when he’s done?” She glared at Ricky, who stood with his feet apart, arms crossed over his large chest and his back to her. “We don’t have any extra clothing.”