Ending with Forever (20 page)

“You wild animal. You fucking bit me!”

She strikes her hand brutally across my face and knocks the wind out of me, throwing my body down to the ground again. The taste of raw blood fills the cavity of my mouth after my teeth cut into the side of my cheek. My other palm now has a matching gash. I lay helplessly on the floor, weeping almost soundlessly.

“Open the fucking door, Sasha! Do I have to do everything myself?”

Shaking off her paralysis, Sasha runs to the door and pulls it wide open without even questioning who’s on the other side. I lift my head to see my hero, but lose all hope when his recognizable face comes into view. Horror overtakes me. It’s Edison, the only person I’m relying on to have my back. I’m good as dead. God, how could I’ve been so stupid? It all adds up now. He’s the mole who stole my sweatshirt from the dance studio. He vanished to his car that day when Carson paid me a surprise visit. When he returned, my sweatshirt disappeared out of the bag that Andrew and I clearly remembered me putting it into. How could I have been so wrong about him? Now I know how he’ll be able to buy his expensive cars. I’ve never been one to give up easily, but there’s no use in fighting now. Three against one, and they have Bianca on their team.

“What the fuck happened here?” Edison grumbles, running over to my side, alarmed. He’s sickened at the sight of my body covered in blood. “Mr. Montgomery isn’t going to be happy about this. He told me no harm should be done to his niece.”
Niece.
Did I hear him right?
I’m starting to fade in and out. He grabs my hands and applies pressure to them. “Get me a damn towel or something so I can slow the bleeding down!”

“That’s not what he told me,” Bianca argues. “He said she’s my problem after he gets what he wants.”

“He hasn’t gotten what he wants yet. Did he? You are a dumb blond,” he smarts off to her.

“Don’t fucking talk to me like that,” Bianca snarls. “Who do you think you are?”

“I want no part of this anymore,” Sasha surrenders, crying and trembling on the wooden floor. “I don’t want her blood on my hands.”

“You don’t have a fucking choice, Sasha. You’re already in knee deep and there’s no way out,” Bianca enlightens her.

“Yes I do. I’m leaving.” She stands up and starts to walk away in her pink robe.

Bianca rushes over to Sasha and pulls out a gun on her. Shit. She’s crazier than I could ever imagine any human person to be. “You’re going to do as I say or I swear I’ll shoot your fucking brains out. Go to the kitchen and sit on the barstool.” Sasha paces obediently over to a metal chair and sets her bottom down. She’s shaky and whimpering. “Watch them both,” she barks at Edison. “I’m going to find some duct tape.”

Edison looks down at me, sweeps my hair away from my face and frowns. “Lillian, I’m sorry it had to turn out this way, baby girl. I have nothing against you. You’re just the means to an end,” he tells me coldly.

“I hope your end is hell,” I spit, jerking my face away from him and sob quietly while Sasha cries audibly from her seat, begging to be released.

Bianca stomps back from one of the rooms and unravels sticky tape. I can hear the adhesive tearing away from the roll as she coils it around Sasha’s body and the back of the barstool. “Shit!” she gripes. “That’s the last of the duct tape. What are we going to use on that slut on the floor?”

A
pprehensively, I grab the phone to dial the penthouse’s security. They’ve never had to call me before. Something is seriously wrong.

“Hello, John speaking.”

“John, what’s the urgency?”

“Mr. Bradley, you need to come now. Luke’s been drugged and Miss Ly is nowhere in the penthouse.” The world suddenly turns cold and desolate and so does the scorching ember that lights my heart. I can’t catch my breath. I’m being strangled by my phobia of losing Lil now that it’s a real thing.  

“How the fuck did that happen? Isn’t that your job? To watch her?” I sneer loudly, hating him for being the bearer of this godawful news. “I’m heading out now,” I growl and slam the phone down.

“What happened?” Bridgette asks, concerned, reminding me that I still have two guests in my office.

“Lil’s missing and her bodyguard is out cold. I have to go,” I spit in haste. The trembling in my hands spread contagiously to my legs. I’m barely holding myself together.

“We’re coming with you. You’ll need all the help you can get,” Bridgette insists, striding along with me.

“I’ll drive,” Wes volunteers as he catches up with us.

“Thanks,” I mutter under my breath, no longer fazed by his likeness of me. All I can think about is Lil being stuck in a goddamn pit, screaming for help as I pace around uselessly.
Someone has her. Where did they take her? Did they hurt her? I’d never forgive myself if they…
Don’t! Don’t you even think like that, Carson
. Fuck. What’s that burning pain in my chest? Guilt. That’s what’s razing me from inside out. It’s my fault. I should’ve never let her out of my sight. Why did I remove those bodyguards? Why?

“Where do you live?” Wes asks as we rush into his car.

“The…Zen,” my garbled mind mumbles.

“That’s where Stewart’s new place is,” Wes mentions. “We’re supposed to have dinner there tonight with you and…,” he trails off, avoiding mentioning Lil’s name.

“If I find out Stewart has anything to do with this, so help me God I don’t hurt him myself,” I threaten irrationally through my tightened jaw.

“I swear on my life he’s innocent,” Wes insists. “You’ve got the wrong man. Didn’t you mention another name? How do you know it’s not him?”

My mind’s too frazzled to think reasonably. I’m running on pain and guilt for fuel. Gripping my aching head with both hands, I force myself to regain my composure. Lil needs me coherent and strong. I can’t lose my integrity now. “Forgive me,” I tell Wes. “I shouldn’t jump to conclusion without any proof. My judgment is clouded right now.”

“Don’t sweat it, man. We’ll find her. It hasn’t been but a few hours or less. They can’t get very far.” Bridgette sits quietly holding onto Wes’ free hand. She appears deep in thought, sitting on the passenger side. I can see her mulling reflection from the rear mirror.

“I’m counting on it,” I mutter under my breath. Decluttering my brain, I concentrate on the fact that Lil’s wearing my bracelet with a powerful tracking chip. Hayden assured me that it’s traceable even fifty feet underground. After weeks of nightmares about Lil being trapped in a dark pit, I couldn’t take any risks. I had to have a way of always knowing where she’s at.

A vibration inside my pocket demands my attention. “Excuse me. I need to get this,” I tell them, looking at my incoming call. It’s Dr. Laurent. “Bradley,” I answer as my heart’s palpitation elevates exponentially. Since last night, Lil and I have been waiting anxiously for this result.

“It’s Dr. Laurent. I have good news for you, Mr. Bradley.”
Oh God, thank you!
“Miss Ly’s blood test is conclusive. You’re a father,” he confirms. “Congratulations.”

My eyes well up with tears of mixed emotions.
Lil, we should be celebrating this amazing news together. You’d already be in my arms and I’d spoil you with pizza again.
We’d laugh and then cry. Happy tears. That’s what you would call them. Where are you, angel?

“Hello…Mr. Bradley…hello,” he repeats, pulling my drifting thoughts back to him.

“I’m sorry. Thank you. Can you tell how far along she is?” I ask, worried. Lil can’t handle another miscarriage and neither can I. There’s still scarring in our hearts that hasn’t healed completely yet.

“It’s not definite. She’s either further along than she thought or she’s pregnant with twins. Her hCG level is very high,” he explains.
Unbelievable. Jean might be right after all.

“Thanks again, Dr. Laurent. We’ll speak soon,” I disconnect the call with a troubled sigh. The weight of my burden just got even heavier.

“Is Lil pregnant?” Bridgette inquires, keeping her emotions intact.

“Yes,” I answer. The palpable sadness in my tone is inconcealable, but weakness isn’t an option for me, not even for a faint second. Lil’s out there somewhere. She needs me to bring her home.

Bridgette turns around to face me. “We’ll find her,” she tells me confidently, which alarms me.

“How are you so sure?”

“Because we have something in place that can help us,” she reveals.

“What is it?” I snip. I already have enough shit to deal with. I can’t handle any more surprises.

“Please don’t be upset. My grandfather placed a tracking device on her pendant when she was in Hong Kong with you. He was desperate to find my aunt,” she explains. “It has nothing to do with spying on you. I swear. We’ve never tapped into it before.”

“Normally, I’d be fucking pissed that he invaded our privacy. But I could kiss your grandfather right now if he was here.” I pat her shoulder with gratitude. Two tracking devices will surely lead us to Lillian faster. I pray.

“As soon as we get to your place, I’ll have Kevin enable the gadget so we can begin our search. I know it’s reliable. My company has sold hundreds of these microscopic devices to exclusive people around the world for security purposes. No one has been unsatisfied.”

With a sigh of hope I tell her, “I appreciate all your help.”

“We’re here,” Wes interrupts us. “Where should I park?”

“Pull into the side entrance and drive down to the lower level. I have a private elevator to my penthouse.”

Minutes later, we exit the elevator into the wine cellar and then through the pantry door. The penthouse already has an insipid feel with Lil missing. The piano is just a monotonous piece of furniture without its artist. Several of the helium balloons have lost their buoyancy while a few are still floating pertly. The one that stands apart, tugging at my chest, is the pink heart-shape one that Lil stood under last night while persuading me to come to her. My image of a smiling Lillian fades away when I see Luke and John pacing toward me.

“How did this happen?” I clip, demanding an explanation from both men, who stare at me and Wes.

“Lillian wasn’t kidnapped from here,” Luke states. “She drugged me.”

“How do you know this?”

“I just watched the surveillance recording from Sasha’s condo.”

“What did you see?”

“You might need to prepare yourself for the content,” he warns me, stilling my heart from beating. “Or not watch it at all,” he adds.

“How bad is it?” I have to ask even though my mind begs, No. Don’t do it.

“Bad,” he answers concisely and solemnly. If Luke is emotionally affected by it, then it must be horrific. My sanity is slowly slipping away. It can’t seem to grab a hold onto anything that’ll keep it afloat, but I have to find a way. Lil needs me. I can’t be that helpless idiot pacing around and weeping in my nightmares, waiting for her cries to disappear.

“Have you notified Hayden? Is he tracking her yet?” I ask, coming to my senses.

“Yes. He’s working on it now. I also have someone at Sasha’s place, gathering what information she’s willing to share before he hands her over to the police,” Luke replies.

“Carson, maybe you shouldn’t see the recording,” Bridgette advises me. “Wes and I can view it and give you a summary instead of having those images haunt you for a long time.”

“I have to. I need to see her.” I know I shouldn’t, but my heart needs to hold onto that last hopeful image of her.

“Okay, if you must,” she surrenders. “Kevin reported that your two researches have been found and are safely recovering back at BPC. Alpha’s team is already working on tracking Lillian’s necklace. They’ll have her here soon.”

“I pray that they will,” I mumble under my breath.

Luke connects his surveillance device to the TV monitor and presses the play button. Across a sixty-inch screen I see Lillian willingly walk into a death trap. She wanted a confession from Sasha to put Bianca away. What a naïve thing to do. Her innocence is one of her beautiful attributes, but it is also her downfall. In comes Bianca and I know the rest of the recording can’t be pleasant from this point on. My fingers dig painfully into my gritted palms as I hold back the violent beast inside me who’s ready to face the demon on the screen. My gut clenches painfully seeing blood dripping down Lil’s arms as she weeps on the floor. Bianca’s blow to her face is too unbearable. I’ve never felt this kind of anguish eating at my flesh, my mind and my heart. It burns. It wounds. It’s pure torture for me to watch her like that. “Turn it off!” I shout. “I can’t watch anymore of it. We need to find her now.”

I don’t know how long I’ve been passed out. I seem to remember only snippets of what has happened. Maybe it’s my subconscious trying to protect me, to keep me sane. My eyes squint open to see that I’m in the backseat with Edison. My hands and feet are bound with my body propped against the car door. Bianca is in command at the steering wheel while Sasha is nowhere to be found. I wonder what they did with her and what they’re going to do to me. My eyes start to flood again, streaming over a crust of salty tears from earlier. I ignore the burning on my cheeks as well as the throbbing pain from my hands. I’m more afraid of what’s next. It’s terrifyingly dark out. What time is it? I hate winter because even 5:00 p.m. seems like it’s too late.

“Hold on,” Edison objects. “Where the hell are you driving us to? We have a specific drop-off location and this isn’t it.”

“We’ll discuss that when I get us as far away from Carson’s bodyguards as possible,” she scowls from the front. “You don’t know anything about his army of guards. We’re fortunate this dumb slut came to us instead of us having to come after her.” Bianca’s explanation shuts Edison up momentarily.

Hearing Carson’s name soothes my agony for a heartbeat. If only I could be in the comfort of his arms, this would just be a sick nightmare. He’s probably worried to death about me. Why didn’t I heed his warning and stay at the penthouse like I promised? I’d save him and myself this despair. Bianca is right. I am dumb. I deserve it all for being so stupid and naïve.

“I’ll have to notify Mr. Montgomery there’s been a change of plans,” Edison hisses, glancing over at me. He’s a heartless SOB, valuing a sports car over my life. I hope he wrecks the damn thing as soon as he gets it.

“Wait. Let me stop the car before you call him,” she insists and veers the vehicle down a quaint country road of gravel or stone. The little pebbles clank along the bottom of the car, knocking back and forth as the wheels rotate.  We continue to cruise for a few more minutes before Bianca kills the engine and headlights. All is dismal again.

Edison retrieves his phone from his pocket to make the call, but Bianca cautions him, “Don’t. Not in here. She’ll hear everything.”

They both step out opposite each other. In her high heel boots, Bianca races over to the right side of the car to meet him. I can’t make out what they’re discussing, but it’s loud and angry. As elusive and timid as a field mouse, I peep out the lower half of the window to see two writhing shadows disturbing the calm of darkness. Thump. I feel the pressure of a body slam against the car, startling me. I jerk away and coil myself into a ball. They’re struggling and then I hear the thunderous sound of a gunshot rip through my ears—not just once, but three times. Who’s left standing? I don’t know, but I’m praying it’s Edison and not Bianca because I’d have a better chance of surviving this. Regrettably, Bianca climbs back in and starts the engine.

“If you even blink your eyes without permission, you’ll suffer the same fate as that asshole on the ground,” she threatens me with a tone so frightening that even my goosebumps are too afraid to show. I shrink down further in my seat and close my eyes to shut her, my nightmare, out.

Minutes pass before Bianca shifts the car to park instead of shutting off the engine. I glance out the frosted window, beyond the headlights, to see that I’m in a vacant field, void of human, animal or even thriving plant life. I’m trembling so badly that my teeth are chattering audibly on top of each other, but I force them to stop. If Bianca hears them without permission, it’ll piss her off even more and I’ll be dead sooner.

“Get out,” she grits while pointing her gun recklessly at me.

This is it. She’s going to kill me here where no one can witness her crime or hear my cries. After that she’ll toss my lifeless body aside for wild animals to feed on, leaving no traces of me behind for anyone to find. I’m hysterical, knowing I’m minutes away from dying. I don’t want to die. I can’t. I’m pregnant. I want to live and have my baby. Determined, I decide I’m going to fight her to the end. Against my will, I tug on the door handle with my bound hands to open it. My body crashes into the jagged gravel pieces below. It rips into my flesh. How could I forget that my feet are still tied?
Ouch
. I think I just dislocated my right shoulder, but that’s the least of my worries.