Marked. Part I: The missing Link (20 page)

Chapter 24

8:51am

I see Jay eating breakfast from the diner window and all my terror and fear vanishes. It's replaced by the swelling in my chest at the sight of him. I've missed him. I shouldn't, but I do. I desperately do.

He has his shades on and I wish I could see his face, his eyes. When we enter and the cow bell clinks against the metal door frame he doesn't look up. I'm hiding from view behind Quake, Sharp behind me, when we approach his table.

“
Well look who it is,” Quake drawls out. “The missing Link.”

I see Jay sit back and cross his arms in the window's reflection, “I assume this reunion isn't by accident.” His voice is cold, but smooth and non-threatening.

“We have business to discuss with you.”

“
Go back to your boss and tell her to go fuck herself. I'm not for hire.”

“
We're hoping this sweet, little thing might change your mind,” Quake pulls me from behind him and throws me into the empty booth seat across from Jay, Sharp sliding in after me. Quake sits next to Jay, forcing him to scoot over and make room. Sharp's gun is digging into my ribs, warning me to stay quiet and still.

Jay's head doesn't move or even flinch. I want to see his eyes badly. His lips have remained straight lined and I have no clue what is going through that head of his.

“What are you doing with her?” Jay's tone has remained the same and fear starts taking over again. Either Jay really doesn't care that they have me, or he has one hell of a poker face.

“
You do what we want, we give her back,” Quake responds, looking over a menu.

“
You're wasting your fucking time boys, not interested.”

My hands start to shake and I'm grateful they are zip-tied under the table. I don't want any of them to know how shook up I am that I'm going to be left in the hands of my kidnappers to most likely be killed.

“She warned us you might say that. Promised Sharp here he could have his way with her. You know he doesn't play nice.”

Sharp runs a finger along my jaw and I flinch back, curling my lip up, “Don't touch me.”

“
Have
they touched you?” It took me a moment to realize Jay's talking to me, his body's still sitting back in the booth, arms crossed, tight lipped.

I lightly shake my head no, “Not really.”

If I hadn't been staring at the side of the booth between the window, I would have missed Jay's hand tightly fisting, turning white, before he relaxed it.

“
What the fuck does that mean?”

Sharp jams the muzzle harder into my ribs and twists. I let out a whimper and bite down on my lip, pissed at myself for giving him that little satisfaction. “We told you not to talk.”

The waitress approaches and asks if we need anything. Sharp and Quake order a coffee and tell her I'm fine. I don't look at her, keeping my eyes focused on the middle of the table exactly like they instructed me to do.

“
So Link, what's it going to be?” Quake asks.

“
First off, don't fucking call me that, and second, fuck you. Find someone else,” Jay grinds out, growing irate.

“
You saying this girl here means nothing to you?” Sharp inquires, brushing my cheek with the back of his hand. “Because we have evidence stating otherwise.”

“
Bullshit.”

“
It's true,” Quake reaches into the breast pocket of his jacket and throws some pictures on the table.

I can't stop myself from leaning over to take a peek. It's pictures of Jay and me: me riding him piggy back to his house, us at a gas station and Jay leaning in to give me a kiss while waiting for the gas to finish pumping, and a few more I don't get to see before Sharp forces me back. If I didn't know any better I'd think the people in those pictures were crazy about each other. A dull ache forms in my chest.

Jay picks up the pictures and shuffles through them, “A bunch of pictures is supposed to convince
me
that I care for
her
?” Jay stacks them together and puts them into the back pocket of his pants. “You've got to give me more incentive than some girl with a tight pussy I had fun fucking.”

The waitress comes over with the coffees.

“Cream?” Jay offers, moving the little tin of creamer between the two.

They both begin making their cups, and I take the opportunity to look at Jay, hoping I can read his body language to see if what he's saying is a lie or the truth.

Nothing. I can't read a damn thing.

Quake gives Sharp some kind of signal with his hands. Sharp's free hand starts grazing up my leg and I stiffen. He leans into my ear, “I guess that means your tight pussy's mine now.” He then licks my ear.

I can't hide the disgust on my face and I nudge him off me. “Get your hand off the middle of my legs or I swear to God I will scream, and I don't give a shit if you shoot me because I would rather have a bullet cut through me than your dick,” I sneer under my breath looking him dead on, hoping my eyes reveal the menacing hate I feel for him.

“
She this feisty with you?” Sharp removes his hand, “Cuz she's been giving us lip this whole time and I'm getting real fucking tired of it.”

“
We finished here guys? I'd like to go back to finishing my meal in peace. It's already going to be cold, which I hate.” Jay takes a gulp of his coffee before adding the rest of the creamer to his cup. “Or do you have something else you want to throw at me?”

Quake rubs his hands together on the table, appearing nervous, which throws me off – he's been collected this whole trip. “We know where Mark is, or at least we did five days ago,” his voice is low, frightened.

“Bullshit. I'm done with you two. Leave,” Jay growls.

“
It's true. Laz said if the girl doesn't work to use this as a last resort.”

“
So where is he?”

“
You do the job, we tell you.”

“
How do I know you're not lying?”

Quake throws another picture on the table but Jay snatches it before I can see.

“This could have been taken months, years ago.”

“
Check the date on the corner of the newspaper.”

Jay scowls in a way I have never seen and the air around us changes. I can feel anger emanating  off him, mixed with something else that makes my skin crawl and my hairs stick up.

“What exactly does she want me to do?” Jay asks, his head bent, still staring at the picture.

Tears spring to the corners of my eyes. Whoever is on that picture is obviously more important to him than me, than my life. My heartache takes on another level of torturous pain.

“Come back to our motel and we'll fill you in in private.”

Jay takes out his wallet and throws a fifty on the table, “Let's go.”

What's going to happen to me now? Maybe I'll get lucky and they'll dump me on the side of the road, alive.

Quake gets out and stands in front of the table, waiting for me to get out after Sharp, who leads the way. Quake pushes me into Sharp to hide the zip-ties around my wrists and we walk to the car.

“You can follow us,” Quake informs Jay.

“
I'd rather ride with you. We can talk in the car, get this over with quicker.”

Quake nods, gives Jay a pat down and removes his weapons, then they get in.

Sharp opens my door.

“
Leave me here,” I beg, making my face as pathetic and lost as I can. “I swear I won't tell anyone. Please.”

“
You know too much,” he shoves me into the back seat and my head lands on Jay's lap, who helps me sit up.

He touches the zip-ties, “Is this necessary? What's she going to do with three trained killers and no weapons of her own?”

Sharp buckles me in, grazing my breasts as he does, “So you do care?”

“
Hardly. It draws way too much fucking attention. At least five people noticed in there, and with her surrounded by the three of us I wouldn't be surprised if someone calls the cops.” Jay lifts the zip-tie up and I wince in pain from it digging into my skin, “So lets get this removed before we get to the motel and even more people see. Lets make it seem like it's her choice to be with guys like us. You two are such fucking amateurs.”

Sharp looks to Quake who gives a “go for it” nod. Sharp draws out his pocket knife and cuts off the zip-tie, nicking my skin in the process. I bet he did it on purpose. Jerk.

“Watch it, Sharp,” Jay warns once he's in the drivers seat.

Sharp starts the car and heads towards the motel.

Jay's hand hasn't let go of mine and his thumb is rubbing over the raw skin. I hate how much his touch gives me pleasure. He moves to the other wrist and examines it with his thumb too.

I look at his face, which is frowning, and I can't see his eyes but I feel them penetrating me, studying me.

“They hurt you anywhere else?” His voice has turned warm. It's hard not to melt into it and forget he doesn't care if I'm dead or alive.

I decide not to answer. He doesn't deserve an answer, not if he's going to leave me with them.

I rip my hands away from him, cross my arms under my chest, turn my head, and stare out the window.

Jay sighs and sits back into his seat.

“So, is it solely Laz who I will be helping?” Jay starts in, “Anyone else involved?”

“
Only Laz,” Quake answers, turning around and keeping a gun pointed at Jay.

Jay keeps talking, unfazed and obviously familiar with guns being pointed at him, “Anyone else know where I'm at?”

“Just the people Laz hired.”

“
How'd you find me?”

No response.

“Don't make me repeat myself.”

“
YouTube video of you drifting on the tracks, then a hot piece of ass jumping on you. You know the rest of the fucking with your mouths scene that happened.”

Jay scowls, curses under his breath, and stares out the window.

We go on for miles of desert road and I know our motel is approaching fast. Familiar panic sets in on the unknown of what will happen to me.

“
Lily,” Jay says, interrupting my thoughts of figuring out how I'm going to get out of this alive. “In about ten seconds this car is going to crash, I need you to brace yourself.”

Huh?

I whip my head to look at him.

“
What the fuck are-” Quake starts but Jay talks over him.

“
Now Lily, get ready,”

Both men in front slump down. Quake's gun drops from his hand and Jay catches it by the grip handle. Sharp's hands release the wheel and the car accelerates, most likely from his foot weighing down on the gas pedal.

I look to Jay wide-eyed and scared. He unbuckles, reaches through the two seats, takes hold of the wheel, downshifts the automatic, and slowly engages the emergency brake. The car skids but he maintains control and guides it off the road, letting the desert weeds assist in stopping the tires.

My mouth has fallen open at how effortless he made that all seem.

Jay rearranges the men. Sharp's hands are back on the wheel, his foot off the gas. He rummages in the glove box before resting Quake's head on the dashboard. He pulls pills out of his pocket, and places them in a cup holder. Next, he grabs their cell phones, wallets, papers, and Sharp's gun.

Jay sits back and opens his door to get out, “We need to move.”

He goes around to the driver's side and pops the trunk. He closes the door and I hear him gather his weapons in the back.

He comes around to my side and opens the door, carrying a black duffel bag in his hand, “Come on Lily, we need to move before the cops show.”

I can't seem to move, I'm in shock.

Jay bends down to unbuckle me, “I can't carry you, it'll slow us down. Are you hurt, can you move?” He's studying my face inches away from it and I feel the pull to brush his lips to mine. That triggers my anger and I push him away.

“I'll wait for the cops.”

Jay takes hold of my arm and pulls me further down the road.

“Stop it. Let me go.”

“
I need you to trust me and I need you to pick up your pace.”

“
Why the hell should I trust you? And what the hell happened back there?” Jay has let go of my arm and I'm running alongside him.

“
I poisoned them.”

“
What?! When?”

“
At the diner. Did you seriously think I was going to let them have you?”

“
Yes.”

He shakes his head, jaw clenching, “Well, I wasn't. I saw them coming before you even entered the place. I can't believe Laz still uses those idiots.”