True Control 4.1: A Dark Romance (True Series) Read online

  “You throw this up and I won’t feed you again for three days.” But he rubs my head.

  The gentleness of his touch only adds to the stab in my empty stomach at his words. Oh God. Three days. He means that he will keep me here!

  My mind goes blank. Instinct. “Thank you.” He only laughs and tells me to sit up. He walks over to the counter where he has his plate and watches me.

  I’m awkward moving with my wrists and ankles tied. My head swoons. Go slow, baby. I finally manage to get to my elbows on my side, ignoring the pain, but I can’t sit up anymore. I pull the plate under my chin and take a small piece with my fingers. It tastes as good as it smelled. I eat everything.

  But I almost throw up again when he picks up the plate and says, “Good girl.”

  Or was that Max in my head? I fall back to the floor.

  Chapter 8 HIM

  I turn to see Jake’s face as he answers the question. “She didn’t have any secrets.”

  “Just you.” It’s a good thing I’m not standing near the sarcastic fucker.

  Jake’s jaw clenches. Dad steps in between them. “I think you have the answers to your questions here, Detective.”

  Killaney turns to me and nods back to the table. No. He’s not done. Not yet.

  I walk slowly by the table into my kitchen and return with the glass of scotch. I put this quietly on the table before sitting back down, away from everyone. But I see how Killaney licks his lips. I give him a crooked smile and slowly lift the glass to my lips, taking a deep drink. I just as slowly lower the glass back down. I may not be able to punch him, but I can torture the drunk.

  “We know that Lucy’s phone and credit cards were left with her purse. You said,” he nods to me, “that Lucy would’ve had some cash, but not much on her. For cabs. We didn’t find any money.” He pauses to let this sink in. At least I’m finally getting some information. “We’ve set up your phone here to record and track calls…in case there is a ransom demand or contact.” I knew Dad had rushed this through.

  “We should know more later today about fingerprints and anything we found from here.” He moves his hand in the air to indicate the apartment. “In the meantime, I need you, Max, to think of anyone who might have wanted to hurt you or your wife. Any employees, former or current. Any cases you’ve handled. Anyone at all.” I nod.

  He doesn’t move to get up though. “And I am going to check with your wife’s doctors, friends, and family. We’ll keep checking local hospitals; no one with Lucy’s description has been reported so far.” I lower my shoulders at this news. I didn’t realize how tensely I was waiting to hear this. “The news’ll get ahold of this story pretty quick. We’ll want to get ahead of that. A media liaison from the Missing Persons Unit will contact you later today.” I nod again. I assumed this. The zoo’ll be open for business.

  My voice sounds far away, “Has anyone reported seeing Lucy on the street…near where we found her phone?” The pathetic weakness in my own voice angers me. I want to throttle someone, something!

  Killaney only blinks at me. “We’re still checking.”

  And I know the son of a bitch is lying to me! He thinks I’m a suspect, so he’ll keep as much as he can from me for as long as he can.

  I hear the house phone ring and freeze.

  Chapter 8 HER

  He returns with the big knife. I watch it shine as he moves. I’m not as afraid this time. He cuts the rope around my ankles. I only stretch one leg out, experimenting with movement again.

  He grabs my arm and yanks me to my feet. Rag doll legs. I almost slip back down, but he has a firm hold on my arms. His fingers cut into me. This close, I see he has a mass of chest hair, dark, curly, sweaty. I raise my one open eye to him.

  I know you? …How? From where?

  He laughs at me. Yanking me around and dragging me down the dark hall.

  We pass rooms to the end of the hall. I’m still shocked to see the normalcy. Bad art on walls, stains on rugs, popcorn ceilings. My prison looks just like the house I grew up in, small and normal.

  I shake in his grip, but manage not to cry, manage not to trip.

  Chapter 9 HIM

  “You need to answer that. Stay calm.” Killaney follows me to the kitchen phone.

  I’m disappointed when I see ‘P Shannon Cell’ on the callerid. “It’s Lucy’s Dad.” He nods, but he doesn’t move away. I’m still under observation, I guess.

  I clench my jaw and turn away from him as I answer. “Hello.”

  “Max! Any news, have you heard anything yet?”

  “No, Paul. The police are just finishing up here.” I can hear a lot of background noise on his end, a warbled announcement. “You made it the airport?” My Dad took care of getting them on a redeye here.

  “Yeah. We should get in early this morning.”

  “Good. Just grab a cab for here. I think Dad has you booked at a hotel nearby.” Dad nods from the doorway. I’m a robot, running on automatic, saying and doing what I need to, but not comprehending anything right now. “Yeah. We’ll get it straightened out when you’re here.”

  “PJ’s picking us up. We’ll get there as soon as we can.” I start to say good-bye, but Lucy’s Mom gets on the phone.

  “Do the police have any idea where Lucy could be, Max?”

  “Not yet, Liz. They’re doing everything though. I have to go. Safe flight.” I can’t breakdown. Not yet.

  Chapter 9 HER

  He pushes me into a dark room and I stumble on carpet, my bound hands out in front of me. My knuckles bang hard into something wood, “Shit!” It takes me a second to open my eye against the pain.

  “Bet you don’t talk like that with your husband around?” What did he say?

  He turned a low light on. I can just see what I hit. A wood footboard to a tall bed. I swallow hard. Instinct. And Max’s voice in my head again. “I’m sorry.”

  He smiles and laughs. Oddly making his face harder. A dimple in his chin and one on his cheek dancing on the hard angles of his face. I shake more. “No. I like a filthy mouth on my bitch.” I shake my head. “Why don’t you try this…Ask me real nice to fuck you again…I know you liked it the first time.”

  I shake my head. My whole body shakes, my head’s just along for the ride.

  He takes one quick step towards me and I almost fall over backwards on the footboard trying to back away. My feet scramble, only my tip-toes touching the carpet, the board painfully arching my back. He grabs a chunk of my hair in his right hand and yanks me forward, but not off the board. Dark dimples, flash of white teeth. Explosion of painful fireworks as he slaps the left side of my face hard. I can’t even scream the pain takes too long to give me back my air.

  He keeps his hand in my hair and pulls me up to face him. “Now. Ask me, whore.”

  My lips try to form words, but I don’t know what they are. He rattles my head and I’m afraid he’ll hit me again. I don’t think my eye can take that. “Pl…Please…fuck...me.”

  He releases some pressure on my head, but keeps his hand in my hair. “We’ll work on that.” He drags me over to the side of the bed and lets go of my hair. I panic, looking around for something to fight him off.

  Who am I kidding? My hands are tied. And he’s strong.

  He laughs. I hate his laugh. It’s not sarcastic, not evil. It’s a laugh you would hear anywhere. “Oh. You wanna have a fighting chance against me? How bout I untie your hands and I’ll even give you one best shot, Lucy?” He laughs at how I cower away, shaking. God, I would love to be a man right now. To knock the shit out of you! But I only cower.

  Then it dawns on me. “You…you know my name?”

  His smile twists. “I know a lot about you.”

  I try to stall, to think. Think, baby. “Like what?”

  “You really don’t remember me at all do you?” I only shake my head a little. He sneers, laughing at me, “I’ll make you a deal. If you can remember my name, I won’t fuck you…tonight. I’ll even give you three question
s to figure it out.” He’s very amused with himself. I don’t believe him, but it’s something to hold onto. “What’s your first question?”

  Think! “Where…where do I know you from?”

  His look melts from dark smile to dark frown. “No…that’s cheating! Do it again and the games over.”

  “Do…do I know you from,” Think! “Do I know you from my building?”

  “No.” He pulls off his tank top and I can see that he’s strong everywhere. I look away.

  “Do you work with…with my husband?” I can’t say his name. Not here. Not after what this man did to me.

  “No. But I’ll give you a hint…I have met Max.” He pulls off his pants and kicks them away. He’s really enjoying himself. I only have to glance to see he’s excited again.

  I panic, searching around the room for a hint. I don’t even know where I am! I know it’s wooded and obviously remote. But I have no idea how long I was passed out in the trunk. I haven’t heard any cars or other people. No one heard me scream. It’s pitch black outside the window. It was daylight when he took me on the street.

  I vaguely remember someone saying my name, turning and feeling dizzy. His arms holding me up and walking me to a car. That was it.

  “Tick tock. Last question.”

  “What’s the first initial of your first name?” I’m risking that he’ll think this is cheating, but my mind is blank on anything else!

  He only chuckles. “B.” He stands a little taller, putting his thumbs in the band of his underwear. I shrink a little more. “What’s my name, Lucy?”

  Oh God. I have no idea! I say the first thing that comes to my mind. “Bill.”

  He laughs harder and I almost pee myself. You would think I just told him the funniest story while walking home from a nice date. No one so evil should have such a nice laugh.

  Chapter 10 HIM

  “I think we’re done here for now. I have what I need for ViCAP and OC so far. Flash messages have gone out with your wife listed as Endangered Missing.” I’m walking Killaney towards the door. I raise my eyebrows to this. “That means we believe her disappearance may put her physical safety in danger. It puts her to the top of the list of adult missing persons.” Killaney glances at my Dad. I’m sure his contacts had something to do with fast tracking that too.

  “Thank you, Detective.”

  “You signed the report all ready?”

  “Yes.”

  “Good.” He looks me up and down. “Try to get some sleep. Hopefully, we’ll be able to resolve this quickly. Someone will be by later to check on the surveillance equipment.”

  I close the door behind him.

  I don’t move for a moment though. The color red is back and I need to breathe before acting.

  Chapter 10 HER

  He stops laughing abruptly. “Nice try.” He pushes off his underwear and I try not look at him at all. He moves to sit on the bed. I have a moment of picturing myself running, but that would be foolish.

  I don’t know him. But I know myself and I know people. Instinct. He’d only like it more if I fight or run.

  He pats the bed next to him, “Hop on.” I sit quietly next to him, willing my hands to stop shaking. Nope. They think they should be clawing his eyes out and they won’t stop trembling. I look at the red, raw skin under the rope.

  He seems willing to talk, maybe that’s something I can use…

  “Why are you doing this?” I try not to jump when his hand comes up and brushes my hair back. And why are you being so gentle now? Is this a new game?

  “Because I wanted you the moment I saw you. Actually, before that even. Something in the way your husband talked about you. Something about him. I knew.”

  I look down. I don’t want to talk about Max. I don’t want to hear this man talk about him. But something in what he says…clues or is he messing with me? “You knew what?”

  With one finger, not gently, he pulls my face up to look into his eyes. I’m trapped in the darkness of the blue. “I knew little Lucy is used to taking orders.” He smiles, moving his finger to the left side of my face. I wince at his light touch. I can only imagine what I look like. “And I like a bitch that is already mostly housebroken.” He laughs at his own words.

  Chapter 11 HIM

  I stand with my hand on the door for a while. I hear Dad move a little more into the hall towards me, but he stops when I turn around.

  I can finally release the anger I’ve been barely holding back. I move quickly down the hall to pass him, but he grabs my arm. His grip was always a vise. His voice calm, in control, commanding as usual. “You don’t want to do this right now.” Too many years raised under his belt, his complete power. I don’t move. “I will talk to Jake.”

  I want to tell him to fuck off. I thought it plenty of times growing up. But he’s the reason I am who I am. He saved our family. I can’t disrespect him no matter what. Even now.

  “Answer me, boy.”

  “Yes, Sir.”

  He lets go. And turns quickly to move into the dining area again. I follow him slowly.

  Jake hasn’t moved from his seat. Jeff still stands next to him.

  Dad nods to Jeff. “This is a family matter. You can go.”

  I nod to Jeff when he looks at me before moving. He leaves quietly, but not before telling me to call if I need anything.

  Jake finally looks up at Dad. It’s the same look he wore as a kid. Whenever Dad had The Look and Jake knew he was in trouble. In the beginning, I tried to protect Jake from our Stepdad. That never worked. I would get twice the punishment and Jake would still get his. By the time Ron adopted us officially, we were both toeing his line.

  Now I don’t look with pity or sympathy on him. I want to beat him myself.

  “Jake.” Dad takes a seat opposite him, hands on the table. “What were you thinking? Seeing your brother’s wife like that, in secret?”

  That’s not where I would’ve started.

  Jake shrugs. “I wasn’t thinking. It just happened really.” He always tried to get away with the innocent act.

  “That’s not an answer, boy.”

  Jake looks to me, but I only shake my head, fists clenched in my crossed arms.

  “I came to see how Lucy was. That first time. I knew how angry Max was with her…for what she did. Hell, I was mad at her.” He tries to laugh, but stops at the look he gets from Dad. “But I also know what men do in this family when they’re angry. I just wanted to make sure she was ok.”

  “That wasn’t your right, Jake.” Dad says exactly what I’m thinking this time.

  “She is family, Dad. I have a right to make sure she’s fine…” But he isn’t convincing anyone, not even himself. He knew what he did was wrong. And he did it anyway.

  Dad speaks so quietly that I almost can’t hear him, “But you weren’t checking on her as a brother would a sister.”

  Jake swallows before answering. He was never a good liar. He learned a long time ago not to try with Dad. “No, Sir.” He looks at me, “But we were just friends. Nothing more. Nothing more than that ever.”

  Dad nods. I have no choice but to nod too. I know he’s speaking the truth. It’s what he’s not saying that has me still clenching my fists though.

  He wanted her.

  “So what else weren’t you telling the police?” Dad could always read us. He knows as well as I do that Jake was holding back with Killaney not just about his being here earlier or the night I beat Lucy.

  He looks at his hands while he answers, not wanting to see my face I guess. “She was struggling with everything. She…she didn’t know if she could live up to what Max demands of her.” He looks at me briefly, then back at the table. “I saw her when she got her last period...” He takes another deep breath. Hearing him talk about Lucy, about her so intimately. It takes everything not to shove the table away and choke him with my bare hands. “She was crying. Saying she didn’t want to tell Max. She didn’t want to disappoint him.”

  “She told
you all that?” Dad is sitting back. I don’t think either of us had any idea how close Jake and Lucy had become. We’ve hung out together plenty. We helped him celebrate buying a new building to make his new architectural offices and home. We’ve spent holidays together. But Lucy was confiding in him before me even. And I didn’t even have a clue about it.

  I remember how sad and frightened Lucy had been the last time she told me started her period. I held her all night, reassured her with little touches and kisses. The next morning she said she felt like we were going to be lucky very soon…that she wanted nothing more than to have my child in her arms next year. I was so proud of her for not staying sad. For bouncing back so quickly. I had no idea that maybe that had more to do with her talking to Jake than me. I clench my jaw more at this thought.

  “Yes. She also said she wasn’t sure how she felt about raising a kid,” he glances at both of us now, “the way we were raised.”

  Dad doesn’t say anything for a long time. It takes longer for me to get this simple statement through my head. Lucy talked to Jake about this?! She never said anything to me. We talked about her fear of miscarrying, not being able to give me a child, but nothing about this…Of course, she would also know better than to question me.

  So maybe she was questioning Jake because he was the next best thing? Or was she really afraid of her future with me? Could I have missed that?!

  I shake my head. I can’t believe that. I know Lucy. I know what’s in her heart. I know she wanted to make me happy, to please me. But I also know that this is what made her happiest. She might have worried…but she never would have questioned our future. She had faith in me, in us. I have to have the same faith in her now.

  Dad finally speak ups again, “Do you think she could’ve run away?” I hadn’t even thought this was a possibility until right now.

  This weakness is not something I’ve ever felt. I am powerless.