20
GARETH
I growled under my breath in frustration as I walked out of the state prison much later than I planned, with an hour-long drive still ahead of me to get back to my office. I stalked across the parking lot to my Range Rover and climbed in, then glared at the building, hoping this was the last time I had to set foot in this godforsaken place. I shook my head and opened the glove box to pull out my gun and settled it in its holster, feeling calmer with its comforting presence at the small of my back. Maybe when I started working for my father, I wouldn't feel the need to have it on me all the time. As it stood, I figured I had at least a month's worth of work before I could say good-bye to criminal law for good. It couldn't come soon enough. This constant feeling of not being safe was getting old, especially after Monday when I realized it wasn't all in my head like I'd thought.
I took my phone out of my suit jacket and turned it on, then tossed it on the passenger seat. I had to check it in when I entered the prison, and had turned it off first. I started the SUV as I scanned the area around me like I'd been doing almost obsessively since Monday. My phone chirped a notification, and I snatched it up and saw that I had a voice mail from an unfamiliar number. It was probably someone trying to hire me, but it wasn't going to happen. I wasn't taking on one more damn client. I was fucking done, but I decided to listen to the voice mail anyway just to be sure it wasn't from a current client of mine.
"This is Calder Rennen," a deep rich male voice said. "I need to speak with you as soon as possible. I have some information that might interest you. Please call me back."
Huh, that was interesting. Though brief and cryptic, I was fairly sure I knew what Rennen was calling about. Ian Elias. For all outward appearances, I'd heeded Elias' threat and dropped Taylor's case, but I wasn't giving up just yet, so anything Rennen could give me might help. The bastard had killed Tess Richards and framed it on an innocent man, and I couldn't let it go even if he had threatened me. Scott was still quietly digging around for me while I went about my business as usual. So far, Elias seemed to have bought my compliance and left me alone. However, I wasn't about to assume he was done with me yet, and to be safe I'd asked Malory to stay with me this week, driving her to and from work, and having her use one of my family drivers when I couldn't. I didn't dare to tell her what was really going on, regardless of any confidentiality issues. I didn't give a shit about that anymore, but the less she knew about Elias the better. The last thing I wanted to do was drag her into this shit and paint a target on her back, then have him start threatening her.
I returned Rennen's call, and he picked up immediately.
"Good morning, Caxton," Rennen said in a polite tone.
"You have information for me," I said succinctly, cutting to the chase.
"I do," he replied, unruffled by my terseness. "After our last conversation, I've been concerned about Elias' possible negative impact on my business. I've been having my staff keep an eye on him and keep me appraised of his activities ever since, but I haven't learned anything useful."
"Alright," I said gruffly, wishing he'd get to the damn point.
"However, in light of his continued harassment of your submissive, I decided to try a different tact."
I opened my mouth to tell him to spit it out what he called to tell me already, when I realized exactly what he'd just said. "Wait," I said sharply as a foreboding chill fell over me. "What do you mean by continued?"
"Your confrontation with him at Désir Dangereux, and the incident at The Indigo Room Friday night," he replied.
"What incident?" I asked tightly, the chill starting to morph into actual fear.
A brief moment of silence followed before he spoke again. "She didn't tell you?" he asked in a nonplussed tone.
"No," I answered in a low angry growl. Obviously.
"I recognized Malory on the security feeds when she came in on Friday night, and then Elias entered the club a short time later," he explained. "I decided to keep an eye on her after that, and eventually he followed her up to the Sky Deck and cornered her there when she was alone. I intervened immediately, and made sure he left the club."
I sat there in stunned silence, blinking rapidly as I comprehended what he just told me. Fuck, had Elias been having her followed all this time too? Was he going to threaten her next, or was she already in danger? If Ian Elias touched one damn hair on her head, I'd kill him with my bare fucking hands, slowly and painfully.
"Caxton?" Rennen finally asked in concern.
"Tell me why you fucking called me," I demanded harshly. "Now."
"I don't make a habit of tolerating disrespect," Rennen growled out in a deep threatening tone laced with tightly-coiled anger, "but given the situation, I'm going to let it pass...this time."
I sucked in a breath and huffed it out in a rush as I fought not to start screaming obscenities at him. "Please," I forced out through gritted teeth. "Just tell me."
"I questioned a few of the women who've played with Elias at the club recently," he said, his voice returning to its usual politeness. "I just spoke to one of them who claims to have overheard a phone conversation last weekend that I think might be of concern to you. Apparently, she heard Elias instruct someone to pick up Red as soon as the opportunity presented itself, and given the fact that I heard him call your redheaded submissive that on Friday night, I thought you needed to know."
Holy fuck, that was before they even came after me. Just like I feared, Elias wasn't done with me at all, not by a long shot, and now he was coming for Malory. My breathing sped up along with my heart rate as a wave of pure panic hit me, and I just sat there stunned and terrified.
"Caxton?" Rennen asked again after a long moment of silence.
"I have to go," I barked out and ended the call without even waiting for his response.
I pulled up Malory's number and called her. The phone rang and rang and rang, and when Malory's voice mail picked up, I ended the call and tried again. I called a third and a fourth time, and she still didn't pick up. A sick nauseous feeling fell over me. I called her work number, but got her voice mail there too. Fuck. Desperate now, I called Mitchell, the driver who should have taken her to work today, and questioned him about it.
"I'm sorry, sir," was his reply, "but Miss Burke never called me to pick her up this morning."
I responded with a long line of blistering profanity before hanging up on him, barely stopping myself from hurling my phone through the goddamn windshield in my rage. He had her, he fucking had her. I just knew it. Elias was a dead man, a goddamn fucking corpse.
I threw my Range Rover into gear and left the prison, peeling out as I left the parking lot and speeding down the road. I clutched the wheel with a white-knuckled death grip, terrified beyond words and not even sure where I was going to go when I got back to town. I just knew that I had to find her, had to save her. There was no other option that I could live with or even consider.
A mile or so down the road, my phone rang. I glanced at the screen to see Malory's name. Oh thank God. A sweet tide of relief swept over me.
"Malory?" I asked frantically after I answered the call.
"I'm so sorry," a deep gravelly voice spoke with an infuriatingly amused lilt, "but Malory is unavailable right now."
"Where the fuck is she, Elias?" I asked in a panicked tone.
"I'm afraid she's all tied up at the moment." A dark chuckle followed.
Just the thought of that sick bastard binding her and having her at his mercy made me feel ill.
"If you fucking touch her, I will rip you apart with my bare fucking hands," I snarled out, my body trembling from the rage and terror battling it out inside of me.
"I don't think you're in any position to be threatening me, Caxton." The amusement in his tone a moment ago was long gone now, replaced with cold hard menace.
"It's not a fucking threat," I replied viciously. "It's a promise. I'm going to pound your fucking face in until you choke on your own goddamn teeth."
"We both know you're not going to do that."
"And why not?" I snarled out fiercely.
"Because of this," he replied archly.
I heard a bunch of rustling noises, and then the sound of someone breathing erratically.
"Talk," I heard Elias snarl out sharply in the background.
"Hello?" Malory's frail and fearful voice came over the phone.
"Malory," I said. My voice was weak and pathetic now as the terror superseded everything else in my head, and I had to pull over to the side of the road.
"Gareth," she sobbed out. "I'm so scared." Her whispered and terrified words destroyed me.
I slumped forward and closed my eyes in despair, my forehead coming to rest on the steering wheel as my stomach twisted and turned inside me. I could hear her sobbing.
"Baby, you'll be okay," I told her in a hoarse and wavering voice. "I'll get you out of this. I promise." Please don't let that be a lie.
A dark chuckle came over the line again. "You sure are promising a lot of things you may not be able to deliver."
"Let her go, you fucking bastard," I demanded harshly. "This doesn't concern her."
"And give up my leverage?" He laughed again. "I don't think so."
"What the fuck do you want?" I snarled out, ready for him to get to the fucking point.
"I want Taylor."
"What?"
"You heard me," he replied, his voice cool and calm again. "Bring me Travis Taylor, and we'll see about getting your precious Malory back to you."
"How the fuck am I supposed to do that?" I asked sharply. "He doesn't want anything to do with me."
"You're a resourceful man. I'm sure you'll figure something out." He proceeded to tell me an address I knew to be in a sketchy and crime-ridden part of town. "Tell no one and be there alone at midnight tonight with Taylor all wrapped up in a pretty bow, or I'll be showing Red what a real master can do, and I can't guarantee she'll enjoy it, but I certainly will." He chuckled vilely yet again.
"You fucking piece of shit bastard. I'm going to-" I began, but the call ended, cutting off my threat mid sentence. I instantly called Malory's phone back, but it went straight to voice mail without even ringing, and I suspected Elias had destroyed it after he ended the call.
I flung my phone down on the passenger-side floorboard. I pounded my hands against the steering wheel repeatedly as I screamed and bellowed in impotent rage. I was completely and totally fucked, because I'd do whatever Elias wanted to save my Malory, no matter the cost to myself, and he fucking knew it.
**********
I pulled my Range Rover to a stop a few hundred yards from the long drive that led to Travis Taylor's mansion and shut off the engine, leaving oppressive silence to envelop me. It was just after nine o'clock, and it was finally dark outside. I could just make out the lights through the trees coming from the house as I stared at it in resignation, unable to believe I was planning on kidnapping someone at gunpoint from their own home. What choice did I have though? Malory's life was on the line, and a felony was a small price to pay to save her.
After my phone conversation with Elias, I called Elaine to tell her that I was sick and to cancel everything I had scheduled for the rest of the day. Then I called Derek to ask him to teach my Muay Thai class tonight, telling him that I was tied up with a client. I drove home and went straight to my wet bar to pull out my bourbon, needing something to take the edge off the fear and adrenaline coursing through me. Who gave a fuck if it wasn't even noon yet? Then I sat in the club chair in my bedroom staring at the bed I'd spent so much time in with my Malory, her sweet scent still lingering in the room, knowing what I needed to do, yet still trying to figure out a way out of it. It was the longest most torturous day of my entire life as I waited for nightfall.
I'd considered calling the police, but I suspected Elias would know. I was certain he had people on the force on his payroll. I thought about asking Derek for help, but feared putting his family at risk by involving him in this. I even considered calling Malory's brother-in-law Andy. He was an intelligent man who excelled at problem solving, but I couldn't imagine telling him how I'd fucked everything up and put her in danger again. I'd just gotten on her family's good side, and this would probably shove me straight back onto their shit list. I almost contacted Scott too, but ended up just sitting there all day and calling no one, because if Elias found out I told anyone Malory would suffer greatly for it.
My God, what if he was touching her right now, hurting her, raping her. Motherfucker. I clenched my hands into fists, digging my knuckles into my forehead and squeezing my eyes shut as murderous rage burned through my entire being. I knew that given the opportunity tonight, I was going to kill that man, no matter the consequences to myself, and take great joy in it.
I let out a shuddering breath to calm myself what little I could. Then I pulled the hood of my sweatshirt up and reached for the door handle, mentally preparing myself for my ill-conceived, yet necessary plan. My phone rang, startling me. I floundered the damn thing out of my pocket, and saw Scott's name on the screen, then frowned. I shouldn't answer it, but maybe he had something I could use, something to get me out of this mess. That and I could put off this insanity a little longer.
"Caxton," I answered the call.
"What the fuck are you doing?" he asked in an irritated voice that threw me off completely.
"Excuse me?"
"You heard me," he continued in annoyance. "What are you doing sitting outside Taylor's house like some amateur fucking stalker?"
"What?" I asked in confusion. How the fuck did he know what I was doing right now?
A soft tapping noise drew my attention to the passenger window. I looked over to see Scott standing there with a deep frown on his face as he rapped on the glass with a finger. He had his phone held up to his ear, and a baseball cap pulled down to his eyebrows. I gaped at him for a long moment in startled shock.
"Let me in, you dumbfuck," he grumbled quietly as he glared at me through the window.
I immediately unlocked the door, and he hastily climbed in.
"What are you doing here?" I asked him harshly as panic fell over me. I couldn't afford for Scott to mess up my plan. Too much was at stake.
"The job you're paying me for," he replied sarcastically. "Elias had so much security on him today that I had to keep my distance to keep from being made. The bastard managed to ditch me this morning, so I decided to follow Taylor around and see what he was up to." He suddenly grinned at me. "You missed all the fun. His wife packed up the kids and left him a little while ago." He shook his head as his grin widened. "Good thing the neighbors aren't close. The scene she made in the driveway was a real shit show."
"He finally told her the truth?" I asked incredulously.
"Fuck no," Scott replied. "Apparently, the case against him finally hit the local news, from what I could glean out of the few coherent things Ryan was screaming at him anyway."
I snorted out a bitter laugh. "Serves him right for lying to her all this time."
"Karma's a real bitch," Scott agreed in a more sober tone.
Silence fell between us, the uneasy kind that felt heavy and onerous, as Scott eyed me with an arched brow. His gaze slipped downward to take in the pulled up black hoodie I was wearing, along with the matching athletic pants and dark shoes. I just sat there, not knowing what to say since I couldn't tell him the truth.
"You planning a heist?" he finally asked drolly, then glanced around the SUV's interior. "Is there a ski mask floating around in here somewhere? Perhaps a cat burglar kit?"
"I'm just working on the case," I answered vaguely.
Scott's expression turned skeptical. "So your moonlighting as a P.I. now? Is this your subtle way of telling me I'd fired? You know a simple phone call would have sufficed."
"You need to leave and forget you saw me here, Scott," I said grimly as I turned away to stare out the windshield. "Please," I added pleadingly. I could feel him staring sharply at me as I hoped and prayed he'd let this go. It was too much to ask for.
"What does Elias have on you?" he asked quietly. Damn the man for being so perceptive and intuitive.
I closed my eyes and exhaled, my body deflating in resignation and despair. "I can't tell you," I whispered. Another long moment of heavy silence followed.
"Whatever promises or guarantees he's made to you in return for whatever this stupidity is, they're all lies," Scott said gravely. "That man has no honor and no scruples."
"I know," I forced out through clenched teeth. "Please just go. I'm begging you."
"Nope," he said sharply, and settled back into his seat and crossed his arms stubbornly. "I'm not going anywhere, so you might as well just tell me."
Stubborn bastard. I snarled in frustration, half tempted to pull my gun out on Scott to get him to leave. I started thinking of all the horrific things Elias could be doing to Malory right this very second. I could still picture the vile and covetous way he'd looked at her at Désir Dangereux. I squeezed my eyes shut, my hands clenching tightly in my lap as I seethed inside, my stomach roiling. He wanted her for himself, and deep down, I knew he wasn't going to give her back to me no matter what hoops he had me jumping through tonight. It was all a game to him, and he was just fucking with me until he got what he really wanted, my Malory. Taylor and I were mere pawns and loose ends to tie up now. If I let him dictate my actions tonight, I feared I wouldn't survive and Malory would be his. I couldn't let that happen. I wouldn't. It was time to change the game and turn the tables on that evil fucking bastard.
"He has Malory," I finally said in a harsh and husky tone. "He wants me to bring him Taylor in exchange for her."
Scott's eyes widened for a brief moment, before he nodded in understanding. "You realize that's bullshit, right?"
"I do."
"When and where is the exchange?"
I told him the address where I was supposed to meet Elias with Taylor at midnight.
Scott's face turned thoughtful as he tapped his mouth absently with his index finger. Finally, he let out a deep breath. I watched in bemusement as he pulled his phone out of his jeans and began furiously typing a text to someone. He hit send and a moment later a reply buzzed across. He looked at it, then nodded once before shoving his phone back in his pocket.
"Okay," he said in a satisfied tone. "Let's go." He reached for the door handle and started opening the door.
"Go where?" I asked in confusion.
He paused and looked at me incredulously. "To get Taylor," he said. "Duh."
"Alright," I answered slowly, still bewildered. "And then what?"
"Then we're going someplace secure where we can plot that Elias fucker's downfall," he answered vehemently as he gave me a smug grin. "You in?"
A wave of relief swept through me. Maybe, just maybe, Scott could help me save the woman I loved and live to have the future I wanted so desperately with her.
"I'm in," I said firmly.
Twenty minutes later, I was following Scott's silver BMW down a dark and empty back road surrounded by a tunnel of trees with Taylor fidgeting nervously in my passenger seat. When we explained the situation to Travis, after he grudgingly let us in, he wasn't swayed by Malory's kidnapping at all. However, when Scott gave Travis the mere hint that Elias was gunning for him, apparently that was enough to get the self-serving coward to come with us. I didn't have anything to say to him after that, having nothing but contempt and disdain for the man now. We'd been driving in tense silence since we left his house, which was fine by me, and had the added bonus of making Taylor extremely uncomfortable.
Scott's brake lights flashed brightly in front of me, and he turned onto a narrow road that I wouldn't have even seen by myself. I followed him and was surprised to find that it was paved and well maintained. It wound through the trees for a while until the woods opened up into a large clearing. There, tucked among the trees, was a massive two-story home with clean and modern geometric lines that were softened by gray and brown earth tones. A swath of windows across the front spilled glowing light out into the pitch blackness surrounding the house.
Scott came to a stop in front of the two-car garage. I pulled up next to him and got out without even waiting for Taylor, needing some space from the little shit, and curious to find out where we were since Scott had been closed mouth about it for some reason.
I walked up to the front door with Scott, who reached out to ring the doorbell just as Taylor scurried up behind us. A moment later, the door opened to reveal Calder Rennen standing there wearing khaki pants, a tight navy T-shirt that highlighted his bulky upper body, and a sullen expression. His crystalline blue eyes briefly fell on me before focusing sharply and suspiciously on Taylor, who actually shrank back from Calder's fierce regard. He crossed his arms and looked at Scott then, a silent communication passing between the two friends, Calder giving him an accusing and irritated stare, and Scott shrugging and grimacing apologetically. Finally, Calder sighed deeply in obvious resignation.
"Please come in," he said in an even and polite tone as he stepped aside and raised an arm to motion us into his home.
My eyes were immediately drawn to the crook of Calder's elbow and the cluster of tiny pale scars there on his skin. I'd been around enough addicts to recognize track marks when I saw them, even if they were clearly old. I remembered Scott telling me that he met Calder in rehab ten years ago, so it made sense. I'd seen many times what IV drug use could reduce a person to, and I had great respect for anyone who had the commitment and sheer force of will to defeat what had most likely been a heroin addiction.
Calder led us further into his house across absolutely gorgeous maple hardwood floors and past a matching wooden staircase that led to an upper level. We entered an open area with a kitchen on the right and a living area to the left with a massive gray stone fireplace reaching all the way up to the vaulted ceiling above. The modern and clean decor somehow managed to have a distinct earthy and comfortable feeling, thanks to the use of lots of hardwood and a color scheme of gray and tawny beige with cream walls. The large kitchen was similarly decorated with dark-gray granite counter tops and high-end stainless steel appliances. The far wall was all windows with a balcony stretching across the entire length of the open room. There was nothing but inky darkness on the other side of the glass right now, but I imagine it had an excellent view of the woods surrounding us during the day.
The place was immaculate with nothing that seemed out of place anywhere in sight except for a single plate of partially eaten food on the kitchen island in front of a pulled out stool upholstered in pale gray leather. Calder must live here alone. I didn't see any sign of anyone else, or hear anything but some low soothing music in the background.
"Do you have anything to drink?" Taylor abruptly asked in a demanding tone, earning himself a glare from all of us.
"I have sparkling water or tea," Calder replied politely, despite his evident irritation at Taylor's impertinence.
"What? Nothing harder?" Taylor asked with a flummoxed expression.
"No," Calder answered succinctly.
"No whiskey?" Taylor asked incredulously with a sneer. "Not even a fucking beer?"
"My house is dry." His voice wasn't as polite this time. "If you want alcohol you're welcome to leave and find it somewhere else."
"Are you an alcoholic or something?" Taylor asked next.
Instead of answering, Calder pressed his lips together and shot a hard and angry stare at Scott that was clearly recognizable to anyone looking. Scott responded with a pained chagrined expression before turning his attention to Taylor.
"We're not here to drink anyway, Taylor, so shut your fucking mouth about it," Scott told him bitingly.
Taylor looked indignant and opened his mouth to speak.
I placed a firm hand on his shoulder and dug my fingers in. "If I were you, Travis," I said in a low threatening tone. "I'd choose my next words wisely, because one of these men has graciously allowed you sanctuary in his home, and the other has agreed to help you when he didn't have to at all." I eyed him fiercely. "If it weren't for them, you would still be at home a sitting duck waiting for Elias to come for you." Or being shoved into my Range Rover at gunpoint to be handed over to him. I didn't voice that thought to him.
His eyes widened in instant terror, and he mumbled out an apology. Calder frowned and shook his head, then walked over to the sitting area by the fireplace. Scott snorted in disgust and followed, and I shoved Taylor along ahead of me as we joined them. We all sat around the huge L-shaped sectional sofa, and Calder eyed Scott expectantly.
"We've got a problem, and its name is Ian Elias," Scott said grimly.
"He took my Malory," I blurted out in a low husky voice, not in the mood to wait for Scott to get to the point. Malory was in danger and needed me. "He wants to trade her for him." I pointed at Taylor.
"What?!" he practically shrieked as he flew to his feet. Yeah, we didn't tell him that little detail. "If you fucking assholes think I'm going to let you hand me over to that psycho, you are fucking ins-"
"Shut up!" Calder snapped out fiercely, his eyes blazing with icy blue fire. "And sit the fuck down," he added as he pointed sharply toward the floor.
Instantly cowed and intimidated, Taylor dropped back down onto the couch.
"No one's handing anyone over to anybody," Scott said with an irritated expression as he eyed Taylor with contempt. "If that was the case, you'd be in my trunk wrapped up in duct tape right now, which I might add is still a viable option if you don't keep your damn mouth shut."
Travis shrunk back into the couch cushion with a wary glint to his eyes, and wisely stayed silent.
"I'm fairly certain it's a trap," Scott told Calder. "There's no way he's letting her go, or planning on letting either of these two out of there alive." He motioned toward Taylor and me. "Elias may be a fierce and intelligent business man, but he's basically just an animal with no conscience or morals. He'll eliminate anything he sees as a threat to him, like Gareth and Travis. If he sees something he wants, he takes it, like Taylor's stolen money or Gareth's girlfriend. He's tying up loose ends and claiming something he wants."
Taylor's face paled, and his eyes widened in shock at Scott's knowledge of his embezzlement. Thankfully, he chose to keep his mouth shut again.
"How exactly do I fit into this?" Calder asked with a furrowed brow.
Scott told him the address Elias gave me for the exchange. "That's in the neighborhood you grew up in, right?"
"It is," Calder said uncomfortably with a grimace. "It's an old abandoned movie theater."
Holy shit. Rennen grew up there? That part of the city was frequently referred to as The Armpit. It was a rough and shady area the average person usually avoided. It was rife with crime and drugs, and most definitely not a safe area for a child to grow up in. Not only did he conquer his addiction, but he crawled his way up out of The Armpit to become a very successful business man. My respect for him grew exponentially.
"How familiar with it are you?" Scott asked carefully.
"Enough to know that it's a popular place for junkies to go shoot up," Calder replied tensely. "And I don't care to see it again anytime soon," he added vehemently. His eyes turned haunted as the fingers of his right hand absently brushed the scars on the crook of his left elbow. Something told me he was once one of those junkies.
Scott's eyes flashed to Calder's elbow. "Can you draw me a layout of the place?" he asked quietly with an understanding expression.
"I can do that," Calder replied with obvious relief, the tension of a moment ago fading quickly.
"Good," Scott said as a sly and predatory grin spread across his face.
"So what's the plan?" I asked him demandingly, sick of talking and ready to do something already. Malory was alone and vulnerable right now, and suffering God knows what at the hands of a monster. I couldn't just sit here anymore. "How do we get Malory back safely without us getting killed?"
Scott's eyes gleamed with sudden fervor, and then he proceeded to lay out a cunning yet dicey plan that had the potential to get us out of this unscathed or end up with all of us in the goddamn morgue. But what choice did I have? The life of the woman I loved was at stake. My devotion to her was absolute and limitless, and no matter what dark things I had to do, no matter what danger I had to risk, I was getting my Malory back.