Sara’s head throbbed in pain. Her shoulder was a bit sore, too, but it was nothing compared to the searing pain in her head. She blinked her eyes open and had no idea where she was.
The room looked dingy. Like some sort of basement. Cement walls, grimy floors. She pushed herself up to a seated position. She touched her head gingerly. There was some sort of crustiness to the wound. Dried blood? Probably. She’d been hit pretty hard. Hard enough to make her black out.
She got to her feet, ready to bang on the metal door in the corner and scream for someone to let her out. But she heard a sniffle behind her and spun around.
“Ian!”
He was huddled in the corner, sitting with his feet on the floor and hugging his knees, crying quietly.
“Mommy?” he whispered.
She ran to him and put her arms around him. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”
He shook his head. “I thought you were dead.”
His lower lip quivered and his face collapsed into sobs. She pulled him into her lap and cradled him while he cried. She stroked the top of his head. “It’s okay. I’m okay. I was hurt and was sleeping. That’s all.”
“Who were those guys? Why did they bring us here and bang you on the head?”
“Well, they hit my head so that they could bring us here. They knew that if I was awake, I would fight them and wouldn’t let them take us. So they had to make me to go sleep. I’m not sure who they are or why we’re here. What did they say to you? What did you see?”
“That man hit your head and we fell down. Then they took me to the car and carried you, too. That’s when I thought you were dead. I was talking to you and you didn’t answer. They kept telling me to be quiet and stop crying. Then they put us in here and locked the door.” He pointed to the metal door to the side of the room.
“Has anyone come in here since then?”
He shook his head.
“I’m going to see if we can get out.”
She slid him off her lap and got to her feet. He sat, hugging his knees again, watching her. She went to the door and tried it. Locked, of course. But now she took a moment to inspect the room.
The walls and floor were cold cement. Some kind of block made up the walls. She went around and pushed on them all, hoping to find one loose. They were all well secured. Not even a crack in the paint. There were no windows. The door looked pretty secure, but that didn’t stop her from trying to get it unlocked. She pried at it and picked at it. That did nothing, of course.
There was nothing in the room to stick in the door to try to open it. Nothing to use as a weapon. Just a square cement room. Maybe it was some sort of closet? The only light came from a dusty bare bulb that hung over head. Could she break the bulb and use the sharp glass as a weapon? But that would mean taking away their only light source. And it would not only leave them in pitch black, but would cause a lot of noise. And it would give whoever came in the room an advantage because they would be coming from light into the dark room, where she was in darkness and would be blinded by light when they opened the door. That wasn’t a good option.
What was there to do, then? Just sit and wait and hope that someone came. Someone like Saxton. She sat down beside Ian and adopted a similar position as his. The sinking sensation in her gut grew.
The person who could help them the most, the one who would surely come rescue them if he knew, she had run from. Had hurt so badly that he’d never come and save them now. She’d threatened him and said it was over between them. He had no reason to come save them. They were all alone at the mercy of these crazy men who’d taken them for who knew what reason.
What time was it? How long had they been there? Her stomach was so upset she didn’t feel hungry. She didn’t dare ask Ian if he was because that would only alert him to it. It probably wasn’t morning. Maybe an hour had passed. Maybe three or four. Without any sense of light, and having lost time in her black out, she couldn’t tell.
“We should try to sleep,” she said. Being exhausted would make everything worse because she wouldn’t be able to think or move quickly.
“There’s no bed,” Ian said, glancing around the small space as if one had appeared and he’d somehow missed it.
“I know. You can lay on me.”
She brought him to her and sat with her legs out so that she was leaning against the cold, hard wall and he was against her. She wrapped him in her arms and tried to close her own eyes. There was no use. She couldn’t possibly sleep. Whatever rest she may have gotten while being knocked out was likely all she’d get.
She thought Ian had fallen asleep after a while, but she didn’t want to move to check and risk waking him. His breathing was slow and steady. If he wasn’t asleep, at least he was content for the moment. Who knew what tomorrow would bring.
As her mind drifted through possibilities of all that could go wrong and all the things she was meant to do tomorrow, the door swung open in one fast swoosh. She jumped at the sudden intrusion. Ian jumped when she did and rubbed his eyes.
“Carter!” She got to her feet and held Ian close to her. “What are you doing here? Did you come to get us out?”
He raised an eyebrow and huffed. “Get you out? I don’t think so. You’re here because I ordered you to be.”
“What do you mean? Why would you do that?”
He shook his head slowly. “Don’t play stupid. I’ve seen you running around with that trash.”
“Saxton?”
“What else do you know about him?”
“Carter, I don’t know what’s going on, but there must be some misunderstanding. I barely know Saxton. Please, get us out of here. If you brought us here, then you can let us go.”
“Your boyfriend is—”
“He’s not my boyfriend.”
Carter narrowed his eyes at her. “Your fuck buddy, Saxton, has been causing quite the problem for me lately, and I don’t appreciate it. He needs to stop sticking his nose where it doesn’t belong.”
“Trouble? He’s not trying to cause any trouble. He’s only trying to find out who killed his friend.”
“Exactly.” He spit on the ground as if to make his point. “Like I said, he’s been poking around where he shouldn’t, causing me trouble, and I won’t stand for it.”
She took a step back from him, the weight of his words settling over her. “So, are you saying…”
Saxton was right. Even if she suspected deep down, she hoped she was wrong. She wanted to believe that her own brother wouldn’t do something like that. But he had practically just admitted to it.
“Did you kill Liam?”
“Oh, so you do know something after all. Get talking.”
Sara pressed her lips together. What should she tell him? What did she really know? She’d threatened to tell the police everything about Saxton if he killed Carter, but she’d never considered what she’d do if Carter were the one trying to get information on Saxton. She’d given Saxton plenty of details on Carter. Who should she be loyal to?
Well, that answer seemed clear now. Saxton had never hurt her. Quite the opposite. He’d saved her and protected her and would be protecting her and Ian still if she hadn’t run from him like an idiot. Yet her brother, her own flesh and blood, was the one holding her and his nephew hostage to get information.
“I just know he was looking for you,” she said. “That’s all.” She had just said this very thing, so she wasn’t telling him anything new. And he’d clearly already known this was the case, so no harm in repeating it.
“Where is Saxton now?” he asked.
“I have no idea.”
“When did you last see him?”
“Earlier tonight. Hours and hours ago.”
“Where?” he asked.
Should she lie or be honest? If she admitted to being at his house, she might have to tell him where Saxton lived. Did they know that already?
“He came to the restaurant where I work. One of them.” It was true. Sort of. He had come to the restaurant. It just wasn’t the whole truth.
“Where does he live?”
“I’m not sure,” she said, hoping it sounded convincing.
“How did you meet him?”
She laughed humorlessly. “I thought you would know all about that. Or aren’t you aware of what goes on when you run your little sex mills?”
“My what?” he snapped.
“Your, umm, ‘auction’? I don’t know how you can call it that. It’s just prostitution.”
“What the hell are you talking about?”
“Now who’s playing stupid?” she asked. Then she suddenly remembered Ian’s presence. She needed to explain this very carefully if she didn’t want him to know what had happened the night she met Saxton. “Your little escapade with the women who sell themselves to the highest bidder?”
“What about it?”
“So, you admit to it? That it’s prostitution?”
He laughed. “Am I supposed to feel bad about that? If those little whores want to give themselves away for some cash, what do I care? I just provide the outlet and collect the proceeds.”
“You don’t care that women are being used like that?”
“It’s good money. It’s one of the many things I do.”
She shook her head. “What happened to you? You didn’t used to be this callous. You used to be an okay guy.”
“Then I used to have you fooled. I started hustling back in the fourth grade, sis. You were too stupid to have any clue and far too innocent to get in on it. Shame. You wouldn’t be working all these pitiful jobs if you had. You could be rolling in dough.”
“Yeah, I’ve seen the money those auctions make.”
He pulled his mouth to one side. “I thought that was you. Cinnamon, was it? Sweet as can be. My sweet, sweet little whore of a sister, selling her pussy just to make a buck. I hope it didn’t all go up your nose.”
She gasped in shock. Of all things she’d been in her life, a drug user was not one of them. “It did not. It went to pay for your nephew’s education.”
“Aww, how noble of you. Does he understand that Mommy got fucked for him to go to his special school?”
She clamped her hands over Ian’s ears and hoped he hadn’t heard or understood. “Shut up. That isn’t even what happened. Saxton is much better than that.”
“Oh? Tell me more. What else is Saxton good at?” He crossed his arms and waited.
“I wouldn’t know.”
“Enough with the lies. I don’t want to have to hurt you, but I will.”
“Is that what happened to Liam? He was lying and you had to shoot him in the back of the head to get the truth out?”
“Liam? Nah. He just got a little too close for comfort. He wanted in. But he wasn’t our type. So we had to keep him out. Permanently.”
“So you shot him.”
A thin smile crept across his mouth. “Maybe. Why don’t you tell me what you think happened, and I’ll tell you if it’s correct.”
“That’s all I know.” She wasn’t giving anything else away. Especially not the fact that she knew about his knife.
His knife. Her eyes flared momentarily when she had the thought, but she brought them back quickly. She had taken the knife from Saxton’s and tucked it in her bra. She took a deep breath and felt it press against her. Still tucked just under the strap in the front, resting under her breasts. No one had felt it there. Well, at least she knew they hadn’t put their hands all over her while she was blacked out.
Could she get the knife out and use it? Carter was better trained in weapons and fighting and he had several pounds on her. Plus, she had Ian to worry about. Her only advantage was surprise. But if she reached up into her bra, it wouldn’t be a surprise. She’d need to save it for the right time. Have it ready when someone came back in the room. Something like that. Now was not the time. She’d waste it trying to use it now.
“What does Saxton know about the murder?” Carter asked. “Or, should I say, what does he think he knows?”
“Only that it was you.”
“How does he know that?”
“He’s smart. He knows people. I don’t know. How do you know he’s looking for you?”
Carter rolled his eyes. “Please. I run the underground of this city. I know everything that goes on.”
“Then you should have no trouble knowing where Saxton is. Why would you need little old me to help you if you have such control over every thing?”
Carter ground his jaw. “Not all my people are as good as they should be. And I’ll be pruning my numbers real fast after this.”
“So, you’re going to kill more people. Is that all you do anymore? Kill people and sell women and sit back to collect the money? What else are you into?”
His expression grew amused. “Seems like you enjoyed the auction immensely. Got to meet your little fuck buddy and get paid top dollar for doing nothing more than lying on your back and spreading your legs. Always knew you were a little whore. About time you actually got paid for slutting around.”
She fought the tears that wanted to fill her eyes. “Go to hell,” she growled.
His hand shot out so fast, she didn’t see it coming. It connected to her cheek in a loud smack and the bright, sharp stinging hit her a moment later. The shock of the slap silenced her. Then Ian started crying. The tears she’d fought before now came without restraint, making her vision blurry.
“I’d watch your mouth if I were you, little sis. Don’t make me have to wash it with soap. Or something more interesting.”
Something more interesting? That could mean almost anything. She didn’t want to think about it. Her face burned and the tears shimmered at the edge of her vision. How could he hit her like that? Whatever loyalty she had felt toward him before for being her brother was long gone now. She would protect Saxton and Saxton only when it came to choosing between the two of them.
Carter leaned in close so that his spit dotted her face as he spoke in harsh words. “I only need to keep you alive long enough to get Saxton here so I can kill him. Then I can do whatever I want with you. If you make such a good little whore, maybe I’ll keep you around permanently. Sell you off a few times a day. You’d be a nice addition to my collection. Or maybe I’ll save myself the hassle and just get rid of you and the brat.”
Sara instinctively tightened her arm around Ian. She’d fight for him as long as she could. She’d try to stay alive, do whatever she had to do to keep him safe.
“Just so happens, I have a very handy piece of equipment.” Carter took her phone from his back pocket. Her case with Ian’s photo on the back was splotched with blood. It must’ve fallen from her pocket when she was knocked out and landed in the blood or something.
He pressed the button to light up the screen and reached out to grab her hand. He roughy pressed her thumb against the circle at the bottom, unlocking it.
“Let’s see here,” Carter said. “Oh, here it is. Saxton Mirth. I’m surprised you don’t have some cute little selfie with him, for all the time you’ve spent fucking him.”
She said nothing and just glared. When he made the call, she would have limited time to say anything to Saxton. This had to be good. She might have to scream it over Carter’s words if he didn’t put the phone to her mouth.
Carter tapped the screen and hit the speakerphone icon. In one ring, Saxton answered. “Sara?” His voice was desperate and raw. The emotion of it overwhelmed her. Tears returned to her eyes. Maybe all wasn’t lost when it came to him.
“She’s right here, Saxton,” Carter said.
“Saxton, help us! He’s got us in some warehouse closet—”
Carter shoved his hand over her mouth and pushed so hard that she stumbled back into the wall, crashing her head into hard block.
“You only talk when I tell you to talk. Understand? Don’t make me cut your tongue out,” Carter hissed.
He straightened up and held the phone to his mouth again.
Saxton was shouting back. “Sara! It’s okay, I’ll save you! I will find you!”
“Oh Saxton, stop,” Carter said. “Of course you’ll find her. You’re going to go right where I tell you. And if you do what I say, you will save her. Why do you think I called?”
“Where?” Saxton asked gruffly.
“I’m going to give you an address. Do you have a pen ready?” Carter asked cordially, like he was about to give a message for someone to call him back about his insurance policy.
“Go,” Saxton said.
“1311 Viewmark Road. If you don’t show up there, alone, in an hour, I will kill her.”
“I’ll be there,” Saxton said. Then, “Sara, hang on, baby! I’m coming.”
“Saxton! No!” she said, keeping her distance from Carter. “It’s a trap! He’s going to kill you.”
“Oh whoops,” Carter said. “I think I hung up before he heard your warning. Poor guy. Hope he doesn’t get himself hurt.”
“Why are you doing this?” Sara asked, fresh tears running down her cheeks.
“You know the answer to that. If your boy toy would have minded his own business, you wouldn’t be here and neither would Ian. Just make sure you keep the blame where it belongs.”
“You’re the one who killed Liam. You’re the one to blame.”
“You don’t know anything about my business or my world. Don’t act like you have a clue.”
She had nothing to say to that. She didn’t know, he was right. She didn’t want to know anything about it, either. All she needed to know was this. Her brother was a killer. He was evil. And now he was using her and her son as bait to get Saxton, who she had strong feelings for, so that he could kill him, too.
“You’re not my brother anymore,” she said.
He smirked and put his hand to his heart. “Aww, I’m so hurt. Whatever will I do?”
She glared as he backed out of the room, laughing. He slammed the door hard behind him, and his laughter faded as he walked away.
Sara turned Ian to her. “Are you okay?”
He nodded, tear lines staining his cheeks. “Why did Uncle Carter hit you?”
“Uncle Carter is a very bad man. He’d not going to be your uncle anymore, okay?”
Ian nodded. “Is Saxton going to be hurt?”
“I hope not, baby. He’s coming, though. Carter wants to hurt him. That’s why he put us here. To get Saxton to come and save us. And of course, because he cares about us so much, Saxton is going to come and save us. Let’s just pray real hard that he’ll be okay.”
Ian nodded again and put his hands together, then squeezed his eyes shut as his lips moved with his silent prayers.
Please don’t let Saxton die, Sara thought. But get us out of here somehow.