DEEP: The Complete Man Candy Trilogy (9 page)

I wanted her for keeps.

I pulled a beer out of the mini bar and lay back on the bed. I wondered if she was burning for me the way I did for her. That night by the lake I had thought she loved me. I'd almost said the words.

Caro had been wearing a new dress that night. Something she'd bought at the one mall a hundred miles away. It was the last night that everyone was together before going off to school.

Not that I was going to college. I'd had enough of school that was for damn sure.

But I would have followed her anyway.

I would have followed her anywhere.

That was the night I got up the courage to tell her so. It had taken half a bottle of whiskey, but at last I'd had enough. It was now or never.

Her big eyes had gotten so wide when I grabbed her hand and pulled her away from the bonfire. She hadn't laughed at me the way I'd feared. She'd looked at me with something that looked like hope.
 

Caro... I can't let you leave without telling you...

Telling me what Chan?

How I feel about you.

I'd leaned in to kiss her before saying another word. It felt like we kissed for hours. Hell, we probably had. We'd ended up side by side on the sand, staring into each other's eyes.

That's when her friends had called her. It was time to go home. She'd walked away but not before smiling at me with sweet promise in her eyes.

But something had changed that night. I knew because I tried to see her off at the bus station. But she'd taken an earlier bus. She was long gone.

Hell, I even wrote.

I never heard from her again.

Carolina

Even before I opened my eyes I knew where I was. The smell of the leather, the sound of the car, the movement.

I was tied up in the back of a car. A big car. A luxury car.

I was in Max's limo.

Dread thudded in my veins. I opened my eyes, afraid of what I would see. The first thing I saw was Hanz, Max's right hand man.

The second thing I saw was Katey.

She was tied up beside me. Her eyes were wide with fear. Whatever they'd given us to knock us out- they'd given me more. She was wide awake, not coming out of a stupor like I was.

My head thudded dully.

We were in trouble. Very, very big trouble.

Whatever Max had in mind, it wasn't good. He wasn't even pretending to be a good person. He was having us manhandled by thugs.
 

Everything Chan and Joss had told me was running through my head. He liked to hurt women. He was a criminal. He wasn't just bad.

He was evil.

How could I have been so blind? And now my friend was in danger because of my stupidity. I looked over at her, my eyes filled with regret.

Katey was staring at me. I shook my head, answering her unspoken question. No, I had no idea how to get us out of this situation. But I would try. I had to try.

Not just for us.
 

For Chan.

He would come after me. I knew it. And he would get hurt. Or worse.

He might get killed.

A scream rose up in my throat at the thought. Funny, charming, sweet, crazy Chan. He couldn't die.

I wouldn't let him put himself in danger on my behalf.

I had to make sure Max never found out about him. Never knew how close I'd been to running away with him. Or anything else that had happened.

It was time to face up to the reason why. I cared about Chan too deeply. I couldn't pretend anymore that I didn't like him. That he annoyed me. That I didn't want his touch.

It didn't matter if he'd kissed me on a dare all those years ago. It didn't matter if he'd lied to me back then. He cared now.

I forgave him.

I had to because... I was falling in love with him.

Who was I kidding? I'd always been halfway in love with him. The adorable little boy with the blue eyes and dimples who spent every waking moment trying to get a rise out of me? How could I resist him?

He was always in trouble.

He was trouble.

But Chan was never unkind. Mischievous, yes. But mean? Never. Not to the kids everyone else made fun of. Not to animals. Not to old ladies.

And never to me.

I looked up and saw Hanz smirking at me. Like he knew something I didn't. A shiver of fear shot through me at the look in his eyes.

The car came to an halt and the door was opened from the outside. The driver was someone I hadn't seen before. He looked a lot like Hanz.

Big, tall and dangerous.

Professionally dangerous.

The driver pulled Katey out of the car and carried her away. Hanz reached for me. I jerked backwards. But he just smiled and wagged his finger at me.

"Be a good girl."

I went limp. I couldn't fight him. If it had just been me then I might have made a run for it. But I couldn't leave Katey anyway. I didn't struggle as he lifted me carefully and carried me across a the partially finished entrance. We were in a closed off construction zone. There was a fence hiding us from view.

No one would see us.

No one was coming to help.

I was almost glad. This way it would be impossible for Chan to find us.

He would be safe.
 

Even if we weren't.

I stared up at a building I recognized from pictures. It was an unfinished luxury condominium Max had been working on for over a year.

The front was sheer glass. It was well over 20 stories high. To say it was intimidating would be an understatement.

Another man opened the door for us. He seemed completely unsurprised to see two women bound and gagged. Another bad sign for what was in store. Everything about this was surreal. I knew I had to stop being scared and start thinking clearly.

Our lives depended on it.

We rode the elevator in absolute silence. I tried to catch Katey's eye but she was turned the other way. She must be terrified.

At this point my only concern was for her and Chan.

Especially Chan.

I couldn't help it. I loved my friend but I didn't think she'd be killed. If Max ever knew what Chan and I had gotten up to together... how I'd let him touch me.

Chan would be worse than dead.

The elevator stopped on the very top floor. Of course. Only the best would do for Max.

The penthouse.

This part of the building was finished, and then some. Floor to ceiling windows, marble floors, a sleek open concept with white kitchen. An enormous white leather couch took up most of the living room.

Of course it was leather.

I heard Max before I saw him.

"Bring her in here. Leave the other."

I twisted my head and saw Katey being lowered onto the couch. I tried to catch her eye again but Hanz was carrying me into another part of the enormous condo.

The master bedroom.

Hanz lowered me into a chair. My hands were bound behind me so I was perched at the edge of seat. I sat there awkwardly and waited. Max stood by the window, looking out over the city.
 

"Shut the door please."

I flinched as the door closed behind Hanz.
 

Max turned at last and smiled at me. He was so handsome, so urbane. His lightweight wool suit fit him to perfection. His dark hair was perfectly styled. His dark eyes looked almost kind as he smiled at me.

Almost.

He walked towards me. His hands reached out to stroked my hair back from my face.

"So lovely, always so lovely."

I twisted my head away. His touch sickened me. He laughed cruelly and walked across the room to pour himself a drink.

"Were you planning to leave town, my sweet?"

"No, Max. Please just let Katey go."

"Perhaps."

"Whatever you want to do with me, fine. But please leave my friend out of it."

He smiled at me again. This time the smile was cruel.

"Oh, I will do whatever I want to with you. I've been waiting long enough. You know, the thought of a virgin was so alluring. No one had so much as touched what belonged to me..."

He gripped my chin, cruelly twisting my head back to look at him.

"Has someone touched you, Carolina?"

"No."

He released me and crossed the room again. This time he picked up a piece of paper. He paced back and forth, growing increasingly agitated. I had never seen him like this.

He looked like he was insane.

"So, no plans to travel? Back home to Georgia perhaps..."

I shook my head 'no.'

"That's very interesting. Because someone made a reservation for you to fly there with them."

He glanced at the paper.

"Chandler? Who is that Carolina?"

"He's no one! I barely know him."

He smiled at me coldly.

"That's too bad. I prefer to know who someone is before I kill them."

He shrugged. Killing a man was nothing to him. I closed my eyes. My fear for Chan completely washed away any concern for myself.
 

"No matter. Now, the more important question is what am I going to do with you?"

He sat beside me and pushed my hair over my shoulder. His touch was cold as he traced the edge of my collarbone with his fingertips.

"Rather the questions is, what
won't
I do with you?"

I whimpered. I didn't know I could even be this afraid. My blood felt like ice.

"Your punishment will be... enjoyable. For me."

He leaned forward and kissed my neck slowly. I could smell his aftershave. My entire body stood up in goose bumps.

Abruptly he stood and walked to the closet. He pulled it open, revealing my wedding gown. He smiled at me benignly.

"But first, the ceremony! We must have our bride looking pristine for the wedding photos."

I stared at him. He was mad. He actually expected me to go through with this.

The thing was, I didn't really have a choice.

"Get dressed my love. Your little friend can help you. I will let her go after you are mine."

Chapter Twelve

Chandler

Joss stood by the door, blocking my way. I tried to fight my way past him but he was determined. Not to mention trained in combat. He was also less insane than I was.

At the moment anyway.

I was out of my God damn mind with fear and fury.

Caro was missing. Katey too. There were signs of struggle in their hotel room.

It was Joss who told me not to call the police.

It was Joss who told me he would find them.

It was Joss who was keeping me from barreling out of my hotel room once he'd told me he had a lead. Now he was threatening to tie me to a chair unless I cooled off. He'd also mentioned something about cutting off the blood to my head until I passed out.

I knew he could do it. I knew he would too, without hesitation. I stepped away from the door, raising my hands.

"Sit."

I sat.

"They are looking for you Chan. Even I got a call. They specified that the condition you were in was not important. You just had to be alive."

"I don't care."

"Chan, they said to maim, not kill. You know what that means don't you?"

I shrugged.

"That sick motherfucker is going to torture you. Why Chan?"

"He must know."

"What?"

"He must know that I touched her."

Joss sat on the table across from me.

"You really do have a death wish don't you?"

I shook my head. I didn't. But right now the main reason I had for living was in danger.

"Do you love this girl, Chan? Because you really could get killed if you pursue this. Hell, even if you don't. Basically you are going to get hurt if you don't leave town. Today."

I stared at Joss. I felt like a caged animal. I was ready to tear someone's head off.

"Yes, I fucking love her! Isn't that obvious?"

He leaned back.

"Okay man. Does she know that?"

I shook my head. That was the worst part of this. If something happened to her. If his goons got to me first... she would never know how I felt.

"I never told her. She thinks... she thinks I just want to get into her pants. Like she's some sort of a challenge."

He cocked an eyebrow.

"Is she?"

"She is challenging as fuck but that's not why I want her. She's not a prize. She's a person. An amazing, perfect person."

I held my head in my hands as if I could stop my wheels from turning. It didn't work. All I could think of was Caro. My sweet, beautiful Caro.

"Oh God, Joss. What if he hurts her?"

Joss's hand came down on my shoulder.

"We need to get you to a secure location. Me and my team will get her out in time."

I looked up at him. He knew something. The question was: in time for what?

Joss made a few calls, speaking softly. He was recharging his phone and his laptop. He stepped into the bathroom for a second.

I scooped up his phone and skimmed through his texts.
 

Morningside Church on Bay Drive

It took me less than a second to recognize what was going on.
 
Max wasn't torturing her. Not yet.

He was marrying her.

With Katey in danger, Caro wouldn't have a choice in the matter.

She couldn't say no to becoming his wife.

After that, he could do whatever he wanted with her. It would be next to impossible to save her. Not that I would ever, ever stop trying.

Let's just hope it didn't come to that.

I didn't hesitate. I dropped his phone and ran for the door. But not before I did one last stupid thing in the long list of spectacularly stupid things I was about to do.

I took Joss's gun.

Carolina

Katey's hands were shaking as she tried to maneuver the ornate rows of buttons that ran up the back of my wedding gown. I grabbed her hand and squeezed it. Her eyes were full of tears.

"Oh Caro..."

"Stop. I'm glad you are here. You can go home and make sure Chan is okay too."

She wiped her tears away.

"Promise me you will tell him to stay away Katey. They'll kill him."

"I promise."

I nodded, and let go of her hand. I stared into the mirror. My hair was loose and flowing down my back. Hanz had brought some makeup in, wordlessly placing it on the counter. I'd tried to apply it as best I could. Even though it made me sick to do it.