Seduced in the Dark (43 page)

“
That you could fix me? What’s more, that
I could fix you? Well, sorry, Pet, I don’t want to be
fixed.”

Rafiq leaned forward, the devil in his eyes,
“We’ve known one another for a long time, Caleb. You understand how
important this is to me. I won’t tolerate anyone interfering with
our plans – not even you.”

“
You ran. I went to collect my property.
End of story. In two years, maybe less, I’ll have what I want –
revenge.”

For Rafiq and Caleb, it had always been
about revenge. It had been the only thing that had
ever
mattered. Not friendship. Not loyalty. Not justice. It seemed so
trivial now, so small when weighted against the price: Livvie. “I
want to kill Vladek and I want it to be the end,” Caleb
whispered.

Rafiq let out a derisive snort and sat back,
“This is about the girl, isn’t it?”

Fear quickened Caleb’s pulse, “No! This is
about us. It’s about our partnership and how much it has always
been weighted in your favor.”

“We proceed with the plan, Caleb,” Rafiq
said resolutely. “You’ve overstepped your boundaries and taken
advantage of the love I have for you for the last time. You’re
tired and not yourself, and so, I will try to forget the things
you’ve said tonight, but I will not tolerate your disrespect again.
Consider yourself warned.”

Caleb took a moment to regain his calm. He
was tired and tonight could very well be the last time he and Rafiq
talked as friends. Sadness crept in around the edges of his anger.
“I’m sorry, Rafiq. I haven’t been fair. For twelve years you’ve
looked after me when you didn’t have to and I don’t want to sound
ungrateful. I was an angry and willful boy and it couldn’t have
been easy to take me in. I would be dead if not for you…or worse.
Forgive me.”

Rafiq seemed to soften. He sat back in his
chair and thoughtfully eyed Caleb. “You’re forgiven,
Khoya
.
Perhaps I wasn’t always kind or considerate of you, either. You’ve
earned your keep and my respect.” Rafiq stood and poured himself
another drink and tilted it toward Caleb, “Drink with me, to
loyalty.”

Caleb raised his glass with some effort, “To
loyalty.” The liquid burned his throat and sat heavy in his stomach
where it met with his shame and conspired to make him retch.

“We leave the day after tomorrow. I’ve
arranged for a pilot and a private plane to fly us home. It will be
a longer journey, avoiding customs, but I don’t trust the girl. I’m
not taking any chances. I’ll resume her training in the morning. I
want to be sure she’s ready,” Rafiq said. He seemed in higher
spirits.

Caleb’s heart sank, “Wouldn’t it make more
sense for me to maintain control of her training until we land in
Pakistan? She’s frightened of you and it might prompt her to behave
rashly.”

Rafiq’s brows furrowed, “You’ve coddled her
enough,
Khoya
. It’s time she understood her place.”

“Have you thought about what might happen to
her after we’re done with her?” Caleb asked while trying to remain
respectful.

Rafiq smiled, “Ah! You do want her
then?”

“No, Rafiq. Not after Vladek has had his way
with her. I’m only curious if you have any plans for the
future.”

“I’ll leave it to you,
Khoya
.
Consider her your reward for a job well done.
When
it’s done
of course,” he said with a smile.

Caleb offered a smile of his own, though all
he felt was anger and despair. Caleb stood slowly and embraced
Rafiq as he said goodnight. In his heart, he knew it was also a
farewell.

“
Will you miss me Caleb?” Livvie put her
arms around Caleb. He held her in place.

“
Yes,” he said simply.

On his way back to his room, he ran into
Felipe in the foyer.

“My, don’t you look serious tonight,”
Felipe’s accented words brought Caleb to a halt. Felipe walked over
to him and led him toward one of the temporary bars he had set up
for the party the following evening. “I believe you could use a
drink, my friend.”

Felipe walked behind the bar and poured them
both a short glass of bourbon. He handed Caleb a glass, and then
lifted his, saying, “To a long life filled with love.” He drank,
and then set his glass down on the bar when Caleb didn’t
reciprocate.

“I realize I owe you my gratitude, but I’m
short on gratitude at the moment,” Caleb said.

Felipe smiled, “Yes, that was close.”

“Why would you help me?” Caleb asked,
suspiciously.

Felipe shrugged, “I’m romantic. Also, I have
no interest in having blood spilled in my home. Too messy.”
Felipe’s expression turned quizzical, “What will you do,
Caleb?”

Caleb didn’t trust Felipe. “Rafiq insists on
taking over Kitten’s training. We leave the day after tomorrow.
That should make you happy.”

“Hmm,” Felipe said and poured himself
another glass of bourbon. “Rafiq insists on a lot of things,
doesn’t he? He’s expecting a virgin.”

Caleb bristled, “What exactly is your
relationship with Rafiq?”

“He says we’re friends, but I’m not sure I
would put it quite that way. We’re in business together. I’m
surprised you didn’t know, or at least asked me sooner.”

“What sort of business?” Caleb asked. His
curiosity was piqued.

“This and that, it doesn’t really matter,
Caleb. I was only surprised you never asked the question. I suspect
Rafiq never cared for questions. Are you truly going to give him
the girl?” Felipe lifted an inquiring brow.

Caleb narrowed his eyes, “I don’t have much
a choice, do I?”

“There’s always a choice, Caleb.”

“What do you want, Felipe? You say you’re in
business with Rafiq, why are you so interested in me and what I’m
doing?”

“Can I trust you?” Felipe asked with a
smile.

“I’m trusting you, to keep quiet about
everything you’ve seen on your nasty little cameras. The most
trustworthy relationships involve collateral.”

Felipe chuckled, “Well, I
have
enjoyed watching you. Why not take the girl and run?”

“What do you want?!”

“I want Rafiq out of my business,” he
swallowed his bourbon, “permanently.”

“I could kill you for saying that,” said
Caleb.

“You could. Then you’d never know the
truth,” Felipe countered. He sighed, and waited for Caleb to reply,
when he didn’t, Felipe said, “I’ve waited a long time for you to
come forward to me with your past. I’d hoped we could be
friends.”

Caleb stared across the bar at Felipe,
stunned, “You know my past? Wait…no. You heard me on the camera.”
He glared at Felipe with murderous intent.

“I know you were in Tehran. You never said
that,
on camera,” Felipe said.

Caleb’s vision was blurry and his heart was
racing, “Rafiq could have told you. You could have overheard our
conversations.”

Felipe became gravely serious, “Collateral,
Caleb. Tell me a secret. One you’ve never told anyone and could
cost you your life.”

“Why the fuck would I, Felipe? You’re not
making any goddamn sense,” Caleb growled. The world shifted beneath
his feet, or so he thought.

“What I could tell you would change
everything you have ever believed and I need to know you can be
trusted to do the right thing,” Felipe said ominously.

Caleb didn’t want to know. Whatever Felipe
had to say, wasn’t going to be good, but he
had
to know. It
was Eve and the apple all over again. Knowledge was the forbidden
fruit and once tasted, it could damn ones soul, but it was in
mankind’s nature to bite. “Felipe,” Caleb choked out, as anger came
to the surface. His body shook and his skin burned.

“A secret, Caleb,” Felipe whispered and
leaned forward.

There was nothing left to lose, except the
girl, “I can’t.”

Felipe shook his head, “Then I can’t help
you. Goodnight, Caleb.” He turned to walk away and Caleb grabbed
his shoulder.

“Tell me,” he growled.

“You first,” Felipe gripped Caleb’s hand and
flung it off his shoulder.

“I…assure me the girl will be safe,” Caleb
said and it felt like yet another betrayal. The implications alone
were a death sentence for him and Livvie. Of course, Felipe already
knew what she meant to him.

“What would you do for the girl, Caleb?
Would you die for her? Would you kill?” asked Felipe in a whisper.
He looked around the room and Caleb did the same. They were
alone.

Caleb’s heart thundered in his chest,
“Yes.”

“Would you live? Could you live knowing your
entire life has been a lie?”

Caleb was one second away from throttling
Felipe and forcing him to talk. He still had his knife tucked into
his pants and already, he was thinking of his plan of attack, “Tell
me…now!”

Felipe sighed, “Follow me into the dungeon.
I’ll tell you everything, but you won’t like it.”

“Where’s Kitten?”

“Upstairs and unharmed. If you care for her
as much as I believe you do, I would suggest you keep your wits
intact. If all goes as I hope it will, the both of you can leave
this place together and never return.” Felipe said.

“Why? Why now? All this time and you’ve
never dangled information in front of me,” Caleb said through
gritted teeth. Felipe wanted Caleb to do something. It meant he
couldn’t be trusted. Caleb’s mind was already churning with ideas
on how to get rid of him. Still, Caleb wanted to hear what Felipe
had to say. Perhaps he could use it to sway Rafiq.

“I’m a business man, Caleb. One does not
achieve my level of success without first being able to spot an
opportunity. Twenty years ago, I saw an opportunity to stop being a
lieutenant and become a general. Rafiq was useful then. Six years
ago I saw an opportunity to expand my business by eliminating my
competition. I own half of Mexico now and do business around the
world. Rafiq has become…less useful, and as I said, he insists on a
lot – too much. You provide me an opportunity, Caleb. In exchange,
I can give you the truth about whom you are and where you come
from.”

“Admitting you want Rafiq out of your way
doesn’t give me a reason to trust you,” Caleb said in hushed tones.
“Why would you need me to do your dirty work?”

“Appearances, Caleb; they’re everything.
I’ve had plans to get rid of Rafiq cleanly, without inciting the
loyalty of our mutual friends. However, I’ve been watching you…and
the girl. I know what love can do to a man and I know how desperate
you are.”

“Fuck you! I’m not desperate!”

“Aren’t you? I wasn’t sure at first. When
you allowed the girl to play at my party, I thought your loyalty to
Rafiq knows no bounds. But I saw how it affected you, how jealous
you became. I know you took her virginity. Did you think you found
all the cameras?” Felipe smiled smugly. “I didn’t have to come to
you, Caleb. I’ve put myself and Celia in a compromising situation
and I don’t do it lightly. I’m offering you vengeance. I’m offering
you a chance to live out your days with Kitten. Do you want it, or
not?”

Caleb thought about everything Felipe said.
Felipe knew everything between him and Livvie and hadn’t said a
word. Caleb knew nothing about Felipe’s plans until now and the
fact he’d offered the information himself only solidified his
trustworthiness. Caleb had nothing left to lose and everything to
gain. “Lead the way,” he said.

As Caleb followed Felipe down the dark
wooden stairs, he contemplated pushing him. However, he’d made up
his mind to hear what the man had to say. He could always kill him
after. Caleb reached for the light and turned it on as they
descended.

He thought of the last time he had been down
here. He’d strapped Kitten to an exam table and watched her play
with her pussy. He smiled to himself.

When they arrived at the bottom, Felipe
pointed to a chair near the wall. “I’ll need you to sit there and
I’ll need to tie you up.”

Caleb’s steps faltered and he reached for
his knife. He held it out in front of him, blocking the stairs,
“You’ve lost your fucking mind if you think I’m going to let you
tie me up.”

“Don’t be a child! Your anger makes you
stupid and I don’t need you acting rashly. What I have to tell you
is going to boil your blood and I can’t have you loose in the
house!” Felipe shouted.

“Tell me what you have to say! Or you die
now! I’m tired of your games, Felipe,” Caleb said.

Felipe’s eyes shone with fury as he held up
his hands and backed away from Caleb. Abruptly, he reached behind
him and pulled out his gun. “Sit. Now.”

Adrenaline surged through Caleb’s veins, but
he knew he was at a disadvantage. He’d played directly into
Felipe’s hands. He weighed his options and was horrified to
discover they were few and ended in his death. His only true
concern was for Livvie.

“Swear to me the girl is safe,” Caleb
whispered and he realized it sounded like a plea. It had been a
long time since Caleb had begged for anything.

Nothing left to lose, Caleb. Fuck your
pride.

“I swear it,” Felipe said evenly.

Caleb swallowed, “You can keep the gun on
me. There’s no need to tie me up.”

“Come inside and sit down. I’ll leave you
free, but if you attempt to get by me, I
will
shoot you,
Caleb. Do you understand?”

“Yes,” Caleb said and did as Felipe
asked.

“Did Rafiq ever tell you how his mother and
sister died?” Felipe asked.

Caleb’s heart felt like it might burst clear
out of his chest. His mind was fixated on Livvie, on seeing her
again, on getting her to safety. Felipe’s questions seemed strange
and Caleb suddenly wished he’d never agreed to listen. “Vladek
killed them.”

“Did you never wonder why?”

Caleb
had
wondered, many times, but
Rafiq had explained it all away by saying Vladek had been a
criminal, simply passing through and fixated on his sister. “Get to
the point!”