Shattered (Dividing Line #5) (8 page)

“For a man lying on the floor you’re pretty mouthy,” said Jez. “Let’s wait for my brother to come back. He’ll decide whether you live or die.”

CHAPTER 8

Ryan waited impatiently, his back turned as Sabine flung off the stained nightie and pulled on a jumper and jeans. Then she shoved a few bits of clothes, toiletries and what appeared to be a small photograph album into a backpack and slung it over her shoulder.

“I’m ready,” she said, experiencing an odd mixture of grief and excitement. This was the moment she’d been waiting for but it wasn’t as she’d pictured it because her big sister wasn’t here. Despite the presence of her saviour, she felt so alone.

Ryan opened the door a crack and peered out into the corridor. Although the noises were still coming from the surrounding rooms, it was empty. “Let’s go,” he whispered to Sabine.

When he started to make his way back towards the exit, she tugged at his shoulder.

“Please, my friend, she is that way.”

“Fine,” he sighed. “But make it quick.”

“There is a man with her, he’ll be hurting her.”

“Which door is it?”

“That one,” she said, pointing at the last door on the right.

Ryan could hear loud grunts coming from inside the room and steeled himself for what he was about to see before kicking the door open. He was confronted by an overweight brunette lying face down on the bed while a tall skinny man sporting a pair of thick old fashioned glasses and a dodgy comb over thrust between her legs. However it was the expression on the girl’s face that was the worst thing; she looked dead, completely devoid of expression, no doubt in an attempt to detach herself from what was being done to her.

The man paused and looked angrily over his shoulder, scrawny chest heaving with exertion. “Get out, I’ve not had my hour yet.”

“Oh yes you have,” said Ryan before laying into the man with his fists.

“Hurry up Daina, we’re getting out of here,” Sabine told her friend.

“Who is he?” replied Daina, pushing herself up to a sitting position and covering her breasts with her arms, gritting her teeth against the pain between her legs.

“My sister sent him.”

“You can trust him?”

They both looked at the skinny man lying on the ground in a pool of blood, Ryan stood over him, furious, hands bunched into fists.

“Yes,” said Sabine.

After Daina had dressed and gathered up her things, Ryan peeked out into the corridor but all seemed quiet.

“Where’s security?” he asked the girls.

“Probably watching television,” replied Sabine. “They have a little room a few doors down. You have to get the other girls out too.”

“I will but first I need to find my friends.”

The three of them crept down the corridor, the girls keeping close to Ryan, afraid if he got too far ahead he’d leave them behind.

“Oh look at that,” giggled Daina when they walked into the bar to find Orlov sprawled on the floor. “There is a God.”

With a screech of rage Sabine delivered three hard kids to Orlov’s ribs, making him squeal, his considerable belly wobbling. “You fat filthy pig, I will kill you for the horrible things you did to me.”

“Sabine, Daina, these are my brothers, Jez and Riley,” introduced Ryan. “Let’s get this over with, Rachel will be wondering where I am. The girls told me there are two guards upstairs but they mustn’t be very good at their jobs because I’ve not seen them yet. Let’s put Sabine and Daina in the car, get the rest of the girls out then burn the stinking place to the ground. I don’t care what happens to the punters, the bastards can burn with the building for all I care.”

“You’re right, it does stink in here. It stinks,” Sabine screamed at Orlov before kicking him again.

“I admire your spirit,” said Ryan, “but it’s time to go.” He’d been certain he’d find some wreck of humanity but on the contrary Sabine was still full of fight. From what Rachel had told him about Laila it seemed to be a family trait. “Riley, take them to the car then fetch the stuff from the boot.”

Sabine and Daina gripped each other’s hands, afraid it was some sort of trick as the strong silent good-looking man led them outside. To their relief he took them to a gleaming Mercedes and settled them in the back. They watched through the rear window as he opened the boot, took out a couple of jerry cans then went back inside.

“Do you think we should run while we can? It could be a trick?” Daina asked Sabine in Latvian.

“No, Laila sent them. We’re safe, trust me.”

Ryan, Jez and Riley kicked open the door of each room, pummelling and kicking the men inside, who ran out pulling on their clothes. Some were too scared to bother and exited stark naked. The girls all let up a terrified wail until they realised the men were here to hurt the customers and not them. Some, exposed to years of violence, curled up into shaking balls, crying into their hands. Others shared Sabine’s vengeful spirit and assisted them in attacking the clients.

The two security guards ran out of their tiny office, baseball bats at the ready. When they saw the three big men coming at them they dropped the bats with a simultaneous shriek and shoved the clients out of the way in their haste for the exit.

“Does anyone speak English?” called out Ryan.

One girl stepped forward, a beautiful brunette with huge dark eyes. “I do.”

“Tell the girls to get dressed and pack their things. They’re free,” said Ryan. He noted her left arm was missing at the elbow. He had heard this was sometimes done to the girls on purpose, to cater for the freaks and weirdoes.

As she repeated his command in a loud excited voice the others shrieked with delight and rushed about throwing on clothes and shoving personal items into bags. In under ten minutes the whole place was empty, the braver girls bestowing kisses on their saviours’ cheeks before running out.

“Kinda makes you feel good, doesn’t it?” grinned Jez.

“Yes it does. Let’s get to work,” said Ryan.

The three of them doused the place in accelerant, including the bar where Orlov and the still unconscious barman lay trussed up. While Riley smashed the optics, splattering vodka about the room, Jez and Ryan dragged the two men outside. They moved to a safe distance as they waited for Riley to emerge, who doused the doorway with more accelerant. Once he was outside he ignited it and jogged over to them. They watched as the building went up like a Roman candle.

Orlov hung his head and started to cry. “That was my job and my home,” he wailed.

“Shut the fuck up,” said Ryan, producing a gun and pressing it to the top of the man’s head, Sabine and Daina watching wide eyed from the back of the car. “You run to Vladimir and tell him Alex Maguire is coming for him. He’s fucking dead. No one touches the Maguires’ businesses.”

“I’ll tell him. Please don’t kill me,” he sobbed.

“Not so tough now you’re dealing with someone your own size. You can only beat up on scared, innocent women,” he said, whipping him across the face with the butt of the gun. “Now go and tell Vladimir. Take this piece of shit with you,” he said, shoving the confused barman at him, who was just starting to come round.

Orlov caught the man, slung his arm around his shoulder and staggered away, his little legs moving as fast as possible.

“Maybe we should have run while we could,” said Daina, eyes bulging as they watched the three men stride back towards the car, the fire raging behind them mirroring the rage that burned in their eyes. “They are very dangerous.”

“Yes they are but we can trust them. Laila wouldn’t have sent them if we couldn’t.”

“You’ve only their word that she did send them.”

“Why would they lie? I’m not important enough for them to go to all this trouble for.”

They went silent when the doors opened. Jez took the driver’s seat, Riley beside him and Ryan climbed into the back with the girls. They both retreated to the far side, eyes locked on the gun sticking out of his belt.

“You’ve nothing to fear from me,” he told them, handing the gun over to Jez. “Let’s get to the hospital,” he told his brother. “Rachel will be waiting.”

When he lapsed into thoughtful silence, gazing out of the window, the girls relaxed. They relaxed even more when they pulled up outside the hospital. They got out of the car with Ryan, who ducked down to the window to talk to the two men up front.

“Find out how Mikey and Frankie got on,” he told them. “I’ll get Battler and Bruiser to take the girls back to the hotel once Rachel’s spoken to Sabine until we can send them somewhere. I don’t want to take them back myself in case my staff think I’m playing around behind Rachel’s back.”

“Will do,” said Jez, exhausted but knowing there was a long way to go before he could rest.

Sabine and Daina let Ryan lead them to the Intensive Care Unit. Rachel was awake when they entered, Battler by her side, gently stroking her hand as they spoke. Ryan saw the fatherly tenderness in the big shaven-headed man’s eyes. Bruiser was sat in the chair by the door, on high alert.

“Ryan,” said Rachel, her eyes lighting up.

He bent over to give her a kiss. “I’m back Babe. There’s someone here who’s keen to talk to you.”

“You found her?”

“I did.”

The obvious affection between Ryan and his wife eased some of Sabine’s fears. For the first time she saw the softer side of him as he gazed adoringly at the woman on the bed.

“Help me sit up,” said Rachel.

Battler and Ryan both assisted her, Battler adjusting the pillows while Ryan gently sat her upright.

Sabine was shocked by the damage done to this woman. Clearly she was beautiful but the bruising to her face was horrible. The bandage around her neck made Sabine’s stomach churn as she recalled Ryan saying her throat had been cut. She felt guilty about her earlier anger. This woman had definitely suffered.

“Sabine, I recognise you from your photo,” said Rachel, her voice a weak breath on the air. Her sharp eyes flicked to Daina. “Who’s this?”

“My friend Daina. We were being held at the same place. She’s my best friend.”

Bruiser indicated for Daina to take the empty seat beside him and she accepted. The two of them smiled shyly at each other.

Sabine didn’t want to cry but she couldn’t help it. “You saw Laila die,” she said, eyes welling with tears.

When Sabine’s lip wobbled she looked so young and vulnerable and Rachel wanted to hug her like she hugged Leah. “She loved you so much, you were all she talked about.”

“We were always close. She looked after me and my sister. She wasn’t the oldest but she acted like it because Alise had problems, which got worse after our parents died. Alise was in hospital with a sickness in her head. She tried to cut her wrists. When Laila found jobs for us in England she was so excited, she thought a new start would be good for all of us, especially Alise. We thought it was strange when we got off the boat and were put in the back of a truck. Laila was scared, she knew something was very wrong.” Sabine looked into the woman’s dark eyes and blushed. “Sorry, I’m talking on and on.”

“Your English is very good.”

“Laila taught me.” A sob escaped her lips and she clamped a hand over her mouth, appalled with herself. “Sorry.”

“No need to apologise. You need to grieve for your sister.”

“Please, I have to know how it happened.”

“Course you do. Come sit,” said Rachel, tapping the space beside her.

Sabine looked questioningly at Ryan, as though for permission.

“It’s okay,” he said encouragingly.

Sabine perched on the edge of the bed and waited for Rachel to begin, who waved her hand at the water on the bedside cabinet with a grimace. Battler poured her out a glass and helped her take a few sips. She released a satisfied sigh and rested her head back in the pillow. “Sorry, it hurts,” she said, gesturing to her neck.

“I can come back later.”

“No,” said Rachel, forcing her head back up. “I need to tell you.”

Total silence reigned as Rachel related the tale of Laila’s death. When it was over Rachel sank back into the pillows, exhausted. Daina murmured a prayer in Latvian, her long lashes wet with tears while Sabine just stared at Rachel, numb all over. At first she wondered why she wasn’t feeling anything, she’d just heard how the person she loved most in the world had been murdered. Then she felt it, the grief starting in the pit of her stomach, welling up in her throat until it erupted from her mouth in a loud wail.

Battler and Bruiser both appeared a little panicked by this outpouring of emotion while Ryan merely raised an eyebrow. Daina got to her feet to comfort her friend but before she had chance Rachel had forced herself back upright and enveloped the sobbing Sabine in her arms, rocking her gently.

Sabine sank into the motherly embrace and cried on her shoulder while Rachel stroked her hair. When Sabine got herself together she straightened up, wiping her eyes. “I am sorry.”

“Don’t be, please. Your old life is over but you are so young and you have the chance for a bright future, the future Laila wanted for you. We’re going to take care of you now. Whatever you want to do with your life we’ll make sure it happens for you.”

“Really, anything?”

“Yes,” smiled Rachel.