Shattered Dreams (The Believe Series Book 1) (10 page)

Betrayal

Eight Hours Earlier

H
earing from Alicia has me worried. Something’s off, I just know it. The last time I saw her, I was standing in her apartment, questioning her about Gage and she was questioning me on how I had gotten in.

It was then that I decided that the plan I had hatched was not going to work. Alicia had grown too smart over the years for me to be able to fool her. On top of that, if she is involved at all with Gage, he may have filled her in on my life after high school.

Now, here I stand, outside her apartment door, knowing that if I don’t come up with a way to pay Facciolo back the money I barrowed soon, I will be dead. Alicia’s my only hope. If she won’t willingly give me the money, I offer her in exchange for my freedom.

I smirk. I’m sure she will draw a pretty penny in Facciolo’s sex trafficking ring. She may not be 100% pure, but she is still a knock out.
Yes
, I think,
Alicia the girl has grown into a very sexy woman
.

Reaching out to knock, I know I have found my winning ticket in Alicia.

Best Laid Plans…

I
’m nervously sitting on my couch at home, waiting; waiting for the bottom to drop out, waiting for the inevitable end that I know is coming.

Waiting for death…

When I agreed to be a pawn in this game, I knew I had signed my death warrant. However, Gage’s life and everyone else’s life meant more to me. Since high school, I have lived my life as a selfish person, only caring about me. Not anymore.

I would be a fool if I said I wasn’t terrified. Who wouldn’t be? I’m alone and pregnant. I not only have to protect myself, but also my unborn child. Gage would have my ass if he knew what was really at stake.

Shaking my head, I pick up my laptop. Since they are watching, I need to pretend that everything is normal. Well, as normal as I can under the circumstances.

Before I can get my mind to focus on the current book I had been writing, there is a knock at the door. I sigh, setting the laptop back down, and stand; showtime.

Pulling the door open, I plaster a fake smile on my face. “Rick, I’m so happy you could come by,” I say, stepping back to make room for him to enter.

Closing the door, I turn to find him smiling at me and my stomach does a flip. The smile I once found to be the sexiest in the world, now makes me sick. He reaches out and strokes my cheek. I want to cringe at his touch, but I have to keep it together.

“I was happy to get your call, Alicia,” he says. “You know I would give anything if I could go back and takeaway the hurtful things my childish self said to you.”

I reach up and place my hand over the one he still has on my face. “That’s why I called,” I say. “I wanted to see if we could start over and maybe see if we can make a go of it.”

He furrows his brow. “I would like nothing more,” he admits, “But I must ask, what about Gage?”

I move away, walk towards the couch and motion for him to follow. This is turning out to be harder than I thought. Sitting down, I finally answer, “Gage isn’t in the picture. He was a poor replacement for you.” I see his eyes light up and I think I have him. “When you showed up, all the feelings I had pushed to the back came roaring out. It was something I knew I couldn’t fight even though I tried.”

He smirks and leans in close to my ear. Again, I have to fight the need to jerk away. Placing a hand on my upper thigh he whispers, “You don’t know how happy that makes me to hear.” The he takes my hand and places it directly on his cock. Bile fills my throat. “Can you feel what you do to me?”

I’m repulsed by his actions, but I have to play the part. So I grip his cock, stroking him through his pants. I have to fight the laughter building inside of me when I notice his cock is smaller than Gage’s. So much so, that’s it’s not even on the same planet. I almost loose it in my grasp.

He begins to nibble along my jaw line and when he gets to my lips he pauses and says, “You don’t know how long I’ve dreamed of doing this.” Then his lips are on mine and his hand is between my legs. I stiffen for a second, but it was long enough for Rick to realize something isn’t right.

Pulling back, I see the anger on his face, and he hisses, “You fucking bitch.” Then his fist connects with my face sending me backwards on the couch. “I should have known you were playing me. Why would you do this to me? Haven’t I been good to you?”

The look of anger is replaced by confusion, which makes two of us. “Good to me?” I question, touching where he had hit me and I can taste the blood. “When have you ever been good to me?”

He tilts his head, still looking confused. “Have the last two months meant nothing to you?” he asks ignoring my question. The crazy look in his eyes and the way he’s not making any sense leads me to believe he has finally lost his mind.

When I don’t answer, I see the anger return to his face. Stalking towards me, he grabs my throat. I try fighting him, but he is so much stronger than I am.
Where is Jareth?
I silently wonder.
He promised to protect me and the baby.

“I’m going to teach you a lesson,” he says lifting me from the couch by my throat and throws me across the room.

I scream, shielding my stomach. “Rick, no,” I cry just as I hit the wall and slide to the floor.

He’s now standing over me that crazed look still in his eyes. “You think you can get away with fucking me over,” he asks, “I don’t fucking think so bitch.”

Rolling into a fetal position to better protect my baby, I plead, trying one last time to play my part, “Rick, please. You don’t want to do this. I didn’t play you. I couldn’t do that to someone I love.”

He laughs. “Love,” he questions, “You don’t know the meaning of the fucking word.” Then he leans down next to my ear to whisper, “Do you know what happens to people who lie to me?”

I shake my head. “Rick, please,” I cry.

“They pay,” he says standing, “With their life.”

I knew it was coming before he actually moved. I just never thought it would hurt this bad. He’s kicking me, his foot landing where ever it lands. A few times he makes contact with my stomach and I howl in pain and fear. Then his fists are on me. The pain is so much more than I can bear and darkness takes me.

The Search

Present Day

“
G
age, wait,” I hear Jareth behind me. I had gone to my apartment to get my bike. If there’s anyone I can trust to save Alicia, it’s me.

I turn to look at him as I put my helmet on. “What the fuck do you want,” I say angrily, “Haven’t you done enough already?”

“We have a fucking lead on where Alicia is,” he responds sounding as angry as I am. “If you’ll just listen, I’m trying to make this right.”

I step closer towards him, about to blow my top. “Make it right?” I hissed, “How in the hell can you make this right? Alicia’s out there somewhere, scared and possible hurt if not fucking dead.” I cross my arms over my chest and lean back to study him, “So tell me Mr. FBI Agent, how the fuck do you make something like that right? Please, enlighten me.”

“God damn it, Gage,” he yells running a hand through his hair, “Spare me the theatrics. You’re not the only one with something at stake here.”

“What in the hell do you have to fucking lose?” I demand to know.

“For one, a sister,” he says and then lowers his voice, “Shannon’s also missing. After she ran out, my men lost track of her too.”

“Fuck,” I say.

“Tell me about it,” he says, “Everything I fucking touch I screw up.”

Seeing how messed up he is over all of this and the fact that his girl and baby are out there somewhere have my anger slowly ebbing away.

I shake my head. I may regret this later, but up until now I’ve trusted Jareth. “Ok, you said you had a lead,” I say grabbing his attention and he nods. “Fine, tell me what we need to do.”

Relief crosses his face and he nods. “Not here,” he says lowering his voice. “Follow us, but keep your eyes open. Any sign of trouble, you get the fuck out of there.”

“No, fucking way,” I say slipping a leg over my bike and starting it. “Lead the way.”

He snorts and shakes his head. “Will you ever do what you’re told?” he asks.

“Nope,” I answer. “Are we going or what?”

He shakes his head as he walks back to the car waiting for him.
Is he fucking crazy?
I think to myself.
The love of my life is out there. I’m not backing down for anything.

Following them through town, I am surprised we’re not followed. Turning onto Canal Street, where a lot of abandoned warehouses sit, I see them pull into an abandoned buildings’ parking lot and pull around back.  I follow and we proceed through the back entrance inside the building. Getting off my bike and removing my helmet, I watch them sliding the bay doors close then the lights are turned on.

This place is like Fort Knox
, I think, looking around. On one side is what looks like a communications center. Directly across from it are boards set up with maps of the city and a few surrounding cities. Behind me and off to the right, is a wall full of monitors. Walking closer, I see that a few are of Alicia’s apartment building. Others are of Shannon’s apartment, Le Insidia, and Facciolo’s place of residence.

“Gage, over here,” Jareth calls to me. I turn and see him near the boards, waving me over, and I start that way.

“What are we looking at?” I ask as I stop in front of him.

Pointing at the maps he says, “The red pins are all the places Facciolo owns, even the ones that were purchased under his kids name. The blue pins show Alicia and Shannon’s apartments and the last place they were seen.”

“And the white ones,” I ask nodding towards them. There has to be hundreds. “What are they?”

“All the places local police have found the bodies of people that have associated with Facciolo,” he answers.

“Ok, so why are we in this part of town?” I ask. “Facciolo is known for working the other district of warehouses.”

“Yes, known,” he says, “What most don’t know is that he using a lot of the empty buildings around this area for his less than legal operations.”

I frown. “Facciolo is well known in the drug ring,” I say, “Not to mention murders that we can’t seem to pin on him. What else is he into?”

“Human trafficking,” he answers, “He is well known in other countries as being able to pick gems; men, women, and even children. He knows who will sell and who won’t.”

“Shit, it’s worse than I thought,” I groan, looking at Jareth and his eyes are floating. I glare at him, “What else aren’t you telling me, Jareth?”

He sighs, “Facciolo has been known to dispose of women who are tainted,” he explains.

“Shit, Shannon,” I say. “God, I’m sorry Jareth.”

He shakes his head. “She’s not our only worry,” he says in a low voice. I tilt my head and frown. “Come on, Gage. I know you’re smarter than this. Think man.”

I feel my body begin to shake. Fear, desperation, and so many other emotions are surging through me. I start to pace, running my hands through my hair. “No, no,” I chant, “No, it can’t be. Are you telling me Alicia’s pregnant?”

He nods. “I’m sorry, Gage,” he says.

“You’re sorry,” I spit out turning to rush him when I feel arms circle me. “Get the fuck off me!” The agents had anticipated my move, knowing that once I found out I would see red. Well, they were fucking right; red, blue, and all the other fucking colors.

Jareth raises his hands in defense. “I’m trying to make this right,” he says, “Please help me instead of trying to kill me.”

“Then find me somebody to fucking kill,” I cry, feeling my body go slack. I shake my head, “Jareth, I can’t take any more surprises. What can we do to bring them back?”

He motions for the agents to release me and they move away, yet staying close enough in case they are needed again.

“The only option we have,” he starts, “Is to give them what they really want. This mission will be off the books and could end both of our careers as well as the men standing in this room. Nonetheless, they have all agreed to back us.”

“Ok, what do they want?” I ask, ready to give it to them. “I’ll do whatever it takes to get her back.”

“They want Rick dead,” he says, “As well as you, and they want you to be the one to pull the trigger.”

I feel myself pale. I always knew things would end with me putting a bullet in Rick’s head, but me too?

I shake my head. “How do you know this is what they want?” I ask.

“We have an untraceable tap on all the phones,” he says, “Landlines and cells. It’s the newest thing in technology.” He sighs, “You know how I said we had a lead on where she is?” I nod. “She’s here, in this area, we just don’t know which building.”

“So close I could touch her,” I whisper, my heart breaking, “But I can’t get to her.”

I feel Jareth’s hand on my shoulder and I turn to look at him. “We will get to her in time,” he says, “I promise.”

I nod, stand straighter, and square my shoulders. “Ok, what do I need to do?” I ask, ready to take on the fucking world for my Alicia.

He sighs, looking sad and tired. “Gage, you do understand,” he starts, pausing to get his words together, “You understand that it’s not just you killing Rick that they want? They want both of you dead.”

“They can fucking shit in one hand and want in the other,” I say angrily, “They may get what they want with Rick, but I have no intention of dying today or any time soon.”

He chuckles, shaking his head. “You really are one hard headed man,” he breaths, “You know that right?”

Before I can respond, a man calls across the room to us, “Sirs, we have eyes back on Ms. Taylor.”

Jareth closes his eyes and says a little prayer as relief washes over his features. He opens his eyes and turns to the guy. “Where is she?” he asks, his voice shaky.

The guy glances at the computer screen then back to Jareth. “The Rodeway Inn,” he says, “Room ten.”

“The same room,” he whispers, his eyes locking on mine, “She went to the room we shared.” Then he looks back to the other man, “Is she ok?”

The man nods. “Other than crying,” he says, “She appears to be unharmed.”

I smile, knowing that Jareth was worried for nothing. “Looks like you haven’t really lost her,” I say, “Now can we get my girl?”

He turns back, looking at me but not really seeing me. He blinks and shakes his head. “Yes,” he stutters, “Yes, let’s get to work.”