Unobtainable (40 page)

The man could read me like a book. I put on my best game face and smiled.

“You worry too much. I was a little on edge after…better now,” I kissed the end of his nose. “I’m going for my shower.”

~Dyson~

Better? Not by a long shot. Harley was a terrible liar. I could read him better than he ever imagined. The secret lay in the trash can in a thousand pieces of plastic and techno crap. That was phone number two destroyed. I watched him disappear into the bedroom, the door closed and I started my search. When I found the SIM card and the phones memory chip, I slipped them into my pocket and proceeded to butter my bagel. I wasn’t the techno nerd that everyone thought I was, but I did have friends who knew a thing or two about retrieving lost information. I grabbed my phone and went into the powder room where I was assured some privacy to talk.

Two hours later my
friend
sat at the kitchen table with his laptop and a strange looking device hooked to it as he inserted Harley’s SIM card and memory chip. I poured him a coffee and sat silently while he worked his magic.

“Tell me what I’m looking for,” he asked, as his fingers danced over the keys.

He was like a virtuoso pianist playing his own version of a classical masterpiece. His brows were drawn together, his mouth puckered tight as his eyes scanned the screen, fixed on his music.

“I’m not sure,” I said, sitting in the chair beside him. “All I know is that something spooked Harley, he saw something that he didn’t like.”

“First I’ll check his text history,” he said, turning to meet my eyes. “I have privacy issues, what you see you wipe from your brain, got it?”

“I have no problem with that.”

I could appreciate what he was saying. He didn’t want me using what I saw to do anything stupid. My
friend
had a certain amount of scruples, even though his business required him to seek out private information used to nail others to walls. Not all my friends were squeaky clean businessmen, a few of them ran on the shady side of lot.

All the texts we ran through were either between me and Harley, EJ and Harley and Chelsea sending him baby pictures every time Skye so much as moved.

“Pictures,” It suddenly hit me. “Can you open his photos?”

“Do you know who you’re talking to?” my friend snorted. “Like taking candy from a baby, those are the easiest files to get into.”

With that, we searched through dozens of baby photos, photos of our convention trip and photos of me that I had no idea he had taken. I was flattered, but didn’t have time to enjoy the moment. It was close to one o’clock and Harley would be calling soon. That’s when I saw those dark ominous eyes staring back at me.

“Bruno, fuck me,” I declared, running my hands through my hair as I stared at the computer screen.

“Eureka?” my friend asked.

I nodded. “That would be what set Harley off, there’s no doubt in my mind…is there a time stamp?”

“December 23
rd
eleven fifty-five pm.”

“That’s when it was sent?”

“No, that’s when it was taken with this phone, it wasn’t sent.”

My gut rolled. I was witness to Harley’s reaction, no wonder he busted the phone. Hell, I would have busted the goddamn thing myself. I shook my head as it filled with anger. Not only had Bruno been in our home while we were sleeping, Harley was keeping this a secret from me, why hadn’t he said something? I knew why…because I wouldn’t have let him leave the apartment.

The tone of my phone was set low but it rang in my head so loud it made my ears buzz.

“That would be for you,” my friend said, straight faced.

It was Harley.

“Hey,” I said, straining to keep my tone under control. I didn’t want to go off halfcocked without hearing him out first.

“Got a new phone, the numbers changed so make sure you save it,” Harley told me.

I sat silent, waiting for him to speak. I was having trouble maintaining my composure. That photo kept flashing in my head, the evil eyes burning into my memory were like my own private hallucination.

“Going to meet me for lunch, baby?” he asked. “Then maybe we can go for a walk in the snow? Wear your woolly’s,” he laughed, I forced myself to chuckle along. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, what would be wrong?” I asked.

“You sound strange, you sure something’s not bothering you?”

“I can’t
picture
anything in my mind that would be wrong,” I said, dryly.

“You’re acting weird,” Harley snapped. “Just meet me.”

“Give me an hour, I’m in the middle of something.”

“Oh, okay, I’ll be waiting,” he said, I could hear the uncertainty in his tone.

I ended the call without a goodbye and tossed my phone onto the table. I saw my friend out and climbed the stairs to shower and change.

~Dyson~

Water jetted over my skin as I rinsed the soap from my body, watching the bubbles dissolve down the drain. Each time I closed my eyes, the vile creature that haunted Harley’s nights disturbed my focus. This was not the time to allow beleaguered thoughts to corrupt the festive season, which was also our first Christmas as a real couple.

Therefore, for whatever reason Harley had for keeping that photo from me, I would accept it for now. I didn’t want to fight and I knew he would tell me when he was ready.

The shower floor rumbled under my feet, someone had come in through the heavy garage door on the first floor, off to the side of the workshop. It made the entire apartment rumble as the old iron wheels glided the heavy wooden door along the steel tracks. It had to be Harley, he was the only one that knew the security code to open it. But what was he doing here when he said we’d meet at
Chances
?

Taking a towel from the counter, I dried myself quickly and threw on a pair of sweatpants. Once I reached the balcony railing my eyes roved over the apartment, there was no sound, no movement and no lights.

“Harley, is that you?” I yelled. “Why didn’t you wait for me?”

No answer.

As I started down the steps, I heard footsteps coming up the old creaky stairs, the door to the workshop had been left open.

“Harley, stop fucking around and answer me!” I hollered.

The footsteps halted and then instead of hearing them advance to the top, they started to descend. Harley had changed his mind, forgot something maybe? And why did he come in through the lower entrance? The only time he used that door was when he brought in wood for a project, but he hadn’t mentioned a new project.

I smiled as a thought came to mind, a definite light bulb came on.
It’s Christmas Eve, you dope
. The sneaky fucker was probably bringing in a Christmas surprise. Being that I was the proverbial kid on Christmas morning, I decided to go sneak myself a peek.

Slowly, I crept down the stairs to the lower level door, it stood open a crack. I listened to feet shuffling through wood shavings before I put my foot on the first step. The step crackled under my weight, I knew I had been heard. The sound of footsteps dashing across the room told me so.

I gave up my quest to sneak up on Harley, damn stairs. I laughed as I slowly descended the steps, I cleared my throat loudly so there was no doubt I was on my way.

“If you’re trying to surprise me, the surprise is on you,” I laughed. “You sound like an elephant walking through a corn flake factory.”

The door to the gym was closed and since it was the only place to hide, I knew he had to be in there.

“Come out, come out, where ever you are,” I teased as I turned the door handle.

Due to the room having no windows it was pitch black inside and there wasn’t a sound.

“Harley?” I called out, I asked apprehensively. “I know you’re in here. What are you up to?”

Feeling my way across the wall, I located the light switch and flicked it on.

For such a large room, it seemed surprisingly small and suffocating once the door closed behind me. I spun on my feet and swallowed hard when far too familiar cold dark eyes stared into mine. I wanted to slap the smartass smirk off his face, but the knife in his hand changed my mind. I didn’t consider myself a stupid man.

“How the fuck did you get in here?”

“It’s called breaking and entering, Sherlock,” Bruno laughed morbidly, sending a chill down my spine. “It’s probably wiser to worry about how
you’re
going to get outta here.”

“What do you want?”

“I got what I want right here,” Bruno pointed the knife at my torso, while his eyes spanned my form and my eyes fixed on the shiny blade.

“What are you going to do…kill me?”

“You ask too many questions,” Bruno stepped farther into my space. “It’s time to shut you the fuck up.”

“Fuck you!”

I’m not sure where it came from, but my refractory side grasped hold of my balls and gave them an unexpected squeeze. Suddenly, I felt brave. I punched out my fist and made clean contact with his left cheek, his head snapped to the side, he stumbled back but recovered as fast. Son-of-a-bitch, he was quick. His knife winged through the air, slicing into the flesh of my left bicep. The sting was instantaneous as my palm covered the cut and blood oozed from between my fingers. I could tell it wasn’t overly deep but I bled-out like my arm had been cut clean off.

“Do you want to tango some more?” Bruno asked, waving his knife in my face. “I’m up for it if you are.”

I decided quickly it was for the best if I kept my mouth shut, I wasn’t too keen on the anniversary of my death being Christmas Eve. I took one step back. Bruno grabbed the tie on the front of my sweats, tugging me against his chest. I faced away, the stench of his breath turning my stomach, the strong tang of unbathed flesh and dirty clothing was unmistakable. The unpleasant odor suited the circumstances perfectly.

“Over there,” Bruno nodded towards the weight equipment, giving me a shove. “You better not get any more ideas about fighting me. You’re not going to win.”

Bruno took a clear plastic bag of tie wraps from his back pocket and tore it open with his teeth, dumping the contents onto the floor and spitting a piece of plastic into the air.

“Lay down,” he ordered, his tone a clear warning to obey or face his wrath.

I laid down on the weight bench and watched as he placed the blade of the knife between his teeth and bent, picking up several of the ties. In my mind, I pictured my foot coming up kicking the knife, I knew I wouldn’t be fast enough. He secured my one wrist to the handgrip of the barbells that sat atop the two supports. For some reason I felt it necessary to add up the weights at either end and closed my eyes when my calculations added up to a whopping three hundred pounds. That was clearly enough weight to crush an average skull and yanking my arms would prove detrimental to my health.

Bruno was grinning behind the glistening blade of the knife as he secured my other hand to the hand grip and then each ankle to the feet of the bench. The ties were far too tight, I could feel them digging into my skin, causing a burning sensation with every move I attempted.

“Too tight,” I heard myself say.

“Too bad, so fucking sad for you,” he snarled, giving the final tie around my ankle another tug.

“So,” Bruno said, causing me to jump. “Harley thought he was free of me, did he?”

I remained silent, fear for my life keeping me that way.

“I told him years ago, he’d never be free of me,” Bruno snarled, as he circled the bench like a hungry lion. “You make a real sweet couple…unfortunately nothing lasts forever, does it now?”

He asked his question and it went unanswered as I watched him circle me like I was his next meal, the prey of the day. He had dark, hungry, vicious eyes, it made me wonder why Harley would have been attracted to him.

My eyes followed his every move. He twirled the blade of the knife with one hand, the glistening tip pushing into the end of his index finger, blood started to trickle from the wound as he raised it to his mouth and sucked it clean. His eyes fell to mine and narrowed.

“Forever,” he let out a demonic laugh and then refocused his stare back to mine. “If I can’t have Harley, then I’m afraid Harley can’t have you.”

His words freaked me out. He was going to kill me. I tried to struggle but the pain was unbelievable and the sound of the weights clanging together as they shook was suddenly terrifying. The ties were burying themselves into my flesh, there was a warm sensation at my right ankle and then it cooled in the air. I knew I was bleeding.

“Take it easy, lover boy, I’m sure Harley wouldn’t want anything to happen to you. He’ll pay big bucks to keep you alive, which makes you my bargaining chip. I won’t kill…just yet.”

He stroked my cheek and ran his fingers through my hair, sending chill bumps over my skin. The sensation of his touch was repellent and as he dragged his finger along the crevice of my lips, I yanked my head away and spit. He gave an evil spirited laughed.

“What do you think he’d pay,” he asked, placing the blade of the knife at my neck, “to keep me from slitting your pretty little throat?”

Fear grasped hold of me as my body started to quake, causing the weights to clatter above my head. I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I didn’t want to see death coming.

“Maybe if you beg hard enough, Harley won’t make me wait too long for my money…let’s see.”

Bruno took a phone from his pocket and dialed.

~Harley~

My phone starting ringing the minute I hit end, which made me think it was Dyson calling to say he wasn’t coming. He was acting strange. I knew I was out of line snapping at him the way I did, but if I had told him Bruno had sent me a selfie, he would have turned into a madman. It was far too close to Christmas morning to mention it. I would tell him about my find once the festivities were over. It could keep.

The caller id had been blocked, I grudgingly answered. Something told me this wasn’t going to be good.

“Hello?”

“Miss me yet?”

There was no mistaking that voice, with its malevolent undertone. The hairs on the back of my neck quickly stood, my jaw tightened, and my gut clenched. What the fuck? We had an understanding, was he really this stupid?

“No contact, do you have a fucking clue what that means? Goodbye.”

“You don’t want to hang up,” Bruno warned. “I have someone here who’d like to say hi.”

I was waiting for the voice of the she-devil to come through the phone, but what I heard next made my blood stop cold.

“Harley, he’s lost his fucking mind,” Dyson yelled from a distance. I heard flesh strike against flesh and Dyson cry out in pain.

“You do anything to him and I’ll fucking kill you,” I hollered into the phone, all eyes in the bar glaring my way. I toned it down. “What do you want?”

“You know what I want, my share of the money and you have two hours to get it,” Bruno snarled. “And don’t try to be a fucking hero or lover boy is going to end up with a not so pretty face, dental records won’t even help to identify him.”

I swallowed back bile rising from my stomach as my mind tried to follow along with what I was hearing. Bruno had Dyson, he would not hesitate to break him if I didn’t get him more money. The man was a loaded gun and the trigger was halfcocked, pointed at my husband. I just got him back, he wasn’t leaving now, and I would pay any amount to keep Dyson safe.

“You’re taking too long, man!” Bruno yelled, snapping me from my thoughts.

“Where are you?” I asked.

“You bringing me money?”

“Yes, but I need to know where you are,” I asked. “I need more time.”

“Two hours, I’ll call.”

Bruno hung up. I dialed Dyson’s phone and tapped the GPS app he had installed for our phones, I wasn’t exactly sure how it worked, but once a map showed up on the screen, I let out a held breath. Thank Christ it was at home, hopefully that was where Bruno was holding Dyson.

~Dyson~

My side was throbbing where Bruno’s fist had made contact. He had been pacing the floor like a caged animal but now sat on a stack of weights, cleaning his fingernails with the tip of his blade. He wasn’t speaking, which only added to my nervousness, I was scared to think of what he may be conjuring up in his twisted little brain. What scheme was he contemplating in his sick deranged mind? And how in the hell was I going to survive this?

He broke the silence with unexpected unhinged laughter, like he was off his rocker and not too far from stepping into the loonie-zone.

“Those pretty eyes of yours are asking questions, you want to know why, don’t you?” he asked, leaning closer.

“No,” I told him, I didn’t want to know why in case it sealed my doom by knowing.

“Sure you do,” he chuckled, rising to his feet. “Martha fucked off on me, she didn’t need me anymore. Stupid bitch! But that’s okay, she wasn’t worth the hassle she caused, the demanding cow. I slept with that repulsive pain in the ass and what did I get for it? Zilch! Fuck all. Not a plugged nickel.”

Bruno’s eyes took on an absent stare, watching the wall behind my head for what felt like hours. I breathed a sigh of relief when he finally blinked, moving back a step and snapping the knife closed. He sat, roughly scrubbing his temples with his fingertips, as he rocked back and forth. His jaw was pulsing with anger. His steely eyes met mine, a shiver ran up my spine.

“Why don’t we send Romeo a nice souvenir to remind him the clock is ticking? He should be coming to your rescue soon, I wouldn’t want him forgetting.”

Bruno aimed his phone at me and snapped a picture, holding it up for me to see before he sent it. I closed my eyes and turned away. He started texting. I could hear his fingers working the keys as he laughed.

~Harley~