Worshipped (Worshipped Series Book 1) (27 page)

Whatever world Dominic lives in is not a normal one. He thinks this whole thing is hilarious. He even throws back his head, and the most evil sound a person can make comes out.

“I do love a good laugh, Isaac. Now, here’s what I want you to do. You have precisely four hours to arrive. I will text you the address. One second late, and you’ve seen what I will do to her.”

He doesn’t wait for a response. He ends the call and puts his phone back in his pocket. He turns to me and runs a finger down my face. “Under different circumstances, I would keep you for myself. But I cannot. You, my dear, are about to play in a very big part. Sit tight. It’s going to be a very long night.” Dominic leaves me there while he goes back to whatever drug lords do.

I don’t know how long I cry in that stupid chair. I have to pee and my wrists are staring to hurt. I know I went insane waiting with no word from anyone. All I can think about is how much my nose is itching. And no matter what I do, it won’t stop. I shake my head at myself. I am being held hostage and all I can think about is my fucking nose? What is wrong with me?

I don’t think Dominic is done playing, “Let’s fuck with Riley’s head” yet. He comes back far too soon for my liking. Once again, he circles me. I don’t try to follow him with my eyes. I stare straight ahead, hoping he will go away.

“Would you like to know how I punished my daughter?”

I do look at him then. I plead no with my eyes but it goes unnoticed.

“It was years ago, so you will have to forgive me if I forget some details. I caught her with who you call Isaac and Conner one night. She didn’t know I had been following her for weeks. She was smart about seeing those two behind my back.”

Dominic seems lost in his story. He stops with the circling and just stands there with a blank look on his face. “I realize now, the only reason I noticed my darling daughter sneaking around was how she stopped killing for me. You see, Caroline was just as I am. She never hesitated to do what needed to be done. Granted she wasn’t as good as I am. A quick bullet to the head was more her style. I confronted her the next night. I wanted her to tell me the truth. Instead she lied to me. Lied to my face. I couldn’t stand for that. She needed to be punished for betraying me. I let her think I didn’t know. But my Caroline was smart you see. She warned Isaac and Conner. They ran.”

He turns to me as he says, “They ran, my dear Riley. They left her knowing what would happen if she didn’t run with them. Such cowards. After I had to beat Caroline for hours, I let her rest. She was smart. Never once did she tell me where those two went. The next time I punished her, I took all her fingers for my collection. My Caroline was so strong. But by the third day, the punishment had to end. See all things have to end. One way or another. I took my smart Caroline outside, and tied her to a pole. I poured gasoline on her and I struck my match.”

Dominic’s eyes are dead when he says, “I watched my Caroline burn. I listened until she didn’t scream anymore.”

Why did he have to tell me this? Is this how I am going to die? I know Isaac and Conner will come. They won’t leave me here with him. I know that there is a part of that story missing. I know Isaac and Conner. They wouldn’t leave Caroline unless they had a plan.

I thank God when Dominic walks away. I don’t think I can handle much more of his mind games. I still don’t understand how Dominic could have been so close for so long and not gotten caught. Or why he would wait so long for this plan of revenge to play out.

I am glad for the silence this time. I think about Isaac and Conner. I wonder how they are doing knowing where I am. I think of Karen. I hope she is safe. I hope she gets to come home soon too. I pray to God that Dominic doesn’t feel the need to share anymore of his stories of punishment. Or what he plans to do with Isaac and Conner.

I hear more voices again. How many men are here? I can’t tell where they are since they have their backs to me. I am tired of being in this God forsaken chair! I just want to go home to my king size bed, my garden bath tub, and my pool.

I keep thinking about my home. Maybe thinking of something other than where I am, and who has me, will keep me sane. I have to stay sane. I can’t panic. Isaac and Conner need me alert. And so do my little beans. I have to stay strong and alive for all of them.

I am startled awake from someone touching my face. It isn’t Dominic this time. It’s who I assume is Carlos. He is the asshole who knocked me out. I hate him just as much as I do Dominic. How long was I asleep? How did I let myself fall asleep?

Carlos stares at me with lust in his eyes. Oh, fuck. This isn’t good. “I hope those two fuckers don’t show. Dominic promised I could have fun with you if they didn’t show.”

I try moving away from him. I wish I didn’t have this fucking rag in my mouth. I want to bite the shit out of his hand for touching me.

He chuckles and says, “You’re a feisty one, aren’t you. I like my women feisty. Makes it so much more fun.”

This man is just a sick as Dominic. He leans down to smell my hair and thank heavens, he leaves me alone. I wish I knew how long it has been since that call to Isaac and Conner. I feel like time is running out for them. I have no doubt in my boys to come find me and get me out of this hell.

I hear a loud crash, and then that’s when I see them. My heart starts beating wildly in my chest when Isaac and Conner come through the door. I’m so happy to see they are all right. I hope they at least told the police where I was. I didn’t hear Dominic tell them to come alone. Maybe they had a plan? Isaac puts his fingers over his lips, letting me know to stay silent. Heat floods my blood when they come closer. Conner pulls the rag out of my mouth. He pushes my hair out of my face and cups my cheeks.

“I’m so sorry, Riley. We didn’t know…so sorry…”

I let more tears fall. I am so relieved they came. I know they think this is their fault, but how could any of us had known?

“I’m okay…glad you finally made it. Please get me out of here,” I plead. Isaac moves to untie the ropes on my wrists. Conner is working on the ones on my legs and ankles when we all freeze.

“Did you two really think I didn’t know you were here? Ah, sadly, you should’ve known better.”

Dominic orders some of his men to grab Isaac and Conner. It’s five against two. Isaac and Conner fight with everything they have, but in the end, Dominic’s men are much better at fighting. They have both of them on the ground with guns to their heads. They have no choice but to stop fighting.

“I’m so glad you two decided to show. Another five minutes and Riley would belong to Carlos for the night.” I hear Isaac growl, or what sounds like a growl. Conner says a few choice words to Dominic. Neither faze Dominic in the least.

“Now, everyone is here so we can start. Who would like to go first?”

Dominic kneels down to Isaac first. “Maybe I should make you and Conner watch as Carlos fucks your woman. Hmmm…you would like that, wouldn’t you?”

I can’t make a sound while Dominic tortures Isaac with his mind games. Isaac tries again to get his captor off him. “You fucking touch her and I will fucking kill you,” Isaac spits out.

“Tsk tsk…that’s not how this is going to go, Isaac. You do as I say. And if I say Carlos can fuck her ten ways till Sunday, he can and he will.” Dominic kicks Isaac as he says, “Now shut your mouth. I will not tolerate any more of your petty threats.”

He walks over to Conner and grabs a fist full of his hair. “You were always my favorite dealer. Always following orders like the good little boy you are. How about I make you watch as I peel the skin off Isaac? Make you watch as I cut those unborn babies from her belly? How does that sound?”

I really need to get the fuck out of this chair! I start working on getting free again. Isaac loosened the ropes a good bit and I think with a bit more work I can at least get one hand free. Everyone is so focused on what Dominic is doing, they don’t pay me any mind. Conner is still getting mind fucked, and God, I really want to help. I don’t know what I can do. I wish I had taken some sort of self-defense class or at least knew how to throw a good punch.

Dominic lets go of Conner finally, and walks over to the three men watching the show. He tells them to leave. They quickly follow their boss’s orders and start putting cocaine in bags. Dominic calls Carlos over for whatever reason. I can’t hear them anymore. I continue to work on the ropes. I looked at my boys lying on the ground. I want to make all this go away for them. Isaac mouths to me that he is sorry. How can I make them believe that this isn’t any one’s fault? I will have to work on that one later. I am finally getting these damn ropes loosened. I almost have one hand free when I see Detective James lurking by the door.

Thank God! Isaac and Conner must have told him what was happening. Relief like no other floods over me. He has his gun drawn, ready to take out the enemy. I want him to start with Dominic. Better to get the worst out of the way first. Isaac and Conner notice him then as well. I can’t tell if they are relieved as I am or not. It looks more like confusion than anything.

I get one of my hands free, and I start working on the other one. Almost got it…I hear a loud grunt. I immediately stop what I’m doing. Isaac and Conner have gotten out from under their captors. Conner has one guy in a headlock, while Isaac has his on the ground, beating the living shit out of him.

I hear the gun shot next. I scream not knowing who fired and who got shot. I see Conner lying on the ground in a pool of his blood. He’s holding his leg, moaning loudly. I call to him and he nods, letting me know he is all right. Thank you, thank you. A leg he can survive. I hear another shot then, and Carlos is out of the picture. The guy Isaac beat the hell out of lies still, so he is out as well. The only two left is the man holding Isaac at gunpoint and Dominic.

I watch as Detective James holds his gun at Dominic. I swear I see a flash of shock and awe maybe from Dominic.

“Well this is certainly a surprise.”

Isaac has his hands held up in surrender. No one notices Conner slowly making his way behind the man holding his gun to Isaac.

I see Dominic pull out a gun and use it to scratch his head. “I did not see this outcome for the night. I suppose this had to happen one day or another.”

What the fuck is he blabbering about? This man is as crazy as it gets.

“It’s over, Dominic. Drop your weapon and put your hands behind your head,” Detective James orders.

And just like that, my world ends.

Everything happens so fast. One minute Isaac is being held at gunpoint, and then I hear the gunshot. I watch him fall to the floor. I hear a second shot and Dominic is dead. Then there is a third shot killing the guy Conner was going for.

I scream until I thought my throat was bleeding. Isaac can’t be dead! I move so much to get out of the goddamned chair, I tip it over. I lay there on the nasty warehouse floor, crying and screaming over and over, “He’s not dead! He’s not dead!”

I feel Conner pick me up and finally untie me. I wrap my arms around him and cry into his blood soaked shirt. I know he is in pain from his wound to his leg. He’s barely standing, and holding me up while I cry isn’t helping him. I just cannot control my emotions.

“Tell me he’s not dead! You tell me right now, Conner!” I use my fists to hit his chest. Why won’t anyone fucking tell me? I push Conner out of the way and run to Isaac. Detective James is kneeling down beside Isaac. Detective James has his hands over Isaac’s stomach.

The first thing I see is more blood. I am never wearing red again after today. I kneel down beside the detective. I notice the detective’s hands are soaked with Isaac’s blood.

Isaac is deathly pale. I fear it is too late for him. I see Isaac’s eyes open and he reaches for me. “Riley…I’m…God...I’m so sorry, baby.”

I shush him and squeeze his hand. I feel Conner come behind me giving me support. I can’t lose Isaac. I can’t be without Isaac or Conner. Damn it I’m selfish. I can’t live without both.

I look at the detective who is calling for an ambulance. He gives out the address and we all wait….we wait for what seems like hours for the ambulance to get here.

Finally after what seems like hours upon hours later, the ambulance arrives, and they work hard to keep Isaac with us. The paramedics move me out of their way. They have Conner bandaged and put him in one of the ambulances. I go up to him, hoping he is going to be all right.

“Stay with him. I will be fine. Isaac needs you more than I do. I will see you at the hospital.”

I kiss Conner goodbye as the paramedic shuts the doors and drives to the nearest hospital.

I can’t see what is going on with Isaac. There are too many people hovering around him, working hard to stop the bleeding in his stomach. Other police officers start showing up at the warehouse. Detective James is no doubt telling the story of how he saved the day. I think he is more cheerful than worried. What do I know? He just stopped one of the biggest drug lords. I guess he does have a right to be cheerful.

I, on the other hand, am miserable. I still don’t know what is going on with Isaac. They do finally move him to the ambulance. I’m really getting angry with those asshole paramedics. They won’t even let me ride in the ambulance with Isaac. They tell me I can follow them to the hospital. I’m not sure if that is a good thing or not. If Isaac is stable enough to transfer, shouldn’t I be able to ride with him?