Secret Page 17
And by extension, her brother.
I promised her I would never hurt him, and I would keep that promise.
I stepped through the double door entryway and entered his luxury home, seeing the older lady who halted when she saw me standing there, her eyes wide.
She looked terrified.
I winked. “Name’s Heath.”
Damien pushed me forward, shoving his palm right between my shoulder blades. “Move.”
I stumbled forward, my hands tied behind my back. “Where? This place is three floors.”
He stuffed his gun into the back of his jeans and grabbed me by the arm so he could escort me forward.
I didn’t say it, but I could get out of this if I wanted to. His men didn’t tie the rope tight enough. I could slip out of the restraints and bash his head into the wall.
But I didn’t.
For once in my life…I gave up.
He took me down the hallway until we reached a large wooden door. He opened it, revealing stairs that traveled deep underground. The lights were on, so I watched my step as I moved farther underground. When I reached the bottom, I took in the sight of the large basement, which was made of concrete and had stored belongings piled in the corner. There was a large cage against the opposite wall.
I turned to him, a grin on my face. “This is starting to look like a porno, Damien.”
He punched me in the face.
I staggered back, keeping my balance despite my wrists being restrained.
He opened the door and stared at me.
Now I understood he would torture me until he got tired of me. Only then would he kill me. It was disappointing because I’d hoped to have a clean death. But I still lived on the wild side, remained sarcastic, because I had nothing left to lose anymore. “It’s definitely not the Marriott…”
“You put my sister in a cage.” He shoved me inside and shut the door. “So, I’m going to do the same to you.”
Now that I was locked behind the metal bars, I loosened the rope and tossed it on the ground.
Damien’s eyes narrowed in surprise.
“Does that mean you’re going to let me go, too?” I leaned against the wall and crossed my arms over my chest. “I also brought her bagels, cream cheese… But she did attack me with a plunger. Funny story…”
Damien stared at me through the bars, not the least bit amused by my jokes. “I’m going to wipe that smile off your face very soon, asshole.”
I didn’t know how much time had passed. There were no windows down here, so I only had the fluorescent lights for illumination. I leaned against the wall and thought about the last time I’d looked her in the eye, the last time I’d held her.
She was repulsed by me.
That made this so much easier. When I saw nothing in her gaze, I lost all hope.
Gave up.
I’d expected to die young, but in a different way. I’d expected to be murdered by my enemies, wounded in a shootout, dead on the spot with only minutes to suffer. I never expected to be thrown into a cage like an animal.
And to put myself there.
The door opened, and Damien came down the stairs. He was just in his sweatpants without a shirt, like he expected to get dirty, expected my blood to splash everywhere. He approached the cage and stared down at me.
He hadn’t given me food or water.
I didn’t ask for any.
He pulled out his key and unlocked the door. It creaked as it came open.
I continued to sit against the wall, staring at him with no interest. “If you think beating me and torturing me will give you satisfaction, it won’t. I won’t make a sound, won’t beg for mercy. I’ll just wait until you finally give me the sweet release of death.”
“And if I don’t?”
I stared at him without blinking. “I can give it to myself, if it comes to it.”
Damien didn’t scream at me. He didn’t say anything at all. But the look on his face showed his rage, how the past still weighed heavily on his shoulders, how my relationship with his sister tore him up deep inside. The vein that ran down his forehead was fat and vibrating, and the red tint to his face showed how hard his heart was beating, how the blood was circulating everywhere. “Get your ass up.”
I held up my forefinger. “Say please.”
That was when he snapped and came at me, fists flying with powerful punches that seemed to come from fury, not muscle.
I took it—hit after hit.
He grabbed me by the front of the shirt and slammed his fist into my face over and over.
Until I blacked out.
Blood was on the floor of my cell. My shirt was torn clean in two.
My head throbbed like a horse had kicked me in the skull.
I opened my eyes and looked at the meal he’d left behind. A glass of water and a sandwich.
I was in so much pain I didn’t even want to eat.
I rolled onto my back and groaned, my face still dripping with blood from his fist. I stared at the ceiling through swollen eyes, unsure how much time had passed, if it’d been days or just a few hours.
I felt like a pussy taking that beating, but I had no other choice. If I retaliated, I would break my promise to the one person I would always keep my promises to. My chest and ribs hurt too, like he got me there after I blacked out.
I could tolerate a lot of pain, but I hoped death was coming soon, because I didn’t want to feel this way for weeks or months.
The door at the top of the stairs opened, and his footsteps sounded as he entered the basement. He reached the ground floor and slowly approached the cage. “Don’t like your lunch?”
“I’m just too comfy to get up,” I said sarcastically.
“Really?” He stopped at the bars of the cage. “Because you look like shit.”
“I don’t know, Patricia might like it.”
His eyes narrowed in annoyance.
I continued to stare at the ceiling. “You can break my body, Damien. But you’ll never break my spirit.” I grabbed the water and drank all of it, letting it soak my dry throat. I could smash this glass into pieces, hide a shard in my pocket, and then stab him in the neck the next time he came after me. He was careless, or maybe he realized I wouldn’t fight back for any reason, and that made him feel invincible. I grabbed half of the sandwich and took a bite. “Wow, if Patricia fucks as could as she cooks…”
“You just want to fuck over anyone I care about, don’t you?”
I finished half of my sandwich before I turned my head slightly and looked at him. “It’s a joke, Damien.”
“I can read between the lines.”
I turned to the ceiling again. “I didn’t fuck with your sister. I loved her. Still fucking do.”
He said nothing.
“Your men are idiots who don’t know how to tie a knot. I could have taken you down the second we stepped inside your house. But I didn’t. This glass you just brought me? I could have shattered it and hid a shard in my pocket. Sliced your neck the second you came after me. Damien, you think you have the upper hand, but the only reason you do is because I allowed it. The only reason you have me in this Ritz Carlton resort is because I allowed it. I promised Catalina I would never hurt you…and I’ll keep my word, even if it claims my life.”
He was quiet after he listened to my speech. “That’s too bad, because you mean nothing to her.”
I kept the same blank expression, but those words hurt me more than his fists ever could.
“She set you up because she wants you dead as much as I do. I’ve never been prouder.”
I grabbed the other half of the sandwich and ate it, ignoring the unbearable pain inside my chest. It hurt because it was true. It hurt because she’d barely hugged me back, and even when she did, it didn’t feel the same. It hurt because my betrayal really did change who she was. She was like a ghost, just a hazy outline of who she used to be.
Damien unlocked the door. “Do you like baseball, Heath?”
I already knew where this was going. He had a wooden bat with my name written all over it. “Just let me finish my sandwich.”
Sixteen
Catalina
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Anna sat next to me on the couch, her glass of wine in her slender fingers.
“Yeah. Why?” I turned to her, sipping from my glass.
“You just…seem sad.”
“I’m not sad,” I said defensively. “I’m not really anything.”
Anna watched me for a while, like she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. “Damien has him in the house, in the basement.”
I didn’t ask if he was still alive. It made no difference either way.
“Doesn’t talk about it.”
Probably to protect her. “He’s hurt every single member of our family—including you. It’s time for retribution.”
“Yeah, I guess so.”
A knock sounded at the door, a hard knock, like a man was on the other side.
“Expecting company?” Anna asked.
“No. It’s probably Damien.” I set the wine down and moved to the door. I didn’t look through the peephole before I opened it, expecting to come face-to-face with the man who shared my green eyes.
But it wasn’t him.
Balto stared at me on the threshold, wearing that exact same look of intensity that his brother had, expressing his unease with just his look, not needing words like most people did.
I was frozen, never expecting to see him again, never expecting to see Heath’s visage looking back at me.
His chest rose and fell deeply, like he was breathing hard, either from exertion or pain.
I didn’t know what to do. “Uh…”
He invited himself inside and slammed the door shut behind him.
“Oh my god…” Anna rose from the couch, probably assuming it was Heath because she didn’t realize he had a twin.
Balto’s eyes shifted to her. “Get the fuck out.”
Anna was still, her eyes shifting to me.
“It’s okay,” I whispered.
Balto stared at me. “I won’t hurt you…even though I’d like to.” His blue eyes burned deep into mine, full of violence, revenge, and everything in between.
Anna grabbed her purse and walked out.
When the door was shut behind her, I took a step back.
But he took a step forward. “Tell me where he is.”
“He’s not here…”
His nostrils flared as he released an aggressive sigh. “Obviously.”
I crossed my arms over my chest.
“Answer me.”
“No.” I shifted my gaze away, guilty for denying him when he’d been nothing but nice to me.
“Bitch.” He moved closer to me. “This is my brother. My family.”
“And he did terrible things to my family.” I turned back to him. “He gets what he deserves.”
“Deserves?” he whispered. “You’d be a slave if it weren’t for him. Or did you forget that?”
When I took a breath, my lungs hurt. “No. I saved his life when he went to collect money from Damien. We’re even.”
“Even?” he asked. “No, you’re not even. Slavery is much, much worse than death. I don’t need to explain that to you.” There were subtle differences between him and Heath, so insignificant no one would notice, except someone who knew them well…like me. “I understand what he did was wrong. Keeping it from you was also wrong.”
“He didn’t just keep it from me,” I snapped. “He made me fall in love with him when he knew what was going to happen. He dragged me along—and crushed me.” It was the first time I’d admitted it out loud, and it was the first time I’d felt an emotion other than rage since I confronted Heath.
Balto finally turned gentle. “I know. And he’s been fairly punished if he’s still alive.”
I dropped my eyes.
“This isn’t the answer.”
“He’s done terrible things to every single person in my family—”
“Before he met you. He’s different now. He’s a new man. I’ve known my brother my whole life. I’ve witnessed a change I didn’t think was possible. I’ve watched him become a good man—because of you. Let the past go.”
“He almost killed my father—”
“Almost,” he hissed. “He’s the fucking Skull King. Not Walt Disney.”
I sighed as I rolled my eyes.
“But he would never do anything to you or anyone you care about again. Tell me where the fuck he is.”
“It doesn’t matter. You can’t get inside.”
His eyes narrowed. “Try me.”
“He’s at my brother’s place. In his basement.”
His eyes started to soften with disappointment, and he released a deep breath of defeat. “I was hoping he would be somewhere else. Because you’re right, I can’t get inside.” He stepped back and turned his gaze to my living room, his hands sliding into his pockets. “Because that would require me to hurt Damien…and Heath would rather die than let that happen.” He turned back to me. “Because he loves you. And I’m disappointed you’ve forgotten that you love him too.”
It was strange to be in the house.
To be in the house where Heath was either in a cage…or a corpse.
I sat across from my father and tried to play the game, but that was difficult because all I could think about was Heath’s ghost.
“Sweetheart?”
I lifted my gaze to look at my father.
“It’s your turn.”
“I know. Just thinking.”
He pulled back his sleeve to look at his watch. “I’ve never seen you think this long.”
“Well, I want to win.”
He released his sleeve and rested his elbows on the table. “I have a feeling you aren’t thinking about the game.”
I dropped my gaze again, not wanting to discuss my feelings. Half of me wanted Heath dead, the other half wished I were dead instead. “I don’t want to talk about it, Daddy.”
“Alright. But I’m always here…even if it’s to talk about boys.”
I looked at him again.
“Your mother died too young and isn’t here to do those motherly things with you, so I can try.” He shrugged. “I understand you’re a grown woman who probably doesn’t need help or an old man’s advice, but my offer is always on the table.”
His kindness made me smile. “Thanks, Daddy…” I couldn’t believe Heath took this innocent man and intended to shoot him in the back of the head, just to get a few bags of cash. It made me hate him all over again, made me realize our love was never real, it was just lust and infatuation. How could I ever want to be with someone who did that to my father? What kind of future could we ever have?
Damien stepped into the dining room. “Wow, really exciting game,” he said sarcastically.
“Your sister is very strategic,” my father said. “Takes her time.”
Damien stopped at the table, looked at the pieces for a bit, and then turned to our father. “Remember the night you were kidnapped?”
Oh my god, I didn’t want to hear this.
“Yes,” Dad answered. “Why?”
“I’ve got him in the basement. And now that I’ve had my fun with him, I’m going to kill him. You want to do the honors?”
There was a sudden, painful stitch in my chest, like I couldn’t breathe, like my lungs wouldn’t cooperate.
Dad considered the question. “That’s not who I am anymore, son. I stopped doing that stuff a long time ago, atoned for my sins, because when I get to those pearly gates…I don’t want to be turned away.”
“You aren’t killing an innocent man,” Damien said. “This guy was going to kill you.”
He shrugged. “But he didn’t. You saved me—because love is always stronger than hate.”
Damien stared him for a while, like he wanted to say something else, but then he turned to me. “Then I think you’re next in line.”
He gave me a look of disappointment. “Alright. Then I’ll do it.” He turned around and walked out of the room.
Dad turned back to the chess game. “I see at least three moves you can make—”
“Damien.” I left my chair and ran after him. I stepped into the hallway and heard him farther away, so I followed the sound of his footsteps. When I reached the wooden door, he was halfway down the steps.
He stopped and turned back to me. “Good. I’m glad you changed your mind.” He descended the steps the rest of the way until he was gone from my sight. “I’ve got a special surprise for you. Catalina is the one who’s gonna put the bullet in your brain.”
Now that I’d heard those words, it all felt real. I gripped the railing and took the stairs quickly. When I reached the bottom, I was in a large concrete room, constructed generations ago before the house had been renovated.
Inside the metal cage was Heath…or what was left of him.
He lay on the ground, shirtless, bruised and bloody like he’d been ripped to pieces. He didn’t even seem conscious. He was…a living corpse. “Oh my god…” I slowly moved to the cage, my eyes immediately burning with tears when I saw the blood everywhere, the stains that would permanently mark the floor of the cage forever.
Heath didn’t look at me, his head turned to the other wall.
My hands gripped the bars, and I suddenly felt sick, felt weak, felt so much self-hatred that I wished I could take his place. I knew exactly how it felt to be locked in a basement, barely holding on to life, afraid of the men who kept me there. The tears were unstoppable, the pain more agonizing than anything I’d ever felt before. “Open the door.” I grabbed the bars and shook them, hoping to break them loose myself.
Damien remained behind me. “What?”
I turned to him, screaming so loud I didn’t even recognize myself. “Open the fucking door!”
Damien stilled at the ferocity that had just come out of my mouth, at the way everything around us vibrated as if an earthquake had struck the city. There was no argument from his lips, and his expression was tight, like he was actually scared of me. Wordlessly, he pulled the key from his pocket and walked to the door. Then he stepped back, staring at me like he didn’t know me anymore.