“They deserve this, I promise. We will bring salvation to them. These demons won’t take over this world. Yes, yes. This one will be the hardest.” He’s now sitting in a chair, rocking back and forth speaking to what he thinks is his savior. Apparently they talk and are the best of friends. He really believes that we’re the problem and he’s not.
His murmurs stop and he gets up from the chair and walks over to a table, picking up a bottle before coming back to the center of the room. Setting his Bible down, he unscrews the cap and begins his chanting of some sort of prayer before he starts flicking the water in the air like he’s cleansing the presence in the room. It’s going to take a whole lot more of holy water bullshit to cleanse my sins.
After his little show, he leaves us alone, locked up in our designated places without saying a word. We sit in silence trying to register everything that just happened. He was so kind to leave the light on and I am able to get a good look at Samantha. She’s huddled in the corner hugging her legs to her chest staring straight ahead. She doesn’t seem fazed by his little performance but I can tell by how stiff her body is that this is nothing compared to what he’s done to her.
“Your daughter is safe and protected. I wanted you to know that I found her and no one is going to take her away. She’swaiting for you and you will see her again.” I give her some sort of hope so she can keep fighting.
“How can you be so sure I’ll make it out of here alive? Maybe I deserve this and my sins are too severe. She deserves a happy home. I tried. I really tried.” A sob breaks from her and she buries her head in between her arms.
My heart breaks seeing her like this. He has her believing that everything she’s done for that little girl was for nothing. She loves her so much. That little girl has never gone through life without having everything she needs. She plays with her, making sure she’s feeling well, provides a roof over her head, and buys her the prettiest dresses and toys. She always puts her daughter's happiness first, even when it means she skips a meal. He truly did a number on her if she really thinks that she deserves this. For that, I know that he’ll never touch or torture her again. I’ll take every punishment if that means she can find her worth again.
“Don’t let him brainwash you into something you’re not. If you were a horrible mother, she wouldn’t be crying for you every single night. She wouldn't ask me when her mama’s coming home to hold her and play with her. She needs you, Sam, just as much as you need her. You can’t give up now. I didn’t get myself locked in here for you to blindly follow him. Tell me, what did he do to you?” I try to crawl to her but the chains remind me that I’m a prisoner here, too.
Seeing her so broken and defeated hurts. She’s the life that breathes in the club and the happiness that sinks into you every time she talks to you. Everything positive about her is washed away.
“How do you know, Celeste? How do you know that these sins aren’t too great to come back from? He does numerous things. Things that are repetitive and your body begs you to fold,” she sobs.
“Because if anyone’s a monster here, it’s me. I’ve done unspeakable things that will drive me to hell, regardless if it was to protect the innocent. Being a dancer to make money to support your daughter is not one of them. I should have protected you and for that I will always blame myself. You don’t get to degrade yourself, not with someone like me in this room. I swear to you, he will not harm you further,” I promise her. She sniffles but doesn’t respond to me.
Something I can’t wrap my head around is how he knew who I was in that alley. I mean the plan worked to get me caught but he knew my true identity. Then he decided to take Monroe as well, making this a little more difficult. He was three steps ahead of us and he expanded beyond his means. My plan needs to be altered now that a literal FBI agent is trapped with me. Killing him and making him disappear is going to be harder, but what if it’s self-defense? She can’t possibly put me away for saving her ass.
“How do you propose we get out of this? We wouldn’t be in this if you didn’t purposely lure him to you. We had him and now we don’t even know where he is? We could have gotten her out safely and you risked us all. I knew you were up to something,” Monroe's annoying-ass voice interrupts my thoughts.
She has to be delirious if she thinks they were anywhere close to getting him. He most likely knew there were feds crawling the club. He outsmarted us all without batting an eye. This makes me wonder if he had assistance or if he’s a genius under his madness to hack into systems to get the information he needs.
“Last time I checked, you chose to follow me blindly. Did you think that you could find something so horrible on me to report it back to your partner? Are you that desperate? You weren’t close to getting him. You failed several times; hencethe women were left in the Times Square, dead. She’s family to me and I’ll go to the end of the world for my family. She wasn’t going to be another one of your failed investigations,” I spit back at her. If she’s going to bite, I’ll bite back. She’s a scared little mole hiding behind the badge.
She stares at me as if trying to pick and choose her words carefully. She thinks I’m an idiot but if she knows me as much as she thinks she does, then she should know I don’t do things lightly. The law doesn’t faze me, my family taught me that. We take things in our own hands and don’t apologize for it. However, she apparently doesn’t pick and choose her words because she narrows her eyes at me, puffing up like she’s ready to give me a whole-ass lecture.
“So you thought you could get right in here and march right out untouched? You’re not trained for this. You have no back-up to come save you. You’re right, I followed you. I wanted to know what you’re up to since you clearly keep secrets. I just hope the team can find us before someone dies. Stop provoking him,” she huffs, leaning her head against the wall.
“You already knew who I was, Monroe. Don't act like it’s a surprise. I didn’t keep secrets, you all just didn’t ask. They won’t find us considering you were stripped out of your clothing and earpieces.
“He was also smart enough to search us for trackers. Unfortunately, he found mine and carved it out. This isn’t my first time being captured and tortured. Remember, I’m the monster here and I live for this chaos.”
Before she can respond to me, he’s back yet again, unlocking the door and bringing down a piece of bread and cheese for each of us and a baggy of water. A fucking bag. What does he think we’re going to do, kill him with a plastic bottle? I mean I could. He sets the items down on our bedsbefore going back to the center of the room and closing his eyes.
“Father, bless this food and help cleanse the demons away. We follow your path of righteousness and salvation. Amen.” He traces a cross and opens his eyes. “I suggest you eat as this will be the only food you will have before we start our redemption. Save your energy, you will be drained quickly.”
He leaves us alone again and none of us speak. Samantha looks zoned out, Monroe is constantly looking at the exit as if she thinks she can magically get out of the cuffs and make a break for it, and I eat the stale bread and cheese because the games are about to begin and I’ll need all the energy I can get.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
ALARIC
“The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. An evil soul producing holy witness is like a villain with a smiling cheek, A goodly apple rotten at the heart. O, what a goodly outside falsehood hath!” - William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice
My mind is still reeling from the performance I’d just witnessed. That cunning woman thought she would get away with that type of performance but little does she know, I’ll have her begging for my touch. The way I wanted to rip every male's eyeballs out from their sockets for even looking at her and the urge to blow my damn cover and beat the living shit out of the guy who thought he could touch her. I wanted to end his life right then and there for touching what is mine and mine only. She really tested me whether she knew it or not, tiptoeing over the fine line of temptation and need. The growing bulge was straining so hard against my slacks, making it impossible to breathe, and now I’m here trying to recover without seeking her out.
Monroe and I had played poker with a couple and once we’d finished our game, we headed to the bar to get drinks. There were no other leads since the suspicious man had left. We continued our act in case Oliver was here watching for anything out of the ordinary as well. Monroe seemed a little distracted before she excused herself to go to the restroom. I watched her as she headed in that direction before the guy next to me stole my attention away. Great, she would leave me with the most self-obsessed human I’ve ever met in my life. He keeps raving about how much he spent on his Bently and his new penthouse he just purchased.
I have to act like I give a flying fuck and hold back several annoyed sighs because this is what rich people talk about, right? Jesus Christ, I don’t fit in with this crowd and would willingly be set up as a fucking pole outside if I didn’t have to sit here with this man again. About thirty minutes goes by and Monroe isn’t back yet. I know with a crowd like this, it may take a while considering the line for the ladies room is long, but something doesn’t feel right. I excuse myself from the grueling man and make my way to the girls’ bathroom.
“Monroe? Is everything okay? I know it's crowded there but you’ve been quiet,” I speak loud enough for the earpiece to catch but there’s no response.
As I get close to the bathroom, I notice it’s not as busy as it looked from afar and women are coming in and out. I even stop one of them who comes out and ask if they saw her, giving them the full description but they hadn't. Something is wrong and she’s not responding.
“Beckett. Do you have any eyes on Monroe?” I push through the crowd in a panic.
