Pink Shades of Words: Walk 2016 (12 page)

For a split second, I believed him. I felt like that despondent girl again, the one who’d had her life ripped away, got hooked on drugs, and had her freedom stolen right out from under her. But a moment later, I heard the gunshots downstairs, and I felt my own sense of victory coming. I could feel the smirk pulling up at the corner of my mouth.

Confused, he ran over to the door and peeked out. I could see a sliver of the hallway and heard frantic shouting, people scrambling around.

Immediately, he slammed the door behind him and locked it. “What the fuck is going on?” he shouted at me, his eyes narrowing as if he knew this had been the plan all along. My plan.

I looked directly at him, not allowing my fear to get the best of me. After all these years of being under him, I finally felt like I was on top. “Just a little media coverage. You assholes like that shit, don’t you?”

He had the audacity to chuckle, looking less worried. “I don’t care what you think you caught. Nobody’s going to believe a lying whore.”

If I wasn’t confident that he was grasping for straws, I might’ve believed his cocky tone.

The bedside phone rang, calling our attention.  This was part of the plan, and I knew exactly who was on the other end. I reached over and picked up the wireless receiver. “Hello, Mrs. Kendall.” I kept my eyes on the senator and that damn syringe.

“Who is this?” the woman asked, her voice shaking.

“The woman you’re watching.” I stared at the camera hidden in the smoke detector as the senator looked around trying to figure out what had my attention. He obviously didn’t have a fucking clue that the camera was on.

“Please tell me this isn’t true. I got a security alert, opened the link from my laptop and I see my husband attacking a woman in my own bedroom.” My heart almost broke for her, but surely she had to suspect something was going on. As if reading my mind, she added, “I figured he had other women, but this? No. It’s not possible.”

“I am so sorry, but your husband supports sex trafficking and uses your home as a brothel while you’re gone. He’s raped me and others, repeatedly.”

Violent rage filled the senator’s wide eyes. “There’s no way.  She’ll never believe you,” he spat out through gritted teeth as he reached for the phone, the syringe pointing at me.

Howling screams came through the receiver, and my vindicated eyes met his. I held the phone out so he could hear what he’d done to her. What he’d done to all of us.

He rushed forward, attempting to stick me, but I’d managed to kick the syringe out of his hand. His face contorted and was red with fury as he ran over, yanked a side table drawer open and pulled out a gun. With furious steps, he came at me with it, and I felt a jarring pain as he shoved it against my temple. I was too shocked to move.

“You fucking bitch. You’ve destroyed my life.” The rage on his face should’ve scared the shit out of me, but watching him fall apart, completely losing control, got me higher than I’d ever felt before. Smack had nothing on the euphoric intoxication of revenge.

With the cold muzzle digging into the side of my head, I closed my eyes, breathed in deep, and smiled. I didn’t think I was dying tonight, but even if he did pull the trigger, I’d rest peacefully knowing he’d never hurt another girl.

“What the fuck are you so happy about?” He leaned in, seething, but his fury wasn’t getting to me. I’d prayed for death many times in the past in order to escape torment but had always been afraid. Now that I’d served my purpose, I was filled with tranquility, no matter what my fate was.

As promised, my hotter-than-hell knight in full body camouflage busted down the door to get to me. With a ski mask concealing his face, Marcus pointed his gun at the senator. “Don’t even think about it, son of a bitch,” he growled. “You’re one move away from me not giving a fuck and shooting your dick off. Nothing would please me more than letting you lie in your own vomit and puddle of blood while you slowly die in agony.”

Marcus’ eyes cut to me for a split second before returning to the senator, who’d just backed away from the bed. “You okay, baby?”

“I’m fine.” I scooted up into a sitting position and pressed my hand to my forehead, filled with relief and ready to get the hell out of here.

Marcus motioned with the gun for the senator to back away from the bed even further. “We need to wrap this shit up and get the fuck out before someone catches wind of it.”

Senator Kendall looked back and forth between Marcus and me before he turned the gun on himself, holding the barrel under his chin. Oh no, this asshole was not going to kill himself after everything we went through to take him down. I was about to leap at him, make an insane move of trying to shove the gun off track, but Marcus beat me to it. Without missing a beat, Marcus shot his gun, forcing the senator to drop in pain to the ground.

“You aren’t taking the coward’s way out, you piece of shit.”

Damn right!

I peeked over the side of the bed and saw the scumbag grabbing his bloody fingers.  Looking between the two men, I smiled at Marcus. “Good shot, babe. You kept it on the fingers.” 

Marcus shrugged, but I knew under that ski mask he had the look of pride on his face. “I wanted to blow his hand off so he couldn’t touch another woman, but it would’ve been difficult to cuff him.” Then his eyes darted to the dark purple mark on top of my breast.

“Son of a bitch.” Marcus shook his head, cursing. Taking long strides, he kicked the gun away before nailing the senator in the ribs with his steel-toed boot, several times. I winced, imagining the pain that caused, though I didn’t give a shit. “I should kill you for touching my girl, you lowlife cocksucker.”

Flipping the senator onto his stomach, Marcus reached into his back pocket and retrieved his zip ties. He held them out to me with an expression of triumph. “Do you want to do the honors?”

The senator continued to grunt in pain, blood spurting from his fingers, and I shook my head. “No thanks.  I just wanted to bust his ass.” Which I did. At a price, but we got him.

One of Marcus’ guys stuck his covered face through the door, and I recognized Tim’s voice. “Everything okay in here, boss?”

Marcus stood up, peeled off his gloves, and shoved them in his back pocket before reaching his hand out to me. “Yeah, tie this piece of shit to the bed so he can’t leave before the cops get here. Is the video being streamed on all the TVs in the house?”

Tim gave a curt nod. “He’s just waiting for you to give the go ahead.” Pointing to me, he added, “Oh, and the camera’s off.”

Wrapping his arm around my waist, Marcus pulled me to his side and continued to give instructions. “Okay, go for it, then get the hell out of here. As soon as you guys take off, have him override all the stations and stream it a couple times before the cops have a chance to keep it from the public.”

I could still hear the senator groaning as Marcus led me away. “I’ve gotta warn you,” he said softly. “It’s a bit gruesome downstairs.”

I gave him a curious glance. “I can handle it.” Though, if any of the girls were hurt, I wasn’t sure I’d want to see.

He swiped his thumbs across my cheeks as he stared into my eyes. “Remember when you asked about the law not being able to touch those men?”

“Yes.” I nodded.

His eyes were somewhat grave, though not sad. “You won’t have to worry about that now.”

As that news sunk in, I buried my face in his chest and squeezed my eyes shut, feeling a little guilty about being happy. When I pulled away, something on the floor caught my eye.

The filled syringe.

I’m sure my face twisted up into some crazed expression as an idea came to me. Before giving it a second thought, I reached down and picked it up. My eyes met Marcus’s and he shrugged, giving me a silent ‘go for it’.

Careful not to step in his blood, I leaned down and whispered in the senator’s ear, “Let’s see how you like this.” He grumbled when I jabbed the needle into his neck and plunged the liquid into his body.

“You fucking bitch,” he gritted out before I stood up and kicked him between his asscheeks with my very pointy shoes.

Whimpering, he grabbed onto his ass.

With a satisfied grin, I turned to Marcus. “I’m ready.”

“Let’s get out of here.” Pulling me close, he kissed the side of my head, the temple where the butt of the gun had just been. Marcus made me feel so safe, unlike any other man had.

A shiver ran down my spine as I filled my lungs with the comforting scent that was all him. We’d captured the monster of my real life nightmares and helped free those girls. None of us would have to endure the horrors of the life we once had.

Moments ago, I’d thought I had already fulfilled my purpose, but as we made our way down the stairs, I realized something. This second chance at life had only lit a fire within me.  I wanted other girls trapped in the same situation I’d once been in to feel the relief and victory that came with freedom.

At the bottom of the stairs, the smell of gunpowder and blood filled the air. Bodies littered the room that, only moments ago, had been filled with perverted men groping unwilling women. I didn’t want to take in too much in case one of the girls was hit by mistake.

Once outside the front door, I scanned the driveway. “Where are they?  Where are the girls? Please tell me they all made it out safely.”

“They’re around the side, but—”

I took off running before he had a chance to finish and felt him hot on my trail.

The SUVs we’d brought to transport them were lined up, ready to leave. I pulled open one of the doors and focused on the girl in front of me. The one who’d been laid out on the dining table. “I promise you’re safe now.” I wanted to reach out to reassure her but didn’t know how she’d handle someone touching her. “You’ll be taken to a place where you are protected and you’ll have the choice of staying or going.  You’re free.”

Clinging onto the blanket wrapped around her, she stared at me with disbelieving eyes. “You...” Her bottom lip trembled. “...you saved us? I thought...” She shook her head. “Who are you?”

A lump formed in my throat. “I used to be a girl in your shoes. That’s why I’m asking you to trust us to take care of you guys. I’ll be there with you.”

Her face filled with relief as she shook her head again.

I peeked behind her and was confused to see some of the girls from the catering company.

“We’ll meet you guys there.” I took a chance and squeezed her hand before I closed the door and tapped on the side of the SUV.

“We have to go, now,” Marcus ordered while leading me into the backseat of another waiting SUV. 

As I scooted to the other side so he could get in, I asked, “Why were those other girls in there?”

He finally ripped his mask off and pulled me onto his lap as our driver took off. “Genevieve was the ring’s leader.”

“What?” My body began to shake.

“She was under our noses this whole time, and we had no idea she was at the top.  She made the girls switch between serving food and servicing the men.” He threw his head back on the headrest. “God and I put you in the middle of that.”

I placed my quivering hand on his cheek. “I put myself in the middle. And we caught them.”

He glanced down at me, and the sad expression on his face told me something different. “She got away. We had no idea how involved she was until the girls were pulled out of the house.”

“Oh shit! How do you know?”

He tapped his earpiece and my heart sank. Holding me close to his body, he kissed my forehead, nose, and eye lids. “It’s okay, baby.” Huffing, he switched his tone to hopeful. “We’ll get her. We always do.”

I swallowed my disappointment. “I know, but I hope it’s before she gets her hands on anyone else.”

“Me too,” he admitted.

“I’m so exhausted.” My body continued to shiver.

“It’s the adrenaline wearing off. Best high out there, but just like any other, it’s a bitch when you come down from it.”

My teeth slowed their chattering, and I managed a smile. “We make a great team. As scary as that was, I’m ready to go find that bitch and take her down.”

Sighing heavily, he frowned. “That’s what I was afraid of. Is there any way I can talk you into letting me take care of her?”

I snuggled further into his lap as my trembling came under control. “Oh, I think you know me better than that.”

Kissing the top of my head he said, “That I do.”

Feeling more relaxed than I had all day, I closed my eyes and said a prayer for the girls who were saved tonight. I hoped they would stick with our program until they were strong enough to stand on their own.

And god help Genevieve when we got our hands on her.

~ The End ~

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Also by K.A. Hunter

I
ndemnity is a spin-off short story based on an event that occurs in the upcoming novel,
Confliction
(Dante & Malory’s story)
, which is scheduled to publish fall/winter 2016. Although Marcus and Alexa aren’t the main characters in
Confliction
, they play important roles in the story.

In the meantime, please enjoy
Relinquished
, the story filled with twists and surprises that originally brought Dante and Marcus together (synopsis below).

Relinquished

Jules Donovan has been in and out of unsavory foster homes and repulsive motels her entire life. She’s known nothing but loss, abandonment, crime, and pain. Now that she's aged out of the system, she can’t remember ever having dreams for her future because she’s constantly fighting for daily survival. 

When she meets the Riley brothers, there’s something about them that draws her in. She’s never let her guard down, but Dante and Holden make her feel valuable, like she actually matters. And for the first time in her life, she senses something she’s never experienced before—protection. 

But can these mysterious brothers keep her safe from the dark monsters that lie in wait, ready for their final revenge? And how in the hell does older brother Dante know so much about her anyway? 

Unbeknownst to her, things have been set in motion ever since she was ripped from her mother’s womb and, as each jagged piece of her life unfolds, she will begin to wonder, who’s really in charge of her fate?