Creed of Redemption (S.I.N. Rock Star Trilogy #2) (27 page)

“Have a seat over here,” he says as he pulls the chair to the center of the room. I stare at him blankly, wondering what the heck he is up to. “Hurry up bitch. I’m not Alex. I will not tolerate disobedience.” Ah, dark haired guy finally has a name. This disclosure worries me because I know too much. I watch television. I know how these things end. They’re probably going to kill me after they get what they want. I get up and walk slowly to the chair. If they’re going to kill me anyway, why make things easier for them. My defiance is met with a body slam into the chair. The chair tips slightly as my weight is thrown against the wooden frame.

“Don’t test me!” Roc spits. My arm aches from the blunt force of the chair. I try not to wince and give this fucker the satisfaction.

Roc straddles my thighs and bears his weight on my lap. His hand tangles in my hair as he yanks my head back. His face is mere inches from mine. His breath is suffocating me as I work to control my own respirations. I start to hyperventilate in panic.

“I will fuck you up, doll, or I could just fuck you?” he threatens. His free hand caresses between my cleavage, and it makes me feel sick.

“What the hell are you doing, Roc?” Alex booms. His entry into the room is commanding. I thought Roc was the one in charge, but now I just don’t know. For now, I’m glad he’s here. Was Roc about to rape me? “Get the damn video recorder and let’s get this shit done.”
Wait what?
Roc eases off of me, but not before winking.

“Later,” he mouths. He leaves the room, but returns two minutes later with some type of camcorder. For the first time, I see the newspaper in Alex’s hand when he shoves it at me.

“Hold this with the date showing,” he says dryly. I do as he says, waiting to see what they’re going to do next. I look at the date and see that it has been exactly two days since I was taken from Grayson’s house. I can’t believe I was out of it that long. “Hold the paper at chest level and look into the recorder,” Alex instructs. Again I comply and he starts the video. The recording goes on for a few minutes without a single word spoken.
Weird as shit.
No demands were made. Alex turns off the recorder and doesn’t look in my direction was he exits the room.

Roc walks stealthily toward me with a huge smile on his face. “Now that he’s gone, we can play a bit.” He pulls me up from the chair and the paper I’m holding slips to the floor. Hell no, this is not happening without a fight. I begin to buck against him, but he just laughs. He drags me across the room and throws me onto the bed.

“Fuck you, cocksucker!” I scream. He climbs on top of me and pins my hands above my head with one hand. His other hand comes down hard against my cheek. Tears slide down my face, but I don’t give him the pleasure of hearing the sobs escape my mouth. I squirm wildly, trying my best to buck him off of me. When his hand is close enough to my face, I bite the hell out of him. He grunts incoherently. That stunt earns me a punch to the gut. Air rushes out me and I can’t breathe. The tears fall harder.

“You fucking little cunt. You’re going to pay for that.” As he inspects his bitten hand, Alex walks back into the room. His eyebrows knit together in anger.

“Roc? What the hell, man?” Roc jumps off of me like a guilty person caught with their hand in the cookie jar.

“That little bitch just bit me,” he explains.

“What were you doing? From the looks of things, you were trying to have sex with her,” Alex huffs. “I’m not into rape, Roc. I didn’t sign up for this shit. We do the ransom, get the money, and that is it. I won’t be a part of anything else or have it on my conscious that I let it happen in my presence.”

“Well, it wouldn’t be in your presence if you’d stop coming to her damn rescue,” Roc argues. “I was just having a little fun. Nobody asked you to participate. Don’t act all holier than thou. You’re just as much a part of this kidnapping as I am.” During the midst of their argument my eyes are drawn to Roc’s right hand that he is rubbing from my bite—specifically the tattoo.
That freaking scorpion tattoo.
Oh God! How did I not make this connection before.

“It’s you,” I accuse, pointing at Roc. “You were the pizza delivery guy who came to my house a couple of weeks ago. I remember the tattoo now.” He had on a cap that day, but I can’t say that I paid enough attention to him to notice. I was too busy trying to tip him so I could get him out. He creeped me out then and I didn’t pay attention to my instincts. I was distracted by Liam’s unannounced visit. The grin Roc is sporting right now tells me that I’m right. It was him.

“Kind of slow there, doll,” he chuckles.

“Just stay the hell away from her,” Alex warns, bringing the conversation back to Roc’s attempt to rape me. “Say what you want, but I will not let you harm her while I’m here. I can’t have that shit on my conscious too. You don’t have to like it, but you will respect it.”

“Whatever,” Roc replies dismissively. “Oh and if that douche bag wouldn’t have been there that day, I would’ve taken you then. You were almost too easy. When I did come back for you, this one was with me,” he says pointing over at Alex. “So don’t let his white cape fool you, he wants this money just as much as I do. He won’t give a shit what happens to you after he gets it and I’ll be waiting.” He laughs as he walks out of the door. My heart drops because I know that he is right. I try to scoot back further on the bed as Alex walks toward me and a pain shoots through my stomach where Roc punched me. I bend over to hide my face.

“Are you hurt?” he asks.

“I’m fine,” I lie.

“Siobhan, look at me.” I would ask how he knows my name again, but of course he does. Those fuckers were watching my every move. I don’t look up or answer him. Let my silence give him a hint that he can fuck off too. “I’m not going to hurt you and I’m not going to let anyone else hurt you, either.”

As a reflex, my head whips up at that statement. I stare him coldly in the eyes.
Really motherfucker because I’m already hurting from the blow your jackass partner delivered right before you came in.
“Really,” I answer sarcastically.

“Shit, your face, it’s all red.” He flinches. He moves my hair away from my right cheek and I jump. “Roc fucking hit you.” He looks down and sees that I’m guarding my stomach. He snatches my shirt up to get a look before I can protest. “God damn it.” He gets up and begins to pace. He then leaves the room and closes the door behind him.

I can hear him arguing with Roc downstairs, but the actual words are not intelligible. I strain to hear, but it is no use. Wait, I didn’t hear Alex put the locks on the door after he left. I can make a run for it. I desperately try to remember the route I was taken on to get to this room when I had that damn pillow case on my head. How can I get past them without being seen? Maybe If I can just escape to a room that has a phone, I can call 9-1-1. Yes, that sounds more feasible. Once they ping my location, they can send help. I won’t have to try to get away. Just as I try to set this plan in motion, Alex comes back in carrying two ice packs. Roc’s words about me being slow mock me.

“Here. One pack is for your face and the other is for your stomach. This won’t happen again. He won’t be back in here without me.” He sets the ice packs next to me on the bed and walks back out. This time I do hear him locking the door from the other side. I count them. There are three clicks. So much for that plan. I will just have to be more attentive. The next time that door is left unlocked, I need to be ready to act. I need to figure out a way to save myself before they get what they want from this.

The silence is deafening. The house is quiet now and I’m left alone with my thoughts. The ice that I’m using on my face and stomach is the only thing that is keeping me grounded in the here and now. I wish this was just a really bad dream. I wonder how my family is dealing with all of this. How Jordan and Grayson are holding up. A tear escapes as I think about my last memory of Grayson having Vanessa at his house. Our break up had crushed me. Still I know he must be worried. Vanessa is probably glad to have me out the picture.
Bitch
. The thought that this may be how it all ends terrifies me. Roc’s words about Alex not caring once he gets the money replay in my mind. He promised to be waiting for that moment. Was that his way of saying that he is going to finish what he started, before he kills me? This is the type of shit you see on soap operas or some television drama. Hard to believe this is my reality right now. My parents have some money put away, but they’re not rich.

A light bulb suddenly goes off. Grayson is fucking ridiculously rich. They’re going to try to get the ransom from him. This was probably the plan all along and I stupidly kept him in the dark about it all. He is going to be blindsided. If I had just told him, maybe he could have used his connections to catch these fuckers before they took me. Instead, I trusted that Officer Richards would find out who was behind the calls. I let my guard down once the calls stopped. I just figured whoever it was grew bored with me. I had no idea a bigger plan had been put into place or that there were two of them. Alex seems like he is just in it for the money and truly wants to keep me safe in this. Roc is the evil one. If it is up to him, I know he won’t let me go. I don’t even know if this ransom scheme is bigger than just the two of them. Either way, I know I need to save myself.

Chapter 2

I guess at some point I fell asleep, although I have no sense of time—whether it’s morning or evening. I’m lying in a wet spot from the melted ice. I shove the ice packs aside and sit up. I wince at the soreness in my stomach. I never did turn the light off in the room so my eyes work to acclimate while I rub them. Once they can focus, I notice a brown envelope near the door. The Hamburger Helper that Alex brought to me last night is still sitting in the chair because I was too upset to eat. My stomach growls, but I’m too focused on the envelope that now has my full attention. I ease out of bed and take timid steps toward it. As I pick up the envelop, I read the words “Enjoy” written with a black Sharpie. Butterflies flutter in my belly and my heart quickens. Somehow, I know this isn’t good. My fingers tremble as I bend back the clasps that will unleash whatever contents await me. It’s photographs—8x10, black and white photographs. I see the first photo and I drop the whole lot.
What the fuck?

The photos are of Grayson and Vanessa. In one photo, he is unzipping the back of her dress. In another photo, he is closing the curtains. There are various photos of them at some sort of cafe, museum, and wait—what? The fucking Eiffel Tower. They’re in Paris. The place he was supposed to take me after graduation. A piece of paper sticks out between them so I pick it up.
‘Taken a few days ago. Thought you may want to see how much the professor is missing you’.

My whole world shatters. Grayson is in Paris while I’m being held captive. How can this be real? The photos don’t look photoshopped. If he is in Paris, does even know I’m missing? What if he left before Jordan could tell him and she can’t get through to him. This makes no sense. Surely, he would have seen my car in his driveway. Maybe he just ignored it. I sink to the floor and pick up each individual photo, committing them all to memory. I will never forgive him for this, either way. If it is so easy for him to move on with Vanessa, then we don’t belong together. Surely he can’t know that I’m missing. He isn’t that heartless. That is beside the point though. It doesn’t make me feel any better. One sob wracks my body before I commence into a full on ugly cry. The harder I cry, the louder I get. I can’t help it. I’ve held strong until this point, but now the damn has broken. I’m pretty sure this little gift came from Roc. He wins. If his plan was to break me, then mission accomplished.

I hear the locks turning, but I can’t bring myself to move or care. Alex walks in and just stands over me looking at all of the photos. “Motherfucker,” he mumbles. He kneels down and pushes a bowl of oatmeal toward me. He then begins scooping up all the photos and stuffing them back into the envelope. “Ignore this shit,” he suggests.

“So, they’re real?” I want so desperately for him to tell me no—that it’s just some sick joke that Roc has come up with.

“Yeah, they’re real. Roc is a dick for showing these to you. Just stay strong. This is almost over.”

“And that is supposed to make me feel better. Don’t you think I’ve already figured out what will happen to me once this is over,” I sniff.

“You’re going to make it out of here, that’s what. Look, I can’t tell you shit, but just trust me. I know you don’t have a reason to, but just try. Okay?” There’s a glimpse of sincerity in his eyes, almost convincing.

“Does Grayson know that I’m missing?” I challenge.

“Yes. Now that is all that I can tell you. Don’t let Roc get under your skin. Wait until you get out of here and seek answers for yourself. Now eat before you make yourself sick.” He puts the last photo in the envelope, grabs the old bowl of food from the chair and heads out the door. I’m left sitting on the floor, sniffling and trying to decode his message. So Grayson does know. Did he find out before or after his little impromptu trip to Paris with that bitch? At least I know that my original theory was right. They’re trying to shake him down for the money. Question is, am I worth it to him? Just how dispensable am I? I know these are toxic thoughts, but it is the way I feel right now. Hurt and anger battle within for the dominant emotion over this whole situation. I still can’t get over the fact he took her to Paris. The one place on earth that is my dream come true.

Hell, he could have taken her to Italy…anywhere, but Paris. This feels intentional and like a big ‘fuck you’. He had to know that I’d find out, even if I hadn’t been taken. I push the bowl of oatmeal aside and crawl back to the bed. I curl into a ball. I don’t even give a shit that my stomach is protesting in pain and hunger. I want the darkness, damn it. I don’t want to feel this. I cry until sleep finally has mercy on me and takes me under.

* * *

“Siobhan…Siobhan? I need you to wake up.” A woman’s voice wakes me from my slumber. I rub my eyes and turn toward the voice. At first glance, I’m caught off guard. She has long red hair like mine, but with green eyes. The similarities are astounding. We could probably pass for sisters the resemblance is so strong. Oh God…am I already dead and my angel is here to take me? The light nudge this woman gives as she calls my name a third time, wakes me from my semi consciousness. Well if she isn’t an angel, has she come to save me or is she with the other two?