Page 151 of D for Dead

‘No, no, God, no.’ Fear shot through her. ‘Not inside, please, no.’ Rivers and Troy; had they done all of this together?

She continued to struggle as the rain fell harder, fought against Troy as he tried to drag her back towards the house, kicking out hard at Rivers when he stepped forward to help. He managed to catch hold of her ankles, lifting her, and between them they carried her into the house, back through the hallway, into the kitchen and towards the basement door.

Amy screamed and thrashed, trying to break free, but it was hopeless against two of them.

‘No, no, please don’t make me go down there.’

Rivers grinned at her, pulling open the door and leading the way down the stairs and into the basement room.

She recognised it from her nightmares, saw once again the tools hanging on the walls, the spot where Danielle had died and the bloodstains on the floor. Nausea took hold.

I’m gonna be sick.

Rivers dropped her ankles and, as Troy pulled her back in a tight embrace, she took in the rest of the room, saw the figure lying on the concrete floor. At first she thought it was Boaz, but then the man rolled over, groaning.

David.

‘Oh my God, what have you done?’

Her ex-boyfriend lay bound on the floor, tape around his wrist and ankles, across his mouth. He looked ill, weak and barely conscious.

Troy hugged her close, as Rivers crossed the room, kicked David hard in the belly, making him grunt in pain, before grabbing hold of a handful of his hair and yanking him upright.

‘Say hi,’ he taunted, smiling at Amy, lips twisted and eyes mean. ‘Remember him, your darling ex?’

‘Why is he here? Why are you doing this?’ Amy could hear the fear creeping into her tone, was aware she was shaking. She wanted to stop, to be brave, but right now she was so damn scared.

Troy ran his thumb across her lips, leaned in close and pressed his face against her hair. He gently kissed her cheek.

‘David is here because he has an important role to play tonight. When we’re done playing, he is going to kill you.’

43

Declan Rivers was born into a family of wealthy Maryland bankers with a silver spoon in his mouth.

Son of Charles Montgomery Rivers, Chuck to his pals, he grew up wanting for nothing, raised to believe what he wanted was his to take, regardless of who stood in the way.

His grandpa, Henry, was a ruthless business tycoon, the one who had built the family’s riches from nothing. He was a shrewd businessman, lacking emotion when it came to the benefit of his company, earning many powerful allies along the way.

Chuck grew up in a privileged world; he was the playboy of the family, partying and enjoying life, who took his wealth for granted and treated it with a more carefree attitude than his harsh taskmaster of a father.

His cavalier attitude to money rubbed off on his son Declan, who was enrolled in the top schools and given anything he wanted that money could buy. The one thing he didn’t have, and what he grew up without, was a mother figure. Irene Lowell had been a dancer, hoping to make it big in theatre. She was ambitious and pretty, and Chuck had taken interest in her long enough to get her pregnant. She hadn’t wanted Declan, had fought with Chuck for an abortion, before eventually agreeing a settlement which would see her giving birth and relinquishing all rights to the baby.

Chuck wanted an heir to the family business, but had little idea how to raise a child, and Declan spent the early part of his childhood in the care of nannies who were instructed to give him what he wanted.

When Declan turned ten his father decided to marry Elizabeth, another wannabe in the world of show business. Chuck started to take more of an interest in family life, wanting to create a unit with his wife and son. He insisted on Declan referring to Elizabeth as ‘Mom’, something which galled Elizabeth, who didn’t care about parenting. She wanted the family name to carve herself a career and she and Declan quickly developed a mutual dislike for one another.

The only joint passion Chuck and his son shared was their love of sport, and Declan craved for the weekends when they could get out of town and it was just him and his father.

Chuck was a hunter. He enjoyed fishing, he liked to shoot, and he had a cabin in upstate New York where he would sometimes take his son. They both enjoyed the hunt, chasing down

the prey and putting a bullet in its head. Declan learned early on that he also enjoyed using his knife. There was something intensely satisfying about toying with a life, choosing when and how to wipe it out and with each kill he made, he would fantasise about it being Elizabeth.

He also shared Chuck’s passion for ball games, with basketball his forte, and he had the Rivers genes: tall and lanky in build, but deceptive in strength and fast around the court. He soon became captain of his team in high school and Chuck affectionately referred to his son as Cap, a nickname that stuck.

Declan was fifteen when his father decided to divorce Elizabeth. They had been fighting a lot in recent months and when things turned ugly the boy was sent to stay with his Aunt Virginia. The woman wasn’t his real aunt; Declan’s father was an only child. She was the niece of his grandfather and Chuck’s cousin, a mousy spinster who lived alone in a small town called Melford out in Oregon.

Declan was furious. This was all Elizabeth’s fault and he hated her for seducing his father, for upsetting his life.