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I had that effect on some people. I have no idea why.
Much to my joy, Dagen climbed into the front passenger seat of the car and we pulled away from the airport.
This whole exercise must be costing him a fortune. Between the men, the cars and the plane, I'd conservatively guess half a million dollars. I'm not saying I'm not worth it, but I would have done it on a much more conservative budget. Or just killed him and not bothered with all the bullshit at all. Lucky for me, his approach was different to mine.
We slipped out of the carpark and onto the coastal highway. Traffic was light at this time of morning. Lucky, because a parade of dark coloured cars would get noticed in a place like this. They might think I'm a movie star, or a rock star. I mean, Iama rock star, but I can't sing for shit. Ask Jake, he says I howl. So does he, if we're honest.
Fuck, I already missed him so much it hurt. Cooper too. I should be having breakfast right now and arguing with Jake because I want to eat some sugary crap, when all he lets me eat is healthy stuff. Why do I let him tell me what to eat? It's just a part of who we are. Like an old married couple. If I really wanted to eat cake for breakfast, I would do it. I didn't really want it, but I liked to pretend I did.
Okay, sometimes I did actually want cake. The point was, it was like a running joke between us that most people wouldn’t understand.
I forced my head back up. I had to pay attention to where we were going. I had to keep an eye out for a chance to get the hells out of this situation. If I ran, I needed to know which way to head.
We turned up a private road with the bush heavy on either side. Bush a person could get lost in, if they could cover their scent.
We slowed and passed through a heavy gate. The fence disappeared into the brush on either side, but it was tall and solid. Not insurmountable. I hoped.
I glanced back to see the gate swing shut behind the last car.
When I turned back, Dagen twisted around his seat, watching me, his eyes triumphant.
I flipped him off. I wasn't beaten yet.
He turned back as we drove out of the brush and past a wide expanse of lawn. In the middle of that was a predictably huge house, with a multi-car garage attached to the side.
The driver slid the car into a space near the middle and killed the engine.
"Home, sweet home," Dagen said lightly.
It must be a recent purchase, because I didn't recall his parents owning anything like this. If they did, I would have taken it and used it. It looked like a nice little bolt hole.
"Get the bitch out of the car," he ordered. "Bring her out to the lawn."
Once again, goons gripped my arms and led me out of the garage and into the sun.
I blinked and squinted against the glare. It was bright out from behind tinted windows, but it was pretty here. And quiet. I reassessed my thoughts about this being a nice place to stay. The lack of city noise would drive me crazy in a day or two.
The goons led me across the grass to a small shed.
"Guest accommodation?" I guessed.
They didn't say anything, they just walked me inside.
Dagen followed a moment later. "I have something for you, pet."
"No thanks," I said immediately. Unless it was my freedom, I wanted nothing from him.
His men walked Ben in and my heart stopped. For a long moment, I thought his present would be to kill Ben. I definitely didn't want that, if that was his idea of a gift.
"Shackle him over there," Dagen ordered. He nodded toward one of several sets of restraints attached to the wall. Either he planned this for a while, or this was just a regular day in the life of the sadistic asshole. My bet was on both.
"And you," Dagen said to me, "can bathe first. I don't like dirty pets in my house."
For the first time, I noticed a bath in the corner of the building. It was full of water that looked clear, but cold.
"I prefer showers," I said.
"Strip her," Dagen said softly.
