Page 61 of Until Now
Fuck!
“My business partner approached me about wanting me to sell her, get his money worth and at first, I didn’t want to because I already had feelings for her when Bailey was in my class a few years ago. Everything was good between us in the beginning. Fighting the urge to sell her, because I loved her. I was taught that women are more valuable because they have holes between their legs. That’s what we learned in the mafia. She’s my girl, always will be, but after the mafia was disbanded, I lost a lot of income and my business partner knew her so well, so he suggested I make a profit for the both of us.”
The car feels small, and bile rises in the back of my throat. Placing my hand on the door handle, I pull hard, and when that doesn’t work, I kick the window, but it’s no use.
Carter burst out into laughter. “The way you think you can get away is comical.”
“You drugged us at the football party, you spiked our drinks.”
“Bingo. You’re smart.” He smiles as if he’s proud of himself. “The guy that Snow killed at his party for spiking your drink? It was all a setup. I told him to approach you two so he can distract Snow, and I knew Snow didn’t like you and Bailey at his parties.”
“I didn’t see you at his party.”
“I was there watching the whole event.”
“How did yo—”
Tears gather in my eyes and I try to resist the urge to cry.
“You staged my car accident to make it seem like I was driving under the influence.”
“You’re smart. Very smart.”
“You set June up. You had him ki—”
“I paid him to follow you around and act like he was interested in you, and when you were on to us, one of my partners killed him and planted evidence on him. Rachel is one of my whores and I paid her to meet with you at the park togive you that stuff. She told me you sent her a message on social media.”
Tears fall down my cheeks, and I clench my fist to my chest, trying to breathe.
“Please, Carter. Let me go. I won’t tell anyone.”
He grabs my chin, digging his nails into my flesh. “I will let you go once I sell you to someone else, and he’ll do what the fuck he wants to you.”
I grab my phone from my purse and try to hide it under my butt, but he snatches it from me. After he hits a button on the side of the door and the window rolls down, he tosses my phone out.
“Please, let me go. Ju—”
“Shut the fuck up and sit back and I won’t end your life.”
Time passes by slowly… the drive seems so long. He pulls up to a mansion made out of dark brown cobblestone. The lawn is overgrown with weeds and neglect, and I try to remember every detail so when I escape, I’ll know where to run, like the white statue with a naked woman with water coming out of her nipples in front of the door, next to a row of expensive cars.
Once he kills the engine and slips out, he opens the car door for me, so I get out and elbow him in the chest. Before I can get anywhere, he yanks me by the hair, causing my scalp to sting, and I feel cool metal against my temple.
“If you try to run from me again, I’ll put a bullet through your brain.”
With his hand wrapped around my hair, he walks inside the mansion. He drags me to a basement. Glancing around, it looks familiar, like I’ve been here before.
“You’re going to stay in here,” he says, slamming the door shut.
I go to the window, trying to push on it, but it’s no use. It’s filled with dust mites and it looks like it hasn’t been opened inyears. I look around the dingy basement, spotting a girl strapped to a filthy mattress in the corner.
Slowly, I walk up to her. Her brunette hair is matted and unkempt and her face is dirty like she hasn’t bathed in a while. She is naked with bruises and welts all over her body. The girl is thin and I can see every rib beneath her skin.
I cry hysterically as I pull on the chain, trying to break her free.
“I’m going to get you out of here,” I promise. “Get us both out of here.”
A familiar pair of hazel eyes gazes into mine, and they narrow. Tears leak down her face as she smiles sadly at me.