A Lighter Shade of Blue (Kings of Chaos Book 2) (17 page)

Blue

I’m flying high after my talk with Dixie, until I realize why Shadow left. They’d been keeping him legal and out of the game, just in case the cops were watching him. Six months back, that had worn off. This is what it means to date an enforcer. Late night calls, long trips, and secrets. I sink down onto our bed.
Thank God, it’s a weekend or there’d be hell to pay tomorrow.
I run my fingers through my hair, and stand. A cup of tea sounds about my speed right now.

I’m on my second cup when my phone rings. My heart speeds. I see Jamie’s number and relief floods me. He’s been a ghost since the incident at the high school. I close my eyes and let his call go to voicemail. The ringing starts again. His number flashes almost angrily. A sense of unease sets in. I let the phone go to voicemail again.

Almost immediately, he calls again.

I reach out with a shaking hand and answer, “Hello?”

“I tried to do this the easy way and be nice. But I should’ve known you liked things rough.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Jamie? Are you drunk?”

“No, I’m fed up. We’re going to play this my way. Do you want to know where I am right now, Blue?”

Everything in me is screaming no. “Do I?”

“I think you do. Right now, I’m trailing your outlaw boyfriend. I bet he’s up to something interesting.”

“Why would you be doing that?”

“Because I’m all out of options.”

“I don’t understand what you mean.”

“You will soon enough. If you want to keep lover boy safe, you’ll do exactly what I say.”

I hesitate. Shadow is smart. He’ll see a trail coming a mile away.

“Trust me, I’m not the novice you think I am, and I don’t have a damn thing to lose. I’ll run the bastard down and let you listen to his death.”

There’s a lack of emotion in his voice that makes me sick. I lick my dry lips. “I’m listening.”

“Good girl. You’ve always been a smart one. You and I are going to play a game of Jamie says. You’ll get dressed, get into your car, and follow my directions. I’m timing you, Bluebell. I’ll know if you linger. And I’ll be on the phone the entire time. Place me on speaker.”

My heart is pounding in my chest. I have to get a message out fast. Something that hints toward what’s happening to me. “Okay.” I place him on speakerphone. “I’m moving to my closet now.” In my family, we have a code word if shit goes down and we can’t talk about things. It’s Bogus. I grab the note pad on my nightstand and move to the closet, rifling through my clothing to cover up the sound of my scribbling. “I’m setting the phone down to get dressed.”

“Good, wear that low cut black shirt I like.”

I cringe mentally, wondering how I missed this. This couldn’t be about our breakup. We’d been together for a year, not five. I’m missing a huge piece of this puzzle. I pray I’ll be alive long enough to figure it out. I put on a pair of bootcut jeans and the black shirt, tucking the knife my father bought me into a bootstrap. It was the first piece he’d given me for protection. I rarely wore it, but right now, I’m grateful for it. I slip my feet into a pair of worn cowboy boots, and call myself dressed. “I’m dressed, tell me what to do next.”

“Go to your car and follow my directions.”

I walk out of the house and get into my Charger. It’s the only time I wish I had a slower car. The engine purrs to life.

“Get onto the 1-5 down toward the Pendleton exit. Just past the turn off, you’ll find a viewing area, turn into it, and park in the middle and wait. Stay on the phone, so I know you won’t be making any other calls.”

My stomach cramps.
What does he have planned for me? How long until they realize I’m missing?
I wrack my brain for a way to get a message out.
The note doesn’t seem like enough, and I have no clue what he has planned or how we wronged him. I’m sickened knowing I’d let this man inside my body and my life.
Was I so desperate for a life away from my family, I failed to notice I was dating a sociopath?
I pull into the parking lot and keep the engine running. My entire body is tense. I take deep breaths.

“I’m almost there, baby. You ready to have some fun for old time’s sake?”

“I’ll pass thanks.”

“She didn’t have a choice, why should you?”

“Who?” I ask, latching onto the comment.

“Shannon.”

“Who’s Shannon, Jamie? Come on, talk to me, Jam. It’s Blue. We were friends long before we were anything else.”

“Who was Shannon? My sister and your
precious club
ruined her. You disappoint me, you know. I thought you were different. That I could get my revenge in a different way. I had you there for a while. You backed off from them, spent all your time for me. I started really liking you. But when I tried to move it to stage two… Your jailbird came back and you broke free.”

“You know it had nothing to do with him—”

“Yes, it did! I had you, Blue. You wanted that life with me. It would’ve been enough. They could’ve felt what it was like to lose someone, but it would be worse. Because you would’ve chosen it of your own free will. Now, I have to get nasty.”

“You don’t have to do anything, Jamie.” I shift my car into reverse. I’ve bought Shadow enough time. Now, I need to save myself. I hit the gas and barrel into the car behind me.

“Too late,” Jamie crows.

“No.” I continue to press down on the gas, but I’m no match for his 4x4 truck. He forces me forward into the guardrail.
Pinned.
I remove my seatbelt, throw open my door, and take my chances. I pump my legs and arms, running full out. If I have to run into the freeway, I will. I can hear Jamie behind me. With his height, he’s eating up the ground separating us. I climb the guardrail that separates the road from the highway. I prepare to jump, but I’m snatched back by my shirt. I kick my legs and swing my arms, trying to break free.

He wraps an arm around my waist, and pulls me to him. Even though I scratch at his forearms, he wraps his other arm around my neck and squeezes.

The world spins around me. I fight to remain conscious. I dig my nails in, and it all goes black.

I wake up, wet, aching, and on the verge of explosion. I blink and cry out. I open my eyes, smiling sleepily. “You’re home. I had the weirdest dream.”

“I don’t think it was a dream.”

Jamie’s voice is ice water. My stomach churns. My eyes focus on the hand still rubbing my clit. My eyes fill with water, and I choke back the sobs climbing their way up my throat.

He slips two fingers inside of me.

“Stop this.”

“Oh no, I want you to feel the way she must’ve felt in the end.”

I glance away at the wall, trying to distance myself. He tilts his fingers at the spot that makes me jerk.
The fucking bastard knows my body. I can’t ignore him if I try.

“Always so wet and tight. I would’ve treated you so good, Blue,” he whispers, kissing my head.

I want to lash out and pull away, but he’s bound my hands behind me and any movement would just help his cause.

“Why fight it? I’m going to get what I want from you anyway.”

We’re in a shelter. It’s cool, and the walls are gray brick.

He hits the spot again. Tendrils of pleasure spread through my body. He’s turned it against me. I picture Shadow in my mind and hold him close.

“The worst part is…no one’s coming for you. They don’t have a clue where you are. The phone was left in your car.” He kisses my neck and increases his speed.

I force my hips to remain still, but the pressure builds up and explodes. I cry out and the tears escape, rolling down my face.

“Don’t cry, darling, we’re just getting started,” Jamie says. He removes his fingers and sucks them into his mouth. “You still taste sweet. I have something for you. Come on, open up.” I purse my lips together. “Don’t fight it, babe, it’ll be better for us both if you don’t.” He kisses my lips.

I jerk away.

He fists my hair and pulls.

Pain explodes in my neck.

“Be still, or I will hurt you.”

I obey him.

“There’s a good girl.” He reaches to the right.

My gaze follows him to a tiny white pill. “Open up,” he coos at me.

I keep my mouth shut tight.

Something dark passes over his face. He backhands me.

My ears ring and my vision flickers like a television struggling to stay on. I come back to myself and I’m gagging on a pill he shoves in my mouth. With his massive hand clamping my mouth shut, I have no choice but to swallow. My cheek throbs, and I can taste the metallic tang of blood. “What did you give me?”

“Something to help you loosen up. They found this in Shannon’s system, too, along with the semen of three other men.”

My body shakes.

“No, I couldn’t defile you that way. I told you, Bluebell. I like you.” He strokes my hair like he hadn’t just drugged and attacked me.

I can see the insanity in his gaze. It terrifies me.
Please find me soon, Shadow.

“Do you think he’ll still want you after he knows I’ve been inside of you again?”

I close my eyes. He’s all but admitting he plans on raping me. The fact that the drug will lower my inhibitions doesn’t change the ugliness of the act. “Please, Jamie. Don’t do this.”

“I don’t want to, Blue, I really don’t, but I have to for Shannon. You should’ve seen her. She was beautiful, smart, and talented. She could’ve been anything she wanted to be. Then she hit sophomore year of college, met a King, and let her life go to shit. Drinking, drugs, and whoring. I tried to get her clean, and back on the right path. She didn’t want it. She seemed to think your little club was her family.” His anger and bitterness are venomous. His whole face has changed. The sweet man has twisted into a maniac with nothing to lose.

“You think she’d want you to do this?” I whisper.

“It doesn’t matter. You know the score. Family above everything else. I’m going to set things right.”

“A-are you going to kill me, Jamie?”

A Jack-O-Lantern smile stretches out on his lips. “Where’s the fun in that? I’m going to change you forever. Every time they look at you, they’ll remember me.”

My skin turns to fire. Sweat forms on my upper lip and forehead.

“It’s starting to kick in. Soon, we’ll have fun before the hurting starts. One last go with the Blue everyone knows and love, before I disassemble you and put you back together.”

The glee in his tone scares the hell out of me. The drugs are starting to kick in when I remember the knife. I peer down. He left my boots on. “My arms hurt, Jam.”

“Oh, did I tie them too tight?”

I slump forward, playing up the effect of the drugs.

“Oh, it’s hitting you now, isn’t it?” He strokes back my hair. “I’ll make you more comfortable.”

I force myself to remain limp, mentally counting the seconds, and waiting for my chance. My tongue is heavy in my mouth and time is distorted. The rope falls away and blood rushes back to my wrists making me wince.

“I’ll help.” He massages my wrists. It’s sweet and that disturbs me more than his violence. I slump forward, chest to my knees. I cautiously pull my right arm to me, waving it.

He continues to work on my left arm, distracted.

I creep my hand toward my boot, eyes trained on his face.

He’s oblivious.

I know it’s him or me, but it doesn’t make this any easier. I have one shot at this, but my father taught me well. You don’t come from Psycho Strong and not know how to kill a man. Slipping my hand inside the boot, I grasp the handle of the blade and breathe deeply.
Hurry before the drugs kick in.
I pull it out and aim for his armpit.

He twists away, but it doesn’t stop my momentum. The blade slips in deep. “Fucking bitch.” He shoves me back.

The side of my head slams against the hard floor. I roll away and watch as the blood drains from his face. A dark stain spreads out over his green polo. I want to look away, but my gaze is trained on the monster in front of me. He stumbles forward and I push to my feet. He latches onto me, squeezing my arms. I struggle against him, but he dead weights me and we fall to the ground. A death gurgle begins in his throat, and a red splotch appears in the corner of his lips.

The drugs take hold and I’m screaming and shoving, unable to think straight. I manage to pitch his body to the side.
I just killed my ex lover!
I roll onto my side and retch. My vision is hazy. I’m having a hard time focusing. I don’t know where I am or how to get help. My heart races. I wrap my arms around my knees to rock back and forth, riding out the high.