Blackness Takes Over & Blackness Awaits (40 page)

“Shannon.” He knows my name. “I need some information from you. Either you can tell me and we’re done or I can make you tell me and this will be much harder.” I consider my options carefully. The attorney in me is awake and ready to question.

“When you get the information from me that you want are you letting me go?” I ask pointedly.

“She speaks,” he purrs and reclaims his seat in the chair. “I didn’t say I’d let you go. I said we’d be done.”

“By done, you mean you kill me?” My tone is harsher than I’d like but this is new for me, I’m trying.

“I didn’t say I’d kill you.”

“So you just get information and you have someone else kill me?”

“My job is just to extract information from you by any means necessary…the quicker the better.” He enjoys what he does and he’s good at it based on the look of confidence covering his drawn face. He glances over his shoulder quickly before returning his blank gaze back to me. I can see his face but not his eyes. I want to see if his eyes lack that bit of human, like Liam. I know that type of man. I need to know what I’m dealing with here. I know I’m not going to talk him out of anything. If I tell him what he wants to know quickly it gives people less time to find me. I’ll need to stretch this out…I have to choose torture in order to have a chance to be found or escape. FUCK!

“What do you wanna know?” I ask. Let’s see how long I can stretch this shit out.

“There is a safe deposit box in your name. I need to know the password to access it and where to find the key that opens it.” His tone is light for a demon.

“I don’t have a safe deposit box,” I spit sharply. “I’m sorry I don’t know your name.” I wait for him to fill me in, but he leaves the room. I can see that beyond the door is a hallway all I can make out is the white of its walls, no visible exits. He’s back a few moments later. He comes to my bedside and holds a piece of paper in front of my face. It’s the signature sheet to a safe deposit box in my name from 1991, signed by my father. What the FUCK?! I have no clue what this is or that it existed. I haven’t touched the trust my father left me. I never wanted that money…I wanted him. I also didn’t want the witch (my mother) to show up asking for a hand out so I let the estate executor send “my” money to various charities. I don’t remember anything about a safe deposit box.

“I don’t know what that is. I’ve never seen it before. Obviously my father opened it in my name when I was a child without my knowledge,” I huff. Well this torture choice just got easier. I don’t know what he wants anyway.

“The people that want this have assured me that you know,” he hisses.

“Well those people are fuckin’ wrong,” I hiss back staring at his dark eyes. “Why would I lie? You just told me you’re gonna torture me if I don’t tell you. I have NO desire to be tortured.”

“You also don’t wanna die. I told you once I have the information, you and I are done.” Well played demon.

“Well stretchin’ out my remaining hours being tortured and then killed doesn’t sound like the way I’d like to spend my last moments alive. I’m guessin’ you’re good at what you do and I’m not gonna be rescued, right?” I posit.

“I highly doubt it.” His devil grin is back and his eyes are dancing.

“So what point is there? I’m dyin’ today either in a few minutes or a few hours after bein’ brutalized…I choose the former.” I state matter-of-factly. I’m trying to mindfuck him as best I can. I know the torture is inevitable, but I want to push it off as far as I can.

“Great.” He smacks his hands together and rubs them vigorously. “Tell me what I wanna know and we can be done.” He looks over his shoulder again before turning his gaze back to me. What the fuck is he looking at? Every time he says “done” I get the sense he’s looking forward to that part. I’m going to lie and see if that buys me some time…surely an ass beating to follow, but time to be found or somehow escape.

“The password is Snuffleupagus and the key is in my jewelry box at home in my bedroom.” There is no waver to my voice and I maintain strong eye contact. He furrows his brow at me and chews the information I’ve just given him.

“What kinda fuckin’ password is that?” he asks, unbelieving.

“It’s a Sesame Street character. It’s for a kid remember?” I scoff like he’s the idiot. He stands up and makes his way over to me, leaning so his face is close enough to mine to feel his breath.

“If you’re lyin’ to me…this gets very bad,” he sneers.

“I’m not,” I stand firm. His tongue flicks out and he runs it across my jaw and up my cheek. I don’t blink. I don’t panic.

“Mmmmmmm,” he purrs, “you taste as good as you look. I may have to rethink our arrangement. Maybe we won’t be done so soon after all.” This could be my way. Let him rape me for hours (the thought causes bile to rise) until someone finds me. I have to stay alive. First step was the lie…now I have to sacrifice my body. I don’t panic. I smile, the fakest smile I’ve ever smiled, he doesn’t know that though.

“I’d take that over torture and murder any day.” My voice isn’t strong but it’s not shaking like my insides are. I just offered a demon my body…I don’t panic.

He touches his forehead to mine pressing his hands on either side of my head and inhales deeply with his eyes closed. When he opens them I stare into their depths hoping there’s a sliver of human there. Nothing…just like Liam. I know his game now.

“I’ll make you a deal,” he whispers so quietly I can barely hear his words. “If you’re a good girl and don’t fight. I won’t let them kill you. I’ll keep you for myself. I’ll keep you safe.” Safe?! Raped for life or murdered…not really a choice in safety. If I’m alive they’ll find me. They will find me.

“Okay,” I breathe out. A real smile pulls across his face, he’s happy…genuinely. I’m going to vomit! I swallow back the puke response and smile back at him.

“Okay, Kitten,” he purrs at me. He places a chaste kiss on my forehead and stands up. “I’m gonna go pass off the information you gave me. If it’s good then we can move forward with our arrangement. If not, I still have a job to do.” His eyes turn hard at the last part. I nod.

He turns on his heel and leaves the room shutting me in blackness again. I welcome the alone time. I start to think about everyone I love. I want their faces in my head and love in my heart right now. My boys must be so worried about me. “I’m okay,” I whisper hoping they can feel me with them. I think of Kel. He’s going to be a father. While this pains me more than I can consider, I push it from my mind and try to be happy for him. He’ll be an amazing father. I imagine him laughing and playing with a little boy that shares his golden hair and teal eyes. I feel pain in my chest but a smile pulls at my lips. I have to let Kel go.

Taylor…he loves me. He’ll find me. I know he’ll fight hard to find me. I feel comforted in the thought that he’s out there searching for me. My heart is still with Kel, I can’t just turn that off. If I can get through this and end things the right way with Kel, Taylor and I could have something. He could be my one.

I think of the rest of the amazing family that I have. My dads, both moms, my brothers, if I die they have each other…they’ll be okay. I think of Mia having Butch, I’m so relieved she won’t be alone anymore.

I come to terms over the next, hours I’m assuming, that I may not be here in the world much longer. While this revelation is devastating, I’m strangely okay with it. I’ll fight as long as I can, but I get the feeling it’s the first fight in my life I won’t win. I have to be okay with this being the end. If I fight with everything that I’ve got and still lose, I’ll die having no regrets. I’ll have peace. I’ve lived a great life surrounded by love and support. It wasn’t conventional but it was strong and unconditional. I will miss this life.

Kavanagh

We land at Chicago Executive Airport and rush out of the plane to waiting SUVs and our families. Pop, Ryan and Adam are there and at the sight of them I almost lose it. I walk determinedly to them engulfing my brothers in my arms. I hear Adam let out a small sob and that’s all it takes to steel myself. I’ll be strong for my family. I squeeze them tighter before I let them go and turn to Pop.

“We’re gonna find her, Pop,” I say with no waver in my voice. He wraps his hand around the back of my head and crushes it to his shoulder. I take a breath remembering to keep my strength.

“You find her,” he orders me. “I’ll fuckin’ bury every one of the motherfuckers that had a hand in this.” Pop’s pissed. Pop’s scary pissed. I pull away from him and look up to see Dr. Callaghan having a similar powwow with Aidan and Cal. Sully Sr. isn’t here but Collin and Hugh are, and they’re animatedly filling O’Sullivan in. Kellerman and Taylor are avoiding each other like the plague and giving us space with our families.

“Dylan,” Pop calls over my shoulder. Kellerman quickly makes his way over to us. Pop, Ryan and Adam all get a good look at Kellerman’s face and I feel guilty as shit for the first time. He looks awful and from what I can tell, for no good reason. We have fucked up monumentally today. Starting with Kellerman.

“What happened to you?” Pop asks with an accusatory tone in his voice, presumably at me.

“Misunderstanding,” Kellerman replies.

“Bullshit,” Pop retorts. “You four get your asses in the SUV. We’ve got shit to do.” We get our asses in the SUV. The others follow suit and we’re off to make the quick drive to Highland Park where all of our families live. It’s only a twenty minute drive, but every minute we’re not moving toward Kid is another minute I feel like I’m failing her.

“What happened to your face, Dylan?” Pop asks again as he pulls onto the I-294.

“It was just a misunderstanding, sir. I’m fine,” Kellerman replies again dodging the question. This is not going to go over well with my father.

“I didn’t ask if you were okay, I asked what happened,” Pop states pointedly. Time for me to intervene.

“We happened, Pop,” I say softly. I’m going to get in trouble like a teenager in about two seconds.

“What the fuck does that mean, Aaron?” he bellows. I’m sitting next to him in the passenger seat and he cuts his eyes to me waiting for an answer.

“The guys and I thought Kellerman did something to Kid. Roughed him up before we got all the facts…while Kid got grabbed. O’Sullivan’s handy work on his face, mine on his throat, and Aidan’s on his body. Cal didn’t get a chance to have a shot,” I explain. Pop flicks his eyes to the rearview mirror searching for Kellerman to substantiate my claims. He must get it nonverbally because he moves his gaze back to the road without a word.

“You’re tellin’ me you’re beatin’ the shit outta Dylan for no reason while my daughter’s bein’ ripped from your home?” Those words cut through me like a scalpel, razor sharp leaving a slow bleed. He’s right. We fucked up today and this is our fault.

“Yes,” I reply to his question in a whisper. He roars and slams his hands into the steering wheel repeatedly as we all watch in silent horror. My father never loses his cool. He’s the premier attorney in Chicago and known for keeping his cool when all others would lose their shit. He’s currently losing his shit. I’m terrified.

“Dad,” I hear Adam shakily call from behind me. Pop stops and breathes heavily through his nose trying to calm himself down. After a few minutes just as we’re pulling into our neighborhood my father turns to me.

“This isn’t your fault,” he says confidently. “We will find her.” I don’t look his way because this is my fault and I don’t know if we’ll find her the way we want to. “Aaron, look at me.” I look his way as we pull into the Callaghan’s driveway. His eyes are pained and furious.

“This isn’t your fault. That wasn’t about you, it was about me. She’s my daughter and I’m scared outta my fuckin’ mind. It’s not your fault,” he says reaching across the console to squeeze my hand. I look down at his fingers wrapped around mine. He’s scared. The last time he was scared mom died. This is so fucked up. I can feel the tears leaking from my eyes, but I make no move to stop them or look at my father.

“Aaron, we’ll find her,” Ryan says from behind me gripping my shoulder. I can hear the tears in his voice. I can’t be strong for them. I’m crumbling under the guilt. My door flies open behind my back.

“We’re not doin’ this,” O’Sullivan commands. “Get your shit together, get outta this car and fuckin’ help me!” I turn my gaze to him. He knew I was crying before he opened the door. He’s pulling me out of myself like we always do for each other. I give him a quick chin lift, wipe my hand down my face and climb out of the SUV.

“We got this. Wherever she goes, we go,” O’Sullivan says wrapping his arm around my shoulders. He’s right. I won’t quit until I find her.