Tearing Down Walls (Love Under Construction Series Book 2) (68 page)

“Oooooo, I’d like that. We’ll have to see what we can do about that.” Miranda was talking into the air, lost in her own ecstasy.

Vic felt his body delivering against his will once again. For years and years he’d been proud of the fact that he could harden like marble anytime, please any woman who came across his path, fuck like a robber baron in a castle full of princesses, and keep at it through the night and on into the next day with ease. Now he was ashamed of that but, at that moment, being tree-trunk rigid was the only thing that was keeping Laura alive. He didn’t care what happened to him; he’d had a good life, the love of a good family, and all the women a man could ever want. If he stopped breathing, he’d have no regrets except that he hadn’t met Laura sooner. But she was just coming to life after all those painful, dark years. He wanted her to have a good, long life with someone who could love her and keep her safe. And he’d definitely failed on the latter.

Miranda shook with her orgasm. “Oh, god, baby, that was awesome. I’d like for you to fuck me in the ass.”

“I’d like that too,” Vic lied, “but I sorta need my hands for that, you know?”

“Huh. Yeah, I guess so. So that’s a problem. Or maybe not.” She looked thoughtful for a minute. There were no windows in the basement, and the only way in and out was that one door. She’d already told Vic it was booby-trapped and the shotgun it was rigged to would kill Laura in an instant if someone pulled that door open. And yanking that door open sounded tempting to her, except for one thing.

She wanted Vic to be the one to kill Laura. It would prove how much he loved her.

“Remember the door, lover.” Vic nodded; he wanted to choke her as soon as his arms were free, but he didn’t know how the booby trap worked and he couldn’t take the chance with Laura’s life. “Okay, sit up a little.” She surprised him by moving behind him and loosening the bindings on his arms and wrists. Vic rubbed his skin where the bindings had been to try to get some blood flowing, but before they felt better, Miranda was down on all fours in front of him, handgun still in her hand. “Okay, stud, service your mare,” she growled.

“Slow and easy or fast and rough?” he questioned her, trying to sound sexy.

“Ummmm, fast and rough. I know that’s how you like it.” She giggled and waited.

Vic slipped his cock into her back passage and started stroking. She began to cry out, and he was horrified when he realized that Laura could hear every word. “Oh, god, baby, fuck my ass! Fuck it good! Oh, damn, you’re so big! Tell me how you like it, stud!”

Vic stopped. “You know full well I don’t do that. That’s just not me. I like to concentrate when I’m giving a woman my all, and especially with you, honey.” He almost gagged on the words.

“Then I’ll make enough noise for the both of us!” she smirked and, as he started pumping her again, she started the screaming. If the whole thing hadn’t been so scary, Vic would’ve started laughing. Hers ass was not one of the tighter ones he’d had, worn-out bitch.

Laura listened upstairs. She knew what was happening, she knew why, and she hated it, hated that the cow was fucking the man she loved, hated that he was being put through all of that. She knew
exactly
how he felt at that moment. Her heart broke for him, and it killed her that he was doing it for her. But there were no tears; she was so dehydrated that she couldn’t cry, could barely swallow, and Miranda had made it clear that she wasn’t wasting time bringing food and drink to someone who wouldn’t be alive much longer.

When Vic felt Miranda’s orgasm kick in, he concentrated on the sensation and managed to unload into her. She fell onto the mattress and he fell beside her, gathered her up, and wrapped his arms around her. “Good, baby?” he asked as he kissed her forehead.

“Oh, Vic, yes! Oh, god, I knew you’d come around. I’m so much better than she is, right?”

“You’re the best, baby. That worn-out cunt’s got nothing on you.” When he kissed her forehead again, she lifted her face and locked her lips to his, her tongue pushing into his mouth and seeking his, and he kissed her back, pouring as much fake passion into it as he could. “And I love tasting me on your lips.”

Miranda smiled. “Get ready, stud. After tomorrow, we’ll be together without any interference.” She got up and pulled her clothes back on, then picked up the gun she’d been toting around with her and pointed it at Vic. “Hands behind your back, stud. I can’t take any chances.” He didn’t dare refuse – he didn’t know what she’d do to Laura if he did, so he let her tie his wrists together again. Once she was finished, she trotted back up the stairs and looked at him from the top. “Nitey-nite, baby! See you in the morning.” He saw her reach down and do something near the bottom on the back side of the door, and then the switch snapped, leaving Vic in total darkness again.

He could hear Miranda upstairs, yelling at Laura. It sounded like Laura was crying, and he prayed it was an act. The thought of hurting Laura with what he had no choice but to do broke his heart all over again. It seemed Laura was speaking – the voice was so low that he couldn’t hear what she was saying, but he could hear Miranda tune up in reply, screaming at Laura, berating her, calling her names. There was another low exchange, and Miranda’s response was a spike through his heart.

“Yeah, me too! If he’d done it right the first time, we wouldn’t be here now, would we? My dumbass, jack-off brother never did
anything
right!”

The understanding of what he was hearing settled in Vic’s gut and set it churning. She was Wagner’s
sister
? Every speck of fear that had taken up residence in Vic’s body turned into a blue-white ball of numbing terror. He had to think of something or they were both doomed.

Vic had no idea what time it was when the basement door opened. Miranda bounced down the steps, and he saw that she had a basket full of something.

“Good morning, lover! We’ve got to get you cleaned up. Today is a special day!” From the basket she took a container of warm water, a washcloth, and some soap, and went to work cleaning Vic up as best she could. “Soon as we’re done with this little bit of nastiness, we’ll go back to my apartment and have a bubble bath. How does that sound?” she smiled.

“Sounds like heaven,” Vic cooed. “How soon can we get rid of the baggage upstairs?”

“I was hoping you’d ask that. We’re going to take care of that right now!” She untied his wrists and shoelaces, then picked up her handgun before he could move. “Let’s go. The sooner we finish her, the sooner we can be together.” Miranda waved the gun toward the stairs, and Vic started up. At the top, she stopped him and moved something near the floor. “Don’t want this going off and accidentally doing what we’re going to enjoy so much.” She reached around him and pulled the door open. “After you, baby.”

The sunlight was blinding to Vic. He didn’t know how long he’d been down there in the dark, but it seemed like forever, and his eyes thought so too. They snapped shut and he almost screamed. “Wait, wait, baby! Let my eyes get adjusted, okay?”

“Oh, I’m sorry, sweetheart.” Miranda ran a hand through his hair while he worked to pull himself together. Vic blinked several times. “Better?”

“Yeah. Just give me another minute. They’re almost adjusted.” They
were
adjusted; Vic just wanted a chance to look around, get a feel for where everything was. He squinted and blinked while his eyes darted. The house was almost identical to the one he’d been in before, but he knew it wasn’t the same; the walls were a different color. Near the basement door was a shotgun, a string around the trigger leading somewhere beyond the door.

“Come on. Let’s get to it. I can’t wait!” The bitch was gleeful, and Vic’s stomach turned. But it was nothing like the way he felt when they rounded the corner.

Laura was on her knees, wrists bound behind her and then bound to her ankles. Judging by the curve of her shoulders, it appeared she’d been like that the entire time Miranda had been holding her. But that wasn’t the worst part.

Vic fought the urge to scream or cry. Her face was bruised, battered, and bloodied, her lips were swollen, and one corner of the white of one eye was blood red. Miranda had worked her over unmercifully. When he shuffled into the room, she looked up, and the expression on her face was blank and tired. Her voice was shaky and weak, so weak that he had trouble hearing her when she said, “Vic?”

Oh, god, he wanted to run to her, hold her, kiss her, tell her everything would be all right. But he had a part to play. Miranda was on his right side, so he winked almost imperceptibly with his left eye, and he saw the corners of Laura’s mouth twitch – she’d caught the wink. That made him feel better until he realized,
Wait – I still don’t have a plan. What am I going to do?

“Tell her!” Miranda screamed. “Tell her how you feel about me!”

Vic’s gut twisted. “Butler, you’re history. I hate to have to kill you, but you’ll just keep coming between me and my one true love here.” He rolled his eyes. “That means you have to go. I had hoped it wouldn’t come to this, but you just wouldn’t go away. So it has to be this way.” He turned to Miranda. “How are we going to do this?”

“
You’re
going to do this. And look what I found in your car!” When she reached around the doorway and pulled it out, Vic thought for the first time that Lady Luck was smiling on them.

It was his sjambok.

“Here you go, baby. I remember you telling me that you could split a person’s head in half with one of these things. After what she did to my brother, I think that’s fitting, don’t you?”

“Poetic justice. I like the way you think.” He took the sjambok in his hand and felt its familiar weight.
Now, all I’ve got to do is stall for my chance.

“STOP!” José screamed at Peyton. They’d been out in the neighborhood all night and they were both exhausted. They’d driven back and forth in the dark, thinking they’d see a light from a flashlight or something, but they’d seen nothing. But José had seen something in the morning light; what, he wasn’t sure, but something. “Back up. A little more. A little more. Stop.” He rolled down his window and pulled up a pair of binoculars.

“What is it?”

“Look between these two houses and the two behind them on the next street. See that little house over there, facing us, trimmed in yellow?”

Peyton looked. “Yeah?”

“I saw something move inside that house.”

“From here? What are you, eagle eyes or something?” Peyton shook his head. “You’re hallucinating from lack of sleep. You couldn’t possibly . . .” He stopped.

“Yeah, you saw it too, huh?” José grinned.

Peyton sucked in a breath. “There’s somebody in that house. We’ll park here and go across.” He pulled his weapon and flipped the safety off. “Ready?”

“Never readier in my life. Let’s go get ‘em.”

“So I think you should just hit her right straight down the middle of her head, don’t you?” Miranda gloated. “Split it open.”

Laura voice was weak. “Please don’t do this. You don’t have to do this. I’ll leave Vic alone, I swear.”

“Oh, no, cunt. You’ve slept with him, so you’ve gotta go. And then I’ll go after all the others he’s fucked and get rid of them too.” Laura caught a sparkle in Vic’s eye. They were thinking the same thing –
She’s going to be busy for a long, long time!