The NSC Boxset: Heart of Stone (36 page)

“Hey Ollie, is Nate with you?” I asked, trying to keep my tone level.

“No, should he be?”

He was a little apprehensive as he answered me and I tried to take a quiet breath. “No, no everything’s fine, he’s just late in for work and was wondering where he was . . . that’s all, it’s fine.”

I was starting to panic as an awful feeling of doom filtered through me. “Olivia? Do you need me? Do you need me to help look for him?” I could hear the concern in his voice.

“Has Nate . . .” I was having trouble trying to ask him how much he knew but he cut me off.

“Olivia! Nate filled me in, love. If you need me . . . I’m here, okay?”

He was now talking in a hushed calming voice. All through the years after James I had found it hard to open up to anybody, frightened they would judge me and think of me differently but I was oddly relieved that Nate had opened up to Ollie. I now had Nate to talk to, but at the end of the day, he also needed someone to thrash things out with.

I knew he had been struggling with things and the things I had been through had cut him, hurt him and I was glad he could talk to Ollie about it, the relief of this outweighing the need to keep it a secret.

“It’s okay Ollie, really. I’ll text you when I find him, if you can let me know if he turns up at yours.”

I heard his relieved sigh, “Sure. I’m sure he’s just stuck in traffic or . . . something. Take care, Olivia.”

“And you Ollie, bye.”

I ended the call as I exited the lift on my floor and slumped in my chair, once again ringing Nate but getting no joy.

I popped my head around Grace’s door. “Grace, do you need me for the rest of the day?” I asked, swallowing hard.

She frowned at my panic. “Everything okay, sweetie?” She rose from her chair and walked round to me.

“I don’t know Grace, I can’t get hold of Nate and I’m getting a bit worried and just wanted to, just go check on him.”

She placed her hand on my arm, slipping her thumb up and down my skin softly. “Olivia, calm down. It’s fine, I don’t need you this afternoon. Go on.”

I smiled and rushed to pack up my things, running to the elevator and banging the ground floor button. “Come on, come on dammit.”

I had texted Blake but he informed me it was his day off and he hadn’t seen Nate since yesterday. I was really starting to worry now. I was constantly ringing Nate’s mobile and house number, still getting no answer.

He could be doing anything; driving, bathing or even shopping, although I knew that would be the last of Nate’s choices.

What if he was with Eleanor? Noooo, I was not even going there.

I called Neo and asked him to pick me up and then I called Mandy. “DC Yale,” she answered quickly.

“Mandy, its Olivia Adams, I was just ringing for an update.”

She was silent for a while. “No Olivia, nothing as yet. You heard anything?”

I ran through the foyer to Neo and climbed in the back of the car as I carried on my conversation with Mandy. “No, nothing but I dunno . . . I’ve just got a really bad feeling today.”

She was silent again and then I heard her sigh. “Olivia, has there been anything unusual you’ve noticed?”

I sighed in resignation, knowing that she thought I was just being crazy “Well no, but I can’t get hold of Nate.”

“Okay, I presume you have done the usual ringing him and friends, etcetera?” Rolling my eyes at her I confirmed I had done all that. “Well, there’s not a lot I can do Olivia, not unless he’s been missing for forty eight hours but listen, you have my number and if you haven’t heard from him by 10pm tonight give me another ring, I’m on duty till midnight, okay?”

“Yeah, okay Mandy but please make sure you keep your phone with you all day. Like I said I’ve got a really funny feeling today. Please!” I was practically begging her.

I couldn’t figure out what it was, but something was seriously wrong with Nate. She told me she would and I ended the call as we pulled up to Nate’s house and Neo dropped me off at the front doors.

“Mr Carter’s car isn’t here so I presume he’s out. You going to be okay?” he asked, obviously overhearing my conversation with Mandy.

“Yeah, looks like he’s out,” I scowled. Where the hell was he?

“I’m finished for the day, Olivia but give me a ring if you need me,” he said as I clambered from the car. I gave him a quick wave as he pulled off and I scrambled through my bag for the key Nate had given me.

Unlocking the door and entering the hallway I shouted him but it was eerily quiet.

Narrowing my eyes I saw Nate’s car keys on the table beside the door, my heart started pounding rapidly; his car must still be in the garage unless he had taken the bike.

This was really bad, something was bad and my body shook with the knowledge. “Nate!” I shouted, tilting my head and swallowing hard as I listened for a sound.

There it was, a slight muffle coming from the lounge.

“Nate?” Still nothing.

I took a step nearer the room, my heart in my mouth as I slid my hand in my bag and pressing the hash key on my phone and then resting my finger on the number 1 key, I swallowed hard and turned into the room.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

NATE WAS TIED to a chair, naked from the waist up covered in bruises and slash marks. His head was slumped forwards and his hair was matted with blood.

My lungs stopped functioning and my legs wobbled when I saw James stood leaning against the wall behind him, a sneer on his face. “Not so good looking now is he,” he drawled. “I was hoping I could give you two matching scars but credit where it’s due he put up a hell of a fight.”

He laughed as he pushed off the wall and sauntered towards me. I noticed James also sported a black eye and a cut on his cheek along with a split lip.

Retreating back slowly I kept my eyes trained on Nate, looking for any sign he was still breathing, easing in a small breath when I saw his chest rise and fall.

“James, what have you done?” My voice squeaked loudly.

My back hit the wall as he reached me. He took my bag from my shoulder and threw it across to the couch. Turning back to me, his lip curled in disgust as he leaned in to me. “Well, shall we get down to business?” he whispered in my ear and laughed when I gulped.

He turned and walked over to Nate, crouched down in front of him and punched him in the face. I screamed and stumbled over to him. James grabbed my hair and pulled me back as Nate opened his eyes and looked at me, the haze in his eyes clearing as he found my face.

“Baby,” he croaked out and my stomach clenched.

“Nate, babe, I’m here. It’s gonna be okay,” I told him, knowing damn well I was lying to both of us.

James pulled on my hair again and I winced as Nate growled and pulled on the ropes tying his wrists.

“Strip, Olivia” James demanded.

I shook my head. “No James, please” I begged as he laughed.

“Do you think you have a choice?” he sneered, his tongue sweeping up my cheek and making me shudder.

Nate looked at me, still trying to free himself. “Baby, no,” he pleaded.

James let go of my hair and walked over to Nate. “I’ll say it again Olivia, do you think you have a choice?” He reached to the back of his jeans and pulled out a gun.

“Oh God, James!” I cried as he pointed it at Nate’s head.

“I SAID FUCKING STRIP!” He shouted. I flinched, my heart hammering and my ears started pounding as my throat constricted.

“James, please” I sobbed. He pushed the gun into Nate’s temple and raised his eyebrows.

“Liv, don’t” Nate ordered, shaking his head at me.

“Shut the fuck up!” James snapped at him before turning to me again. “Olivia! I won’t fucking ask you again. Take. Off. Your. Clothes.” He lifted the gun slightly reminding me what he would do if I didn’t.

My hands trembled as I raised them to my shirt and started unbuttoning it. I was determined not to cry, not to let James see my terror but I was really struggling as I saw the pain in Nate’s eyes.

James grinned as I slipped it off my shoulders. “And the rest, Darling.” The heat in his eyes was clearly visible and it made me baulk.

“For fucks sake, James,” Nate growled and jolted in the chair.

“Watch Nathan, you are gonna love the show,” James smirked. “Carry on,” he said to me, his eyes dropping to my skirt as I unzipped it and dropped it to the floor. Closing my eyes, I prayed for help from God . . . from anyone.

I was stood in my bra and knickers. I heard James approach as I kept my eyes shut tight, his hand came to cup my face. “Always fucking beautiful, Olivia,” he said gently but then gripped my hair severely; pulling my head back as his mouth came to my cheek. “But you’re mine, you fucking slag,” he hissed and threw me to the floor.

“Fuck!” I heard Nate snarl as James started to undo his zip. I tried to scramble away.

“Olivia,” James barked. “Unless you want to watch Nathan die then I expect you to stop right there.” I stopped dead at his words and turned to look at Nate.

I was now struggling to breathe and my body was trembling violently.

“Angel . . .”

The anguish on his face was ripping me in two and I crawled over to him. “Nate it’s okay . . . it’s gonna be okay. Just shut your eyes baby, don’t watch please, Nate.” I begged him. “Please Nate, don’t look at me.”

I sobbed now as James ambled over to me, stroking his penis which was now in his hand. “Knickers off, Olivia,” he demanded as he grabbed hold of my hair and pulled me across the floor.

“James, please. Don’t do this in front of Nate, we’ll just go upstairs.”

He pushed his face into mine. “Do as you’re fucking told,” he yelled. “Now!” His fist slammed into my cheek, knocking my head sideways but his grip on my hair kept me upright.

“James, I swear to god, I’m gonna fucking kill you for this!” Nate roared.

James just laughed. “And how the hell are you gonna do that when you’re tied to a chair and I have the gun? What would you like me to do Nathan, fuck her or shoot her? Your choice.” He raised his eyebrows as though it was a regular thing to ask.

When Nate didn’t answer but continued to struggle in his bonds James punched me again. “ANSWER ME NATHAN!” He demanded as I whimpered and closed my hand around the fingers in my hair, trying to ease his grip.

Nate’s eyes lifted. “Please don’t do this,” he begged but when James fisted my hair harder, Nate closed his eyes and whispered, “Just don’t kill her.” He swallowed. He knew he had just given James permission to rape his lover, his Angel.

James let go of my hair and ripped my knickers off as he pushed me down to the floor. “Hand and knees Olivia, you know what to do,” he growled. I did as he asked, knowing how James liked to take me; forearms flat on the floor and my backside raised in the air as I clamped my knees together.

“Good Girl.”

I felt him push against me from behind. A sob escaped me as he grabbed my hair again and pulled my head back. “Open your eyes Nathan and watch, watch how she likes to be fucked,” he ordered. Nate slowly opened his eyes and locked onto mine, the helplessness and raw pain in them broke me.

“It’s okay Nate, it’s okay.” I forced a smile, trying to hide my pain as I silently begged him to get through this.

My eyes never left his as I felt James enter me in a single vicious thrust, his groan loud in the room as I zoned out and held Nate’s gaze, my eyes pleading with him to get me through this, help me concentrate on anything but James.

A single tear dropped down my cheek and I closed my eyes. I heard Nate sob. “Angel! Look at me,” he said softly. I opened my eyes as James thrust again, one of his hands still gripped my hair in a tight vice as his other hand dug into my buttock, his fingers digging in painfully.

“God, Olivia. I forgot how tight you fucking are,” James growled as his thrusts got harder.

Nate was struggling harder, his arms wriggling and his chest straining as he tried to free himself but his eyes never left mine, silently communicating with me whilst the torture and suffering etched into every inch of his beautiful face.

I started to shut down, zoning out like I had done so many times before. I smiled gently at him. “I’m okay,” I mouthed to him. “I’m okay.”

A sob tore from his throat at my words. “I’m so sorry, baby,” he whispered as a tear trickled out of the corner of his eye and rolled down his cheek.

James’ pounding became frantic and he grunted, stilling as he ejaculated. I retched, the thought of a piece of him, of his DNA invading my body.

“
Fuck!
” he yelled. His fingers became incredibly painful as they jabbed deeper in to my backside.

I felt him withdraw and his foot slammed into my back as he kicked me to the ground. “Jesus Christ,” Nate shouted but James just grinned, cocking his head and regarding Nate.

“She likes it rough,” he laughed. Nate growled a deep primal growl, which showed every part of his anger and hatred.

“Now, now Nathan, don’t get upset. Your turn’s coming.” He laughed loudly and pulled me up from the floor. “Stand and watch Olivia. This is where I get revenge on the bastard that’s been screwing my wife.” He gripped both my arms and stood me upright, facing Nate.

My stomach sank as James picked up his gun from the table, walked over to Nate and pressed the gun to his forehead.

“James,” I wheezed. “Please.”

He turned to look at me, cocking his head and regarding me. “But I’m back now Olivia, you don’t need this wanker.”

As he cocked the gun Nate’s eyes penetrated mine. “I love you, Angel . . . always” he breathed. Every emotion possible passed through his beautiful pure blue eyes but above all, the most intense love, the love he had for me.

No more Olivia, no more of being the little timid woman, no more of being the defenceless beaten wife always relying on other people. No more of standing down and accepting his cruel torture, never again being too afraid to stand up to the bastard that’s ruined your life. This beautiful man brought you back to life, now it’s time to repay the favour and save his life like he saved yours.

My body relaxed, finally a peaceful calm enveloping me, forcing courage and determination through my veins.

Everything at that moment seemed to slow to a halt as James’s finger rested against the trigger.