In Wicked Chains (The Wicked) Page 11

  Maysin’s taste of clean man and slightly salted pre-cum melted on her tongue. She hollowed her cheeks, using her stiffened tongue to dip and stroke him. Maysin’s body tensed, his cock swelled thicker.

  “Harper. Fuck, you’re making me come. Fuck.” He held her hair tightly, throwing his hips forward, ramming himself down her throat. Harper quit sucking and kept her mouth open, giving him permission to use her any way he wished.

  “Ung.” She looked up at him and he stared back, eyes glinting in the darkness.

  “Fuck, Harper. Baby.” He grasped her face between both hands, shuddering. His cock jerked and bitter cream filled her mouth. She swallowed it all. He slowed his movements, sliding in and out of her slowly, before he pulled out and yanked her to her feet.

  He took her mouth, no doubt tasting his own seed. His tongue speared into her mouth, hard and rough.

  She clung to him, sobbing his name as he kissed her savagely.

  He broke the kiss finally and held her close. “I’ve got to let you go, Harper. I have to, but I don’t know how.”

  “I’m sorry.” She buried her face in his chest. “I’m so sorry.”

  “I know you are.” He kissed her hair, smoothed a hand down her back. “Stop crying. We have to end it.”

  He was right. His words echoed her thoughts from earlier, but now she couldn’t do it, couldn’t rip away her heart.

  Someone pounded on the door.

  “Sorry,” Sasha whispered urgently from the outside. “Rick, we have a situ. Niko and King are here.”

  “Damn it.” Maysin released her and stepped back. “What’s wrong?” he asked through the door.

  “Mace.” A man’s distraught voice answered. “Elina’s been kidnapped.”

  “Shit!” Maysin fixed his clothes and Harper stared, trying to process what she’d heard.

  “Elina Vicente?”

  Maysin nodded. “Yeah, she’s Sasha’s best friend and I consider her a…little sister.” Slipping on his jacket, he eyed her. “You’re all set?”

  She nodded and he opened the door. Harper blinked at the bright light, and the two men dwarfing Sasha. One dark-skinned cutie sported shoulder length braids. The other man…well, fuck. He looked ready to kill someone. His smooth, shaved head was covered in tattoos.

  “Damn.” Now that’s something you don’t see every day.

  Sasha eyed her with red-rimmed eyes. “Harper, this is my brother, Kingston.” She jerked a chin toward the man with braids. “And this is Niko. My love.”

  “Nice to meet you all.”

  Niko gave her small smile. He was a gorgeous man. Kingston barely looked in her direction.

  “Mace,” Kingston spoke to Maysin. “I need your skills on this one.”

  “Okay, let’s go.” Maysin began walking away.

  Sasha spoke up, “Hold up.” She turned to Harper. “Don’t you even want to know what’s happening with Elina?” Disbelief clung to her face and her words.

  Damn her. Harper forced a shrug. “Elina Vicente is nobody to me.”

  Sasha backhanded her.

  Harper staggered under the blow.

  “Bitch, I can’t believe that came out of your mouth. After everything, I can’t believe you have the nerve to say that shit to my face,” Sasha spat.

  “Babe.” Niko put a hand on Sasha’s elbow. “What are you doing?”

  Harper held a hand to her stinging cheek, watching as tears welled up in Sasha’s eyes. Her heart broke, but she couldn’t—

  “She’s your fucking sister,” Sasha said softly. The men around her froze. “Your sister is in the hands of a rapist. Don’t you care about that, Harper? Or is it all about you, protecting you?”

  “Christ. Christ.” Sasha’s brother tugged on his hair. “I can’t believe this shit right now. You,” he pointed a finger at Sasha, “Let’s go. We’ll deal with this later.” He walked off.

  Sasha shook her head and turned into Niko’s embrace. He murmured in her ear, she nodded, and they left in silence. Harper felt Maysin’s eyes on her and she turned to him. The look in his eyes was unreadable, closed off to her. She opened her mouth, but he turned abruptly, following his friends out.

  Chapter Eleven

  Kingston wanted to punch something. He kept his fear and anger in check all the way back to Sasha and Niko’s house, his eyes glued to his watch.

  He was counting down the minutes. They had an hour and a half to go, and he had no plan of attack. His sister chose the wrong fucking time to drop her bombshell and he let her know a soon as they entered the house.

  “You and your fucking secrets.” He rounded on her in the kitchen. “What is it with you and these secrets, Sasha? How long have you known Harper and Elina were sisters?”

  She met his gaze with squared shoulders, Niko at her side. “Don’t give me that shit. You’ve been keeping secrets, too. Did you tell Elina about Earl, or were you too busy getting into her pants?”

  “I love Elina.”

  “Yeah?” She smirked. “Didn’t show it when you were fucking everybody but her. You didn’t protect her when your father started sniffing around.”

  Her words hit King square in the heart. She was right. He didn’t protect Elina, even after he promised he would. He didn’t.

  “Babe.” Niko grabbed Sasha’s arm. “Now isn’t the time for you guys to be fighting, we need to come up with a plan to get Elina back.”

  She shook off Niko’s hold. “It needs to be said. Why is he mad at me for not divulging somebody else’s secrets? Harper’s secrets aren’t mine to tell.”

  “Bullshit.” Kingston got in her face. Niko growled a warning, but King ignored him. “I bet you loved having something on Harper. It’s how you fucking operate and you waited until the worst possible time to let it slip.”

  “King, watch it.” Niko grabbed his shoulder and dragged him way. “Listen, I know you’re hurting, but I won’t hesitate to fuck you up. Feel me?”

  “No, let him talk.” Sasha hopped off her stool and walked up to them. “Let him say what he wants to. It deflects the fact that he’s to blame for unleashing Earl on Elina.” Knees apart, she stared up at King with absolute venom in her eyes. “If he does anything to Elina, if he touches her in any way, I’m holding you personally responsible.”

  “He wants you,” King lashed out.

  She flinched as if he’d slapped her.

  “All this is for you, the one that got away.” Sasha went deathly pale and he wanted to call back his words. He’d hurt her as much as she’d hurt him.

  “Are out of your fucking mind?” Niko punched him in the jaw and Kingston fell back onto the counter. “This is how you tell her?”

  Blood flooded Kingston’s mouth. He spit into the sink at his elbow and narrowed his eyes at Niko. “I can’t believe you freaking hit me.” He flexed his jaw.

  “I’d do much worse. This isn’t the way she needed to find out.” Niko scrubbed a hand over his face and watched Sasha. Kingston had never seen her look so…afraid.

  “Is it true?” She spoke to Niko. “Earl wants an exchange, me for Elina?”

  Niko nodded. “I’m sorry, babe. It’s not going to happen, though. We have to come up with a different way to—”

  “I’ll do it.”

  Kingston’s heart froze. Niko gaped. Maysin, silently tapping away on his computer, lifted his head. They all stared her down.

  “No.” King’s croaked word was drowned out by Niko’s roar.

  “The fuck you will.” Niko yanked her to his side. “You will not go anywhere near that man.”

  “Don’t start telling me what I can and can’t do, Niko. I’ll fuck you up.” She held Niko’s hand, laced their fingers. “We don’t have enough time for anything else. He’s had Elina long enough. He wants me, he gets me.”

  Tears burned Kingston’s eyes. He didn’t ever want to have to make a choice between his sister and the woman he loved.

  “Babe.” Niko cradled Sasha’s face in his hands. “Times like these
are when I hate how fucking strong you are, how brave.” Voice shaking, Niko kissed her hair. “I’m not that brave. I can’t be that strong when you insist on putting your safety, your life, in jeopardy.”

  Maysin cleared his throat. “I have a location.”

  Sasha circled Niko’s waist. “We have a location, let’s plan our attack.”

  * * * *

  Elina huddled in a dark corner of the bedroom, naked except for her bra and panties. Brutal cold iced her skin and seeped into her bones. Her face hurt, she could barely move it to talk or anything else.

  Not that she had anything to say. Her captor spoke for both of them, filling the chilly air between them with his rants about the ungrateful Kingston, and the girl who needed to be taught a lesson.

  Now Elina understood why this man’s eyes looked so familiar. Kingston’s father. If her heart hadn’t taken up permanent residence in her throat she’d laugh. That both of them had such horrible fathers couldn’t be a coincidence. The man staring at her from across the room made her skin crawl, and not only because of the hungry way he eyed her.

  He wasn’t fully there. One only had to stare long enough into his eyes to see the vacancy. Elina suspected not too many people took the time to do that. All the times she spent with Kingston and Sasha, she’d assumed their birth parents were dead. No one spoke of Earl, only of the Hughes, the couple who adopted Kingston and Sasha.

  She’d overheard the conversation Earl had with Kingston earlier. He’d known his father was on the loose but didn’t bother to tell her, even when she confided her fears about her father’s enemies coming for her. Not once did he bring up the subject. Say my father’s a predator and he’s on the loose. This is what he looks like.

  I’d have been on notice.

  Earl rolled his huge frame off the bed. “It’s looking like that time, gal. Time to make moves.” He held up a thick length of rope as he towered over her. “Get on your feet.”

  Elina stared up at him, mind going blank. He’d tied her hands and feet after he carried her limp body from her apartment and into his car, but removed them once they arrived in this place. Her hands and feet were free, but the gun he held on her stayed any thoughts of escaping.

  “On your feet!” Pain lanced through her skull as he used a fistful of her hair to pull her up.

  Her eyes watered, whimpers left her throat, but Elina didn’t fight him. This, she was familiar with, pain, agony. She closed her eyes and drifted, slipping back into that place she never thought to visit again. Rough hands bound her wrists, then pushed at her shoulders. Her ass hit the threadbare mattress and Earl knelt, binding her ankles swiftly.

  Elina stared at the bald spots on his head, hardly registering the sight. How had she ended back here, swimming in familiar waters, despair beating down her very soul like heavy waves? The trust she’d placed in Kingston’s hands was wrong. Her judgment was wrong.

  Tears slid down her cheeks at the realization.

  “Here now, no need to cry. I’ll take good care of you.” Earl wiped away her tears with dirty fingers. The brush of them against her cheek sent shudders of revulsion coursing through her.

  Elina shifted from his touch and he raised an eyebrow.

  “Oh. You prefer my son’s touch, eh?” He leaned in closer, stinky breath hitting her full force as he said, “Everything he knows, he got from his old man.” His hand drifted from her cheek down to her shoulder, blunt nails trailing circles in her skin. “Close your eyes and pretend I’m him.”

  He cupped her breast, brushed a thumb over a nipple. Shame hit her as her body stiffened. Elina bit down on her lip to stifle the whimper. He mustn’t have the power of her reaction. Body rigid, she stared off into space, unseeing. Kingston would come for her, she didn’t doubt that, but would he make it before his father violated her?

  His hands moved from her beast to her stomach, where he left it. “You’re a bit skinny for my tastes,” Earl murmured. “I’d still like to know what my son sees in you, but that will have to wait. He’s coming and he’s bringing my prize.” He got to his feet with an effort, breath heavy. Gathering her clothes from the pile on the floor, he dropped them on the bed and scrutinized her.

  “Probably should’ve dressed you before I tied you up, huh?” He shrugged. “Oh well. I’ll wrap you up in the blanket and put you in the backseat of the car this time.” Last time he’d dumped her in his trunk like a sack of potatoes.

  Elina only stared. He grunted and disappeared into another room, into the kitchen, maybe. She eyed the knife he left on the bedside table. If only she could reach it, she’d gut the bastard with no qualms at all. She could use a knife, a gun, too, but she saw no opportunity to get her hands on either one any time soon. She shivered as cold air washed over her. The small window over the bed wasn’t insulated for the cold weather, and Earl kept it ajar since he couldn’t stop sweating.

  In her mind’s eye she saw herself reaching the knife over on the table, slicing her bonds, and crawling out through that window. Maybe she’d slit his throat before she left. She found it funny how her mouth watered at the thought.

  Voices reached Elina’s ears and she sat up straight, straining to make out words, to identify the new speaker. Earl worked alone, that Elina knew, so who was visiting? Was it Kingston come to save her? She pulled against the ropes at the hopeful thought, but then shot it down. The voice was too low to be King’s.

  A woman’s voice.

  Footsteps approached the bedroom and with them clearer words.

  “I didn’t think you’d come.” Earl entered the room backwards, eyes glued to the person he addressed. The person who remained in the shadows.

  “Well, of course I’d come.” Sasha stepped into view, dressed in a black cat suit and thigh highs. She flicked a glance at Elina and back, but Elina got the message. Earl’s time was almost up.

  She kept herself still and watched, waiting.

  Earl peered over Sasha’s shoulder. “Where is he? I know my son is out there waiting to make a move.” He took a step forward, but Sasha stopped him by placing a hand on his chest.

  “No one will interrupt us. I convinced them to give me a few minutes alone with you.” Sasha toyed with the zipper of her cat suit where it sat nestled between her breasts. “You’ve waited a long time for me, Earl.”

  The idiot nodded eagerly. “Yes. You’re older, but it doesn’t matter. I remember.” He touched Sasha’s face almost reverently.

  Elina’s friend didn’t blink. She took a step closer, and another. “What do you remember, Earl?”

  “You were teasing me, always teasing me with those looks.” He shifted and Elina watched as he pulled Sasha’s zipper down, slowly as if opening a Christmas present. She bit her tongue, mentally screaming at Sasha to stop it, stop him.

  Sasha kept her eyes on Earl as he exposed her naked breasts.

  “I always knew you wanted me,” Earl whispered. “I knew you didn’t mean to cut me. You loved me.” He spoke the last three words while his hand slid down Sasha’s body, coming to rest between her legs. “I’m ready to fuck you now.”

  A bump against the window caught Elina’s attention and she glanced over, heart leaping at the face she saw pressed to the glass. She blinked to clear her vision and Niko’s face came into focus. He held a finger to his lips and lifted the window.

  The window didn’t make much noise, still Elina’s heart thumped against her ribs. If Earl noticed… But no, his obsession with Sasha kept him sufficiently distracted as Niko climbed through the window and onto the bed.

  “You know what I want, Earl?” Sasha kept her voice conversational.

  “What, baby? Tell me, I’ll get you anything.”

  God, was he really that stupid and blind? Even Elina saw Sasha’s bloodlust from where she sat.

  “I want to finish what I started all those years ago. Slice you open to the point where they can’t put humpty back together again.”

  Niko jumped off the bed and pressed his gun to Earl’s he
ad. Kingston stepped out from where he’d apparently been hiding, the door behind Sasha. His gun stayed on Earl, but his eyes sought her out. She didn’t look at him.

  “There are three guns trained on you right now, Earl.” Sasha grinned. “Once again, I get the best of you.”

  “Bitch!” Earl lunged. Bullets rang out from all directions, hitting him everywhere.

  Elina tried curling into a ball but she couldn’t move. She remained frozen even when Earl toppled backwards and fell at her feet, wide eyes staring up at her. He wasn’t dead. Blood gurgled in his throat as he struggled for air.

  Kingston walked up and stood over him. “I told you I’d kill you.” He fired once more, leaving a small bullet hole in the middle of Earl’s forehead.

  Elina whimpered. Her body shook uncontrollably.

  “Shit, El.” Kingston rushed to her. He knelt and cupped her cheek. “El, are you okay? Did he hurt you?” His hand shook against her skin, fear shone in his eyes, but she couldn’t look at him, couldn’t respond.

  “Clothes, get her clothes,” Sasha snapped. “It’s fucking freezing in here.”

  “You!” Niko grabbed Sasha and hugged her tight. “Remind me to yell at you when I’m finished holding you tight.”

  Elina watched them kiss as tears rolled down her cheeks. Kingston cut the ropes on her hands and feet and fumbled around with her clothes. She didn’t want to acknowledge the familiar roughness of his hands on her skin, or the patchouli scented warmth pouring from him to her, so she closed her eyes.

  She drifted.

  Two days later and she remained in bed, refusing to talk to anyone. That didn’t mean they didn’t try talking to her. Sasha and Niko came by. Myka and Justice, who’d been out of town, stopped by. Even Maysin tried.

  Kingston didn’t have to stop by, he never left. He made himself at home in her house, in her bed, feeding her, bathing her, playing her music when she woke in the middle of the night screaming. He held her in the darkness, rocked her to sleep.