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CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

UNA

W e pulled up to my apartment, and I looked at Tom in the front seat. “I don’t suppose I can convince you to stay here or go for coffee while I run upstairs? There’s a great little café around the corner.”

He chuckled and shook his head. Tom got out of the car and opened my door, looking around before he did.

We entered the building, the superintendent meeting us. “I put the new lock on as soon as you called, Una. Mr. O’Reilly had someone sweep the apartment to make sure it was safe. Here’s the key.”

“Thanks.”

“Sad to think you won’t be living here anymore.”

I kept my expression carefully neutral. “Why would you say that?”

“Mr. O’Reilly told me you were moving out soon.”

I lifted my eyebrows but kept my mouth shut. In the elevator, I glanced at Tom, who was trying to hide his grin. He met my gaze with a shrug. “The boss,” was all he said.

The new key slid in easily, and I opened the door, Tom following me in. “I’ll be right here,” he said, sitting in the chair by the door.

I went to my bedroom, finding the dry cleaning bags with the dresses I liked to wear for my singing gigs. I carried them to the living room, draping them over the back of the sofa. “It’s more comfortable,” I informed Tom, patting the back. “You can sit here. That’s the most uncomfortable chair in this place. I only use it to put on my shoes.”

He smiled and stood. “It is awful.”

“I know, but it looks nice. Aesthetics, you know.”

He sat on the sofa, unbuttoning his suit jacket. “Much better.”

I returned to my room, taking the only suitcase I had and filling it quickly with clothes and toiletries. My uniforms were in my locker, so I was covered there. I added some shoes and all the clothing Finn had bought me, including the lingerie. I looked around, deciding I had enough and I would return.

After I’d had a long talk with Mr. O’Reilly.

I reached for a photo on my bedside table. It was of my mum and me when I was little. I tucked it in the bag and carried that to the living room.

Tom glanced up from his phone. “Almost done?”

“Yes. I want to dump the trash. It smells a bit odd in here.”

He stood. “I’ll take it.”

“It’s just down the hall.”

He held out his hand for the key. “Really?” I asked.

“Yes. I’m not to leave you unprotected, and I’m not leaving the door unlocked. Even for a couple of minutes.”

I handed him the key and he left, the door clicking locked behind him.

An idea hit me, and I went into Brian’s old room, stopping for a moment at the scent. The odd smell lingered in here the strongest, and I wondered if I had missed something when cleaning.

I reached into the closet for the backpack, intent on taking the picture Brian had shown me. I would copy it, take it somewhere, have it digitally enhanced, and put it back in a couple of days.

I heard the door as I pulled the backpack off the shelf, the unexpected weight causing it to slip from my hand. It landed on the floor with a thump. “I’m fine,” I called out. “I’ll be right there.”

I bent to pick up the bag, not surprised to see the zipper had broken. The bag was stuffed. More than I recalled it being when Brian had shown it to me. Curious, I pushed the plaid material of what I assumed was one of my dad’s shirts to the side and blinked at what I was seeing.

Clear bags. Hundreds of them. Some looked like flour. Others like shards of glass. The odor I had been smelling was stronger now that the backpack was open.

Drugs.

The bag was full of drugs.

I heard a noise behind me.

“Tom, we need to call Finn. Right now,” I said.

“Tom has a bit of a headache right now.”

I spun on my heel, meeting my brother’s black-eyed gaze. He was pale, his mouth turned up in a twisted sort of grin. My heartbeat sped up as I took in the gun in his hands, the silencer on the end of it adding an even scarier threat than his casual stance.

Or the blood on his shirt.

“But by all means,” he continued. “Let’s call Finn. I have so much to tell him.”

He grinned.

“And neither of you are going to like it.”

* * *

I stared, and he tilted his head. “Cat got your tongue, little sister?”

“Brian—what—how?—”

He laughed, the sound frightening. “Never thought I’d see the day you were speechless.”

I gathered my courage. “Where is Tom?”

He smiled. “Dead. I pushed his body into the garbage can where he belonged.” He held up a shiny key. “Not before retrieving this, of course.” He tutted. “You’ve made my life difficult the past couple of days, Una. My new boss thinks I lifted a few of his drugs, which I had planned on doing until he figured it out. I had to convince him I was simply storing them for easier deliveries. Lots of users not far from here.” He winked as if we were sharing a joke. “Imagine my dismay when I couldn’t get in any longer.”

“I-I’m sorry.”

He shook his head, and I noticed a twitch in his eye I hadn’t seen before. “I don’t think you really are.”

“So, you had a key all along?”

He rolled his eyes. “Everyone thinks you’re so smart. You’re dumb. Far too trusting. Did you really think I only had one copy of the key? I’ve been coming and going—even while you were asleep. Stashing the drugs and the money. A few times, I was here, seeing you get ready for work, thinking how easy it would be to hurt you. And I really wanted to sometimes.”

A shiver went through me. He hated me. Or at least this drug-induced version did.

“Why—why would you kill Tom?”

He shrugged as if it was no big deal. “He was always an ass to me. Thought too much of himself. And of Finn.” He studied me. “But of course I shouldn’t say anything bad about the perfect Finn O’Reilly, should I?” He ran the end of the gun over his chin in a jerky motion. “Is he a good fuck for you, Una?”

Somehow that question shocked me more than anything. “Brian Murphy! That is none of your business. Stop this nonsense now. Where is Tom?”

Suddenly, he was moving. Stalking toward me, anger radiating from him. I backed up, hitting the wall. He pushed the gun against my temple.

“He is fucking dead, just like you’re going to be.”

I whimpered, now really scared. “Why?” I whispered.

“Because you deserve it.” Then he stepped back. “But I can’t.” He looked truly upset by those words. “I have to take you to him.”

“To whom?” I asked. “Finn?”

“Finn?” he laughed. “So he can kill me? No. I have to take the drugs and you to him. Juan and my new boss. Prove myself.”

I swallowed. “No, Brian. Let me call Finn. He can help you.”

“How?”

“He can help you with the drugs. Dispose of them. We can get you into rehab, and I’ll convince Finn to send you somewhere new. You can start over again,” I babbled.

He laughed as if my words were the biggest joke. “Right, Una. I’m high, not stupid. He’d blow my head off before I could say a word.”

“No, no, he won’t.”

“Of course not. He’d have someone else do the dirty work so he could tell you his hands were clean. Take you upstairs and fuck you so you’d forget.”

“Stop saying that.”

“Where’s your phone?”

“In my pocket.”

He waved the gun at me. “Call him. Now. I’ve got a message for him.”

I hesitated, and he pointed the gun at me, his hand suddenly steady. “Now.”

I pressed Finn’s name and began to pray.

* * *

I woke up groggy and disoriented. The feel of fingers running down my cheek made me sigh as I sifted through my foggy brain.

“I must have had a nightmare,” I mumbled, wondering why my voice sounded so scratchy.

“Oh no,” a voice said, sounding amused. “Your nightmare is just beginning, sister.”

I sat up, every nerve in my body screaming terror as I jerked away from the fingers on my skin. In front of me was the man I had seen before. The one who’d frightened me with just a look. Up close, he was even more terrifying. His eyes were dead. Emotionless. Emanating from him was malice. Pure evil. He was older, his hair slicked back, and unattractive. Everything about him oozed danger.

I scrambled back, hitting a wall and looking around, confused and dazed. Scared.

Brian was leaning against the opposite wall, looking smug. Beside him was a man his age who looked like the person crouching in front of me.

“Brian?” I whispered, searching my mind. The events of this morning hit me. The apartment. Tom. Brian and the gun. Calling Finn and the words Brian had used before hanging up and tossing my cell phone to the bed. “You won’t be needing that anymore.” Then he’d shoved the gun into my back and told me I was going with him.

I had tried to struggle, and he shook his head . “The easy way or the hard way, Una. You come with me, no one else gets hurt. You struggle, and I will shoot every person who looks our way.”

I thought of Mrs. Meyers down the hall whom I often saw. My neighbor Emily. The super and his kind wife.

“I’ll behave.”

“See that you do.”

We took the stairs, waving at Mrs. Meyers across the lobby as he pushed me out the back door, his gun jammed into my back. I struggled with him at getting into the trunk, and before I knew what was happening, I felt pain on the back of my head, and the world went black.

Now, I was in a dark room. With three men who all threatened me in different ways.

My brother looked unconcerned. “I can’t help you, Una. It’s you or me, and this time, I’m choosing me.” He pushed off the wall. “You’ll figure it all out. You always do.”

He sauntered away and disappeared around the corner.

“Who—who are you?” I asked the man still crouched in front of me. He eyed me like a piece of meat, his gaze cold.

“Your future.”

Fear twisted around my spine, and I felt nauseous. My head ached and I was cold. I pulled my arms around my waist, horrified to realize my ankle was chained to something.

“Please. I know someone who will pay you. Whatever you want,” I begged, knowing my words were true. Finn would do anything to get me back safely.

He stood, staring down at me. “The great Finn?” He began to laugh. “He is of no use to you anymore.”

I swallowed. He began to pace back and forth in front of me, mumbling, talking to the younger man still leaning against the wall, eyeing me with disdain.

“Is she what you really want, Uncle?”

“Yes, Juan. Almost perfect.”

I blinked. Juan . This was Brian’s roommate?

“I’m sure she’ll be perfect once the Russians are done with her.”

“Uncle” laughed. “Oh, she will be.”

“Wh-what?”

“You’re not ready for me yet. You will be in a few months.”

“No,” I gasped, shaking my head. “No.”

“See that right there? Your denials and pleas will be removed. Your thoughts and desires will be gone. You’ll live to serve me. Only me.”

My breathing became panicked. I looked around, desperate to find a way out.

“You don’t like me now, but once your training is done and you’re returned to me, I’ll be your world.” He tilted his head, studying me. “My perfect slave. I will own every inch of you. Your body. Your voice. You will serve me. Sing for me.” He flashed his teeth. “Forever.”

He began to walk away, glancing over his shoulder. “And there is nothing your precious Finn can do to stop it.”

He went around the same corner Brian had, and I heard the clang of a metal door.

I was left alone with Juan, who stared at me.

“I don’t see his obsession,” he said. “But then, I like blondes. Uncle got me one of those.”

“ Got you one?” I said, finding my anger. “Women aren’t things you pick up at the store. We’re not for sale.”

He laughed, the sound echoing in the damp, dark space. “Oh, for those of us who can afford it, you are.” He crossed his arms. “My uncle saw you weeks ago. Someone had videoed you singing at the hotel. He became obsessed. Your voice. Your red hair. He’s always had a thing for red hair. Then he found out you were connected to O’Reilly, and his obsession reached a new level. He hates him,” he stated calmly, bending to brush some dirt off his sneaker. They were red with a tiger face stitched into the front, the eyes glittering even in the low light. They were hideous, and I recognized them. He was the one I had seen the day I was out with Finn that I’d told him about.

“Why?”

He shrugged. “I don’t know what drives my uncle, aside from money and power. Some slight, some offense, and he takes it personally. Some deal he was involved in that O’Reilly somehow killed. It cost him a lot of money. He’s been waiting. Not how I’d run things, but my time will come.” He lifted his arms in a bored yawn. “So, he decided to take you, and here you are.”

I stared at him. He was so casual. As if it was no big deal and he did it all the time. A frightening realization hit me. He did.

“I have to admit, it’s been fun. Befriending your brother. Making sure to stoke the flames of anger he felt toward O’Reilly.” He smirked. “The money, the drugs, stringing him along, and getting him hooked. He has quite the ego on him, doesn’t he? As if Uncle would give him his own territory to run. All part of the plan to get to you. Plus, rattling the Irishman’s cage was an added bonus. Disrupting his world and costing him money.”

He stroked his chin. “Once he knew Finn was as obsessed with you as he is, there was no stopping Uncle.”

“Is he Lopez?” I whispered, trying to process everything he was saying. He certainly liked to talk. Brag.

He shrugged again. “To the world, yes. To me, Uncle. To you—” he smiled wide and evil “— master .”

I began to thrash, pull on the chain holding me. “I will never!” I shouted. “I will fight you every step of the way. I’ll?—”

He cut me off, stepping forward and jabbing a needle into my arm. “You’re all the same. So tiresome. I prefer it when you return without a personality or the will to even speak.”

The room began to spin, and my tongue felt thick. He walked away, stopping and turning around. “There is no escape and no rescue. Finn can’t find you, and law enforcement can’t help. You won’t even be in this country soon. And everyone—even your precious Irishman—will forget about you. You’ll forget who you were. All you will know will be pain and servitude.” He looked around with a smirk. “Enjoy the accommodations while you can. You’re not going to like where you’re going.”

And darkness descended again.