Page 20

Chapter

Nineteen

TARA

E nding Miles’s existence was easy, not just physically but also mentally.

Just like his despicable foster brother, Miles didn’t deserve to keep breathing.

I was proud to watch Heidi take back a small piece of her control and strength.

She never looked away while I tortured the man who kidnapped, beat, tortured, and raped her repeatedly.

She only left when we heard people walking around inside the house.

She said she could handle whoever it was, and I believed her.

Plus, it gave me the chance to ask Miles about Ned.

Did I really think he knew where he was?

No, but I needed to make sure.

I might have forgotten myself when I cut out his tongue but kept on questioning him.

“We’ll give you a moment,” Carlos says, but I don’t look up to see who he is talking to.

I hold Heidi while she comes to terms with what she just participated in.

Killing someone, no matter how badly they treated you, is a hard pill to swallow.

For the sick and twisted people who do this for fun it doesn’t bother them but people like me and Heidi…

Well it takes something from us each and every time.

Something dies a little on the inside but I’ll never stop helping women if they come to me.

Heidi wipes her face and takes a breath, I assume, to steady herself before she looks at me.

“What comes next?” I hope there are no mirrors on the way out because I don’t know if Heidi can take looking at herself like this.

She just smeared Miles’s blood down her cheeks without knowing it.

“I’ve got a guy who can handle all of this,” Gabe says.

I look over my shoulder to find him and Reed standing inside the door, staring at us.

I guess Elio left with Carlos.

While I’m beyond happy they are here, I don’t need him to help with this.

This is what I do, and I’m damn good at it.

Unlike them no one has found one of my bodies.

“By chance, do either of you have my phone?”

“No, Princess, I don’t. When I noticed you were gone, I only thought of finding you. Why?” Gabe asks, stepping closer as if he is testing to see if Heidi or I will run.

“Then let me borrow yours,” I say, letting go of Heidi to hold my hand out.

“Heidi, I would like you to formally meet Gabe, my…” What do I call him?

Boyfriend? Husband? Lover?

With Elio and Vance, I knew they would know what I was saying when I spoke Italian, but I’m not sure if Heidi would understand.

Gabe puffs out his chest, narrows his eyes, and says, “Her man.”

I smile at him and nod before turning to Reed.

“And this is Reed, my older brother. Guys, this is Heidi. Now, my man, can I please borrow your phone?”

“Why?” Reed asks as Gabe closes the space between us and places his phone in my hand.

“Because I don’t need your guy to handle this. I have my own and unlike you guys, Miles’s body will never be found.” Gabe doesn’t leave nor do either of them act like I insulted them.

Instead, he sits on the dirty floor and wraps his arms around me.

Heidi doesn’t flinch when Gabe’s hand brushes her, and I take that as a good sign.

I lean back into Gabe’s embrace and let his warmth seep through my aching body.

I dial the number I know from memory and wait for Kane to answer.

“Hello.”

“Kane, sorry to call you from an unknown number, but I’m without my phone right now,” I say, ignoring the looks skating across my body.

I’ll explain who Kane is later.

“It’s no problem, Tara. What’s up?” The sound of a muffled female comes through the phone, and Kane whispers he will be right back.

I hate that I woke him up, but I’m grateful that he is someone who is here for me when I need him.

Ever since we started looking into Daniel together, Kane told me that if I needed a body to disappear, all I needed to do was call him.

“I’ve found myself in need of your services.” I look over at Miles’s dead body and feel nothing but relief that he won’t be harming anyone again.

I’ll have to look into him and make sure that no one will come searching for him.

“Figured as much. Where are you?”

“I’m not sure,” I say.

Gabe removes one hand from my stomach and motions for me to give him the phone.

“Here’s the thing, Kane. This guy kidnapped me, so I have no clue about my actual location. There is, however, someone who does know.”

“Put them on.”

I hand Gabe the phone and listen to him rattle off the address.

That must be all Kane needs because Gabe says goodbye and slides his phone back into his jeans.

“He said he will be here in thirty minutes. Guess we are close to him.”

The sound of a throat clearing from the door has all of us turning our attention toward Elio.

“I was wondering if I could look at both of you girls? To check for serious wounds?”

“Heidi, this is my father Elio, and he is a doctor. Would it be okay if he looked over your injuries? I’ll stay with you,” I say, turning to watch Heidi.

I don’t want her to say yes just because she feels pressured to do so.

She nods, but her eyes bounce between Reed and Gabe.

“Don’t worry about them. They will stay here, and we will go somewhere else.”

“Okay,” Heidi replies in a shy manner.

Even though I would rather stay in Gabe’s arms, I make myself stand and pull Heidi up with me.

“Gabe, Reed, would you two mind taking care of the room and getting him,” I motion toward Miles.

“Ready for Kane.”

“When you say get the room ready, you mean?—”

I turn toward Reed, narrowing my eyes, and interrupt him.

“This whole house needs to burn. I don’t care what you use, but the fire needs to start from here.”

“On it,” Reed says.

Heidi and I follow Elio out of the basement and up the stairs.

We come out in a small hallway.

“Tara,” Vance says seconds before I’m enveloped in his arms, and the life is being squeezed out of me.

“Fuck, Vance. I know you missed me, but this really fucking hurts.” I grit my teeth and try not to black out from the pain coursing through me.

“I’m sorry.” Vance lets me go gently.

His blue eyes trace my whole body, checking for injuries.

“I didn’t think.”

I pat his arm and offer him a warm smile.

“It’s okay. I’m fine. Just took a good kick to the stomach.”

“Elio—”

“I’m already heading to check them out, Vance. I know how to do my job. Why don’t you go help Gabe and Reed? Carlos’s men are taking care of everything else,” Elio says, pushing Vance as he passes him.

After Vance leaves us, we follow Elio into what I assume was a kitchen once upon a time.

There is nothing left but some broken cabinets and an old table.

Elio’s medical bag is sitting on the table.

Footsteps alert us that someone is coming down the hallway.

“I found a chair. It’s not in the greatest condition, but it will work for now.” I turn and watch Ricco enter the room.

He stops dead in his tracks, eyes glued to Heidi.

The light isn’t the greatest in here, and I’m too far away to see the light green color of his eyes, but it’s easy to tell that they are wide in shock.

His mouth is relaxed and open, waiting for a fly to buzz straight in.

“Ricco,” Heidi says.

Shock and something close to awe coats his name.

“Heidi. What the fuck is going on?” My eyes bounce between them, but they stay on him when Ricco lets out an animalistic growl.

His eyes are narrowed on the dried blood on Heidi’s thighs.

The muscles in his jaw are pulled tight as if he is grinding his teeth together.

“I’m going to kill that fucker.”

“We already did.” I move closer to Heidi but stop when Ricco pins me with his eyes.

“You’re sure?”

“Positive.” I cross my arms across my chest, ignoring the sting of pain.

Ricco nods, sits the chair down, and then leaves the room.

I turn toward Heidi and find tears in her eyes.

I rush toward her and cup her face.

My fingers quickly brush the tears away.

“Hey, what’s wrong?” I have a clue, but I need her to admit what I have just witnessed.

“He…” Heidi hiccups as her bottom lip starts to tremble.

“He won’t want?—”

“Shhh, don’t think like that.” I shake my head and offer her a piece of my truth.

“I thought the same thing. After what happened to me, I was sure Gabe would never want me again. I was a hundred percent sure that he would see me as broken. As someone tainted, but that’s not what happened.”

Heidi’s gaze drops to the floor.

“Yeah, but didn’t you guys have a relationship for a year before you were attacked?”

“Yes, but that doesn’t matter.”

“We’ve only been on three dates before Miles found me. I had just moved here two weeks before…” Heidi closes her eyes, and I hate the despair rolling off her.

“I’ll go speak to him.” Heidi’s eyes fly open, and they have a little flicker of hope.

I don’t say anything else as I walk out of the kitchen in search of Ricco.

I caused this whole mess, and I’ll be damned if I allow it to take anything else from Heidi.