Page 46 of Vain (Tempest #2)

“What’s wrong? Holy shit. Is that your mom?” Kellen asks as we stare down at a photo of Hattie tied to a chair with tears running down her face. She has a split lip, a bloody nose, and the beginnings of a black eye. There is a text underneath the image.

If you want to see your mother alive again, you’ll ditch the boyfriend and come to me.

You have thirty minutes. Drive toward the highway and head east. I will message with further instructions.

Every minute over thirty that it takes you to arrive, I take it out on her.

I won’t hurt you, never you, but I’ll make her pay.

Oh and Matilda, if you bring the police with you, I’ll kill her.

I take the phone and toss it to Kellen. “Call Banner. See if he can trace who sent the message.”

I turn to Tilly just as Greyson walks in.

“What on earth is wrong?”

“Hattie’s in some kind of trouble,” Marley tells him. I half expect him to snap back with “good,” but he refrains. None of us like her but that doesn’t mean we want to see her hurt.

“You’re not going anywhere.”

“But it’s my mom.”

“I’m not trading you, sweetheart. He would never let her go anyway, not when she might be able to identify him.”

“He’s right,” Kellen adds, looking at me. “We’re at a dead end with the phone. Banner says it’s a burner.”

“Shit. I’ll go.”

“You can’t. He wants me.”

“And he’ll think it’s you coming. I’ll take your Escalade because it has tinted windows, and I’ll borrow your cap and glasses you wear when you’re trying to hide.

He said he’d message with more info, not call.

He’s making a desperate bid here, Tilly.

This whole thing is reckless, even for him. That means he’ll get sloppy.”

“You’re going to be walking into a trap,” she cries.

“I swear to you, I know what I’m doing. I’ll do everything I can to get your mother out. But once I have a location, we can let the cops know.”

“He said no cops.”

“He’s not going to let her go, Tilly. It’s a risk we’ll have to take if I can’t get to her.”

She runs her hands through her hair.

“I’ll leave Kellen with you?—”

“No, absolutely not. I’m not letting you go in there alone. You said you were trained for this? Well, so is he. I need him to be there to watch your back. I can’t lose you, Aiden. Please don’t ask this of me.”

Frustrated, I look at Kellen, who grits his teeth. “She’s right. You can’t go alone. I’ll hide in the back seat and bail out before we get to the destination. I’ll scope the place out. You need me there, Aiden, and you know it.”

“I’m not leaving you here alone,” I tell Tilly.

“I’m not alone. I’ve got Greyson and Marley, and you can send the guard up from the gatehouse to stay with us.”

“I can call the police as soon as you leave and explain what’s going on,” Greyson adds.

“And I’m pretty handy with a fucking knife,” Marley snaps.

I clench my hand into fists.

“We haven’t got time for this, Aiden. Decide,” Kellen yells.

“Fuck it. Fine.” I lean down and kiss Tilly, pouring everything into it. I turn and head out to the garage, grabbing her hat and shades on the way out. If I don’t leave now. I never will.

Kellen lies in the back as I start the car and head down to the gatehouse.

“I need you to go on up to Matilda Carson’s house and keep watch from the front fucking door. You hear anything out of place or see anything odd, call the police.”

The new guard, whose fucking name I still can’t remember, stares at me for a beat before nodding. “Yes sir.” When he opens the gate and lets me out, I floor it, heading to the highway.

When the text comes through with more info, Kellen directs me where to go until I find myself well off the beaten track. “There’s a cabin up ahead,” I tell him as I stop.

“Here,” he hands me the phone before cracking open the door and slipping out the back. “Give me a few minutes to check it out. I’ll text you.”

I grip the steering wheel and nod. He pulls out his gun and slips into the trees.

A few minutes feels like a fucking lifetime. I half expect the phone to chime with threats of pain to Hattie because it’s now been thirty-two minutes since his first text. But so far, nothing.

When the phone rings, I jump out of my fucking skin. I answer it and hear Kellen yelling. “Get the fuck over here now.”

“Where are you?” I ask, leaping out of the car and grabbing my own gun.

“I’m in the cabin.”

He hangs up, leaving me cursing as I sprint toward the building, not even trying for stealth. Anyone there will have already heard Kellen.

I kick the door in and aim my gun, waiting for someone to jump out at me. When they don’t, I follow the sound of Kellen’s voice, realizing he’s on the phone to the emergency services. I come to a halt when I see him trying to cut Hattie free from the chair.

“Shit.” I drop down next to her to help, but she’s in a fuck of a lot worse condition than before. Aside from the fact that her hands are completely purple from the tight rope around her wrists, she has multiple stab wounds across her chest and stomach.

“Hattie, honey, can you hear me?” She moans slightly, making me work harder. The ropes are slick with her blood, and I’m worried about hurting her further. “Did Daniel do this?”

Kellen hangs up. “Cops are on their way. But Aiden, you need to see the bathtub.” He looks a little green

I get to my feet and walk with trepidation to the bathroom.

The smell hits me first. I cover my nose with my T-shirt and see Daniel, or what’s left of him.

There is so much blood in the bath, his lower half is submerged in it.

I don’t check for a pulse. I can see he’s been dead for at least a week, probably more.

I close the door and head back out to Kellen and Hattie. He’s managed to get her free from the chair and has her lying on the ground with a towel pressing on the worst of her wounds, but there are just so many of them. I cover the ones I can see with my bare hands.

She groans, her eyes opening as she tries to focus. When they land on me, a tear runs down her face. “Ma…til…da.”

“Shh. It’s okay. You’re going to be fine. Do you know who did this to you?”

“Father…Tilly’s father.”

I look at Kellen, who frowns. “He’s dead.”

“Not…the one.”

I shake my head. “I don’t understand. You’re saying the man who died wasn’t Tilly’s father.”

She nods and whimpers.

“Wait. Are you saying Tilly’s real father is responsible for all this?”

“Yesss…”

“Where is he now?”

“H…ome.” She starts to fade and I know she isn’t going to make it.

“Damn it, Hattie, for once in your fucking life, fight for her.”

Her eyes focus on me again for a moment before they slip closed. “Trap…”

“We know. But don’t worry, Tilly’s not here.

“He knows…the trap…get you away from…daughter. Save her.”

She takes one last breath, and then she’s gone.

I turn to Kellen, his face a mask of horror that must mirror my own. “He’s going after Tilly.”