Page 96 of Rafe: Sins of the Father

He pulls to the side of the dark street and dismounts in the light of my headlights. I roll my window down, but before I realize what he’s doing, he reaches in the window and unlocks my door, then yanks it open. The vehicle that was behind me pulls alongside, and this guy fights to get my seatbelt off, then he and another guy manhandle me into the trunk of the other car.

The lid slams closed, and I’m in total darkness, terrified out of my mind.

They must have been following me. This biker wasn’t just randomly pulling up next to me. Hetargetedme. He was probably going to try to engage me whether I stared at him or not.

God, how could I be such a fool?

All I can think now is that they’re going to take me out in the woods and kill me, or maybe notonlykill me. I take a deep breath and try to calm myself.

Maybe they only want my car. It’s a nice car. Maybe they’ll let me go somewhere.

I’m so scared, and like an idiot, I left my phone in the cup holder. They have my purse, my keys, my car, my phone. Everything. Including me.

I think of Rafe. I wish he was with me. He’d never let anything like this happen to me. But he has no clue. He can’t save me this time. I’m on my own.

The car moves again, and I also hear the sound of the sport bike moving with us. I’m tossed around the trunk with every pothole, railroad track, and speed bump we go over. I’ve heard you can get the trunk open with an emergency release, but I can’t find one, and I wonder if these guys removed it for exactly that reason.

We ride for a long, long time. I don’t have a watch, but it must be over an hour, maybe longer.

I think I hear a boat horn, like that of a small pleasure craft, and then it sounds like we’re going over a bridge.

We drive for miles again, and the entire time, that bike is right behind us.

Eventually, we slow and make a left turn, but the car stops. I hear what sounds like a heavy metal gate creaking open, and then the car pulls slowly forward.

When the car finally stops, and the lid pops open, I’m staring into the face of Connor and his two friends. T

he one still has his helmet on, but this time his visor is up, and I see his eyes. We’re in a large garage, but I think it’s to a home, not a business.

I’m lifted out of the trunk, and my hands are zip tied behind my back.

“Connor, what are you doing? You don’t have to do this.” My voice is shaky, and he mocks me.

“Connor, you don’t have to do this.”Then he leans close. “Yeah, I do, bitch. Payback for your little biker friend. He’s gonna be sorry he ever met me.”

“We’re not together. I haven’t seen him in six weeks. Maybe more. Taking me will mean nothing to him. I swear it.”

“That’s why I have a backup plan.”

They manhandle me up some stairs and into a home. It’s a nice home, with high ceilings and a beautiful kitchen that we pass. I’m hustled through the living room and up an open set of stairs with an industrial railing.

On the mantle, I spot a wedding photo. The bride bears a striking resemblance to Connor. I wonder if it’s his sister. I wonder where the owners of this home are. This place has to be in the millions. Did he kill them? They can’t be here, or he wouldn’t get away with this. Maybe they’re out of town. Hell, maybe he does this all the time. Maybe he did this with those other girls who wouldn’t press charges.

When we get to the top of the stairs, I’m taken down a hall and into a room.

It looks like a normal guest bedroom, but there’s a woman sitting on the floor against the wall. She’s not restrained, but it’s shocking just the same.

Fiona.

She makes a slight shake of her head, and I keep my mouth shut, pretending not to recognize her.

“What did you do, Connor? They’re going to kill you,” Fiona hisses.

“I’m gonna make that bastard pay, cutie pie,” he says, moving to stand over her, then he returns to me, where they’ve shoved me to sit on the bed. “Did you think I wouldn’t figure it out? Did you think I wouldn’t figure out it was that damn guy working for your father? Him and his fucking MC. They’re the motherfuckers who jumped me.”

“Connor, please don’t do this,” I beg.

“Don’t bother trying to escape,” he barks. “Every door and window has a sensor. You open one, an alarm sounds.”

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