“So, of course I doubled my efforts to get my family back together,” he told me as if he wasn’t strangling the life from me. “I caught another break. Found the people who took you in. Hid you from me.” He tilted his head, regarding me. “They didn’t sell you out, no matter how much pain I put them through. In the end, I had to dispose of them. Thankfully, I managed to get enough information from them once they were gone,” he said blandly, as if he wasn’t talking about murdering the only people who had given me love.
He seemed to realize that he was choking the life out of me and let go of my neck. I struggled to stay on my feet and doubled over, coughing, spluttering for air.
“You bastard,” I croaked when I was able to get enough air in my lungs. I straightened. “You bastard!” I repeated, louder this time and charged at him, lashing out with my nails, my fists, anything to cause him pain. My attack was laughable and he subdued me in a manner of seconds, his hands securing mine.
“They wouldn’t have had to die if you hadn’t forced my hand,” he informed me calmly as I struggled in his grip.
“You’re a monster,” I spat at him.
He shook his head. “Seems you’ve forgotten yourself after all these years, Abigail,” he said releasing my hands.
I didn’t try and fight this time, knowing there was no use. “I grew a spine,” I hissed at him. “I grew up. I realized you’re nothing but a sick coward who gets off on hurting those weaker than him.”
Sid’s face turned stormy. I held my head up high, willing myself not to give in to the fear coursing through my veins. “I don’t want to hurt you, Button,” he said, his emotional state as volatile as an active volcano. “You force me. You know that. All I want is my family back together.”
“We are not your family,” I answered with venom.
Sid smiled. “That’s where you’re wrong, Abby. You’re my wife. Hillary is my daughter. You’re mine.” His words held such a promise I had to remind myself he didn’t have her. She was safe.
“Her name is Lexie,” I corrected him, hating the name he had chosen days before he nearly killed her in my belly. “And she will never lay her eyes on the slime that sired her,” I promised him.
Sid stepped forward. “You might become more obedient once our daughter is under this roof,” he murmured. “Or she might find herself without a mother altogether,” he threatened softly, squeezing my chin between his thumb and forefinger. He looked at me a second longer, doing a quick sweep of my body. I flinched at the hunger that lay beneath his eyes.
“Get yourself cleaned up,” he ordered, stepping back. “I expect you ready in half an hour. Someone will be up to fetch you.” He spun on his heel and made for the door. He stopped with his hand on the knob. “It’s good to have you home, Abby,” he said over his shoulder. “I’ll make sure this time you don’t ever leave me again.”
With that firm promise he was gone.
“What’ve we got?” Bull barked at Wire, whose eyes were glued to multiple computer screens.
Bull didn’t know what half the shit on them even said, but he knew he was searching for evidence on Mia and Lexie. On who they really were.
Wire didn’t move his eyes from the screen. “Would have a hell of a lot more if I didn’t have the Incredible Hulk threatening to green up and wreck all my shit every five seconds,” he replied blandly.
Bull clenched his fists, restraining the urge to thump the wiry little fucker.
He felt someone clap him on the shoulder.
“Come on, brother, let him work,” Cade muttered firmly.
Bull gave the screens one more look before turning to leave the room.
“We know anything more?” he grunted at his friend after they left the dark room, emerging in the hallway that led off to the rooms and the living area.
Cade shook his head. “Went over to Mia’s—place is trashed.” He gave Bull an uneasy look before continuing. “Signs of a struggle, ‘specially in her bedroom,” he went on carefully.
Bull couldn’t do it. Couldn’t restrain his monster anymore, so he turned and plowed his fist through the wall. When he had calmed slightly, he turned back to Cade.
“We got the pigs in on this?” he asked as if he hadn’t just decorated the clubhouse’s walls with the blood from knuckles.
They walked toward the bar, moving into Church. “Yep, Bill and his deputies are over there now,” he answered, moving to a bottle of whisky and two glasses.
“They know it all?” Bull asked, pacing the room.
“As much as we do, which is fuck all,” Cade handed him the glass.
Bull took it. He had no other choice. He needed something to stop him from crawling out of his own skin.
“Know armed guys broke into Mia’s, shot Kill, tried to take Lexie. Got Mia,” Cade sat at the head of the table. Bull remained standing as he continued.
“They’re working through their databases, trying to find out who they really are, but Wire’s got more of a chance of getting there first. Got her pic up on missing persons, all that shit.” Cade paused. “You sure you want them in on this, brother?
“Fuckin’ sure,” Bull clipped.
“But…”
Bull narrowed his eyes at his friend. “When Gwen was taken, did you not want as many fuckin’ eyes as possible looking for her?” He didn’t wait for a response. “Went down the road of shutting out the law—you know how that went down, brother,” he finished, trying his best not to let his demons in, but it was no use. They were there. Taunting him, presenting him with images of a broken lifeless body. The same one he saw in his dreams. But this time the face changed. It was Mia’s beautiful face that was lifeless and battered. A soft knock at the door barely penetrated the cloud of rage threatening to overwhelm him.