Page 41 of Sinful Lies
Thomas Hayes clears his throat. “I hope you came alone like I asked.”
“I did.”
He cocks his head, “So my son’s not hiding in the shadows to save his precious love?”
“No. It’s just me. So why don’t we get this over with. Where’s Jules?”
“Inside. Shall we take this in there or is there a reason to stay out here?”
I’d feel safer if Reed was here to back me up, but I made my choice. I step towards Thomas as he opens the door and motions for me to enter before him. The door slams shut behind us and I jump at the loud sound. There’s no air conditioning and the metal roof only makes it hotter inside. A window’s cracked open high above the dingy space, but the air is stifling. Stacks of boxes and empty crates fill the far end of the warehouse, other than that, there’s not much in here.
The fluorescent lights hanging from the raised ceiling flicks on and off with an irritating buzz. A muffled cry draws my attention to the center of the warehouse floor. Tears fill my eyes at the sight of Jules bound to a chair and gagged. She’s scared out of her mind, but other than emotionally, she doesn’t appear to be harmed. That’s a good thing.
“You said if I came, she could have her life back. So let her go. She doesn’t need to be here for this.”
“What exactly do you think this is, darling?”
“Beats me, but I know Reed will never forgive you for this.” He shoots a menacing glance in my direction as I rush to untie Jules.
“I don’t want his forgiveness. I want his pain.”
The cold grip of the gun lodged in my waistband presses against my back when I squat down to untie her legs. Discreetly, I try to lower the back of my shirt over it, but I’m not quick enough. As I yank the last knot free, Thomas presses a gun to my skull and discards my only means of defense. The Beretta skids across the floor.
I order Jules to “Run.”
Raising my hands in the air, I slowly turn around to face Thomas. “This is between you and me. Let her go.”
I might die here, but I’ll be dammed if the kid has to watch. I hear small footsteps hit the concrete behind me and breathe a sigh of relief.
“Why are you doing this? Reed is your son. Why would you do this to him?”
“That’s where you’re wrong, darling. He’s not my son.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Victoria Hayes was a whore. She had an affair. Nine months later Reed was born.”
I can’t believe what I’m hearing. Unfaithful or not, Mrs. Hayes was a beautiful woman and didn’t deserve this kind of blatant animosity. She always had a smile on her face and a kind word for everyone. I remember wishing my mother were half as tender as Reed’s. All these years, Reed was stuck with a father who hated him and couldn’t fathom why. If I die tonight, he’ll never know the truth.
“What does any of this have to do with me? Why am I here?”
His lips turn down in a sneer. “You’re here because Ben fucked up. I hired him ten years ago to kill Reed. Imagine my surprise when my late son strolled into the fundraiser with that motorcycle club of his. You can thank Ben, Reed and the Krymson Destroyers for the price tag on your pussy.”
I want to crawl into myself and hide as his eyes scan up and down my body. “You’re the boss those men were talking about, not Ben.”
Thomas laughs, “You always were a smart one.”
He runs his hand down my arm and I have to fight the vomit clawing its way up my throat. I recoil from his touch, swallow hard and stand my ground, “I hate to break it to you, asshole, but I’m not Ben’s to sell.”
I cross my arm in front of my chest and swipe upward and away, knocking the gun out of his hand. Knowing full well there’s nowhere for me to run, I spin on my heels and lunge toward the gun. The weight of two hands collides with my back and I tumble forward. My fingertips grazing an edge of the gun seconds before my head smacks against the concrete floor. White light clouds my vision at the same time gunshots fill my ears. I brace myself for the burn of the bullet, but it doesn’t come.
I don’t know how much time has passed when the cloud clears, and my sight returns. Blinking the room back into focus, I see Thomas laying in a pool of blood. I reach for the gun at my fingertips only to find empty casings and no Beretta. Pulling myself to my feet, I look around for the shooter. Did Reed save me again?
I find the warehouse empty. Certainly, if it were Reed, I wouldn’t still be laying on the floor. This was someone else. My heart thuds against my chest. My head is pounding like a steel drum and my body feels like lead, but I stagger to the door. I hope Jules had enough time to get far away from here.
Time moves in slow motion as I stumble down the dock past the warehouses and then the office. My hands shake and my stomach lurches, but I turn over the car engine and speed out of the lot.
The road is dark and empty. Even the sky is empty. Thick clouds black out the stars. The only light is a small sliver of moon looming from behind them. I take the first bend, leading me away from the docks. The thin white lines dotting the median disappear under the car as I guide it down the road, trying to put as much distance between myself and the docks as possible before I dare pull over. Headlights glare through the rear window, momentarily blinding me. I press harder on the gas pedal until the bright lights lessen their intensity. My hands won’t stop trembling, so I wrap them tighter around the steering wheel. The need to put a few more miles under my tires keeps me on the road instead of calling Tank for help. The headlights creep up on me again and I glance in the rearview mirror, watching the vehicle behind me pick up speed. I change lanes and the needle on my dashboard rises as my speed increases. I catch the lights in my rearview mirror as the vehicle behind me closes in again. I yank the steering wheel into a sharp right turn, pushing seventy miles an hour. My car skids across the narrow road. The tires squealing in protest as I spin out. Images of my past and an uncertain future kaleidoscope through my mind as my car fishtails off into the darkness.
