Death of Cupids (The Blood of Cupids MC) Read online

  Time didn’t move. The mumbling came and went and came and went. But it didn’t come again. It stayed gone.

  “Finally.” That voice. The voice that haunted me since childhood was once again standing over me.

  I felt light. Does that make sense? If it does, then someone turned a light on; I could feel it on my skin. Why weren’t my arms covered? Was I cold?

  “So they’re gone?”

  Anne Marie Carter was talking. Was she bound? Why wasn’t she gagged?

  “Where are we?” A young voice called. Was that Joseph? It sounded familiar, and yet distant.

  “We are currently in the basement of the clubhouse for the Blood of Cupids Motorcycle Club.”

  I knew we were in a basement, but how were we here? The Cupids would never let Sean into the club after what he did.

  “You see, after Gracie’s daddy blew up the original clubhouse, I had this secret basement added to the plans for the newer model. Only me and the contractor knew, and sadly, he’s now passed on to a better place.”

  “Sean, you didn’t.” Anne Marie warned.

  “How dare you think that of me, Annie. People get in accidents all the time.”

  Annie? And what of the contractor? Had he really staged an accident for the only other person who knew of his secret hideout?

  I moaned as loudly as I could. I needed to know what was happening. I needed to see what was surrounding me.

  “Oh look, Gracie’s awake.”

  I felt my face lift off the floor and my back sat up against a wall. I felt his breath on my face and his hands at my temples as he lifted the blindfold from my eyes.

  The room was bigger than I thought it would be, only lit by a small standing lamp in the corner of the room. There was a couch and a desk, but otherwise, the room was bare. As I had thought, the floor was dirt. It really was more of a high ceilinged crawl space than a basement.

  He pulled the gag from my mouth. “Can you talk, Gracie?”

  I tried to say words. I have no idea if words came out, but I did try. Sean was laughing at me.

  Anne Marie, Joseph, and Sarah were all sitting on the couch staring at me. They were sitting, unbound on the couch. Why was I the only one tied up?

  “Gracie? Gracie?” He was snapping in my face. “Focus your attention here. Now I know things might seem confusing right now, but I had to drug you. Hey, hey, look at me. I needed you to be quiet, and I knew I wouldn’t be able to keep you quiet just by threatening you. It was just a bit of that fun Rohypnol stuff the kids are playing with these days, but it worked quite nicely.”

  He drugged me. Right. I remembered the tea and then not being able move.

  “Now you should know there’s a slight chance of miscarriage, but,” he cackled, “you gotta do what you gotta fucking do, right?”

  I saw Anne Marie stand. “Miscarriage? Is she pregnant? Sean,” she came up behind him, “Sean, you didn’t tell me she was pregnant.”

  “Shut it, Annie.”

  He didn’t tell her I was pregnant? But why would she have expected to know that? Why was she speaking so casually to him? What was I missing? Why couldn’t I talk? Why couldn’t I demand to know what was happening?

  Sean knelt in front of me, taking my hands in his. “Well isn’t this pretty?” He rolled my ring between his fingers. “Ryan decided to make an honest woman out of you, huh? You two really thought you were finished with me, didn’t you? That’s kind of adorable, and kind of depressing. I really thought you would miss me, Gracie.”

  He brushed the back of his hand against my face. “You really are a beauty, Gracie,” he whispered into my ear before he lifted me off of the ground. My body went limp in his arms.

  “Anne Marie, take the kids home.”

  “Sean…”

  He cut her off. “Do as I fucking say, woman.”

  Anne Marie shook her head and corralled her children, pushing them toward the other side of the room. Sarah broke free and ran back to Sean. She was close enough that I could see the water forming in her eyes. “What are you going to do to her?”

  “That’s none of your concern, Sarah.”

  “I just don’t think…”

  “Exactly, you don’t think. Now get the fuck out of here.”

  After a sharp intake of breath, Sarah turned around and made her way to her mother and brother. Before they disappeared, she whipped her head around quickly. “I don’t think she’s as bad as you say she is, Dad.”

  They were gone.

  Dad. Sean was their father. I should’ve known. Although the world around me was unfocused, this one fact was clear. They were never taken hostage. This whole thing was a set up, and Ryan’s mother was in on it from the very beginning.

  Ryan and I had fallen for their trick, just as Sean had expected we would. His mother had played such a believable role. Especially with my hatred toward her, I can’t believe I didn’t see through the bullshit.

  “It’s just you and me, Gracie.” Sean teased as he lowered me to the couch. “Try to fight me.” I tried to swing my arms but they wouldn’t move. I moaned, in disgust, pain, and fear. I tried to swing again, but I could barely rotate my shoulder. I was helpless.

  His lips spread, and his eyes twinkled. “Perfect.”

  To our child,

  My thoughts keep turning to you as I wait for the sun to set and the moon to rise. I can’t stop thinking of how terribly I messed up. I let your mother out of my sight, and now both you and her are in danger. Since I found out about you, I’ve been wondering if I’ll be a good father. Circumstances like this only place more doubt into my mind. Would a good father allow his pregnant wife to walk into a situation that might prove to be a trap? Was I that unfocused that I didn’t see it coming?

  And what of you? Are you safe? Is whatever stress your mother is under harming you?

  Your mother is my life. Before her, I didn’t know my right from my left, my eye from my mouth, or my head from my heart. She is the most spectacular person I have ever met. That all being said, there are a few things you should know about her. I want to make sure you’re aware of them, just in case...

  Don’t let her fool you; she’s the most loving person you’ll ever encounter. I wanted to start with that, so you would know that everything she does only stems from the love inside of her. Okay, so here’s the rest. You don’t want to fight her; she’ll win. Not only does she keep fighting until she wins, but she’s always right, so it’s not worth the fight in the first place. She’s a protector. While in her care, you will be safe, you will never worry, and you will never want. Remember that, because sometimes the price you pay for that protection seems extreme. Sometimes you’ll want to take on those battles yourself. But she’s watching. She’ll save you. And the most important: your mother is strong, but it is possible to break her. Please, whatever you do, don’t try it. It’s heartbreaking to watch her collapse. Once those pieces come down, they can’t be put back up.

  The sun has now set and the moon is approaching its height. I’m going to find your mother. I’m going to find you. I’m going to make this right.

  Today, tomorrow, and past the light,

  Your father

  Ryan

  I slipped my letter behind the one Grace had written, and zipped up her bag. I don’t know what I was looking for, or if I was just tearing through her bags trying to keep myself occupied, but I found the letter she had written and couldn’t put it down. I thought it might be comforting to write my own.

  It was.

  I rubbed my eyes, feeling the dampness of the tears that were starting to dry up. I then moved back to the dining room table, next to Grace’s signature in the dust, and picked up the message that was left for me to find upon my return home.

  Ryan,

  You missed something at the clubhouse; I’m going to need you to come back. But not yet, you eager beaver. If you step foot on that property before 10:00 p.m., I will kill her on the spot. I’m sure you know I’m not joking about that by now. A
nd, the great thing is that if I kill her now, I’m killing two birds with one stone. Your wife and child are at my mercy. I couldn’t have planned this better if I had tried!

  See you soon, but not too soon,

  ~S

  It was 9:45. I was ready to go find my wife.

  I pulled into the club parking lot at 10:01. It was quiet, not a single bike was left in the lot. It would just be Sean and me in this fight; exactly how I wanted it. I stepped out of the car and pulled out the 9mm Rocky had loaned to me.

  “Put it away, kid.”

  I swung around, the barrel of my gun landing only inches from Sean’s face.

  “Believe me, if you shoot me now, you’ll never find her.”

  I couldn’t take that chance. I lowered the gun to my side, but he held out his hand. “Come on, Ryan, just give it to me now.”

  “And if I don’t?”

  “Did you miss the part about me being the only one who can lead you to your fucking princess? God, when did you kids stop listening?”

  I dropped my gun to the ground and kicked it across the parking lot. I didn’t want to hand it to him; I couldn’t risk the possibility that he would turn it around and shoot me. Then, no one would be able to find her.

  “Okay, I can handle that.”

  “Now take me to Grace.”

  “Cool your jets.” He laughed.

  “Where the fuck is she, Sean?” I wasn’t playing around. I needed to know she was safe. I needed to hold her.

  “Would you like to ask me why I’m doing all of this?”

  “I don’t give a rat’s ass.”

  “Well that’s heartless. I’m still your uncle. You’re supposed to love me, even if I am a little messed up.”

  “I’ll remember that.”

  Why was he stalling? What was he doing? Why wouldn’t he just tell me where my wife was being held?

  “You see, Ryan, I have a proposition for you.”

  “I don’t care.” My answer was clipped.

  “But you don’t even know the proposal. I’m willing to let Grace walk free, don’t you want that?”

  My face softened. “More than anything.”

  “Great, you do what I want you to do, and I’ll let her go.”

  “Fine. What do you want me to do?”

  “Well, see there you go jumping into things. You can’t just offer to do it. You don’t even know what I’m going to ask.”

  “If it means Grace will be safe…”

  “I want you.”

  I stopped talking. What did he want me for? He hated me. He’d been torturing me for years: first emotionally, and then more recently, physically.

  “See, Ryan, the problem is that when I started my little quest to ruin Grace’s life, I didn’t realize how much trouble I would put myself in. You have to see it from my perspective. Her mother was the bane of my existence. God, your father never shut up about her. Emily this and Emily that. Could we find her? Did I think she would leave her fiancé for him? Then, did I think she would leave her husband for him? I mean, it’s enough to drive anyone insane. But the thing is, I killed her too quickly. Isn’t that always the case? I didn’t get closure. So, as you could imagine, when I saw Grace, I felt like I got my second chance. I’ve been having a blast fucking with her. And, now I don’t mean to pat myself on the back, she’s way more fun like this, don’t you think?” He paused, waiting for the reaction I refused to give him. “Come on, when you first met her, she was kind of lame. Now, she’s a fighter. She’s interesting. If you ask me, you owe me a big ‘thank you’.”

  He took a good five seconds right there to laugh. His monologue was pouring out beautifully; he was proud of himself.

  I just wanted to punch him across the face, but I had to restrain myself. He had Grace; I couldn’t do anything stupid.

  “But, and here comes the part where I need your help, fucking you two up didn’t really sit right with either family. The Cupids tried to kill me with a hand grenade, that was fun, and once the Shadows found out what I did to Grace, they strung me up and beat me senseless, before hanging me out in a cornfield for three days. I’m sure they would’ve killed me had my little buddy, Danny, not found me first. That one, he’s not a quitter; he just keeps coming back to me.”

  “Get on with it Sean.” My patience was waning.

  “I want my own club.”

  “What?”

  “You heard me, don’t play dumb. My dream has always been to be president of an outlaw MC. I was supposed to be president of the Cupids. That’s what I was promised. Your father took that from me. And then, just when I thought I had finally paid my dues, he offered you the VP spot instead of me. That’s when I realized I needed to find my own way. This is me doing just that, Ryan. So, I want my own club.”

  “So start your own fucking MC.”

  “Mmm, trickier than you’d think. No one seems to want to willingly join me.”

  “Surprise.”

  “So,” he walked over and slapped my back, “you’re going to recruit. There’s this thing about you, the same thing your Pops had, where people just seem to like you. I can’t figure it out myself, but I don’t ask questions. That’s why you’re going to do the work I need to get done. You’re going to train the newbies, and then you’re going to stay on as my vice president, or as I’d like to call it, my bitch.”

  “What the hell makes you think that I would stay on under you?”

  “And that’s where Grace comes in. You do that for me; I’ll let her go free. I’ll leave her alone forever, or at least as long as your allegiance lasts. You have my word on that. The catch, of course, is that you don’t get to follow her. Ever. You’ll be indebted to me. So, what do you think?”

  What did I think? It fucking sucked, that’s what I thought. Grace and our baby would finally be granted the freedom they deserve. I would just never see them again. Could I handle that? Would it be for the good of the baby? Is that something a good father would do? But would I be able to live the rest of my life without Grace, knowing that she was out there without me? Would she be safe? Would our child be safe?

  “You know what, Ryan? I see your face twitching in all these directions. Why don’t I let you spend the night with Grace, and you can tell me your answer in the morning?”

  He was offering to take me to Grace. It was the best deal I could hope to get. I nodded and followed. I just had no idea to where I was following him.

  We walked back to the ring where I had had so many matches in the past. Beneath the stage was a small latch, which he lifted, twisted, and pulled. We climbed down the dark staircase, and I followed him down the shadowy hallway.

  We came upon a thick metal door, and he pulled a set of keys out of his pocket. There were four locks holding the door closed, each with its own key. He was making it obvious to me that there was no way out of his prison. I didn’t care. I was about to see Grace, ensure that she was okay, and then we’d have the night to make this decision together. Together: the way we had promised each other we’d make decisions, especially of this magnitude.

  “Grace?” I walked into the freezing, dimly lit room. “Sean, where the hell is she?”

  Was this another trap? Was he just luring me down into his dungeon the only way he knew how?

  He motioned to the couch, which was sitting in the middle of the room, facing the opposite wall. “She’s on the couch. Oh, and I should warn you, she’ll be like this for another hour or so. Try to have some fun with her. I sure did.”

  I turned back to him, but all I saw was a slight wink as he slammed and then locked the door behind him.

  Grace

  “Grace? Grace? Baby, can you hear me?”

  I could, though it sounded like he was talking in water. I saw his hand on my arm, but I wasn’t sure if I could feel it. Nothing seemed real. I was looking at Ryan, but I wasn’t convinced he was there. He took off his jacket and sat it on top of me. Then he disappeared.

  It could have been seconds, minutes, or h
ours, but he came back with a blanket. I watched intently as he pulled off his sweater, then his undershirt. He quickly unbuckled his belt, tugged on his zipper, and then slid his jeans down his legs. What was he doing?

  I felt my body lift off the couch. “Grace, can you try to hold on to me?” He sounded really upset. I could tell his voice was strained, even if it did seem oddly hazy. I thought about grasping my hands around his neck, and they might have even moved a hair, but my strength was spent. Even thinking of moving was tiring me out.

  “It’s okay, Grace. Don’t worry about it. I have you now.”

  He tossed me over his shoulder, wrapping his one arm around my thighs. With the other hand, he laid out the comforter on the couch. He then quickly lowered me back onto the now spread out blanket, bringing the bottom up to cover my feet. He was moving so fast. Or was he moving slowly? Was he moving at all? Or was this all in my head?

  I felt him crawl in next to me. I felt him! I could feel his body against mine. It was such a relief. If I had the ability to feel excitement in that moment, I was sure I would’ve smiled. Maybe I did smile? He wrapped the blanket around us, forming some sort of cocoon. His arms wrapped around my torso, and I felt his warm skin burn mine. Was I cold?