turn an angry red.
“Except,” he continued softly. “. . . She’s an abomination, isn’t she?”
So he remembered everything that had happened to him.
She found her voice. “He didn’t kill you, even though you tried to kill him.”
“He should have. He’s a coward.”
“No, he isn’t. A coward is someone who tries to take a blind man down. A coward is someone who threatens a pregnant woman and her toddler.”
“My, my, being with an abomination has given you claws, little flower. I liked you better when you were on your knees, getting fucked by my cock. You begged me not to stop, remember? You liked everything I did to you.”
He seized her jaw.
Kitty began to cry again.
“Bad things, Mama,” she wailed.
“Yes, I did,” Karen shot back defiantly. She marveled at her own courage. “Until I didn’t like it anymore. Then I left you. Your pride was wounded. Wasn’t it, Zach? No woman had ever left you.”
She saw Zach flinch slightly. She knew she had hit home.
It didn’t give her joy.
“Well, it’s over between us. It was over a long time ago. But I don’t think you’re the type of man who would hunt me over several continents for petty revenge. You’re too smart for that.”
“You know me too well, as always, little flower. You are right. This is mostly a business trip, albeit one with a special prize in addition to my usual fee. You see, I always get my man, Karen, even if it takes me years.” He motioned to his men. “Take her to the green room. Show her every courtesy, until I tell you not to.”
She was terrified. Not for herself, but for her children. And Noah. Now they were confronted with the same issues they had run away from – no matter who else they tried to be.
Zach seemed to sense what she was thinking.
“You can never hide from yourself and what you did, little flower.” He paused. “I’ve found that out the hard way.”
THE RANSOM
The message came when Noah was asleep.
The message alert on his computer went ‘Ping!’
He opened his eyes to complete darkness. How long had he been asleep? Something felt . . . off.
He roused himself off the bed.
“Adeline?” he called. He always maintained their adopted names just in case other people were around.
He listened for the usual sounds around the house. There were none. Karen should have been home by now.
He had always been afraid of this day. And now his sixth sense told him that it was finally here. His skin felt as cold as the ice sliding down his soul.
And this is all happening because I can’t kill my brother.
Could he kill now to protect everyone he loved?
He tried to calm his shattered nerves as he moved to his computer at his desk. He always exercised perfect discipline when he wrote – it was always at the desk on his ergonomically supported chair, never in bed. He felt for the switch and turned on his Braille translator.
The message was very clear:
“Hello, Jonas.
Miss me, your big brother?”
Noah involuntarily clenched his fists. He straightened his shaking fingers again to read the rest of the translated message.
“You’re probably wondering by now where your wife and kid have gone off to. Don’t worry. They’re safe, for now. Good thing for your daughter she’s a girl, or I might have someone else to worry about. If you want your family to be left alone, meet me tonight. A car will be at your place to pick you up.
Your beloved brother,
Kyle.”
Noah sat back. The blood was cold in his veins. So it had come to this. To keep his family safe, he had to sacrifice himself.
His mind churned.
Suddenly, there was nothing more he wanted than to be alive. He wanted to hear Karen’s voice again, feel Kitty’s little fist curl around his thumb, touch the firm shoal of his wife’s pregnant abdomen and feel the gentle kick of the baby inside.
He furiously typed:
“How do I know you really have my wife and daughter?”
He waited.
Minutes
“Except,” he continued softly. “. . . She’s an abomination, isn’t she?”
So he remembered everything that had happened to him.
She found her voice. “He didn’t kill you, even though you tried to kill him.”
“He should have. He’s a coward.”
“No, he isn’t. A coward is someone who tries to take a blind man down. A coward is someone who threatens a pregnant woman and her toddler.”
“My, my, being with an abomination has given you claws, little flower. I liked you better when you were on your knees, getting fucked by my cock. You begged me not to stop, remember? You liked everything I did to you.”
He seized her jaw.
Kitty began to cry again.
“Bad things, Mama,” she wailed.
“Yes, I did,” Karen shot back defiantly. She marveled at her own courage. “Until I didn’t like it anymore. Then I left you. Your pride was wounded. Wasn’t it, Zach? No woman had ever left you.”
She saw Zach flinch slightly. She knew she had hit home.
It didn’t give her joy.
“Well, it’s over between us. It was over a long time ago. But I don’t think you’re the type of man who would hunt me over several continents for petty revenge. You’re too smart for that.”
“You know me too well, as always, little flower. You are right. This is mostly a business trip, albeit one with a special prize in addition to my usual fee. You see, I always get my man, Karen, even if it takes me years.” He motioned to his men. “Take her to the green room. Show her every courtesy, until I tell you not to.”
She was terrified. Not for herself, but for her children. And Noah. Now they were confronted with the same issues they had run away from – no matter who else they tried to be.
Zach seemed to sense what she was thinking.
“You can never hide from yourself and what you did, little flower.” He paused. “I’ve found that out the hard way.”
THE RANSOM
The message came when Noah was asleep.
The message alert on his computer went ‘Ping!’
He opened his eyes to complete darkness. How long had he been asleep? Something felt . . . off.
He roused himself off the bed.
“Adeline?” he called. He always maintained their adopted names just in case other people were around.
He listened for the usual sounds around the house. There were none. Karen should have been home by now.
He had always been afraid of this day. And now his sixth sense told him that it was finally here. His skin felt as cold as the ice sliding down his soul.
And this is all happening because I can’t kill my brother.
Could he kill now to protect everyone he loved?
He tried to calm his shattered nerves as he moved to his computer at his desk. He always exercised perfect discipline when he wrote – it was always at the desk on his ergonomically supported chair, never in bed. He felt for the switch and turned on his Braille translator.
The message was very clear:
“Hello, Jonas.
Miss me, your big brother?”
Noah involuntarily clenched his fists. He straightened his shaking fingers again to read the rest of the translated message.
“You’re probably wondering by now where your wife and kid have gone off to. Don’t worry. They’re safe, for now. Good thing for your daughter she’s a girl, or I might have someone else to worry about. If you want your family to be left alone, meet me tonight. A car will be at your place to pick you up.
Your beloved brother,
Kyle.”
Noah sat back. The blood was cold in his veins. So it had come to this. To keep his family safe, he had to sacrifice himself.
His mind churned.
Suddenly, there was nothing more he wanted than to be alive. He wanted to hear Karen’s voice again, feel Kitty’s little fist curl around his thumb, touch the firm shoal of his wife’s pregnant abdomen and feel the gentle kick of the baby inside.
He furiously typed:
“How do I know you really have my wife and daughter?”
He waited.
Minutes
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