Bad Decision: The Carter Brothers Page 12

  We order a couple of salads and some bottled water and as soon as it arrives, I find out just how hungry I am.

  Tracey laughs as she watches me devour the plate of food and raises her eyes. “You sure worked up an appetite last night.”

  I roll my eyes and grin. “I’m saying nothing.”

  She shakes her head and sighs. “I’m so jealous. You’re lucky to find someone like him. I wish Charlie looked at me the same way that Max looks at you.”

  I feel a warm feeling rocking my soul and say happily, “I do feel lucky and not just because of Max. I feel lucky because I found my family and I don’t mean just my father. You, Aunt Kim and Uncle Jimmy have given me hope. With you, I am part of a family again - my mom’s family, which I treasure above everything.”

  Just for a minute, we share a look. Tracey looks so sad and it reminds me of her own struggle. Reaching out, I touch her arm gently. “You know, your mom is doing well. She’s a fighter and with the help she’s getting will pull through.”

  She nods sadly. “I like to think so. I can’t imagine how you feel, Summer because I’m not sure I could cope as well as you. We rely so much on our parents being part of our lives until they grow old and nature eases their suffering. When they are taken so quickly and brutally it’s hard to make sense of it all. I hope my mum lives to see my wedding. I want her to be a proud grandmother and share in my own family. Who wouldn’t want that and yet there’s a slim chance she will be taken from me when she has so much to live for?”

  I nod. “Life sucks, doesn’t it?”

  She laughs softly. “Which is why we have to make the most of it while we can. You know, if Max is the one you want and quite honestly, I totally support you there, then go for it and worry about the consequences later. They may not be as bad as you fear and life soon settles down. I just want you to be happy and make sure that when you marry, I’m a bridesmaid because you know what happens then.”

  I stare at her with a puzzled look, and she laughs. “The bridesmaid always gets off with the best man. Obviously, that would be Charlie, so I’m just putting in my request early.”

  Rolling my eyes, we head toward the club giggling like schoolgirls. I suppose we were so wrapped up in our conversation we lowered our guard because before we even reached the doors, a van skids to a halt and two pairs of strong arms grab us from behind and toss us into the back of the van before slamming the doors and driving away.

  23

  Maxwell

  We head back to the club and I feel sick inside. That photograph is seared on my brain and I can’t stop thinking about Melissa. What those bastards did to her will drive my revenge. I’ll make sure they suffer because of it and the fact that Charlie and Joey are so quiet beside me proves they’re feeling the same.

  Joey’s phone doesn’t stop, but it’s just before we reach the club, I get a message of my own. It’s from a guy who does some work for me from time to time and there’s only one thing in the message. Christian’s address.

  Quickly, I tell the others and we revise our plans. We turn away from the Honey club and head across town to Battersea. The address is a smart apartment overlooking the River Thames and I feel the rage take over my reasoning as I weave in and out of the traffic to get there.

  It must take us forty minutes before we park in the visitor’s bay and head up to apartment 345. Getting past the entry system is easy. Picking a random number, I wait for the occupant to answer. “Hello.”

  “Um… hi, it’s TNT, we have a parcel for apartment 345. There’s no answer so we need to leave it by the door.”

  The sound of the buzzer indicates job done and we head inside.

  Joey and Charlie are silent as we head up in the lift. I hope with all my heart we find Melissa inside but by the looks of the room she was in she is long gone from here. We soon reach the apartment and spread out in front of the doorway. I knock sharply on the door and say in a loud voice, “Maintenance spot check, open up.”

  Then we wait. It just takes a couple of minutes for the door to open and then a matter of seconds for us to force our way inside.

  The guy looking at us with alarm is a good-looking guy who is well dressed and groomed to perfection. The perfect bait to reel in the ladies and I say roughly, “We’ve come for Melissa, you piece of shit.”

  At the sound of her name, he loses all the color in his face and looks around wildly for an escape. He stutters, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Joey starts searching the apartment as Charlie moves across and punches him squarely in the stomach. He then restrains him, holding his arms behind his back, forcing him to his knees. Grabbing hold of his hair, I yank it up and snarl, “Then you had better start thinking because the last person she was with, is you.”

  Joey returns, shaking his head, “Nothing.”

  The guy starts to shake and Joey says in a sinister voice. “Listen, son, you had better start talking.”

  He holds out the picture on his phone in front of Christian’s eyes and snarls, “Look what you bastards have done to her. Now, I’m going to ask you once and I expect an answer. Where is she and who’s holding her?”

  Christian’s eyes darken in terror and he pleads, “Please, they will kill me. I can’t tell you where they are because I don’t know.”

  Charlie squeezes his arms tighter, and he shrieks, “I promise I don’t know.”

  Reaching into my pocket, I pull out my trusty blade and hold it to his throat. “I think you do and every minute you waste my time I’m going to get bored and will enjoy slicing a different part off you as I wait.”

  Christian starts crying and Joey looks at him with disgust, saying to me, “Make him talk, Max, this is getting us nowhere.”

  I run my blade behind his left ear and he screams, “Stop, I’ll talk.”

  Leaving it in place, I say harshly, “Well?”

  He says in a whisper, “There’s a house in Wimbledon they use. 27 Bolton street. They take the girls there and train them.”

  I apply more pressure and relish the pain in his eyes as he feels the bite of the blade nick his earlobe. “Who takes them?”

  He shivers. “Florin Amadi and his gang. They pay me to recruit their workers. Every girl I send them earns me a large fee.”

  I look at him in disgust. “I should kill you for the fun of it. You’re the worst kind of scum.”

  Joey taps the address into his phone.

  “It’s only fifteen minutes away. We should get going.”

  Charlie whips out a plastic tie and secures Christian’s wrists behind his back. Then he rips the tie from Christian’s neck and gags him tightly. Leaning down, he takes his own knife from his boot and runs the blade down the right side of his cheek. The wound that opens up spills blood all over his expensive suit and his muffled screams make my heart sing. Repeating the move on the other cheek, Charlie sneers, “I’ve just put you out of business you little shit. The only thing you’ll attract now are the flies when they feed off your blood as you lie bleeding to death.”

  Kicking him hard in the groin, we watch as Christian passes out with the pain. Joey says in disgust. “Pure trash. I hope he rots in hell.”

  We don’t hang around and head straight for the car. As Joey makes the call we need, the only hope I have left is that Melissa is still alive.

  Summer

  The van is dark inside and Tracey says in a frightened voice, “What’s happening?”

  We are flung from side to side as the van takes sharp corners and it takes all my strength to stop myself from hitting the sides.

  “I don’t know.”

  “Do you think it has something to do with the Carters?”

  My heart sinks. “Yes, I’m guessing it does.”

  Tracey’s voice shakes. “Are we in danger, Summer?”

  I feel my chest tighten as I think back on the serious faces from last night. Something was happening and stupidly I was so wrapped up in my own desires, I didn’t question it.

/>   Quickly, I whisper, “Tracey do you have your phone?”

  I hear her fumbling around and then she whispers, “Yes.”

  The light from it illuminates the van and I see her frightened eyes staring at me with fear.

  She says in a trembling voice. “There’s no signal.”

  I smile reassuringly. “Text everyone you can think of and tell them we’ve been taken. Give them all the information you can and make sure it’s set on location. We may not have long but at least they may be able to trace us.”

  She curses as another sharp bend almost makes her drop the phone and I reach in my pocket for my own. I try to call Max but there’s still no signal, so I send a text in the hope the connection will cut in.

  Then everything changes as the van screeches to a halt and I look at Tracey in fear. We hear footsteps and the doors are flung open and two men jump inside and then everything turns black.

  I hear voices that I don’t recognize and taste blood on my lips. For a moment I forget what happened and then it all comes flooding back. I keep my eyes tightly shut and listen in the hope of finding out what’s going on before they know I’m awake.

  The voices sound foreign and I can’t make out from where. They sound urgent and there’s a strange smell in the room. I can feel I’m tied down because my ankles are tied and my arms spread. The voices move away and I hear a door click. Then there is silence, so I open one eye and see a stained ceiling above me from which hangs a single lightbulb.

  I look to the side and see Tracey out cold beside me. She is tied up in the same way and I’m relieved to see we are alone in the room.

  The air smells stale and the stains on the walls tell of a place left to ruin. I try to stay calm and test the ropes that bind me. They cut into my skin but there is some slack on the rope. A soft groan indicates Tracey’s awake and before she can speak, I whisper, “Listen to me. Don’t say a word, you need to stay calm. If someone comes, pretend to be asleep and don’t react to anything. Do you hear me, Tracey?”

  She whispers, “Yes. What’s going on?”

  “I don’t know but I need to work out a way to untie myself.”

  For a few minutes, I concentrate on the ropes that bind me. Reaching down, I can feel a sharp edge to the bed and try to wiggle so the rope reaches it. Gently, I saw away until one of the ropes breaks. It takes all my effort but I persevere. All the time my heart is thumping because I know we are in trouble. Whatever’s happening here won’t end well and my heart beats wildly as I picture our fate if I don’t at least try to fight back.

  My wrists are weak but I don’t give in. I think I’m almost there when I hear footsteps approaching. Grabbing the rope tightly, I close my eyes and make as if I’m asleep, praying that Tracey does the same.

  The door flies open and I hear someone approach the bed. A hand touches my cheek and I stay as still as I can. They lean down and I smell their breath, which is surprisingly fresh in contrast to the stench in the room.

  A voice whispers, “Wake up, Sleeping Beauty.”

  His lips touch my cheek and I recoil involuntarily which makes him laugh.

  “I knew you were faking it, beauty. Now, look at me.”

  I open my eyes and see the face of my captor. He looks of European origin with olive skin and dark Latin eyes. His hair is shaved close and there’s a scar over his right eye. His lips are cruel and he says harshly, “Perfect. Just what I need to get my revenge.”

  He calls to someone over his shoulder and says roughly, “Take her picture and then the other one.”

  He moves out of the way as another man appears with a phone and snaps away before punching in something and then saying in a hard voice, “It’s gone.”

  The first man appears beside me again and laughs darkly, “You may be wondering why you’re here. You must forgive our behavior but we need to send a message to your boyfriend.”

  My heart starts thumping as he leans closer and snarls, “He interfered with our business and now he will see what happens when he does. He killed four of my men and brought trouble to our door. He cost me money and now he will repay me in kind. You see, I want him to see what happens when someone he cares for suffers at his hand. He will think again before he interferes in my business and will spend the rest of his life regretting his actions. You and your friend over there are our revenge. I thought the other girl was the one closest to him but I had word he’s moved on to a prettier option. Max Carter will learn what it’s like to mess with me and you will pay the price. Then he’ll spend the rest of his miserable life dealing with the guilt.”

  He looks up and nods to the man by the door. “Are they here?”

  The man shakes his head. “They got held up. Should be here within the hour.”

  The man stands and moves toward the door. “Enjoy your last hour, ladies because I’ve arranged a little party for you. By the time the party’s over, it’s doubtful if you’ll remember your own names, if you survive, that is.”

  The door slams shut behind him and I hear Tracey whimper beside me. “Summer, I’m so frightened.”

  I say grimly, “We don’t have long. Do whatever you can to loosen the ropes and I’ll do the same. It may hurt but that will be nothing to what they’ve got planned. If I can only get free, then we stand a chance.”

  As I set to work, it’s with a strong determination. I won’t go down without a fight and would rather die trying than let those creeps get their twisted revenge.

  24

  Maxwell

  We leave Battersea and head toward Wimbledon. For once we are silent. All I can think of is Melissa and just hope we find her before it’s too late.

  Joey’s phone rings constantly and I hear him issuing orders and harden my heart accordingly.

  We hit traffic and Charlie curses. “Bloody A3. They should sort this road out. It’s always like this. How are we supposed to get anywhere when the traffic doesn’t move?”

  My phone buzzes and what I see changes everything.

  “What the fuck!”

  The photo on my phone sickens me to my stomach and I fight to breathe. Summer is tied up much the same way as Melissa although she is still dressed and appears intact. Her eyes are frightened though and my heart twists with fear. The second photo is of Tracey and the caption reads, “Revenge is sweet.”

  Handing the phone to Joey, I can only imagine what he’s going through as he looks at the screen. He shouts angrily, “What the hell, how has this happened?”

  Charlie looks at him sharply, “What?”

  Joey holds up the phone and Charlie pales and I watch his knuckles tense on the steering wheel. Then Joey speaks in the voice he reserves for his worst enemies. It’s cold, it’s hard and it’s deadly. My heart thumps as he makes the call I know costs him the most. It’s the one he swore never to make and goes against everything he believes in – until now.

  The journey we take is now a different one. I spend the rest of it focusing on the business in hand. I need to step up and take control because Summer and Tracey’s lives depend on it. Every phone call I make seems wrong. It pains me to make it and the words taste rancid on my tongue. The traffic starts to move and my heart races faster as we near our destination.

  I hear them coming as we turn off the A3. My heart starts pounding as they flash past us in a haze of blue. The sirens scream along with the voices in my head, telling me we did the right thing. But I feel cheated. I feel sick to my stomach that I don’t get to kill them with my bare hands because I have murder in mind.

  Charlie bangs his fist on the steering wheel and says angrily, “This is a fucked-up situation.”

  Joey’s voice is cold as we park across the road and watch the cops storm the address in Bolton Street. “They won’t get away with it.”

  The engine is silenced and we hear more sirens approaching. We slam the car door as we make our way toward the scene as close as we are able to go. Joey’s phone rings and he listens with a hard look on his face. He cuts the call and says i
n an emotionless voice, “They’ve hit the supermarket and the other addresses on the list.”

  I say roughly, “Where is she?”

  Joey’s voice is thick and filled with emotion, “They found her at another address. She’s on her way to Saint Georges. We need to get there fast.”

  My heart pounds as I see the scene unfold around me. Cops shouting, pulling cuffed men from the run-down house on a suburban street. More cops pouring inside and helping vulnerable young girls from the house, wrapped in blankets. The sound of Ambulances scream toward us and we turn away. It almost feels like slow motion as we head back to the car and join the traffic to make the short drive to the hospital. I’m not sure I’m prepared for what we might find.

  Summer

  I know we don’t have long. Whatever this is, it’s bad and if we are to stand any chance of making it out of here alive, I need to get a grip. I work fast and furiously and hear Tracey trying to do the same. It’s agonizing and my heart beats so fast I’m working on adrenalin.

  The rope cuts my skin but I ignore the pain. Blood mingles with rope fiber but I work because my life depends on it.

  Finally, with one hard tug, one hand is free and enables me to start on the next one. As soon as the other hand’s free, I furiously work on my legs. Tracey has also managed to free one hand and the sound of her sobs fuels my energy. I whisper, “It’s ok. We stand a good chance if we can just free ourselves.”

  I’m not sure how long we work for but I know we need every minute we’ve got. The blood drips from my wrists and ankles but I numb my mind to it.

  By the time I’m free, I try to stand on shaky legs. Rushing over to Tracey, I help her and it takes but a few minutes to free her from her prison.

  I look around me for anything that will aid our escape but the room is bare and just contains the stained beds with little else. Quickly, I jump up on the bed and reach for the light bulb that’s swinging above us. It burns my hands but I push the pain aside.