Chapter 17

CHAPTER 17

Autumn

The ride to wherever these men were taking me seems to take forever. There's nothing else I can do but hold out and brace for each bump they go over, which they didn't try to deter from the potholes. Considering I couldn't see, I didn't know which way was north or south, so tracking the turns didn't help me either.

By the time the car slams to a stop, I've all but been battered from rolling around. The trunk lid pops open, and I raise a hand to block out the sun to help prevent it from blinding me.

"Get out," one of the two men, this one must have been the driver, commands.

I do as I'm told, and the passenger guy grabs hold of my arm. Neither man attempts to shield their faces from me nor their displeasure in having to run the errand of picking me up for their boss, whoever he may be.

With both men on either side of me, they escort me into a building, a warehouse of some sort. It looks similar to the peanut factor in town, but this one is older. There are fields on either side and a train track behind it. Honestly, it looks like it's straight out of a horror movie, where you just know a man with a chainsaw is coming after you, yet you still run headlong into the building in hopes of hiding from him.

Unfortunately for me, I'm not going in to hide. It's me going in to save Lila. Or I hope I'll be saving her.

I'm taken farther inside until I'm brought into a wide area that has boxes scattered around. At the farthest side, I see Lila, her head is cocked, lude to the side, eyes closed.

"Lila," I whisper.

"I see you were good to your word."

I twist around, recognizing the voice, my eyes widening. "Tony?" I murmur and stare at him with wide eyes.

"That would be me." He grins and nods to the two men on either side of me. "Go ahead and take Lila out of here," he commands. "Drop her off at school." Tony's gaze comes to me, and he takes a step forward. "I told you I'd keep my word."

"Why are you doing this?" I ask, blinking and staring at him. Out of the corners of my eyes, I see the men and make sure they don't hurt Lila.

"Because I can?" Tony smirks and moves toward me. "Now, long as you be good, no harm will come to sweet little Lila," he says curling a hand around my neck and pulling me the rest of the way into him. I press my hands against his chest to keep some sort of distance between us, but it's a moot point when his free hand curls around my waist. "I've missed the fuck out of you, baby."

There's no way to stop the kiss he plants on my lips. I want to. God knows I do, but his grip is too tight. Rib breaking tight.

When he lifts his head, he lets me go, only to take my hand. "Time to go," he announces, lifts two fingers to his mouth and whistles. "Let's roll out."

Can you be any more cliché? I mean, Optimist Prime does it way better.

"Where we headin'?"

I twist just enough to see the man talking to find it's one of those who'd been with him at Striker's. I just don't remember his name.

"Back to base," Tony answers. "I've got meetings later regarding a few matters, and I'd like to be able to handle them in person rather than over the phone. Autumn will be going with me. It's time the partners meet the woman who will soon be my wife. "

Wife?

Oh my God.

"That wise?" The other guy, who I also couldn't think of his name, asks. "You know, the moment Striker finds out she's missing, he's gonna be looking for her."

"Don't you worry about him," Tony remarks, not seeming in the least bit worried. "One, he's not going to know who took her. Those idiots won't say shit, or if they do, they don't know enough to tell as it is. Why do you think we had them bring her out here rather than the office?"

"And his sister?" the first guy asks.

"She's drugged up and out of it. She won't remember," Tony says like it's no big deal.

"Are you the ones behind my first kidnapping?" I feel dumb asking. A part of me doesn't want to believe it to be true, but deep down, I know he is.

"Smart, baby." Tony chuckles and brings me to his side. "Let's go. I'll explain things on the way."

"On the way where?" I whisper.

"To the house I had built for the two of us. It's where we have our base located," he explains, putting me in the backseat of a Hummer. It wasn't like the typical Hummers you see on the road. I mean, it looked similar but with quite a few upgrades—ones I find astonishing .

"Buckle in, baby," he orders, sliding into the seat next to me. While the other two climb in the front.

I remain silent and wish this to be all a dream. Why didn't I think to do things differently? What is going on in Tony's head for him to think this was all okay?

"You're going to love the house, Autumn," Tony says, breaking through my thoughts. "I originally built it with the thoughts you'd want Avery close. But Rick had to go and fuck that all up."

"What do you mean Rick fucked it all up? You knew who he was?" I demand, interrupting him.

"I knew him. He was a guy I'd been in the military with. Different divisions. He got dishonorably discharged and needed a purpose. I gave him a job and told him while doing that job to look out for your sister. He took it a bit further and got involved with Avery." Tony shakes, his lip curling slightly in disgust. "His job was to look out for her. I intended for her to be with someone else." He shrugs and reaches out to stroke my cheek. "The job I carry isn't easy, and it can be dangerous, but I knew you'd be happy so long as you and Avery were together."

"Avery's gone," I murmur. That ache in my heart where she's concerned doesn't hurt like it normally would when I acknowledge it.

"That she is, baby, and I'm sorry that she was killed. More so that she was killed in front of you," Tony remarks, leans in, and kisses me. The way he curls a hand around the side of me and squeezes keeps me from pulling away. "But you're not. You're mine. You always have been, and I won't let anyone take you from me. When you'd been taken the first time, the idiots didn't listen to orders when they captured you and put you in with the others. You were meant to come to me. I planned to come for you. Only my plans were interrupted by those involved in the Devil's Riot MC."

"So, you left me alone after that and didn't come after me, why?" I find myself asking, though I should've kept my mouth shut.

"I knew they'd be watching over you. I needed to keep a low profile where they were concerned. I have plans regarding them, but I have to take things just right to draw them in," he explains, letting go of my neck and straightening. "When we get to the house, I'll show you to our room. You'll stay in there while I handle business. Afterward, I'll show you the rest of the place. We'll have dinner, and then I'll take you back to our room, and I'll show you why we're perfect together."

I don't want him showing me anything. I swallow back the bile at the very thought. But the price I paid for nothing happening to Lila is high. It's also one I'm paying to keep her safe.