Chapter Seventy: Won't Let Go

Jon checked his watch, Devon should be here any minute as they needed to get going to Teterboro. He looked up when Josh walked in.

“Great day for the elevators to be broken huh?”

Jon frowned. “Yeah really great, where is Devon? We gotta get going.”

Josh looked up as he picked up one of the bags by the door. “She’s not up here? She went up about five minutes before me."

Jon swallowed. “Devon!” He called as he stepped onto the step that led upstairs. He popped his knuckle and headed back to the front door. His heart rate quickened. “She was inside the building.”

Josh headed back out. “I’ll check downstairs.”

Jon nodded and fiddled in his pocket as Josh left for his phone. He hit Devon’s number and it went straight to voicemail. He tapped her a quick text in case she was out of coverage. Stupid fucking city bandwidth. He glanced out to the city, he was anxious to get them on that plane and to safety.

His phone buzzed and he grinned as Devon’s number came up. “Hey baby. Where are you?”

The laugh made his knees buckle. “Baby can’t come to the phone right now.”

His heart slammed into his throat. “Where is she?” He spluttered as he gripped the side of the door. Anything but this, god--anything but this.

“She’s taking a wee nap right now. If you’re lucky she’ll wake up. You better start clearing out the coffers rock star, or your girlfriend dies.”

CLICK.

“Fuck, oh fuck!” he gasped for air and begged his legs to move. He had her--the son of bitch had her. How did he get into the building? What did he want? Would he let her go if he actually paid him any money, alive?

Jon made it one floor before he sank against the bannister and heaved. He couldn’t breathe. God. Anything but her. He crouched and coughed as the bile burned its way up his throat.

“Jon?” Josh asked.

Jon looked up as Josh ran up the stairs. “He’s got Devon. He just called me.” He puffed.

“Shit.” Josh hauled Jon up off the floor and supported him back up the stairs to his apartment. Black and white splotches blended into colour as he sank down on the couch and put his head into his hands.

“Not, Devon.”

“Call her father.” Jon demanded as Josh started to dial.

“Just sit tight, I’ll call her father and the police.”

Jon laid back and covered his eyes as he got his breathing under control. He had to stay. His hands balled into fists. All the power in the world, and here he was useless. He’d played by the rules for so long. No one had ever touched him before like this.

What did he mean by asleep? Was she knocked unconscious in the struggle? His heart twisted. She must be terrified. This was her safe place. How the hell did he get into the stairwell?

Fuck.

He stood up and swung his liquor cabinet open and poured two fingers of scotch.

Josh popped his head in. “Richard is on his way over.”

Jon nodded and threw the whole glass back into his mouth. He winced as the liquid burned his throat. “Good.”

“Jon don’t you think you should-”

Jon poured himself another scotch. “I think you should shut the fuck up. She went missing on your watch.” It wasn’t Josh’s fault. Josh was excellent at what he did and he was trained to deal with over-enthusiastic woman that wanted a piece of his cock, not psychopath boyfriends that outwitted every move they made.

Josh nodded and left him alone again. He scrolled through every last contact in his iPhone as he paced up and down the room and then laughed. Who the hell could he call? There was no one in his world that would even understand this. He sank onto the couch defeated with his drink.

The clock ticked around thirty painful minutes and each minute that passed his gut grew more restless. Jon sighed and lifted the glass up again and swirled the liquid around. “Fuck.” He smashed the glass against the wall, and whiskey ran down like blood.

“Throwing glasses against walls isn’t going to help.”

Jon turned as Richard came into the room. “What are we going to do?”

Richard nodded and held out his hand. “What phone did he ring? I need the number so I can see if there is any trace on it.”

Jon handed the phone over and showed him the call history.

“Dammit.” Richard cursed.

“What?”

“Too short. I’ll get a friend to run this at the lab anyway--they may be able to pick up something. Now, what exactly did he say?”

Jon admired the steely determination in Richard but realized it was a cop thing. He was ready to freak out and Richard was stone cold. “He said Devon was asleep at the moment and that I should start to clear out my coffers or she’ll die.”

“Dammit. Ok he wants something from us and as long as he wants something from us, nothing will happen to Devon.”

“How can you be so sure, he’s a fucking fruitcake that has my-your daughter.”

“Jon. We’ve got to stay calm, son. I know it’s scary and twisted what’s happening, but we have to stay calm. One false slip up and we could lose her. Do you think I want to lose her now that I’ve just found her?”

Jon sighed. “No of course not. I just feel so helpless. We were so close.” He punched his fist down on the table. “So damn close to getting out of here.” The thought of her alone and alone with Jared. What he could do to her. Jon swore if he ever thought about touching his Devon he would be a dead man.

“Let’s just be reasonable, let me make some calls, please just stay calm. You have to for Devon.”

“I can’t be reasonable. But make no mistake, if he harms her...” Jon raked his hand through his hair. “If he harms her he will be sorry.”

Richard gripped the top of his arm and squeezed it. “I know, Jon. I know.”

He stood, his hand on his hips. She was really gone, this was really happening. He had to deal with it, there was no way out. No escaping to St. Bart’s like a spoiled rich kid. This was happening. He took a deep breath.

“What do you suggest we do now?”

~

Sunlight burned against her face. Her eyelids flickered. It was hard to move, her arms and legs felt like lead. Her nose burned with each breath. She gasped as she tried to stretch, but realized her wrists were bound above her head. Her eyes snapped open and she tried to scream, but nothing came out. She was gagged.

Oh God. He found me. Her heart raced in her chest.

She tugged her wrists once, but they were secured tight. What had happened to Jon? Had he left him alone? God, what did he want? Was he going to kill her?

The possibility smacked her in the face as the door to the small room opened. She twisted her head but she couldn’t get a good view of him. His footsteps were as heavy as her heart was pounding.

“Honey. I’m home.”

He bent over her and he came into view. He was the same, weathered but the same. Stark blond hair that was dirtier now and piercing blue eyes. She flinched as his thumb scraped over her cheek.

“There there. You’re safe now.” His gaze sliced right through her and he grinned and then laughed.

“You’ve been having some fun here huh? Enjoy our money?”

She sucked in her breath as his thumb traced over her lips. “Enjoy our money?” He asked again and the tiny tear slid down her cheek.

She needed to stay strong, it was all she had left. All she could use to fight him and not let him know he got to her.

“I think you did. I think you had a gay-old time. Screwed a rock star. Opened a business. Lived a life.” She gasped as his hands gripped her neck and her heart threatened to burst from her chest.

“You know where I’ve been? Hell. Fucking hell Devon while you swanned around New York living the high life.”

Oh god.

His fingertips dug into her skin but he didn’t tighten his grip. “It would be too easy to kill you right now. Satisfying, but too easy when I don’t have what I want.”

Her throat was scorched dry. Her arms ached.

She closed her eyes and wished it was a dream. Like before. And when she woke she would be in Jon’s arms. Safe and sound. Safe and sound…

His hand slid down her side and she gasped as her eyes opened.

“Despite you being a backstabbing bitch. You’re still a hot and tight little thing. Or is tight debatable? That Bon Jovi character probably stretched you well and good. Little whore.”

Tears fell freely down her cheeks. He wouldn’t. He wouldn’t do it? Jared was an asshole but was he a superior asshole? She should have never done what she did but what other choice did she have? He’d sucked her in and it was all her own fault she’d believed anything he ever had told her. Two wrongs didn’t make a right but the line wasn’t as black and white he seemed to think it was.

He raised his eyebrow as his hand slid over her thigh. Her skin crawled at any possibility of what could come next but he folded his arms.

“You’re lucky I have to be somewhere Devon but we can continue this…later.” He leaned over her again and the smell of stale alcohol and smoke hovered over her.

Her whole body coiled tight as his lips touched hers.

“Now be a good girl.”

And then he was gone. The moment the door clicked her lungs gave way and she heaved for a breath and choked on the tears that welled inside her. She was in hell but she had to fight. Jon had fought to keep her so she had to do the same.

She tugged hard until the rope cut her wrists in attempt to pull herself free but they were tied too tight. She panted and growled again willing every muscle in her body to tear herself free but she couldn’t.

“God.” She managed muffled against the gag in her mouth. Screaming wasn’t an option muted. “Help me, somebody please.” She whispered jamming her eyes shut as her body burned. Someone out there had to find her before Jared did god knows what to her.

She needed Jon, she needed the protection in his arms and his voice. She just prayed to god they would figure out what happened to her and that Jared fucked up and left them a clue to where they were.

She was in trouble. Deep deep trouble.