Scorch (Black Inferno Book 4) (10 page)

“They’re starting today,” Tate answers, and we all relax a little.

Lola then stands. “I need to get going. Thanks, girls.” She hurries off and we all stand to follow her.

“Lola?” asks Roxie.

“What’s up, darling?” asks Tate.

I wish I could tell him not to try his charm on Lola today of all days.

She frowns at Tate, trying to get by him and I see a tear roll down her cheek. “My mother needs me.”

“Hey…” Tate stops her, “…are you all right?”

Lola shakes her head, looking a little shocked. “I need to go home.”

“Don’t go because of me, I’m only trying to have a little fun,” Tate explains. “Please stay, I’ll go.”

“No…” Lola stops him, “…it’s not because of you.”

Tears roll down her cheek and I see Tate freeze. “You’re not okay, are you?”

Lola shakes her head. “I’ve had some bad family news.”

All of a sudden, my flirtatious brother becomes concerned. “Shit, I’m sorry, babe. You probably will never take me up on the offer, but I’m here if you need me. And not in the way you’re thinking…” he laughs, “…I mean in a friendly way.”

Tate may be a charmer, but he can also be a gentleman.

“Thank you.” Lola smiles the first smile for Tate.

“Let me walk you to your car?” he asks, and when she nods in acceptance, they turn to say goodbye and Tate follows her out.

“Whoa,” Lacey comments as soon as they are out the door.

After a blissful week spent at Booker’s, I decide to go back to Tate’s and catch up with him. As much as I complained about staying at his, I miss him, and I want to spend a couple of days with him. The guys have been really busy recording their new album, so I haven’t actually seen a lot of Tate, and the only times I’ve spent with Booker is when he comes home after a hard day’s work. Don’t get me wrong, it’s been amazing having Booker come back and spend time with me.

Today, I know the guys are at Mason’s studio, but I’m hoping I’m able to spend some time with Tate.

“Hello?” I ask when I walk into the house.

“Up here,” Tate shouts from upstairs, but I don’t need to make my way to him because I see my brother coming down the stairs as I walk further into the house.

“You going to the studio?” I ask him.

“Nope,” he answers, fixing his hair in the mirror.

“You wanna hang out?” I ask him and Tate turns to face me.

“I would Crys, but I’m going on a date,” he answers with a smirk. “We can tomorrow, though.”

“Yeah sure.” I nod. “Who are you going on a date with? The lovely Lola?” I tease him.

His smile disappears. “No, that woman is too damn good for me.”

He goes to grab his jacket and as he walks by me, I grab onto his arm. “Don’t be stupid. You deserve to have anyone, and they’d be lucky to have you,” I reply with a frown.

Tate smiles sweetly and pulls my head closer for a quick kiss on the top of my head. Even though I’m a woman, he still likes to show me his affection. “Thanks, now do you have your cell?”

I get it out my pocket to show him. “Yep.”

“You have a message.” He points to the screen, and I see it’s from Paige.

“She wants to come over,” I say as I read it and Tate nods.

“Good, I don’t like you being alone,” he answers.

“You’ve had extra guards and security hired, I’m perfectly safe,” I point out. “She’ll be here in about an hour.”

He nods and as we say our goodbyes I wish him luck on his date. When he leaves, I go to charge my cell in my room and I lie on the bed for a while, thinking back to when I’d worry about Tate finding out about Booker. As it turns out, apart from Tate punching him in the face, I didn’t really have to worry at all.

With my heart feeling lighter, and my smile becoming wider as Booker runs through my mind, I run down to kitchen and turn the radio. Dancing around as I clean. It seems since I’ve been gone, Tate hasn’t been very tidy, and so I decide to do a general spruce up for him. I’m in the living room collecting cups and glasses that have been left scattered around when I hear the front door close.

“I’m in here, Paige,” I shout, finishing up the living room. Paige doesn’t answer, so I quickly stop. “Paige? Sorry, I’m cleaning the place. It seems Tate’s been a little messy since I’ve been staying over at Booker’s.”

However, when I exit the room and look around, it’s not Paige I see… it’s Troy.

“Hello, Crystal.” Troy smiles. He’s dressed in a suit, his lips tilted in a smirk and his chin lifted showing me just how smug he’s feeling about this whole situation. His dark hair looks freshly cut and his eyes piercing as he watches me react to his arrival. “Are you going to congratulate me on my new job?”

Looking at him closer, he’s dressed as one of the security guards that are supposed to protect us.

How on earth did he manage to get the job?

But I don’t ask him that, I want him gone and well away from us all.

“Get out,” I order.
“Get out. Now!”

My heart beats faster as I look around for something to use as protection.

“That’s no way to talk to me,” Troy speaks calmly as he takes a step forward.

“Stay there!”
I scream. “Don’t you dare come any closer.”

Thinking quickly, I drop the glasses I’m carrying on the floor and they smash. I hurriedly grab a broken piece and hold it out in front of me, pointing it toward Troy.

“There’s no need for that.” Troy looks to the weapon in my hand. “Put it down, I’m not going to hurt you.”

“My friend will be here soon, so you should go unless you want to be arrested,” I threaten.

Troy then laughs and I frown. “You mean, Paige?” He laughs again.

A chill spreads throughout my body, I don’t like the sound of that. “What have you done?”

“The stupid girl loves male attention doesn’t she?” he adds.

“What have you done, Troy
?” I shout.

“I gave her the attention she wanted, told her to keep quiet because nobody would like her getting close to a guy like me. I didn’t want you to see me because then you’d ruin my plans. She bought it all, the dumb bitch.” He laughs some more. “She was with me today and I gotta say, she comes a close second to you Crystal. So if this doesn’t work out, I might have to take Paige instead.”

“Leave her alone,” I order, beginning to shake. “Leave us both alone.”

“That isn’t going to happen,” he threatens. “Tell me, did I make you believe Paige was actually coming?”

I begin to feel sick. He said he was with Paige.
Did he send that text message?

“She is coming,” I insist, still holding out the broken piece of glass toward him.

“No Crystal, she isn’t. In fact, she won’t be going anywhere.” He laughs.

“What have you done?” I ask, dreading to hear his answer.

“Nothing life threatening, don’t worry.” Troy smirks and I look down to see his fists clenched. “Now put the glass down and come with me.”

I shake my head. “No.”

He squeezes his jaw, and I can see I’m really testing his patience, a sign I learned when we were together.

“Crystal…” he warns.

“Get out!”
I scream.

Suddenly, Troy comes at me and punches my arm really fucking hard. I scream from the pain it caused me, and the glass shard hits the floor. I quickly look up at Troy and make a run for it. Tate has many rooms in this house, but if I can make it to the garage through the back of the house, I could sneak out without him knowing.

“
Get here, you fucking bitch!”
Troy shouts at me as I run down the hall.

I feel the tears in my eyes, I’m so frightened that he’ll catch me. He’s done terrible things to me in the past, and I don’t ever want to go through that again.

I’m running past doors, heading for the door which brings you into the garage on the side of the house. I risk a glance behind me and Troy’s right there, so I have to be quick. I reach for the door handle, but dread fills me as I find the door locked. I try my best, shouting when it doesn’t open. Troy stops in front of me, grinning that he has me trapped.

“Now, come with me, and I won’t have to hurt you,” he orders.

“Why do you want me?” I ask.

“You’re mine,” he points out, reaching out and grabbing onto my arm so hard I wince. “Don’t think I haven’t seen you and your boyfriend. That ends right now!”

Troy pulls me, but I fight against him. I don’t want to go anywhere with him. “I am not yours!”

Suddenly, a punch to my gut has me gasping for air. I begin to cry from the pain and my knees buckle, but Troy drags me up.

“No,” I shout.

He begins to pull me in the direction of Tate’s room which he calls his office. It has his computer in there which he sometimes uses, but it’s mostly used for his rock memorabilia. I don’t go in there because it’s his room, but I can remember him telling me it has a door at the back that leads to his room upstairs.

I could risk it, but what if the door is locked leading to his bedroom?

We pass a cabinet with some music awards on show. I don’t think, and grab one with my free hand and whack it over Troy’s head. It has the desired effect, and he lets me go. I don’t wait for a second and run to Troy’s study, spotting the door on the right, and breathing a sigh of relief when it opens.

“Fucking bitch!”
Troy shouts while I close the door as quietly as I can behind me. Praying he didn’t see which way I’ve run. I climb the stairs as quickly and as quietly as I can hoping he doesn’t know where I am. A bang comes from the door at the bottom as I hear him throwing things in the study. My heart beats fast as I place my hand on the handle, giving it a try and I could cry when it opens. Another loud bang hits the bottom door as I close the top one behind me.

Across the hall is my room, I run over and find my cell on charge and dial Booker. I listen quietly to the sounds of Troy as the call connects.

Please, Booker, answer the phone!
I think, knowing he’s recording in the studio.

“Hello?” I hear his voice and breathe a huge sigh of relief. “Crys? You okay?”

“Help me,” I cry. “I’m at Tate’s. Please, help me!”

“What’s the matter?” he panics, and all of a sudden I’m thrown down on the floor and my cell flies from my hand.

“No,” I scream as Troy storms over to me.

“You little bitch,” he bellows down at me. His fist connects with my face, and I’m in such shock from the pain I don’t block the next two. I know I’m crying and screaming. Troy calls me a little bitch with every blow to my body. I’m sure he actually kicks me a couple times too, but I don’t know the difference between a kick or a punch at the moment. “That fucker can’t have you!”

I try to kick my legs up, anything to get Troy off me because my energy is dwindling. He then drags me by my hair to the top of the stairs. To stop the searing pain, I try to crawl after him so he doesn’t pull too hard, but it doesn’t work because of the injuries he’s inflicted on me. We reach the top of the stairs, and I hear the voices of my friends. I have to say, I fear for them more than I am relieved they’re here. I don’t want anyone else hurt.

“Crystal,”
I hear Booker shout.

“Where are you?” Tate adds.

Troy leans closer to me, and whispers in my ear, “I have to go now Princess, but I will have you again.”

With that, Troy pushes me with so much force I fall all the way down the stairs. I try to ease my fall with my hands, but it’s useless. I see the floor come into sight and hit it hard. As my head begins to swim and my sight blurs, and I watch Booker and Tate hover above me.

“Get Troy,” I whisper and as soon as I do I hear fast and heavy feet run away.

Booker’s hands support me as I look into his shiny wide eyes. “Oh God,” he whispers.

“Paige…” I cough, “…you have to find Paige.”

And with that, the last of my strength gives out and I surrender. The last thing I hear is Booker and Tate’s concerned voices.