Chapter 9

Everything was a rush after that.

I was hauled from the couch, my mind dwelling on the question as I was pushed from the room. Some of my items were tossed into bags and I saw some of the toys too being grabbed up. Too numb to fight them or question their reasoning, I was dragged back into the car.

“Get us to the House, now,” Dean barked from the front seat. My laptop was securely in his grasp as he glanced back before the car pulled out.

“Dean,” Nathan muttered as my head fell back onto the seat and my eyes glazed over. The top of the car was a blend of grey that fuzzed over as drips of water trickled down my cheeks.

Idiot. You are such an idiot, Alyssa! How could you have let a stranger send money and never checked it out! You should have told Clari, you stupid bitch!

My mind screamed out insults to myself as images of my sons flashed through my eyes. Damon laughing as he lunged from the bed, trying to sail like he’d seen Batman do. It broke away with his cry before a memory of Ryan, doing the same thing from the couch his hands flinging out to try and shoot webs like Spiderman.

Instead the memories were washed away by the sounds of their struggling breaths and visuals of their rapidly falling chests and the sheen of sweat that dampened their hair.

There was a strange groaning noise filtering through the car and my nails bit into my legs as the sound continued to rise from my throat. Gone! They were gone and it was my fault! I gasped, jerking forward and hunching over as my stomach rolled and I gagged.

Spiders crawled from my stomach towards my mouth, bringing a wave of bile that swirled around my throat. Gagging further, I clamped my hand over my mouth and squeezed my eyes shut. The spiders pooled in my mouth, dancing over my tongue and along the back of my throat. I shivered, swallowing back against the bile and wound my other arm around my stomach.

“Alyssa,” he spoke softly but his words wound around me and momentarily jerked my mind back to that night when he spoke in a similar way.

A hand drifted over my hair before gently tangling in the strands and my head was tugged up. I was captured by those eyes and my hand fell from my mouth as I hiccupped and more tears slipped from my eye. I sniffled, snot dribbling from my nose before I swiped it away.

Heat assaulted my skin and I chewed on the inside of my cheeks, wondering if the fire that was burning them would evaporate the tears.

“We will find them,” he assured, his hand falling from my hair to rest on my cheek. His thumb swiped across the skin beneath my eye and he paused, focusing on it before looking into my eyes again. “I swear, I will find my sons.”

“Where are we going?! We need to get the police! The FBI! Anyone!” I snapped back.

“The police won’t help us,” He answered, his hand still pressing into my cheek.

I pursed my lips. “Why would you say that?! My sons have been kidnapped and I need to find them! They must be terrified! All alone and dying! Who knows?!”

“They aren’t dying, Alyssa,” He assured, his voice low and soothing as it wafted around my ears.

“And how would you know?! You didn’t see them! You didn’t hear them struggle to breathe! Y-You did..didn’t-,” my shout cut off in a hiccup and I slammed my lips shut, water sliding from my eyes once more.

“They are my sons, I will find them,” Dean repeated again.

Looking into his eyes, I was dragged into the past. To the party Clari pulled me into and to the events that followed. His touch now was more gently than it had been when he’d gripped my hips and while his lips were pinched together now I knew they were softer than they appeared. If I just hadn’t gone that night to that party, none of this would have happened.

The thought shattered my mine and I tensed. Blinking, I looked to my fisted hands in my lap and my teeth bit into my lower lip. How could I think that?! It wasn’t ideal but I got two beautiful sons from it and I’d be damned if anyone got them back before me.

“They are mine,” I bit back pulling from his touch and furrowing my brows. “I will find them.”

“Alone?” Nathan mused, pulling my gaze to him as his green eyes shone from the sun peeking in the window. “You need us.”

“Not alone. I have connections.”

“Connections?” Jared barked out laughing. His laugh died off, however, as three pairs of eyes glowered his way. “I’m sorry,” He mumbled raising his hands in defence before he continued, “But you have no idea what you’re dealing with.”

“And you do?” I snapped back. Dean’s hand had fallen onto mine and his fingers enclosed around my fist. He pried it open, his thumb pushing into my palm and I gripped it, glaring from one man to another. “And you? Why do you give a shit now? You weren’t there when I woke up! You left a card! A Card! And when I rang no one answered!”

“I never got your messages,” He snapped back as he yanked his hand away from mine. All sense of tenderness fleeing from his face. “Things would be different if I had. None of this would have happened. And Cecil will be punished for her insubordination.”

Insubordination? What the hell? Just who the hell was he to speak about someone else like that. My mind filtered through different options, remembering the large building, the mafia like meeting and how all men were dressed in different forms of suits.

“Are you a gang lord or something?” I muttered out causing the others to laugh as Dean’s eyes drifted over me before he smirked.

“Or something,” was all he answered as the others continued to chuckle and he spun back in his seat, facing the front.

All remaining thoughts of conversation fled from my lips at the strange ominous tone he’d spoken with and I frowned. My eyes jumped from one man to the other and I pulled my knees close together as my arms folded and I tucked my chin to my chest.

Just what had I gotten myself into?

Relax Alyssa, I thought to myself, my hand dropping to pat the phone in my pocket. Dean had tossed it back last time after messaging Clari and I’d quickly shut it off so her messages or attempted calls wouldn’t alert them to me having it. Only stay to find out what I need to get out and get my sons. That’s it. All for them.

The rest of the drive was silence. Nathan and Jared made some passing comment while Dean texted in front. Once again my head was flopped back onto the seat and I gazed at the roof of the car.

Numbness had settled my stomach, no longer did invisible insects crawl within me and urge me to vomit but the constant weakness littered my limb and my body twitched. I wanted to run. I wanted to break free and chase down the people who’d took my sons.

Yet I was quiet.

My eyes flickered down to take in the back of Dean’s head and my lips curled. He knew something. They all did. The way they reacted. Instead of going to the police, we were going back to their hidey-house. My fingers danced over the outline of my phone from time to time, the only comfort I held onto as I dragged away.

I’d tried to argue the point of needing police more but had been shut down with comments like ‘they can’t help’, ‘trust us’ and the most frustration ‘they are my sons’. As if he hadn’t been absent for the last five years of their lives. He didn’t get to play the father card now! I just needed his blood to help like the doctor said! Not him!

The car pulled up to the House once again, only this time it wasn’t empty. I sat forward and gawked out the window seeing lines of cars mixed around mine and blinked. It had been abandoned when I’d come here. Where had all these people come from?!

Bodies walked around the trees as others darted in and out of the front doors. I scooted out of the car watching more people jog around to the back of the huge building and found my brows furrowing further.

Just what the hell was this place?

Nathan slipped his hand around my arm and led me towards the main doors, following Dean and the others. I stumbled and he helped me with a small smile as the door was opened for us and voices echoed around the main entrance.

“What. The. Fuck?” I breathed out as I stepped in and gazed around.

People were moving about quickly. Some with stacks of paper. Others carrying random machines and hard drives for desktop computers. I rubbed my eyes as a rather thin and frail looking woman dodged around us with a large portable air-con in her arms.

Obsidian eyes huffed lowly and shook his head. He took the laptop from Dean and turned down the left hallway while two others followed him. Jared went right, waving back to us as he caught up with another man and began speaking lowly.

I watched as each person who passed by one of these men bent their heads in a strange angle to the right or left. The women made sure the part of the head they tilted left their neck uncovered by their hair and I frowned further.

“This way,” Dean called heading up the stairs.

Nathan pulled me along, following Dean’s broad back as I was led up another form of stairs and cut down a hallway to the left. It was less occupied here and rooms lined either side. Two men walked out of one and nodded, that weird nod, to the men before glancing at me curiously.

“You can stay here,” Dean announced as I was ushered into the room. I blinked, my gaze going to the large window opposite the door to gaze out at the surrounding forest. The room was vast but sparsely decorated with just the necessary items. A bed, chest of drawers, built in wardrobe and another door that I guessed led to a bathroom.

Nathan stepped back into the hallway as Dean grabbed the door. “I’ll come get you if we find out anything.”

“Wait!” I called spinning and going to grab the door but it shut in my face. There was a distinct ‘Click’ from the other side before they walked away.

I lunged at the door, yanking on the handle and pulling as hard as I could. But it wouldn’t move. What the hell was he doing!?

“DEAN! LET ME OUT!” My scream no doubt echoed down the hall but with how big the building was, would anyone actually hear?!

“DEAN! YOU CAN’T DO THIS!”

My fists bashed against the door as I continued to push it. I screamed and screamed and in my mind I pictured my sons screaming out in a similar way as whoever took them discarded them in their own empty rooms.

“NO! LET ME OUT! PLEASE!”