“That’s right, Livvy. Stay quiet.”

“How could you, Jack? Why? We have enough money!”

Jack stepped back. “You think I like it that I can’t afford to pay for the lifestyle my wife is accustomed to?”

“Be reasonable. Please.”

“NO! It ends now! Where are the fucking papers?!”

“I can’t tell you,” she said quietly.

“Let’s go, Mary. You’re coming with me.”

“No. You’re going to have to drag me kicking and screaming from this house if you expect me to go anywhere with you. You… You traitor!”

Olivia watched as her father grabbed her mother and slammed her head against the kitchen counter. She squeezed her stuffed animal tight, remembering her mama’s words to never let go of the bear.

“Livvy, sweetie. Come with Daddy. We need to get out of here.”

“But Mama…”

“Your mother is fine. She’s just sleeping right now. She’s coming with us. Don’t worry.”

Olivia got up from underneath the table and followed her father out of the house and into their car, her father carrying her mother and placing her in the front seat.

They left the beach house and began driving away. As they approached the turn out, Jack saw the SUV waiting and took his foot off the accelerator.

He looked at his unconscious wife as she sat lifeless in the front seat. He hated how everything ended, but she knew too much. He glanced at his daughter sitting in the back seat as she stared at her huge stuffed animal, a large SUV about to pummel into them. A crooked smile crossed his face.

“We love you, Olivia.”

Olivia didn’t look up. “I know.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX

BETRAYAL

“OLIVIA,” SIMON WHISPERED QUIETLY. “Please, Olivia. Wake up. I’m going to get you out of here.” He shook her frail body, desperately trying to wake her up. He prayed that she wasn’t already dead.

Everything was his fault. He should never have agreed to help out those fuckers last summer. He had been so angry when he got arrested that he made a deal with the devil himself, agreeing to go to prison if he could be the one to kill Olivia when the time came. But during their brief encounters over the past few months, he had begun to care for her. And now here she was, shot, beaten, and raped. He would never forgive himself. He would spend the rest of his life making it up to the poor girl, provided they both survived.

Simon scanned the room, relieved to see that Grant and Jack were still off searching the house for whatever it was they were looking for. “Come on, Olivia. You have to wake up now.”

She woke up with a start. Flinging her eyes open, she was happy to actually be able to see. Then she began to remember. Simon had abducted her and then tried to help her escape. He shot her in the shoulder. And then there was Grant. He assaulted and humiliated her. Her father came to intervene, but then he knocked her out.

He was in on it.

Olivia’s eyes focused on the man standing in front of her. Simon. She tried to get up, but she couldn’t. Her legs were tied to the chair. Her wrists were bound together behind her and her mouth was taped shut.

“Shhh…” Simon said. “I promise I’m going to get you out of here, but we have to be very quiet or we’ll both end up dead. Do you understand?”

Olivia nodded her head in understanding, her eyes going wide in panic when she noticed a large figure moving swiftly behind Simon. She tried to warn him, but all that came out was her desperate cries.

“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?!” Grant roared, hitting Simon over the head with the barrel of his gun, knocking him out.

Olivia screamed, hopelessly pulling at her restraints.

“Oh, look who’s up,” Grant said cruelly, walking over to where she was bound to the chair. “About time, too. Daddy is getting a little impatient to find out where you buried that chest he is so eager to find.”

She tried to speak through the tape.

“What was that? Where is he? Oh, he’s out searching the property. He couldn’t wait for you to wake up.” He hovered over her, making her flinch from his proximity. “We weren’t sure if you ever would, to be honest.” Grant dragged his hand up her thigh.

Olivia tried to scream out and push away from him, but it was no use.

“What the fuck did I tell you about touching her?” Jack yelled, walking into the great room.

“Come on, dude. Relax. You’re the one that tied her up like this.”

Jack rolled his eyes. “Grant, focus. Please. Stop thinking with your pecker and use your brain for once, if that’s even possible.”

“Whatever. I think that bitch daughter of yours is more scared about me touching her than killing her. My way is definitely better.”

Jack exhaled loudly, turning his attention back to Olivia. “Where are the papers, Livvy? Do you remember? Or do I have to let Grant have another go?”

Olivia stared ahead in horror that the man in front of her was actually her father.

“Are they even here?”

Olivia continued to display no emotion, knowing full well what Grant was going to do if she didn’t show any indication that she would disclose the location of the documents.

“Fine. Do whatever you want. If she’s not going to help, may as well kill her now.” Jack turned to leave and continue his search.

Olivia screamed out again, her pleas for help still muffled.

“What’s with the dried blood here, Livvy?” Grant said cruelly. “Am I a bigger man than that Alexander you’ve been screwing?”

She closed her eyes, not wanting to keep them open to see the look on Grant’s face. She heard the door open and close and became sick to her stomach that her father had returned to watch.

Her eyes grew wide when she heard a gunshot.

~~~~~~~~~~

“WHAT THE HELL WAS that?” Jack growled, walking down the hall to determine the source of the sound. “I didn’t think you’d actually shoot…”

“Jack,” Alexander said, an accusatory tone in his voice.

He stopped in his tracks, processing the scene in front of him, his heart racing. Grant lay dead at Olivia’s feet and Alexander stood in the doorway next to Martin. They were both holding a gun aimed at him. Jack immediately raised his own weapon and pointed it at Olivia. He knew Alexander would do anything to save that girl.

Her eyes went wide and she continued to stare at Alexander, pleading with him to help her.