Chapter 18
Tamara didn’t feel right. Something inside her twisted and thrashed at seeing Subie so brutalized. She felt light headed yet her body felt like it was made out of lead.
One thing she could understand was the anger beginning to boil up in her. Someone had hurt her friend and she wanted to make them pay. No, not wanted, needed. She needed to make them pay.
They were still in the lobby of the hotel, and people were staring at them. Brock’s continued wails and mutterings weren’t helping.
“Did the text say anything else?” Sam asked. Tamara perked up, waiting for the answer. Sam was a smart man. He’d been in hairy situations before. He'd know what to do. Her friends looked up to him too, she'd seen the respect in their eyes for him. It was respect he'd earned from how he carried himself and how he dealt with them. Sam was one of those guys you knew you could trust if he was on your side.
None of that changed that she was still mad at him, but right now he was finally paying attention to her, at least. She'd deal with their other issues later, after they took care of Subie and whoever had taken her.
“Only that they would send directions later,” Adrian supplied.
The lines at the corners of Sam's eyes deepened for a moment. “When did the text come in?”
“Just now, when Brock walked in. He saw Adrian and I talking when his phone went off. He saw it was from Subie and got excited. I’ve never seen him look like that. Even when he lost the State Championship last year, he didn’t act like this.” Alex looked almost as distraught as Brock.
“I think losing his girlfriend is a bit more important that some wrestling championship,” Adrian said.
“You didn’t have to hear him brag to Subie about how he was going to kick their ass three ways from Sunday. And you didn’t have to see how he acted after he was pinned,” Alex shot back.
“None of that’s important, now,” Sam stated, stepping between the two. Tamara felt a thrill that settled deep in her belly and made her squeeze her legs together. Sam was taking control of the situation and it made him so damn sexy. “Did they say when they would text?”
Alex and Adrian shook their heads. Sam turned to Brock, gripped the big man’s shoulders and turned him. “Listen, Brock. I need you to focus.”
Tamara could still hear the jock muttering, “No, no, no, no.”
“I know what you’re feeling right now,” Sam continued, talking over Brock’s muttering in a calm voice. “Believe me, I’ve been there. But you’re not going to do any good acting like a broken record.” Brock seemed to be lost in his own little world, unable to hear Sam. Tamara saw her boyfriend’s arms tighten on Brock’s shoulders. Sam’s head dropped and he sucked in a heavy breath. Lifting his head, he spared a glance for Tamara before grabbing Brock’s face and staring him in the eyes. “You need to pull up your panties and brush the sand out of your vagina. You’re acting like pissy little girl, and I hope after we save Subie, she decides to go for a real man.”
Brock’s reaction to Sam’s insults caught Tamara off guard. His fist came up faster than she could follow, but Sam must have been expecting it. His arm intercepted the blow and knocked it aside. Brock’s next attack brought him down as he swept Sam’s false leg out from under him.
“Brock! Stop!” Alex cried, trying to pull her friend back. “Adrian, make him stop.”
“How’s that for a pissy little girl?” Brock boasted as he towered over Sam.
“Great!” Sam laughed. “You knocked down a cripple. Now help me up. We need to figure out what to do next.”
Brock stared at Sam for a moment. He shook his head and offered Sam his hand. “Sand in my vagina? I’ll have to remember that one,” Brock said, as he helped Sam to his feet. “I’m sorry about that,” Brock offered his hand again. “I just—“
“No worries,” Sam interjected. “That’s a good arm you’ve got there. Good reflexes, too. I understand what you’re feeling. Hell, I wish someone would have been around to treat me like that when I lost my buddies over there.”
“What am I going to do?” Brock went on. For a moment Tamara thought he was going to start whining again. “I can’t lose her.”
“You won’t,” Sam told him. “We’ll get her back.”
Tamara felt pride well up in her as she watched her man handle Brock. She’d seen him break down and become almost catatonic when faced with certain situations. To watch him now as he took charge was exhilarating. She wanted to shove him into a room and show him just how it made her feel. Maybe there would be time before any other instructions came in.
Adrian let them into the room. Tamara held back and grabbed Sam’s arm when he passed by.
“I’ll, uh, be there in a second,” Sam told them, then squared his shoulders to her.
Tamara could see in his eyes that he was prepared for a fight. All the uncertainty that he’d hidden from the others was laid bare before her. The man she saw in front of her right now she could forgive anything.
“Look, Tamara,” Sam began, “I know I was an asshole. I don’t know what to say. Some freaky stuff has been happening, and I don’t know how to deal with it. I don’t know how to deal with you.” Tamara was about to interrupt him, but that last part stopped her. He didn’t know how to deal with her? He needed to throw her down on a bed and fuck her until they were both incoherent. She needed it hard, fast, and hard again. That’s how he needed to deal with her right then. “You’re the best thing to happen to me in a long time, and even though I know I don’t deserve you. . .” He paused to look at the room with the others, before turning back to face her. “I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you. I’ve only known you a few days, but you’ve become important to me. I—“
“Would you just shut up?” Tamara snapped, tired of hearing him babble. She thought it was cute how he was acting, but right now she didn’t want cute. “Shut up and kiss me you big bear!”
Tamara couldn’t help but giggle as his eyes grew large. The giggle turned into a moan as he lifted her up in his powerful arms and pressed his lips to hers. She knew that right now wasn’t the time or place for it, but she couldn’t stop her legs from wrapping around his waist and melding her body to his. She knew her lips would be sore from how hard they were pressing against each other, but she relished the feeling of his whiskers digging into her face. The small touch of discomfort couldn’t outweigh the power and passion of the kiss.
“Ahem,” Adrian coughed, pulling them back to the present. Tamara almost screamed when Sam set her back on the ground. Her knees were weak but Sam helped steady her. “We got another text.”
Sam looked around the hallway they were still in, and then pulled Tamara into the room.
“Close the curtains,” he told Alex. She jumped to obey his commanding tone. “I think someone is watching us,” he told them. “Brock, you received the text right after you met up with Adrian and Alex, and after you came back from the police. The next one came when we were up here.”
“Who would do this?” Brock asked. His voice cracked, and Tamara looked at him, afraid he was going to lose it again. The jock swallowed loudly and kept control.
“You said there was another text,” Sam addressed Adrian. “What does it say?”
“Here,” Adrian said, handing the phone over. “It was another picture. It—it’s worse.”
Sam looked at the picture and shook his head. Tamara held out her hand for the phone, but Sam hesitated. She could see his reluctance in his eyes and she willed him to hand it over. Her stomach flipped in excitement as he actually did it.
She almost regretted it, as soon as she looked at the screen. Subie was awake this time, her eyes filled with terror. Someone was holding a clock, and it showed ten minutes ago. She knew clocks could be changed, but the message was clear. She was alive for now.
Tamara tried to focus on the cuts and welts adorning Subie’s body. Her eyes slid away from the designs, refusing to focus on them. Her head hurt the harder she tried to see them.
Only one symbol would allow itself to be seen. It was a half circle, with the flat portion above the rounded bottom. An upside-down Y bisected it. It sat right above Subie’s clean-shaven crotch and dripped with blood. She felt she should know what it meant, but a stab of pain in her skull almost made her drop the phone.
Tamara handed the phone back, grateful she didn’t have to look at it anymore. Knowing that her friend was being hurt made a different kind of fire burn in the pit of her stomach.
“What are they doing to you Subie?” Brock cried as he looked at his phone.
“At least we know she’s alive,” Sam told him.
“The text said to meet them at this address,” Adrian said, handing over a slip of paper. He must have written the address down before he’d interrupted Sam and her kissing.
Sam grunted as he looked at it. “I know this area. I spent some dark days there. It’s not somewhere you want to go during the day, much less at night. I didn’t notice, but did they say what they wanted?”
Adrian shook his head.
“What are they going to do to her?” Alex asked. Her tone said she was on the verge of panic.
For a moment Sam looked defeated as he met their eyes. Tamara could guess what he was thinking. How was he supposed to know what they were going to do? And why? None of them had any money, they were trying to enjoy spring break and were getting ready to head back home.
“Let’s go get her before they can do anything else,” Sam said after a moment of tense silence. “Adrian, you’re in the best condition to drive right now. I’ll navigate. Tamara—“
“Don’t you dare tell me to stay behind,” she interrupted him.
“I’m not staying behind either,” Brock nearly shouted.
“I’m not staying here by myself,” Alex spoke up before Sam could say anything.
Sam’s eyes were wide as he stared from one to another. “I can’t promise to keep you safe,” he whispered.
“We know,” Tamara said. She placed her hand on his arm and was glad when he didn’t flinch away from her comforting touch.
“We need your help,” Adrian added.
Sam looked at each of them in turn. The fear was still there, but Tamara also saw determination.
“Then I’m going to need you to do exactly what I say, without question, and God help us all.”
Thinking about the last picture of Subie and the designs drawn and cut into her, Tamara knew God played no part in it.