Tartlet (Turf Wars #4) Read online

  The light flicks on, and I push myself farther behind the boxes, praying they don’t come over here because if they do, I’m screwed. I hear the voices of my father and Bradley as they descend down the stairs, getting clearer and clearer as they get closer.

  “I told you, it’s clean, there is nothing left in here.”

  “Doesn’t take much,” Dad growls. “The tiniest bit of evidence and we’re finished, Bradley.”

  “I’ve cleaned it, scrubbed the walls with bleach, checked every inch of this basement. There is nothing left they can find.”

  “No,” Dad barks. “Then what the fuck is that?”

  I peer around in time to see my father angrily point to something on the wall. I stretch out a little further and see there is a chain coming off the heavy brick. It is bolted into the wall and is about five or six feet long, and thick. It hasn’t got anything on the end of it, but I imagine once it did. What the hell is there a chain shackled to the wall for?

  “I was coming down to remove that tonight,” Brad answers, his voice a little less firm than it was before.

  “And what if the fuckin’ cops came in tonight? You should have moved that a year ago, Bradley. What the fuck is wrong with you?”

  “Me?” Brad barks. “You’re the one who got us into this mess, fuck, I should have just reported you back then.”

  My father lashes out quickly, hands going around Bradley’s throat as he backs him up to the wall and slams him against it. “You be very fucking careful, son. Whatever happens to me, happens to you a thousand times worse. You were the one who helped me, you are not innocent in this.”

  “We’ll go away for life,” Brad gasps. “Fucking life.”

  “Not if we’re smart. I have a plan, but you need to trust me. Clean this room again, I want every fucking inch gone over. There needs to be nothing left of her here, not a god damned hair ...”

  Her?

  What. The. Hell?

  Sickness swirls in my stomach as I listen to them leave the room, walking back up the stairs. For a minute, I can’t move. So many things are running through my mind, but mostly, I want to know who she is. What happened down here? Was there someone in this basement? If so, where is she now? What did they do to her? Worse, how the fuck didn’t I know?

  I wait for ten minutes and then with shaky legs, I get the hell out of there.

  Something went down here.

  Something big.

  I’m going to find out what it was.

  8

  “HEY, HAVE YOU EVER heard of any big missing persons cases around here?” I ask Rhett the next night as I lie in his bed, staring at the fan swirling around and around.

  “Fuckin’ random question.”

  “Have you, though?”

  “What are you lookin’ into missing persons for?”

  I roll to my side. “I’m just curious, I, ah, love listening to crime podcasts, and it makes me wonder if we’ve had any big crimes here, you know?”

  He narrows his eyes, as if he doesn’t believe me, but he answers anyway. “There have been a few.”

  “Anyone that stands out?”

  “Why are you so interested in this?”

  “Can you just answer me?” I snap.

  He pulls his head back. “What’s goin’ on, Gab?”

  “Nothing, you’re just full of questions when I’m only asking a basic one. Nothing is going on. I don’t know why you have to interrogate me.”

  He looks confused, his handsome face tightening. “You’re actin’ fuckin’ weird and you’re goin’ to tell me why.”

  “I’m not telling you shit,” I mutter, pushing up and climbing out of his bed. “I’m going.”

  “Hey, wait up.” He jerks upright now too, standing and coming after me as I storm out the door.

  My mind is spinning and I have been off all day. Remy got pissed at me because I wasn’t paying attention at work, and also because I ignored him most of the day. My brain is having a hard time switching off. I need to know what my father and brother have been doing. It got me thinking today about missing people, and I very much plan on going home right now and doing some research.

  It’s a good start.

  “Gabriella,” Rhett barks as I reach my car. “Fuckin’ stop.”

  I spin around. “What?”

  “What’s goin’ on? It ain’t like you to be so angry.”

  “I’m having a bad day, okay. I just need to be alone.”

  He reaches out, taking my arm. “Tell me what’s goin’ on.”

  I snatch my arm away. “No, thanks.”

  I get into my car and throw it in reverse, driving out. I don’t look back.

  I don’t even think about Rhett on the way home, all I want to do is get on my laptop and do some research. I’m going to find out what they did.

  I get home and go right up to my room, locking the door, opening my laptop and sitting down. I begin typing, searching for missing people in the area. At first, nothing comes up, but I widen my search to towns nearby and bingo, a face flashes up on the screen. A young girl, maybe my age, who has been missing for over a year. She was last seen leaving a party two towns over and hasn’t been seen since.

  Her name is Constance Hayes.

  She is beautiful—blond hair, blue eyes, petite build. I start searching more about her case, and a few things pop up, one including her cell phone pinging in this area ... in this town, in fact, but police haven’t been able to link it anywhere. So, she left a party two towns over, and somehow ended up here. Sickness swirls in my belly as I keep reading. I watch interviews with her family, friends, and the people who last saw her.

  The case, so far, has gone cold.

  Police have no leads.

  But do they?

  If my father and brother had something to do with this, and this is what was scaring them so much, then the police do have leads and those leads are pointing to this family. I swallow the saliva building up in my mouth and my hands tremble as I keep reading. I want to find out anything I can about this girl and see if there is any way I can link her to my family. Maybe she knew them. Maybe she was seeing Bradley? There has to be a connection.

  I don’t find one.

  But that doesn’t mean I believe they had nothing to do with it, my gut is telling me this is exactly who they’re talking about and panicking about. The problem is, they’re scared about going away for life, which means ... they did something to her. They had her alive, they must have, if she was in that basement, but what did they do to her after that? What ... What monstrous act did they commit?

  How the hell do I find out, and if I do ...

  What the hell am I supposed to do about it?

  “YOU GOOD?”

  I look up from the engine I’m working on and see Remy standing and staring down at me, his eyes narrowed.

  “I’m good.”

  “You’ve been on that same problem for a while, you need a hand?”

  I throw the spanner down and stand, turning to him. “You know what I need?”

  “What?”

  “You to take my mind away from this god damned place for a second. Fuck me, Remy.”

  His eyes widen and he looks a little confused. “We’re workin’, kid.”

  “And? Send them on an early lunch and do what you have to do.”

  He tips his head to the side, looking more than a little gorgeous right now. “What’s goin’ on?”

  “Are you going to fuck me or not? If not, I can find someone who will. Isn’t that the benefit part of friends with benefits?”

  He steps forward, curling his hand around the back of my neck and bringing me closer. “I’m hearin’ you, babe, and I’ve got you.”

  I exhale when he turns and barks, “Lunch. All of you. Now.”

  The garage clears out pretty quickly, I’m certain they’re not going to complain about having an early lunch. The moment they’re gone, Remy presses the button on his remote controller and the roller doors come down. Then he lift
s me and places my bottom on the hood of the car, never once taking his eyes off me.

  “We’ve got half an hour, if we’re lucky.”

  “I only need five minutes,” I murmur.

  “You might, I need a little more than that.”

  He reaches between my legs, rubbing the palm of his hand up my jeans, putting enough pressure to make me moan.

  “Don’t play with me today, just fuck me. Hard and fast. That’s how I need it,” I tell him, voice husky.

  “Then get your fuckin’ pants off.”

  I do as he asks, taking my pants off while he does the same, sliding a condom onto his already hard cock. He hoists me back up onto the car hood and hooks my leg around his waist. He reaches between us, sliding a finger inside of me, then two. I whimper as he slowly drags them out and pushes them back in, eyes locked tight onto mine. “You like that?”

  “Yes,” I whimper.

  “How fuckin’ much?”

  “So much.”

  He works his fingers, curling them in just the right spot. Right as I’m about to cum, he pauses. I gasp, eyes fluttering open, shock on my face. “What the?”

  “I don’t like bein’ ignored, Gabby. Don’t like it one fuckin’ bit. You answer me, even if I don’t like the answer, we clear on that?”

  Anger bubbles in my chest. “We’re fuck buddies, Remy. Not besties. I don’t owe you shit.”

  He drags his fingers from my aching flesh. “It’s common respect. You want my cock, you answer me when I call.”

  “Fuck your cock then,” I snap, shoving at his chest.

  “No,” he growls. “We’re fuckin’ and we’re goin’ to do it so fuckin’ hard this car will need an extra tune up.”

  “Fuck you,” I spit, shaking my head. “We’re not fucking.”

  “Are you sayin’ you don’t want this?”

  He pushes his cock against my pussy, it aches, immediately wanting more. God damn, my body tightens, and I need it, I really, really need it.

  “Not if it comes with terms,” I whisper, trying to keep the pleasure from lacing my voice.

  “Answerin’ a phone isn’t a hard term. Tell me you’ll answer it, and I’ll plunge my cock into you and take away that stress. Say no, I walk away.”

  “You know I want you,” I grind out. “You’re playing hard.”

  “I’ll fuck you harder. What’s it goin’ to be?”

  God damn.

  I need this.

  I need him.

  “Okay, I’ll answer.”

  “Good girl.”

  He plunges inside of me so hard I cry out with shock. My body takes a little longer than normal to adjust to him, but when he starts moving, jerking those hips, I forget about the pain. Pleasure rips through my body as I hang onto him, tilting my hips and rolling them with every thrust. His cock does dangerous things to my body, and god, I could sit here all day and take what he’s giving.

  “Yes,” I moan, panting as pleasure builds and builds. “Oh, god, Remy.”

  “Fuck,” he grinds out. “So fuckin’ sweet.”

  “I can’t ... oh god ...”

  I cum with an explosion that makes me weak at the knees. Remy growls, pleased with his efforts, and keeps riding me. He fucks me hard and deep, until I’m finding another release, two blissful pleasures in a row. Only then does he find his own, shuddering as his body joins mine in delicious relief.

  When he stops shaking and I stop panting, he pulls out, ripping the condom off and tossing it in the trash before jerking his pants back up. I do a quick clean up to the best of my ability and pull my pants on. We really don’t have time to spare, a customer could come in at any second needing assistance and we need to have those doors open.

  Remy presses the button and slowly, they roll back up.

  “You wanna tell me what’s got your eyes all haunted?” he asks me, taking my chin in his hand and tipping my head back.

  “We’re friends, Remy. That’s it.”

  “Friends talk.”

  “Not about everything.”

  I jerk my head away and get back to work, just in time for the guys to come back in.

  “You getting soft in your old age, Rem, that didn’t take long.” Hugh grins, walking back to his car.

  “Fuck you, man,” Remy snaps.

  I smile.

  The first smile all day.

  They have that ability, these guys.

  The ability to make me forget.

  There’s just one problem ... I’m not meant to like them.

  Not even a little bit.

  9

  “SERIOUSLY,” I MUTTER, crossing my arms. “I’m not going to some fancy ass ball with a family that can’t stand me.”

  Becky glares at me, her arms crossed, too. “You don’t get a choice, Gabriella.”

  “I’m sorry, since when did you become my mother? Last time I checked, I haven’t been anywhere near your vagina let alone come out of it.”

  Her face goes red.

  “That’s enough,” my father orders, shaking his head with an exhale that goes on for quite some time.

  A bit dramatic if you ask me.

  “Why do I have to go? I thought you like keeping me out of the public eye?” I question.

  “Because this family needs to come together and put on a good front, to do that we need to look like a happy little fucking group.”

  Oh, you mean so people stop suspecting you of murdering someone?

  That little thing?

  “If those bikers find out who I am ...”

  “Who gives a fuck?” Dad cuts me off. “You’re there looking for a job, as far as they know we have no problems and they have no reason to suspect me. If they found out, they find out. Better they know now, less chance of it coming out down the track and them not trusting you.”

  I’m not loving this.

  “So now we’re all just out in the open, I’m part of the family and everything is dandy? I don’t think that’ll work; nobody is going to believe you’re suddenly dad of the year.”

  My father glares at me, his eyes narrowed, his jaw tight. “You’ll do as I fucking say, Gabriella, or you can get out of this house and find your own way in life without a god damned cent. You do that, you get to make the big calls.”

  I grind my teeth together.

  I can’t afford to live on my own. I’m trying, really I am, that’s what the job is about but after I got myself into trouble recently, I was left with nothing. No savings. No chance at getting myself a place. Hell, the car I drive is my father’s. Without it, I have nothing. He knows that. I know that. It’ll take me another few months at least to get enough saved to get myself a car and maybe find a place.

  Maybe.

  “What’s this stupid ass ball anyway?” I say in defeat. “When is it?”

  “It’s Saturday night. That gives you time to tell your little biker friends who you are before they find out. We can’t have them losing trust in you yet.”

  Great.

  Sounds wonderful.

  I’m sure they’ll treat me really well when they find out what family I come from.

  I exhale, shaking my head and walking to my room. I close the door, and my eyes, pretending for just one second that I’m somewhere else, anywhere else but here.

  My phone pings, snapping me out of my thoughts. I glance over to see Remy’s name flash on the screen. I walk over, picking it up, knowing I have to answer whatever he has text because I promised.

  R – I’ve got a deep bath. Want you in it. When can you be here?

  I exhale. Sounds tempting, oh does it sound tempting, but I don’t feel like going anywhere right now. I want to look more into Constance, find out what I can. It’s consuming my mind right about now.

  G – I’m stuck at home tonight, sorry. The bath sounds good though ...

  R – I’ll come to you then.

  Oh sure, come here, that won’t be awkward at all.

  Now is my chance to tell him who I am, though. Very ca
sually. It’s the perfect opportunity.

  G – Don’t think you and my dad would get along.

  My phone rings, and with a sigh, I pick it up.

  “You live with your parents?” Remy asks.

  “My father, and yes. I don’t have much choice. Can’t afford anything else until you start paying me for the hard work I’m doing.”

  “You’re getting paid this week. Why won’t I get along with your old man?”

  “Nobody gets along with my old man. Nobody.”

  “Care to share?”

  “Nothing to share.”

  “Is there a reason nobody likes him?”

  “You’re full of questions,” I mutter.

  “Answer them then.”

  “Yes, there is a reason. You know some of my family, actually. My sweet sister, Becky.”

  He goes silent for a minute. “Fuck, the one Beckett was riding?”

  I snort. “Trust me, nobody rides Becky. She’s not the type to be ... ridden.”

  “You’re Cujo’s daughter?”

  My father’s name is not Cujo, but because of our last name, Cutter, and his first name being John, that’s what he’s been called since the beginning of time. I don’t know anyone who calls him anything different.

  “That’s the one,” I say casually. “You and Daddy Dearest friends?”

  Remy snorts. “Don’t have much interaction with him, but you’re right, nobody fuckin’ likes him.”

  I laugh. “I told you.”

  “How the fuck did I not know you’re the daughter of the richest man in town?”

  “Because as far as they’re concerned, I’m not part of the family. I’m the rebel, I suppose you could say. I’m only here because I have to be; as soon as I can afford it, I’m out.”

  Well.

  That went well.

  He hasn’t questioned a single part of it yet.

  “Tell Daddy to buy you a place.”

  “He doesn’t like me that much, he has far more control when I’m here. Maybe if I had my nose up his ass like my other two siblings then I’d get somewhere.”