Evangeline

Chapter 2. Wandering Hands

The world violently tilted. One second Mia was pressing her spine against the freezing metal of the lamp pole, and the next, the breath was completely slammed out of her lungs.

​Kane didn't treat her like a human being; he hoisted her up as if she were a sack of dry grain, throwing her roughly over his massive, rock-hard shoulder. The impact hit her ribs, sending a sharp shoot of pain straight up her spine.

​"Let me go!" Mia shrieked, the sheer terror in her chest finally breaking through her paralysis. She began to thrash violently, her small fists hammering against the dense muscle of Kane's back. "Help! Someone help me!"

​"Keep her quiet before she wakes up the whole damn block," Kane growled, his voice vibrating right through Mia's chest as he gripped the back of her thighs with a crushing, bruising hold.

​"On it," Dominic's velvety voice purred close by.

​Suddenly, a hand invaded her vision. Mia opened her mouth to scream again, but Dominic brutally shoved his fingers straight into her mouth, pressing down on her tongue to muffle the sound. The taste of leather and expensive hand lotion flooded her throat, making her gag. Panic spiraled into blind, animal fury. Mia clamped her teeth down, biting into the fleshy side of his hand with every ounce of strength she possessed.

​"f**k!" Dominic hissed, jerking his hand back. He looked down at the bleeding indentations on his skin, but instead of striking her, a dark, twisted smirk spread across his handsome face. He sucked the blood from his hand, his eyes darkening as he locked eyes with her upside-down face. "Kinky. I like a girl with teeth, sweetheart. Makes the chase so much sweeter."

​"You're an i***t, Dominic," Malachi snapped, pushing past him with frantic, jerky movements. He turned toward the shadows. "Blake! Give me the tape! Hurry up!"

​The man who had been slacking against the crates- Blake, let out a heavy, thoroughly bored sigh. He dug into the deep pocket of his oversized jacket, pulled out a thick roll of heavy-duty black duct tape, and lazily tossed it into the air. It didn't even reach Malachi; it hit the pavement with a dull thud.

​"Fumble," Luke mumbled around his toothpick, chuckling darkly.

​"Pick it up and tape her!" Malachi yelled, his voice cracking with a strange, envious rage as he glared at Dominic. "You don't get to touch her anymore. Give it to me, I'll do it!"

​Malachi lunged for the tape, but Kane stepped forward, easily blocking him with his massive frame. With one hand still pinning Mia to his shoulder, Kane snatched the tape off the ground. "Get out of the way, Malachi. You're too frantic. You'll mess it up."

​"I won't! It's my turn to hold her!" Malachi snarled, his eyes flashing with a bitter, toxic jealousy as Kane pulled a long strip of tape free with a loud, tearing screech.

​Mia struggled harder, her legs kicking out, but she was entirely pinned. Kane slapped the thick tape directly over her mouth, sealing her lips tight. Her muffled screams turned into desperate, nasal whines. In a matter of seconds, Kane wrapped the adhesive around her wrists, binding them tightly in front of her, before doing the same to her ankles. She was completely tied up, her skin stinging where the rough material bit into her flesh.

​"Throw her in the back," August's voice cut through the chaos, cold and absolute.

​A sleek, midnight-black luxury sedan idled at the mouth of the alley, its headlights cut, its engine purring like a sleeping beast. Kane threw open the back door and tossed Mia inside. She hit the leather seats hard, her bound knees knocking against the front-middle console.

​Before she could even try to sit up, Dominic slid into the backseat right after her, crowding her against the leather. On her other side, the door flew open, and Malachi climbed in, effectively sandwiching Mia between them.

​Up front, the heavy doors slammed shut. August took the driver's seat, his hands resting lightly on the steering wheel, his expression as calm as a frozen lake. Kane climbed into the passenger seat, immediately reaching into the glove box to check a heavy, matte-black handgun.

​In the rearview mirror, Mia saw a second, larger SUV pull up behind them, carrying the other three men.

​August shifted the car into drive, and the sedan glided seamlessly into the dark, desolate streets of Silveridge.

​The interior of the car was suffocatingly quiet, save for the low hum of the engine and the sound of Mia's rapid, terrified breathing through her nose. The black duct tape over her mouth felt like a lead weight.

​Then, she felt it. A hand, smooth and warm, slid over the fabric of her white dress, resting firmly on her knee. Dominic leaned his head back against the headrest, a casual, predatory smile on his lips as his fingers began to slowly wander upward along her thigh.

​Mia flinched violently, trying to pull her bound legs away, but there was nowhere to go. She let out a muffled, furious protest against the tape.

​"Relax, beautiful," Dominic whispered, his breath hot against her ear. "We're just going for a little ride. You might as well get comfortable with me. I can be very accommodating if you play nice."

​"Take your hands off her, Dominic!" Malachi hissed from her left. His body was rigid, his hands clenching and unclenching on his lap as he stared at Dominic's hand with pure, unadulterated envy. "Why do you get to sit so close to her? You're always doing this. Taking the best things for yourself. August said she's a witness, not your personal toy."

​"She's sitting right between us, Malachi. There's plenty of her to go around," Dominic replied smoothly, his fingers creeping higher, intentionally baiting his brother. "Besides, she likes me better. Don't you, angel? You didn't bite me that hard."

​Mia shook her head violently, tears of frustration and fear prickling her eyes. She pressed herself as hard as she could against the back of the seat, trying to shrink away from both of them.

​"She hates you," Malachi spat, his voice rising, thick with resentment. "Look at her! She's terrified of you. If she was next to me, I'd actually make her feel safe. You're just a parasite, Dominic. You think because you wear a nice suit you're better than me? I deserve her just as much as you do!"

​"You wouldn't know what to do with a woman like this if she was handed to you on a silver platter," Dominic mocked, his tone dripping with condescension. "Go back to skimming from the docks, little brother. Leave the high-class assets to me."

​Malachi lunged across Mia, his elbow digging sharply into her ribs as he grabbed the collar of Dominic's expensive suit jacket. "Call me that again! I swear to God, I'll carve that pretty smile right off your face!"

​"Try it, you psycho-"

​"Dominic, hands to yourself. Malachi, quit it."

​August's voice wasn't loud, but it possessed a chilling, absolute authority that instantly froze the air inside the cabin. He didn't even look back through the rearview mirror; his eyes remained fixed on the dark highway ahead.

​The silence that followed was heavy and immediate. Dominic slowly raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, though a smug, lingering grin remained on his face as he slid his hand off Mia's leg. Malachi let go of Dominic's collar, slowly backing away, his chest heaving with suppressed, envious rage. He glared out the side window, muttering curses under his breath.

​Mia slumped against the seat, her heart hammering a frantic rhythm. She looked at the back of August's head. He was completely unbothered by the violence and chaos revolving around him. He drove with an eerie, mechanical precision.

​They drove for what felt like an eternity, leaving the neon-lit grid of downtown Silveridge behind. The buildings grew sparser, replaced by rusted chain-link fences, overgrown weeds, and sprawling industrial complexes.

​Finally, the car slowed down, turning onto a bumpy, unpaved road that led toward the shipping docks. The air turned thick with the smell of saltwater, rotting wood, and diesel fuel. August steered the sedan behind a massive, abandoned warehouse, its corrugated iron walls covered in graffiti. The second SUV pulled up right behind them, its headlights cutting out simultaneously.

​"Kane, Richie, with me," August commanded, switching off the ignition. He turned his head slightly, his cold grey eyes locking onto Dominic and Malachi in the backseat. "You two stay back and watch over her. If she makes a sound, or if either of you touches her before I say otherwise, I will handle it personally. Understood?"

​"Understood, brother," Dominic said, his playful demeanor completely vanishing into a mask of professional compliance.

​Malachi just nodded sharply, still brooding in his corner.

​August and Kane stepped out of the car, joined by Richie and the other three from the SUV. Through the tinted glass of the sedan, Mia watched the men gather. Kane pulled a massive iron crowbar from the trunk of the car, his face twisted into a cruel, eager grin. Richie adjusted his glasses, holding a clipboard and a heavy tactical flashlight.

​They moved toward a large, padlocked shipping container that sat near the edge of the water. It was unmarked, looking entirely ordinary, but the way the men surrounded it suggested otherwise.

​Inside the car, the silence returned, thick and tense.

​Mia's eyes darted between Dominic and Malachi. Her mind was racing. Why are they here? What are they doing? She looked out the window again.

​Kane jammed the crowbar into the heavy padlock mechanism of the container. With a brutal, fluid heave of his massive shoulders, he threw his weight against the iron. A loud, echoing CRACK reverberated through the night air as the lock shattered, pieces of metal skittering across the concrete.

​Kane flung the heavy metal doors open.

​Richie stepped forward, shining his high-powered flashlight into the dark recesses of the container. Mia strained her eyes, leaning slightly closer to the window.

​The flashlight beam illuminated rows upon rows of identical, military-grade wooden crates. Kane reached into the nearest one, prying the lid off with a knife. He reached inside and pulled out a sleek, matte-black assault rifle. He held it up to the light, inspecting the bolt action with a satisfied grunt. Behind that crate were stacks of tightly wrapped, brick-sized packages wrapped in heavy plastic- dozens of them, filled with a dense, white powder.

​Mia's breath hitched completely. Her eyes widened in sheer, unadulterated horror.

​This wasn't just a street gang. This was a massive, highly organized criminal operation. Weapons. Contraband. The sheer volume of what was inside that container was staggering. And she had seen it. She had seen their faces.

​They're never going to let me go, the realization hit her like a physical blow. They can't.

​Out by the container, Luke and Blake began moving with surprising speed, unloading the crates and tossing them into the back of the SUV, while Richie meticulously logged every item on his clipboard. August stood perfectly still, a lone silhouette against the dark harbor, watching the perimeter like a hawk.

​Inside the sedan, Malachi noticed Mia's wide, terrified stare. A twisted, almost proud smile crept onto his lips.

​"Seeing something you shouldn't, angel?" Malachi whispered, leaning in close to her. "That's our livelihood out there. That's what makes us kings in this city. And now, you're a part of it. Whether you like it or not."

​Mia shook her head, tears finally spilling over her eyelashes, hot and fast. She let out a muffled, desperate whimper against the tape, her bound hands trembling against her lap.

​"Oh, don't cry, darling," Dominic said, his voice returning to that smooth, patronizing purr as he reached out, gently wiping a tear from her cheek with his thumb. This time, his movement was slow, almost comforting, but it felt infinitely more dangerous. "You're safe with us. As long as you're a good girl. August doesn't like loose ends, but I think I convinced him you're far too pretty to throw away."

​"You didn't convince him of anything, Dominic," Malachi snapped, his jealousy flaring up instantly at the interaction. He leaned over, forcing Mia to look at him. "Don't listen to him. He doesn't care about you. He just wants another trophy. I'm the one who wanted to keep you safe. I'm the one who told them you were too pure for the river."

​Mia pressed her eyes shut, pulling away from both of them. The sheer intensity of their gaze, the toxic air of the car, and the terrifying reality of the crime unfolding just yards away were too much. She was trapped in a cage with wolves, and the alpha was right outside, deciding her fate.

​Through the glass, she saw August turn around, his cold gaze sweeping back toward the sedan. The unloading was finished. He gave a sharp signal, and the men began closing the heavy doors of the SUV.

​August walked back toward the sedan, his long, deliberate strides signaling the end of her old life. Mia opened her eyes, staring at him through the windshield, knowing that whatever happened next, the quiet, safe life she had fought so hard to build was gone forever.