Destined

CHAPTER ONE Red Marrow, Southeast Wales (A Month after Possessed Left Off) “Go f**k yourself!” Dee Quarter grabbed the bouquet off the antique end table and threw it at Jonathan Wild’s head. “I’ll never marry you!” “Settle down.” “Settle down, nothing!” She ripped the landscape portrait off the wall. “Don’t.” Jonathan pointed at her, his silver, deep-set eyes widening. “I’m warning you, Deidra.” “Keep warning me then.” She threw the portrait into the mahogany table. “You can kidnap me as many times as you want. You can make me stay here and endure the t*****e of being around you.” Jonathan panted, his firm pecs flexing underneath the black, spandex shirt. “But you’ll never make me love you.” Sweat dribbled from Dee’s hairline. “You’ll never make me want you and you will never make me marry you!” “Oh, yeah?” He grabbed her arm. “We’ll see about that.” He pulled her through the halls of wood, gold accents and crystal fixtures. “Let me go.” Dee’s bare feet dragged across the thick rug. “What are you gonna do?” “You’ll see.” He swung her around a corner, bumping into his porcelain statue of the Greek God Neptune. “What? Got nothing to say now?” “Jonathan, please.” Dee grabbed at doorknobs and corners as he moved her so fast she no longer had control of her feet. “You’re scaring me.” “I bet I am.” Her sister Lydia Quarter and Lucian Stavropoulos approached them from the opposite direction. “What’s going on?” Lydia asked. “What are you doing with her?” Jonathan ignored Lydia and shoved Dee into her bedroom. “You don’t want to marry me? Huh?” “Never!” “Leave her alone,” Lydia yelled. Candra ran up. “What’s going on?” “I’ve been so nice to you, Deidra. I’ve done everything to make you happy.” “Except let me be with the man I love.” She touched her stomach. “Think about the baby, Jonathan. My baby doesn’t deserve this.” “I love that baby as much as I do you, and I want to give it the life it deserves.” “Jonathan—” “But no more, Deidra.” He shook her, twisting his fingers into her arms. “No more of this disrespect and a***e from you.” “You’ve kidn*pped me and my sister. What do you expect?” “Some f*****g gratitude and I better get it.” He pushed Dee to the hard marble floor. “You bastard!” Lydia kneeled beside her. “She’s pregnant.” “Get your a*s up!” Jonathan grabbed Lydia. “Let her go,” Dee said. “Don’t hurt her, Jonathan.” “So you’re begging now, Deidra?” He held Lydia close as she tussled. “Begging for your sister’s safety?” “Lucian, please,” Dee shouted. “Help us!” Like always he cowered in the doorway holding his hands as if he didn’t know what to do with them. “Neither one of you show me any respect.” Jonathan flung Lydia into Lucian’s arms. “I’m tired of it. Deidra, you will respect me and you will love me.” He took a key out his pocket. “And you’re not coming out of this room until you do.” “Wait.” She ran to him as he rushed to the door. “Jonathan!” “You will stay in here until I’m damn good and ready to let you out.” “No.” He shut the door and locked it. “Let me out, you asshole!” Dee beat on the door. “You can’t keep me in here.” “Let her out,” Lydia screamed from the other side. “Jonathan, please!” Dee slid to her knees, crying. “Lucian,” Lydia begged. Dee listened to him walk away without answering. “Dee?” Lydia twisted the doorknob. “Why did you do that? Why make him angry? He’s crazy.” She gripped her pounding head. “He’s gonna make me marry him,” she muttered. “What?” “We got to think of a plan, Lydia. We’re running out of time.” **** “I’ve had enough of this shit.” Detective Winston Lewis thrust his finger in the face of the scrawny British officer at the empty police station. “I wanna see Inspector Davies now.” The Police Constable stood erect in a lime-green, high-visibility jacket, his bushy black hair hanging from underneath his bobby helmet. “I apologize but the Inspector is out on a case. He’s a very busy man.” “Has he spoken to Jonathan Wild yet and if so why hasn’t he contacted me?” The PC dipped his head. “Unbelievable. He hasn’t even talked to Jonathan, has he?” “Mr. Wild has broken no laws, and the Inspector needs more to go on before he takes action—” “Listen.” Winston yanked the officer by his vest. “This psycho kidn*pped my pregnant girlfriend again, and the Inspector needs to do something about it. I didn’t come across the world for nothing. Call Davies right now and tell his a*s to get down here or the next time he sees you will be at your funeral.” “Hey.” Someone pulled Winston off the PC and threw him to the side. “Get off him.” Winston straightened himself, staring at the mature stranger in the army green jumpsuit. “Are you frigging crazy, mate?” The man’s narrow, green eyes dissolved into his wide, wrinkled face. “Where in your mind does it make sense to attack a police officer in a station?” He helped the PC off the desk. “Are you all right, Abie?” Abie glared at Winston while straightening his hat. “Fine now, sir.” “Look, I apologize, okay?” Winston gestured to Abie. “But I need help and the f*****g police won’t help me.” The older gentleman’s rosy cheeks sagged as he extended his hand to Winston. “Vance Smith. I was a sergeant with the Red Marrow Police for thirty years.” Winston took his hand in a limp shake. “Detective Winston Lewis from Baltimore.” “I’ve heard of ya’.” Vance gave Winston’s hand a manly shake. “Inspector Davis told me about you. He’s one of my closest friends.” With a slight curve in his back, Vance almost reached the ceiling at 6’5. “I assure you, Davies has done all in his power to help but this is the UK. We can’t just take over cases you’ve brought from the states. Mr. Wild has to have done something here and if so, you must prove it before they look into it.” “This man kidn*pped my lady, drugged her, and held her prisoner for three months and got immunity for it. Now he brings her to Wales. I can’t just sit back. She might not make it out alive this time.” Deep lines divided Vance’s forehead. “Maybe I can help you.” “How?” “I have a history with the Wild clan.” Sprigs of white hair stuck out from around Vance’s bald, liver-spotted scalp. “Was just gonna have a chinwag with Davies. We can talk until he arrives.” “A ‘chinwag’?” Winston got out his phone and found the site he’d bookmarked for British terms. Vance and Abie chuckled. “Oh, a chat.” Winston groaned, putting his phone away. “If you can help, I’d appreciate it.” “First, give me a little background on the situation.” They sat at the rickety table by the soda machine and Winston told Vance everything he and Dee had gone through with Jonathan. Vance propped his elbow on the table, rubbing the unkempt gray fuzz on his chin. “I knew Montgomery Wild well.” Winston perked up in the chair. “Jonathan’s father?” “Montgomery stole something from me the same way Jonathan has you.” “What did he steal?” Vance’s nostrils widened as he stared into space. “My life.” “What?” Vance shook his head as if breaking from a trance. “I’ll help you get your lady back.” He grabbed Winston’s shoulder with his sturdy hand. “But we’ll need a foolproof plan.”