Fade to Red

Beckham moved past Dion and hugged Sparrow. She looked a wreck. When he pulled away her hands trembled.

“I’m so sorry that I haven’t seen you before now,” Beckham said.

“Please don’t apologize. My only consolation in not being there with Roxie was knowing you were with her. How long has she been missing?”

“It’s been about five hours now.”

The tears fell down her cheeks and she gave up trying to wipe them all. “I love that girl. I know you do too. We have to find her.”

He grasped her hand. “We will,” he said. He was about to tell her about Ian’s car, but Dion stepped in then and took her hand.

“Ms. Sterling, thank you for coming. And look at this little beauty,” Dion said, smiling at Journey. She smiled and her dimple deepened, causing him to grab his heart. “Oh, she’s go

Sparrow gave a wobbly smile and sniffled. “What do you know about Ian?”

Dion cleared his throat. He led her to a chair. “Please sit down. I’ll tell you all we’ve heard so far.” He went behind his desk and sat down, opening his file on Ian.

Ian had worked through about four inches of the leather band and had another inch to go. His hands and stomach were bloody and scratched up, but he wouldn’t stop until it was off. He hadn’t seen Coco in a while and it made him nervous to think of her out there, on the loose.

He paused, thinking he heard something and situated the ropes quickly around his wrists. He pulled the blanket up over the leather and lay back, breathing hard. He held the metal lever in one hand. The door opened slowly and Ian sat up, pushing the lever underneath the covers.

A battered girl stood naked in front of him. Her skin was bruised and raw, hair wet. Pink droplets fell to the ground, water mixed with blood. Her mouth was gagged, and a rope pulled taut around her neck made her step carefully into the room. Her hands were behind her. Coco pushed her forward with the hand not clutching the rope.

It took a moment before he realized who it was. Holy fuck.

“Roxie!” He jumped up and went as far as the chain allowed.

She went completely still when she heard his voice. She blinked and tears dropped down her cheeks. Her eyes narrowed. “Ian?”

She tried to turn and fold into herself to keep him from seeing all of her, but Coco pushed her toward him.

“Coco, why would you do this?” Ian asked. “Beckham will never forgive you.”

“He won’t see. I have a new idea,” she said. “Get back in the bed, Ian.”

She pulled the gag out of Roxie’s mouth and gave her a hard push forward. Roxie stumbled and ran into him, and still Coco pushed until Roxie was falling forward and he was falling back on the bed. He heard click, click, clicking and could see over Roxie’s head that Coco was snapping pictures.

“This isn’t go

“Do they? I think I can make it look pretty convincing,” she said.

Coco looped the rope around the doorknob, and as soon as Roxie felt the rope give enough for her to move, she scooted back toward the headboard, putting her knees against her chest. Ian moved to the other side of her and pushed the covers up with his knees. Roxie got far enough under the covers and lay down.

Coco nodded and snapped pictures. “Good. Ian, lie back and kiss Roxie.”

He stared at her. “No.”

“I dug up a little dirt on you last night, Ian. And I know all about Roxie here. Both of your pasts will make this so easy. Everyone is just waiting for you to fail.” Her voice sounded hypnotic. No stutters and shakes now. “You need to both do as I say, and I’ll be a lot nicer when I kill you,” she said under her breath. “Let me see your face, Roxie.”

Roxie’s head was turned away from Coco and facing Ian, but she wouldn’t look at him. Coco stayed by the door, not budging from her safe spot. Ian looked down at Roxie. He leaned in and heard her gasp. She was scared of what he might do and it killed him. He kissed her cheek and then kissed his way to her ear. Coco clicked away.

“It’s go

Roxie’s eyes shifted to his. He kissed his way over to her other ear.

“I can’t see your faces,” Coco said.

Roxie gave a barely-there nod. She turned to face him and he laid on his side. The only way Coco would get a shot that showed who they were was if she stood right over them. He found the lever and stared at Roxie. They didn’t move.

“No, that’s not go

When neither of them moved, they heard her move and Ian leaned closer to Roxie’s face. His hands were free of the rope and he was ready to pounce the second Coco was near enough. Instead, everything happened so fast. One second he was leaning in, and in the next, Roxie was yelling and grasping her throat. Coco yanked the rope and moved Roxie into position on top of him.

She rested her forehead against his and cried.

“Roxie … just breathe, sweetheart.” Ian closed his eyes. All of the fury he suppressed was ready to explode into a bloodbath. He took a deep breath. “We can make this look better if we have our hands, Coco. At least let Roxie’s be free so she can wipe her face. Won’t look very sexy if she’s obviously crying.”

Coco was quiet. Agonizing minutes ticked by. And then Ian’s stomach dropped. She was inching closer. He and Roxie didn’t breathe. Coco edged near the bed and instead of untying the rope, she lifted the blanket to wipe Roxie’s face. Roxie rolled off of him. He grabbed a fistful of Coco’s hair, and, in that split second, her eyes grew wide when she saw something coming toward her. She didn’t have time to move before he lunged forward and stabbed her in the side and stomach with the jagged edge of the lever. Blood painted the room in red streaks and polka dots.

Coco’s screams rattled Ian’s conscience. He wanted to kill her. He really did.

Instead, he pulled her hands behind her back and shoved her facedown onto the ground. He was eye level to the rope on the bed. Just out of reach. With his knees digging into her back, he stretched out his arm. Roxie used her knees to scoot the rope closer to him.

He wrapped it around Coco’s wrists and tried to make it more secure than his had been. If she got loose he was afraid he would kill her. She sobbed hysterically and he grabbed the gag that had been in Roxie’s mouth and tied it around Coco’s. He didn’t doubt the wounds hurt, but she’d inflicted a lot more pain on Roxie and Roxie wasn’t howling like a two-year-old.

He stood up and pressed his foot into her back, making sure she didn’t try to move. Her camera was on the floor across the room.

He looked at Roxie and motioned for her to come closer so he could undo her rope. She turned around and he was able to get it undone quickly.

“Get the camera and start taking pictures of her and this room,” he said. “I’m go

Roxie wrapped the blanket around her and tied it under her arms. “Forget everything you saw, Ian Sterling,” she said weakly as she walked toward the camera.

“Don’t know what you’re talkin’ ‘bout, Roxie Taylor,” he said.

He worked on the leather and Coco gradually quieted. The click of the camera echoed in the room. Roxie pointed the camera at Ian just as his restraint fell to the floor.

He closed his eyes for a moment and enjoyed the relief. Roxie touched his arm and he opened his eyes. She had the chain in her hands and handed it to him.