Chapter Chapter Twelve

I got in my room and saw the outfit he wanted me in, it was a sleek black dress, the skirt was leather as the torso was corset like, it went to the floor with a masquerade mask.

“Not again” I murmur as I slowly walk to the shower and scold myself with the water as the blood drips down the drain.

I put on the dress as a woman comes in and claims she was there to do my hair and make-up. She curls my hair and gives me an over the top smoky look as she places the mask on my face.

When we are finished she leads me to Hayden’s office.

“My, what a wonder…You truly are a beautiful woman. Are you ready for some fun? I’m afraid we’ll be blindfolding you on the way there, can’t have you knowing where we are going can we?” He smirks as Seb comes up with a blindfold and covers my eyes.

“Try not to ruin her hair!” The woman cries out as Hayden laughs.

Someone takes my arm as I lift my dress, so I don’t trip on it.

I’m placed into a vehicle and hear the engine roar to life.

“There are rules tonight. One, you may not talk to anyone. Two, you may choose one person to dance with and that is it. Three, give us away and my men will shoot. Understood?” He says.

“Understood” I answer but I have no idea what’s going on.

We ride in the car for what feels like hours before he stops the car and comes around to my side before taking my hand and removing the blindfold.

“No…” I murmur in shock as I notice where we are.

“Yes, this is your little school. Happy birthday. Tonight I will be sending that photo and many others of your work as you will watch them all receive it. They’ll think you’ve turned with all the rumours I’ve put out. Remember my rules Samantha, I wouldn’t want my men to hurt anyone. Notice the ones with small black roses in their pockets…They’re mine…There’s at least ten here. One word and I will order them to shoot.” He says in my ear as he leads me to the doors.

We entered the school as my heart was beating fast, why did they do masks again? Why after Henderson’s school?

We wandered around the room for a while as Hayden said hello to the men with black roses.

The hall went quiet as someone walked on the huge stage that had been put up in the hall. It looked gorgeous in here.

“Welcome! Welcome to the Academy of the Rose, thank you for celebrating the birthday of our little lady Louisa. We also wish to celebrate the birthday of our girl Samantha, although she’s not here, she is never forgotten” Tobias stood on a stage in front of everyone.

“Happy Birthday Samantha!” I hear James shout as I look towards where he was, he was clapping and hollering with a smile as some others join in. I tried to stop the tear in my eye from falling.

“Now, we want to thank all of you attending as we know many of you have been helping us on our search for our girl. So, please enjoy yourself as tomorrow we’ll be back to business!” He says as everyone claps.

“Very cute” Hayden laughs as he takes my hand and twirls me around on the dance floor.

“Why would you do this?” I ask.

“You earnt it. I give rewards and today you earnt a reward. Do you know who you’ll dance with yet?” He smirks twirling me again as I look around.

Men were stationed across the hall as I noticed the roses on their pockets, some red and some black.

My eyes scan the room as they zero in on my grandfather who looks solemn, my heart bled as I saw Lindsey try to cheer him up and Tobias boom up to him.

“I’ve chosen” I say as Hayden smiles and releases my hand.

“Remember, no talking” He says releasing me as I walk through the crowd up towards them.

How the hell was I supposed to ask someone to dance if I couldn’t talk?

Luckily for me as I walked up I noticed him stand and take Lindsey to the dance floor. If anyone was going to know it was me without it talking, he’d be the one, but I had to warn him somehow about the men surrounding me. I sighed as Hayden lurked in the crowd around me, watching.

“Are you ok Miss?” Tobias walked up to me with a brow raised. I just nod and he frowns as I watch the people around me.

“Not much of a talker, huh?” He says as my eyes flick to his, shaking my head a little.

“Do me a favour sweetheart…Blink once for yes and twice for no” He says quietly so I’m the only one who hears him.

“Do you know who I am?”

Blink once. Yes.

“Do I know you?” Tobias don’t do this…

Blink once. Yes.

“Are we in danger?”

Blink once. Yes.

“Is Hayden here?” My eyes flick to his before I blink once.

“Sam?” He gasps.

I blink once.

“We’ll get you home I swear”

I blink twice as I smile at him and shake my head, laying a hand on his arm as if denying him a dance as Hayden watches me carefully.

“Sorry, is my date bothering you?” Hayden comes up quickly.

“Oh, no, if anything I was. She wouldn’t say a word to me, I only asked for a dance” Tobias says eyeing up Hayden.

“Well, I am sorry, she’s mute. Had her tongue cut out when she was younger” He said but I could hear the warning in his voice.

“That’s awful. Sorry to hear that. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have to mingle. I apologise for bothering you Miss” He says with a bow and kisses my hand.

“What are you playing at?” Hayden hisses in my ear as he drags me to the dance floor once more, pulling me close to him.

“He was asking for a dance. I didn’t say anything. I was waiting for a moment to try and get a dance with the person I wanted, but he’s dancing, and I’m not allowed to talk” I hiss.

“Fine, show me who and I’ll swap you out for whomever they are dancing with”

I looked around and didn’t see grandpa anywhere anymore.

“Shit, they’ve gone” I growl.

“Then choose another, before I lose my patience” He snaps as I look around as I point to someone.

But before we can get to them Hayden is tapped on the shoulder.

“Do you mind if I dance with the lovely lady here?” The person asks.

“I’m not sure if my date would like to. Would you like to my love?” He asks as I look at the man, I couldn’t work out who it was.

“Please?” The guy begs.

“Fine. But we leave soon, so make it quick” Hayden huffs, choosing for me and passes my hand to the man as he twirls me around.

I notice Tobias and a few others crowd around us as Hayden is hidden from sight.

“I know it’s you Sam. Tobias told us. Same rules as him, I know you’re scared. Blink once for yes, two for no.” He says.

I blink once. I still can’t work out who it is…I hate these masks!

“Do you know who I am?” They ask as I have to stop myself laughing, I didn’t have a clue, I blink twice.

“These masks work well…It’s me, Zane” He says as my eyes widen, but I lower them quickly.

“He has men here doesn’t he? Watching us?”

I blink once, yes.

“How many?” He asks as he twirls me slowly around as I count.

I blink slowly ten times.

“Ten…Shit…you know which ones?” He asks.

Blink once, yes.

“So their outfit is different?”

Yes.

“It’s the roses isn’t it?” He says as I smile lightly and blink once.

Suddenly the hall is filled with ring tones and the dancing stops.

“Black roses?” He asks as I blink once. He nods as he opens his phone up and gazes at the screen.

Screams fill the room and the room is filled with loud conversation.

“Tell me you didn’t…” He says as he shows me the screen.

It showed an image.

“Your girl isn’t so innocent is she? These men were innocent, they were much like you, protecting the children, an ally of the Midnight Rose. Looks like she’s mine forever!” The message said as it showed every bloodied body and then a photo of the little girl on the ground, dead, it had been edited like I was looking at her like a trophy.

The whole room was in uproar as people rushed about talking about the message.

“I’ll take her back now, thank you” Hayden said coming up to me.

Suddenly Hayden’s leg was rammed into as he tumbled to the ground.

“What the hell?!” He shouts as I spot it was Shaun in the wheelchair.

“Oh my! I’m sorry, I’m not used to the chair yet! Paralysed, my man. I apologise. Are you ok miss?” He says as his hand takes a hold of my dress slightly as he places a pin on it.

I nod as Hayden growls in annoyance.

“Let’s go!” Hayden shouts waiting for me.

“Ladies and gentlemen! Can I have your attention for just a moment?” Tobias booms as Hayden pulls me to his side as everyone stops and faces the stage once more.

“It has come to my attention that an image and message has been sent to all regarding our girl Samantha. May I remind you that all roses have thorns, and this one is a very black rose indeed! Do not forget that there is always more sides to a story! Unfortunately, you are all being misled! Samantha has been taken and used against her will” He continues.

“Let’s go” Hayden growls and slowly drags me away from the crowd. But it wasn’t unnoticed.

“Oh don’t leave sir! The party just started!” Tobias booms out as the doors behind us close.

“What are you playing at man? A lock in?” Hayden tries to laugh.

“Of sorts…I’m asking everyone to remove their masks. In our lifetime we all put on a mask and tonight we put a stop to that. We want to show our true faces.” He smirks.

Tobias no! I wish I could convey this to him. This was not going to end well.

“We do however have to do one thing first…” My grandpa took the stage.

I looked to my dress as I saw the pin. If they were about to do something, that would be my only weapon.

“Boys!” Tobias booms as shots ring in the air as the men with black roses on their suits go down one by one.

“God damn it! What did you do!” Hayden hissed in my ear as I felt him searching for his gun.

“Looking for something?” Shaun wheeled up to us twirling a gun in his hand with a smirk.

But before I knew it a blade was up to my throat.

“Missed this though didn’t you boy?” Hayden laugh.

“Put the knife down” A voice says from behind us as he twirls us around to face Lizzy with a gun.

“Darling! How are you? I’ve been looking for you!” He says.

“Oh really? Looking for me why? Because I thought I was too weak for you” She says.

“Just a joke baby girl.” He says as he presses the knife harder to my throat as I whimper.

“Get your hands off my girl” This time we whirl to Jayden standing there, his mask off now too.

“Jay” I cry.

“Or what? I’ll take her with me if you try to kill me. Then what will you have?” He says as my hand slowly inches up the skirt of my dress to the pin.

“You aren’t getting out of here Hayden” I say.

“Neither will you, not without a box” He laughs.

“I warned you my family were stronger, didn’t I?” I said.

“The boys will come after you, if you kill me, they’ll still come after you. I’m sure Marcus will love to drain blood from every one of you!” He shouts.

“Will I?” I hear as Marcus comes out of the crowd.

“About time you got here” Lizzy smiles.

“What?!” Hayden and I say at the same time, this gives me the leverage to grab the knife at my throat, stab his hand with the pin as he shouts in pain as Lizzy wipes out her father’s legs.

“Shaun might have taught me your move” Lizzy smirks, her gun still zeroed in on her father.

“Samantha…” Marcus says as he brings out the little girl from the industrial estate.

“You didn’t kill her?” I murmur.

“Whole thing was a set up. They’re all alive…” He says with a smile as the guys I thought we’d killed came out of the crowd.

“Daddy, you’ve pissed off a lot of people here. Any final words?” Lizzy says.

“Fuck you” He says.

“Lizzy give me the gun” I say as she goes to shoot.

She walks around her father and hands me the gun as I remove my own mask.

“You broke me down, drowned me, tortured me, had your men play with me and then thought you had me…I warned you my family were stronger, and it looks like even your own men wanted MY life. Men like you will NEVER win…Not now, not ever, not while we’re around” I growl as I kick his knife away as he looks at me with fear.

“Well played…Your mother would be proud…I’ll be sure to tell her everything you’ve done when I’m up there with her. It will be great to see her again if you know what I mean” he winks as I growl and get closer.

“You’ll be in hell nowhere near her” I say as he smirks.

Within a few seconds he’s grabbed the gun from my hands, pulled my legs from under me and is aiming at me from the edge of the hallway.

“You should have just got on with it!” He laughs.

The doors open behind him as his smile faulters.

“Stay away from my Aunty!” Layla screams out as I notice a gun in her hand as she pulls the trigger.

Hayden falls to the ground with a thud as we look at the scene wide-eyed in shock.

“LAYLA!” Tammy, Wayne and Rob shout as they run up to her tear-stricken face.

Hayden was still breathing on the ground as I ignored everything going on around me kicking his gun away and dragging him outside with the knife in my hand.

“Damn kids” He coughed up blood.

“Sam…” Tobias says from the doorway.

“Enjoy hell fucker, say hey to the men that wrecked my life” I said before slowly slitting his throat as he gurgles out, blood all over me once more.

“Sammy” Tobias says again from the door.

“Who gave Layla a fucking gun?” I scowl.

“We’ll find out where she got it…Sam are you ok?” He asks as I walk back into the building with blood over my arms.

“Oh no! Aunty Sammy! Did you get hurt?!” Layla screams running to me.

“I’m ok, it’s not my blood Layla baby” I said with a smile.

“I…I didn’t mean to shoot him…He was going to hurt you…Cody needs his mummy I need my aunty…We missed you” She bowed her head.

“Layla, I’m not happy about you using a gun, not at your age. But thank you” My voice wobbled in the end.

“Kitten!” Jayden runs up to me, ignoring the blood on me as he kisses me hard on the lips as I completely lose it and begin to sob.

“I’m home…” I cry.

“You’re home. We’ve got you” He says trying to soothe me as I drop to the floor.

“I want this place tidied up! Nights not over yet and the party just started! We got our girl home!” Tobias boomed from the stage as many of the men began clearing up the bodies on the ground.

“Jay, let me take her, I’ll get her cleaned up” Savannah comes to my side as she helps me up and steers me upstairs.

“Cody?” I ask, still blubbing.

“Under the watch of Uncle Damien and Uncle Taylor” She says.

“Taylor’s ok?” I ask.

“He’s got some major scarring, but he’s ok” She says as she helps me out of the blood-soaked dress and into one of the showers.

“Marcus was in on this?” I say once out of the shower as she sits me down with a huge towel wrapped around me.

“He wasn’t…not to begin with… But then Harvey and Tobias got to him…We’ve not stopped looking for you Sam” She says as she hugs me tight to her side.

“I was lost myself…I was breaking…” I cry.

“But you didn’t, you’re home. It’s over” She kisses my head.

“Happy birthday to me” I laugh as she chuckles too and helps me into another dress.

“I bought this for you for your birthday…I hope you like it” She says as I look in the mirror. It was beautiful. A gorgeous red dress that hugged my figure. I’d lost a little weight thanks to Hayden’s starvation techniques, but it still looked great.

“Thank you”

“We thought you were dead…” She cried suddenly as I wrapped my arms around her.

“I’m here” I murmured.

“He sent us messages, photos of you, of what he did…Then he sent one, you looked dead…We didn’t want to believe it…Tobias point blank refused to let us as he and the guys kept digging. They found Marcus. They got his family to safety and he agreed to help…Hayden’s been using families as a way of control for so long that his men have forgotten…Tobias persuaded him…If it wasn’t for him…” She sniffled.

“Tobias was the one who recognised me tonight…” I said as she nodded.

“He came straight to find us when he’d figured out you were really here” She smiled.

“I owe him so much” I cried.

“Then we need to stop crying and get ourselves together as he wants to party” She laughs a little as I chuckle and hug her tightly once more.

“Thank you for taking care of Cody” I said as she smiled.

“How did you know?” She asks.

“Hayden threatened me with a video call of you all up the park…The day I gave in to the torture” I said.

“Well you don’t need to worry about that anymore. Cody misses his mummy we’ll see him soon” she smiles and takes my hand, leading me back downstairs.

The hall was already back to the image of joy it had been before, the bodies and masks gone.

As we come into the hall it erupts into applause as I go bright red blushing.

“Happy Birthday Samantha and Louisa!” The crowd cheer as I cry with happiness.