The Sacrifice: Chapter 49

We’ve just gotten out of town when I hear my cell going off and alerting me of a message. I see I had a missed call from Lake a while ago. I must have had bad service. We’re out in the middle of nowhere. I hit call to listen to her voicemail.

“Hey.” Her sweet voice fills my ear. “Don’t be mad but I came to Blackout tonight to help while you’re out and I don’t know what’s going on, but Bethany is here and wants to talk to you. We’re calling from my cell. I’m going to put it back in my locker. When you call back, call the club. I’m going to have her sit at the bar and wait for your call. She’s crying and very upset.”

“What the fuck?” Ending the call, I immediately dial Blackout and wait for someone to pick up. It rings until it stops. I dial it again. Finally, on the fourth ring, someone answers.

“Blackout,” Beau calls out into the phone.

I want to demand why the fuck my wife is there but he’s not going to know, so I get to the point. “Hey, Lake called me. Said that Bethany wanted to talk to me,” I say.

“Yeah, she’s at the bar. One sec. I’ll get her.”

“Ty-son,” her broken voice says moments later.

I refrain from rolling my eyes. Bethany isn’t my favorite person right now. “What do you want, Beth? And why are you at Blackout?” If she wanted to call me, she could have called me from her own cell. I’m not sure I’d answer, but she could have left a voicemail herself instead of using my wife. Bethany isn’t stupid. She knows how to use people to her advantage, no matter how well she’s able to play the victim.

“I’m sorry.” She begins to cry.

I sigh, running a hand through my hair. “I’ll be back at Blackout in a couple of hours. Stay at the bar, and I’ll come get you.” I left Alex and Jenks behind to keep an eye on the place, so I’ll have them add babysitting her to their duties. “We can talk in my office, okay?”

“Tyson?” Colton hollers at me, and I nod at him to give me a second.

“Bethany?” I bark out, not having time for this right now.

“It’ll be too late,” she whispers, sending a chill down my spine.

“What’ll be too late?” I demand.

Click.

“Bethany?” I shout out at the silence. Pulling my cell from my ear, I look at Colton. “I’ve got to go.”

“What’s wrong?” he calls out, he and Finn already heading toward me.

“Stay here. Get it done,” I order, and then I jump back into my car, starting it up. I squeal the tires heading back into town, praying that this is one of those times she’s just being dramatic.

I dial Alex’s cell, and he answers immediately. “What’s up, boss?” The sound of the music coming from the club makes it hard to hear him.

“Where the fuck is my wife?” I growl, my hand tightening on the steering wheel and shifting in my seat.

“I sent you a text that she was here.”

“I didn’t have any service,” I snap, and take in a deep breath. “What the fuck is she doing?”

“She’s on the floor working. Starla went home because she was puking in the locker room, so Lake took over her tables.”

“Keep an eye on her. Don’t let her out of your sight.”

The only sound is the bass filling my car as he’s silent for a second and then I hear him slamming a door shut, the music fading. “What’s going on? I’m watching Lake right now on the cameras in your office. She’s at the bar getting drinks from Beau.”

“Bethany is there,” I inform him. “Called me crying. She’s up to something. Said she was sitting at the bar—”

“She’s not there,” He interrupts me.

“Fucking find her. Now.” I shout.

The sound of a knock can be heard over his phone. “Once sec.” I hear the music filter into the room once more. “What’s up, man…” The phone goes dead.

“FUCK!”

LAIKYN

I walk over to the bar and place an order for a table of eight when I see Bethany walking over to the cage. Beau comes over to me and I yell over the music. “Did she speak to Tyson?”

He nods. Good, I feel a little better now. But looking back over at her, I watch her remove her shirt so all she has on is her bra.

“Give me a water, please.” He hands me one. “I’ll be right back,” I tell him, and leave my tray behind.

Going over to the cage, I reach through the metal bars and tug on her jeans. “Bethany?” I shout.

She bends down and smiles at me. Whatever she said to Tyson must have helped because she looks much happier now. “Here’s a water.” I hold it up with my free hand.

Opening up the cage, she reaches for it but grabs my hand and begins to pull me in. “Oh, no. I can’t…”

“Come on, Lake.” She pulls on me as hands push my ass, lifting me into the cage. I catch sight of the guy shutting it behind me, closing us inside.

I try to look for Beau to get his attention to let him know I’m up here, but the bar is swamped.

Spinning me around, Bethany reaches up, gripping the bars my back is pressed into, and leans her face into mine with her lips by my ear. “Live a little before you die.”

“Bethany…”

I feel wetness on my leotard and look down to see something on my uniform but the flashing lights make it hard to see. “What the …” Did she shoot me? Stab me? My hands frantically grab at the material and then I see it’s blood on me as my heart pounds in my chest. My breath catches as I run them all over my chest, neck, and arms, trying to find out what’s going on, but all it does is smear the blood around.

My stomach sinks when I see her smiling at me.

All I can think is that I wish I would have told Tyson that I loved him at least once. Because the look on her face tells me all I need to know. I’ll never be seeing him again.