We Want Mommy Not You Daddy (Cedar) novel Chapter 153

Chapter 153

Cedar’s POV

A voice, sharp and dripping with mockery, slid out from the shadows.

“Well, well… you actually came.”

I turned toward the sound, but the warehouse was so dim I could only

make out the silhouette of a woman leaning casually against a stack

of crates. My eyes darted everywhere–no sign of Oliver.

My pulse spiked.

“Selena,” I demanded, my voice cutting the darkness, “where is

Oliver? What have you done with him?”

A muffled, frantic noise answered me.

I tilted my head up, and then my stomach dropped.

From a roof beam high above, a thick rope dangled. Suspended from it

-small body twisting, wrists and ankles bound, a strip of cloth

shoved between his teeth–was Oliver. He was kicking, struggling, his

little frame trembling with panic.

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My chest caved in. The sight was a blow straight to the heart–an

actual physical ache tearing through me. I didn’t think, I just lunged

forward.

The rope jerked upward, hoisting Oliver even higher, until he was

nearly brushing the rafters.

“Selena! Have you lost your mind? Put him down! Now!”

Her answer was a low, humorless laugh, the sound clawing along my

spine.

Then–blinding light. The warehouse’s overheads sputtered to life,

spilling harsh fluorescence into every corner.

I could see him clearly now–skin pale, hair mussed, limbs tied so

tightly the rope bit into him, but no blood, no bruises. Relief and rage

warred in my chest.

Footsteps echoed. I spun to see a group of men–maybe ten-

emerging from the gloom at the far end. Tank tops clinging to their

shoulders, tattoos snaking down their arms, faces hard and hungry.

Selena stood dead center, a cigarette balanced between two fingers,

her eyes fixed on me with a predator’s calm.

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“Since you and I go way back,” she said lightly, blowing out a plume

of smoke, “I’ll give you a choice. You keep them entertained, and your

little boy walks out of here untouched.”

I clenched my fists so tight my nails cut into my palms. “This is a

crime, Selena. You know that.”

“Crime?” She smiled without warmth. “Do you think I care?”

She crushed the cigarette beneath her heel and strode toward me. Her

hand shot out, clamping around my jaw so hard it hurt. Her voice

dropped to a hiss.

“You know exactly why I am the way I am. You know Ridley had that

man ruin me. You think I’m going to sit quietly and let you live

happily? No, Cedar. You’re going to choke on the same kind of

humiliation I did.”

My stomach turned to stone.

I forced my voice steady. “If it’s me you want, then take me. Let Oliver

go.”

She stared at me for a beat, then laughed–a harsh, jagged sound. “Death would be too easy for you. I want you alive, broken… with

your boy watching every second.”

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Chapter 153

Her words hit like ice water. My throat constricted.

“Selena… you’re still so young. This–this doesn’t have to be all there

1. is. Medicine can fix what’s wrong. You can still have a future. A

husband. A family. You can still-”

Ex-

“Save it!” she spat, her face twisting. “Even if Wright Creatives rises

from the ashes, I’ll never be that shining debutante again. Everyone

knows what happened to me. No one can scrub that away.”

Her gaze snapped to the men. “Well? What are you waiting for? Get

her clothes off.”

They moved toward me as one, their bulk blotting out the light. The

air thickened, heavy and foul.

Above me,

Oliver’s muffled cries grew louder. He writhed so hard the

beam above groaned.

I kept backing up, my shoes sliding on the cold, damp concrete. “If

you touch me, Ridley will bury you. None of you will last a week in

Chicago.”

That only seemed to ignite Selena’s fury. “Still clinging to him? We’ll

see if he still wants you after tonight.”

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She set a camcorder on a tripod, the red light blinking to life. My

breath caught.

The first man to reach me grabbed at my shirt, fabric tearing with a

sickening rip. I was aware of my skin exposed under the harsh light,

of the way their eyes raked over me–like wolves circling prey.

I staggered back until my hand brushed something cold and solid. A

length of steel pipe. I snatched it and swung with every ounce of

strength I had, catching the nearest man across the temple. He

stumbled, blood blooming.

“You-” His snarl curdled into rage. He wrenched the pipe from me

and hurled it aside. His eyes gleamed with a violence that made the

air disappear from my lungs.

My hand groped blindly, closing around something jagged. Without

thinking, I pressed it to my own throat. “If you touch me, I’ll make

sure you have a corpse on your hands before you’re done.”

The point bit into my skin; I felt the warm trickle of blood. My heart

hammered but my voice didn’t shake. “One dead woman, and you’ll

all go down for murder.”

Selena pushed through the men, crouching in front of me. “If they

forced you, maybe Ridley would still pity you. But if you begged for it?

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Crawled to them?” Her smile was pure venom. “He’d never want to

see you again.”

She pulled a small packet from her pocket, tore it open, and grabbed

my jaw again. The fine powder hit my tongue before I could twist

away, dissolving instantly.

“What did you-” My voice broke.

“Just something to loosen you up,” she purred, patting my cheek.

I gagged, trying to force it back up, but it was useless. The heat

started low in my stomach, climbing fast, searing through my veins.

My skin felt too tight. Sweat prickled at my hairline. The room swam.

Above us, Oliver’s muffled sobs turned into a desperate shout as he

spat the gag free.

“Let my mom go! If you hurt her, I’ll make you pay! I swear it!”

Selena glanced up, her smile widening. “See, kid? She’s not tied down.

She’s the one chasing them.”

The drug was working fast, robbing me of control. My body moved

without my consent, stumbling toward one of the men. My mind

screamed no, but the heat was relentless.

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I bit my tongue hard, copper flooding my mouth. The pain cut a thin

line through the fog. I clung to it. Not here. Not in front of Oliver.

But the men had seen enough. They surged forward, shoving me to the ground.

Selena’s laughter split the air. “Perfect. Just perfect.”

She turned to the camcorder, her hand adjusting the angle, capturing

it all. I knew–even in the haze–what she intended to do with it.

And then-

A deafening crash.

The warehouse door burst inward, slamming against the wall. A tall

figure in a black suit strode in, the air around him dropping ten

degrees. His eyes were shards of ice.

“Dad!” Oliver’s voice cracked in relief–and terror.

The man’s gaze swept the room once, then he moved. Two steps, a vicious kick–the men on top of me went flying. The next moment, a heavy, warm fabric dropped over my shoulders. His scent–clean, sharp, familiar–cut through the chaos.

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Strong arms closed around me, pulling me up, steadying me. I looked

up, dazed, my vision struggling to focus.

Ridley. He came.

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