by Tiya Rayne
I check the other doors in the room. One door leads to a closet and the next to a bathroom with a too-small window.
When I come back into the bedroom, I check the door, testing my luck. The door is locked shut. I’m stuck.
The soft sound of music drifts up from downstairs. The low rumble of conversation floats up with it. Judging by the fancy cars parked outside my window in the circular driveway, this party is a success.
I flop back down on the bed—not giving up, but trying to come up with another plan—when the sound of paper wrinkling catches my attention. I’m still in my pants suit, minus the heels. This peach top has seen better days.
I remember the envelope from my sister in my back pocket. I pull it out, feeling thankful that they didn’t search me or change my clothes.
I open the envelope and take the letter out. When I open the letter the first thing I do is admire the beautiful handwriting of my sister. Tears prickle my eyes as I read the first line.
Dear Brook,
If you’re reading this, sweet sister, then my suspicions were true. First, I want you to know that I love you. You’re going to hear a lot of things about me, but know that what we shared was not a lie. I wasn’t always myself with you, but I was never a stranger. I know it’s hard to believe what I’ve done and the secrets I’ve kept, but you must know that you are the most important thing to me.
I have to stop reading for a second to clear my eyes before I start back.
All I’ve ever wanted was for you to be happy. I knew the things you did to protect me as a child. Things I wish you hadn’t done, but I know how it feels now. I tried to give you the happily ever after you deserve. That’s why I sent you Walker. Brooklyn, he is perfect for you. You deserve him and he deserves you. Walk by faith, not by sight. And trust me, he can lead you. I wish that we could have both followed that yellow brick road and walked into our sunset on that little farm, but life doesn’t work that way.
Until we meet again.
I love you, today, tomorrow, forever, always,
Albany Creedmoor
P.S. I did some research. Turns out our mother did have some records for us. I’m older than you by seven minutes. How does it feel to be the baby?
I fold the letter back up and put it away. My heart beats fast as I once again realize all that I’ve lost, not only my sister but that happily ever after she wanted for me. That I wanted for myself.
I could see myself on that farm with Walker so easily. It hurts to think about. I wanted it all, the kids, the animals, and definitely the man. And it was taken away from me entirely too soon.
“I want him back,” I cry out to the empty room.
“You better be talking about me.”
I spring up from the bed and turn around to face him. I run to him and he opens his arms for me. I hug him so tight I think I might break him.
He hisses. “Baby, I missed you too, but my body feels like I recently survived a very bad wreck.” I finally pull back and notice the bandage on his forehead and the small cuts on his face.
I gasp. “Walker you’re hurt.”
“Yeah.”
“You shouldn’t be here. We need to get you to a hospital.” He smiles.
“Not until we take care of this first.”
He grabs my hand and tugs me to the door that I’ve only now realized is open. The moment we step out, I find three dead guards by the door.
“How did you do that?”
I didn’t hear any of this and I was right inside the room.
“It’s part of my superpower,” he jokes and then winks.
“Yeah, about that,” I say following him down the hall. “Why didn’t you tell me?” He stops and turns to me, those eyes that I truly do believe can see through me soften.
“Because my condition isn’t who I am. And it doesn’t affect the way that I love you. Does it affect how you feel about me?”
I stare at him for a moment. Taking in the man that has gone through hell for me, the man that I’d fallen for before I ever met him. I look at him now and I realize, I don’t give a shit if he can’t see. I cup his face and kiss him, answering his question with my lips.
“Will you two stop it? Damn, you act like virgins on prom night,” Priest says, walking up behind us. I roll my eyes. I’m not a Priest fan, but I’m happy to see him.
“Is everything set?” Walker asks.
“Yeah, we’re waiting for you.” Priest hands Walker some of the ugliest glasses I have ever seen. They look heavy as shit.
“Put these on top of your head,” Walker says, handing the glasses to me.
I slide the things over my head and immediately realize what they are. “Night vision glasses?”
“Yeah, I thought we’d make it interesting and even the playing field a bit,” Walker says with a smirk then turns away.
“I have to tell you something,” I call out, getting both their attentions. “I found out who killed my sister. It was Detective Long.”
“We know.” Walker quickly explains that he remembered the scent.
“But there’s something else,” I tell them what Long told me about him helping someone from the Church.
Both men grow quiet. I watch as they transform before me. They go from the calm men that I’ve been around for nearly two weeks to the killing machines they’ve been trained to be. I thought they were dangerous before, but this is deadly.
“We’ll deal with that later,” Priest announces out loud. And at first, I wonder if he’s talking to me and Walker, but then I remember that Lucien is on their team. “Let’s stay focused. We clean the menu first and don’t forget, the cop belongs to me,” Priest growls out before turning and marching toward the end of the hall.
Walker places a kiss to my temple. “Stay close,” he mumbles into my hairline as we follow Priest.
“I don’t get a gun this time?” I tease.
He looks at me briefly and smiles. “Not this time.”
When we reach the end of the hall there’s a set of stairs leading us down to the front of the house. “Why are we going down these stairs? Shouldn’t we find an alternative route?”
“Nope, we’re going out the front door,” Priest says over his shoulder without turning to look at me. “I need to say goodbye to some people.”
I’m starting to believe every member of the Church is batshit crazy.
However, I don’t argue, because I’ve learned I’m in the best care here. If anyone can get me out of this predicament, I believe it’s Walker.
This sprawling estate is filled with people. We bypass tons of servers on our way down the stairs. Men in all shapes and sizes dressed in matching suits.
They all seem to be carrying trays or pushing food carts. They cut their eyes at us, but don’t say anything. I go to mention it to Walker, but my attention is stolen by the voices drawing closer.
I can hear Gabriella’s high-pitched laugh from here. When we finally get to the bottom of the stairs we are met with a handful of well-dressed people. I recognize the emcee from the auction, along with Gabriella standing next to a strikingly handsome man—I assume to be her husband by the way he’s wrapped around her.
There are a bunch of people I’ve never met before. Standing on the other side of the room from us is Detective Long—who looks wide-eyed at my small entourage.
“By all means, don’t let us stop the party,” Priest states in that asshole condescending tone he’s good at.
“Are you out of your mind?” Gabriella’s husband sneers at us.
He takes a step away from her and toward us. As quick as I’ve ever seen them move, both Walker and Priest have guns drawn and aimed at the man.
I didn’t even notice it, but apparently Long was going for his gun. Walker turns his gun to aim at him as he shakes his head in warning. I agree with Seth, I do want to know how he does that.
“I’ve heard you’ve been looking for us. Well, now you have our attention.”
The room is completely silent
. The fancily dressed people were clearly not expecting this turn of events.
“If you think I wasn’t prepared for this, you are dumber than I first thought,” Gabriella says.
Just then the servers in the room all toss aside the food trays and carts and pull out guns. I turn around to find even more of the men dressed like servers with guns aimed at us. In total, it’s about twenty or more armed men surrounding us.
Gabriella boldly steps around her husband. Her head held high as she smirks at us. “You caught my father and his colleagues off guard, but I’m smarter than them. Well, I’m smarter than most actually.”
This is the moment most people in my predicament would start to panic. It’s three of us, well two if you’re talking about the ones with guns, and we’re surrounded, but I know my man.
Walker and Priest turn to each other and laugh. “Sweetheart, you should have brought more men,” Priest says.
I don’t even have to be told, I reach up for my goggles and place them on my eyes right as the lights go out. The room is pitch black, not even the streetlights work. I’m yanked to the ground as Walker lies on top of me. Guns start to go off all around me.
“This is starting to feel redundant,” I joke. He smiles down at me.
“Stay low and find someplace to hide. It’s going to get messy,” he directs, having to speak louder over the noise.
He rolls off of me and I start crawling for the table in the corner. People are dropping all around me, and those that aren’t falling are screaming and trying to take cover. I chose the table in the corner because it gives the perfect view of the full room.
Someone trips over me and lands beside me. It’s the emcee from the other night. He scrambles with his hands out in front of him, trying to find what made him fall.
I use this time to kick him in the face. He howls in pain and falls back holding his bleeding nose. Maybe that was uncalled for, but I don’t like him. He helps put dangerous weapons in terrorist hands.
I make it to the table as the sound of the gunshots die down. Looking through the hazy green of the night vision goggles, it seems like all the servants are dead. I try to find where the gunshots are now coming from and I catch the spark of light coming through the windows.
Someone is outside taking down most of the gunmen. A flash of movement draws my attention. Someone rolls across the floor and stops right at the foot of one of the gunmen, a large blade appears and spears the gunman through his chin and out the top of his head.
I shake my head as Many snatches his blade out. He leaps into the air, flipping over a table and onto another gunman’s back, spearing him with ease through the top of his head. Another flashing light causes me to turn to find Priest standing in front of the door, sipping a glass of champagne. He watches the scene in front of him unfold like he’s at a dinner theatre.
One of the gunmen gets too close to him. Priest lifts his gun and fires, blowing a hole into the back of the man’s head. One of the fancy dressed guests tries to get to the door and he shoots the man in the kneecap before going back to his glass. I guess he’s at the door to keep anyone from leaving.
I spot Walker next, his knife in hand, he’s moving around the room with ease. Dodging fallen bodies. It’s incredible to see him work.
He quickly brings down his enemies. Not in as flamboyant a way as Many does, and definitely not as laid back as Priest, but he’s in his element. I know Walker said that he didn’t have the passion for it anymore, but he’s so fucking incredible at it.
He slips behind a gunman and slits his throat. Then spins around to use the gunman’s body as a shield when another one comes out of nowhere to fire on him. He tosses his blade into the eye of the gunman that fired at him, dropping the body in his hold before moving on to the next one.
Between Many, Walker, and whoever is shooting outside, they make quick work of the guards. Suddenly the lights come back up and the room is littered in dead bodies. Crying draws my attention.
Not too far away from me, Gabriella is clutching her husband to her chest as she cradles his dead body. I have no remorse for her. She started this shit.
“Brooklyn,” Walker calls out for me. I crawl from under the table, peeling off the goggles.
“I’m here.”
The moment I’m on my feet, I’m snatched up by strong arms, but they aren’t Walker’s. The smell of his clove cigarettes hits me as he pulls me to his chest with a gun pressed to my head.
“Stay where are you, you blind fuck,” Long shouts over my head at Walker. “You make another move and I’ll put a bullet in this bitch’s head.”
Long starts moving us around the room, stepping over the dead bodies as he drags me toward the door. Many, Priest, and Walker all stare back at him. None of them make a move toward me.
“You’re going to let me walk out of here,” Long demands. “And you’re not going to come after me. Do you hear me?”
We’re drawing closer to the front door. I continue to wait to see if the guys will do something. “You freaks think you’re so tough,” Long taunts as he stands in front of the door. “You’re nothing but a bunch of—”
I’m done. I don’t give a shit what plan Walker and these guys have. I’m not walking out of this door with this man. And I’m damn sure not letting him get away after what he did to my sister.
I slam my head back as hard as I can, clipping him in the mouth. Long grunts in pain and releases me. I turn around and push him into the door.
My abrupt action catches him off guard. He falls, the gun tumbling out of his hand to the floor. I kick him in the dick and he collapses to the floor. That’s when I start to lose my shit.
I kick and stomp him as I call him every unholy name in the book. This man took my sister from me. He deserves this and more. Walker wraps his strong arms around me and tugs me away from Detective Long’s body.
I’m out of breath and tired, but that ass whooping was worth it. When I finally focus, Priest is watching me with a knowing look in his eyes. It might even be a look of pride. Many is smiling at me so hard it makes me uncomfortable.
“We have changed our mind, Hawk Eyes. We would like new Porsha for ourselves.”
Walker spins me around to face him. “Not going to happen, Many,” he stares down into my face.
I imagine he’s allowing all his senses to determine if I’m all right or not. He then smiles. The front door bursts open and we all look up as Seth enters the house.
“About time you brought your ass in here. Painter here had to go old school on the motherfucker to shut him up,” Priest states over the sound of the whimpering detective.
“Hey, I had to handle some business. Don’t rush me.”
“Many, take our detective friend here to the van and tie him up. He and I have a long night ahead of us,” Priest says.
I don’t even want to know what he has in store for Long. I imagine he is about to make him pay for killing my sister way more than I did. Speaking of.
I head over to the woman on the floor, crying over her dead husband. Gabriella looks inconsolable. She glares up at me when I approach.
“Look what you’ve done. You took everything from me,” she yells to Walker who’s standing behind me.
“I asked you why you killed my sister,” I say down to the beautiful, broken woman. “You told me that the world was better off without people like her in it.”
Gabriella sneers up at me. “And I still mean it. You won’t get me to take it back.”
I smile. “I didn’t want you to. I only wanted you to remember what you said.”
I take the gun out of Walker’s hand aim it at her head and pull the trigger. It isn’t as neat or as easy as the others made it look, but it does the job. I drop my arms back at my sides and Walker takes the gun away from me.
“Fuck, Hawk, I wish you could have seen that. That shit was sexy as fuck,” Seth says.
I roll my eyes at him and take Walker’s hand as we head out of the estate. We meet Priest and Many
at the side of an all-white van.
“Well, Hawk, you know what happens next?” Priest says as he approaches.
Walker tenses beside me. I turn to look at him and he’s frowning.
“What’s going on, what happens next?”
He turns to me, pulling me into him as he places a kiss that I feel down in my soul on my lips.
“My name was cleared in the death of your sister.”
I smile. “That’s great, that’s what we wanted.”
He shakes his head. “Yeah, but the Church is calling me back in. They’re reinstating me now that Albany is gone.”
“But you can’t go back, you said yourself someone inside the Church wants you dead.”
Priest steps forward. “That’s most likely why they’re bringing him back. He will have to do a five year lockdown period, and during that time they will kill him.”
My breath catches and the tears start to fall. How can this be happening? After all that he and I went through to find each other, after all that we’ve lost. How could this be our end?
“We were supposed to have babies and a farm. You can’t leave me.” I cling to him as I cry so hard my body shakes.
“Brook, I’m so sorry. You know I wanted that too, more than anything in this world. I love you.”
“I love you too.” I kiss him again, sealing my lips to his and holding him tighter than I ever have. Like I’ll never see him again. Which is pretty much what this means.
Walker pulls back from my lips and places his forehead to mine before releasing me. He steps away and I feel my heart shattering into a thousand pieces on the ground.
I watch as Priest and the others escort the man I love away from me. Then, Priest turns to Seth.
“You think Lucien has enough to make it believable?”
Seth nods his head. Walker looks as confused as I do.
“All right you two, listen up because it gets tricky after this,” Priest says. “We’ve bought you guys 72 hours to get out of town and get lost. That’s about all I could do without looking suspicious.”