by Sophia Gray
With numb fingers, I began dialing O’Brian again. This time, thankfully, he picked up.
“O’Brian.”
“It’s Enzo!” I yelled into the receiver. “You need to get your men down to the waterfront now!”
“Hold on,” O’Brian said. He coughed. “What was that? Enzo, I can barely hear you. Are you somewhere with bad reception?”
I could have reached through the phone and strangled him. “You need to get your men down to the waterfront, by Lake Michigan, right now,” I hissed out. “Hodges is there, and he’s got someone tied up. He’s going to kill her unless we show up and intervene.”
There was a pause. “Enzo, I told you to stay out of this,” O’Brian said in a flat, reedy voice. I could tell he was angry, but I didn’t give a shit. This was Audrey’s life on the line, and if we didn’t save her, I knew no one could.
“I don’t care,” I said quickly. “This is too urgent, and someone’s in trouble.”
“Alright, I’ll grab a team, and we’ll go down there. Where exactly?”
“Down by Navy Pier,” I said darkly. “South of the Loop. Look for abandoned warehouses. I’m on my way there now.”
“Enzo, no. Let me handle this. You’re not authorized—”
I hung up before he could say anything else. The driver of the car was speeding through downtown Chicago, but I was worried that we would be too late. Richard had a sadistic streak running through him, and somehow, I knew that he’d take any chance to punish me that he got. Even if that meant hurting Audrey.
“I feel like such an idiot,” I said to Seb, shaking my head. I knew my face was pale with fear. My stomach was empty and growling, and I still felt weak and achy from the concussion, but somehow, I was able to push all of that to the side. “When this is over, I’m taking a long vacation.”
Seb scoffed. “I’m taking a vacation as soon as we wrap shit up tonight. I’m fucking exhausted.”
The car bounced into an empty parking lot. I heard the angry waves of Lake Michigan beating against the pier and bulkhead. There were giant lumps of ice far out into the water, and I shivered—as cold as it was outside, I knew the lake had to be positively frigid.
I opened the car door and ran towards the row of warehouses. To my immense relief, I heard sirens in the distance. When I looked back over my shoulder, police cars were spilling into the lot. Seb was standing there, watching me, with an odd expression on his face.
I knew that we’d been through a lot together, but this was going to change our lives forever. We’d never go back to being drinking buddies, or the kind of office friends who high-fived over fucking the same secretary. Everything was different now. Everything had changed.
“Audrey!” I yelled as loud as I could. The wind was whipping so fiercely around me that my voice seemed to disappear into the night, like someone had come down and snatched it from me. “Audrey! Audrey! I’m here, Audrey!” My legs ached, and my adrenaline was pumping, but I forced myself to run even faster until my feet were practically eating the pavement with each stride. “Audrey! Audrey! I’m here!”
From inside one of the warehouses, there was a shrill scream. Audrey! I pulled my gun out of my pocket and ran towards where I’d heard the sound. The cops were behind me, hot on my heels.
When I reached the building, I saw the double doors at the back were flung open. Inside looked dark and foreboding. I was afraid of what lay ahead and afraid of Hodges, but I knew I couldn’t let that keep me from Audrey any longer. I had to find her. I had to save her. I couldn’t let Hodges hurt her, not anymore and never again.
“Audrey,” I said louder as I bolted into the warehouse. “I’m here!”
Richard stepped out of the shadows. He was wearing a black woolen overcoat and a hat with the brim pulled low. “Enzo,” he said, spreading his arms wide like he was greeting an old friend. “So nice of you to join us. I thought you’d never come.”
There were footsteps behind me, and I turned around, expecting to see the cops. Instead, it was Seb. Shocked, I walked over to him. “What are you doing here?” I hissed out in a low whisper.
Seb pressed something into my hand. “You’re going to need this,” he whispered back.
I shoved it in my pocket without looking at it.
“What’s all this?” Richard strolled over. “A fun reunion?” He looked behind me. “Oh, and the police. Well, now this is a fun party.” He snapped his fingers, and I struggled not to gape as two hulking, muscular men came out of the shadows. They dragged Audrey between them. It looked like her hands were tied behind her back, and she was gagged with duct tape. Her face looked terrible—bloodless and pale, with obvious grimy tear tracks on each cheek.
“If you’ve hurt her,” I said in a warning tone, “I’ll fucking kill you, Richard.”
Richard grinned. “We haven’t done much… yet. After all, I was waiting for you to join the party. So, Enzo, hand over that damn flash drive. And then we’ll be done here. You and Audrey can go home, and everything will be just fine.”
Suddenly, I knew what Seb had pressed into my hand.
“Fine,” I said. Reaching into my pocket, I pulled out the flash drive and handed it over. Seb gave me a knowing look when it was in Richard’s hands.
Richard looked down at the tiny device like he was staring at the crown jewels. “Enzo, I don’t think I trust you,” he said cautiously. “How do I know that you didn’t copy everything on here?”
“I didn’t—”
There was a loud bang, and Richard crumpled to my feet. Dark red blood began pooling around his body, so dark that it almost looked like paint. Gaping, I turned around to see O’Brian and a bunch of other cops standing there, holding their guns.
“Sorry I didn’t believe you,” O’Brian said gruffly.
The shock barely had a chance to sink in before Audrey fainted, collapsing on the wooden pier right before my eyes. I rushed over to her and pulled her into my arms. Her wrists were cinched tightly behind her back, and I frantically untied the knots and began massaging her hands to bring blood back into the skin. Her face was pale, and I pulled off the duct tape as gently as I could before removing whatever hunk of fabric they’d stuffed in her mouth to use as a gag.
“God, Audrey,” I said into her soft brown hair. She smelled like the cold air itself, but there was still a faint hint of strawberries and talc. “Audrey, I’m so sorry.”
Audrey stirred in my arms, but her eyelids didn’t open.
I held onto her firmly as I stood up, cradling her in my arms. “She needs medical treatment,” I called out.
“We’ll take care of the situation here,” O’Brian replied. “Want me to call an ambulance?”
I shook my head. “I’ve got it, thanks.” I began the slow walk of carrying Audrey back to the car. I thought Seb would join me, but instead, he hung around with the cops. The sirens flashing reflected off Lake Michigan’s black waters, making the whole thing look like a scene from the depths of hell.
“Audrey,” I crooned into her ear. “Audrey, wake up, please. Wake up for Enzo. Please, please wake up.”
As if by magic, Audrey stirred in my arms. She swallowed, and her eyes opened wide when she saw me.
“Enzo?” Her voice was fuzzy and hoarse like she’d been screaming for hours. “Is it really you? What happened?”
“Don’t worry about that,” I told her. We’d reached the car, and the chauffeur darted out and opened the wide back seat doors for us. As I slid inside after Audrey, Pepper rushed to her and barked happily, jumping into Audrey’s lap. I tried to push the dog away, but Audrey held on firm, fresh tears running down her cheeks.
“Pepper, my poor baby,” Audrey cooed. She buried her face in the dog’s neck. “What happened to you?”
I swallowed hard. “I went back to the scene of the accident, looking for clues,” I said softly. “I knew that Richard had taken you, but I didn’t know where. Pepper was right there, and I picked her up.”
Audrey closed her ey
es and sank back into the seat. “I’m so tired,” she mumbled. “So tired.”
“I want to take you to a hospital,” I said, my tone firm. “Driver, get us to a doctor. Quickly!” I rapped on the partition between the back seat and the front. “Audrey, try to stay with me, okay? Please. I’m taking you to a hospital. You need medical care; you’ve been out in the cold for hours. The cops want you to go, too.”
Audrey’s eyes flew open. “No,” she argued. “I don’t want to go to a hospital.” Her lower lip began to tremble. “I’m fine, Enzo, I just want to go home.” Her lip quivered and tears welled up in her eyes. My heart broke—she looked so innocent and so pathetic. I just wanted to take care of her forever.
I scowled, then gave the driver the address to my condo. By the time I turned back to Audrey, she’d fallen asleep.
When we got to my apartment, I carried Audrey upstairs. I put her in my bed and waited with Pepper in the living room. I was exhausted, but I was also wired, and I knew that I wouldn’t be able to sleep. Instead, I made myself a salad and sautéed a steak for Pepper, dumping it in one of my bowls on the floor. She ate the whole damn thing and then passed out in the kitchen, snoring. I hated to admit it, but the stupid mutt was growing on me. I knew she made Audrey happy, and, well, it was like nothing else mattered.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Audrey slept for almost four hours. When she woke up, I was halfway to sleep myself. Pepper and I were sitting on the couch together, watching as the first bits of dawn were streaking across the sky.
“Hi,” Audrey said with a trace of shyness.
I stood up and hurried over to her, kissing her gently. Her lips were chapped, and she smelled like musk and sweat, but it felt like coming home. Just the feel of her mouth against mine was enough to stir a small wave of desire in my body.
“Hi,” I said, pulling away.
Audrey followed me to the couch. When she curled up with her knees folded, Pepper scooted over to her and rested her head in Audrey’s lap.
“Thank you,” Audrey said. She glanced down, and I saw that she was blushing. It was a familiar sight, and yet she looked different somehow. “I’m not sure how I wound up in that mess, but…” She trailed off, yawning and covering her mouth with a pale hand. “Thank you, Enzo.”
“Of course.” I felt at a loss. What else could I possibly have said? We’d been through so much together. “I wouldn’t blame you if you never wanted to see me again.”
Audrey swallowed. “Are you okay, too?” She gestured towards my body. “I mean, after the crash. Do you need to go to the hospital?”
I laughed drily. “I was already there. And I had to leave, it was terrible.” My head had begun to throb, and I winced. “I have a concussion, but it’s not serious. And those damn nurses would have kept me in the hospital for years if I hadn’t broken out.”
Audrey’s eyed widened. “You broke out?” Her Wisconsin accent was there, but like the frumpy clothing, it just seemed like a part of Audrey now. I didn’t mind in the slightest.
I laughed again. “I had to,” I admitted. “Otherwise there was no way I was going to get out of there.”
Audrey pursed her lips together. “Enzo, I’m sorry.” A tear fell from her eye and dripped down her cheek, but she made no move to wipe it away. “I’m sorry for what I said—about how I wished that I’d never met you.” Her lip trembled, and the overwhelming desire to embrace Audrey came over me. “It wasn’t true then, and it’s not true now,” Audrey finished. “I hope you can forgive me.”
My heart softened. “Of course. I’d completely forgotten about that.”
“So you’re not mad at me?”
“God, mad at you? Why the hell would I be mad at you, Audrey? If anything, I’d think that you were angry with me!”
Audrey shook her head. “I’m not angry,” she murmured.
I moved closer and pulled her into my arms. At first, Audrey resisted. Then her limbs softened, and she leaned against me, wrapping her arms around my neck and pulling me close. Holding her, having her in my arms, was the most relaxed I’d felt all day.
“This is nice,” I whispered into her hair.
Pepper barked, and Audrey kissed me.
“I know.” She pulled away. “Enzo, I love you. I don’t ever want to be apart from you. I had a lot of time to think in that warehouse.” Audrey’s thin frame shuddered in my arms, and I hugged her extra tight. “And I don’t think I can ever be separated from you.”
“I feel exactly the same way,” I told her honestly.
Audrey looked into my eyes. Her own blue eyes were wide with fear, and her forehead was creased. “Are you sure?” She glanced down at herself—I’d put her into one of my old college sweatshirts and a pair of my sweatpants, but she was honestly dressed as flatteringly as ever. “I mean, I’m not exactly glamorous.”
“I think you’re beautiful. And I don’t care about your clothes.”
Audrey giggled. “Really?”
“Really. I want you to wear whatever makes you happy. Of course, if that included the occasional lingerie from time to time, I wouldn’t exactly be upset.”
Audrey blushed bright red. “I can’t believe you saved Pepper,” she said softly. “That’s when I knew. When I saw that you’d brought her to me, that’s how I knew how much I loved you.”
Pepper whined, pawing at my leg. I laughed again. “She grew on me,” I admitted grudgingly. “Good thing my condo allows dogs.”
Audrey’s eyebrows went up. “What do you mean?”
“Because you’re sure as hell not going back to that apartment,” I said. “Even though Richard’s dead, I don’t want you getting into any more trouble.”
Audrey swallowed. “You mean, move in with you?”
I nodded. “Yes. That is, if you want to. I can’t exactly force you.”
“I do,” Audrey replied, her voice still so exquisitely soft. She closed her eyes briefly. “Do you think that makes me a bad person?”
“What? Why?”
“Because…” She opened her eyes, sounding exasperated. “Because it means that… well, it means that I’m not going to be living so frugally.” She looked away. “I always thought that I should be ashamed of my money.”
I shook my head. “Audrey, it doesn’t make you a bad person.” I pulled her close and hugged her tighter still. “It makes you practical. You’ll be safer here, and Pepper will be, too. It’s the best thing.”
Audrey bit her lip. “What about my parents?”
“Well, that’s something I have to talk to you about.” I handed her a sheaf of papers. “I did some research while you were sleeping, but obviously, I didn’t know where they’d want to live. I was thinking something in Wisconsin—since you said you grew up there. But maybe they’d like to move across the country instead?”
“Enzo, these are all really expensive,” Audrey said, breathing out the words. She glanced down at the various papers, each showing a house for sale. “I couldn’t ask you to do this.” She blushed. “You can’t buy my parents a house!”
“No, I can’t, but we can,” I said smoothly. Audrey gaped. “I mean, I want to. And I want you to be my wife. It won’t just be my money anymore. It’ll be yours, too.”
Audrey shook her head. “You can’t be serious.”
I got down on one knee and looked into her eyes. “Audrey, I’m more serious than I’ve ever been in my entire life. I love you, and I can’t be without you. And I want you to be happy, which means taking care of your parents.” I swallowed hard. “And maybe even sending my family a check or two every now and then,” I relented. “Will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
Audrey nodded again as tears spilled from her eyes. She didn’t answer, just threw herself into my arms and wrapped her skinny arms around my neck. With her perfect body crushed against mine, I kissed her passionately, slipping my tongue between her lips until she moaned.
When Audrey pulled away, she wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and
looked at me shyly. “So, where’s my ring?”
I groaned. “We’re going to pick it out as soon as you’re feeling better,” I promised her. “Whatever you’d like, I’ll get it for you.”
Audrey blushed deeper. “You mean it?”
I stared at her. “You know, I was perfectly serious about giving you everything you want,” I murmured. “This isn’t my money anymore. It’s our money, and I want you to be happy.”
“I don’t want a lot, Enzo, but I’d like to get married in a church, in a real white dress, and have my parents see me.” She closed her eyes and let out a long, happy sigh. “They’re going to flip! They won’t be able to believe this!”
“Any thought to where they’d want to live?” I raised my eyebrow at Audrey.