“Is she right?”
“Of course not.” I looked down at his notepad, but he wasn’t actually writing anything. “Aren’t you going to write down what happened?”
“What? Oh, no, I just want to hear the story.”
“Anyway, she’s been seeing Leif. This was their fourth date.”
The officer cringed, sucking in a deep breath. “Ouch.”
“I know, right?”
“You know what happens on the fourth date, right?”
“Of course I fucking know. Why do you think I didn’t stop when you flashed your lights? I was trying to get to her before she went in.”
“You did, though.”
“Yeah, but it didn’t do anything. I never actually thought it would happen. I mean, I thought she was just trying to piss me off, but four dates? And then when I found out that she wasn’t at the restaurant anymore, I just had to know. She was getting out of the car and walking toward the house with him. And when she saw me, she just kept walking. Right out of my life and into his bed.”
“Sorry, man. That’s terrible.”
I nodded solemnly. “Do whatever you have to do. It’s not like it matters now anyway. She’s gone.”
The officer stood and picked up his pad, but he made no move to take me away. “Listen, I’m not gonna arrest you. As far as I’m concerned, my radar gun wasn’t calibrated properly and you thought your woman was in trouble. Let’s just call it square.”
“Why are you doing this?”
He leaned in so that only I could hear. “Between you and me? Leif is a dick and if he happens to walk into a few fists and he doesn’t see who did it, I won’t come looking for you.”
I nodded to him, thankful that he saw my side of things, but it didn’t change anything. Reese was gone and I was all alone again.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
Reese
“Did you sleep with him?”
Brooke stormed into my grandma’s kitchen, where we were having our morning tea. This wasn’t exactly something I wanted my grandmother to hear.
“Brooke, this isn’t really something I want to discuss right now.”
“Why not? It’s not like Grandma’s never heard about sex before.”
Grandma sighed next to me. “I miss sex. Do you think it would be the same for me as it was when Grandpa was alive?”
“Grandma! Don’t talk like that.”
“Why not?”
“Because…you’re my grandma and…you’re too old to be thinking about sex!”
“Oh, please. Do you think that just because a woman gets older that she doesn’t want sex anymore?”
“Well, you shouldn’t. Besides, the last thing I need to think about is my grandmother having sex.”
“It doesn’t matter what she does,” Brooke cut in. “I need to know what you did. Did you sleep with him?”
“No, of course not. Why would you think that?”
“Uh…because you went home with him on the fourth date!”
“So, what? He wanted to give me a book.”
“Oh, honey, that’s not all he wanted to give you.”
“Well, it doesn’t matter, because nothing else happened.”
Brooke stared at me in confusion. “Wait, so you’re telling me that Craig almost got arrested last night because you went inside to get a book?”
I shrugged. I wasn’t sure what she wanted me to say. I wasn’t responsible for what Craig did.
“Then why didn’t you try to help him when he was being handcuffed?”
“Because Leif told me that if I interfered, I could get in trouble. I didn’t want to cause any problems.”
She flopped down in the chair. “I can’t believe that. Craig is over at your house, completely wrecked because he thinks he lost you.”
“He did lose me!”
“Such a shame,” my grandma said from beside me. “He’s such a good boy.”
“What? You’re the one that had me kidnapped so that he couldn’t get me.”
“Well, I may have been mistaken about him. What do you want me to say? Look at all the effort he’s put into getting you back.”
“He’s psychotic, grandma. He had me kidnapped. He tricked me into marrying him. He sold my house out from under me!”
“Yes, all in the name of love.”
“What’s love got to do with it? He’s a psychopath!”
“See, you’ve always been a little too uptight,” Brooke said. “You need to loosen up and learn to go with the flow.”
“So, I should just allow him to do whatever he wants to get me? I should let him kidnap me and force me to marry him? What if he decides to do something even crazier?”
“Well, honestly,” my grandma said. “Can you really say that you haven’t enjoyed your time with him?”
“Well, I guess not all of it was bad.”
“Isn’t that all you need in life? Someone that you can enjoy life with?”
“Well, yes, but-”
“No buts,” grandma scolded. “Seriously, Reese, you’ve always been too uptight for your own good. This man is good for you. Sure, I didn’t see it in the beginning, but that man loves you very much. Maybe he is a little outrageous in his methods, but it makes life exciting.”
I shook my head, confused by this change of events. “But, you and grandpa were always so…normal.”
“Sure, when we had kids, but before that, your grandfather had a way of making everything exciting. And just because things weren’t chaotic anymore doesn’t mean that we didn’t get our thrills. We just had to be more careful about how we got them. It’s not like we wanted our daughter walking in on the things we did.”
“So, you and grandpa…”
“She smiled as she looked off into space, obviously remembering something. “There was this one time at the zoo. Your grandfather had me pressed against the cage-”
“Oh, grandma! There are children at the zoo.”
“We were careful. Honestly, it’s not like he took me right in front of a tour group.”
“Ew.”
“I like your style,” Brooke grinned.
“Stop it!”
“What? You should take a page from her book. She knew how to live life.”
“But he’s going to break my heart!” I shouted.
Grandma took my hand and squeezed it. “So what if he does? Do you really want to go through life wondering what might have happened? He may break your heart, and I can almost guarantee that he will. We’re only humans after all. We all make mistakes. But isn’t it better to go along for the ride and enjoy it?”
“That ride could be dangerous.”
“Oh, nonsense. It’s not like he’s going to take you along on a job and tell you to shoot someone. He’s just asking you to love him like he loves you.”
I looked at Brooke and then back to Grandma. I couldn’t believe it, but I was starting to think they had the right idea. I did love Craig, and we were already married. Why not give it a shot and see how it went? What was the worst that could happen? I would get a divorce? That would have to happen anyway if I chose not to stick around.
Suddenly, I felt like I had to see him now. I stood and raced for the front door. If I didn’t get to him soon, it could be too late. He might change his mind and tell me he didn’t want me. I jumped in my car and headed to his place, but then pulled over when I thought about what I was doing. Before I saw Craig, I had to break things off with Leif. Craig needed to know that I was serious and things were definitely over with the cop.
I turned the car around and headed to Leif’s house. He wasn’t working today, so I could stop in and see him really quick, tell him things weren’t working, and then get over to Craig. The urge to see him was so strong that I almost called him. But this wasn’t something I wanted to say over the phone. Besides, he might show up at Leif’s house and make everything worse.
I got out of the car as soon as I parked in his driveway and raced to the front door. But when I knocked,
nobody answered. His truck was in the driveway, so he must be home. I went around the side of his house, thinking maybe he was raking leaves or something. The door on his shed was open and I heard voices, so I headed that way.
“I told you not to bring this shit around here. I would lose my job and end up in jail if anyone ever saw this.”
I stopped outside the door, praying that he hadn’t heard me walking up.
“I need to get rid of this shipment. The cops are crawling all over me and you’re doing nothing to stop them from looking.”
“What the fuck do you expect me to do with this shit? I don’t have anywhere to store this.”
“I don’t give a shit. Just get it the fuck out of here.”
I’d heard enough. Screw telling him that things were over between us. I would just tell Craig what happened and let him deal with Leif if he ever came around. I started jogging away, but the crunching of leaves made it sound a lot louder when I was trying to sneak away.
“Reese!”
I cringed and slowly turned around. “Oh, hey!” I said too cheerily. “I was just stopping by to say hi, but I heard you had company. I’ll just catch up with you later.”
The two of them looked at each other and then they were running toward me. Eyes wide, I took off running, but I could hear them gaining on me. I screamed as I was tackled to the ground, but Leif shoved his hand over my mouth, pressing down so hard that it felt like my teeth were cutting my lips. Struggling underneath him, I tried to figure out a way to get out from under him, but I had nothing. I should have let Craig train me.
“Shut up! Stupid bitch. You know, I would have kept you out of this, but now you’re gonna have to disappear.”
I mumbled under his hand. He moved his hand slightly so I could speak. “You won’t get away with it.”
“Why don’t you call your husband to come rescue you? Oh, that’s right. You chose me. I guess you chose wrong.”
He hauled me up, gripping my arms so hard there would be bruises. “Don’t try to scream, or I’ll send you off with Dirk. He won’t make your disappearance quite so pleasant.”
I wanted to say something funny or witty, but I was terrified. I had no idea what I was going to do. He walked me to the back door and led me through the house to the garage. Along the way, I tried to think of something I could do or anything I could leave behind as a clue. Something that would let someone know that I had been here. But there was nothing I could drop besides my phone, which was in my back pocket. And that was something that I would need. The other guy disappeared, but Leif was on my side. I slowly stuck my hand in my back pocket and slid my phone out. If he checked me, he would find it in my pocket. I slipped it into my waistband under my underwear and prayed that he didn’t find it.
“I really hate to do this. You would have been a good fuck.”
“I wouldn’t have fucked you. I was coming to tell you that I’m getting back together with my husband.”
He snorted with laughter. “Yeah, you seem like the type of bitch that can’t make up her mind.”
He shoved me against the old car that was parked in his garage. He unzipped my coat and threw it in the corner, then patted me down. I breathed a sigh of relief when he didn’t find the phone. He popped the trunk and shoved me inside. My heart kicked into overdrive when he slammed the door shut. When I was sure we were moving and wouldn’t be stopping anytime soon, I pulled out my phone. I just hoped that Craig answered. The phone rang and rang, but he didn’t pick up.
“Shit.” I dialed again, but this time he picked up.
“Reese.”
He sounded so sad, so resigned. I didn’t want him to feel that way, but this wasn’t the time to have a discussion about our relationship.
“Craig,” I whispered. “I’ve been kidnapped.”
“What?”
“I’ve been kidnapped.”
He sighed heavily. “Now’s not the time to mess with me, Reese. Wasn’t shoving Leif in my face enough for you?”
“I’m not messing with you. I went to his house to break things off with him, but I overheard something I wasn’t supposed to. Now, I’m in his trunk and he’s going to kill me!”
“Right. Well, I’m sure you’ll enjoy the ride.”
The dial tone sounded and I stared at my phone in disbelief. Did he really think I was screwing with him?
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
Craig
“Reese?” Alec asked beside me.
“Yeah.”
I was hanging out with him, watching movies. I decided when I got up this morning that I was taking some time off work. I needed a break to clear my head after the mind fuck I got last night.
“What’d she want?”
“She says she’s been kidnapped.” I snorted, shaking my head in amusement. “Like I’m gonna believe that.”
He sat up, his face scrunched in concern. “Why wouldn’t you believe her?”
“Because she’s fucking with me. She’s just trying to piss me off even more than I already am so I’ll give her the divorce.”
“You jackass. Her being kidnapped wouldn’t make you mad. She’s not fucking lying.” He tossed my phone to me. “Call her back right the fuck now.”
I sat up, looking at him in confusion. “You mean…you think she’s telling me the truth?”
“God, you’re one dense fucker. What does she gain by telling you she’s been kidnapped?”
I thought about it for a second and then it was like a lightbulb went off in my head. “Holy shit. She’s been kidnapped!”
“No shit, fucker.”
I pulled up her number immediately and called her back. “Reese!” I shouted when she answered.
“What the fuck took you so long to call me back?”
“How the hell did you get kidnapped again?”
“Look, I’m in the trunk of a car. Do you think you could come get me?”
“Of course, but seriously, getting kidnapped three times in a little over a month, that’s gotta be a record.”
“Can we debate my kidnapping record later? I’d like to get away from this guy before he murders me.”
Alec and I headed out to my truck. I didn’t know where I was headed, but anything was better than just sitting here. “Wait, are you sure that Leif had you kidnapped? I mean, how do we know it wasn’t your grandma?”
“Do you want to wait and see if I end up dead in the morning?”
“Right. Okay, I’ll get on tracking your phone. Do you know what kind of car you’re in?”
“Yeah, it’s a fucking car. Seriously, was I supposed to take down the details as I was stuffed in the trunk?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, how else do you expect to survive a kidnapping if you don’t have these important details that could potentially save your life?”
“Will you just find me before I end up buried out in the woods?”
“Alright, alright. Geez. But when I get you back, we’re gonna have to have a serious discussion of what to do for your next kidnapping.”
“Whatever.”
“Got it,” Alec said from beside me. “She’s headed north.”
“Reese, we’re coming to get you.”
“Craig, just remember that he’s a cop.”
“I know. I’ll take care of it.”
“Alright.”
“Just stay on the phone and tell me if anything happens. It shouldn’t take too long to catch up to you.”
“Cap is heading out now with Lola and Knight.”
“Oh shit,” I muttered. “Knight? Really? I mean, the guy’s good, but now we’re definitely gonna have a dead body. How the hell are we gonna explain that to Sean?”
“We could always not call Sean and then we’d just have a body to get rid of.”
“He’s a cop. That’s not gonna just go away. Plus, Reese is involved. I don’t want her caught up in the middle of an investigation.”
“Turn here. We’ll cut across and head them off,” Alec said, pointing to the si
de road up ahead.
“Um, so, do I get a say in what we do with Leif?” Reese asked.
“Don’t tell me that you want him to get off.”
“Actually, after being shoved in the trunk and called a bitch, I’m good with burying him in the woods.”
“Really? After all the grief you gave me over the past few weeks, now you’re willing to throw your morals aside?”
“Hey, I’ve never been in this situation before, but I can tell you that getting kidnapped really sucks!”
“Well, yeah, that’s why I rescued you the first time.”
“Shit. We’re slowing down.”
“It’s okay. We have your location.”
“You’d better get here fast. If he kills me, I’m coming back for you and I’ll make sure that you never have sex again.”
“Okay, I could be wrong, but I think you’re being slightly dramatic.”
“No,” Alec interrupted. “I’m pretty sure that the punishment fits the crime.”
“Slip your phone back where you had it. We’ll be there soon.”
“What’s this Leif guy like?” Alec asked.
“I don’t know. He seems level-headed enough.”
“But he took your woman because she heard something she wasn’t supposed to.”
“Which means that he’s a wild card right now. Even if we get to him in time, there’s no telling if we’ll be able to convince him that killing her isn’t going to help him.”
“He’s probably already past the point of reason. All he’s thinking about right now is getting rid of any witnesses. We have to go in prepared to take him out.”
“Reese warned me he’s a cop.”
“And when has that stopped us before?”
“It hasn’t. I just thought I’d pass along the warning.”
“Duly noted. Turn up ahead on the right.”
I barely slowed, yanking the wheel to the right. I just kept us from going into the ditch. He picked a good spot. It was isolated out here and no one would hear her scream. I punched the gas, worry spreading through me. We didn’t hear anything yet, but we still had a few miles to go until we caught up.
“Craig,” Reese whispered. “We’re stopped. He’s getting out.”
“Hide your phone. I’m coming, Reese. I won’t let you down.”
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