“Hello?”
“Hey K.B. How’s it hanging?”
“Long strong and to the left. What’s up man. You alright? You sound a little off.”
“Got a minute. I need to borrow your ear.”
“It’s my day off. I got all day. What’s going on?”
“Man, I just had a knockdown, drag out with the Mrs. It was bad, man.”
I heard him chuckle in the background before responding. “So the honeymoon is officially over, huh? Tell me what you did so I can tell you how to fix it.”
“Who says I did something?”
The law of nature. Don’t you know it’s always the man’s fault?”
I groaned at his lighthearted response. This was a serious situation. I may be getting a divorce and I just got married a few months ago. This was not what I wanted.
“Can you be serious for a couple of minutes, please. It may be over for us.”
“What the hell? Does this have anything to do with that Janey chick?”
“Fuck no! I would never touch another woman. If I had, I don’t think I would be able to make this phone call. Lena’s pretty scary when she’s mad.”
“Not the big bad Navy Seal scared of his little woman.”
“K.B.!”
“Okay. Okay. My bad. So what happened?”
I explained the shit day I had and how stupidly I handled everything. K.B. listened without interrupting me, making it easier to get it all out. The more I talked, the more angry I became, to the point I was yelling into the phone.
“Whoa! Linc, man you need to chill the fuck out before you have a stroke. If you talked to your wife like this, I know why you’re headed to divorce court.”
“Yeah, well that’s what it looks like. I can’t believe her. She lied to me. I can’t trust her.”
“Really? That’s how you see things and it’s valid, but…”
“But what?”
“Maybe you should look at it from her point of view. Just think about it. From birth, your parents manipulated you into being who they wanted. They even told you who you would marry in order to gain control over your inheritance. Wouldn’t you feel betrayed. Would you hang around to see what else they would do to you? I sure the fuck wouldn’t. I would hitch my wagon on the first thing smoking and get away from them.”
“I get it, but why not tell me?”
“Stay with me here, maybe she wanted someone in her life to love her for who she was, but she couldn’t trust herself to know who that was. She was just discovering herself. When you all got married, she told you part of the story. The part she was comfortable sharing. You can’t fault her for not wanting the man she saw as her future to find out what kind of parents she has. Don’t judge her so harshly. Plus, you were dead ass wrong for talking to her the way you did. That alone requires an apology.”
“I’ll think on it, man. Thanks for the ear. I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Alright Linc and remember what I said. Just put yourself in her shoes. Take your ass home and make up with that beautiful woman before she leaves your ass.”
After speaking with K.B., I still needed to clear my head so I decided to take a walk. I hiked the mile and a half up the familiar trail until I saw her. Maya, the wooden woman that lived in the redwood tree, was there waiting for me. I first encountered the tree when I brought Lena up here for a hike. She was the first to notice the tree was shaped like a voluptuous woman. According to Lena, the tree was living in the middle of the woods looking phenomenal. She named the tree Maya after her favorite poet, Maya Angelou who penned the famous poem Phenomenal Woman.
That day was one I will always remember fondly. Lena and I made love under that tree. We had a wild and passionate experience, almost spiritual. It was the first time I realized I loved Lena. Whenever I needed to reset, all I needed was to visit this place for a little while. My sprit always found peace here and allowed me to think clearly. Sitting on the very spot where we made love brought the memories back vividly.
I love my wife. I need her. Then why the fuck did I tell her to leave? What was wrong with me? I hightailed it out of there, headed to my truck so I could race home and tell my woman how much I loved her. If I had to grovel to earn her forgiveness, I would. Afterall, I should have trusted her. I never should have disrespected her the way I did. I wouldn’t blame her if she left, but I hoped like hell she was there waiting for me.
Walking into the house, the first thing I noticed was the door being left ajar. Maybe she stepped out for just a second and didn’t latch it properly. The place felt off, like there was something in the air. It was too quiet. There was no warmth. No love. No woman. Where was she? I know I told her to leave, but I didn’t mean it. Surely, she knew I was just blowing off steam. What if she left with her father? No, she wouldn’t. Would she?
I ran into the bedroom to look for her when I tripped over a single shoe. I picked it up and realized it was the same one Lena was wearing earlier. Did she change her shoes? That would be feasible if there was another shoe that matched laying around. There wasn’t. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. Rubbing the goose pimples from my arm, I rushed into my office and pulled up the video surveillance from the timeframe after I left the house.
Thirteen
Get My Life Back
Linc
Gone! She was gone, but not on her own volition. Her father made the mistake of taking my woman against her will. He’d better pray to whatever deity he worships for mercy when I find him. Nobody takes my wife. Hold on baby, I’m coming for you.
I stepped into the closet in my office that I had turned into an armory. Grabbing my go bag that I was in habit of keeping, even though I no longer went out on missions, I snagged my cell phone from the desk. But wait, this wasn’t my phone. In all the drama earlier, I had forgotten I was using Lena’s phone. That meant two things. 1) My wife was somewhere being held against her will without a way to call for help and 2) I had access to her contacts.
Pulling up my sister-in-law’s contact information I called to obtain her father’s address. She picked up on the first ring.
“Lena? Is everything alright? You never call me during the daytime.”
“Trina, this is Lincoln.”
She screamed on the other end of the phone. The woman was in a full-on panic.
“Where is she. I knew something was wrong. I could feel it in my spirit. Is she okay? Please tell me she’s not hurt.”
“Trina, calm the fuck down. I don’t have time for this shit. Your sister has been taken by your father. He and that dickless wonder, Anderson came here earlier trying to get her to go back to Savannah. When I threw them out on their asses, they got creative. As soon as I left the house, they came back and took her. I need to know where they would go. Can you help me?”
“How long ago was this?”
“Almost an hour and a half.”
“Well, that means they are still in the air. Let me grab my laptop. Hang on.”
I heard her fingers tapping away on a keyboard with supersonic speed. What was she doing?”
“Okay, I’ve tracked their plane. The manifest has them arriving in Savannah at 10:00 PM East Coast time. My dad will, no doubt, bring her to his house. He hasn’t rented any other properties and Anderson still lives on his parent’s estate. He wouldn’t dare take her there. Plus his payroll just recently changed to include security. My guess is he will lock her in her old bedroom, with guards posted outside. I no longer have access to the house because he changed the locks when I moved out.”
“I won’t have a problem getting in. Text me the address. I need to get in the air immediately. Thanks for your help, Trina. That was good work.”
“Wait, Lincoln, please take care of my sister. Find her and get her out of there. And let me know when you arrive. I can pick you up at the airport.”
“Not necessary. I’m going in hot. This will be like a mission, in and out. I’ll make sure Lena contacts you as soon as we’re clear.”<
br />
After ending the call with Trina, I had one more person to reach out to. My brother in arms who always had my back.
“Linc, twice in one day. I feel so special.”
“She’s gone, K.B. He took my woman and I’m going to get her.”
“Wait, what makes you think she was taken?”
“The video surveillance. I saw her father and that asshole carrying her out of the cabin, put her in the trunk of the car and drive off.”
“Fuck! Okay. I can be ready in ten. Slide by and pick me up.”
“Appreciate you man.”
“You already know. I always have your back. Plus, somebody has to keep you from killing that fucker and going to jail.”
***
When I arrived at K.B.’s place, he was waiting for me along with three of his brothers from the corp. I appreciated the backup. It would make the extraction easier. Moving as a unit, we filled the private plane I charted with full arsenal. We utilized the eight-and-a-half-hour flight to make our plan of attack. Hard and fast was the name of the game.
Trina was able to get us the floor plan of the house, as well as tap into their security system. According to the footage, Sheridan had indeed hired a few guards to safeguard the place. Good. He thought he was prepared for me, but he had no idea what was coming his way. He better not harm one hair on my wife’s head. He already had an ass whooping coming for putting her in the trunk of his car. I wouldn’t be responsible for what happened if he hurt her.
We arrived in Savannah just before midnight. My wife had been taken and I was in no mood to play around. The time change gave us a slight advantage. Mr. Sheridan was used to this time zone, so to him it was really midnight. However, to us it was only nine. We were still pumped and ready for action, while he was ready for lights out.
As we approached the home, we fanned out around the perimeter, covering all bases. Mr. Sheridan had only hired two guards for the outside and one at the bedroom door. While I scaled the wall to access the room where we believed Lena was being held, K.B. and his crew took care of neutralizing the guards. We were not in a combat zone, so we used non-lethal methods. I crept onto the balcony outside of Lena’s former bedroom. She was there, sitting in a chair crying. Don’t worry, baby. I’m here.
Trina had disarmed the motion sensors, as well as the door and window sensors remotely, so I didn’t have to worry about triggering the alarm. Easing the door open, I slid inside causing Lena to look up. I immediately placed my index finger to my mouth to tell her to be quiet. Her eyes widened, but the smile I was expecting did not greet me. Instead I was met with a glare. What the…?
“Baby, I’m here to take you home. Are you alright? Did they hurt you?”
Rushing to her side, I touched her face, shoulders and arms looking for injuries. She pulled from my grasp and stood up. Moving away from me, Lena started acing back and forth like a caged tiger.
“Lena, did you hear me? I’m here to take you home. We don’t have much time. We need to move. Come on.”
“I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Baby, what’s going on here? You’re my wife and you’re coming with me. Now, get your ass in gear.”
“That! That right there is why I will not be going anywhere with you. You’re just like him, trying to control me. I have reached my limit. I will not allow any man to control me like that any longer.”
“Lena, I’m not trying to control you. Honey, I came to rescue you. I saw the footage of your father and his little crony taking you from our home. We can talk about this later. Right now I have people waiting to get us back to California in one piece.”
The glare she had turned into a full-on death stare. I had no idea why she was acting like this. I loved the woman enough to risk life and limb to come save her and this is how she acts?
“Did you forget how you spoke to me earlier? You treated me like shit. Told me to leave. Now, all of a sudden, I’m just supposed to forget all of that because you decide to play superhero. I don’t need you to save me.”
“I swear to god woman, if you don’t shut that lethal mouth and come with me, I’ll throw you over my shoulder and carry you out of here.”
I didn’t mean to yell, but she was getting on my nerves. What woman doesn’t love being rescued by her man?
“See, that’s exactly what I’m talking about. You have some caveman tendencies that need to be addressed. Everything is great when I am doing what you want, but as soon as I do something you don’t like, you turn into some kind of Neanderthal. Well, you can go back to your cave alone because I will not spend my life with a man who is only happy when I obey him. You wanted me gone, so what’s your problem?”
A low growl escaped my throat as I stepped closer to my wife. She was being stubborn and unreasonable. But as I reached for her she recoiled in fear. Fear! My wife was afraid of me. When did that happen? Tears welled in her big brown eyes and I felt like the asshole I was. I took a step back and looked her in the eyes. All my ire disappeared and all I wanted to do was comfort her. I lowered myself to my knees in front of her and reached for her hand. She allowed my touch, which let me know she was open to what I was going to say next.
“Lena, I’m sorry. I never should have told you to leave. I was scared that I wasn’t enough for you. It was my bonehead way of protecting myself. When I came home, and you weren’t there I lost my mind. At first, I thought you left me, but them I saw the surveillance video and knew the truth. All I could think about was getting to you. I needed to lay eyes on you. To make sure you were safe.”
Tears flowed from my wife’s eyes and I wanted to wipe them away, but sometimes tears could cleanse. I left them on her face as I continued explaining my actions.
“Baby, I never wanted you to leave. I need you. I want you home with me. In our home. But I only want you there if you want to be there. I’ll leave the decision up to you. Just know that I would be miserable without you. I love you, Lena.”
“I love you, too.”
It was the first time she said those words, and it meant the world to me. I couldn’t wait to have my wife in my arms again. I pulled her in for a sweet kiss and held her for just a moment. I needed to feel her energy. I kissed her on the head before pulling away. Shooting her an impish smile, I looked into her eyes.
“Now can you please stop crying and let me rescue you?”
“I can rescue myself.”
Shaking my head, I took Lena by the hand and we walked from her bedroom. Guiding her down the curved staircase, we were greeted by her father and the asshole. This was going to be fun. I’ve been waiting for this scene to play out. My body started surging with excitement.
“How the hell did you get in here?”
I chose not to respond. He was too stupid to respond to. Did he really think I wouldn’t be able to breach his little fortress and find my woman? What a clown.
“Eileen, I have those annulment papers we were discussing earlier. All you need to do is sign them and you can be rid of this trash and finally make your father proud.”
I attempted to keep walking, but Lena stopped, so I did too. I knew her father was trying to plant the seed of doubt in my head, but he had no idea how much I loved this woman. All Mr. Sheridan cared about was money. The bottom line. A man like him could never understand that what Lena and I had was more than all the money in the world.
The asshole stepped toward my woman and I had to fight the urge to destroy him. He grabbed her arm and I flexed but remained still. She had just told me not to play hero. It went against everything in my nature, but I stood there waiting to see what she would do. The fucker tightened his grip and she kneed him in the groin. I thought that would be the end of it, but baby wasn’t done. She punched that fucker in the face and his head went spinning. Seriously, she hit him so hard I saw stars. I couldn’t hold back my laughter as he fell to the floor crying in pain.
“Keep your slimy hands off me. Only one man has the right to touch me and he is standing right her
e by my side.”
Lena turned to her father who looked at her through shocked eyes. He was angry, but he knew she had to choose him over me. Good luck with that, you kidnapping fool.
“Little girl, that was uncalled for. I did not raise you to act like a guttersnipe. Can’t you see the bad in fluence this man has had on you?”
“Daddy, I am no longer a little girl. I am a grown woman who is capable of making her own decisions. You no longer have that right. I am married to Lincoln and I plan to stay that way. I will not be signing those papers or anything else you give me. Do you understand?”
The second the words left her mouth, I readied myself for the fallout. Knowing her father would never accept defeat, I was preparing to defend my wife verbally. The man caught me off guard when he hauled off and backhanded Lena across her cheek. Lena stumbled backwards and I launched at Sheridan on instinct. Fuck what Lena said. Nobody was going to smack my wife in my presence and live to tell the tale. I grabbed him by his sorry ass throat and began choking the worthless life out of him. I could feel the life draining from his worthless body when K.B.’s voice pulled me back to my senses.
“Linc, let him go. You’re going to kill him. Man. Stop. I can hear police sirens. We need to go.”
I dropped my father-in-law’s limp body on the floor, not caring if he hurt himself, just as the police burst through the front door. They took one look at the carnage and drew guns on me. I threw my hands in the air as I felt Lena move to stand in front of me. What was she doing?
“Don’t shoot!”
“Ma’am, you need to get out of the way, or I will remove you.” The dickless officer called out to my wife.
“Trust me, son. You don’t want to lay a hand on her. Ask this prick how it worked out for him.”
I pointed to her father who was coughing on the floor trying to catch his breath. The officer surveyed the surrounding s and took a step back. His partner stood there with a smirk on his face. He knew what time it was.
Cabin Fever Page 33