Stay With Me_Taphouse Blues Series_Bk 1

by Heather Lyn

  “You’re gonna go there,” he says matter-of-factly.

  “Garret, no!” Mom yells.

  “Mom—”

  “This man could kill him. I won’t allow it.” She slaps the counter and starts crying.

  Garret goes to her and wraps his arms around her.

  “Mom, he has to. But he’s not going alone. I’m going with him.”

  “No, he’ll kill my baby,” Donna cries, everyone looking panicked.

  “Listen to me, everyone. Jesus, just listen to me.” Garret’s voice is loud and demanding.

  We all focus our attention on my brother, praying he has a good plan.

  “Brody will go there. I’ll hide under a tarp in the bed of his truck. I’m going to radio backup, but they’ll stay far back. They’ll only move in on my signal. This is the only way, Brody. You can’t give any indication that I’m there, or that units are on their way.”

  “Will the lead on the case let you do this?” I ask.

  “I’m gonna call him now. Give me ten minutes and we’ll go from there. But I can’t let you go in unarmed and alone. You need backup, Brody.”

  “Okay.”

  Mom comes over to me and hugs me tight, crying into my chest.

  “Oh, Brody. Please don’t do this.”

  “I have to. Mom, Lindsey is everything to me. I need to get her back.”

  “Be careful,” she says. Dad guides her away from me and steps forward to hug me too. He’s pulling away when Garret come back in the room.

  “We’re good. Baker is getting all available units dispatched. They’ll be fifteen minutes behind us, so we need to go. That address is ten minutes away. It’s the old mill on the outskirts of town.”

  Following behind him, I take one last glance at our families. Locking eyes with Donna, I hold her stare.

  “I’ll bring her home safe, I promise.”

  Walking out to my truck, I go to climb in when Garret grabs me in a tight hug. He doesn’t say anything, just holds me for a moment, then releases me. Running over to Dad’s garage, he comes back a minute later with a dark green tarp. He takes his gun from his holster and silences his radio. Climbing into the bed of my truck, he lies down and holds a hand up to me. Gripping it, I throw the tarp over him and secure it down. Closing the tailgate, I climb into my truck, start the engine, and take a moment to say a prayer. Then I turn on my headlights and pull away.

  I’m coming, Linds. Just hang on for me, baby.

  §

  Pulling up to the mill, it’s dark, no lights on outside. I don’t see any vehicles parked anywhere, but I didn’t exactly expect him to just be standing around with a welcome sign. I hit the lights and shut off my truck, leaving the keys. Knowing Garret is here keeps me calm, but I’m scared shitless. For all I know I’ll open the door and find Lindsey dead, or Ryan will shoot me the second I walk in.

  Swallowing down the bile threatening to come up, I slowly walk toward the door. It doesn’t have a knob, just a large bar. I try push it and the door moves. Steadying myself, I shove it open and light spills out.

  “You better fucking be alone,” someone yells.

  “It’s just me,” I say. Pushing the door open enough to enter, I step inside and shut it behind me, then put my hands up in the air as I scan the room.

  Lindsey is off to the right, still tied up, but she has a gag in her mouth. My blood boils at the bruises on her face, but then I catch sight of Jeffrey, tied up same as Lindsey but clearly dead. My stomach churns and then my eyes fall to Ryan. Leaning against a metal pole, he has a sickening grin on his face.

  “Something funny about this?” I growl, wanting nothing more than to kick his fucking ass and tear him limb from limb.

  “Oh, you have no idea. You sure have yourself a feisty bitch, Walker.”

  “Don’t you fucking talk about her, asshole.”

  “Strike a nerve, did I?”

  “Let her go.”

  “Not happening. This is only going to end one way, and it doesn’t end like that.”

  “Fuck you!” I shout, dropping my arms and walking straight toward him.

  Ryan’s eyes narrow and he holds his arm up at me, a gun pointed right at my head. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Lindsey start thrashing around, fighting to get loose.

  “It’s okay, baby. I promise, it’s okay.” I say to her, never once taking my eyes off Ryan.

  “Oh, baby, it is not okay. I promise that,” he says, spitting at me.

  “Why are you doing this?”

  “Oh, I just had a nice long conversation with your girlfriend. Maybe she’ll tell you about it at your funeral.”

  “Fuck. You.”

  Stepping closer to me, he holds the gun only a few feet from my face. “Kneel.”

  “Fuck you,” I repeat, my eyes locked on his.

  For a second, anger crosses his features, and then a sick smile takes over. Holding his gun down at his side, he marches over to where Lindsey is and stands behind her.

  “Stay away from her,” I shout..

  “Really, you’re gonna make me do this?”

  I don’t answer, just keep eye contact.

  Ryan shrugs and, with a laugh, says, “Have it your way, then.” Grabbing Lindsey by the hair, he yanks her head back. Lindsey’s screams are muffled by the gag, her eyes wide with fright.

  “Don’t you fucking touch her. I will fucking kill you, do you hear me.” I’m screaming so loud my head throbs, hands fisted at my side.

  “Oh yeah? Last I checked, I was the one with the gun, asshole.”

  “Let her go!”

  “Kneel!”

  “No, fuck you.”

  “Get on your fucking knees, Walker! Last warning!” Raising the gun, he presses it Lindsey’s temple once more, her cries growing louder and more frantic.

  “No! Please, fuck, no. Fine, I’ll do it. Just please don’t.” Hands shaking, I drop to my knees, hands in the air. “Please no. Don’t do it.” All the fight is gone from me. The sight of the gun against Lindsey’s head is too much for me to handle, and against all rational thought, I give up. He wins.

  “You’re so fucking pathetic. You done making this harder? You understand who’s in charge here?”

  Looking up through blurry eyes, I watch him remove the gun from Lindsey’s head, and I say a thank you to whoever is looking out for us. Striding over to me, he doesn’t hesitate, smashing me in the face with the butt of the gun. Groaning, I spit out a mouthful of blood and fight the dizziness that immediately hits me.

  “That the best you got?” I slur, pissed off and ready to fucking tear him apart. Lindsey is struggling so hard the chair rattles, and Ryan turns to her, raising the gun again.

  “Shut the fuck up, you stupid bitch. I’ll put a fucking bullet through your goddamn kneecap if you don’t stop.”

  “Leave her alone,” I grunt, my blood boiling when he starts laughing. Like this is a game to him. “You do anything to her and so help me God, not even death itself will save you from me.”

  “Yeah, I doubt that. If Lake hadn’t fucked this entire plan all to hell, we wouldn’t even be here and Lindsey would already be floating in the river.”

  His words hit me right in the stomach, and I fight the bile rising in my throat.

  “You’re fucking insane.”

  “I really don’t like being called that,” he growls, stepping forward to hit me again.

  Baring my teeth, I wipe the blood off my face with the back of my hand.

  “Yeah? Tough. You’re a fucking lunatic. Kidnapping Lindsey, murdering Lake. And for what, Ryan? Why the fuck did you do all of this? You aren’t crazy? Then explain it.”

  “I don’t have to explain shit. Since the day that bitch came into my life, it’s been one shitstorm after another. Taking my job, forgetting who fucking made her what she is!”

  Ryan is completely off the hinges, and with every word he speaks, he paces more furiously, waving the gun around.

  “That’s bullshit and you know it.
You’re trying to twist facts to make sense of your psychotic behavior. Sounds to me like you’re jealous, Ryan.”

  “Jealous of what? That bitch? Please.”

  “Lindsey didn’t have to lie to get where she is. She didn’t grow up alone, trying to find where her next meals would come from. Her parents love her.”

  “Shut the fuck up,” Ryan yells, covering his ears with his hands.

  “Lindsey grew up with friends, going to parties and then to college. Tell me, how’d you get that fake nursing license?”

  “I said shut the fuck up.” He goes back over to Lindsey and rips the gag down, stuffing the gun into her mouth. The noise that comes out of me is inhuman and broken as I scramble to my feet, but he holds his other hand up, stopping me.

  “Last chance, Walker. Shut up. And fucking kneel. Now.”

  Holding my hands up in front of my face, I nod and drop to my knees, eyes filled with tears. “Please, not her. Anything but her, please.”

  Ryan removes the gun and walks back over to me, the gun pointed straight at me.

  “Okay, someone finally gets it. So here’s what’s gonna happen, Walker. You’re gonna say your goodbyes to your pretty thing, okay? And then Lindsey is going to watch you die. And then, and only then, will I kill her.”

  Lindsey’s scream is all I can hear. In my head, I try to think of some way out of this, but there isn’t one. Yes, Garret’s out in my truck, but that doesn’t mean shit. He can’t hear what’s happening. He doesn’t have eyes in here. The only way he’ll know there’s a problem is when he hears the gunshot.

  Fuck.

  “Lindsey, it’s okay. Listen to me, baby. It’s okay. No matter what, I need you to know something. I love you. I love you more than anything in the world.” My voice is thick, and I know Ryan is getting some sick twisted pleasure from that, but I don’t care. I need her to know it’s okay. And it is.

  If me dying is what ultimately saves her, then I accept that.

  “I vowed to keep you safe, and I fucked up, baby. I didn’t keep you safe and I’m sorry. But I don’t want you to blame yourself, Linds. You did nothing wrong. The only thing you did was treat this filth like a human being.”

  I know I should look at her, but I don’t want her to see me die. I don’t want her to carry that burden for the rest of her life.

  “I love you, Lindsey Caroline Taylor, with every fiber of my being. You are the best thing to ever happen to me. Every day I’ve shared with you has been worth it. And I’d do it all again in a heartbeat.”

  Ryan steps closer and points the gun at my head. I close my eyes, knowing this is it.

  “Brody, no!” Lindsey sobs, screaming loudly when I don’t open my eyes.

  “Close your eyes, baby. I don’t want you to see this.”

  Garret, hurry up and get in here. Save her. Please, brother.

  “Carry me always, Linds. I love you.”

  My eyes shut tightly, the loud crack of a gunshot splits through the open room, but I don’t feel the burn of pain. I don’t fall into the black abyss that I expect to come with death. Opening my eyes, Ryan stands in front of me, laughing at my terror. Glancing over my shoulder, I see the bullet hole and then turn back to him. He takes another step toward me and raises the gun a final time. Shutting my eyes, I wait, and another boom rings out, but still nothing. Before I get the chance to open my eyes and find out what he’s doing, a loud explosion at my back startles me, the sound of a third and final gunshot echoing around us.

  Opening my eyes, I see Ryan on the floor, his eyes hollow and lifeless, a hole right between his eyes. Turning, I find Garret behind me, half a dozen police officers behind him. I give him a jerky nod, but he’s not looking at me. His eyes are wide and frightened, so I follow my brother’s gaze.

  Lindsey is standing a dozen feet away, and I only get a glance at the red stain spreading across her abdomen before she drops, clutching the wound.

  “No!” The shout tears from my chest as I scramble to my feet, rushing to her. Dropping to my knees next to her, I struggle to pull my hoodie off, rolling it into a ball. Lindsey’s pale and shaking, her eyes barely open and her teeth chattering.

  “I couldn’t… let him—”

  “Linds, stop talking. Just don’t close your eyes. You’re gonna be okay, baby.” Lying through my teeth, I press my sweatshirt over the wound, tears springing to my eyes when she cries out, the pain in her voice deafening.

  “I’m sorry,” she whispers, tears falling into her hair.

  “Stop.”

  “I love you,” she says, voice cracking.

  “I love you too, Linds. So much. Just hang on, okay?”

  Blood is pooling underneath my hands and soaking the sweatshirt. Her cold hand comes to rest on my forearm and I blink furiously at the tears, unashamed at the few that escape. Lindsey’s breathing becomes shallower, and when I look up at her, her eyes are closed.

  “Linds, come on, open your eyes. Please, baby.” Voice breaking, I push harder, trying to stop the bleeding, but it’s not working. I hear the ambulance sirens wailing in the background, but I keep my focus strong, refusing to stop.

  But her eyes don’t open.

  I’m losing her.

  “Linds. Please, no. Lindsey!” Shouting, I let go of the sweatshirt and try to feel for a pulse. When I don’t find one, my own heart stops.

  “No, baby, no. Fuck, please don’t leave me. I just fucking got you.” Still trying to stop the bleeding, I drop my forehead to her cold one, hot tears splashing onto her face. My chest heaves with each sob, unable to stop even if I tried.

  “Please don’t leave me, baby. Stay with me. I need you. Please don’t go.”

  “Brody.”

  “I love you, Linds. I love you, please, no.”

  “Brody!”

  Hands drop to my shoulders, pulling me back. I fight against them, crying out at whoever it is, but paramedics rush in front of me, and in moments I realize the person holding me is Garret. I struggle against him, but my older brother keeps me back and I finally stop, sagging against him.

  “Let them help her, bro. She’s gonna be okay.”

  “I think she’s dead.”

  “Fuck. Breathe, Brody. Give them a chance, man.” Pulling me back, he keeps an arm firmly around my shoulders. The coppery smell is everywhere, in my nose and the back of my throat. When I look down at my hands, caked in her blood, a sob breaks free and Garret pulls me against him.

  “She’ll be okay, Brody. Your girl’s a fighter.”

  “I need her. I need her so much.”

  “Brody—”

  “We got a pulse. We need to get her to Med now!” one of the paramedics shouts, loading her quickly onto a stretcher.

  “I’m coming with her,” I say, but one of them places a hand on my chest.

  “Sorry, sir. Family only.”

  “Look, I’m her goddamn family and you will fucking let me go. Understood?”

  The young guy almost looks fearful of me, and his eyes flit to Garret next to me. My brother nods and the paramedic steps back, allowing me to climb inside the ambulance.

  “You need to give me room to work,” he says, shutting the door behind us.

  “Okay.” I take one of Lindsey’s free hands in mine, holding tight. As the sirens start again and the vehicle begins to move, I drop my head and pray. Hard.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  Lindsey

  “Carry me always, Linds. I love you.”

  Fighting against the rope binding my arms, I pull as hard as I can. It’s gradually been giving way, and I’m so close. Gritting my teeth, I almost have it when I a gunshot rings out, my entire body jumping from the noise.

  No!

  Crying, I look up to see Brody still kneeling in front of Ryan, the bastard laughing at him, a lone bullet hole in the wall over Brody’s head. Moving my arms even faster, I have one hand halfway out of the rope. Whimpering at the bite against my skin, it slips free and I let out a sob. Ryan isn’t focused on anyth
ing but Brody, so as quickly as I can, I bend over and pull at the bindings around my ankles. Ryan thought he was smart, but he did a shit job tying my legs to the chair.

  In horror, I watch him aim the gun at Brody once again, his finger on the trigger. Tearing the final piece of rope off, I stumble from the chair and break into a run. In seconds I have myself between Brody and Ryan, his finger squeezing the trigger. A shot echoes and a blinding pain tears through my stomach.

  Shaking, I place a hand to my stomach, a dark stain beginning to bleed through the fabric of my scrubs. A loud crash comes from behind Brody and I look through fading vision to see Garret burst into the room, several other cops behind him. He doesn’t hesitate, aiming his gun and delivering the final shot. Ryan drops, his body hitting the concrete with a sickening thud.

  My shirt feels wet, and I look down to the blood pooling out of me. Eyes slowly closing, I drop to the ground, entire body weak. And I’m cold. So fucking cold.

  I hear a shout, and then he’s above me, yelling my name.

  Brody. He’s talking to me, his hands so warm.

  “I couldn’t… let him—”

  “Linds, stop talking. Just don’t close your eyes. You’re gonna be okay, baby.” He presses something against me and I cry out, the pain unforgivable, searing every part of my body.

  “I’m sorry,” I whisper, tears still falling.

  “Stop.”

  “I love you,” I say, voice cracking.

  “I love you too, Linds. So much. Just hang on, okay?”

  Oh, Brody. Beautiful, strong, and mine. But he’s fading. I can’t hear him anymore. I’m drifting, no longer cold. I’m growing warmer, the darker it gets, and then there is nothing.

  §

  “She’s coding!”

  “Get me a crash cart!”

  Time stands still, sounds fading, sights blurring.

  I can’t figure out what’s happened, and my eyes shift around the room, looking for the one person to anchor me.

  How did we get here? When did this become reality?

  “Lindsey!”

  My name is being shouted, but I can’t distinguish the voice. It sounds garbled, as if I’m underwater and they’re above the surface. Closing my eyes, I find that the world becomes less invasive, and I like the silence the darkness brings me.