by K. L. Ramsey
“None of this is funny, Jarrod,” she grouched. “There are armed guards upstairs watching my toddler.” Jarrod quickly sobered. She was right, not one bit of their situation was humorous.
“I know, baby and I’m sorry,” he offered but Airiana wasn’t having it. She wasn’t looking for apologies or a quick brush off. If he knew his girl, and he did, she was up to something and he was not going to like it. “Spill it, Airiana. What are you really doing here? Milo has been under guard since we returned. What’s really bothering you?”
Airiana huffed out another dramatic sigh and this time, he stifled his own laugh. She was really selling it, whatever “it” was. “I want to go to lunch,” she spat. “I want to get my nails and hair done. I want a fucking life.”
“Well, we will have all of that again soon, baby. We just need to be patient and let the police do their jobs. They will catch this asshole who’s trying to hurt you, and we will be back to doing all of our fun, normal, everyday things.” Jarrod watched her, knowing that wasn’t going to be the end of her tirade.
“This doesn’t seem to be affecting you and Justin like it has been me,” she sassed. “You two go out to lunch and do whatever it is you have to do. I’m the one stuck under lock and key.” She pouted and it was probably the cutest thing Jarrod had ever seen. He smiled at her and God, he wanted to give her everything she had been asking him for but he couldn’t.
“No, Airiana. I’m sorry but whatever you’re dreaming up, the answer is no,” he said, pointing his finger in her direction.
“Can’t I just have one little thing?” she begged.
“No,” he barked.
“I just want a cheese steak—you know one filled with gooey cheese and meat, smothered in onions,” she moaned the last word, making him instantly hard. Here she was, talking about cheese steak subs and just her description of them was making him hard.
“Fuck, Airiana,” he complained. “Why do you make me so crazy?” he asked.
She shrugged and smiled. Airiana knew exactly what she was doing to him. “Is it working?” she sassed.
“No,” he lied. “Alright, yes. But, you can’t just go traipsing around town for a sub. It’s just too dangerous. Justin and I have a meeting here in ten minutes and we can’t go with you.” She pouted again, melting the last of his defenses. “Fuck,” he swore again. “You do that better than Milo,” he teased. She laughed and stood.
“How about if I promise to stay close and be a good girl? I’ll even take two guards with me,” she said. Airiana crossed her heart with her fingers and pasted on her best smile.
“No,” he said again. “I can send someone else out for your sub but I won’t have you leaving this office. Am I clear?” Jarrod knew he sounded like an asshole but he didn’t care. He wouldn’t take any chances with her safety and he knew Justin felt the same way and would agree with him. Hell, she was probably going to go to him next. The thought was almost amusing. Airiana crossed her arms over her chest, accentuating her impressive cleavage and turned to leave his office without another word.
“I love you, Airiana,” he shouted after her.
“Mm-hm,” she sassed back, causing him to laugh. She was definitely trouble and Jarrod loved every minute of it.
Airiana
Airi found her purse and jacket and quickly went to the hallway where her guards were supposed to be but there was no sign of either of them. If she was going to outright defy Jarrod’s orders, she could at least take her security detail with her. She was angry with Jarrod for not agreeing to her plan but she wouldn’t go off and do something that could get her killed. She walked down to the break room, hoping they would be in there having coffee or just taking some down time but they weren’t there either. Instead of tracking them down and wasting even more time, she decided to run to the sub shop just around the corner by herself. She was sure she’d be back long before anyone even missed her. In fact, that was the plan because having to deal with Jarrod’s anger wasn’t her idea of a good time. He would never hurt her, not like Cole did but he could sulk for days if he was mad enough.
It only took her five minutes to walk to the shop and by the time she got there, she was starving. All she could think about during her morning meetings was a cheese steak sub. Airi placed their orders, getting the guys each their favorite subs and was walking back to the office, when a man stepped from the back alley she always cut through.
“Excuse me,” she said, trying to sidestep him but he slipped in front of her, blocking her path forward. She looked up and saw the menacing way he looked at her and knew exactly whom she had run in to—Jimmy. Sure, he was older, they both were but she would never forget his eyes or the way he looked at her. It was a cross between love and hate and always sent a shiver down Airi’s spine.
“Jimmy,” she whispered. “Please don’t do this,” she begged. His laugh was enough to have her putting up her defenses. Airi knew if she just stood there, Jimmy would win. There was no way she could fight him; he was so much bigger than she was. Her only hope was to run and if she was lucky, be faster than Jimmy. He grabbed her arm, almost as if he could read her thoughts and pulled her against his body. He smelled like day old whisky and cigarettes, reminding her of her childhood but not in a good, stroll down memory lane, kind of way.
“I’ve missed you, Airi,” he whispered in her ear. She dropped the bag of subs and pulled her arm free from his hold.
“Don’t touch me,” she growled.
“Or what, honey?” he taunted.
“Or I’ll be forced to do this.” Airi reached into her purse and pulled the mace from her bag. Her sister insisted she carry it with her, being a single mom living over a bar and she had to admit she was grateful for having it. She shot it right in Jimmy’s face and turned to run.
“You bitch,” he shouted, lunging for her, as if guessing she was about to make a break for it. He toppled her to the ground and Airi felt a searing pain shoot through her head after it hit the street. The last thought that ran through her mind was of her sweet little boy and the men who she loved, just before everything around her went dark.
Airi felt as though her entire world was spinning off kilter. Her head hurt and she was sure she had a concussion. A new wave of nausea overtook her and she thought she was going to be sick.
“Oh good, look who’s awake.” The voice she still heard in her nightmares now rang through to her and she reluctantly blinked her eyes open against the harsh bright light. His laugh sounded just as evil as it had years ago when she was just a young girl and she knew exactly who she was dealing with.
“Jimmy,” she groggily whispered.
“Well, well Princess. It’s about time you woke up and paid me some attention. Hell, I’ve been trying to get your fucking attention for years now.” Jimmy ran his hand up her arm and she wanted to tell him to keep his fucking hands to himself but she didn’t have the strength. Airi’s eyes focused and she saw the face of the boy who did unspeakable things to her years ago. That boy was now a man but she could tell it was him. He had the same shifty eyes that looked her over like she was his next meal. He had the same laugh and when he touched her, he invoked the same feeling of disgust and loathing deep within her gut.
“Why?” she asked. Her voice cracked and she knew Jimmy was taking a good deal of pleasure in the fact she sounded so afraid. She looked around the tiny room, realizing she didn’t recognize her surroundings. Airi was laying on a small bed, her wrists handcuffed to the metal bed post and she struggled against her bonds. Every movement elicited a sharp pain in either her head or her arms and she finally calmed herself enough to lay still, minimizing her agony.
His chuckle sent shivers down her spine. “Why what baby?” he questioned. “Why am I trying to get your attention? Why have I wasted years of my fucking life, trying to get you to finally notice me?” Jimmy ran the pad of his thumb over her cheek and down her jaw and she gagged, remembering all the evil things he did to her in the past.
“Aww ho
ney, just relax,” he ordered. “I’ve done all of this for you, baby. I’ve been watching you for years now. Hell, I’m the one who made it possible for you and that fucking idiot, Cole to meet. All that time wasted and he didn’t do a fucking thing right,” Jimmy complained.
“What do you mean? How did you make it possible that we met?” she questioned. Airi’s head throbbed and she wasn’t sure if she understood Jimmy because he was talking in circles or if her foggy brain wasn’t keeping up. Either way, she was going to have to get herself together and come up with a plan to find her way back to Milo and the guys. She had to do it for them, if not for herself.
“You just left—you fucking left and how was I to know if you were alright? I sent Cole Summers in to keep an eye on you but he went and got you pregnant, fucking everything up,” Jimmy spat.
“I left your parents foster home because you forced me to have sex with you and got me pregnant.” She wanted to yell and scream at him but all she could muster was a whisper.
“You said yes,” Jimmy yelled. “You fucking told me yes and not just once but over and over. I never forced you, Airi. You wanted it just as much as I did.”
“That’s not true,” she denied his words. “You told me you would hurt those other girls. They were just little girls and you said if I didn’t have sex with you, you’d force them to. How could I let you do that? You left me no choice but to agree to every disgusting thing you wanted me to do. You’re sick, Jimmy. You need help.” Airi gingerly shook her aching head and he laughed at her obvious discomfort.
“You tell yourself whatever you need to get through the day, honey,” he teased. “I know the truth. You loved me and we created another life together but then you went and lost our baby. How could you be so careless, Airiana?” She hated hearing Jimmy talk about the baby she lost. She was only a kid herself but she was resigned to try to be a good mother for her child. Airi didn’t plan for the baby but she would have never done anything to hurt her own child, she just didn’t have it in her to hurt her own flesh and blood. After her miscarriage, she mourned the baby for months, feeling guilty as hell. The doctor told her she didn’t do anything wrong, those things happened sometimes and it was just nature’s way of making things right. She didn’t understand his meaning at the time but now she did. Life had a funny way of working itself out and losing the baby was just one of those things.
“I loved that baby but not you, Jimmy. Never you. I could never love a monster,” she spat, getting some of her voice back. She was starting to feel a little stronger and knew it might be her anger working in her favor but she would use every ounce of her new found strength to stand up to the bully who nearly destroyed her life.
“You’re not capable of loving anyone, bitch.” She wanted to laugh in his face but Airi knew it would hurt too much to do so. She loved her family, her son and God she loved Justin and Jarrod but she would never share anything so personal with Jimmy. He was her tainted past she’d rather forget but Airi knew he wouldn’t let her just walk away from him.
Airi knew she needed to keep Jimmy talking to hopefully buy herself some time. “Why did you set things up between Cole and me, if you didn’t want me with him?” she questioned.
“When you left me I had no choice but to keep tabs on you. After you aged out of the system, I had no way to keep an eye on you anymore, so I came up with the idea of hiring an old friend to get close to you,” he admitted.
“Cole,” Airi whispered.
“Yes, I went to high school with Cole Summers and he was down on his luck, so I knew he’d take me up on my offer. I set him up in the little apartment you two shared and even told him where to casually run into you. I had no idea you’d be easy and fall into bed so quickly with him.” Jimmy looked at her as if he was disgusted by her, as if he had any reason to be. She didn’t care what Jimmy thought of her and his upset wasn’t any of her concern.
“So you set up our meeting and paid him to get close to me?” Airi felt foolish she never saw the signs but looking back, they were there. Cole acted as if he was completely disinterested in her most of the time. When she got pregnant with Milo, he became angry, almost irate towards her. That was about the time Cole started hitting her. He was never the man she thought he was and for the longest time she didn’t trust herself to make any personal decisions. Until now, with the guys. They were the first leap of faith Airi took since hooking up with Cole and she was so happy she took a chance with them.
“Basically, I just never imagined you would fall into bed with him so quickly. You always were a little slut, weren’t you, Airi?” He pulled her up from the bed she laid on and she was sure she was going to vomit with the sudden movement. Her arms had lost most of their feeling, which was a welcome change from the agonizing pain from every sudden movement.
“And then you went and got yourself pregnant with that brat of yours,” he hissed.
“Milo isn’t a brat, asshole,” she yelled back. Jimmy’s smile was mean and she knew she wasn’t going to like whatever he was about to say.
“You weren’t supposed to have him but that asshole couldn’t seem to get anything right. When I confronted Cole he assured me you would lose his baby, just like you lost mine but he couldn’t seem to finish the job. Sure, you landed in the hospital a few times but you never lost the brat, did you Airi?” She gasped at Jimmy’s question.
“You wanted me to lose my baby?” she whispered.
“Hell, I paid that fucker to do his best to make sure you lost that kid but he never got it right did he? My baby was the one you should have had. My baby deserved to have the same chance your God awful brat has now. But my kid is dead and soon, yours will be too. I plan on handling that myself.” The look on Jimmy’s face told Airi he meant every word. He planned on going after Milo when he finished with her but the guys wouldn’t ever let Jimmy get to her son. They would guard him with their lives, just as they had tried to do with her. But she was a fool and didn’t listen to them. She thought she knew better and took off on her own, wanting her life back. Airi just never imagined Jimmy would be the one behind it all, the one chasing her down all those years, the one wanting to murder her and the people she loved. If nothing else, this all would stop with her, she’d make sure of it.
“You paid Cole to murder my baby? You’re disgusting,” she yelled.
Jimmy’s laugh was mean. “I really don’t care what you think about me or my motives, honey. It would have all been worth it too, if your brother-in-law hadn’t stuck his nose where it didn’t belong. After your sister and her husbands got involved, everything went to hell,” he complained. “And now, you’re living with your two bosses, just like your slut of a sister. Two guys, Airi,” he tisked. She laughed and realized that finding his monologue funny, seemed to piss him off.
“Is that what’s bothering you, Jimmy? I’ve found happiness and you never will—that’s it right?” she taunted. He stood from the side of the bed she was on and paced the floor, telling her she had hit a nerve. Airi had to admit, she loved how he was so easily roused by her assumptions. She wondered if she kept pushing him if he’d end up making a mistake allowing her to find a way to escape, or if she’d end up pushing him too far.
“What you’ve found isn’t happiness, it’s unholy. You’re just too damaged to realize what you are doing with those two men is disgusting. Poor little Airi—you want to be loved so badly you don’t understand right from wrong any longer. That’s where I come in, honey,” he said, sitting back down on the bed. It dipped from his weight and she braced herself for whatever he was planning but he didn’t make another move towards her. Jimmy just sat there, staring her down and she almost felt it was worse than if he had touched her. Waiting for his next move was excruciating.
“We’ll have plenty of time to figure out our next move, Airi. First, I need to run a few errands to pick up some supplies. Then you and I are going on a little trip. I can’t have your boyfriends snooping around town looking for you. We are going to get the h
ell out of town and then you and I are going to get reacquainted,” Jimmy promised. He stood and crossed the small room, pausing in the doorway to look back at her.
“I can’t wait to make you mine again, honey,” he said. Airi didn’t hide her sob, knowing Jimmy’s threat was a promise he’d enjoy keeping.
Jarrod
“Where the fuck is she, man?” he yelled his question at Justin and he could tell his brother had no clue how to answer him. He wished they had a lead, a clue, hell—a fucking breadcrumb to follow. They had nothing to go on and Airiana had been gone for five hours now. Jarrod knew every passing hour gave the asshole that had her a bigger lead and a better chance of not being found.
“I don’t know, Jarrod. God, I wish we had something to go on here but I’m just as lost in all of this as you are.” As soon as Jarrod got the text from that asshole, Jimmy, showing he had Airiana, they called the local authorities in to handle the case. But, they were taking forever to come up with a single lead. It was time for them to get their own security team involved, no matter the consequences.
“I’ve called in the team and they will be here in the next ten minutes,” Justin said. “Ivy picked up Milo an hour ago from daycare, and Holden and Slade know the deal. If this asshole got to Airi, he’ll probably be going after Milo next. I’ve sent two men from our security team home with them.”
“Thank fuck,” Jarrod said. “We can’t take any chances with Milo; our girl will have our balls if we do.”
“We’ve got to get her back,” Justin whispered. “I don’t know what we’ll do if she’s gone.” Justin paused. Jarrod didn’t want him to say anything else. He knew what could happen to Airiana and thinking of the worst case scenario wasn’t an option right now. If they did, neither of them would be in the right frame of mind to help their girl.
“What the hell was she thinking? I explicitly told her not to go out for lunch and she defied me,” Jarrod growled. He hated how she blatantly disregarded her own personal safety and went out to get their lunches, after he specifically told her to stay the fuck at her desk.