Arden

by Melody Anne

  He leaned back so she could see his face, see that he was serious, that he cared about her, appreciated her—so she’d believe him.

  “You are kind, talented, smart, and beautiful. Don’t allow that man, who doesn’t deserve to be called your father, take any of that away,” he demanded.

  Her tears dried as she gazed at him. He could see the confusion in her face, could see how desperately she wanted to believe him, but he could also see the doubt in her eyes. Being with her father today had taken her so many steps back in her journey of letting him go. Arden should have gone on his own, but he hadn’t wanted to take that decision from her. Had he known what would happen . . .

  Of course he wouldn’t have taken her there had he known. But still, he had to live with that guilt, with knowing the trauma she was going to face because they’d shown up on that man’s doorstep.

  “I hate him,” Keera said. She hiccupped, but the tears didn’t begin again. “I hate him for what he did to my brother and me. I hate him for walking away like we meant nothing. And I hate him for being a coward, for taking his life in front of me,” she said.

  “Feel that anger. Let it flow through you and evaporate. Don’t give him this power over you for very long. He doesn’t deserve it,” Arden told her.

  “I won’t give him anything else of me,” she promised.

  “Good. Because you are too good for him,” Arden told her.

  She leaned forward and kissed him. It was a slow kiss, a sweet kiss. And it felt far too much like a goodbye. It terrified Arden as she pulled back and looked at him, her eyes lost.

  “Thank you for being there for me today. It means a lot,” she told him.

  But her voice had changed. And she untangled herself from his arms and stood, moving over to the window and looking outside at the gloomy night. Her shoulders stayed firm, and she kept her arms crossed as she held herself, protected herself.

  He knew she was thinking they couldn’t stay together, knew she was trying to let him go. What she didn’t know was he wasn’t going to allow that to happen. They’d figure this case out, and then he’d show her what she truly meant to him.

  They’d have forever, and he’d show her how a father was supposed to be with his children. Though he ached inside, the hope he felt for the two of them warmed his chest.

  She was his as much as he was hers. They had forever to figure it all out.

  “Let’s eat,” he said.

  “I’m not hungry,” she replied.

  “Then humor me,” he told her. He moved over to her but didn’t touch her this time. “Come on.”

  She stopped fighting him, and they went into the kitchen, where Angela had left the food on warmers. He served them each a small plate, and they took it into the living room instead of sitting at the table. The dimmer lights and view out the windows was better for her peace of mind at this moment.

  She had barely touched her food when the house phone rang. She moved liked she was going to get it.

  “Let it go to voice mail. It’s not important,” he said.

  “It could have something to do with today,” she told him.

  He sighed as he stood and grabbed it, not giving the most pleasant of greetings. Then his entire body went still as he looked at Keera. She tensed, knowing that whatever news was coming through the line wasn’t going to be something she’d want to hear.

  “We will be right there,” he said before hanging up.

  He looked at Keera, who let out a breath and looked at him with a new resolve.

  “Whatever it is, I can take it,” she said.

  “A person can only deal with so much before they break,” he told her. “But there’s no way I can keep this from you, though that’s exactly what I want to do.”

  She gave him a semblance of a smile. “I know. You’re that guy,” she said. He wasn’t exactly sure what that meant, but he wasn’t going to ask her to explain it right now. “Just tell me. We might as well get all of the bad over with at one time.”

  “That was Declan. They’ve found Ethan,” he said.

  She tensed, before her eyes narrowed.

  “Good. Let’s go have a chat with him.” She’d been so sad at the thought of the man betraying her, but after seeing her father, after learning Ethan had been phony the entire time she’d known him, she now wanted answers.

  “He’s at the school,” he said.

  Her brows knit in confusion. “Why wouldn’t they take him in?”

  “He’s in a standoff with the police. He has a gun . . . ,” he said, letting that sink in before he continued. “And hostages.”

  Keera’s eyes widened before she closed them and leaned her head back. She only took about three seconds before they flashed back open and she rose to her feet. Arden was humbled by her strength and resolve.

  “Let’s go have a chat, then, shall we?” she said.

  Arden nodded. This time he took her hand and didn’t let go as they left the house. Right now, they needed each other—nothing else mattered.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Keera was amazed at what a person could endure and still keep sane, still keep moving. It was odd, really, how the human psyche worked. It was beautiful, if a person was to really think about it.

  As she and Arden arrived at the school, she was in disbelief as she saw the police vehicles, the SWAT team van, ambulances, fire engines—all of them with flashing lights—and people milling about the parking lot, a large group in a tent around a table, their heads bent together.

  This couldn’t all be for one person. This couldn’t be happening because of her. What had Ethan done? Who did he have? What was going on? They approached, her stomach tied in knots, her body tense. Arden moved next to her as they moved toward the tent.

  “Thanks for getting here so quickly,” Declan said at their arrival.

  “Of course,” Arden told him. “What’s happening? What’s the plan?”

  “He’s in the basement in a room where there aren’t any windows.”

  “What are his demands?” Arden asked. Keera was glad he was asking the questions, because at this point she couldn’t quite think. She was so scared of who might be in there, no longer sure of what the man was capable.

  A man turned, someone Keera hadn’t seen before. He nodded at her. “Noah Mills,” he said before turning to Arden. “I’ve tried negotiating with him. He was dismissive and wouldn’t talk to me. We don’t know at this point what he wants.” He turned back to Keera. “We’re hoping you can help us figure that out since this is your school.”

  The pressure she felt weighed her shoulders as they slumped. She shook her head. “I thought I knew this man, but I don’t know him at all. He’s been here so much longer than me. He . . . he . . .” She stopped, took a deep breath. “I thought he loved this school, loved this town. I thought . . . He was my first friend here,” she finished. It was such a foolish thing to say, but she was so hurt that one more person in her life had turned out to be so untrustworthy.

  “How many kids does he have in there?” Arden asked. Keera needed to know this information, but at the same time, she wasn’t sure she wanted to know.

  “We know of three,” Noah told them. “Their parents said they were working on a project.”

  “We have to get them out,” Keera said. She shook off her fear as she forced herself to calm. She couldn’t think of this like it was her fault, couldn’t pity herself right now. At this moment what she needed to do was help get those kids to safety. And maybe get Ethan out, too.

  She was angry and frustrated with the man, but he had possible answers to what was going on in her life, why people were coming after her. She needed this to end with him alive so she could get those answers.

  “I’ll talk to him. Let me see if I can reason with him,” Keera suggested.

  “That’s not a good idea,” Arden told her. “This situation is sticky, and we only have one shot at this.”

  “I can do this,” she told him, looking him in the
eyes. “Obviously, I’ve done something to this man to make him want me dead. Let me see if I can reason with him, if I can get him to come out and talk to me,” she said. “Or if he will trade the hostages for me.”

  “That won’t happen!” Arden thundered.

  Her shoulders set. “I’d rather be in there than have those kids inside,” she told him.

  “We don’t trade hostages,” Declan said. All the men and women were staring at her now, and she knew that plan was a no-go, but she had to try something.

  “Okay. I thought that was a long shot, but at least let me try to get him on the phone,” Keera pleaded.

  Noah looked to Declan and Arden, which set her teeth to grinding. He didn’t need their permission to allow her to do something. No, he didn’t know her, but he was about to.

  “This is my school, as you pointed out. You will let me in on this, you will let me try to solve this,” she demanded. She was relieved when she saw a flash of respect in Noah’s eyes. If he respected her, then he wouldn’t try to hold her back.

  “Okay, we’ll let you make the call,” Noah said. Keera refused to look at Arden or Declan. This wasn’t about them. Right now, this was about Keera and Ethan and those students. She prayed she didn’t screw it up.

  Noah handed her a phone with a number already in place. All she had to do was hit the “Send” button. She took a deep breath, hoping to keep her voice calm and reasonable, hoping Ethan wasn’t high, hoping he had the ability to speak with her.

  She hit the button and waited. It picked up after the third ring, but all she heard on the other end was heavy breathing. She listened for a moment, and her heart broke when she heard quiet sobs in the background. The students had to be so terrified, so unsure of why this was happening to them.

  “Ethan, it’s me, Keera,” she said, her voice soft, calm, friendly. “Please talk to me. Please tell me what I can do to make this situation better.”

  It was quiet for one of the longest moments of Keera’s life, but she waited, knowing she needed to give him time to adjust to it being her on the other end of the line. If he was answering the call, then there was still hope he wanted to work things out.

  “Why are you here?” he demanded, his voice filled with hate. She wondered if he had assumed she was already dead.

  “I’m here for you,” she said. “You were here for me from the moment I came into this town. Now let me return the favor.”

  She wasn’t sure if she actually meant those words or not. She’d sell her soul right now if it meant the safe return of the kids locked inside with that man. But a part of her had always wanted to save people. She wondered if that went so far as to protect those who would wish her harm.

  “You have no idea who I really am,” he snapped. “Or what I’m capable of.” The deadly menace in his voice shook her to her very soul.

  “I don’t think any of us really know anyone. We do our best, but everyone has secrets. Don’t let this moment be the one that defines your entire life, Ethan. This is your town, your school, your kids. Please remember that,” she pleaded. “Let me be your friend, let me know you.”

  “I brought you to this town, and you screwed it all up. It could have been great, but you didn’t do what you were supposed to do,” he yelled. “You can live with this being on your shoulders.”

  His voice was so cold, so cruel. He wasn’t the most pleasant of men on a daily basis, but this was a whole other side of him she hadn’t known was possible. She closed her eyes and forced herself to take a couple of deep breaths. She didn’t want to take too long, didn’t want him to feel as if she wasn’t hearing him.

  “I’m so sorry. I’ll leave,” she said. “If that’s what will make you happy, I’ll leave.”

  She felt Arden beside her, felt how his body tensed at her words. But she couldn’t think about Arden right now. All she could do was try to hold it together long enough to get those kids to safety.

  “It’s too late for that,” he said, and this time some of the menace left his tone as he seemed more resigned to his new fate. “Everyone knows who I am now. It’s too late.”

  This was a broken man, and that made him incredibly dangerous.

  “Please let the kids leave, Ethan. You and I can figure this out together, but please let them go,” she begged.

  His breath huffed in and out, and she knew he was pacing. The sobs would become clearer as he neared the kids, then fade as he stepped to the other side of the room. She couldn’t imagine what they were going through, not knowing if they’d ever get out of there, if they’d ever see their families again.

  “I can’t. It’s all over if I don’t have them,” he told her.

  “Ethan, please,” she begged.

  But he snarled into the phone, and then the line went dead. Keera’s hand shook as she gripped the phone tight. She’d failed them. She hadn’t even made a dent in the situation, and she could have put the kids in even more jeopardy.

  “You did good, Keera, that was great,” Declan said, his hand lifting to press against her shoulder.

  She looked up at Arden’s brother, tears coming down her cheeks that she hadn’t even realized were falling.

  “No, I failed,” she told him.

  His eyes were warmer than she’d ever seen them as he shook his head. “No, none of this is on you. He’s an evil man who’s doing unspeakable things. There’s no excuse for that. Don’t you take this on,” Declan told her.

  She was so stunned by this transformation of one of the scariest men she’d ever met. He was normally so hard. But she could see why he did so well at his job. He no longer suspected her of being involved with this, so he considered her a victim now, and obviously he treated those he felt were in need different than the rest of the world.

  “It will be okay,” he assured her.

  “You can’t promise that,” she told him.

  “I don’t fail at my job,” Declan said. “And I will get those kids out of there. You have helped with doing that.”

  “Thank you,” she told him. She didn’t believe him, but this wasn’t about her, she reminded herself again. And the more time Declan had to spend trying to make her feel better about herself, the less time he was spending on saving those kids. She’d go over all of this in her mind later. But right now, she just wanted to get through each second until she saw her students’ faces.

  Declan nodded at her; then he and Noah bent their heads back together.

  “He’s right, you did well,” Arden told her.

  She just nodded. “Help them,” she said. He looked at her as if he wanted to say something but didn’t know quite what it was. She understood that, as well.

  The SWAT team was on standby, waiting to rush the building, and everyone who wasn’t actively planning was quiet as they did their best to keep up hope that none of the children would be harmed.

  When the phone she’d been talking on several minutes earlier rang, it nearly made Keera jump out of her skin. Noah picked it up and looked at Keera.

  “Are you ready for this?” he asked.

  She nodded as she took the phone and answered. Her voice shook the slightest bit, but she took in a breath and tried again.

  “Hello, Ethan, thank you for calling back,” she told him. “I’m so sorry I’ve upset you.”

  “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking,” he said, and the tone of his voice surprised her. He didn’t sound like himself, he sounded as if he truly was having a mental breakdown. This situation kept getting more dangerous.

  “What have you been thinking about?” she asked, trying to keep it light.

  “I realized you coming here wasn’t so bad,” he told her. “You do tend to mess things up, but we’ve always had a connection from the moment I saw your picture in your dad’s shit. I knew I’d know you one day, and I had to have you here. At first, I was happy about it, but then you messed it up.” The way he said this made Keera’s stomach turn, bringing bile into her throat. She prayed to keep it down. Now wasn’t
the time to throw up. She could break down later.

  “Yes, we have a connection,” she said instead, keeping the wince from her tone.

  “But you forgot all about me the minute Arden took an interest in you,” he snapped. “And you wouldn’t quit digging into things you had no business digging into!”

  His words shocked her. She knew he wasn’t the biggest fan of Arden, but she didn’t understand why he was this bitter about it. He continued speaking before she could think of something to say.

  “If Arden hadn’t taken an interest in you, none of this would be happening. They would have never found the drugs, never found the link,” he said.

  “I’m sorry, Ethan. I’m sorry I became friends with Arden.” She couldn’t look at the man as she said this. Because it was in no way true. “I don’t need to be friends with him anymore. It can go back to you and I.”

  No one said anything as she made this false promise, and she was glad for that. She didn’t need to look into their faces to see they were most likely as irritated as she was at having to talk so nicely to this man who didn’t deserve it.

  “It doesn’t matter anymore. You went too far, and now I have to pay the price for it,” he said, still not willing to take any of the responsibility on his own shoulders.

  “Nothing has gone too far. I’m sorry. I’ll make it right,” she told him.

  The phone went dead again, and Keera’s heart sank. He sounded as if he’d made his decision to go ahead with whatever he was going to do. She hadn’t helped at all. She might have even made it worse, reminding him of how angry he was with her, of how upset he was.

  “The kids,” she gasped.

  Noah looked at her and nodded. “We have to send the team in now. He’s left us no choice.”

  Keera felt tears well again. If the SWAT team went in, there was more likely a chance of someone getting hurt or killed. She’d failed, and now the burden of those deaths would be on her shoulders.