The Gamble

by Alice Ward

The line went dead. I turned to face Ronald as I started to hyperventilate.

  “Hey, buddy. Pull it together.” He took the phone from me as my legs shook beneath me.

  “This is Ronald. Who’s this? Where are you?” He pulled the phone from his face, studying it.

  “They hung up. Someone has her, Ronald. Fuck.” I snatched the phone from him and tossed him the keys before walking to the car, getting in and leaning back as I called Jon Mills again. He didn’t answer, but I wasn’t too surprised about that. He wasn’t willing to help any more than he had to, simply because he was Melissa’s father. Where some part of me understood his need to protect the girl, the rest of me knew that if something happened to my woman, I wouldn’t stop to get to his daughter, his son and everyone else in the line that led directly to him.

  “Fuck you too, Jon. Sorry bastard.” I turned to Ronald. “Take the turnpike and get us to River Oaks as fast as you can. I know where he lives, but I don’t know the address. Just follow my directions and hurry like hell. They have her, or I assume it’s them. I don’t know of anyone else who’s out to ruin my life.”

  A numbness settled over me that I was almost grateful for. I needed to keep my wits about it, but it was like trying to win a fight against a tornado. Impossible.

  “It will be fine. Just keep thinking positive thoughts and we’ll find her. I promise.” He turned off the freeway and pointed ahead. “That big ass white house up there? Looks like the White House in Washington.”

  I nodded. “Yeah. Jon’s made a name for himself and loads of money to go with it.” I pressed my hand to my mouth and tried to let my thoughts shift to some of the good times Alisa and I had as kids, getting to know each other and starting to fall in love, but it was a moot point. I couldn’t shake the image of her hurt or scared.

  Or dead. Knowing that she was with Melissa was nothing less than terrifying.

  My phone buzzed, and I pulled it to my ear as Ronald parked in front of Jon’s mansion.

  “Clark. You need to get over to Alisa’s place.”

  “I’m already here. What the fuck happened? Have you found her? Is she with you?” Alisa’s older brother was in the middle of a panic attack quite capable of rivaling my own.

  “I think she was taken by Melissa Mills, the girl I told you about from the mental hospital. I’m at Melissa’s dad’s house right now. I’ll call you back. Just wait on my brother and his wife—”

  “Just sit here while my sister is missing. Is that a joke?” He wasn’t just terrified, but pissed.

  “They’ve called the cops, Clark. You’re going to need their help. Let me talk with Jon, and I’ll call right away with the location where Melissa is staying. We’ll get over there and get Alisa back. I’m scared too, brother. I’m fucking beside myself.”

  “Hurry.” Clark hung up the phone as other voices lifted in the background, and I had to assume that Lizzy and Mark had arrived.

  I got out of the car and jogged up to the front door, not stopping to think before I banged on it several times. Ronald jogged up beside me and shook his head.

  “I know you don’t want to hear this, but we’re going to have to make a quick stop by a grocery store or the house or some place that makes sense for us to be out this long.” He patted my back.

  I nodded, but kept my attention on the door. There was a slight chance I’d be going back to prison for breaking the rules, but all bets were off. I knew Alisa was in trouble. Nothing was going to divert me from finding her. Nothing other than being carted off myself.

  Jon opened the door and moved back, making room to let us in. “I knew you would come by. Come on in.”

  “No. Tell me where Dillon lives, Jon. Or Melissa. They have Alisa Manning. She called, screamed into the goddamn phone and then it went dead. You know as well as I do that if anything happens to her, you’ll be dragged into the center of it.” I pressed my hand to the brick wall beside me. “Melissa is a sick woman, and this isn’t just about her hurting someone’s fucking future. It’s about her possibly murdering someone.”

  Just the thought of it caused my stomach to turn over. Nothing better happen to Alisa. I couldn’t stand to even contemplate it, and yet my thoughts kept sweeping back to the scene of her lying dead in a grungy apartment somewhere.

  “I understand. Dillon lives in the Ridgeway Villa’s in downtown. It’s a ten minute drive. Go now. He’s close to Melissa. I don’t think—”

  “Let’s go.” I turned and ran back to the car as I pressed the phone to my ear and called Lizzy.

  “Tell me you have good news,” she barked at me. Everyone was unraveling fast, and I was no exception.

  “I don’t, but tell the cops to get over to the Ridgeway Villa’s near downtown. You go there too. You’re much closer than I am. Don’t go into that place without help though. We don’t know what we’re up against.” I slammed my door as Ronald spun the wheels out and took off down the quiet street.

  “We’ll be careful. Just be safe getting over there. The cops are headed over here now, but I’ll put in a call to tell them to head over to Ridgeway. Is that where Dillon’s apartment is?”

  “Yes.” I took a shaky breath and had to fight against tears as my brother’s voice filled up the line.

  “Hey. You holding up, okay?”

  “No. Just help me find her, Mark. I’ve been looking for her my whole life and she was right there the whole time, right under my nose. I shouldn’t have left when we were kids, I just figured I knew better.” I turned to look out the side window and pressed my fingers to my eyes.

  “You’ve always been a martyr. It’s not a bad thing most of the time. I think maybe when we get Alisa back, the two of you should seriously stop dicking around with each other and just dive in deep. There’s a lot there between the two of you. We’re all aware of it. You both have to be too.”

  “I agree. I’d give just about anything to have this work out. Some part of me has already resigned to her being dead.” I choked on fear as it lodged in my throat.

  “Stop that shit. You know that will only shut you down and leave you paralyzed. She’s a tough girl. She’ll have Melissa on the ground and the guy helping her in a headlock. Don’t turn her into the spring flower that she’s not.” He chuckled, and I forced a soft laugh of my own.

  “I guess. I just don’t want her to suffer because of me. This is all my shit. Everyone’s had to deal with this when it should have been just m—”

  “Shut up. I’m heading over there now, and Lizzy is driving like a bat outta hell. Pray that we don’t die, and I’ll text you the minute we get there.”

  “Alright. Thanks, Mark.” I hung up the phone and turned to Ronald. “Man, I know we need to make this look legit, but I won’t be able to stop until I have Alisa in front of me. If that means I go back to jail, that’s fine.”

  “I get it. It will be okay. We’ll work it out. There are special cases all the time.” He turned a corner a little too fast, and I grabbed my door to hang on. “Sorry. My heart is racing. I didn’t know this assignment would turn out to be so damn crazy.”

  “My whole life has been nothing but crazy lately.” I tried to get a hold of myself, but it was damn near impossible. I could only hope that my brother made it to her before anything happened. Clark was headed that way too, and if I knew anyone would be willing to barge into the middle of a hostage situation and bust a few heads, I knew it would be him. He loved Alisa far too much to do anything less.

  Otherwise, my next time in court would be because I had blood on my hands, not dollar signs in my eyes.

  CHAPTER TWO

  Alisa

  I waited for the sting of Melissa’s knife, but it never came. Instead, I was hit hard enough to knock me backwards. My breath expelled from my lungs, and I blinked a few times before rolling onto my side and jerking my hands from the ropes. They came loose, and I moved up to work on my feet as Dillon wrestled with Melissa in front of me. Their voices were tight, tense — angry.

  “Yo
u said you wouldn’t hurt her. This wasn’t part of the deal.” Dillon pressed Melissa to the floor, his voice muffled from his face being against her back.

  I stood up and moved toward the door before realizing I couldn’t leave. He was a villain as much as she was, but he’d risked himself to save me. My ethics couldn’t take a vacation if I begged them to.

  My heart was racing as I moved around the kitchen and found a butcher knife. I didn’t care how ridiculous I looked as I moved out toward the living room, I had to help. Every cell in my body screamed for me to turn and run and let Dillon deal with his sister all on his own.

  Melissa turned the tables on Dillon, the small girl having far more strength than I imagined possible. “You weren’t supposed to fall in love. Why does she get everyone? She’s not even attractive. What’s the matter with you?”

  Dillon pushed at his sister’s throat as she climbed up to straddle on his chest, and within minutes, they were rolling again. Neither of them paid me a bit of attention, which was fine. I would let the drama play out for a few more minutes and then intervene.

  The door behind me busted open, slamming against the wall. I jerked around and held up my knife as my brother came barreling in.

  “Alisa? Thank God.” He moved toward me as the knife slid from my fingers and I cried out in panic and relief. He bent to pick it up, his eyes on the struggling siblings. Seconds later, two cops ran in, guns raised, and I nearly collapsed in relief.

  “Clark.” I moved into his arms and closed my eyes, not paying attention to the sounds of struggling or the screaming behind me. I assumed the cops were capable of taking Melissa down.

  “Are you okay?” He moved back and studied me as Lizzy squeezed in between us and pulled me into a tight hug.

  She was trembling far more than I was, but I had somehow sunk down into a place of calm that had to have been my fight response kicking into gear.

  “Oh my God. We were so scared.” She moved back as Clark cleared his throat.

  “I’m fine. Melissa had her brother kidnap me from the apartment, but Dillon wasn’t able to do much more than play the puppet she wanted him to.” I wrapped my arms around myself and moved into my brother’s strong hold again. I wanted to ask where the hell Zek was, but I knew he would have been there if he could have. His house arrest was a serious subject, though it hurt me a little that he wasn’t willing to fight against the system to save me.

  “I’m just sick over the fact that we hired this damn guy.” Lizzy turned and looked over her shoulder. “We’re going to prosecute both of you, and you’ll never see the light of day again. Never.”

  Dillon was being cuffed as the cops dragged him out. “Alisa. Tell them that I helped you. I saved you. Save me. I love you.”

  Clark moved in front of me as Dillon cried out in pain. Someone had a hold of him, and the voice that rose from just outside the hall was the one I’d been waiting to hear all night.

  “I’ll fucking kill you for what you did.” Zek’s tone was wrapped in vengeance. “Don’t you ever touch my woman again. Ever. You sick fuck.”

  “Alright, mister. Back off, or we’ll have to take you downtown too,” one of the cop spoke sternly as I pushed my way through. Melissa was being hauled out next, and she screamed for Zek, begging him to help her. Her cries hit me in the chest, but after all that happened, I had nothing left to give in the way of sympathy.

  “Zek.” I reached for him, grabbing the front of his shirt and pulling him into the kitchen behind Lizzy and Clark so that we could have a bit of privacy.

  “Baby.” He crashed into me, lifting me off the ground with the strength of his attack.

  I pressed my lips to his and wrapped myself around him, breathing in the truth that he would come for me, no matter what. Why had I doubted him at all?

  I pulled back, wanting the kiss desperately, but knowing it wasn’t the time.

  “I’m so sorry, Alisa.” He helped me slide down the front of his body and moved his hands to cup my face. “They didn’t hurt you, did they?”

  “I’ve been asking that same damn question since we got here.” Clark turned and gave me a look.

  “No. I’m not hurt. Melissa pulled a knife about five minutes before you guys burst through the door, but Dillon tackled her. He was the one who drugged me and got me over here, but he also saved me when the shit hit the fan.” I wrapped my arms back around Zek and pressed my cheek to his chest. “I want to go.”

  “Let’s get you home with me.” He kissed the side of my head and moved us through the crowd, only stopping so my brother and Lizzy could give me another quick squeeze.

  Zek’s brother was out in the hall with Ronald. They both turned as we walked by.

  “There you are. You alright?” Mark reached out and touched my shoulder, squeezing softly. “No scaring us like that again. My brother was ready to burn down the fucking city.”

  “Were you?” I looked up at the handsome man who had stolen my heart and become the only thing I wanted to live for. His dark blue eyes moved along my face as a smile lifted his lips.

  “Are you kidding me? There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.” He leaned down and brushed his lips with mine as Mark and Ronald made playful sounds of disgust. Did men always act like little boys when they were in a pack together? “Let’s go. This has been far too much for any of us.”

  “I agree.” I tucked myself against him as we walked to the car. I could hear Lizzy promising the cops I’d give my statement tomorrow. I was grateful to Ronald for giving us a little bit of privacy before we got into the Lexus.

  Zek turned to me and pulled me flush against him. “I’m sorry. I should have told you the truth twenty years ago. I love you more than anything else in the world. I can’t do this without you and tonight when you didn’t come home, I thought—” He choked on his words as tears rimmed his eyes.

  “Shh... it’s okay. We’re fine now. I’m right here, and we’ll get through this together.” I lifted to my toes and pressed my lips to his again, opening myself up as his tongue pressed deep into my mouth. The needy groan that left him raced across my skin and lit my heart on fire. I would be okay because of him.

  We were safe, and though I’d been scared like hell that the end was near, it wasn’t. There was more life to live, and after we got past the terror of everything that happened, we would find ourselves closer.

  “I need you with me tonight. You’re coming to my place.” He kissed me again as I groaned softly.

  “Yes. I wouldn’t be anywhere else.” I pulled back as Ronald walked up.

  “You guys ready?” He patted Zek’s shoulder and gave me a warm smile. “Do we need to stop for something to eat on the way home? Burgers and fries?”

  “Yes.” Zek opened the back door for me and got in beside me.

  I snuggled up to him and tried to let go of the high emotion that continued to play with me. It wouldn’t have been so damn bad if I hadn’t been tied up. Knowing that I couldn’t free myself had been terrifying. I pushed at the torrent of emotions that rose in my chest, but I couldn’t keep myself from thinking about all that happened again.

  A soft cry left me, and Zek snuggled me up tightly, pressing his lips to the top of my head.

  “I’m here, baby. Nothing will ever hurt you again. I promise.”

  I nodded and closed my eyes, trying to concentrate on the delicious smell of his cologne and the feel of his arms around me. I believed his promise, but that was because I believed in him.

  I always had.

  ***

  Roland did as promised and stopped by to get us a burger and some fries before taking us back to Zek’s place. We gathered at the table and ate quickly in an awkward silence. I didn’t have much to say and reliving the events of the evening wasn’t something I was ready to do. Being tough was one thing, but there was little I could have done to combat Dillon’s attack in my apartment. I didn’t feel safe at all with the idea of going back there.

  “Alright, kids. I’m
glad everything turned out as good as it did.” Ronald stood and lifted his arms to the ceiling. “You guys need anything before I head to bed?”

  “No, but thank you for everything tonight.” Zek stood and offered his hand. “I couldn’t have done all of that without your help. If you get in trouble over—”

  “It’s all part of the job, Zek. Rest tight and let’s talk security for Alisa’s apartment tomorrow. The fact that Dillon got in there so easily is concerning.” Ronald smiled at me and turned to walk down the darkened hall.

  “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I’m saying it anyway.” Zek sat back down at the table and scooted his chair closer to mine. His beautiful eyes were filled with worry, and the slight frown on his lips left my heart melting.

  “Tell me anyway.” I reached out and brushed my fingers along his cheek.

  “You’re moving in with me or Clark. I’d rather it be me, but Ronald said that the cameras can’t pick you up all the time or I could be in violation of my parole.” He pressed his strong fingers over my hand and turned to kiss my palm. “Don’t fight me on this.”

  “I won’t.” I moved out of my chair and into his lap, straddling him as I wrapped my arms around him and pressed my cheek to his chest, my lips to his neck. “I love you so much. I knew you would come for me.” Tears burned my eyes as another soft cry pulled from the center of my chest. “I wasn’t scared to die. I was just scared that you wouldn’t be able to move past it.”

  “I wouldn’t.” He breathed in deep and ran his hands over my back in soothing up and down circles. “When this clears up, we’re going to start having those bucket list conversations.”

  “The ones about sky diving?” I moved back, a little put off that he would mention us talking about another terrifying event. I’d been through far too much to talk about anything other than lying on a beach or taking up something safe, like knitting.

  “No, baby.” He cupped my face and rubbed his thumbs over my cheeks. “The ones about getting married and having ten kids.”

  “Ten kids?” I rocked my hips forward subtly. “I never said that I wanted ten kids. I want to practice creating ten kids, but I don’t want that many, silly.”