On the Line (Out of Line Book 7)

by Jen McLaughlin

  That I’d finally be able to breathe again.

  There was a creak of a floorboard, a whiff of cologne, and every ounce of that hope I had went away. Because that cologne? That rise of goosebumps and fear that accompanied it?

  They were all too familiar, and they belonged to only one person.

  Vinnie.

  Before I could even open my mouth to warn Ben, there was a sickening crunch, and his body fell lifelessly to the floor. I went down, too, as he unintentionally took me down with him since we were still entwined with one another intimately.

  As we hit, I landed on my left arm painfully. I cried out, gasping for air because his lifeless body on top of mine was too much. I struggled to breathe, to push him off me, but one hand wasn’t enough. I was trapped under my lover’s body, who may or may not be dead.

  Ben.

  Sobbing, I tried to look at his face, but all I could see is the trail of blood coming out of his hair. Shut eyes, lax mouth. Struggling to breathe, I focused on his nostrils, looking for any sign of movement.

  There it was. He was breathing.

  Thank God.

  Knowing he was alive, I searched the shadows for Vinnie. I didn’t have to search far. He flicked the hallway light on and knelt beside me, wearing all black. His pale skin stood out against the dark clothes. His glowering eyes reflected the hate in his heart. “Hello, Sarah.”

  I still couldn’t breathe, so I tried to push Ben off me again, but it was useless. With my arm caught under me, possibly broken, there was no way I was freeing myself. Was this how I died, trapped under Ben while he lay lifelessly on top of me? If so, at least Vinnie didn’t get to touch me again.

  At least I could deny him that.

  “Let me guess, this is your mother’s room?” He tsked, tapping something hard against the wood. Oh God, did he have a gun? “And you fucked some asshole right outside of it?”

  “Go to hell,” I gasped.

  “Is that any way to talk to the man who could save your life right now?” he rested the tip of his gun against Ben’s head. “Not to mention your mother’s, and his…”

  “Don’t,” I gasped.

  He cocked his head. “Why not? He took what was mine.”

  The way he said that, all calm and almost emotionless, was what made him so dangerous. He wasn’t like a crazy guy you’d see in a movie, who laughed manically as he killed people for fun. No, his insanity was a silent kind, the dangerous kind, and he truly thought I was still his. That what we’d once had was normal. That he was normal.

  That’s what made him such a threat.

  I knew how to handle him. Knew what I needed to say to save Ben’s life. Seeing the gun pressed against his temple told me something I’d already sensed but hadn’t admitted to myself.

  I loved Ben.

  Always had. Always would.

  I couldn’t let him die for me. Couldn’t lose him.

  While I might not want to leave here with Vinnie, if that’s what I had to do to save Ben and my mom, then I would in a second, without hesitation. So, I swallowed my hatred and said what Vinnie wanted to hear. “I’m sorry, babe.”

  “Yeah, sure you are.” He stood, leaving me beneath Ben. The room was starting to spin now. “Let me guess? You want me to let him live?”

  I nodded, trying to say yes, but failing because I was losing consciousness.

  Concern colored his gaze, and he knelt beside me again. Effortlessly, he pushed Ben off me, scowling when he saw his state of undress, and my bunched-up skirt. I tried to push it down with my good hand, but he caught it. “Leave it. Show me who you really are.”

  I swallowed hard, tears blurring my vision. “My arm…”

  He glanced at it, completely unconcerned again. “Is it broken?”

  “I don’t know. I…I can’t move it.”

  He pursed his lips. “Serves you right.”

  His gaze went back to Ben, who was beginning to stir. His fingers twitched on the trigger, and he aimed it at his head. I sat up, cradling my hurt arm in front of me, putting myself between Ben and a bullet. “No!”

  Vinnie scowled. “Get out of my way, or I’ll shoot you, too.”

  “You can’t do that. He’s a cop.”

  He hesitated. “You clearly have a type.”

  “If you kill him, they’ll hunt you down. They’ll never stop. He’s the captain’s son,” I said frantically.

  Vinnie lowered the gun slightly. “I don’t give a damn.”

  “But I do. If you kill him…” I struggled to my knees, right where he liked me best, licking my dry lips. My heart ached, and I felt like I was going to vomit. The pain…having to do this again…it was too much. “If you kill him, we can’t escape.”

  That got his attention. “We?”

  I glanced at Ben one last time, closed my eyes, and said the last thing I wanted to say. “Yes. If…if you help me stand, if you let him live, then I’ll go with you. We’ll run off together again, and I’ll be yours, and no one else will ever touch me again. But we should go. Right now.”

  He narrowed his eyes. “Why?”

  “There’s a cop outside—”

  He scoffed. “Not awake.”

  “Then when he doesn’t answer, more will come.” I swallowed past my aching throat, ignoring the tears rolling down my cheeks. “If we don’t go soon, then we won’t escape before they come for you.”

  He didn’t even question the fact that I wanted to leave with him. Just accepted it for what it was. “You’ll pay for what you’ve done,” he promised.

  I nodded, trembling. “I know.”

  After what felt like a lifetime of hesitation, he lowered the gun, finally taking it off Ben. Instead, he focused it on my chest, aiming for my heart. He had a better chance of hitting it when he’d held it on Ben. “Stand up.”

  Silently, I struggled to my feet, stumbling a bit when I straightened because I had one heel on, and one heel off. As I bent to put the other on, Vinnie caught my hair and forced me back up. I gasped, tears burning in my eyes. “Leave it off. You don’t get to wear two shoes.”

  He dragged me along by the hair, and I got one last look at Ben before I was out the door, in his car, and we were speeding down the road. His hand was on my thigh, dangerously close to where Ben had touched me just minutes ago, and he gripped me so tight I knew I would bruise come morning. As I sat there, staring numbly out the windshield, I knew one thing without a single doubt.

  If I was going to die tonight, I was going to bring Vinnie down with me.

  Twenty-Eight

  Ben

  “What the hell?” I muttered.

  I opened my eyes, squinting against the pain. Why was I on the floor in a hallway, alone with my pants twisted around my thighs? I sat up slowly, blinking as I tried to clear my head. It took me a few seconds of surveying to figure shit out. Sarah’s hallway. Making love against the wall. Her soft kisses.

  And then…pain.

  “Shit.” I scrambled to my feet despite the darkness threatening to overcome me. “Sarah!”

  No answer.

  Of course, there was no fucking answer.

  If someone knocked me out, there was one logical person who would have done that, and if he’d come here, she would be with him. I knew Sarah, and Vinnie had more than likely threatened my life, and her mother’s, if she didn’t cooperate.

  Her mother.

  I struggled to keep consciousness as I opened her mother’s bedroom door, making sure she was unharmed. Once I ensured she was…I was going to find them, and I was going to kill him. I refused to even entertain any other outcome. Knowing that she was alone with that abusive asshole—no, I refused to go down that road. I’d find them. I’d save her.

  I’d kill him.

  Her mother was in bed, still tucked in and sound asleep. Creeping out, I closed the door quietly and realized I’d never pulled my pants up. As I yanked them up, I lifted my head—and locked eyes with my father. He stared at me, pale, and I froze, because he’d cau
ght me in Sarah’s house with my pants around my ankles and my dick hanging out.

  I swallowed, ignoring the giant elephant in the room. “He took her.”

  “I figured.” Dad nodded, lowering his gun. “Are you okay?”

  “Yeah.” I secured the button of my pants, and let go of my belt, leaving it undone. “He hit me from behind while I was distracted.”

  He flexed his jaw. “Obviously.”

  “Dad—”

  “Not here.” He leaned down and pushed the button on his radio. “The perp took her. Get a bolo out on a late model red Jaguar. Bollins said that’s what the suspect was driving.”

  After he finished, I leaned against the wall, catching my equilibrium. The world was still spinning. I probably had a concussion. I didn’t care. “Is he okay?”

  “Yes. From what we can tell, he knocked Bollins out, and disabled the radio so he couldn’t call for help. Then came in here.” He squared his jaw. “To you two.”

  I said nothing.

  “Maybe if you were doing your job—”

  That broke my silence. “I was doing my job.”

  “Bullshit!” he roared, turning red in the face.

  Again, I said nothing.

  “Make sure someone stays with her mother. I have to go.”

  “You’re not going anywhere,” he shouted at me.

  I blinked. I’d never seen him so angry.

  “You broke the rules, Detective.”

  Shaking my head, I simply said, “I know.”

  “There will be consequences,” he snarled.

  “I’m the one who initiated this. It’s on me, not her.”

  Dad scoffed. “There you go, protecting her, throwing yourself under the bus for a girl who doesn’t deserve it.”

  I flexed my jaw. We’d shifted from our jobs, and into the personal sides of our lives. “That’s not fair, Dad.”

  “She broke your heart once, she’ll do it again.”

  I gritted my teeth. “We were kids back then. We’re not the same people.”

  “Yes, you are.”

  Fisting my hands, I looked at him. “I love her.”

  He made an angry sound. “Your confusing old feelings with the connection one gets with their partner—”

  “No, I’m not.” I locked eyes with him. “I love her. I’ve always loved her. I always will love her. Even if she never came back, I’d still love her. Nothing will stop me. Nothing.”

  We stared at one another, neither of us talking.

  His chest rose and fell, and I sensed he was seconds from imploding. Last time he was this angry was when I’d been ten and I’d climbed to the top of a building and perched on the edge of the roof because some kid dared me to. He’d grounded me for a year that time. I had a feeling the punishment would be much worse this time around.

  “Dad…” I started.

  “Don’t.” Medics came in, and they headed toward me. Dad took a deep breath, turning his back on me. “Take him in and check him. Clearly, he’s been hit too hard.”

  “No.”

  He spun on me. “Excuse me?”

  “I said…” I pushed off the wall and forced myself to stand still. “No. I’m not going in. I’m going after Sarah.”

  “You are not going after Sarah. You are going to the hospital.” He walked right up to me, face to face, either ignoring the fact that I was taller than him by two inches, or not giving a damn. “That’s an order, Detective.”

  I never disobeyed an order. Never disrespected authority. Never challenged my father in the office. But this time…this time was different. Sarah was in danger, and nothing—motherfucking nothing—would stop me from finding her. I’d sworn to keep her safe, and I wouldn’t be breaking my promise to her for a second time. “I am going after her.”

  With that, I started for the door.

  “If you walk out that door, you’re suspended from active duty,” he called out, his tone final.

  Freezing, I flexed my jaw. Without hesitation, I removed my badge and gun, leaving them beside the table at the door. “Then consider me suspended.”

  As I walked outside, I heard him let loose a string of curses, but I didn’t hesitate. I headed toward my car, blinking away the fogginess. I had no idea where to start looking for her, but I’d be damned if I was going to sit around and do nothing when she was out there alone. This was on me. If I hadn’t been distracted while making love to her, I could have kept her safe.

  I should have kept her safe.

  Leaning against my car, I pulled up our messages and checked her location. We’d decided to share our locations with one another in case something like this happened. It took forever to load, and I shook it angrily. “Come on.” It loaded, and the location shown was…

  Her fucking house.

  “Son of a bitch,” I snarled, throwing the phone inside my car.

  Resting my hands on the roof, I breathed heavily, the world still spinning around me. A car pulled up behind me and stopped.

  A window rolled down, and Hernandez called out, “Get in.”

  “I’m not going to the hospital—” I started.

  “Dude. I know.” He revved his engine. “I have a tip on her location. I heard your dad on the radio.”

  “Where?” I asked, spinning on him.

  He swallowed. “Get in.”

  “I’m going alone.”

  He laughed. Hard. Short. “No, you’re not.”

  “Look, man, I’m suspended for disobeying orders. If you go with me, you’ll get in trouble—”

  “As if I give a damn about any of that,” he snarled, angry. “I’m your best friend, asshole. You’re always there for me, no matter the consequences, and I’m always there for you. He hit you, and you’re probably concussed, plus you don’t have a weapon. You need help, and I’m your help. Get in the fucking car.”

  He was right, about all of it. So, I got in, closing the door behind me. He sped away from the curb, cutting off a truck. “Word is they were spotted at a rest stop off I-5. It’s a half hour from here, and the tip just came in.”

  I leaned against the seat, touching my head gingerly. It hurt like a bitch. “That’s too much time. I was out too long. We’ll never catch up.”

  “We’ve got a full tank of gas and the police on our side. They’ll be taking it slow, trying to stay under the radar, but we can go as fast as we want.” As if proving his point, he turned onto the on ramp and stepped on the gas. “We’ll get her.”

  I said nothing. I should be with her right now.

  “This isn’t your fault,” Hernandez said, reading my mind like usual.

  “Yes, it is.”

  He shook his head. “No—”

  “When he took me down, I was inside her, telling her I was serious about us, kissing her like an idiot. I wasn’t watching her back, or mine, and I wasn’t doing my fucking job.” I swallowed hard. “So, yes, this is my fault. If I’d kept my pants on, and my head on straight, this wouldn’t have happened. I would have seen him coming from a mile away.”

  Hernandez stared straight ahead, cutting between two cars to get to the carpool lane. “You guys fucked?”

  “Yes, we fucked.” I closed my eyes. “Several times. More than that, Dad knows, and I may have cost us both our jobs.”

  He whistled through his teeth. “Shit.”

  “Yeah. Shit.”

  After a moment of silence, Hernandez said, “Why’d you risk it?”

  “Because I love her,” I said honestly. “I never stopped, but having her back here, with me, only cemented it in my brain. I love her, and if I don’t find her…”

  “We will.” Hernandez side-eyed me. “We’ll find her. No one knows you’re with me, so I’ll get the intel.”

  I swallowed. The world was starting to clear a bit. “I don’t want you to get in trouble for helping me. When we get there, you can drop me off and—”

  “I don’t give a damn if I do, and I’m insulted that you think I would leave you on your own, with
out backup. We might not be partners anymore, but that doesn’t change that fact that we’re partners in every other sense of the word. If the roles were reversed, and I was going after the woman I loved, you’d be right there with me.”

  He was right. I would. “Do you have another gun?”

  “Glovebox.”

  I pulled it out, checking the chamber and the mag. Fully loaded and clear. I set it on my lap, staring outside as we sped past moving vehicles so fast it looked like they were parked. We had to find her, as soon as possible. There was no other choice. No other option. If something bad happened to her, if he hurt one hair on her head, that was on me. It would be my fault.

  How could she ever forgive me for failing her?

  Hernandez’s phone rang, and he hit the button on his steering wheel. “Officer Hernandez.” Silence, and then: “I’m approximately fifteen minutes from there, sir.” A head nod. “Yes, sir.”

  He hung up, and I asked: “What did he say?”

  “They’re at a motel frequented by hookers and drug dealers. Maybe he’s getting his fix? Or he wanted a place he could pay cash without questions or records?”

  “Or he couldn’t wait to get his hands on her, and he’s throwing logic to the wind.”

  “Don’t think like that, man,” Hernandez said, flexing his jaw. “He’s probably just coming up with a plan. Maybe he’s trying to sell his car or trade it for a different one. He’s gotta know we’re looking for him.”

  I said nothing.

  “I’ve been ordered to scope it out, and then stand down to wait for backup.”

  I let out a hard laugh. “I’m not waiting for backup.”

  “I figured.” Hernandez tightened his grip on the wheel. “You love her? Like, love her, love her?”

  I nodded.

  He let out a sigh. “Well, then, let’s get this son of a bitch, and put an end to all this shit for the last time.”

  I couldn’t agree more.