“Well, if it isn’t the thieving little shit Lincoln Carter himself,” Louie’s raspy-from-cigars voice grumbles within the dark doorway. The light of the cherry on his cigar reveals his location. But it’s not his location I’m worried about. It’s hers.
Stopping dead in my tracks, I put my hands on my hips. “Where’s the woman?”
I don’t dare tell him she’s my woman, but he’s not an idiot. Still, I don’t offer any extra information.
“Your girlfriend is sitting quietly, listening to all kinds of stories I have about you.” He laughs until it becomes choked coughing. I hope he dies of lung cancer. “Why don’t you come inside and join us?”
Gritting my teeth, I step over the threshold. As my eyes adjust to the darkness, I see Louie standing with a gun in his hand, pointed straight at me. Beside him, one of his giant thugs holds a very limp Reagan in his grip with his hand over her mouth. Her eyes are wide and teary.
“You can have me. Just let her go. She has nothing to do with this,” I say as calmly as I can.
“Do you hear that, young lady? Your boyfriend here thinks I should let you go.” He steps over to her with his gun still pointed at me and gropes her breast through her shirt.
“Don’t touch her!” I snarl, taking several steps toward them.
He turns the gun to her temple and shakes his head at me. “Not so fast, thief. You’re not the one barking orders around here. It’s me. I’m the fucking boss.” He motions for his goon to move his hand and free her mouth. “What do you think, sweetheart? I pop him right in the skull and let you go? Win-win for everyone?”
She shakes her head in vehemence as tears roll down her cheeks. “N-No,” she slurs as if she’s been drugged. My hackles raise at that thought. “I-I’ll g-give you m-money.”
I close my eyes for a brief moment before pinning her with a serious stare. “Rey. Don’t.”
Louie presses the barrel of his gun into her temple hard enough to make her cry out. “Again, thief, this is not your show. I do the goddamned ordering around. And I want this pretty little thing to tell me what she thinks she has to offer that’ll make me forget how much money you stole from me.”
A sob escapes Reagan and she trembles. The gun at my back is useless as long as there’s one pointed at her head. He’d shoot her before I could even put my arm behind me.
“I’ll g-give y-you d-double,” she says slowly, each word as though it’s sticky on her tongue.
He smirks at me. “She’s cute. Little problem solver we have here. Just pay the bad guy back—with interest, I might add—and we can live happily ever after.” He uses the barrel of the gun to lift her chin. “That right, sweetheart?”
She nods and more tears roll out. “P-Please.”
Louie flashes me a dark, wicked smile. “Now that’s more like it. Mario,” he says to his goon, “what do I love most?”
“A beggar.”
“That’s right. I love to see you useless people begging and groveling at my feet. I’m the god and you’re my fucking minions. I control you all. Right, pretty little thing?”
Her eyes flit to mine and terror flickers in her stare. “I, uh, p-please…”
“So hot,” he murmurs as he plucks at her top two buttons.
“Stop,” I thunder, my hands fisted in rage. “Just let her go and fucking kill me already. This is bullshit. She didn’t do anything.”
He shoves the gun against her stomach hard enough that she starts coughing in pain. “You. Are. Not. In. Charge. Here.” His face is screwed up in anger.
I clench my jaw and wait for my moment. The next time he turns away, I’m going to shoot him in the goddamned face. His eyes remain fixed on me, though, as he continues to unbutton her shirt with the gun pressed against her belly. The moment her shirt falls open to expose her lacy bra, I nearly lose my shit.
Be smart, Linc.
Don’t go fucking wild and get her killed.
Think.
“You need me,” I bark out, startling both Louie and myself with that statement. “If I could skim the money right out from under your nose, imagine what else I could do. I’m slick and smart and people trust me.”
“I don’t fucking trust you,” he snarls, his nostrils flaring.
“Not yet. I’ll do anything for you if you’ll just let her go. Need me to rob the goddamned Federal Reserve? I’ll do it. Just name your fucking price and it’s yours. If your price is my head, then fine. Let her go, though.”
He snorts with laughter. “Can you believe this guy, Mario? Fuckin’ balls, this one.”
I grit my teeth and stare at Reagan with every ounce of love I have for her. A look that says, I’m sorry. A look that says, I love you more than anything. A look that promises, I will get you out of here, no matter what.
She nods. She fucking loves me too. And she believes me. Trusts that I’ll do exactly as I promise.
Think, Linc.
“I’m your guy,” I continue as I slide my hand to my hip. “I’ll do whatever you need me to, man. Just release her and let’s talk.”
Louie glowers at me. “I’m not one of your little cons, thief. You can’t waltz in here and avoid the inevitable by running your stupid mouth. This isn’t a negotiation, and I don’t fall for tricks.” His lip curls up in an evil way. “I know exactly how to punish you. You can watch me as I put my fat cock inside your little girlfriend. Watch her scream as I split her right open. And when she can’t take anymore, I’ll cut her throat. She’ll bleed out with her panties around her knees and her bloody ass in the air. It’ll be all your fault.”
I growl and ease my hand behind me underneath my shirt. “You’re a dead man.”
“No,” he snaps. “You’re the dead man. Before the life has even left her eyes, I’ll tie you to a chair and peel your flesh straight from your body until you’re begging to join your cunt girlfriend in the afterlife. But it won’t be so easy, will it?” He laughs harshly. “No. I want you to suffer. You can watch while Mario fucks her dead body as I carve out your organs one by one and feed them back to you.”
My grip tightens around the metal. “Not on my fucking watch.”
His eyes go wide when he sees me swing the gun around. He’s standing slightly in front of Mario, who has Reagan still in his tight grip. I’m not a good enough shot to not accidentally hit her instead. I take a chance at his knee, though, to distract him.
Pop!
He howls in pain.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
I’m able to squeeze off one shot but Louie manages three. What feels like punches of fire on my chest instantly immobilizes me. Reagan screams at the top of her lungs as I clutch my rapidly bleeding wounds. I fall to my knees, my breath wheezing from me.
Pop! Pop! Pop!
Those shots don’t hit me though.
I pray to fucking God they don’t hit her either.
Voices. Yelling. More gunshots. Scuffling.
Falling forward, I’m barely able to catch myself from landing face first by throwing my palm out in front of me. My eyes jerk to find her running clumsily toward me, stumbling over her own feet. But she’s free. Fucking free.
“Linc!”
Her warm scent envelops me a second before her loving arms do. I crash forward and land on my shoulder, my cheek slamming against the concrete floor. The pain is excruciating and blackness swarms around me. Her perfect hands are running all over me as she shrieks out words that I can’t seem to comprehend.
“I l-love you. Oh m-my God, Linc. I love y-you. P-Please don’t leave m-me.”
Blinking away the darkness, I latch onto those words. They’re still slurred but she’s with me. She’s safe, I think.
“Rey…”
“Linc,” she sobs.
“I..I…”
“Shhh. Don’t talk.”
“L-Love…”
“I know. I know. Linc, I know.”
“Y-You.”
The room spins, and it’s like I’m falling in a black hole.
&nbs
p; A dark, never-ending hole where the sun doesn’t exist.
Hell.
Any place without my fucking Rey of sunshine is hell.
I don’t want to go without her.
Goddammit, I can’t leave without her.
“Rey…” I call out in the darkness. I reach for her. “Rey…”
She’s gone.
She’s fucking gone.
And where the fuck am I?
Black. Black. Black.
You Promised
“I DON’T CARE!” I SHRIEK. “You have to know something!”
“Reagan, they just told you he’s still in surgery.” Ram tries to pull me away from the doctor, but I fight out of his arms. I barrel into the doctor, grabbing at his coat.
“Tell me something,” I demand tearfully. “Anything. I need to know what’s happening!” I begin to sob again, Ram pulling me off the man. All the doctor offers is a solemn apology before escaping my hysteria.
“NO! Don’t let him go back there! He has to know something! COME BACK HERE!” I scream fighting Ram, but he has me in a strong hold.
“You need to calm the hell down,” Ram grits out, his iron grip on me unbreakable. “They told us as much as they know.” I battle until Ram loosens up just to allow me to turn around, facing him.
“They told us nothing. They told us that he is fighting for his life. They never told us if he is going to make it. They needed to tell us he’s going to make it.” I break down sobbing in my brother’s arms. My knees buckle and he catches me, while I grab onto his shirt, gripping for dear life. I cry so hard I choke on my own severed breaths. This is not happening. Linc is not fighting for his life right now. There was so much blood. So many shots fired. How does someone live through that?
“Sis, you need to breathe. You’re having a panic attack. Please, just calm down.” He cradles me in his arms. I feel him sit. He’s probably taken me back to the waiting room. I try catching my breath. “Reagan, you’re scaring me. Please calm down.” But that request seems impossible. I can’t calm down knowing Linc is fighting for his life.
“I asked the nurse to give her a sedative,” I hear Roman say from behind me and I whip my head from Ram’s now-soaked chest.
“You’re not drugging me! Why are you even here? To hope Linc dies? Get what you finally want since you hate him?!” I instantly feel regret the moment those words leave my lips. I watch Roman blanch. “I’m… I didn’t mean that… I’m so…” I can’t even finish without going into another fit of sobs. I hang onto my brother as tight as I can, feeling like if he lets me go, I’ll break down and never recover.
I feel Roman’s large frame kneeling in front of us, his warm hand on my shoulder. “Reagan, I… God, I don’t hate him. I just wanted what was best for you. I’m sorry I was so blind. Please don’t hate me for just wanting to protect you. I would never want something like this for Linc.”
I take in a deep breath and lift my head to turn to my brother. It’s then we all hear the familiar shriek.
“What the FUCK?! Where is he? Is he alive?” We turn to see Andie, disheveled and barging into the emergency room. Roman stands to comfort his wife, but she pushes him away and makes direct eye contact with me. “Is he alive?” Her words are blunt but strained. She doesn’t want it candy coated. She wants the truth.
“We…we don’t know. He’s st-still in surgery.” I have to stop because I can’t say anything else without the fear of losing it again. I can’t tell my best friend that her brother is fighting for his life because he was shot trying to save my life.
Andie comes at me and we embrace, both breaking down. After a few long moments, she pulls away.
“Honey, are you hurt? Is this your…” She looks at me, and it reminds me that I’m still covered in blood. Linc’s blood.
“No…it-it’s not mine.” Oh God. Why haven’t they come out yet? We’ve been waiting for over an hour. They should know something. “Andie, I’m so sorry, he tried—”
“You stop right now. This is not your fault. Linc is a stubborn shit and he’ll pull out of this just to laugh about it. Have faith. We all just need to have faith.” I want to believe her. Hang on to her every word, but the shakiness in her voice and the wetness in her eyes tells me she isn’t even sure of her words. “I called Lana. She and Dad are on their way. Roman told me you won’t let the nurse check you out. Honey you were drugged, you should have someone—”
“Excuse me, Reagan Holloway?”
We both turn to see a tall African American male, suited with a badge hanging from his side. “I’ve already told the police what I know. I have nothing more to say to you people,” I snap, turning away when he halts me.
“I’m sure you have. My name is Drake Jenkins. I was the FBI agent working with Lincoln on this case.” That gets my attention along with Andie’s as we both whip our heads back.
Detective Douche, as Linc had him labeled in his phone, I’m assuming.
“You what?”
“Mr. Carter was working with us to bring down Louie Romero.”
At that Andie grabs my hand and tries hauling me behind her. “My brother wouldn’t work with the Feds, nice try. You need to leave.”
Roman steps up, looking ready for a battle. “You need to back off, you—”
“Lincoln was in quite a bit of trouble. Seemed like he was in town trying to run from it. Good thing for him, he’d already cut ties with Romero and had bailed. Bad thing is, his past caught up with him. We’ve been tracking Romero for the past three years. Mr. Carter hit our radar because stealing from Romero was enough to drive the old man from his secure environment where we had nothing on him. Outside of Jersey, we stood a better chance of nailing him. Romero killed a small-time drug dealer while here, Larry Brown, in a Dairy Queen parking lot of all places, and he was out for Linc’s blood, too.” Both Andie and I gasp, and Roman cusses.
Agent Jenkins continues, “Lincoln, being the reformed thug, made a deal. He would help us take down Louie. In return he would be exonerated for his previous illegal activities. Assuming he could stay out of trouble after that.”
I’m in shock. Andie is shaking her head. “No, I don’t believe you. Linc would never—”
“It’s true.” Ram steps up. “He confessed this right after Reagan took off. He wanted to make things right. Wanted out. He didn’t expect for them to take Reagan. He blames himself for it all.”
My heart breaks even more, knowing he was putting himself in harm’s way just to make things right. He told me he wanted to be better. But this shouldn’t have been the way.
When I first woke up in the dark warehouse, I was confused. Unsure why I was taken. Worried it was from an angry client. Someone who knew Holloway Advertising had a lot of money, so a ransom would be easy. I even thought Chase had something to do with it. But then that man Louie started talking.
He thought he would disgust me with all the bad things Linc had done. But it just made me hurt for him more. I knew Linc regretted his past. There was always such sorrow in his words whenever he spoke about it. His life growing up. The things he did to make do, people he hurt because he was hurting. The life he lived knowing he could be dead at any moment and welcomed it.
Then he showed up, offering his life for mine. Not caring that this psychotic man wouldn’t think twice about shooting him dead. He didn’t care. He just wanted me safe. And the look… The look he gave me telling me he would do just that.
I break down again. The echoing in my head of gun shots sends me into another attack. I start pulling at my hair, needing the banging to stop. “Make it stop. Make it stop!” I scream and Ram grabs for me. Andie begins to sob, while Roman grabs for her to comfort her.
Linc can’t die.
He can’t come storming into my life and steal my heart just to leave me.
“He can’t die. He just can’t,” I wail bringing my hands up and taking my closed fists to my brother’s chest. I feel myself sliding down Ram’s chest when he scoops me up.
; “Shhhh… He’s not going to die. Stay positive.”
I wish everyone would stop saying that. It’s like the most cliché thing to say when someone is about to die. As if saying it means it’ll make the situation less glum. I want to be hopeful. I want to believe Linc wouldn’t leave this world without me. That he loves enough to fight. But the blood. There was so much blood.
I tense, remembering. I pull away from Ram, startling him. I look down at my blouse, completely covered in red. My arms are red, and my nails are stained red.
All I see is red.
“S-s-so much blood. T-There w-was s-so much blood. He w-was losing s-so much blood. How does someone live!? HOW!? He was bleeding everywhere! THERE WAS SO MUCH BLOOD!” I lose it. I start scraping at my skin, trying to rub the dried blood off my arm. I’m pulling at my shirt. I need it off me. I need to not see all this blood.
I start screaming.
Ram fights to keep me in his arms. I hear him yelling for Roman, but I can’t stop seeing red, the sound of gunshots, and the look on Linc’s face as he fell to the ground. I’ve lost all control over myself as I go completely mad in Ram’s arms. I hear Roman along with a voice that doesn’t sound familiar near me. I hear Ram apologize to me, just as I feel a small pinch in my arm. I slowly turn, seeing a nurse holding a small syringe in her hand.
“I’m sorry, sis. You’re scaring us. This is just going to help you calm down.”
I slowly turn back to Ram, one last thick tear flowing down my cheek. “Why would he do this? Why would he risk his life? Why would he want to leave me?” I feel the drug flow through my veins calming my body and mind instantly. I take in a deep breath, feeling my shoulders relax, the need to rest my head on his shoulders immediate.
“Let’s get her admitted and into a room to rest,” I hear the nurse instruct just as things, once again, go black.
“You can’t just take things that don’t belong to you, you know. One day it’s going to catch up to you,” I say with a grin as Linc pulls out a golf glove he apparently stole from Roman’s golf bag.
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