by N. K. Love
After a grueling day completing page after page of monotonous applications, I had jumped in the shower and thrown on my comfiest clothes in readiness to lounge around on the sofa with my latest erotic novel for company.
I look down at my comfy black jogging bottoms, white vest and black hoody. Do I get changed and spruce myself up a bit?
Nah, Fuck It! Jax’s love for me isn’t attributed by my choice of clothing. He loves me in a dress, but he loves me equally as much in a hoody.
Why waste another half an hour, when I can jump in my brand spanking new car and drive to see my man right now? I'll have his reassuring smile, pressed against my lips in no time.
The roads are quiet, so I drive a little quicker than I should, but not dangerously fast as it’s already fallen dark. I’m just eager to see Jax and snuggle into him. Over and over again, I imagine the feel of his strong arms wrapping around me. With my hands gripping the steering wheel tighter, my tummy flips with excitement. There’s no better place to be, than encased in his unique protectiveness—I’ve known that from day one. It's like a stubborn seed took root straight away and has stopped me at every turn, never letting me give up on us.
I take the opportunity to call Wills and then my parents for a quick chat, not knowing when I’ll next come up for air this weekend. I’ve quickly learnt that a life with Jaxson Carter, is full of unpredictable twists!
Pulling up to his wrought iron courtyard gates, I enter the security code and pass through them, climbing up the long driveway. The closer I get to the house, the giddier I get. Parking outside the double garage, I peek through the small window and into the shadows, I can just about make out my little red firecracker parked next to Jax’s 4x4 beast.
With a smile, I skip up the steps and knock on the door. After a minute of waiting, I knock again. It’s pointless trying the handle because, without a key, the door can only be opened from the inside.
Walking back down the steps and over to the left of the house, I enter the code into the hidden keypad for the discreet side gate. A buzz and a click later, I enter the yard. The movement sensor springs into action, lighting up my surroundings and making me feel a little more at ease.
I walk over to the backdoor and try knocking again. My sixth sense starts making itself known and it’s because my peripheral vision has noticed the blinds on each tall window, are shut—I’ve never seen him shut those blinds, ever.
But, I reason with myself, he may have started this week because of what’s been happening. I take out my phone and search my contacts for his home telephone number. Pressing the call button, a few seconds later, I hear it ringing inside the house. No answer.
I double check the message he sent, to make sure he didn’t give me a time. He didn’t. I told him I’d be here ASAP. His car is locked in the garage so he must be inside. Okay, maybe I got here quicker than expected. I was a little eager. Jax is probably just in the shower.
The security light above me, switches off, casting the place into darkness again. Immediately spooked, I step back and wave my arms in the air to trigger it back on.
“Shit!”
Unlocking my phone again, this time I call his new number and it flicks straight to voicemail. Something isn’t right. None of this adds up. Trouble is, I’ve been so paranoid lately, I’ve no idea whether the chills down my spine are being caused by my overactive imagination or if it’s understandable that I’m freaking out.
I break the silence again when I walk back towards the side gate, crunching the gravel beneath my feet. Third time lucky, I swipe my thumb down my screen, quickly find Jack and I hit the call button.
It’s ringing.
“Yes!”
My free hand grips on to one of the cold, black, iron railings in the side gate. I peer through, but God knows what I’m looking for. It rings and rings, but he doesn’t answer and it doesn’t flick to voicemail either. I pull the phone away from my ear just as I hear him answer, finally.
“Bethany?”
“Jack, hello, sorry to bother you. I know you only said to call if I had to and you’re probably going to say I’m just being silly—”
“Bethany, sweetheart, just tell me what’s the matter.”
I shake my head before it becomes too flustered and let out a sigh.
“Has something happened? I can’t get in touch with Jax.”
“Oh, okay. Well, yes, something has come up. But, it’s fine. Nothing to worry about. Jax has got another burner phone. He’s not turning it on just yet… You’re okay though, right?”
“Yes. I’m absolutely fine!" My tone's soaked with annoyance. "Well, if it’s nothing to worry about, you’d think he’d take a minute to call me.” My spooky chills are banished to the corner by the utter frustration at his inconsideration. “Anyway, sorry again for disturbing you, Jack. If you manage to speak to him before I do—which you probably will—can you tell him from me, that he’s a fucking—”
“Beth.”
The abrupt appearance of his voice confuses me. I’m relieved and angered at the same time.
“Jax?”
“Sorry, for not calling you. I just needed a clear head.”
“What are you talking about? Why are you with Jack?”
At some point, the light has gone out again and I’m now standing in darkness, still holding onto the gate debating whether to tell him to ‘Fuck off’ and slam the phone down—or at least press the red button really quickly.
“You’re on the speakers in Jack’s car. We’ll be away for a few days, but I’ll come straight to you when I’m done. Okay?”
“You know what? Don’t bother, Jax. Considering the circumstances, I think you’re pretty inconsiderate.” Having vented a little, my body switches back on and I enter the code on the pad. “Sorry I apparently managed to slip your mind tonight… Goodbye Jack.” I add at the end, purely to piss Jax off.
I’m sure Jack will use my little outburst as decent ammunition for goading him. I enter the last digit for the code and the gate buzzes. Tugging at the railing a little prematurely, I cause the light on the keypad to flash red, obviously not happy with my impatience to get out of here.
“Goodbye, sweetheart.” I can hear Jack’s smirk. “Take—”
“WAIT!” Jax shouts. “What was that sound, Beth?”
“What?!” I snap as I start reentering the code.
“That buzzing sound. Was that my gate?”
“Yes, I—”
“Why the hell are you at my place?”
I open my mouth to bitch back an answer, but the words get caught in my throat. They’re dragged back down into the pit of my stomach. I’m frozen to the spot, still in darkness. With my finger poised in midair above the keypad, I lean forward, resting my head on the gate.
It wasn’t him. My heart already knows it. It wasn’t him.
“Oh, God, Jax.” I whisper. “Please tell me that you asked me to come here tonight.” My voice breaks partway through.
My eyes are closed and my forehead is still pressed against the cold metal. His answer comes by way of the ear-piercing screech of Jack’s car tyres, as he must slam on his brakes or do a ‘U’ turn or something.
“Motherfuckers!!!” Jax shouts and then his voice is muffled. I hear crackling down the line and raised voices in the background. “Angel, are you still in the yard?”
His urgent voice is clearer now, as though he has picked up the handset.
“Yes. Jax, I—”
I choke back the tears, with my hectic mind trying to cling onto some hope that this is all a misunderstanding.
“Is the outside light on?”
“No.”
“Good. Now, don’t move and try to stay calm, while I figure this out. Was it a text message?”
“Yes. About half seven.”
My hearing on high-alert as I listen out for any signs of movement. All I keep hearing is Jack cussing in the background, seemingly with road rage.
“Half seven, that’s when we left.”
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“So you’re half an hour away?”
My distress is patently obvious now. Somebody has lured me here, knowing Jax had gone out. How can this possibly end well?
“No. We stopped off somewhere first. I’m not far, baby.”
“Don’t! Don’t call me that. You never call me that. Something bad’s about to happen and you know it. Don’t you?!”
“Shhh, Beth, stop. How far away is your car?”
I take a deep breath in, then try to exhale some of my nerves with it. I can just jump in my car and get away from here.
“It’s right in front of the garage. I can get there in four or five seconds. It’s silent here, Jax. I don’t think there’s anybody here, but me.”
“Okay, Beth, get your car keys and unlock it from there.” I follow his instructions and the orange lights flicker on and off, showing me it’s now open. “Now, when you fully open the gate, the security light will come on and—”
“Hold on. I can hear an engine… Jax, I can hear an engine… It’s getting louder.”
“Okay. It’s okay. People drive by all the time.” That’s not true. “Don’t move now, wait for the car to pass. I’ll be there soon. It’s probably nothing… Just stay still though. Look down to the bottom of the driveway and when it passes, get to your car.”
It’s dark, but the moon’s out so I can see—hold on.
“Oh, it’s not a car, it’s a motorbike.” I start whispering, which helps me feel invisible. “It just came around the bend in the lane.”
There’s a pause. I’m holding my breath.
“Has it driven by…? Beth…? Has it driven by?”
“No.” Shaking my head, both denying and accepting the inevitable; I’m in serious fucking danger. Whoever, is riding that motorbike, is bad news. They’re coming for me, to get to Jax—just like Jack said. “Jax… What can I do?” I sob.
“Drive fucking faster!” Jax rages at Jack causing me to blink away my tears, for now. He switches his tone into the calmest voice he can muster for me. “Angel, tell me what you can see.”
“I see a motorbike blocking my fucking exit.” I gulp hard, panicking, but trying to stay in control. “I’m fucking trapped, Jax.”
“Has he got off the bike?”
I blink hard a few more times to rid my teary vision. Looking far down the driveway, I describe what I see.
“There’s a silhouette of somebody. The engine’s stopped. Jax… Shall I make a run for it? I could run across the fields. I’ll be faster than him.”
“The fields have sensors too. You’ll be lit up. Now, stop panicking and tell me what he is doing.”
“He’s getting off and walking towards the gate.” My heart is thumping and my breathing is more and more erratic. “Wait. No. There’s somebody else on the bike. There’s two of them. Jax, there’s two of them, they’re both at the gate. They can’t get in though, can they? It’s okay. The gate will buy us some time.”
“It won’t, Angel. They’ll just—”
“Noooo. They’re climbing the railings.”
“—climb it. For fuck’s sake… Beth, are they walking quickly?”
“No. They’ve gone to the hedge. They’re creeping towards the house, slowly.”
My shaky whisper is barely audible, even though it’s impossible for them to hear me. I’m trapped. I’m a fly caught in their twisted web and there’s no way of escaping. Jax will never reach me before they do.
“Okay. It’s time to move, Beth. You’ve only got a few minutes, so listen to me carefully. Follow my instructions.”
“But—”
“And don’t question me. When I tell you to, you’re going to go to the outbuilding, where I keep my quad and tools. Stay on the border, not the gravel. You’re going to enter the code 19-03-15. Go inside and shut the door behind you. Make sure it clicks. Okay. What’s the code, Beth?”
“19…Shit. 19-03-15. They’re almost halfway, Jax. 19-03-15.”
“Good girl. You can do this, Beth. Go. Go now!”
I fly into action. Spinning on the spot, silently creeping around the parameter of the yard, I follow the border until I reach the right door. The yard is lit up now, so they’ll know I’m moving around up here. Fumbling my fingers over the numbers on the keypad, I fuck it up and curse under my breath. Inhaling steadily, I enter the code, correctly this time.
The tiny light flashes green with a beep and unclicks. I slip inside and carefully close the door to, but spin around when a small light comes on in the corner. It must be sensored too. Thankfully only bright enough to take the edge off the blackness.
“I’m in.”
“Okay. Now go to the back of the quad. Reach underneath the rear left wheel arch. There’s a gun attached to the arch—”
“Jax—”
“Don’t question me, Beth!”
Kneeling down, I scramble around, but my fingers find the cold metal of the gun straight away. It pulls away fairly easily, feeling like it was attached magnetically.
“Done. I’ve got it.” I whisper, whilst pushing away thoughts of whether those men have reached the house.
“You’re doing well, sweetheart. Just keep listening to Jax. I’m flooring it, Beth. We’ll be there in no time.”
Jack’s words are soothing, but his voice isn’t. He hasn’t managed to master the calm front as well as Jax.
“Last thing now, Angel. Then you’ll be safe. Crouch down behind the quad with your back to the wall. Look and feel around on the floor. One of the wooden floorboards in front of you has a dark brown knot in it. Can you see it?”
I feel the twist in the wood.
“Yes.”
“Hook your finger into the knot and pull upwards.”
I continue following his precise instructions, dumbfounded at how he’s able to remain composed even when I know he is frantically trying to get to me. Giving it a tug upwards, a dusty trapdoor comes away from the ground.
Jax likes his belongings immaculate and keeps his house pristine. This outbuilding is his exception though, and now it makes sense as to why the floor is covered in sawdust and dirt—to conceal his hideout.
I remove my finger as the door takes its own weight for ease and continues opening silently by itself now. As it reveals the space beneath it, a wave of hope finally washes over me. A smile dances across my face, but only for a second.
“I’m sliding down.”
The underside is in complete contrast to the rustic looking floorboards on top. There’s two metal cylinders either side of the panel, with rods coming out of them.
“Good. Now, pull the panel down using the handle on the inside and gently slide the latch to lock it.”
I do so, one-handed, whilst holding the gun in my other hand. I’m holding it by the handle, but it still feels so foreign to me.
“Jax, I can hear them.” With the door securely shut, I stand still, angling my free ear upwards. It’s big enough for two people, but I still feel claustrophobic, being below ground level and breathing in warm, stale air. “It sounds like they’re at the side gate.”
“Put your phone on silent and Beth, no more talking—”
“Wait, wait. Jax—if anything happens to me—”
“Beth—”
“No, listen, I love you, Jaxson.” I whisper to him urgently. “Despite what you think, you’re a good person and—”
“Beth, don’t. Don’t do this… Fuck… I love you too, Angel. You are everything to me. Everything… Now, you’ve really gotta stop talking and focus. Face the opening and sit down on the floor. Pull your knees up. I need you to flick the safety catch off the gun.” The hole is pitch black, so I shine the light from my phone onto the gun. Once again, elbowing away those wayward thoughts of the fact that I’m holding a fucking gun and getting it ready to be fired. “Beth, when you’ve done that, press a button on your phone.”
I pull my handbag from over my head and drop it gently to the floor. My hands are trembling and my throat is dry from fear and brea
thing in the dust I’ve disturbed down here. The only reason I’ve held it together this long is sitting at the other end of my phone, negotiating my safety and protecting me—even from miles away. I press a button on my screen, letting the beep at the other end, alert him.
“Good. Now, hold the phone to your ear with your shoulder and rest your elbows on your thighs. Grip the gun with both hands. If they get through the gate, you’ll hear them walking in the yard.” He knows they’re going to get through it. When I was at the gate, I fleetingly prayed that they’d break into the house first. But, of course, they know Jax isn’t here. They knew I’d be caught unawares, outside and vulnerable. “Beth, if you hear someone come inside the room and it’s not me or Jack, you point the gun up to the opening, steady yourself with your thighs. Do not hesitate to squeeze that trigger. I mean it.”