I head into the cabin, determined to find a way out of the conundrum I’m in. Brent wants control of Craven Industries, enough to have me thrown in jail, maybe enough to have me killed. And I’m not the only one in danger.
My father is also in my brother’s clutches, being fed medication that keeps his brains scrambled worse than breakfast eggs. I can’t allow Brent to get away with his plans, whatever his end game is.
I won’t let my brother stand in the way of the family I’ve always wanted. A father who’s proud of me. A good woman by my side. And a child to protect and love.
No matter what Brent sends at me, I’ll overcome it. And I’ll pay him back threefold.
It’s time to figure out what my darling brother has planned.
36
Sabrina
I’m beginning to wonder how long a body can survive on too little sleep.
Last night was another exercise in futility. I couldn’t keep my thoughts from pinging around the inside of my skull, reverberating, echoing, until I saw dawn start to creep through the slats in the window blinds.
Coffee is the only thing that can raise my spirits from the dead, and even that is a halfhearted resurrection. It’s Monday, the beginning of another workweek. Another week spent trying to convince my daughter to talk to me.
This morning she’s humming over her oatmeal, the first smile that I’ve seen in over a week on her face.
And I’m about to be the bitch that chases her smile away. Again.
I’m moving too slow, which means we’re running late. Lex is about to miss her bus, so I tell her I’ll drive her to school. It’s a chance to talk to her about the situation involving her father.
This time around, I’m wasting no time in coming clean. This is one of those pull-the-bandage-off-quick type of situations. We back down the driveway and pull out onto the road. I take a deep breath and start.
“Lex, dinner last night was nice. I’m glad that you got a chance to talk to Ax.”
“Me too,” she says, bobbing around in her seat like she’s dancing to music I can’t hear. “He’s pretty cool. Maybe next time he can show me his motorcycle.”
And cue the sad violins.
“Honey, I know this is going to be hard to hear, but I think next time isn’t going to happen for a while.”
Lex freezes, her hands lowering slowly into her lap. “He’s leaving? Already?”
I know I have to tread carefully now. It’s a fine line between telling a nine-year-old girl the absolute truth about a very complicated situation and wanting to spare her some of the details.
How do I tell my daughter that her uncle is plotting to kill the brother he had put in jail? That her father is at risk of assassination? It’s not something I ever imagined needing to explain to my baby.
“Not right away,” I say. “But he’s going through some things right now, some family issues, and it might be better to let him concentrate on those things for a while.”
“So he’s not going back to jail?”
I shake my head, and Lex lets out a big breath of relief. “Does this have something to do with his dad? My—my grandfather?”
My brow furrows. I wonder how much events from the adult world make their way into the elementary school halls. “Your grandfather is very sick,” I say, hoping it doesn’t sound too much like a deflection. My daughter is sometimes too clever for her own good. “Your father is worried about his condition.” It’s not a lie, not exactly.
“Mom, I can help him with that! I’ve always been good at helping Gramma! I can do the same thing for Ax’s dad.”
Her tone is optimistic, and it makes my chest contract. I hate having to destroy every shred of hope. But it’s for her own good, I remind myself. Her safety is paramount.
I can see the school in the distance. Time to put the final nail in this coffin. I feel sick to my stomach, but I push on.
“I think you’re very generous to offer, and I’m sure your father and grandfather would appreciate it. But it’s more than that, sweetie. Your father and your uncle have a few disagreements about their father’s care and the family business. While they’re working out their issues, it would be best if you don’t see your father.”
Lex closes her eyes and slumps in her seat. I pull into the parking lot and over to the curb. Around us, children are rushing through the open doors of the school.
“Honey, I know this sucks.” I pat her little hand and force myself not to tear up. “I’m sorry to lay this on you now. But it’s better if you know right away. I don’t want you to hold out hope for something that’s not going to happen.”
“You did this,” Lex says, her eyes opening into slits. “You want to keep him all to yourself. Now you’re not going to let my dad see me!”
“That’s not it at all,” I protest. “Your dad is going through some things, and it’s not the time to try and build a relationship with his young daughter.”
“Did he tell you he can’t see me, or did you tell him?”
I freeze, my mouth turning dry. “Lex, you don’t understand.”
“I understand better than you think,” she says, opening the car door and climbing out. “I understand that my feelings don’t matter to you.”
“Lex, that’s not true. You know I—”
My daughter shuts the car door and walks away, hiking her backpack onto her shoulder. She’s stiff as a board, and she doesn’t look back.
Someone behind me honks at me to move along, and I have to wipe my hands over my eyes to be able to see the road through my tears. I sob, big wet sobs that have snot pouring from my nose. I keep the windows rolled up so that no one hears my blubbering. Too soon I’m pulling into the foundation lot.
I wipe my face, trying to clear away the remnants of the mascara I all but cried off. My skin is blotchy, my eyes red and swollen. The chance of Ms. Birch not noticing that I’ve been bawling my eyes out is less than zero.
Fuck it.
I climb out of the car and let myself into the office. Birch doesn’t bother to turn around from her computer so I scurry over to my desk and keep my head down. I spend the day trying to zone out. I mostly manage to keep the crying episodes at bay, promising myself a good long sob session tonight after everyone is asleep.
The day passes in a haze, and I’m exhausted by the time I walk out to my car. I drive home almost entirely by muscle memory, and I look up, surprised to find myself in my driveway. I wonder idly if Mom wouldn’t mind cooking dinner tonight. I could use a nap, or more likely, to lay in my bed and stare at the wall for a while.
I trudge up the steps, wondering how to deal with Lex. She’s likely locked in her room, ready to spend the rest of her childhood ignoring me. I can’t blame her.
I let myself into the house and drop my bag next to the door. Kicking off my shoes, I head down the hallway, stopping at Lex’s closed door. I knock lightly with my knuckle. “Lex, honey. I’m home. Wanna talk?”
I don’t get an answer, but I don’t really expect one. She’s got a right to ignore me for a while. But I want to let her know that, while I understand that she’s disappointed, I have to do what I think is best for both of us.
Knocking a couple more times, I try the knob when she doesn’t answer. “Lex, I just wanted to say that—” My words taper off when I find the room empty.
Backtracking down the hall, I wander into the kitchen. My mother is stirring a pitcher of sweet tea. “Hey Mom, where’s Lex? She’s not in her room.”
My mother shakes her head. “I thought she was with you. You took her to school, so when she didn’t get home at her regular time, I figured you picked her up too.”
“Well, I didn’t,” I say, a thread of fear creeping into my guts. “She’s not home?”
Mom releases the spoon and turns around, frowning. “I don’t think so.”
Without saying a word, I start searching the house. Mom joins me, and it’s soon clear that Lex is not in the house, unless she’s the best player of Hide-And-Seek
ever.
“Maybe she’s in the backyard,” I say, going out the back door and walking through the yard. “Lex! I want to talk to you.”
Mom stops at the screen door, her hands on her hips. “Lex, come out and answer your mother.”
I make my way toward the shrubbery at the back of the yard. I get down on my knees and try to crawl through the hole in the bushes and into Lex’s typical hiding place. The branches scratch at me, ripping at my clothing, scraping my skin. I’m crawling forward like an army grunt in training until I reach the hollow area within the greenery.
It’s empty, except for half-buried plastic toys and a few ribbons tied to the branches around me. One is old and weatherworn, a faded red ribbon that was slowly falling apart. I remember the day I tied it there, one of the last times I crawled into this little hideaway. I was looking for a way to escape from this boring little town, away from my annoying mom and the same old people with no ambition.
Next to the old ribbon is tied a much shinier blue one. I remember putting that in Lex’s hair last Easter. Apparently, she used this space for something similar. Did she daydream about some mysterious father, come to save her from her boring life and annoying mother?
I drag myself back out of the bushes, my heart feeling like a shriveled lump in my chest. When did things get so dark? I stand, brushing at my knees. “Is she in there?” my mother calls across the yard. I shake my head and go back into the house.
“Maybe she stayed after school,” Mom says.
“And she didn’t call and tell me? That’s against the rules.”
Mom shrugs. “Kids are forgetful, you know?”
I nod. “I’m going to drive down to the school and check things out.”
“I’ll stay here. If she comes home, I’ll call you.”
I hustle back to my car, fighting down the terror that’s poking at the edges of my mind, trying to find a way in. After what Ax revealed last night, I can’t help jumping to the worst conclusion, but it’s best to cross off the most likely explanation first.
She’s probably at the school. Maybe she stayed in the library, or to take part in some kind of after-school program. Lex never forgot to call me first before, but we didn’t exactly split on the best terms today.
But she isn’t at the school. Nor is she at the general store, or the playgrounds near downtown. Lex is nowhere to be seen.
My heart is in my throat. I call my mother to see if Lex has made her way home yet on her own. Mom informs me that she’s still alone. No sign of Lex.
My hands shaking, I dial the one number I hoped not to use. What choice do I have? My daughter is missing!
37
Ax
I’m stepping out of the shower when my phone starts ringing. I’d spent most of the day engaged in physical therapy, so to speak. I’ve been working my body to exhaustion to keep my emotional demons at bay.
I drop my towel and reach for the phone. “Yeah?”
“Ax, I can’t find Lex!”
I didn’t expect to hear from Sabrina so soon, especially after what happened last night. Her words turn my blood to ice water. “What?”
“She didn’t come home from school. I’ve looked all around town, but I can’t find her. Have you seen her?”
Oxygen refuses to enter my lungs. I barely choke out a response. “No. Haven’t. Seen. Her.”
“I’ve got to find her,” she says, and the frantic tone of her voice magnifies my own panic. “What if something’s happened to her?”
I realize how close she is to losing it, and it pulls me back from the brink. “Sabrina, we’re going to find her. Where are you now?”
“I’m driving around downtown, checking in all the stores. Where is she, Ax? Where’s my baby?”
Her words tear at my heart. “All right. You go to Mabel’s and wait for me there. I’m on my way. Understand?”
“Mabel’s? I already checked there. Lex isn’t there.”
“Sabrina, go to Mabel’s and wait for me. Now.” I infuse my voice with a measure of control I don’t feel, hoping to convince her to obey me.
She lets out a few shaky breaths and finally agrees. “Please hurry, Ax! Please!”
I hang up the phone and pull on some clothes as quickly as I can. Sabrina needs me. Fuck, my daughter needs me.
I’m out the door and to the shed in record time. Delilah starts right up, and I head out onto the road. Panic batters at the door to my mind, but for now, the lock holds. I keep thinking how right Sabrina has been. This whole time, she’s been keeping Lex and me apart for a reason.
It’s fucked up that the reason is me. My life is a fucking mess. My brother hates me. He’s out to kill me, or at the very least, lock me up again. Half the town is against me. I have no career, and all of my savings is tied up in a scheme to bring my family’s business down to take my revenge on the brother who had me thrown in prison.
No wonder Sabrina wants her daughter to have nothing to do with me. But if anyone has laid a finger on Lex to try and get to me, that person is going to regret it until their last breath, which won’t be far behind.
I make the turn onto the highway that leads into Cape Craven, and in the distance, I see a familiar black SUV. My heart starts pounding as I approach. When I get close enough to the vehicle to see inside, I gun my engine, then hit the brakes in front of the SUV.
Sitting in the front seat is Alexa Jacobs. Next to her is the blond guy I’d seen at the Hampstead place. Luke the Mercenary.
I’m off the bike and at the SUV’s passenger side door faster than you can blink. I grab the handle, expecting to find the door locked, but instead, it opens easily. “Lex. What are you doing in this stranger’s car?”
Lex is wide-eyed to see me there. “Ax—I—I was looking for you.”
My eyes flash to the big guy in the driver’s seat. He looks back at me, his expression neutral. I grab Lex and pull her out of the SUV, setting her feet on the ground. “You go stand next to my bike. Got it?”
“I’m sorry, Ax. I just—”
“Get over by the bike, Lex. Now.”
She flinches at my tone but scurries over to stand next to Delilah. I head around the front of the vehicle as the driver’s door opens and Luke steps out. He’s almost as tall as I am, his form belying his strength. I’m not saying he can take me, but he could give me a run for my money.
“What are you doing with that little girl in your car?” I snarl, my fists balling of their own accord.
Luke lifts his hands to show his palms. “I was heading back into town when I saw her walking along the road. We’re a couple of miles out of town, and she’s pretty young. I wanted to make sure she was alright.”
My eyes narrow. “You expect me to believe it was all a coincidence. I know what you’re here for man, you and your buddies over at the old Hampstead place. So let me give you a little warning: You touch her again, or anyone else close to me, and I’ll make you pay.”
His face turns to stone. “I don’t take kindly to threats.”
“This isn’t a threat. It’s a promise. If you or your guys fuck with me, I will not hesitate to retaliate.”
I walk back to the bike and put Lex on it. Digging out the extra helmet from the storage compartment, I put it on her and pull the strap as tight at is will go. “It’s too big, but it will have to do. I’m taking you to your mom.”
I climb on the bike in front of her and show the girl how to hold onto me. Then I start the bike and begin to inch forward.
“You better keep a close eye on the girl and her mother,” Luke says as I move past him. “You never know what kind of trouble lurks in small towns like this one.”
His face is expressionless, but the threat in his words is clear. I’m a second away from parking my bike and beating the life out of this piece of shit, but Lex’s arms squeeze around me, and I’m able to fight back the rage.
“Be seeing you,” I spit. “Real soon.”
The motorcycle picks up speed on the highway, but
I keep it much slower than I normally would. It’s Lex’s first time on the bike, and I don’t want anything to happen to her. We putter into town, and it’s not long before I pull up in front of Mabel’s.
Sabrina rushes out of the diner, and her face splits into a smile when she sees her daughter on the back of my bike. “Lex! I was so dang worried! Where the hell were you?”
“Mom!” Lex says, trying to pull away from her mother who is smothering her with kisses. “Let me get down.”
Sabrina helps her daughter off the bike while I take the helmet and stow it. “Can I have another ride sometime?” Lex asks, giving me a crooked smile.
“We’ll see,” I say, shooting a look at Sabrina. She’s burying her face in Lex’s hair, oblivious. I take Lex by the arm, gently leading her toward the diner entrance. “Let’s go inside and say hi to Mabel.”
Sabrina follows, unable to let her daughter out of her sight. I get them settled into a booth, then order a round of fried chicken and mashed potatoes from Mabel. The round woman hustles into the kitchen and starts putting the plates together.
“Where were you?” Sabrina is asking when I return to the booth.
Lex looks at me, then looks down at the table. She’s tracing the chips in the veneer as she speaks. “I was mad at you, Mom, for what you said this morning. I decided to walk to Ax’s house myself and hear his side of the story.”
Sabrina’s face slides into a frown. “You didn’t believe me.”
Lex shakes her head. “I thought you were just trying to keep us apart.”
I slide in next to my daughter. “What’s going on?”
Sabrina glances at me, then looks away, fixating on a spot outside the window. “I told Lex that you wouldn’t be able to see her for a while. That you were sorting out some personal things.” She looks back at me, and her eyes are full of some unreadable emotion. “She didn’t take it very well.”
Lex puts her tiny hand on my arm. “Mom said you have family troubles and that you can’t spend time with me until they get sorted out.”
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