Ford Security

by Clara Kendrick

  When he breaks away from the kiss, I’m left speechless and wanting more. But he jumps to his feet and claps his hands together. “I’m going to go make us some drinks and then we’ll continue this conversation.”

  “Can’t wait.” I chew into my lip and watch him as he steps out of the room. When he’s gone, when he’s out of sight, I drop my head back down against the pillow and stare up at the ceiling overhead. I can’t help but to dream about a life with him and what that would entail.

  I was tired before but now I’m wide awake, wanting to know everything there is about him, wanting to know everything there is to know about the man who’s now saved me in more ways than he could ever know.

  CHAPTER EIGHTEEN

  CHASE

  For the first time, I’m thinking that this could actually work. There’s chemistry between the two of us, which I had felt was there before but after tonight, it’s only intensified. I’m not the type to fall for women. Not even close. I’m also not the type to randomly hook up with women, either.

  I have somewhat of a reputation as being a ladies’ man with the other men back at the firm, but they have no idea what happens behind closed doors. I drop a few ice cubes into two glasses and then fill them with cherry-flavored whiskey.

  Crash.

  A loud noise steals my attention from the bedroom. I freeze in place for the shortest period of time, perhaps half a second, before I race into action. Rushing towards the bedroom door, I throw it open with the weight of my body to find an empty bed and the blackout curtains blowing in the breeze.

  I scoop my gun off the nightstand and run to the window as I hear a blood-curdling scream.

  It’s Summer.

  When I look out the window, I see a man dragging her backwards down the long alley that’s behind my apartment. I kick my feet over the edge of the windowsill and drop down onto the fire escape right outside. My mind is racing. My heart is racing even faster.

  How could I have been so stupid to let her out of my sight?

  With my hands gripped around the tubes on either side of the ladder, I let gravity do the work as I slide down to the second story and then jump over the railing, landing hard on my feet against the asphalt alley.

  When I recover to a standing position, the next thing I see is a horrifying sight that takes me back to when this all began. I see Summer being pulled backwards into the back of a black van and a gloved hand gripped over her mouth, muting her screams and cries.

  The van tears away before the back door is even pulled shut. Traveling in a straight line, there’s no way I’d be able to catch up with them, so I start computing alternative options. A light bulb goes off in my head and I immediately cut through the alley to my right. I run as fast as I can down the slim alley, jumping over a knocked over tin trash can. When I think I can’t possibly run any faster, I push myself to the limits.

  The buildings whiz by me. Everything is a blur except for the tunnel vision of the road ahead. Lights flicker in the distance as the van rounds a corner just down the way.

  I break out of the alley just as the van careens around the corner. Making a split decision, I throw all caution to the wind and just go for it. I launch myself forward and somehow manage to cling onto a rafter on top of the van. My feet kick outwards as I try to steady my grip. Just when it feels like I’m about to fall off, I manage to land my other hand on top of the same rafter and hold myself there.

  My phone rings in my jeans.

  “This better be fucking important,” I grumble under my breath, steadying one hand against the rafter as I retrieve my phone and push it between my ear and head. My grip loosens so I shift my other hand back on top of the van and pray that I don’t drop my phone. “Chase Carter.”

  “Hey, it’s Marcus.”

  “Skip to the chase, buddy. Long story short, Summer’s been kidnapped, but I’m on the back of the van.”

  “Do they know you’re there?”

  “I’m sure they’re about to find out, which is why I need you to hurry the hell up with whatever—”

  “Okay, okay. That number you sent me earlier? I managed to ping the location. It’s an old abandoned warehouse just up the way from the hideout.”

  “Send me the address and send anyone that’s available,” I grunt out and look up to find myself losing my grip once again. “And hurry.”

  “The only person available is Dom and he’s already on his way, but he’s coming from downtown.”

  “Great,” I grind out. “Where are the twins?”

  “They’re offline.”

  “Gotta go.” I hang up the phone and drop it back into my pocket just as the van rounds a sharp corner. My body sways with the direction of the van and I almost fall off. It’s time to make my move.

  Using the strength of my arms, I grit my teeth as I reach down and rip one of the two back doors open. As the door swings open, I reach for my gun and ready it just before swinging my body forward and launching myself into the back of the van.

  Summer’s eyes, with duct tape over her mouth, go wide as she sighs with relief. But we’re not out of the woods, not even close. The two men—the driver and the passenger—twist around to see me kneeling in the back of the van. Before they can do anything stupid, I aim my gun squarely at the passenger, knowing the driver is already too occupied to do much of anything.

  “Give me your phone,” I demand, pushing myself deeper into the van and towards the two henchman who’ve messed with the wrong girl. The driver shakes his head defiantly, but the passenger must have more of a will to live because he passes me his phone without hesitation. I force my way in-between the two of them and reach across the passenger to push open his door.

  He turns to me with wide eyes and protests, “No…”

  “Yes.” I give him a hard shove and his body bends like cardboard, rolling sideways out of the van. The driver’s attention is elsewhere from where it should be—the road ahead—so I jump into the passenger seat and aim the gun squarely at his head. “Focus on the road or I’ll send a bullet through your thick skull.”

  He does as commanded, swallowing nervously. I almost feel sorry for this guy for what I’m about to do to him. Almost. I cock my head over the man’s shoulder and take note that we’re passing over a bridge before we connect to the highway.

  With the gun still aimed squarely at his head, I reach across the way and push open his door.

  “What are you doing, man?”

  I force a smile and wave him off. “Just getting some fresh air.”

  Just as he’s pushing his feet against the brakes—he’s not too stupid to know what’s about to happen to him—I lean back into my seat and kick my feet out, connecting with the man’s side. He’s sent flying out of the side of the van and over the edge of the bridge. In the distance I hear a loud splash as I finagle my way into the driver’s seat.

  But I don’t do it fast enough.

  The van careens against the concrete walls of the bridge, sending sparks flying behind us. Once I finally manage to regain control of the vehicle, Summer manages to free herself from the ropes binding her to pull the back door shut. She jumps into the passenger seat and rips the duct tape off of her mouth.

  “We have a location,” I say to her and pass her my phone. “Can you put that into the GPS?”

  “I’m on it.” She navigates us towards our location and then looks to me, her chest heaving with a potent combination of exhaustion and rage. “I’m ready to end these people.”

  This girl’s got a fire in her soul, and it burns especially bright in her eyes. And I think to myself, Yeah, I could love this girl. Someday.

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  SUMMER

  We’re parked outside an abandoned warehouse a mere two miles away from the Ford Security hideout. It’s an eerie coincidence to me that both Mason and Chase’s team have been working in such close proximity without knowing of each other’s whereabouts.

  Chase killed the lights before we even turned onto the
road, so we’re hoping to get the element of surprise. He’s silent, staring blankly ahead like he’s formulating a plan inside his head. My head, however, is screaming; my heart is screaming equally loud, feeling as if it could break right through my mortal chest. Taylor’s inside this building, or at least she should be. Whether she’s dead or alive… No, I can’t allow myself to think about those things right now.

  “What are we waiting for?” I cock my head to him, running out of patience.

  He drops the clip from his gun and then thrusts it back inside. Turns to me with a dark, hunted, and pale face. “You’re not going inside.”

  “What?” I protest, shifting in my seat to face him completely. “You can’t stop me.”

  “It’s too dangerous.”

  “Don’t give me that bullshit,” I scowl. “I’ve been in danger since this all began, and I’m going in there because my sister is in there and she needs me.”

  He drops his head with a sigh, runs one hand nervously through his hair and chews into his bottom lip hard enough to draw blood. “I can’t stop you, can I?”

  “No.” I’m steel in my resolve. “When is Dom going to be here?”

  He leans forward and glances at the driver’s side mirror. “He should have been here by now.” He reaches for the door handle and pops it open. “I can’t wait any longer. They’re probably expecting their bounty by now.”

  “They’re bounty?” I question with a raised brow, and then realizing… “Oh.”

  “Yeah.” His boots drop against gravel as he climbs out of the van and onto solid ground. “If you’re going to go inside with me, then you need to listen to everything I tell you to do. Do you understand?”

  “Yes.” I step out of the van and join him at his side. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared.”

  “I’m always scared.” He smiles flatly and reaches for me, pulls me into a loose embrace with his head nuzzled against my neck. “If you ever tell anyone I said that, I’ll kill you myself.”

  “Noted.” I chuckle nervously against his head before he pulls away and pushes a spare gun into my hand. “I don’t know how to use this.”

  “It’s easy enough. Just don’t point it at me.” He forces a smile and pats me on the shoulder. “Are you ready?”

  “As ready as I’ll ever be.”

  He gives me a once over before reaching forward again and cupping one hand against the back of my head. He pulls me in real close and offers me a peck on the forehead, but it’s not enough to satisfy me.

  I cock my head upwards, catch him by surprise and kiss him passionately. His lips are dry and cracked, parched even, but in the moment I feel like I’m his. More importantly, I feel safe and on top of the world, like nothing could hurt me.

  That’s the kind of courage I need in my life right now at this very moment. It’s the kind of courage that’s going to allow me to go into that building and do something I never thought I could.

  “You make me stronger,” I say, swiping my tongue across my lower lip. “You make me feel safe.”

  “You still don’t get it, do you?” He cracks a teeth-bearing grin. “You’ve always been strong.”

  “Let’s go kick some ass,” I say, breaking through the lovely sentiments. “I’m ready to get my sister back.”

  “If she’s anything like you, then I can’t wait to meet her.”

  I purse my lips and nod. “She can be a little cold, but other than that, she’s a lovely woman.”

  “Sounds like a real winner,” he says jokingly, jabbing me playfully with his elbow against my side.

  It’s the last bit of levity, I imagine, I’ll be experiencing for a while.

  # # #

  Chase clears the entrance ahead of me, holding the door open and scanning the empty halls ahead with his gun before giving me the go ahead to follow him into the building.

  I do as instructed, staying behind him at all times. I get why he thinks he needs to keep me safe, but the truth is that I would take a bullet for him if I had to. Although I sincerely hope nobody has to take any bullets tonight. Nobody between the two of us anyways, the hell with the bad guys.

  Once we’re both inside the building, I reach back and pull the door closed as silently as possible. I manage this next to impossible feat with nothing more than a light tap of metal on metal.

  We venture down a long hallway, and it’s eerily silent like nobody’s in the building at all. But the warehouse is long and wide, and there’s plenty of space for people to hide, for people to work out their business. We reach the end of one long hallway and then take a hard right to travel down another.

  Just up ahead is a large opening, though it’s dark and not much can be made out with nothing more than the pale emergency lights covered in dust. Chase is like a silent ninja ahead of me, his strong body barely making a peep as his boots pad along the cement floor.

  Closer and closer, we pace towards the opening at the end of the hallway that leads into the floor. But something catches my attention, or I should say our attention.

  Chase’s head cocks to the left at the same exact time as mine, so I know I’m not hearing things when I hear a metal door slamming shut. There’s a door right ahead of us, and I can’t help but to wonder if we’ll find whoever’s slamming doors behind door number one.

  He gestures for me to follow him but to stand on the opposite side of the door first. When I’m in place, he reaches for the knob and twists it slightly, pulling it open just as silently. His head disappears behind the door and my heart skips a beat.

  He ducks back out and gestures for me to follow him inside.

  It’s another hallway, though it’s not nearly as long, and at the end is an opening where harsh lights filter against the painted concrete walls. He cranes his head over his shoulder and places one finger against his lips, but he doesn’t need to tell me to be quiet. I know that much on my own.

  I freeze in place—Chase freezes too—when a man begins to cackle and then speak. His voice is high-pitched and excited.

  “Your sister is about to join us here and I’m going to get something far more valuable than a half million dollars. I’m going to get revenge.”

  A tear—a single damn tear—gathers at the crease of my eye. Whether it’s a tear born out of fear or relief, I’m not entirely sure. Fear because I know it’s only going to take one wrong move to end everything. Relief because I finally have proof that my sister is still alive.

  I back myself up against the wall and take a few long, deep breaths to calm my nerves. Chase looks to me and then his shoulders drop slightly before he steps to me.

  All he has to do is lock eyes with me and somehow it calms me. He offers me a nod and it’s his way of asking if I’m okay, so I nod back. And he gets me. He understands me.

  He twists back around and with his gun held at his side, steps forward, towards the light and towards the inevitable showdown. I’m right behind him, holding my finger steady against the trigger in case I have to use the weapon in my hands.

  “You see,” Mason continues in the same high-pitched tone, “I’ve been waiting a long time for my revenge and it’s going to be sweet, and you want to know something…” His voice drops lower, almost as low as a whisper, but since we’re standing right at the corner of the opening to the room, I can make out exactly what he’s saying. “I’m still going to kill you. I just want your sister to be here when that happens.”

  My blood boils. My heart explodes. All I can see is red…

  “Not quite going to work out that way,” Chase says as he spins around the corner, his gun aimed squarely ahead. I throw my body flat against the concrete wall and peek inside. It’s just Chase, Mason and my poor, helpless sister bound to a wooden chair under burning hot work lights.

  With Chase holding Mason hostage, his hands held in the air, I feel safe enough to duck inside and rush to my sister’s aid. Her hair is greasy and her face is filthy. Her eyes level with mine as she tries to scream from behind the duct tape sea
led over her mouth.

  I get a good look at Mason just in case he manages to escape. I want to remember what he looks like so I can hunt him down to the ends of the earth. He’s tall and tan with dark blonde hair swept across his face. He’s got an eccentric look to the way he clothes himself and he’s rather thin.

  That’s enough of that, I turn my attention back to my sister and I’m hit with a brick wall of emotions.

  Tears roll down my face but I don’t have time to be emotional. Even though Chase has the upper hand, I know the calculation could change at any given moment. I drop the gun onto the floor, the metal object landing with a clatter against the hardness. My fingers fumble around the knot tying her hands behind her back and I’m too shaky to properly untie her. I take a step back and exhale sharply before attempting to loosen her restraints again.

  The rope burns against my palms but I manage to undo the restraints and guide her out of the room, looking over my shoulder on the way out. I need to get Taylor to safety and then go back to make sure everything is fine with Chase.

  She’s too weak to walk by herself, so I hoist one of her arms around my neck and carry her out of the room. I’m not strong enough to carry her all the way and the both of us stumble to our knees. She throws herself into my arms, and the sight alone just about makes me shatter into a fit of emotions.

  She’s my older sister. She’s always protected me and looked out for me, and I know she’s going to tell me how thankful she is for what I’ve done for her, but it’s not necessary. She would have done the same thing for me.

  “I thought I’d never see you again,” she cries against my shoulder and I can feel the dampness of her cheeks brushing against my own skin. “I’m so sorry.”

  “See, that’s the difference between us,” I say, laughing uncomfortably and filled with happiness and sorrow all at once. “I always knew I’d find you. I’ll always find you.”