Ford Security

by Clara Kendrick

  “Seriously?” he grinds out, arches one brow. “I’m the security professional here; it’s kind of my job.”

  “Yeah, but…”

  “No buts.” He cracks a pained grin, and I just know that he’s going to be all right. I’m sure the stab wound in his gut hurts like hell, but he’s a survivor. He’s been through far worse in his life. “I actually owe you a lot of thanks…”

  “For what?”

  “I think you know,” he chuckles softly and then lets out a painful groan and grimaces in pain.

  “Well, I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I force a smile and comb my hand through his hair. “But you can tell me more about it later, explain to me exactly what you’re thankful for, because considering the circumstances—”

  “Later?” He shifts his head upwards, seemingly expelling every bit of energy he has left remaining in his body. “You mean, I’m going to get a second date?”

  “Oops,” I chuckle through a sob. “I just ruined the surprise…”

  “What surprise?” he squints, and I know I’m running out of time before he loses consciousness. “Come on, the suspense is killing me.”

  He’s so damn funny, even when he’s on the verge of possibly dying. “I was just thinking that maybe you could go to my high school reunion with me?” I can’t help but to chuckle again, my nose flaring up against the tears rolling over it. “Which I know is weird considering the circumstances, but… Just go with me, dammit.”

  “Yeah.” He nods his head gently, as his eyes begin to roll to a close. “Can’t wait…” he mutters out before he loses consciousness.

  And as the sirens draw closer and closer, the sirens screaming louder and louder, I take a quick glance back over to Rick who’s struggling to remain awake himself. An evil thought crosses my mind, one wishing he would just die, but I force myself to reconsider. I force myself to remember that what separates people like him from people like me is our souls. The difference between him and I is that he didn’t care that he stuck a knife into Luke, and I care way too much that I shot him in self-defense.

  I reaffirm my grip underneath Luke’s head and continue to cradle him as the authorities and emergency personnel approach. Tears stream down my face as I continue to talk to him, all the while knowing he can’t hear me.

  Over and over again, I sob to him, “You’re going to be all right. You’re going to be all right…”

  CHAPTER NINETEEN

  LUKE

  It’s been two weeks since Ella was forced to put a bullet through Rick Matheson’s stomach. They investigation wrapped up quickly with all the evidence that Ella had turned over to the police. The evidence included the letters that have been sent to Ella over a span of five weeks. I made sure that Marcus had scrubbed all of the DNA that could be linked back to Dominic from the letters.

  That’s just who I am, I suppose. I didn’t do it without Ella’s permission though. I believe it was more important and right to worry about Ella than it was about Dominic. But she understood my concerns and understood why I didn't want to throw one of the only people who have been loyal to me under the bus.

  I still haven’t worked up the nerve to ask Dominic why his fingerprints were on those letters, and I don't know if I ever will work up the nerve. To be honest, sometimes I don’t even know if I want to know the answer. Because knowing that answer could make me see him in a different light, and that’s the last thing I want to do. He’s always look after me, even when we haven’t agreed on things, and in many ways, though we are very close in age, he’s almost like a father figure to me.

  He’s family. All five of us at Ford Security are a family, and as anyone knows, family is a very complicated thing. Especially when we are entangled the way we are entangled. Someday, I’ll be forced to face the idea that Dominic is not the man I’ve always thought him to be, but today’s not that day.

  Today, the only thing I'm concerned about is making Ella happy. She’s been quite reserved about coming to this reunion. That was one of the very first things she ever told me, that she had no intention of going. But now, here we are, our arms locked together as we enter into the lobby of fancy hotel.

  I never went back to my high school after graduation, because much like Ella, I didn’t believe there was anything for me there. I left my old life behind, but it’s not like I was running from it. It’s just that I had no interest in ever going back to high school or seeing the people I had grown up with.

  Even after she asked me to be her date, she still went back-and-forth on whether or not she was going. I eventually convinced her that the best option would be to go because she might regret it if she didn’t show up. And regret can oftentimes be a powerful thing.

  I glance over at her to see that she’s all smiles. She has the most beautiful smile in the world, but she hides it so much, hides behind anxiety and hides behind fear. She hides it behind a cold exterior, but I know the real Ella Gold, and she is anything but ice. She’s one of the most loving people I’ve ever met.

  And though it might be too soon to say I love her, I certainly love spending time with her. If for no other reason, at least, than that she is a distraction from the issues I’m going to have to deal with Dominic someday.

  We step into the ballroom and I’m met with hundreds of strange faces. I don’t recognize anyone in the crowd, not at first at least until we come across Ella’s best friend Kara and her husband Damian.

  Just a few short days after the nightmare ended, I was at Ella’s house recuperating when Kara stopped by to offer her condolences for what Ella had been through. I find her to be intriguing and funny, always with the right thing to say to Ella to brighten her mood. It’s no wonder that she has kept in touch with her all of these years, even as she’s gone through multiple life changes and name changes.

  “Well, look at you.” Kara brushes her finger along my chest playfully and winks at me. “I’m so happy that you decided to show.”

  “Who are you talking to?” Ella questions. “Luke or me?”

  “That’s a good question,” Damien snickers playfully and elbows his wife with a playful jab. “I look forward to hearing my wife’s answer.”

  Kara’s cheeks blush a soft red. “I’m excited to see you, darling.”

  See, just like I said. She’s a natural charmer, able to talk her way out of any situation, and has a penchant of saying all the right things at the exact right times.

  The soft music that was playing when we walked into the ballroom fades into something a little more modern. It’s a soft rock love song with a somewhat haunting melody. From beside me, I see Ella’s eyes glance over at me, as a wry smile hitches across her beautiful red lips. She’s absolutely stunning in a black ball gown with her hair lifted behind one ear.

  “What are you looking at me like that for?” I clear my throat and exhale. “You know I don’t dance.”

  “Everyone dances.” She reaches for my hand and drags me to the center of the floor where other couples, including Kara and Damian begin dancing in slow circles.

  But I’m not a dancer, and I’d told her that before. I shrug though, because this is what she wants, and I’ll do anything to make her happy. And if making a fool of myself in front of a bunch of strangers who I’ll never see again makes her happy, then it’s something I’m willing to do.

  I drop a hand to her waist and hold her other hand with my free hand. And when we begin to drift in slow circles, spinning slowly around the dance floor, I find that I’m not the worst dancer in the world. But maybe it’s more than that, and just like the fears she’s spent years trying to overcome, I have fears I still have yet to overcome as well.

  It’s not difficult to dance in nothing more than a circle, not when the melody is this slow, or maybe it’s just because I’m dancing with her. She puts me at ease, always. She glances upwards at me and palms a hand softly against my back. All the while she smiles a beautiful smile. And then her eyes, every little piece of her, it’s like she’s at co
mplete and total peace—and that’s something I haven’t seen since I’ve known her.

  Granted, I’ve only known her for a little under three weeks, but it’s still nice to see the change of pace; it’s always nice to see the one you adore bright-eyed and happy.

  “I thought you couldn’t dance.” She chuckles lowly and raises her hand to caress her palm against the back of my head. “It looks like you’re dancing just fine.”

  “That’s because I’m dancing with you.” I throw her smile right back at her, and I’m not going to lie, I’m more than content to be dancing for the first time in my life. Dancing with her in this room full of strangers. “And yeah, I know that might sound cheesy, but I’m a cheesy kind a guy.”

  “Yeah…” She rolls her eyes slightly, and it’s more than a little cutesy. “That much I know to be true.”

  I fake being offended, but she can see right through my lies. She drops her head to my chest and holds it there sideways; it’s almost as if she’s listening to my heartbeat as we continue to dance in slow circles and the rest of the world begins to fade out as my eyes close over one another. I’m living in this beautiful moment, and oh my God, I think to myself, I’m turning into a sap.

  One hand holds her at the back of her head as I hold her firmly in place against my chest. From the time I first met her, all I’ve wanted to do is protect her and protect her I have. But the inverse is also true. She’s protected me, even when her life was on the line, even when she put herself into danger. If it weren’t for her bravery, there’s a good chance I’d be six-feet deep right now.

  The night Rick tried to take us hostage, she showed more strength and brass balls than most men I’ve ever met in my life. She’s a fighter and has no problem fighting for the things she deems worth fighting for.

  The slow romantic song begins to come to an end, and she begins to pull herself away from me, but I’m not ready to let her go just yet. And as an old rock classic begins pumping through the speakers, I continue to pretend as if it’s a slow song playing and hold her tight against my chest.

  And just then, the power goes out, and she breaks away from me.

  In the ballroom, there is not even the faintest of lights. It’s pitch black like the darkest night sky. There’s a growing panic in the crowd as crowds tend to do when the power is killed. I don’t quite understand it, because adults shouldn't be afraid of the dark. But there’s something sinister about the darkness that sends even the strongest of adults into a tailspin. It would be comedic if it didn’t create such a chaos.

  As the chaos begins to unfold around me, I realize that I’m no longer holding onto Ella. I call out for her, but she doesn't respond. So I scream out her name once more. And slowly, my eyes begin to adjust to the darkness, and I begin to make my way through the crowd. She’s wearing a dark black dress—like many of the women in attendance—so it’ll be difficult to spot her.

  My gut, it tells me that something is wrong, that the power didn’t just go out. My gut screams that someone killed the power, and I can't help but feeling that this has something to do with Ella. I begin to panic as I stumble my way through the crowd, pushing and prodding people as I try to find my princess.

  And just like it always seems to go, I feel a very familiar feeling against the back of my head before my vision goes completely black, pitch black, just like the ballroom.

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  ELLA

  The warm summer air tangles through my hair, the gentle breeze blowing random strands out of place and across my face. There’s duct tape over my mouth, and my hands are bound behind my back. The only thing stopping me from getting up and running is the fact that I wouldn’t make it very far being bound, and oh yeah, there are two men with guns standing in front of me.

  Of the two faces, I recognize one of them. It’s a familiar face from my past, but a face that I’ve come in contact with recently as well. It’s David Matheson—my ex-boyfriend from the pawn shop and none other than Rick Matheson’s brother. He’s standing beside someone I don’t even recognize.

  It’s insane how much David looks like his older brother of one year, although Rick certainly looked a little worse for wear, and he’s probably going to look even older and rougher now, considering he’s in jail and he’s probably going to be there for a while.

  Looking back, I should have seen this coming. After all, the two brothers were so often intertwined with each other. Except for that brief moment in time when I dated Rick—which caused a rift between them for a short time—they’ve always been close.

  They’ve probably been in on this since the beginning, which would certainly make sense, given my experience I had with David at the pawn shop. Now that David and his friend are standing right in front of my face, holding me at gunpoint, I know they’re probably about to finish the job Rick started. They’re probably about to kill me. I’d cry, but I’m too tired and too defeated.

  Tonight was supposed to be a good night. I got dressed in my best ball gown and even managed to get Luke out of his typical jeans and t-shirt look, and into something much fancier. I always found it odd that the letters began so soon before the reunion.

  “You know who I am,” David snarls and points the gun to his friend, “and this is Thomas. He’s my friend from high school, but you don’t seem to recognize him.”

  The truth is that I don’t remember him at all, but there’s a lot about my time in school that I don’t remember, and he was probably a loser anyways.

  David steps forward holding the gun at his side while Thomas waits in the background with his gun aimed squarely at me. It’s funny how fast someone can change. I’ve found myself changing so much in these past few weeks. If Luke hadn’t entered the picture, if he hadn’t made me stronger, then I’m sure I’d be in a pile of tears right now, begging for my life. I’m not going to give these two losers that satisfaction.

  David continues to stalk towards me silently. They haven’t said much of anything since they grabbed me from the pitch-black darkness. At first, I thought it was Luke trying to reach for me, but as soon as David’s hand passed over my mouth, I knew that I was in trouble. They dragged into an elevator and then back out of the elevator on the top floor of the hotel, marched me right past the room Luke and I rented for the night, and then forced me up the steps and out onto the rooftop right in front of the long, narrow pool.

  There’s an empty chair a few feet in front of me. I imagine it’s being reserved for someone else, I just hope that person isn’t Luke. I don’t want him to see me like this, but more importantly, I don’t want him to have to pay for my sins.

  “Ah ha,” David says, cracking a huge grin. “It looks like the final players have arrived.”

  From behind me, I hear the rooftop door being thrown open followed immediately by strained grunts. I cock my head slightly over my shoulder to see a tall, blonde-haired man with a bloodied face pushing Luke forward. It’s hard to tell from this angle, but it looks like Luke’s bound, too.

  My stomach sinks. I try to scream through the duct tape. “Leave him alone,” I cry. “He has nothing to do with this, whatever this is.” But all that comes out are muffled screams, unintelligible to anyone standing on the rooftop with me.

  David intercepts the man and takes hold of Luke, forcing him down into the seat in front of me. He sways in the chair, looking like he’s only just woken up a few short seconds ago. His eyes meet mine, and it hurts to look at him, but I can’t bring myself to look anywhere else.

  David steps in between Luke and I and wags the gun at the tall, blonde man. “I bet you’re wondering who that guy is, right, babe?”

  The fact that he calls me babe is enough to make my blood boil, but my eyes trail to the tall blonde who looks on at the scene in amusement. I don’t even notice David reaching down to tear the tape off my mouth until I feel the burning sensation it leaves behind. I inhale sharply, my chest heaving as David lowers his head to meet my gaze. “Well, I’ve been thinking the same exact thing
.” He cocks his eyes to the man while he whispers in my ear. “He’s just a hired hand, but do you really think the three of us are going to split your lackluster fortune three ways?” He chuckles, blowing hot air against my ear. “Nah fam.”

  He straightens himself out, locks his eyes with mine and then cocks both of his brows. He raises his gun and pulls the trigger. I can’t help but to let out a bloodcurdling scream and force my eyes closed.

  The tall man falls over dead, and when my eyes peel open, I look over to him to see a bullet hole in his head and his eyes staring blankly ahead.

  David smiles simply and shrugs his shoulders with apathy. Then he looks back at his friend, still standing in place behind Luke. “Now let’s get this show on the road, why don’t we?”

  “Why are you doing this?” I question, begging for answers. If I’m going to die, I at least want confirmation that this is nothing more than a jealousy pot, but he had mentioned something about my fortune. However, I pity him if he thinks I have millions stored away. I’m well off, but not that well off.

  “Do you really need to ask why?” He pats me roughly on the shoulder and chuckles. His smile fades just as quickly as it erupted and turns into something far more sinister. He glares at me with fire in his eyes and pushes the barrel of the gun against my cheek. “You know exactly why.”

  “It was an ingenious plan, really,” Thomas says, breaking his silence for the first time. He stands behind Luke with his hands firmly planted on the back of Luke’s chair. “But it was also a simple plan. It involved scaring the shit out of you and letting you go. If you think you’re the only girl from your class that got those same letters, then you need to think again.”

  “However,” David interrupts, “you’re the only girl who took it too far. You’re the only girl who shot my brother and then tried to have him jailed.”

  “That was a really shitty thing to do,” Thomas adds. “Rick’s a great guy, and I’ve known him since we were younger.”