“I know,” she answered before the woman moved away.
With little effort, Sandy made her way across the room and inserted herself into their conversation. A blush came over her cheeks as Crew looked her way and raised a brow. Not too long after, Sandy came back to her side.
“We have some time but let’s make it quick. Trent will be heading to the airport now with Gabby so now is the best time to get in and out to ensure that your safety isn’t compromised,” she said.
“Okay,” Raine answered as she leaned over the crib to stroke back her daughter’s curls. She smiled at Wyatt before looking back down at her daughter, her chest heavy with anxiety and fear. A tear splashed onto the back of her hand and suddenly Sandra was moving away and he was there.
His firm lips brushed her temple before he pulled her face up to look into her eyes. He stroked away the tears with his thumb. “We’ll be okay, okay?” he breathed in reassurance.
“I trust that,” she answered. “I’m just afraid for you,” she continued. “For you and everyone else who has been dragged into this mess because I chose to run away,” she said.
“You didn’t have a choice in anything,” he said strongly. “You did what you had to do and I am damn proud that you did. You saw a chance to make our daughter’s life better and you took it.”
She warmed at his pronoun but he didn’t even realize.
“You didn’t choose to be bought or sold and I will breathe my last breath before Ignacio or anyone affiliated with Stephano gets the chance to do anything against your will again.”
She brushed his hair back, removing it from his deep blue eyes. “I know, but what if I don’t want you to?” she questioned.
His brows drew together in confusion, so she moved to elaborate.
“I’d rather they take me back than you dead,” she supplied brokenly.
The muscles flexed in his jaws. “I guess we’re at a stalemate then,” he murmured.
“Yeah,” she answered before pulling away as Trent approached to lift Gabby.
“Raine,” he pleaded softly at the stubborn tilt of her chin as Gabby nestled into Trent’s chest and Crew grabbed the bags as the chopper started up on the roof.
“I love you,” she answered before brushing her lips over his briefly and following Trent.
∆∆∆
Bass paced the floor some more as he considered what move to make. He had done some digging as soon as Ignacio had hung up and he didn’t like what he’d found. Ignacio was the devil’s incarnate. He played hard and he skirted the lined of the law too easily. He knew that he could get away with anything because he always has. Bass didn’t think that it was because of his own smarts but because of the people who were around him.
Skipp bit his lip as he wore a path into his antique rug. He couldn’t trust Ignacio but if he wanted to advance his campaign and his power then he had but little choice.
With great irritation, he dialed a number that he wished that he wouldn’t need to dial again. He’d tried to keep his hands as clean as possible after Raine had been taken but now the brat was back and messing up his life once again. The phone rang a little too long for his comfort and he bit down too hard on his cheek, drawing blood.
“Bass, it’s been a hell of a long time,” the voice jeered.
Skipp swore he could hear his teeth powdering out as his jaws clamped tightly together. “Wilson,” he answered grudgingly.
“To what do I owe this pleasure, Senator?” he mocked.
“I need your help—”
“It kills you to say it doesn’t it?” Wilson laughed.
Bass’s fingers flexed.
“What mess do you need to be cleaned up now?” Wilson questioned.
“I need you to nab someone for me—”
“You mean kidnap,” Wilson stated plainly.
“Something of the sort,” Bass answered grudgingly.
“Who is it?” Wilson asked, realizing that he was on the verge of losing some good money.
“Raine Bass—”
“What the hell!” Wilson exclaimed.
“Can you or can’t you?” he bit out.
“Be careful of your tone, Bass,” Wilson hissed across the line. “Isn’t a man rotting in jail for her murder?” he questioned.
“That’s none of your business,” Skipp answered.
“Be careful of how swiftly the tables can turn, Bass; it just takes one word,” Wilson warned.
Bass paced some more, aware that his former classmate does have several things over him. “Can you, Wilson?” he asked again.
“You know I never refuse money,” Wilson chuckled. “And that will be my downfall,” he acknowledged darkly. “Where is she?” he asked, now intrigued.
“She’s in town—”
“In New Hartford?” he exclaimed.
“Yes,” he answered tightly.
“How long?”
“About a week I think—”
“You are obviously off your rockers!” Wilson exclaimed. “Why are you just calling me?” he questioned. “Anyone in town could recognize her!” he snapped.
“It’s gotten a bit more complicated,” Bass continued, ignoring the other man’s comments. “I just need you to get her and hold onto her for a few hours—”
“Few hours?” Wilson questioned.
“Are you going to repeat everything I say?” Bass ground out.
“Why a few hours?” Wilson reworded.
“Because her owner will be here to collect her,” he answered simply.
“You are a sick bastard, do you know that?” Wilson cursed.
“So I’ve been told,” he answered sarcastically.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
“A tingling in her spine warned her the path that lay ahead was dangerous, but her curiosity placated her, driving her onward against her instincts.”
—Kayla Krantz
Raine took deep even breaths as the helicopter started its descent.
“Are you okay?” Trent questioned. “You look a bit green around the gills,” he finished.
“I’m fine,” she breathed out. “I’m just a little scared of flying,” she answered, avoiding Sandra’s pointed stare because not too long ago, she had told the other woman of her joys and love of flying.
“Oh, that’s understandable,” he answered before refocusing on Gabby, who was still sleeping peacefully with a muted headset over her tiny ears.
In no time, they were on the ground, completing an hour and a half car journey in twenty minutes. Trent quickly ushered them into a car to head to the store before he allowed her to give Gabby one last kiss and boarded the private jet.
“Let’s hurry so that we can get back to the safe house before Ignacio leaves New Mexico,” Sandra instructed and Raine nodded in agreement.
Raine bit the inside of her cheeks as Sandra worried her lips. “Men don’t like to be told about girly stuff so I’d rather spare him,” she said before the other woman could ask.
Sandra’s face immediately cleared of the worry. “I thought you were about to pull a runaway stunt on me,” she commented.
“I wouldn’t jeopardize your or Wyatt’s safety like that,” Raine answered stiffly.
An embarrassed blush came over the other woman’s cheeks. “You’ve just been acting strange all day,” she said.
“I’ve been sick half the time and now I have woman issues at the worst possible time,” she grumbled and Sandy chuckled her sympathy.
For a few minutes, silence reigned in the car as Sandra navigated Iowa City as if she’d been born and raised there. In that silence, Raine was able to meditate upon Crew’s words.
She’d been putting Gabby down after a fretful breakfast when he’d entered the makeshift nursery and scared the bejesus out of her.
A dimple had appeared on his smooth, tanned cheeks as he’d smiled impishly and apologized for frightening her.
“Is everything ok?” she whispered as she moved away from Gabby and closer to him even tho
ugh her daughter slept like the dead in almost every circumstance.
“I would like to think so,” he answered vaguely and her brows drew together from confusion. “I’m worried about you,” he whispered back and she became even more confused.
“Why?” she questioned, her defense rising even though she’d felt safe around him all week.
“You’ve been sick,” he answered simply, his eyes softening at her discombobulated expression.
“It’s the flu,” she shot back, taking a small but obvious step back.
Crew raised his hand in surrender. “I’m not going to hurt you,” he supplied. “I’d call Wyatt in here just to prove that but I think you’d rather find out first before involving him in all this.”
“In all what?” she questioned, even more on edge than before.
“The real reason why you’ve been sick,” he answered calmly.
“What are you talking about?” she demanded, her voice raising ever so slightly and for the first time, Gabby whimpered in her sleep and shifted. Moving towards the crib, she stroked her tiny back until she resettled.
“I may not have any female siblings but I was around Angela when she’d been pregnant with Aiden—”
“What does this have to do with me?” she panicked. “Is it that you don’t approve of me for him?”
Again he raised his hands as if to ward her off and surrender at the same time. “I’m saying no such thing,” he corrected. “I believe that you’re the best thing that ever happened to him—”
“But?”
He sighed heavily as if his patience was burning out. “Stop being so defensive,” he grumbled before running his hands over his face as if realizing that that outburst didn’t help matters. “I thought you’d have recognized the signs seeing that you’ve had Gabby an all…”
As his words trailed off, she tried to piece the different pieces of the puzzle together but it wasn’t until his jade eyes rested on her mid-region did she fully understand. The shock must’ve shown on her face because his eyes softened again.
“Just think about it,” he commented and just like that he left her with Gabby and ever since she couldn’t stop thinking about that.
It had been a never-ending cycle of questions in her head and she wasn’t sure what to think but it was as if as soon as he’d mentioned it everything else became even clearer. Even in some instances, she hadn’t been able to stop herself from stroking her midriff and he’d caught her in the act a few times. It was as if it was their dirty little secret even though it was anything but. She didn’t know where to begin with bringing it up with Wyatt especially as he turned the dining room into a makeshift war room.
Would it distract him?
Would it throw him off his game?
Would he be happy or would he be angry?
Millions of questions revolved around her head and so she’d decided to just bite the bullet and find out instead of killing herself guessing.
“Raine?”
She jerked upright at the sound of her name, her heart racing.
“Relax,” Sandra murmured. “I was just letting you know that we’re at the store,” she murmured. “You’re so jumpy,” Sandra observed.
“In this situation, who wouldn’t be?” Raine chuckled dryly.
“Well, that’s true,” Sandra answered as she slid out of the car and beckoned for her to do the same thing.
Though in the city, she had ensured that they went to a small store to reduce the chances that someone would recognize her.
“Let’s make this quick,” Sandra commented and Raine nodded as they entered the Dollar Tree. “I have to grab a few things myself but stay in my line of vision,” she commanded.
“Sure, just go ahead, I’ll be right behind you, I just need to ask the cashier for the bathroom keys; I need to go,” she stated sheepishly.
“Just call me if you need me,” Sandy laughed before tapping on her watch.
Raine nodded an answer but it was when Sandy moved away that she realized that she had forgotten to put on her watch in her haste and she’d left her phone in the car. Shrugging, she headed to the first person in uniform that she could find so that she could get out of the store as quickly as possible. Sadly, the first worker she found was a man.
“Well, this is embarrassing,” she grumbled under her breath as she drew closer to him and he paused his unpacking to look up at her.
Quickly, he straightened with a wide grin on his chocolate face. “Looking a little lost,” he started. “Do you need any help?”
She grimaced on his behalf before she opened her mouth. “Where do you keep your pregnancy tests?” she whispered.
“Dang!” he exclaimed. “I knew you were too fine to be single,” he pouted. “Either way, there in the next aisle; let me show you,” he offered. “Just in case you aren’t really knocked up and getting it for a friend,” he flirted.
“One way of the other, I’m off the market,” she answered, sending him a sympathetic smile when he covered his heart as if she’d physically wounded him.
“Here you go,” he said with a lavish bow when he presented her with the cheap test.
“Thank you,” she said as she took it even though he hung onto it a moment too long.
“I hope it’s for the friend that you walked in with and not you,” he charmed.
“I’m terribly sorry to burst your bubble,” she cautioned. “But spare me and lend me the keys to the restroom, please,” she pleaded.
He sighed heavily. “They’re already opened to the public; they're right there,” he indicated; pointing not too far over her left shoulder.
“Thank you,” she answered before moving away.
His hand on her wrist stopped her movement and she froze a nanosecond, long enough to still her knee from coming up. Her whole life she’d been trained to be on the defense.
“Is there something wrong?” she questioned.
“It’s just that I have a weird feeling that I’ve met you before,” he murmured.
“I get that a lot,” she answered as she pulled away, aware that it just might be possible that he really had; the woman at the gas station had said the same thing.
“No, no,” he insisted. “This is different. What’s your name?” he asked.
“Raine, where are you?” Sandra called out as the fib was about to roll off her tongue.
“I’m just trying to get the bathroom keys from this kind gentleman,” she shouted back as Sandra drew closer. She didn’t have time to listen for Sandy’s answer because she saw the man’s expression change and he looked up over her head.
“You were in my AP Math class,” he murmured.
“Excuse me,” she answered, praying that this wasn’t really happening right now; where the hell was Sandy?
“I had gotten special counseling when you went missing because you sat right in front of me in class,” he stated almost to himself and she caught sight of the missing poster that he was looking at besides the restroom’s door. “Raine Bass,” he breathed and suddenly there was a soft pop and smoke coming out of his forehead. Within a nanosecond, he crumbled to the ground.
“Sandy, what the hell are you doing!” she screamed as she spun around fully but the person standing there was too tall to be Sandy, neither he a woman.
For the first time in her life, she didn’t hesitate neither did she stop to think that she too could be shot. She just turned tail and ran, ignoring how her left foot slid as it met the young man’s blood running across the tile. She almost made it, almost; she could see the car right outside the store’s glass walls but she tripped over something and fell to her knees hard. Her teeth slammed together and blood filled her mouth after they nicked her tongue when the vibration moved through her body. Pushing the pain aside, she tried to push to her feet, finding it weird that her hand was still clamped around the now bloody pregnancy test. Her brows drew together as her vision doubled and she wondered where the blood came from. But as she pushed to her feet, she slid
again and a familiar pair of shoes hit her vision.
“Sandy!” she cried out as she scrambled towards her. However, for some reason, she couldn’t move. It was like a heavyweight had rested over her and the lights started to go dim.
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
“The dread had not left my soul.”
—Neil Gaiman
A cold feeling washed over Wyatt in the middle of his talk with Oliver and he just knew that something wasn’t right. Suddenly, a loud sound came out of his tablet and Crew ran into the room.
“It’s Sandy,” Crew breathed before he turned the monitor to his partner.
“No!” Wyatt breathed as her stats lowered on the board.
“Call 911,” he instructed as he severed the call. “We’re never going to make it in time.”
“Her watch automatically did that,” Crew informed him; something he should’ve already known.
“What does Raine’s own say?” he questioned.
With a gentle swipe, Crew drew up Raine’s profile and his brows slammed together.
“What?” Wyatt demanded, his heart racing.
“She hasn’t had it on from this morning,” Crew supplied.
Wyatt swore a blue streak under his breath because he should’ve ensured that that added measure of safety had been applied before they’d left the house. Everything was a mess; Ignacio had managed to charter a chopper and leave New Mexico without any of the security set to follow him realizing and now this. They both knew that Ignacio and his crew were still in the air but if that was the case; who had gotten to Raine and Sandy?
“Her father,” he spat as he holstered his weapons and grabbed his case. Being so preoccupied with preparing for Ignacio’s arrival, he hadn’t even taken the time to listen in on Skipp’s recordings. His jaws flexed at the anger that welled up inside him. if the man was willing to sell his daughter for a head seat in the white house, what else wouldn’t he do! “Call Lynx and tell him to get the chopper here; we need to split up. I’ll try to track where they took her while you monitor Sandy—”
“Wyatt,” Crew interrupted.
“We have no other options right now—”
“The doctors can take care of Sandy—”
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