Dark Horse (Aspen Falls Novel)

by Melissa Pearl

  “Stop fighting me!” Oscar’s voice pitched. “Or you’ll regret it!”

  Cool metal dug beneath her chin. Sally gasped and looked at Oscar like he was a complete stranger. Because he suddenly was. His brown eyes, usually soft with affection, had become hard and dark. It was like the man had peeled off his Oscar skin to reveal his true self beneath. Sally’s brain was struggling to process her shock.

  “What is wrong with you?” she whispered. “WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU!”

  Oscar shoved her back against the post, his eyes glinting. “I had it planned. Over two years of work, of fucking brown-nosing your father, and it comes down to this! I am not wasting it!”

  Sally had no idea what he was talking about, but one thing was clear. She wasn’t talking to Oscar the English gentleman anymore. His accent had completely slipped, an American twang coming through loud and clear.

  “Stupid fucking cop!” Oscar muttered, dragging Sally down the stairs. “Come on.” He tugged on her arm and she fought him, her eyes still glued to Nate’s fallen body.

  “Go screw yourself.” The words punched out of her, breaking with emotion as reality hit her full force.

  Nate was dead. Oscar had killed him.

  A short, harsh laugh spurted out of Oscar’s mouth as he dragged her off the last step. “We’ll have time for screwing later, baby. Right now, I need you to get into my car.”

  She fought him, pulling back and trying to wrench free of his iron grasp.

  “Now, now, don’t fight.” His voice hitched as she clipped his stomach with her fist. She nearly broke free of him, but her feisty move only empowered the man. With a feral look that terrified her, he swung the gun at her head, striking her temple and liquifying her muscles. She flopped and he caught her against him, roughly yanking her to his car.

  “Stop.” Her groggy head turned the words in her mouth to thick mud.

  Pain was a vise around her temples, squeezing tighter and tighter, willing the blackness in.

  Like a low-lying cloud, it rolled through her brain, taking out each sense until the darkness had completely claimed her.

  34

  Saturday, May 26th

  1:55pm

  Nate squeezed his eyes tight. The pain in his chest was competing with the roaring between his temples.

  What’d just happened?

  He swam through a dark abyss, stretching for the light. It was behind his lids; he could feel the heat on his face.

  Memories flashed through him, sharp and erratic.

  Sally’s smile. Oscar behind her. The malice on his face. The gun. The bullet.

  The bullet.

  He’d been shot.

  The realization made his eyes pop open. Light assaulted him. He squinted against it as he fought his zipper and tore open his jacket with trembling fingers.

  Ripping Velcro came next as his panicked hands fought the Kevlar, desperate for proof.

  Proof that he wasn’t dead.

  Patting his chest, he soon realized that it was intact. It still frickin’ hurt, and he coughed as he forced his chest to expand and inflate. Tipping his head back, he winced as the tender spot on the back of his head reminded him that he’d hit his head and blacked out.

  As that reality dawned, a new terror took him out.

  He sat up with a jerk and noticed the bullet embedded in the gear that had saved his life.

  The bullet that Oscar had tried to kill him with.

  “Sally.” Nate’s voice was weak and raspy. He staggered to his feet and stumbled against his bike, frantically scanning the area for her. “SALLY!”

  A flock of birds took flight when he roared her name.

  The rest of nature stilled.

  Oscar’s car was gone.

  The lake house door hung open, but Nate had a feeling the cabin was already empty.

  Squinting against the pain in his skull, he yanked out his phone and called the second person on his favorites list.

  Blaine answered after two rings. “Did you honestly skip out on a raid today? I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud.”

  “He’s taken her,” Nate puffed into the phone, ascending the stairs and carefully peering into the house.

  Pulling out his 9mm Glock, he unlatched the safety.

  “What are you talking about?” Blaine asked.

  “That asshole Sally was dating. He just shot me and took her.”

  “You’ve been…what!” Whatever Blaine was doing had been abandoned. Nate could sense he had his brother’s full attention. “Where are you?”

  “The Richmonds’ lake house. I need you to put out an APB on a navy blue Mercedes-Benz sedan. No idea on the plate number, but it’s definitely an Illinois tag. Are you writing this down?”

  “Yeah, keep going. What happened?”

  Pressing the phone between his ear and shoulder, Nate cocked his gun and worked his way through the house, relaying all the details in a soft voice. As he told his story, he checked each room, following protocol and sweeping the downstairs before moving up. He left the master bedroom until last, finding it abandoned. The only remnant of a weekend getaway was the bag at the end of the bed.

  Nate ripped open the zipper and finished up his story. “So, she was about to take me back when that fucker pulled out his gun and shot me. I need you to head to the Richmonds’ and find out everything you can about Oscar Plymouth,” Nate spat his name like it tasted vile. “I want every fucking detail. I’ve scanned the house and it’s empty. The only thing he’s left behind is Sally’s bag.” Nate pulled out Sally’s pale blue shirt, the one with the Nike tick in the top left corner. It was one of her favorites.

  He held it to his nose, which was a big mistake.

  Raw fear clawed up his throat, threatening to take him out as the tidal wave of emotion rounded over him.

  “We’ve got to find her.” His voice shook and he had to clear his throat twice before he could speak clearly again. “I’ll stop in town on my way back and question who I can. Someone might have seen them pass through. Then I’ll come find you.”

  “Are you sure you should be driving?” Blaine sounded worried. “You might be concussed.”

  Nate scoffed. “I’ll be fine.”

  He had to be.

  Closing his eyes against the burn of tears, he licked the edge of his mouth. “As soon as that bulletin is out, get to the Richmonds’ house. We obviously know nothing about this psycho and have no idea what he’s capable of.” He glanced at his watch and struggled to make the simple calculations. “I think she was taken about thirty minutes ago. Find me something I can use, brother.”

  He hung up and slipped his phone away before holstering his weapon.

  He couldn’t think about what Oscar might be doing to Sally. He couldn’t let his mind go there. He had to be calm and unemotional.

  For her.

  He had to be the best fucking detective he’d ever been.

  For her.

  35

  Saturday, May 26th

  2:25pm

  Sally whimpered, then jerked awake, struggling to figure out where she was.

  The space was dark, cramped and hard, a rough ply carpet irritating her bare legs. She swiveled her head to try and make out more but it hurt to move. Her head was being split open. It felt like someone had taken an axe blade to her temple. She went to investigate the wound but found her hands tied behind her. Duct tape held her lips together, and her feet were bound as well.

  Erratic breaths spurted from her nose as her brain registered each part of her body that was fettered.

  She’d been kidnapped.

  Fear pinched her insides as she tried to pull the murky pieces together. Blurred memories assaulted her, trying to help her out, but doing no good. The fluid around her brain was acting like sludge, making everything slow and incoherent.

  Terror punched at her chest, and she heaved.

  Nate.

  He’d been there.

  He was telling her something, and she�
�d felt warm and happy and then…

  Gunshot.

  She gasped, the image of Nate’s body flying backward appearing with cruel clarity. She could suddenly see every detail. The sharp sound of the bullet exploding out of the gun. The shock of knowing it was Oscar.

  He killed Nate.

  Nate.

  Her Nate.

  Sally’s heart began to cry, the agony rising within her, breaking from her mouth and then being blocked by the duct tape. The pitiful sound was further muffled by the small box she was in.

  She couldn’t work out what it was, but her legs were bent and cramping. She tried to stretch them but hit a solid barrier. Her shoulder and hip ached, which told her she’d been lying this way for a while.

  Wriggling on her side, she blinked at her tears and slowly took in her surroundings.

  As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she was finally able to work out that she was in the trunk of a car.

  Probably Oscar’s Mercedes.

  Fucking Oscar.

  A dark hatred she’d never felt before welled inside of her. She wasn’t one for rage or anger, but she felt it in her core now. Her body practically vibrated with it. Nate’s body lying limp on the ground only added fuel to the emotion.

  Oscar killed Nate. He tore out her heart and stomped all over it.

  The anger rose like a volcano but didn’t have the energy to erupt as a counter wave of terror blasted through her.

  He killed Nate…and he probably had every intention of killing her too.

  Panic sizzled down her spine, enhanced further by a voice approaching the car.

  “Look, I fucked up, okay? And you gotta help me! I have a plan that should work, but I need you. … Yes, I know you warned me to leave, but do you have any idea how much time I’ve spent on this? I had them all in the palm of my fucking hand, and then he stuck his nose in and ruined everything!”

  Oscar. American Oscar.

  Evil Oscar.

  Sally clenched her jaw and strained to hear the rest of his phone conversation.

  He huffed and cursed again. “It was impulse. I thought he might’ve worked it out! I had to eliminate him.” More huffing and cursing. “Yeah, yeah, I get it! But we can still make this work. We’ll hold her for ransom and get the money that way. I’ll split it with you fifty-fifty. … Trust? You’re gonna lay that on me now when you didn’t tell me a fucking thing before? … I took the fall for you, man. Four years in that hellhole. You owe me! You owe me!”

  There was a long pause while Oscar puffed and listened to whatever the caller was saying.

  “That’s better. Now, we just need a base. … Shit, I don’t know, I floored it! Give me a place to meet you. Somewhere not too far; I’ve got to get off the road and underground as soon as possible. Where are you? … Well, any ideas? … Where? … Are you sure it’s safe? … Okay, fine. I’ll see you in a few hours. You better show, or I will hunt you down and make you pay.”

  Oscar thumped the trunk, making Sally flinch.

  She stayed motionless as she listened to his footsteps race around the car. A second later, the engine roared to life and they were screaming down some unknown road to a mystery destination.

  Sally’s heart beat so hard it actually hurt.

  How was anyone going to find her?

  Oscar had mentioned something about ransom, and she knew her father would pay for any of his children without hesitation, but would that guarantee her life? She was a witness to Oscar’s deception. No matter how this played out, she couldn’t see a happy ending on the horizon.

  If Nate were still alive, he’d do everything in his power to reach her.

  But he wasn’t.

  And she’d never felt so alone in her entire life.

  36

  Saturday, May 26th

  10:25pm

  Nate leaned against the wall on the edge of the Richmonds’ living room.

  He felt sick. Exhaustion and hunger were tugging at him, but there was no way in hell he could rest.

  Sally had been taken.

  The vibration of anxiety and disbelief in the air was suffocating, but Nate couldn’t make himself leave the room.

  He’d spent the afternoon questioning people in the small town by the lake house. One old guy had seen Oscar’s car drive through. He didn’t know which way it had headed after passing by, but he was pretty certain there was no woman with him. It had taken every ounce of self-control Nate possessed not to lose it on the spot.

  If Sally hadn’t been seen in the car, it meant a few things—either she was lying down in the back seat, tied up in the trunk, or abandoned somewhere, most likely the surrounding forest.

  All three options would’ve been against her will, which meant Oscar had physically forced her into one of those scenarios. It meant he’d hurt her, and Nate wanted to kill him.

  He’d driven back to the lake house and searched the area until darkness got the better of him. He was satisfied that Sally hadn’t been left somewhere around the house, and then he’d gotten a call from Blaine, letting him know that the Richmonds had received a phone call.

  The phone call.

  Nate had actually cried with relief as Blaine relayed the details—Sally was alive and the kidnapper was demanding one million dollars for her return.

  He’d balked at the number, but then Blaine had only enraged him more when he quietly mentioned, “The family thinks Oscar’s being held hostage too.”

  “What?” Nate snapped.

  “The kidnapper put him on the line. He was crying and wailing, begging them to pay the money.”

  “But…he’s the kidnapper!”

  Blaine had sighed. “The Richmonds don’t think so.”

  Oscar the Fucking Fake had really twisted the knife blade with that one. Nate had charged to the Richmonds’ house and, within minutes of walking in, managed to start a full-blown shouting match with Michael and Yvonne. They wouldn’t believe Nate’s story, even after he showed them the bullet embedded in his Kevlar.

  “Oscar would never do a thing like that!” Michael bellowed. “It must’ve been someone else who shot you, from the roof or something, and they’ve stolen Sally and him away.” His voice was raw and raspy. “I trust that man.”

  “Well, you shouldn’t. He shot me in the chest and stole your daughter!” Nate raged.

  “Why? Why would he do a thing like that? He loves her.”

  “He’s a fake, Michael! Are you blind? He’s been playing you all. None of us saw it coming.” A lump formed in Nate’s throat, guilt swamping him. He’d let her go. He’d let Sally kick him out of her life. He hadn’t even put up a fight, and she’d fallen straight into the arms of a vulture.

  Sweet, trusting Sally. She saw the best in everybody.

  Nate wanted to double over and unleash a gut-wrenching moan, but he held himself together, eyeing Michael’s pointer finger as it stabbed through the air at him.

  “Oscar’s just as much a victim here as she is. He has no family. No one else to look after him. We’ll pay the money and get them both back. And this will all be over.”

  “You’re delusional,” Nate spat. “He’s been lying to you this whole time. Why won’t you believe me?”

  “Why should I believe you!” he thundered. “You broke my daughter’s heart! You’re the criminal here!”

  Nate stumbled back like he’d been slapped in the face. Breaths punched out of him as he fought to rein in his anger. Blaine snatched his arm when his fingers started to curl into fists, and Kellan stepped between them.

  “This isn’t helping anyone.” Kellan doused the fight with his cool, calm voice. “We need to deal with the information we have and focus on getting Sally back.”

  Blaine led Nate to the edge of the room.

  “You need food,” Blaine murmured. “And how’s your head?”

  Nate gave it an absent-minded rub. “It’s a little achy, but nothing I can’t handle.”

  “I’m heading out to get you coffee. I’ll be back as s
oon as I can, okay?”

  Nate nodded while Blaine turned and asked if anyone else needed anything. No one responded, so he slipped quietly out of the room. Kellan shifted into Blaine’s spot and gave Nate the silent support he needed.

  “You believe me, right?” Nate whispered.

  “Hell yeah, I do.” Kellan gave him a sideways glance. “I’ve got Jess and Higgs doing background work for me at the station. I found a picture of Oscar on the Richmond Construction website, and they’re running it through every facial recognition database they can get their hands on. That’s going to take some time, though.”

  Nate gritted his teeth, hating time with a passion. He needed results now.

  Kellan’s smile was pained. “I’ve been trying to get more out of Michael, but he’s unapproachable right now. He’s convinced his star employee is a victim here.”

  Nate’s nostrils flared as he glared across the room at Sally’s father.

  “Give him a little leeway. His daughter’s missing and he’s only just holding it together,” Kellan murmured. “Realistically, it doesn’t matter if Oscar’s yanking their chain. We’re the ones who need to know the truth. It would help if they weren’t delusional, but we can work around it. All that matters is getting Sally back.”

  Bile surged up Nate’s throat. He closed his eyes and rubbed the sharp ache between his eyebrows.

  Kellan squeezed his shoulder. “We’ll get her back, Nate.”

  “In one piece?” he croaked.

  Kellan blinked and looked away from him, his voice husky. “One way or another you’ll be getting her back. Just focus on that.”

  People being taken was a touchy subject for Kellan. His daughter had disappeared years ago. There’d never been a ransom call or even a chance of her return. She’d disappeared without a trace, and it had haunted Kellan ever since.

  Nate couldn’t think of anything to say to comfort him. How could he?

  He had a chance of restoring his heart. Kellan’s had been ripped to shreds.

  Leaning his head back against the wall, Nate stared up at the ceiling and kept playing the waiting game.