by Riley, Alexa
I polish off another few pieces of pizza as Cooper talks about us finding a place. It makes it all sound so easy when he says it, like when he talks about me meeting his mom and our future after this is over.
“How you feeling?” He offers me his hand and pulls me from the chair, guiding us over to the bed. We fall back onto it and he pulls me against his side.
“I’m good.” I snuggle into him as he wraps his arms around me.
I don’t think he slept when I did because he looks tired. He flicks off the light next to the bed and I keep my head on his chest, listening to him breathe. I want a life with him so bad I ache for it. I wish it was as simple as Cooper made it sound.
I want to leave everything else behind and start fresh with him without baggage from my past. I need a few things from my place like my birth certificate and identification. I also want the necklace my grandpa gave me before he passed. I was only a little girl when he gave it to me, but it’s the only thing I have left of him. He’s been the only person to really care about me, and even though I was little I knew he loved me. I wore the necklace every day until Warren ripped it from my neck. I got it back but it’s broken and I haven't had the money or time to get it fixed. I kept it hidden with my identification and money and I can’t leave it behind.
I slowly sit up and look down at Cooper, who’s fast asleep. Who would have thought it would go from him pulling a knife on me to falling in love with him? That’s what this has to be. I’m head over heels in love with Cooper Ross. I want to find a place for us to live together and meet his mom for dinner. I want all the normal things that couples do and I want a family someday.
My hand drifts to my stomach and I think about the fact that I could be pregnant right now. We took a risk having sex without protection, but maybe risk isn't the right word. In the moment we both wanted it and I still do. Seeing Mags pregnant with her husband messed with my ovaries.
I lean down and kiss Cooper softly before getting up from the bed. I go for the bags of clothes and grab something black so I know it will help me stay hidden. I’m going to try and slip into my old place and get out as fast as I can. I won't be gone long and I know I’m not falling asleep anytime soon.
This could be the one thing I take care of for us. Once I have my stuff I can let Cooper do whatever it is he has planned. I can tell he has something going on and no one will notice if I’m gone for a quick second.
I give him one last look and silently leave our room. It’s not until I get to my old place that I realize the error of my decision.
Chapter Eleven
Cooper
I jolt awake and look around the room for Jules. The room is too quiet and it’s not big enough to disguise her for long.
“Jules,” I call out, but I already know she isn’t here. “Shit.”
When I look around I see that the one of the bags of clothes I brought in is open and she’s gone through it. She probably took some things out of it and left. Where the hell would she go and why would she leave?
I grab my phone, but there’s no way for me to call her. I don’t have any way to track her and there are plenty of people out there looking to find her. I go to my contacts and hit the first on the list.
“Coop,” Walsh says sharply, and I hear some noise in the background. “You’re about twelve hours early.”
“Change of plans,” I say as I pull on some jeans and grab my boots. “She’s gone.”
There’s a pause on the other end before he speaks again. “Did she leave or did she get taken?”
“I don’t fucking know!” I yell, and I realize that I’m beginning to lose control.
“Take a breath, Coop. We’ll find her.” I nod, but it’s more to myself as I grab my keys and run out of the hotel. “Meet us at the spot. I’ll call the boys.”
“Thanks,” is all I manage to say as I go to the front desk and double check that they haven’t seen Jules.
I don’t know how anyone could miss a woman so beautiful, but they’re unhelpful and if Jules was the one to make the decision to leave then there would have been no stopping her. She would have found a way to get around their prying eyes and would avoid any suspicion.
When I get to my car, I realize the only place I can think she would take off to would be her apartment. If that’s the case then Monte would be there waiting and if I go in now, guns blazing, it could just be another trap.
“Fuck,” I yell as I slam my hand on the steering wheel. “What the fuck were you thinking, Jules?”
I wish I could have explained to her how dangerous it was to leave my side, but if she left on her own and wasn’t taken then she had a good reason. It might have not made sense to me and maybe that’s why she snuck out, but she had a reason.
Track, Walsh and the boys have been coming up with a plan on how to take down Monte and get this Warren guy out of the picture. The two of them are bad for this town, but the fact that Warren is after my girl makes this a whole new threat. One that I won’t sit back and wait to come to me.
We planned on meeting at first light to hit Monte where it hurts the most, but it looks like we’re moving that timeframe up now that Jules has gone missing. When I pull up at the docks I jump out and rush inside to meet everyone.
“When was the last time you saw her?” Jonas immediately hits me with questions when I walk through the door and begins to write things down on the blueprints in front of him.
I check my watch and curse. “About five hours ago.”
“Where do you think she went?” Levi moves next to Jonas and waits for me to answer.
These two are the youngest of the group, but they are the most knowledgeable when it comes to technology and breaking into security systems.
“Her apartment.” I wrack my brain to think of anywhere else she might have gone but come up with very little. “Maybe back to Monte’s, but I can’t imagine why. She must have needed something from her apartment, something sentimental. She wouldn’t have any other reason to leave me.”
“You sure about that?” Track is off to the side in the shadows with his arms crossed and I take a step towards him.
“I’m fucking sure.” I clench my fists at my side as he pushes away from the wall and walks over to the table.
“It’s not you I don’t trust, brother.”
“If you trust me, then you trust Jules.” I stare hard at him and it’s a long moment before he looks away. I glance around to the group and wait for each of them to look up. “She’s it for me, and I know she feels the same way. You guys know me better than anyone and you know I don’t make a decision to love someone on a whim.”
They all nod and I realize I’ve just said out loud what I’ve been feeling inside since the moment I met her. I didn’t want to put words to it, not yet at least, because I didn’t want to scare her. But now that she’s gone and I’m afraid I’m going to lose her, I wish desperately that I had told her those words before she left my side.
“I love her, and if anything happens to her, I want the four of you to put me in the ground with her.”
“Cooper, you can’t say that,” Walsh says as he steps forward and I hold up my hand.
“What would you do if something happened to Jane and Carly?” I wait and see the flash of pain cross his eyes before he blinks it away. “Okay then.”
It’s not that I want him to picture something bad happening to his wife and my goddaughter, but I need everyone to understand that if this goes south, I don’t want to come out on the other side of it.
“Are you really willing to die with her?” Track asks, and I answer without hesitation.
“Yes.” I put my knuckles on the table and lean over to make sure he can see my face. “I won’t survive without her. I knew that the moment I took her from the parking lot, and I’ve never been more certain about anything in my life.”
“Then it’s simple,” Jonas says, smiling at me. “We get her back.”
I nod, knowing there is only one solution to this
problem and only one outcome I’m willing to entertain.
“Exactly,” I say as I flip the page on the blueprints in front of him and point to her apartment. “This is where she went, but it’s been too long so they must have gotten her.”
“And you’re sure?” Levi asks, scanning the page. “We don’t want to risk going into this blind if there’s a chance she could be somewhere else.”
“If she’s there it’s a trap,” Walsh says as he and Track come over and look at the plans.
“It doesn’t matter, I have to check.” I can hear the plea in my voice and they all look at one another before they nod.
“The best way to do this is to come from the south,” Jonas says, pointing at the map. “There’s a fire escape on the apartment next to hers, and you could probably make that jump.”
“Probably?” I raise an eyebrow at him.
“Only one way to find out.”
Chapter Twelve
Cooper
By the time we get our gear and get to the apartment I feel like too much time has passed. It’s dark out and everything is quiet. I’m on edge as we park a distance away from her building, but I see a light on in her window.
“All right, I’m going in,” I say, and just as I’m about to get out of the van, Track grabs my arm.
“I’m coming with you.” He grabs his mask from his back pocket and pulls it over his head.
“No you’re not.” I push his arm off and shake my head. “That wasn’t part of the plan, and Mags would kill me.”
“She’s going to kill me if she finds out I didn’t do whatever it took to bring your girl home.” His jaw is set and I know I won’t change his mind.
“You need someone watching your ass,” Walsh agrees from the driver's seat and I nod, knowing he’s right.
“Good luck,” Levi says and squeezes my shoulder from the back. “We’ll see you afterward.”
The plan is in place and already in motion so there’s no backing out now. Levi, Jonas, and Walsh are on their way to Monte’s to get into position and start the surveillance. If Jules is in her apartment it’s going to rain hell down on this part of town and Monte will have to send for backup. If she’s not here, then we need to know where Monte may have taken her or if Warren is involved. There are too many ways for this to go wrong but I won’t give up.
Track and I jump out of the van and slide the door closed as it quietly pulls away.
I nod to him as we put on our masks and make our way to the rear of the building. When we get there, I see Levi was right and there’s a fire escape on the building next to hers. It’s pretty fucking far away from her window and there’s only a tiny ledge for me to land on. As if Track is having the same thought, he shakes his head as he looks over at me.
“Let’s hope you’ve got a good grip and better balance,” he says as we move closer.
“I should have taken ballet instead of football.”
“Yeah, because you were shit at that.”
I feel a smile threaten to pull at my lips and I know he’s just trying to take my mind off the fact that Jules is in danger.
“Damn, you’re still salty. You couldn’t catch me.”
“You can be fast and still not know how to catch the ball.” He nudges me with his elbow when we reach the wall and I look down to see he’s put his hands together to boost me up. “Prove me wrong, twinkle toes.”
“I’ll see you at the top.”
I put my boot in his hand and he lifts me up so I can grab the edge of the fire escape ladder and pull it down. Once it touches the bottom I grab the bars and begin to pull myself up to the first platform. I hear Track down below making the climb now, too, but I don’t wait for him as I take the stairs two at a time until I reach the top floor. Of course Jules has to have an apartment on the top floor.
I hold on to the railing as I leap over it and to the outside. I don’t dare look down because I might lose my nerve. I take a deep breath. Jules’s window is about ten feet away from where I’m standing and it’s a straight drop to the ground if I miss it. We’re about five floors up, so one wrong slip and I won’t have to worry about the boys taking my life.
I concentrate on the image of Jules in my mind, one where she’s smiling and on her side in bed with her hair all over the pillow. She’s looking at me and her arm is reaching out and I know I can do this. I will do this, because I’ll do anything for her.
With all my strength I make the leap and just as my feet leave the ledge I begin to fall. My arms stretch as far as they can, and just as I think I’m going to miss it, my fingers catch the ledge of her window and I stop myself from the descent.
My body jerks against the building and I can hear Track let out a sigh of relief as I pull myself up to her window. Luck is on my side as I slide it open and then silently climb into the room. It’s her living room and I can see the light coming from under the bedroom door. I grab the rope that’s strapped to my back and toss it out to Track as I secure it inside.
As I look around I see no signs of disturbance, but it feels like someone is here. Track comes through the window and we both take out our weapons as we slowly approach the bedroom door. I hold up three fingers and count down until I make a fist. He nods and I kick in the door. We both point to what’s inside.
“Fuck!” a man shouts and I realize it’s Joe, one of Monte’s sidekicks. He’s got his hands in Jules’s dresser and they’re full of her panties.
A blanket of red falls down over my eyes and I’m on him, beating him with the butt of my gun.
“Where the fuck is she?” I shout, wailing on him.
Track is behind me watching my back and letting me take this piece of shit to the floor.
I hear a crack and his face is bleeding everywhere as he holds up his hand. “He’s got her, she’s gone,” he manages to say between the beatings.
“Who?” I ask, stopping to catch my breath.
“Monte, who the fuck else? She came here a while ago looking for some necklace or some shit. We were ready to grab her if she was stupid enough to come back.”
At his admission I start hitting him again. Nobody talks about my girl that way.
“I can help you.” He tries to talk and I stop for a second to let him finish. “I can get her back for you. I know how to get in there. I know where to find her.” When he doesn’t keep talking I raise my gun again. “Wait, wait, wait. Monte told me to stay here in case you showed up to get her. He wants his money in exchange for the girl. That’s it.”
“So you decided to go through her underwear drawer while you waited?” Track asks, and I see red again.
“What the fuck does it matter? She’s just some dumb pussy that—”
I don’t let him finish his sentence as I turn my gun around and put a bullet in his shoulder. He cries out and I shoot him again in the knee as I stand up.
“We need to get out of here,” Track says. “Jonas said he got a shots fired on the police scanner. We don’t have much time.”
I go over to her closet and see a small pink box in the corner. I open it up and inside I see a roll of cash, some documents and small necklace with a flower on it.
“I’m ready,” I say, tucking the box under my arm and I walk by Joe again.
He reaches out and grabs my leg and I kick him in the ribs to get him to let go. He’s moaning and bleeding on the floor but he’ll live. He may not be able to hold a gun again or walk without a cane, but by the time he’s out I’m sure Monte’s men will have dealt with him properly so he can’t snitch to the police.
“I guess it’s a good thing we took the window,” Track says, pointing to the front door.
The whole thing is wired with alarms, no doubt to alert Monte if someone came in. I nod as we go to the window and climb down the rope. When we reach the bottom there’s a car waiting for us with Jonas in the driver's seat. Track gets in the front while I crawl in the back by myself.
“Where to, boys?” he asks with a bright smile on his face.
>
“The warehouse,” I answer, setting the small pink box on the seat beside me.
Chapter Thirteen
Jules
“I know you’re awake,” I hear Monte say before he takes a long pull of his cigarette.
From the moment I came to over five minutes ago, all I’ve wanted to do is go back to sleep. I just want to go back to the time before I made the biggest mistake of my life—a mistake that’s going to cost me everything. It’s going to hurt more than I ever thought possible because now I know what all I’m losing.
I open my eyes. Maybe I can try and get myself out of here since I have a knack for giving people the slip. But I always get caught, so I guess it doesn’t matter how good I am at getting away.
I keep my mind on my breathing as Cooper’s words play on a loop in my head. Breathe in and out, one breath at a time. It’s easier said than done, but Cooper isn’t here and that’s probably why. He fills my lungs so easily and reassures me that it’s all going to be okay.
It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust, but I can tell we are back at the warehouse in the same room where they counted all the money in front of me. Monte is sitting in a chair and his cigarette hangs from his mouth as he plays with his phone. His eyes lock with mine and I’m thankful no one else is around.
“Done playing possum?” He lifts one thick gray eyebrow at me and I realize he doesn't look as mad as I thought he would. In fact, he’s completely laid back right now. Before he hit me in the side of the head with his gun he didn't looked pissed. He was completely calm and it’s creepy and unpredictable. Warren is unpredictable, too, and that’s where my fear stems from.
“I don’t have your money.” I push myself up from the ground to sit and it takes a moment with my hands cuffed together in front of me. I reach up and touch the side of my head and feel where he hit me. It’s tender, but I don’t feel blood.