“The first opportunity I had to speed things up for us, I took it, and look how it turned out.” His voice is still soft, verging on sad.
“Life has sucked without you and now...when I go back...it will be worse. Knowing you’re never coming back, and now I’m the person who has to ...” His voice cracks in pain.
If he’s planning to kill me, then why hasn’t he? Why would he keep a person he cares about alive only to kill them unless...unless he’s using me to trap Damian. My stomach turns knowing that has to be it...he’s using me to lure my father out of hiding. Once my initial shock of believing Damian had died wore off, I started to question if he could still be alive. The fact that Manuel and Miguel were able to take my father down was shocking, but Damian Paasch isn’t a man who will stay down. It was the day Kiran told me that Damian, Alejandro, and Richardo were all killed that my heavy heart settled. They’re too smart and were too prepared for something to have happened to all three of them at once. Whether Damian hoped I would figure that out or not, I did.
“It has to end like this. It’s not possible any other way,” Manuel says before I hear him walk away.
I have to get out of here. I have to fight for my child, and the only way that will happen is...“Wait,” I say as loud as I can. I open my drowsy eyes, pleading with a man who at some point in his life loved me. “We can still have that.” Manuel slowly turns around. His face is harsh, confirming he didn’t know I could hear him.
“I’m sorry. I ...” I take a calming breath, trying to push down my fear. “You were always with different girls. I listened to them brag about being with you so...so I turned off my feelings for you. I forced myself to stop thinking about you that way because I didn’t think you could ever see me as anything but your little sister,” I lie.
Manuel was always my protector. Next to my father, he was the only person I ever counted on, but the second he had the opportunity to screw a female he ditched me. More times than not, the woman he was with was someone who worked for my father, and stories always made their way back to me.
If he truly had feelings for me, if he wanted a future with me, he went about it the wrong way. “It wasn’t like that.” Manuel grits his teeth and shakes his head. He almost appears upset with himself. “Those women never meant a damn to me. It was always you,” he adds.
“But I didn’t know.” My voice cracks as a tear falls down my cheek.
“It’s too late now, Izzy. We can’t turn back from this.” I try to control my breathing as more panic sets in. “What did you do?” Manuel takes a step away from me, causing my heart to drop.
“We can fix it. Together we can fix anything,” I plead, hoping like hell the boy from my childhood is listening.
Manuel bites his lower lip as he closes his eyes. When he opens them again, he appears softer. “If you do anything—”
“I won’t. I swear,” I lie. I’m willing to do whatever it takes to save my child, no matter the cost.
Manuel digs a set of keys out of his pocket and unlocks the handcuffs. He pulls my hands around in front of me and re-cuffs me. I’m no longer stuck on that awful mattress, which is one step closer to getting out of here.
****
Kiran
My calls to Gavin continue to go unanswered. And so, I went straight to his house. Any reasonable person would have called the police, but I’m afraid the police will do more harm than good at this point.
For starters, Isabelle is still using a fake ID and passport, and once the police discover that, they will be looking for Isabelle for a different reason. My other hesitation in calling them is I know they’d spend more time asking me questions that I don’t have answers to.
I pull up to Gavin’s driveway. I barely have the car in park before I’m racing to their front door. Without knocking, I push it open and storm inside.
“What the heck?” Kate says, stepping out of the kitchen.
“Is Isabelle here?” I frantically holler. As she processes what I asked, panic takes over her expression.
“No.”
“When was the last time you saw her?” I hiss as my fear of the unknown takes over.
“I left your house this afternoon. Around three, I think...She was going through clothing for the baby.” It’s after nine. The last time anyone saw her was six hours ago, which means she could be anywhere.
“She’s gone,” I say, trying to gain control of my anger.
“Who’s gone?” Gavin questions as he walks into the room.
“Isabelle. I went home and the front door wasn’t shut tight.”
“She locked it behind me. She followed me to the door. I remember hearing her lock it,” Kate says as she places her hand on her chest.
“Has Alex heard from her?” Gavin asks.
“No, I just left Hill Software. Alex and I have been there together since you left.” Gavin swallows and takes a deep breath.
“Did you check the GPS on her phone?” Kate says as she breaks down and cries.
I shake my head. “Her phone is at the house.”
“Oh God.” Kate sobs as Gavin wraps her up in his arms. “We need to call Alex. One of us needs to get to the airport and make sure she’s not there,” Gavin demands as I start shaking my head.
“She didn’t willingly leave. Not this time.” I groan as I run my hands through my hair in frustration.
“I didn’t say she did, but someone could have her and we need to rule out that she’s not at the airport.”
“Do you have any idea how big the airport is?” Kate says with a sniffle.
“If one of you have a better suggestion, then let’s hear it,” Gavin growls about the same time a phone buzzes somewhere in the room.
“Call Alex. Regardless of where you think she went, he deserves to know his sister is missing.” His comment makes my stomach turn. Listening to someone else say she’s missing suddenly makes the situation feel painfully real.
“You guys,” Kate says with a strange look. “I have a text from an unknown number. It’s says 4515 Westbrook Drive.” Kate shoves her phone toward Gavin. I step closer and look over his shoulder.
We’re staring down at the phone, not saying a word as another text comes in.
Unknown Number: I won’t get there in time. You have to help her before he kills her.
“Holy shit,” Gavin says as Kate frantically reads the second text.
“It’s Damian,” she states, causing both of our eyes to lock with hers. “That text is from Damian.” She nods her head. “I know it, I just do.”
“Westbrook Drive is a couple of blocks from Hill Software,” I tell them as I grab my phone and dial Alex.
“Yo. I’ll leave once Gavin gets back,” he says in my ear as I’m rushing toward the door with Gavin hot on my trail.
“Someone’s taken Isabelle,” I shout louder than I meant to.
“What?” Alex’s voice turns serious within seconds.
“It’s an old warehouse,” Gavin says as we both get in my car.
“Someone has Isabelle and we think she’s at 4515 Westbrook Drive.” I pause, knowing I’m more than likely sending my friend into a death trap, but I’m also scared shitless that Isabelle is there and hurt. “Alex, you have to get there,” I add, praying like hell that I didn’t seal his fate.
“I’m almost to my car now,” he hollers. “Shit,” he adds a minute later. “That address is like a block from Hill Software, but it’s a rundown building. It doesn’t look like anyone is here.”
I glance down at my GPS. We’re still close to fifteen minutes out. If Alex waits then...
“Alex, she’s in there. She has to be.” Kate has to be right. That message sounded exactly like something Damian would say if he were alive.
“Dude, it could be a trap,” Gavin adds, and since I’m using my hands-free system, Alex is able to hear him as well.
“I don’t care,” Alex says. “If there’s any chance my sister is here...” he trails off with a groan.
�
��Keep your phone close. Text us if you can and tell us what’s going on,” Gavin tells him.
“Yeah,” is all Alex says before disconnecting the call.
Before I met Isabelle, I don’t recall praying for a single thing, but now, I find myself desperately hoping God is on my side.
Isabelle
“Any word?” one of the men I saw earlier asks Manuel, who shakes his head no. “What is she doing in here?” he says as his gaze shifts to Manuel.
“That bed was fucking disgusting. She can’t get away. Plus, this way we can keep an eye on her,” Manuel explains. His comment spotlights how unprepared Manuel is for the power he holds. No one was stupid enough to question my father, and if they were, they paid the price.
“I don’t think he’s coming,” one of the men says in frustration.
“Then we’ll deliver her instead.” Manuel tilts his head toward me, but he won’t look at me.
“Deliver me where?” I question.
“Shut the fuck up, bitch,” the man who dragged me out of the van shouts. I instantly close my mouth.
“He’ll come,” Manuel says before his eyes finally wander toward me.
They’re talking about Damian. I have no doubt that if he is alive and knows what they’ve done, then their plan is perfect, because without hesitation, he’ll come for me.
“I thought I saw lights stop out front,” the man who drove the van says.
“What the fuck are you waiting on? Go check it out,” Manuel growls as he shakes his head in frustration.
“Looks like Daddy finally came, princess.” Manuel knows how much I loathe being called princess, which only proves how much he hates me.
“Why aren’t you in Poza Rica running your empire? You got what you wanted, so why bother with me if you’re going to kill me?” I question with venom spilling into my words.
Manuel starts laughing. “Oh, I miss your spirit. When Daddy wasn’t around, you had a decent set of balls.” His smile slowly fades. “Your daddy killed my father,” Manuel says but I don’t physically react.
“Maybe he wouldn’t have if Miguel hadn’t turned on him,” I reply without an ounce of emotion. If Miguel is dead, it’s because of his own actions, and I refuse to feel sorry for Manuel.
“This is war, babe. Everyone turns on each other,” he states with a smug smile. “Where did that leave you, huh? In a deserted warehouse, thousands of miles from home, ready to kill the only friend you had?” Manuel’s eyes slightly flare but, otherwise, he doesn’t react to my comment.
“No one was there,” the man says as he steps back in the office where Manuel is holding me.
All three of them have their backs to the same wall as I watch Alex’s head quickly appear then disappear from the glass window in the door. My breathing picks up, but thankfully, none of them notices.
“I’m going for a smoke,” I hear in Spanish before both of Manuel’s men step out the door where I’d just seen Alex.
Several long minutes pass and the only thing I can hear is the beating of my heart in my ears until a loud thud comes from right outside the door. Manuel’s eyes narrow as he closely watches me. After a deep breath, he pulls out his gun and pushes the door open. I watch him look from side to side before he steps through the door and out of my sight.
My nerves are on fire, hoping he doesn’t find Alex, when the door slowly creaks back open and Alex rushes over to me.
“What are you doing here?” I whisper.
“It doesn’t matter. We have to get you out of here.”
“There’s three of them and they all have guns,” I tell him, hoping he understands that they’ll kill him if they find him in here.
“That’s okay. I have a gun of my own.” He pulls a gun out of the back of his pants.
“Holy shit. Do you know how to shoot a gun?” I question.
Alex is a good guy, and I grew up believing that good guys don’t carry and shoot guns.
“Sure. I point and pull the trigger. Now let’s figure out how to get the hell out of here.” We both pause when we hear a voice outside of the door. Alex slips over to the corner and hides behind the open closet door, blocking him from the sight of whoever comes in.
Manuel walks in as his eyes scan the room, almost like he knows someone is with me. “He’s late...he’s very, very late, princess. I made promises and I’m a man of my word.” Manuel grips my hair and painfully pulls me to my feet.
Without thinking, I scream, causing Alex to jump out from behind the door. Already being in Manuel’s arms, he wraps me tight against his chest and points his gun at my temple.
“Drop it,” Manuel says to Alex, whose eyes flare when he sees Manuel’s gun. “You better think twice, asshole. It doesn’t matter whether I deliver her dead or alive,” he tells Alex with an evil laugh.
The hand that Alex is using to hold his gun slightly shakes. Enough that I spot it, which means Manuel has, too.
Fight, Isabelle. It’s time to be strong and fight.
I take a deep breath and yank myself as hard as I can away from Manuel, who is caught off guard. He stumbles to the side, losing his balance for a second. When he reaches out to grab ahold of me, a shot is fired.
Time stands still as I watch Alex fall to the ground as blood seeps from his body. I scream as loud as I can, fighting in Manuel’s arms as the other two men rush back into the room.
“What the hell?” one of them shouts as tears continue to trail down my face. Fight, Isabelle. It’s time to be strong and fight, I repeat to myself. Manuel lets go of my arm as he starts speaking in Spanish. I take a step closer to Alex when I spot his gun laying next to his body.
My eyes dart to Manuel, who’s still firing off demands. He didn’t grab Alex’s gun...again, this only shows how unprepared he is for the power he holds. Keeping my eyes locked on them, I take one step then another, slowly making my way toward the gun. When I’m only a few inches away, I reach down and quickly snatch it off the floor.
All three men stop talking and look at me. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing, Izzy? Are you trying to guarantee you get yourself killed?” I give him an evil smirk. One I witnessed on my father more times than I could count.
“You were going to kill me, anyway. It’s only fair I turn the tables on you first.”
Manuel takes a small step toward me. One he hopes I didn’t notice. “Stop,” I say as fear of what I have to do sets in.
Manuel takes another step as does his men. “Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned.” Manuel’s eyes thin seconds before I pull the trigger and shoot him in the chest. He drops to the floor as my hands shake and my stomach turns. I shot someone...again...Oh dear lord.
Manuel is lying on the ground, covered in blood. Subsequently, I don’t notice until it’s too late that the two men in the room are willing to take Manuel’s place in line to kill me.
The man closest to me grabs my arm and yanks me toward him. With my gun still in my hand, I point and shoot at the other man. He drops to the floor as the man holding me hits my hand and knocks the gun away from me. I struggle against him until I pull free. I turn to run when I hear another shot fired. I stop moving, but I don’t know why. I want to run. I want to get out of here, but I can’t. I can’t get my feet to move. My breathing becomes labored as I start to struggle for air. Seconds later, everything goes black.
****
Kiran
When we arrive at the warehouse, we spot Alex’s car parked on the street. He told us he’d text if he could and we never heard from him, which only causes my nervousness to increase.
The warehouse is dark and looks deserted. We’re walking around the building when we hear what sounds like a gunshot come from inside. I take a glance at Gavin before we start running faster, looking for an entrance.
We finally find one as we hear another gunshot. “Holy shit.” I wiggle the doorknob but it’s locked. “Stand back!” I shout at Gavin. The door is wooden and looks old. I bring my weight back then slam into the door
, breaking it open as we hear another fucking gunshot.
“It came from this way,” Gavin says, leading us down a dark hallway. The place is dead silent as we come into a large open area. In the center of the room is a grimy mattress. My heart sinks as I start speculating why a mattress would be in an old office building. I glance over at Gavin only to see him mirror the same disgusted look. The mattress looks wet and recently used. I start to push my thoughts down when we hear another shot fired. Both Gavin and I run to a door in the corner of the room where the sounds came from.
Nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, could have prepared me to walk through that door because the peaceful life I once thought was in my future died in front of my eyes. Lying unconscious right inside the door is Isabelle, covered in blood.
Alex slowly appears from the floor next to a desk in the middle of the room. Instead of looking at us, he points a gun and fires. A man neither of us saw in the corner of the room drops to the floor before Alex exhales a loud, painful breath and drops the gun before falling to the floor himself.
“Jesus,” Gavin says, mirroring my own thoughts. I drop to the floor next to Isabelle as Gavin rushes to Alex.
“Gunshots were fired in the old warehouse at 4515 Westbrook Drive.” I look up to see Gavin talking on his phone. “Multiple victims. You need to hurry,” I hear him add before he drops to his knees in front of Alex’s lifeless body.
When I slip my arms around Isabelle, I feel blood seeping from her back. “Oh God,” I say as my voice cracks with fear and tears form in my eyes.
“They’re going to be fine,” Gavin firmly says. I know he means well, but both Isabelle and Alex are covered in blood, and neither one of them are conscious.
“They’re going to be fine,” he repeats as sirens stop somewhere close. Minutes pass as the room explodes into chaos and I’m finally separated from Isabelle and my son.
“They’re going to be fine,” Gavin says one last time, only this time I think he is trying to reassure himself that our lives haven’t forever changed.
Kiran
Gavin and I weren’t allowed to go straight to the hospital. Instead, we were both handcuffed and taken to the closest police station where we were separated and held for questioning.
Locked Away (Living With Lies Book 2) Page 23