by Shannyn Leah
She numbly stared at her white fingers clutching the material. They may have only spent a few nights in the cabin, but the smell of her daughter lingered in this room.
Although Dax’s entire cottage was now swamped with police and an amber alert had been dispatched with a picture of both Olivia and Kevin, Ava felt completely and utterly out of control. Surreal didn’t begin to describe how, with each tilt of her head, she expected to see her daughter, or how she’d swear she could hear her small voice laughing beside her. Mentally she knew Olivia wasn’t in the cabin, but on another level she couldn’t comprehend it either.
Where had he taken Olivia? Why not her? Son of a bitch, why hadn’t he taken her instead of her daughter?
Ava threw the pillow across the room, hitting a jewelry box on the dresser and sending it toppling onto the floor with a crash.
She’d barely risen to her feet when the door burst open and Dax towered in the doorway assessing the situation. He’d followed a trail to the road, but had only found tire tracks in the dirt.
She didn’t say anything about the items on the floor, didn’t have to, as he slowly crossed the room. He bent down to pick the box up before she reached him. When she stopped in front of him, he gathered her into his arms. “They will find her,” he whispered against the top of her head.
She pulled away to stare up at him with pleading eyes. “I can’t stay here. I need to go look for her. I don’t care what the police say, I feel useless just sitting here. I’m her mother. I should be searching for her, not sitting here letting that…that bastard steal her away in the night.”
“They’re tracking his car.”
“If that’s even the car he used.”
“Ava, I saw the man’s license plate and it matches with his name. These are the crucial hours—”
She pulled out of his reach and stormed a few feet away, turning and shouting, “And I’m not doing anything!”
“You’re doing everything.”
She made an annoyed sound and bent down to pick up the pillow. Her eyes drifted to the bed and she caught sight of a furry stuffed animal on the floor stuck between the bed and the nightstand. A familiar brown bear.
She stood. “You’re right.”
He wrapped his arms around her, but she couldn’t drag her eyes away from the teddy bear. When Dax pulled away he laced his fingers in hers. “Come with me to determine the status on the progress.”
Ava stepped back, needing him to leave so she could see if that bear staring at her from across the room came from where she thought.
“Give me a few minutes.”
He wouldn’t understand and he certainly wouldn’t let her leave, but there was no way in hell she’d sit around here while they checked her suspicion.
He nodded and kissed her forehead. “Okay. I’ll be back with an update.”
“Thank you, Dax.”
“We’ll get her back and that bastard is looking at a lifetime in jail.”
Not until they got real proof. How long would kidnapping his daughter keep him in jail? Five years? Ten maybe? And then what? She’d live in fear that he’d set her house on fire for the rest of her life? She couldn’t live like that. They needed hard evidence to put him away for a lifetime and murdering the members of her family would compile enough that she’d never have to worry about his release again.
When Dax finally shut the door behind him, her legs shot across the room and she dropped to her knees reaching beside the nightstand and stretching until the furry material touched her fingers. It felt as familiar as it had looked from the distance. She pulled it out and for the first time since they’d discovered Olivia gone, she felt hope in finding her. The old teddy bear’s glass eyes stared up at her and she knew exactly where to find her daughter.
~
DAX SHUT THE bedroom door so when Ava stepped out he would hear it. She’d agreed too easily with him. He suspected something had been going through her head, a plan or an idea.
“Don’t take your eyes off her room,” he told Stone as he passed him in the hallway. “She’s up to something and there’s no way in hell I’m letting her do it alone.”
“How do you know?”
“I just know.” Dax lowered his voice and moved in closer to his best friend. “But I need to get an update from my private eye, so if she steps out of this room, don’t let her leave the premises, understood?” Stone nodded. “I’ll be right back.” Another nod.
Dax hoped to hell his private investigator had an update. He’d given the police the space to do their work, but he’d already had Quinn Barker looking into Kevin’s past prior to Olivia’s kidnapping. He wouldn’t get Ava’s hopes up until he had a solid lead.
He briefly talked to an officer. They wanted Ava to do a broadcast speaking directly to Kevin and Olivia. He’d given his consent and now the plan had been put into motion.
Dax stepped into his office and shut the door, leaving the out loud bustle from his cottage. He pulled his cell phone out and dialed the private investigator.
“Barker here.” He liked the sound of this man. He seemed straight forward with no bullshit.
“Dax. Have you found anything?”
“Did you know Ava still owns the property where her childhood house was burned?”
Dax stilled. “No.”
“I’m willing to bet if you don’t know, neither do the police. This could be the connection were looking for. I’m headed down there now.”
“Give me the address.” Dax made a mental note as he read off the address.
“There’s not much left of the property, but there is a barn.”
Why the hell would Ava keep this property a secret?
“Who knows if he’s dumb enough to go, but if he’s there, I’ll get that little girl.”
Screw that. Dax was grabbing Ava and they we’re going now. “Thanks.”
He hung up his cell phone and tucked it in his pocket, switching it with his keys. Only his pocket was empty.
He dashed out of his office and down the hallway.
Stone straightened at the sight and pushed off the wall. “What?”
He didn’t say anything but swung the bedroom door open. Empty. Except for a teddy bear he hadn’t noticed earlier sitting on the bed by the open window. Foolish, stupid woman.
“Where’s Ava?”
“Walking into a goddamn trap.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
~
AVA TURNED DAX’S CAR INTO her childhood driveway. The blackened sky didn’t help guide her around the deep potholes. With each dip, she silently cursed, knowing what Dax’s reaction would be. The car was his baby, but her baby was inside the crumbling barn ahead. The two-story wood barn looked like no more than a shadow leering in the distance, but she knew it would be in worse condition now, the wood probably soft, rotten and moldy.
Passing the weeds and cement of where her house had once been, she continued to the barn. She saw a tiny light flicker of light on the secdon floor between the wood boards. The tiniest of light, like a lantern…or a candle. Kevin wouldn’t be idiotic enough to light a candle, or even strike a match in the dried out barn.
Or would he?
She’d knocked a good twenty minutes or more off the ordinarily hour drive here, fear solidly compelling her foot down harder on the gas pedal. She wasn’t a fool. Running into this situation alone, unarmed and defenseless, knowing Kevin didn’t plan on letting her walk away alive, was foolish. But she had a plan, or somewhat of a plan.
After she’d driven about a half hour from the cottage she’d texted Dax a location pin of her property. She hoped she’d have at least fifteen minutes alone with Kevin to do damage control and record the confession she needed. The maneuver might seem to Dax that she didn’t have faith in him, but she prayed he realized her feelings were the opposite. All her faith was in Dax rescuing them—after she got the confession. Besides, who knew what Kevin would do to her daughter if the police swarmed her property and barreled into the b
arn.
Her plan was set in action now and she ignored Dax’s texts and phone calls, wanting to hear his voice, but knowing he’d talk her out of her mission. Had she stepped up all those years ago and told the authorities Kevin had started the fire instead of running, none of this would be happening now. This was her fault. No more lives would suffer as a result of this man or her fears.
She parked the car close to the barn and dashed inside. Darkness enveloped her and she pulled out her cell phone, turning on the flashlight to guide her around piles of dirt, wood, broken bicycles and partial metal stalls.
Her heart pounded faster with each step she took closer to the wooden ladder to the second floor. She stopped at the ladder and tucked the cell phone in her back pocket before placing her hands on either side and looking up at the square opening above. Nineties music wafted down from the dimly lit second level, but she heard no sounds of Olivia. Unable to decipher whether she was grateful or terrified, she took a deep breath and climbed the bars. Her plan to retrieve a quick confession before Dax arrived halted at the sight of her daughter’s limp body lying on a bed of straw. She looked peaceful or....
Ava’s heart stopped beating at the thought.
No!
Her legs moved her across the room with lightning speed. She dropped to her knees, not feeling the splintered floor tearing through the material of her pants. She gathered Olivia’s upper body in her arms, and pressed her shaking fingers against her neck for a pulse. She found one and her body sank with relief.
“Oh my god, baby girl.” She forgot her plan, forgot where she was and rocked Olivia, thankful to find her alive.
“Give me your cell phone.”
Kevin.
Slowly, her eyes traveled up from a pair of black army style boots with holes in the side to torn jeans hanging low. She knew without seeing that his boxers would be exposed in the back. Finally, her eyes traveled up to the sunken eyes of the man who’d haunted her nightmares. She’d thought she’d be more scared of facing him, but she realized her anger had overtaken her fears. The love and influence of the people in her life had given her strength where once terror lived.
She pulled her cell phone from her pocket. Cold, skinny fingers took it. “Do I have to worry about that shop man of yours following you?”
She shook her head. “No. I didn’t come here to cause trouble. I came to talk. Just you and me. We can work this out.”
“Up.” He waved the gun in his hand while pocketing her phone. Inwardly she sneered as she watched this fool believe he was in charge.
“Kevin, you can have everything, just let us go and I will sign anything over to you. I’ll sell Olivia’s half of the shop and house and give you the money.”
His eyebrows quirked. “She owns half the house, too? Nice.” He looked as if he was considering her deal, but then seemed to change his mind. “Not how this plays out, A. Up. Away from the girl.”
The girl? Bastard. This was his daughter, his blood, his...his—in his eyes—money tree. That was fine by her. In Ava’s eyes, this evil had never been her daughter’s father.
“Kevin, please—”
He turned the gun to Olivia. “I’m not playing games, Ava.
“Okay, okay.” Ava laid Olivia back down, slipping the one thing beside her that would prove Kevin’s guilt whether Ava survived or not: Olivia’s cell phone. “I’ll be back, baby. Mommy loves you Olivia.” She swiped at the single tear that had slipped down her cheek before standing up, holding her empty hands in the air. “What did you do to her?”
“I just gave her a little something to sleep. My maw always slipped a little something in our bottles.” He pointed at a chair in the middle of the dimly lit loft. “Sit.” The thought of her daughter spending time alone with this man broke her heart. But she would be safe now. Dax was coming and the gun was triggered on Ava.
Each spongy step Ava took on the rotting wood threatened to cave in beneath her. She held her breath until she sat on the chair but the swoosh of relief at not falling through was shortly lived.
Kevin stepped in front of her, towering above, a menacing evil in his eyes, revealing his enjoyment in conning her here. She had to focus on his confession.
“Kevin—”
She didn’t get his entire name out before his fist flew and hit the side of her face. The contact knocked her backwards sending the chair toppling over. She landed on her side and her hand latched onto her throbbing face. Her mind hadn’t even grasped the entirety of her fall when she felt fingers dig through her hair and roughly yank her upper body up enough to reach his face.
“Do you think this is about money?” His mix of alcohol and cigarette breath made her gag. “You lied to me. I let you go and you lied.”
Still clutching her hair, he lifted her to her knees before throwing another punch. The blow to her stomach winded her and her short cries swallowed her voice. He let her go and she sunk to her knees, gasping as she caught her breath.
Two hits. That would put his guard down, let him think he was in control, which at this point he was, but not for long.
“You let some bastard men raise my daughter. You told me she died when you went foolishly running into that fire.” He made a clicking sound with tongue. “I thought you would have known better than that.”
Ava lifted her head enough to watch him walk away through the hair falling over her eyes.
“I guess you didn’t understand my message.”
Continuing with her short breaths, she said, “You mean your message when you set my house on fire? Knowing my family was in there? Killing my entire family? On purpose. Your punishment for me?”
He turned, a smirk lifting his crooked smile. “Yes. So you do understand what I’m capable of.”
There was his confession recorded for the authorities.
Ava blew out a breath. She had it. Done. Now she needed to get her daughter and run.
“Now I plan on letting you experience the pain and agony I inflicted on your family.” A silver lighter shimmered in his hand. Her stomach twisted when he flipped the lid open. Of all the ways to kill her, threatening a fire was too close to home.
Panic spread through her body like fire, burning every last inch of her with terror. She shoved the hair out of her eyes as she slowly moved to her knees, never losing sight of him. “You plan on burning me alive?” The words tasted of soot on her tongue.
Dax is coming. If she could just distract Kevin long enough. “Do you understand there’s an amber alert out on you? You’ll never get her money if you kill us.”
“I won’t get it if I keep you alive, either.” He flicked a flame on the lighter causing her insides to compress the air out of her. His smirk rose. “Don’t like fire, Ava? I don’t blame you.” He swayed the lighter back and forth, the flickering flame lighting the malevolence across his face. Struggling to regain her strength, she watched him light a cigarette and slowly inhale deeply. His yellowed toothy grin made her sick, but didn’t compare to the fear as she watched him flick the lit cigarette into the hay pile behind him.
“That’s one.”
The smoldering smoke from the pile froze her in the spot.
He lit another cigarette, and she watched him drop it through a small hole in the floor. “That’s two.” He grinned at her. “You should have torn this place down. All the dry straw and wood is a fire hazard.”
Her body trembled, her plan forgotten, her life again in the hands of this man. Why has she left Dax behind? She’d dug the graves for both her and Olivia.
Her eyes moved to her sleeping daughter. No, there would be no death today. Not her or Olivia. But her confidence was short-lived as Kevin popped it all with a soiled kick to her stomach.
The contact sent her body in the air, then collapsing lifelessly on the ground. Pain seared through her stomach and her side ached from the fall. She lay there, his boots a blurry vision before her with her daughter just beyond.
I won’t let you down, baby.
He b
ent down beside her and she shuttered as his hand slid her hair away from her face. “The thing is, I have an alibi. I have plenty of alibis and once I share the money I get from Olivia’s shares I can pay them off and live quite comfortably.” An amused but devious laugh bubbled up from his chest. “Kind of like killing two birds with one stone.” His fingers gripped her throat and forced her to her feet. He pulled her head so close to his she could smell the layers of dirt on his clothes. “This time you don’t get to walk away.”
She lifted her chin to look him square in the face. “The thing is, this time I’m not the scared, lost teenage you can boss around.” She cut his chuckle short, slamming her head into his and sending him staggering backwards. The head-butt distraction gave her the opportunity to glance at the state of the fires he’d started. Small flames tore from the corner of the barn, closest to the exit. But it was the lower level of the barn that caught her attention. It had spread quickly. She could see the flickering flames through the floorboards.
“You bitch.” He held his face, groaning like a baby. That’s who he’d always been: a sissy, hiding behind a bully.
Now or never. She hadn’t taken the self-defense classes for nothing. If she grabbed Olivia and tried to leave, she’d be forced to fight him off. Instead, she stepped toward him. “You bastard,” she said. He stopped his groaning long enough to open his eyes and glare at her through his fingers. “How dare you come back into my life, a life I built and love, and threaten my family.”
He dragged his hand down his face revealing a sneer underneath. “Foolish woman.”
“Foolish man.”
His eyes flared anger at her backtalk and his arm shot to her face. She dodged his punch, turned and uppercut his jaw.
He cursed, stumbling backwards again.
She straightened, never letting there be distance between them in case he decided to go for her daughter. “I spent years afraid of you and your threats, but you’re a nobody trying to fool everyone into thinking you’re a somebody.”
He ran at her, but her quick sidestep only had him stumbling over his own feet.