by Ember Davis
Troy’s made me feel the most normal in this experience. He hasn’t treated me like I’m fragile for a second. Beckett is almost too close and has too much wrapped up in this whole thing. Not that Troy doesn’t care about me because he does, but he’s able to compartmentalize easier.
Troy pinches my cheek and flashes me his megawatt smile, “I just missed you, Doll.”
I roll my eyes, “You saw me like an hour ago.”
He puts his hand over his heart and his face gets serious, “An hour too long.”
“So needy, Superman,” I sass him, but I have a huge grin on my face. He gives my shoulder a squeeze and winks at me.
Dex joins us and hands a beer over to Troy. Dex bops me on the nose and gives Beckett a shoulder squeeze as he moves around to the other side of the table. We always choose a high top you stand at because it allows everyone to move around the table as they want.
Beckett’s hand wanders down my back and squeezes my ass before settling on my hip. I look up and he’s smiling wickedly at me. I smirk at him. I have to give it to him; he’s trying to make the best of a bad situation. I wrap my arm around his waist and hook a finger in one of his belt loops.
He gives me a quick kiss before asking Dex about how his consultation went. Dex lights up and starts to tell him about the memorial tattoo his client wants. Dex is a genius when it comes to portraiture. He blows my mind, even though I’d never want to get a face tattooed on me like that. That’s not even considering Beckett would never let me get tattooed by another artist.
Like he’s reading my mind, Troy bumps my shoulder and asks, “How many more sessions do you have left?”
I shrug, “Beckett said if I can sit for another 6 to 8 hours then only one more.”
Walsh’s eyebrows shoot up and I narrow my eyes at him. Troy doesn’t notice, “Awesome, it’s looking amazing, I can’t wait to see it all done.”
I deadpan, “Me too.”
Everyone knows I’ve said I don’t want to see the whole thing until it’s completed. It’s become a running joke with everyone. I really don’t look at my back much so it’s not like it’s been a hardship. I do desperately want to see it, though.
I point between the two of them, “Are you guys still going to be manning the booth at that convention coming up?”
Walsh rolls his eyes and Troy grimaces slightly. I know they haven’t been excited about this, but the whole idea of a tattoo convention sounds pretty fucking awesome to me. I think they don’t like the limited amount of time that they’ll be there and that the flash they’re planning on using is on the small side.
I laugh, “Oh come on, guys! It can’t be that bad.”
Walsh sneers, “It can be and is.” My eyebrows shoot up to my hairline and Walsh sighs, “Okay, okay. Maybe it’s not the worst thing, but it’s just long days and you want to try and get in as many people as you can and still put out quality work. It’s just a lot.” He rolls his eyes, “It’s also Halloween weekend so I’m sure some weirdos will be out and about.”
I nod, “I get that.” I smile at them, “I’m taking some vacation days those days so I can be support for you guys, help pay out and keep the schedule, get you food. I’ll be your mobile location Andrea.”
Troy grins and pumps his fist, “Yes! That’s like the best news I’ve heard all day, Doll.”
Walsh narrows his eyes at me, “Do you really think that’s a good idea, Amelia?”
I give him a sharp nod, “Yes. If I still need protection one of Blake’s guys will be there too. I can’t continue to not make plans and miss out on things. When Beckett mentioned the convention, I knew this was a way I could help you all out. Andrea needs to be at the shop, I have enough people that I can take a few days off.” I shrug, “That’s what family does.”
Walsh and Troy grin at me and I can’t help but return it. Troy leans toward me conspiratorially, “You’re the best addition to our family we’ve ever had.” He cuts his eyes over to Zeke, “Don’t tell Zeke I said that.”
I make a zipping motion over my lips and then toss the key over my shoulder. Troy throws his head back and laughs. Just like that we fall into the comfort of hanging out as a family again. It’s like I didn’t miss the last three weeks of Friday beer night. It allows me to almost forget the feeling of unwanted eyes watching me.
After we’re at the bar for an hour Beckett brings me another coke and Andrea and Steve show up. I take in her messed up hair and the flush of her cheeks along with the shit eating grin on Steve’s face and I know that Steve stole Andrea away for a little private time.
When she gets to the table, I wiggle my eyebrows at her. She blushes, sticks her tongue out at me and laughs. Steve usually works at his club on Friday night so he must have made special arrangements when I told Andrea I was definitely coming out tonight. Maybe once all this crap is behind us, if it ever is, we can plan on doing a night at Steve’s club. Andrea took me there once and it’s not exactly my scene, but I could put that aside for a night of fun with my ragtag family.
With our group now complete, we settle back into easy conversation and friendly ribbing. I take a moment to really appreciate this group that I fell into. I think about what Troy told me that first day in the coffee shop, that every person in this family just felt right and clicked, like one day was like forever.
The thought makes me smile. I have to actively stop myself from touching my stomach; they’re going to be the best aunts and uncles for this little one. They don’t even know about this baby and I already feel the love they have for it.
I try to put off going to the bathroom because I know that it’s one of the hardest places to keep an eye on me. The hallway to the bathroom isn’t as well-lit as the rest of the bar. At the end of the hallway is the manager’s office, a staff room and a door to a small parking lot in the back.
This is shit I never concerned myself with before four weeks ago, but now I’m always aware of exits and blind spots. That realization fills me with rage. This is not how I want to live my life.
I run my fingers up Beckett’s arm and he immediately looks at me with a smile. Fuck, I love this man. I lean into him, “I’m going to use the bathroom. I’ll take Grayson with me and I know Duncan will shadow us.”
Beckett looks like he’s going to argue with me, but I give him a firm look. I’m not going to justify my own need to use the bathroom, damn it. He gives a sigh, “Okay, Baby. Stay alert.” He kisses me softly and murmurs against my lips, “I love you.”
I smile at him and give his forearm a squeeze. “I love you too, Beck.”
I catch Grayson’s eye and give him a little nod toward the bathroom. His eyes scan the area without moving his head and he gives me a short nod. He walks around the table and throws his arm around my shoulder, just like Walsh or Troy would do. The more casual and normal it looks gives us better cover. See, more shit I shouldn’t be concerned about in my life.
Thankfully the Higgins guys are family and it is natural. Grayson and I have bonded over a mutual love for action movies. When Beckett and I are planning to watch an exceptionally good one we let Grayson know so he can come over. We even share our popcorn with him, if that’s not love and family, I don’t know what is.
Beckett welcomes it because he says that having company over is the only way we’d get through watching the movie considering how hot he finds it that I’m an action fan. Seriously, who are the women he used to date? Oh well, not my problem and all my gain.
Grayson leans into me and gives an almost imperceptible nod to Duncan as we pass him at a table not far from our group. “You doing okay, Amelia?”
I smile up at him, “Yeah, I’m doing fine.”
He gives me a big smile and whispers in my ear, “Duncan and I will be at the entrance to the hallway after I clear the men’s room and check the doors at the end of the hallway. Blake and Ryder have the rest of the bar covered.”
I give him a big smile back that feels brittle on my face. The gnawing pit in my stomach get
s bigger with every step we take. I ignore it because I need to use the bathroom and I need to expose myself a little. There’s a speaker right near the bathroom hallway so the music gets louder and then almost disappears as we enter the hallway.
Grayson gives my shoulder a squeeze before he lets go of me and heads down the hallway to the men’s room and other doors. I take a deep breath and head into the bathroom. While I take care of my needs, I give myself a little pep talk.
I mutter to myself, “The guys have me covered.”
No one has confirmed a Caleb spotting, it’s just a feeling I can’t shake that he’s here. I wash my hands and splash some water on my face for good measure. I know I won’t be able to take the underlying stress of this situation very much longer and I’ll let Beckett take me home soon.
I finger the pearl on my necklace and let my mind wander for a moment to what life would be like if I didn’t have the looming threat of a stalker who is capable of murder, or at least is suspected of murder. I take a deep breath and head out of the bathroom.
I see Grayson leaning against the edge of the doorway with his eyes trained out into the bar. I know Duncan is just out of sight trying not to make it obvious that he’s Grayson’s backup. I’m a few steps away from Grayson, who hasn’t turned to see my approaching yet, when all hell breaks loose.
I can only see part of the bar, but I see three fights break out at the same time, one right in front of the hallway.
Grayson shouts, “What the fuck?”
Before I can reach out and let Grayson know I’m right behind him, I feel an arm wrap around my throat. I open my mouth to scream, but a huge knife comes into view and it’s way too close to me.
“Don’t scream, Amelia.” My eyes go wide as Caleb’s sinister voice whispers in my ear, “Good to see you again, Cupcake.”
Caleb pulls me back into the hallway, past the bathrooms and toward the exit. I dig my nails into his arm, but it’s covered by a thick sweater. I think heavy thoughts and try to dig my heels into the ground, but I get no purchase on the concrete floors. In a last-ditch effort, I try to slam my boot down on his foot, but I fail.
He tsks me and changes his hold on me. He releases my throat and instead presses the knife blade to it. The other arm wraps around my torso and holds me against him. Caleb hisses, “Don’t make me hurt you, Cupcake. You know I hate it when I have to hurt you.”
Right before Caleb shoulders us out the door that leads to the back lot, he digs into my jacket pocket, pulls out my phone and skims it down the hallway. Fuck! That was the only way for the guys to track me. I feel tears of rage and fear well up in my eyes, but I’ll be damned if I let them fall.
CHAPTER 17
BECKETT
The moment I lose the sight of Amelia and Grayson when they head to the bathroom, I scan the room for Blake and Ryder. They both give me a little nod and I head toward Ryker at the bar. Duncan leans casually against the doorway to the hallway Grayson and Amelia went down. I wish that brought me a sense of relief, but it doesn’t. I know how good Blake’s team is, but I’m keyed up and I don’t think anything will change that.
I lean against the bar next to Ryder, but I don’t look at him. I give a nod to the bartender and speak to Ryder, “Any sight of that asshole?”
Ryder gives a low grunt, “No.”
I heave a sigh, I’m not sure if it’s relief, annoyance or frustration; probably a mixture of all three. Amelia’s right that this isn’t a way to live. Blake’s been awesome as far as taking on this assignment as a family thing and is charging me next to nothing and the promise of tattoos. Not that I couldn’t pay him, it was his suggestion.
Blake is determined as hell to bring this ass down because of his history and the fact that he probably murdered his high school girlfriend. Just thinking about it causes a shiver of dread to curl up my spine. Driving Blake even more than that, is the fact that Amelia enchanted him from the moment he met her. Just like everyone else. Fucking hell. I love that woman so much and she shouldn’t have to live like this. That doesn’t make being out and her being out of my sight any easier.
I grab the beer the bartender delivers to me and leave him some money. I turn, ready to head back to the table when everything falls apart. Time speeds up and slows down simultaneously. If only it was a movie and not my fucking life.
This bar isn’t known for fights, that’s one of the many reasons we started coming here and made it our Friday night spot. Tonight though, that lead balloon in my stomach explodes as fights break out right in front of my eyes and I can’t help the dread that swamps me.
Two fights break out right next to the table everyone else is still at, another breaks out right in front of the hallway to the bathroom, another right next to Blake and the last right in front of me. Ryder grabs my hoodie and pulls me back just as one of the punches barely misses me.
My eyes go wide as I turn and look at Ryder who is pulling me away from the fight. He is scanning the room and I do the same. Walsh is trying to break up one of the fights around our table and Zeke is doing the same with another. Steve and Dex are shielding Andrea and Olivia.
Troy is headed my way and I’m not sure if he’s coming to me or is going to break up another fight. The front door bouncer is headed toward the fight next to Blake who is doing his best not to get sucked in, but those guys are making it hard as shit. Wait? Are their punches are intentionally going wide?
I zero in on the last fight, the one near the bathroom that Duncan is trying to break up, but there are three of them going at it. I narrow my eyes at the three fighting and notice that they aren’t landing any punches, it looks…staged.
My heart sinks and stalls completely at the same time. Amelia.
I break free of Ryder and run toward the hallway, pushing people out of my way when I have to. I yell, “Where’s Amelia? They’re faking this fight!”
I hear Troy behind me let out a strangled, “Oh shit.” He yells over his shoulder, “Walsh! On me, now!”
Grayson looks behind him, but I’m close enough now that I can see there’s no one behind him. Duncan grabs one of the guys fighting and holds him against the wall with his forearm pressed against his throat.
I step into the hallway and the crunching sound might as well be a sonic boom with how loud it is. I look down and move my boot slowly, but I know what it is. I stop for a moment looking down at the cell phone Blake gave Amelia and I consider tucking myself into a ball and bawling.
Blake appears next to me and I snarl, “He has her.”
Blake taps on his phone a few times and I see the necklace tracker is somehow still out behind the bar. Please let it still be on her. I let myself hope in the split second before Blake turns and barks orders, “Grayson, Ryder pull up her necklace tracker and go around. It says she’s behind the bar, we get to her before he has her on the move. Duncan, get the cops here and find out what the fuck these guys are doing and how they’re related to Caleb’s plan.”
I hear Duncan grunt, “Got it boss.”
Grayson and Ryder head toward the front entrance of the bar.
Blake’s intense gaze lands on me and then falls on Walsh and Troy who, I know without looking, are right behind me. “I know I can’t stop you from following me, just keep your heads down. We don’t know what we’re walking into.”
I nod as he pulls a gun out of the holster at his back. He approaches the door and thank god he’s here because I would just burst through without thinking. He eases the door open and looks right and then left. He gives a curt nod before slipping through the door and using the closest car for cover.
Troy, Walsh and I follow behind, mirroring his actions. Blake studies the tracker location before tucking his phone away. He eases down the few cars in the row before the parking lot opens up to the alley. There’s a wall at the edge of the lot and he uses that for cover. We’re right on his ass and we all crouch low.
Blake glances around the wall and that’s when I hear it; Amelia’s talking to Caleb. F
uuuuuck.
Blake taps out a quick text and then speaks to us in low tones, “They’re next to a car, the trunk is open. He has a knife on her, no other weapons visible.”
Amelia’s beautiful voice is even and sure, but I can hear the edge of panic in it and I feel helpless. “Caleb, please, I can’t get in the car yet. Please? I think I’m going to throw up. You don’t want my vomit in your car.”
Caleb’s voice is mocking, “Jesus, Amelia, nothing’s changed has it? You’re still the same disgusting, weak girl you were four years ago. You see now how I’m the only one who will ever love you, don’t you, Cupcake?”
I can hear the tears in her voice, but she’s trying to hide them. “I know I am Caleb, I tried to be better, to be more worthy of you. I’m so thankful that you love me in spite of all my flaws. Please put the knife down and let’s talk about this.”
Caleb’s voice is menacing, “You better be thankful. I’m still not sure I can forgive you, slut.” He mutters, “You probably slept with all of those guys, you whore.”
Amelia lets out a little squeak and Blake glances around the corner again. He mutters, “Fuck. The guys are almost in position, I’m going in.” He fixes us with a hard stare, “If I tell you to stay put are you going to listen?”
I shake my head and glance at Troy and Walsh who are doing the same.
Blake grits out, “Stay behind me.”
Blake stands to his full height and holsters his weapon before he steps out from the wall. We’re right on his heels and the sight that greets me will haunt me until the day I die. Caleb is facing Amelia and has a huge knife pressed against her throat and his hand is gripping her shoulder in a punishing hold. The same shoulder he hit all those years ago. Her eyes are wide with fear and pain.
Caleb must see us out of the corner of his eye because in the next heartbeat he pulls Amelia around in front of him, facing us, the knife now across her throat. His other arm is banded around her abdomen and she winces.