After Dark: The Complete Series

by Aymes, Kahlen

  Kyle looked at Alex seriously. “You do know he plans to kill Angel, the kid, and you, if he gets his hands on you. You know this, right?”

  Alex nodded. “Without question.” His voice was deadly calm and resolute. Kyle wondered what he was thinking.

  “How can you be so calm?”

  “I’m not calm. I’m fucking flying out of my skin, but I’ve held out up ‘til now. He won’t expect me to just give in. I think he’d even be disappointed if I did. He loves the game; that’s the sort of prick he is.”

  “But, pushing his buttons? You’re putting Angel at risk.”

  “He has to be agitated or he has an advantage.”

  Kyle did as he was asked, though he questioned Alex’s reasoning.

  “Okay, now bring up the green radar app. Open it; there are two numbers, click on the second one.”

  “Is this what I think it is?”

  “Yes. It’s going to locate my phone; Angel’s phone.”

  “Even at this distance?”

  “We don’t know the distance, do we?” Alex wasn’t used to having his actions questions, but he owed Kyle for coming along. “If they aren’t in the middle of bum-fuck, and there’s wireless service, it should locate her.”

  Kyle grinned. “This is awesome! We’re gonna sneak up on him.”

  “Yeah. But we don’t know how many others he has with him. I don’t expect this to be a walk in the park.”

  “We know he has that big burly fuck we saw on the video.”

  “Yeah, and at least one more. You up for it?”

  “I never thought I’d be grateful for the bullshit I went through as a kid, but it might come in handy now.” Kyle grew up on the south side of Chicago and saw a bunch of gang activity growing up. By some miracle, his family moved to a modest suburb when he was fourteen, which he knew changed the course of his life.

  “What do you mean?”

  “When I was younger, we lived in a shit neighborhood. I got in with some bad kids: drugs, fighting, stealing shit. When I was fourteen, my friends and I boosted a car and got busted. It was my first offense so I got probation, but my dad got a second job and moved us to one of the western suburbs. My dad is a factory worker. He’s sixty, and he literally worked eighty hours a week. We never saw him, and my mom worked at a fast food joint around the corner from our house because they could only afford one car. My world was night and day different. The schools, the people, the expectations; everything changed. And, seeing my old man work his ass off so he could give my brother and me a better life gave me a new respect for him. He taught me that life is earned, not taken.”

  “He sounds like a great man,” Alex said. After this was over, Alex decided he would put his father to work at Avery, doing some fluff job, overpay him to do it, and set up some investments in his name. It was the least he could do to repay this debt.

  “Would you really kill him?” Kyle asked seriously.

  “He touched her. He hurt her,” Alex murmured in explanation as if it were enough. His heart was slamming against his ribs; his face was infused with heat.

  “Wow,” Kyle murmured.

  Alex glanced to his right, meeting Kyle’s eyes then back at the road in front of him. “This is going to get bloody. We have to get there and take them out before he knows what hit him, and I’m sure we’re outnumbered. I understand if you don’t want to be part of it.”

  Alex slowed down for a tollgate and chose the cash lane. He dug in his pocket, pulled out a roll of bills, and peeled one off. “That will be $2.25 sir,” the woman attendant said.

  He handed her a twenty but didn’t wait for change. “Keep it.” By the time the words were out, he was already accelerated to 60 miles per hour and speeding away.

  “Of course, I’m in all the way. You warned me this was serious shit, and you weren’t kidding. But, it’s Angel, so I’m in.”

  “It keeps getting worse and worse, and unfortunately, I see only that one solution. I’ve tried to convince Angel she needs a new career path.” He sighed heavily and raked his hand through his hair again. “She won’t budge.”

  “I never had any luck in that department, either,” Kyle mused, a woeful grin twitched at the corners of his mouth. “Do her eyes still sparkle when she’s pissed? I remember how beautiful she was when she’s challenged.”

  “Very much.” Alex agreed. Jealousy stirred in his gut. Kyle was still in love with Angel but he understood. “Now, please get that radar app up, Kyle.”

  Alex’s anxious energy was palpable, and Kyle sensed it. Whatever Mark Swanson said on the phone, Alex was hopped-up as hell. Who wouldn’t be, given the situation? If he hadn’t had proof of Alex’s true feelings for Angel the last time he’d seen them together, it was crystal clear now. Angel wasn’t the kind of woman anyone had superficial feelings for. He’d loved her, too. He doubted he’d ever get over her, and even though it was apparent he’d never have a chance of getting her back, there wasn’t a day that went by that he didn’t think of Angel and how he’d fucked things up. Retreating into his thoughts, he booted up the app and got it going. “Don’t you want to check on your brother? Tell your folks?”

  Alex nodded. “Yeah. That’s the next on the list. After the app locates Angel’s phone, I’ll call my parents and get them on a plane.”

  “Will this give us an exact location?”

  “It works similar to GPS tracking, so it will give a town or area it’s close to on the map but give us driving instruction when we get closer.”

  “Cool.”

  “Yes. I’d be fucked right now if I didn’t have it. I wouldn’t know what the fuck to do with myself.”

  “We’d be fucked,” Kyle pointed out. There was a double meaning behind it and Alex caught it. He nodded.

  “Yes.” Alex inhaled and flexed the fingers holding the steering wheel. “I’d be going crazy if I wasn’t going after her.”

  “It’s searching.”

  “You’re a much better sport than I would have been. I was never jealous before I met Angel, but now, even the thought of her with you in the past fucks me up.”

  Kyle shook his head and shrugged. “Yeah, well, I screwed up. I can’t blame you or Angel for any of it. It’s my own fault she left me.”

  Alex paused. “She’s under my skin and in my head; she’s all I think about. If you loved her like that, I imagine it rips your guts out.”

  Kyle nodded. “I’m not going to lie, Alex. There will probably always be a part of me that loves Angel. There isn’t anyone like her, but I want her to be happy.” He looked back down at the phone in his hand.

  “I don’t get how you could choose that—” Alex paused briefly to choose his words carefully. Crystal was an idiot and she was trashy. Alex couldn’t fathom how Kyle could risk losing Angel over someone like her, “—other woman over her.”

  “I was an idiot. Angel wanted to leave the band, and I was sore at her. I was selfish, and I guess I wanted to show her I didn’t need her. It just made it easier for her.”

  Alex shook his head. He knew Angel would protect herself and not take bullshit from anyone. Even if she were hurting, she would have straightened her shoulders and told Kyle to his face to go fuck himself. That was Angel, and he loved that about her.

  “Forgive me for asking, Alex, since I probably have no right, but what are your intentions with Angel?”

  “Easy. I’m going to marry her as soon as she’ll agree.”

  “Are you sure she’ll agree?”

  Alex knew whatever he said would hurt the other man, and he had no desire to do so. He answered as simply as he could. “I am.”

  Kyle nodded. Avery was a commanding asshole; he’d give him that. He wore confidence like an expensive suit. “The app is pointing to a location just south of Houston, Missouri. When you come to Rolla, take Highway 28 South.”

  “Thanks. Can you hand me the phone, please?”

  Alex’s fingers worked with practiced precision. He didn’t need to look down as he dialed
Mrs. Dane first.

  “Alexander Avery’s office.” Her voice was cool and professional as always.

  “Mrs. Dane, please have the jet ready at O’Hare immediately. Have the pilots file the flight plan for Springfield, Missouri. My parents will be taking it. This is an emergency, so it has to be done right away.”

  His voice was contrite, and she’d learned that tone evoked no argument, no questions.

  “Yes, sir. Will there be anything else?”

  “No, thank you.” Alex ended the call and dialed Cole’s number. He needed an update on Cole’s condition before he called his parents. It wouldn’t do to be ignorant of the situation in the face of their questions.

  “Hello?” Becca answered. “Alex, have you found them?”

  “I’m working on it. I’m on my way. Any updates on Cole?”

  “They won’t tell me anything since we aren’t related.” She started to cry. “The sheriff and the police keep questioning me about it, but I didn’t see any of it happen. I’m so scared for all of them. I’ll just die if something happens to my baby. They keep saying they’ll find them, but I don’t think they will.”

  Alex shifted in the leather seat and ran a hand over his face in impatient agitation. He didn’t think they would either. In the week the Chicago police had worked the Bancroft case, they hadn’t found anything, but Alex was beginning to think he’d been too hard on them. Maybe it wasn’t lack of effort but more that Swanson was a slippery son of a bitch. Alex was seeing the situation with new eyes, but he had no idea how to comfort her. “Let me speak to someone, please. A doctor or nurse who knows what’s going on.”

  The city had long been left behind, and Alex was speeding down the interstate, passing cars as if they were standing still.

  “Okay.” Alex listened to Becca’s tearful plea for someone familiar with Cole’s condition to take the phone. “His brother is on the phone and would like some information.”

  “Mr. Avery?” A deep male voice came on the line. “This is Dr. Peters. I was in the ER when they brought your brother in.”

  “How’s he doing?”

  “He’s in surgery. He had a gunshot wound to the chest, and he was bleeding badly, so they took him into right away. We were sure one of his lungs was punctured, but it wasn’t clear if there was arterial damage or if it was just a vein that had been severed. I haven’t had an update from the surgery team yet, but it was imperative they get in there and find the source of the bleeding. He was in very serious condition, but we’re doing everything we can.”

  Alex swallowed. “Thank you. Please update me as soon as you know anything new. Becca James is a close personal friend of the family, so she can be updated as well. My parents are on their way.”

  “I’ll let the staff know to expect them. I’m very sorry about your brother.”

  “Thank you, doctor. Please put Ms. James back on.”

  “Hello?”

  “Becca, I’m going to get Jillian and Angel back. I’ll do everything in my power.” Alex’s throat tightened and started to throb. He swallowed twice, but it wouldn’t ease at all. “Angel is my whole life now, and I adore Bean. I’m going to find them if it’s the last thing I do.” Anguish created physical pain. He’d let his adrenaline run him, and his brain kicked in, methodically planning and carrying out what needed to be done, but his emotions were boiling inside, his heart aching, and memories of Angel played over and over inside his mind.

  She sucked in her breath on a sob. “I know, Alex. I’m praying. I’ll keep praying.”

  “Me, too. I’m calling my parents now, and they’ll be down there in a couple hours. Just hang on.”

  “Oh-okay.” She sniffled. “Thanks, Alex.”

  “I’ll be in touch.”

  “Bye.”

  “Cole is bad.” Alex muttered to let Kyle know what he’d learned in the briefest way possible. He decided to dial his father’s number. His mother would be a hysterical mess he didn’t have the nerves to deal with. His father could fill in Allison, Josh, and his mother.

  “Alex?” his father answered quickly, his voice laced with concern.

  “Hi Dad.” There was no easy way to break the news, so he blurted it out. “I’m having the plane meet you at O’Hare. You and Mom, maybe Allison and Josh, need to get to Springfield, Missouri right away.”

  “What’s happened?” Charles’ voice was panicked.

  “Please remain calm, Dad. This isn’t good, but for Mom’s sake, don’t freak out. Angel and Jillian are missing. Someone hijacked the vehicle while they were getting gas. Becca is fine, she was inside at the time, but Cole was shot.” He inhaled through his nose, waiting for his father to explode.

  Surprisingly, he didn’t. “Oh, my God,” he breathed out.

  “Yes. It was in some Podunk town in southern Missouri, but they took him by life flight to Springfield. He’s in surgery now, and Mrs. Dane is having the plane readied. Becca is there. I’m going to get Angel and the baby.”

  “What the fuck, Alex?” His father’s voice was frantic. “Call the police.”

  “Dad, Becca talked to the sheriff’s department, so they know. I have to do something. I can’t wait around for Swanson to kill Angel and Jillian like he did Bancroft.”

  “I understand, son.” Charles’ voice was solemn.

  “Will you tell Allison and Josh? They may want to come with you.”

  “Okay. We’ll come right away.”

  Alex heard his mother in the background. “Charles, what is happening?”

  “Call me after you get to the hospital.”

  “Do you need me to wire any money? Do you need anything?”

  Alex shook his head even though his father couldn’t see. “I told you before; I’m not going to pay this fucker off. That hasn’t changed.”

  “Then what’s your plan?”

  “To take them back. Just—take them back.”

  “You make it sound so simple.”

  “It’s not at all, but it is what it is. I’ve had enough.”

  16

  All or Nothing

  It was cold in the basement which had become her prison. Angel’s stomach was rumbling, and Jillian was finally sleeping on the cot and covered up with Angel’s coat. After they’d beaten her on video for Alex’s benefit, they all left her alone. The minute they’d gone, she scrambled back into her clothes.

  There was no telling how much time had passed, but it felt like forever. She didn’t have on a watch, and those bastards had taken both her phones. She’d curled up with Jillian, trying to comfort the little one, playing games of itsy-bitsy spider and telling her stories until she fell asleep. Angel assured her Zander would find them, though she herself was frantic with worry. This place was in the middle of fucking nowhere, and she had no clue where “nowhere” was. Alex would try everything possible to find them and spare no expense; she was certain. He might even pay Swanson off, but she knew he would come after her. She was lying on the cot with Jillian and closed her eyes. Her face and body hurt where she’d been hit and where she’d landed when they knocked her to the floor. She forced herself to sit up. She was exhausted, and she wanted nothing more than the blissfulness of sleep, but that would do nothing to get them out of trouble. The time spent contemplating hurt either way. What if she never saw Alex again? Her heart couldn’t bear it.

  The light from the one bulb was dim, but she wandered around looking for something she could use as a weapon. There were metal fittings on the cot, but they were small, and she’d find it hard to get a good grip on them. She’d have to be too close in order to wield any real damage to her attackers, which wouldn’t do. She paced around the room, both hands threading together on the top of her head.

  If she were alone, it would have been easier to escape, but most likely, she would have been raped by now. She shuddered at the thought. She’d counseled at least a hundred rape victims during her career. Women who had been brutalized and beaten, raped and sodomized, three who had been gang raped. Th
ey’d lived through it; damaged forever, but they lived. She knew she would, too.

  It was horrible enough to consider the possibility of such an unspeakable act, but more than having to endure it, she couldn’t bear the thought of it coming between her and Alex. He was a real man, one of integrity and purpose, and in her heart, she knew he wouldn’t look at her differently or turn away from her. But… it would rip his heart out. Even if he said he didn’t think about it whenever he touched her, how could he help it? It would torment him because he had been unable to save her from it. And Alex suffering like that would kill her.

  She flushed. What was she even thinking about that for? If that happened, she’d be killed. She’d never make it back to Alex. She mentally shook herself. She’d be better off using her energy to figure out a way to escape.

  Angel glanced back at Jillian. If Jillian weren’t here, she would fight to the death, but she had to stay alive to get Jillian back to Becca, no matter the consequences to herself. She looked around again. Was there anything in here that might help her get out? The basement was completely empty, save a water heater and furnace. She might be able to pull some of the copper pipe along the ceiling loose, but it would be hollow on both ends, and if she used it to try to stab someone, she would run the risk of it pushing back into her own body. The cot had wooden legs and frame. She considered breaking them, but if one of the creepers came down before she was ready for them, they’d see what she was up to and most likely beat her more, or worse.

  The foundation of the house was cinder block and some of the mortar was coming loose. Angel ran her fingers along it and tried to pry a few large pieces loose, but the stuff was so old and rotten, it crumbled into small chunks and dust.

  “Damn it!” she breathed out. She stood and ran a hand through her hair again. The door to the basement creaked then opened with another scraping sound. The house was filled with humidity and the door was swollen beyond the confines of its original dimensions, causing it to scrape against the floor every time it opened.