by L. P. Dover
I sucked in a ragged breath. Andrew seemed so sweet when I’d met him. It was strange how someone like that could be a part of something so evil. “Either way, he needs to go down.”
Ian showed me all the names of the killers. “Do you recognize any of them?”
I searched through the names, and didn’t know a single one. A part of me relaxed with this information; the last thing I wanted was more heartache from the people I knew.
“No,” I whispered. “But we need to give my father these names, so he can be ready to round them up when the time comes. They don’t deserve another day of freedom.”
For two days, we waited patiently for the call to come in from Daniel. Ian was ready, but I feared for him. If something went wrong, no one would be there to help him, at least, not until Reed could get there.
There wasn’t much to do in hiding, so Ian gave me his laptop to surf the internet. I had to see what was going on in the world. There were countless articles on my disappearance, all speculating I was dead. I couldn’t wait to resurrect and face Daniel.
My Facebook page was jam-packed with posts all over my timeline, each offering prayers. My ex even wrote a heartfelt post on how he hoped I was okay. Mya posted every single day since my disappearance about how much she missed me, along with different pictures of us growing up. Tears fell down my cheeks and I turned away.
“Baby, you okay?” Ian asked. Before I could shut the laptop, he walked in and looked at the computer screen.
Sighing, I pointed to one of the pictures of me and Mya. “It hurts me every day to know I’m keeping her in the dark. She’s my best friend, Ian. I can’t imagine what this is doing to her.”
He rubbed my shoulders. “I know. You look at your Facebook page every day to see her posts.” He turned my chair around and knelt in front of me. “I can tell keeping Mya in the dark is hard for you.” A car door slammed outside and he smiled. “We probably shouldn’t be doing this, but I know how much it’ll mean to you.”
My heart pounded in my chest, especially when I heard thunderous footsteps pounding toward the front door. “What’s going on?”
The front door slammed open and my name echoed down the hall. “Grace!”
Tears flooded my eyes. Ian helped me up and nodded toward the door. “Go. Catch up with your friend.”
I raced out the door and as soon as I turned the corner, Mya was there, eyes wide and out of breath. Blake stood by the door, and I didn’t understand why he was there with Mya, but that was a question for another time.
Mya cried, her whole body shaking. She dropped to her knees and mumbled, “You’re alive,” over and over again.
I collapsed next to her and pulled her into my arms, as we both sobbed. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t tell you. I wanted to more than anything.”
“It’s okay. I’m just glad you’re alive.”
“You only have a few minutes with each other,” Ian confessed, giving me a sad smile.
I looked at Mya and nodded toward the back door. “Come on, let’s go outside so we can talk.” With my arm around her shoulders, we walked outside to the patio and sat on the swing. “Why did you come with Blake?”
She wiped away her tears. “I didn’t. He followed me here to make sure no one followed behind us. Your father said it was the safest option. The media’s everywhere right now, trying to find a story. Apparently, Blake’s an undercover cop. But he looks familiar for some reason.”
I snickered. “That’s because he’s married to Hadley Rivers. He’s not exactly an undercover cop anymore.”
Her mouth gaped and she gasped. “Oh my God, I was in the car with him and I had no freaking clue? He talked about Ian as if they were friends.”
“They are,” I said, giggling. “There’s a lot about Ian none of us knew about.”
“I see that.” Grinning wide, she grabbed my hand. “I must say, staying hidden has done wonders for you. You’re practically glowing.”
“I’m in love, Mya. I just hate I fought it for so long.”
She snorted. “Tell me about it. I kept trying to get you to give him a chance.”
“I’m glad I finally did.” I glanced back inside the house to where Ian, Reed, and Blake sat in the living room. “Did my father tell you what’s going on?”
She shook her head. “He just said you were in danger and you had to stay hidden. I knew not to pry. I figured I’d find out when the time was right. All I care about is knowing you’re alive and well.”
“I’ll tell you when it’s all over with, which will probably be soon. I just hope it works out the way it’s supposed to.”
Her smile faded. “Me too. I’m ready to have you back.”
“Same. You wouldn’t believe the kinds of things going on in this town. I could write a book about it. Too bad I don’t like to write.”
She waved me off. “Maybe a famous author will do it for you. That way, it can become a movie and I’ll star in it. Although, filming would have to be over a year from now, when my body goes back to normal.”
It took me a few seconds to catch what she said, but then it all fell into place. I’d known there was something different about her the second I saw her. Her skin was absolutely radiant, and she had a glow about her.
Slapping a hand to my mouth, I looked down at her belly. “Are you really?”
Tears fell down her cheeks and she laughed. “Yep. I haven’t said a word to anyone except Alex. I was going to tell you that night when you were supposed to come over for spaghetti, but then you bailed on me. Ever since then, I couldn’t announce it without my best friend finding out first.”
I flung my arms around her neck, tears of joy running down my face. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t make it that night. I’m incredibly happy for you. And don’t worry, I’ll be the best aunt in the world.”
She rubbed my back. “I’m counting on it. Just stay safe in the meantime.”
The patio door opened and Ian appeared. “It’s time to say goodbye, ladies.”
Mya and I stood and hugged each other so tight I could barely breathe. “I’ll see you soon,” I whispered in her ear.
“Promise?”
“I promise. Take care of that baby.” Blake stepped outside and they walked until they disappeared around the front.
“She’s having a baby?” Ian inquired.
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I leaned my head against his chest. “She was going to tell me the night I went missing. I was supposed to eat dinner at her house, before Jared asked me to meet him and his dad at Wild River. I’m just glad the stress didn’t hurt the baby.”
“If I’d have known, we would’ve made sure to tell her sooner.”
I breathed him in, loving the feel of his arms around me. “I know. But it’s done now, that’s all that matters. I pulled back long enough to let him know what Mya had said. “She chastised me for not going out with you sooner.”
“Good,” he said with a chuckle. “You should’ve listened to your friend.”
His phone rang, and I let him go so he could grab it out of his pocket. He pulled it out and he froze, his jaw clenched so tight I could hear his teeth scraping against each other.
“What is it?” I asked.
“It’s Daniel.” He looked right into my eyes. “Looks like the game’s about to start.”
Ian
It was time.
“Do you think Connor’s okay?” Grace asked.
With a heavy sigh, I loaded my rifle into my truck. “Hope so. He knew to go down without too much of a fight. If Daniel does what he did to you, then he’ll be tied up in the barn until I get there.”
I’d gotten the phone call this morning. Daniel was going to pick up Connor once Blake and Hadley left for the day, then haul him back to his house. He had told me to wait to come over until he called me back. I never wanted Connor to have to stay in a barn all day, but at this point, it needed to be done.
Reed walked out the door, carrying a box of special ammo. It looked r
eal and fired real, only it wouldn’t penetrate the skin. “Sure you don’t want to wear your wire?” he asked.
Judging by the concerned look on Grace’s face, she wanted me to wear it too. I shook my head and took the ammo. “It’s best I don’t, just in case they search me. And then once this is all over, we’ll bust them for good.”
Reed patted my shoulder. “Be safe, brother. If you need me, you know what to do.” He walked off and Grace jumped in my arms.
“I don’t like you going alone. I’ll be worried sick the entire time you’re gone.”
“There’s nothing to worry about, buttercup. I know what I’m doing.” I kissed her hard and grabbed the back of her neck, holding her to me. She bit my lip and I groaned. “When I come home, we’ll celebrate.”
“You’re damn right we will.” She tried to smile and failed. I could tell she was scared. She squeezed my hand and kissed me again. “I love you.”
“And I love you.” I got in my truck and she waved at me as I drove away in silence. My fingers itched to hold my rifle and blow a hole in Daniel’s skull. Reining in my anger was going to be a lot harder today, now that all of it was about to be over.
The sun had started its descent behind the mountains by the time I arrived at Daniel’s. I could see him standing near the barn, leaning against a four-wheeler. Andrew wasn’t anywhere in sight. He waved for me to approach, so I drove my truck carefully over the grass.
I rolled my window down and he smiled. “Ready to have some fun?”
“More than ready.” I hopped out, grabbed my rifle, and slung it over my shoulders. The barn door was closed and I impatiently waited to see who was on the inside.
“All right, let’s get started,” Daniel said with a clap.
“Great. Bring the fucker out here. I’m ready to get this done.”
Chuckling, he opened the barn door. “As you wish.”
All the stall doors were open, except one—the one he went to. “Wakey, wakey,” he called out. Opening the door, he grabbed Connor by the ankles, dragging him out. Daniel was much stronger than he looked. I was beginning to think I’d underestimated him.
Connor’s jeans were ripped, and he was covered in blood and dirt. A blindfold hid his eyes and when Daniel took it off, Connor looked right at me. He glared and I had a feeling he was going to pay me back for putting him through hell.
Daniel smacked him on the shoulder hard. “Here’s the rules of the game. They’re pretty simple.” He waved toward the field. “You run like the cowardly piece of shit you are, while Ian here,” he nodded at me, “hunts you down.”
Connor growled something intelligible through his gag and spat. Daniel burst out laughing, and reached behind Connor’s head to untie the gag.
“Was that English? I couldn’t understand with the filthy Irish accent.”
Once the gag was lifted, Connor spit at me. “He’s too much of a pussy to kill me. His sister’s a whore and that’s why he wants me dead.”
I charged toward him and punched him in the jaw, making it look much worse than it was. “Motherfucker!” I shouted. “You deserve to die after what you did.”
“I’m not going to run from this bastard,” Connor hissed as I stood back and seethed.
Daniel cut the rope at Connor’s feet. “If you don’t, I’ll kill your whole family, including your two-year-old nephew.” Connor’s eyes blazed and I hoped to hell he could keep his cool. He didn’t even have a nephew, but that was what was put in his fake file. When Connor didn’t say a word, Daniel smiled. “I suggest you run for cover. The woods are just over there.”
Connor glared at me before he took off across the field. Daniel tapped the four-wheeler handle bars. “Hop on and go after him. When you get to the woods, kill him and I’ll take care of the rest.”
I hopped onto the four-wheeler and waited for Connor to almost get to the trees. “Then that’s it?” I asked.
He nodded. “Yep. Have fun.”
Revving the engine, I took off after Connor. He disappeared into the woods and I followed on his tail, making sure he got as far as he could before I took the shot. He glanced back at me over his shoulder and nodded. Slamming on the brakes, I got into position, firing off the whole magazine. Connor kept running and I watched him until I couldn’t see him any longer. Sliding my rifle over my shoulder, I made my way back through the field.
Daniel stood by the barn, leaning against the side of it with a smug smile. I shut the four-wheeler down and hopped off.
“Feel better?” he asked.
No, but I was about to. “Hell yeah. It was such a rush.”
He chuckled. “That it is. Once you get a taste for it, it’s kind of hard to stop.”
“So that’s it? I can go now?”
Daniel nodded. “I’ll find the body and burn it. Have yourself a good night.”
I planned on it. However, when I turned around, there was someone I hadn’t expected. Pain exploded from the back of my head and my legs buckled beneath me. My eyes slowly began to drift and all I heard was Daniel’s laugh. The bastard was going to pay.
Grace
Every few minutes or so, I checked my watch to see where Ian was. Judging by the layout of Daniel’s property, we basically watched everything unfold by Ian’s watch position. When the little blue light moved, we followed his progress on Reed’s computer. We’d watched him go into the woods and come out, only to go into Daniel’s house and not move.
He’d been gone for three hours and I didn’t like it. Although, Reed didn’t seem to be worried in the least. He sat on the couch while Top Gun played on the TV.
“Do you not think it’s taking too long?” I asked.
Reed checked his watch. “It has been a while, but Ian would send us a signal if he was in trouble.”
“What if he can’t?”
With a heavy sigh, he met my gaze. “If he hasn’t called by eleven, I’ll ride out there and see what’s going on.”
His assurance didn’t make me feel better. Now I had two more hours to wait, trying my best to calm the horrible thoughts floating through my brain. If Daniel’s property was gated, no one would be able to get through.
“Okay,” I said, sinking into the couch. I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in the pit of my stomach.
Time dragged on and I constantly checked the clock. Reed sat like a statue the entire time we watched movies, like he too couldn’t relax. A part of me wondered if he was just as scared as I was.
An hour passed and Ian’s position hadn’t changed. He was in Daniel’s house, but the light literally hadn’t moved a centimeter. Huffing, I held out my wrist, pointing impatiently at my watch. “He hasn’t moved, Reed. I don’t care if he’s in Daniel’s house, don’t you think he would’ve at least walked around?”
Reed’s jaw clenched and he stood. “Okay, I’m going out there.”
“Good. Wait for me, I’m going with you.”
He jerked around, staring at me like I’d lost my mind. “You’re not going anywhere. Ian would kick my ass if something happened to you.”
“He won’t be able to do anything if he’s dead.” I wasn’t going to back down, not this time.
Reed let out a frustrated sigh and nodded toward the hall. “Go change into something dark and we’ll go. You can’t go out there in that bright pink shirt.”
Relief washed through me. I didn’t want to wait another hour. Hurrying to the bedroom, I rummaged through my bag and found a pair of black pants and short-sleeve green shirt. It just so happened that Ian had a black jacket in his closet. Once I was dressed, I pulled my hair up into a ponytail and walked out of the bedroom, only to hear the front door slam shut, followed by the roar of a car engine.
“No, no, no,” I shouted, racing to the window. Reed drove away so fast, there was no way I could catch up. I slammed my hand against the glass. “Dammit all to hell.” Heart racing, I ran into the kitchen and grabbed the first set of car keys on the wall. There were two cars left in the garage; a white Ma
serati and a red Acura NSX. They were super expensive and probably cost more than five years of my salary, but I was desperate. With the way Reed left, something was wrong. I pressed the unlock button on the key fob and the Maserati beeped. I jumped in and started on my way.
I knew exactly where to go. I’d studied Daniel’s property until I knew every square inch of his land. I’d done this, so that if I ever got stuck out there again, I’d know exactly where to go. The longer it took me to get to Daniel’s, the sicker I got.
The roads were dark and curvy, but there was a dirt driveway that led to an abandoned house about a half mile away from the entrance to Daniel’s estate. Judging by Reed’s position, he’d driven further down the road, and was now sitting on the other end. I didn’t want to be anywhere near him. If he looked at his watch, he’d know I was out there. I needed to get further in before he could stop me.
The forest was terrifying at night. I wasn’t going to lie, I was scared; almost to the level I’d been when I ran for my life. However, this time, I was terrified for Ian. Now I knew what he’d felt like when I’d been abducted.
By the time I reached the edge of Daniel’s property, there was a fence blocking my way. I grabbed onto the top of the fence and held in my scream as it sent an electrical current through my body. “Fuck,” I hissed low, drawing my hand back.
Hiking through the southside would take forever, and I didn’t have that kind of time. The only other option would be to find a way over the fence. As fast as I could, I followed the fence line until I came upon a tree I could actually climb. Some of the limbs hung over the fence, giving me the chance to jump down.
The only problem? Finding a way back out.
Looking down at my watch, Reed was still outside of the property line. I knew it wasn’t safe to go any further without him, so I followed the direction of his light, only to stop dead in my tracks. Someone was behind me.
Ian
I jerked awake and tried to move my arms and feet, but they were bound tight. I wasn’t in the barn, but a basement. The cement floor was cold on my skin and it smelled like mold. It was dark, with only a trickle of light coming in from somewhere behind me.