by L. P. Dover
“I’m gonna kill that fucker,” I grumbled.
“Wish I could help you.” The voice came from across the room and I recognized it.
“Jared?”
He sighed. “Yeah. I know who you are too. I watched them bring you down here.” So that was where Jared had been the whole time.
Growling, I rolled onto my stomach and pulled my knees beneath me so I could sit on them. Looking around the room, it was still dark, but the light coming from the door helped illuminate edges and corners. Jared was on the floor, leaning up against the wall.
“Why are you in here?” I snapped. “I thought you were a part of this.”
“Hell no, are you fucking crazy? I had no clue my friends were into this shit.”
“Then how come your father did?”
The room fell silent. “How did you know that?”
“I know a lot of things, Beckett. Now answer the goddamn question.”
“He told me the night he died. He said he was Larry Bradfield’s partner. Larry Bradfield is . . .”
“Yes, I know who he is,” I cut in impatiently. “Keep going.”
“Well, they started a hunting business together. But when killing bison and elk became boring, they came up with the idea of hunting your enemies. It became a game. And then when the disappearances started again, my father got scared because Grace was taken. Now he’s dead and Grace hasn’t been found.”
“He’s dead because Daniel killed him.”
Jared gasped. “What? How do you know?” Stretching my arms back, I jammed my watch into my boot, over and over until I saw the light flash. The distress signal had been sent. “How do you know?” he repeated desperately.
“Because Grace told me.” It didn’t have to be a secret anymore. With the distress call, Reed would get Colton and his squad involved. Soon, it’d all be over.
“Wait. She knew about all of this too? Or are you saying she’s still alive?” His voice held such hope.
“She’s alive, Jared.”
He broke down, then breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought she was dead.”
“That’s what we wanted everyone to believe. She’s the one who heard Daniel attack your dad.”
“When I get out of here, I’ll kill him with my bare-fucking-hands.”
“Get in line, Kemosabe. I plan on taking him out first. He locked Grace up in a barn like a fucking animal, and she had to stay there until whoever wanted her dead could come in and finish the job.” Rage consumed me. “Who wanted her dead, Jared?”
His voice shook with anger. “I don’t know. When I confronted Daniel about Grace, he swore he had nothing to do with her disappearance. I didn’t believe him. Then I threatened to go to the police, and that’s when his cousin attacked me.”
I scoffed. “So that’s the inbred lard ass who bashed me over the head?”
“Yeah, he stays in the background and does most of the dirty work.”
“What does Daniel plan on doing with you?”
He huffed. “Fuck if I know. Andrew doesn’t know I’m here, and I’m not sure what Marcus knows. He owns a hunting business with Daniel.”
“Looks like he’s doing the same thing in Montana.”
“After I found out what Daniel was doing, I kind of figured that out,” he said with a sigh. “I don’t think Andrew knew about Grace though, judging by the surprised look on his face when I mentioned it to Daniel.” It all started coming together. With Jared’s testimony, we’d be able to put them away for good—if they lived that long. “Why are you here?” he asked.
“Hell if I know, but I sure as hell plan to find out.”
“Did you pay to kill someone?”
“No,” I said with a huff. “It was staged to make it look like I did though.”
“What, are you the police?”
“Nope, FBI.”
He sighed and cursed under his breath. “Am I going to jail?”
“I don’t know. With your father being a part of this, it doesn’t look good on you. When this is over, you’ll have a lot of questions to answer.”
“I’m going to lose everything, I just know it. Fuck, I wish I never knew about this. All I wanted was for Grace to be okay.”
“And she is. She’ll be happy to know you weren’t a part of her abduction. She’s been torn over it.”
“I care about her, Chandler. She’s been a friend for many years. I’m just glad she’s alive. Looks like the only thing we don’t know is who wanted her dead.”
And it was beginning to look like we’d never find out. “Let’s not worry about that right now. What we need to focus on now is getting out of here. Are you tied up over there? I can’t see.”
He grunted. “My wrists and ankles are. I can barely feel my hands and feet.” He’d been here longer than me; I could only imagine what state his limbs were in. Is this what Grace got out of? I struggled to get to my feet, but the door opened and the light blinded me.
“Well, well, look who’s awake. Ready to have some fun, guys?” Daniel taunted.
I spat at him. “Go fuck yourself.”
His cousin appeared behind him, then lumbered into the room. He was a huge man—all fat and muscles—about three times bigger than me. Grabbing Jared around the waist, the man lifted him over his shoulders like he was nothing.
Jared kicked and fought, but he was no match for the behemoth. Daniel strolled into the room, grinning as wide as he could.
“Why am I here?” I growled.
He knelt in front of me. “You pissed me off. I don’t like it when people do that. Take Jared for example. He butted into my business and now he’s being dealt with.”
“He’s your friend,” I shouted. “Why would you do that?”
His smile turned to a grimace. “He’s a bitch, just like his father. Why do you think Andrew and I didn’t tell him about the business? We knew he wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
I shook my head. “So now you’re going to hunt me down yourself? Or are you too much of a chicken shit?”
He punched me in the jaw, but I was so angry I didn’t feel a thing. Eyes wild, Daniel huffed, his breaths coming out as pants.
Sneering, I stared him down. “I’m going to make you die slow for that.”
The mountain of a man appeared in the doorway, then hauled me over his shoulder. “You’re the one who’s going to die slow, cocksucker.”
Grace
My watch vibrated and terror ran through my veins. Ian was in trouble; it was confirmed. I could feel the person behind me drawing closer, so I pretended not to notice. Pulse pounding in my ears, I crept along. The second I felt a hand grab my arm, I swung as hard as I could.
The man ducked down and blew out a breath. “You’re going to have to work on that.”
Breathing a sigh of relief, I knew who it was. “How are you here? Your watch says you’re somewhere else.”
He snorted. “That’s because I knew you were out here. I didn’t want you tracking my steps.”
“No wonder you’re with the FBI.”
“And you’re not,” he said with a frown. “Ian will kill me if he finds out you’re here. It’s not safe.”
“I survived this shit before. I can do it again. What kind of person would I be if I stayed back and didn’t help?”
His glare softened, but he still didn’t approve. “The kind of person who needs to stay alive. You’re the only one who can put those assholes in jail.”
He had a point, but Ian was more important.
Grabbing my wrist, he looked down at my watch. “Ian pressed the panic button. We need backup.” He took out his phone and called my father. Soon, we’d have the whole police force backing us up. “All right, let’s go. Help’s on the way.”
We raced into the woods and it wasn’t long before I saw lights in the distance. The closer we got, the more terrified I was. It was like déjà vu all over again.
Reed grabbed my arm and pulled me into the bushes. Pulling out his binoculars, he point
ed them toward the barn. “He’s out there with three other men.”
“Who?” I demanded.
“There’s a big guy carrying Ian over his shoulders, and Daniel, holding a rifle over his shoulder.”
“Is the other Andrew?” I asked.
He shook his head and looked at me. “It’s Jared. He’s alive, but he’s tied up, just like Ian.”
My eyes burned, but I had to be strong. “What are we going to do?”
Car lights flashed behind us and Reed pulled me further into the bushes. “That might be Andrew.” The red sports car didn’t look like the rental car Andrew had gotten, but I couldn’t be sure. Everything was moving so fast, it was hard to concentrate. “Take this,” Reed said. He handed me a Glock 19 and a full magazine clip. “Do you know how to use it?”
I slipped the magazine in and pulled the chamber. “I have one of these at home.”
“Good. I’m going to need your help. There’s three of them and two of us. As much as I know you probably want to kill them, we can’t. Not with the cops on the way.”
The red sports car stopped at the front of the house and the door opened, except it wasn’t Andrew who got out. “Holy shit,” I whispered. “I think I know who wanted me dead.”
Ian
Tossed on the ground, the breath whooshed out of my lungs. “Thanks, Hodor,” I grumbled. The big guy kicked me in the stomach and it hurt so fucking bad, I was sure an organ had exploded.
Daniel burst out laughing. “Even when you’re going to die, you joke around. Too bad humor won’t be enough to save you.”
I glared up at him. “We all die. Some faster than others.”
“Garth, untie him.” Daniel gestured to Jared. Once he was up and standing on his own, Daniel held out his rifle to him. “I’ll make you a deal, my friend. If you want to live, shoot Chandler through the foot.”
Jared spat at him. “I’m not your friend, you prick. I’m not doing shit.”
Daniel circled around and hit him in the back of the head. Jared fell to his knees, but jumped right back up. “You and your father are such limp-wristed bitches. You wouldn’t be where you are today if it wasn’t for my grandfather and his money. How do you think your father built your multi-million dollar hotel?”
Jared shook his head. “My father made his own mistakes. His actions do not speak for me.”
Daniel ran the gun barrel against Jared’s back. “If you don’t shoot Chandler now, I’ll go after mommy dearest . . . just like I did your father.”
Jared swung and punched Daniel in the jaw. The guy had more balls than I’d given him credit for. Daniel burst out laughing and waved to Garth. “Go pick up his mother. I’m sure she’ll be happy to know her son didn’t want to save her.”
“Stop,” Jared shouted, hanging his head. “Leave her out of this. I’ll do what you want.”
Daniel grinned smugly and winked at me. “You see? I always win.”
Jared took the rifle. “I’m sorry, Chandler. I have to do this.”
I didn’t blame the guy. I had no doubt Daniel would go after Jared’s mother; I could see it in his eyes. Jared pointed the rifle at me and I kept my gaze on him. Everything went into slow motion after that. I half expected to lose my foot, then Jared lifted the barrel and pointed it at Daniel; too bad his trigger-finger wasn’t fast enough. Garth smacked it away and the shot flew astray.
Daniel sucked in a breath, his murderous glare on Jared. “You worthless piece of shit. I was going to let you live, but now you’ve done gone and fucked up.” Garth handed him the rifle and he shot Jared in the foot. Jared fell to the ground, screaming. “Now get up and run,” Daniel demanded. “I won’t ask again. Next time, I’ll shoot your balls off.”
Jared got to his one good foot and hopped away, only to fall right down to the ground. I fought against my restraints, trying my best to loosen them. That was when I felt the vibration on my wrist. Reed was there. I looked around, but he was nowhere to be seen. Then, a gunshot came. I spun around to see if they’d blown Jared’s balls off, but found Garth’s knee bleeding out instead. He screamed, falling like a ton of bricks.
Daniel dropped his rifle and took off. Talk about being a fucking coward.
“Jared, help me get free!” I yelled. “We have to stop him.” He crawled over, but Reed beat him to it.
“I got ya, brother.”
He cut my binds and I grabbed his rifle. “I have to get him.” I jumped to my feet and looked around. Daniel was nowhere to be found. My body shook with rage. I wanted to watch him die—needed it.
Reed squeezed my shoulder. “He’s gone, Ian. I couldn’t get a good shot on him from my position. My main concern was you. Maybe the police will have found him during his escape.”
“It’s okay,” I said, “You’re right. He won’t get far.”
Jared growled in pain. “Let’s hope not. He knows too many people who’ll keep him safe.”
Reed and I looked at each other. I didn’t like the sound of that. Together, we lifted Jared up and we set him on a hay bale, leaving Garth on the ground, wallowing in pain.
“The police are on their way. Andrew’s being apprehended as well. What about him?” Reed asked, nodding toward Jared. “Was he a part of all this?”
“No. He found out from his father, and was apprehended when he said he’d call the police on their operation.”
Reed nodded, then gestured toward the house. “You might want to check on Grace. She’s inside.”
“What?” Jared and I shouted at the same time. Eyes wide, I glared at him. “What the hell is she doing here?”
He shrugged. “She’s stubborn and she stole your car. There was nothing I could do about it, I was already on my way here. Although, I think we know who wanted her dead.”
“Who?”
Reed pointed at the red sports car in the driveway. “You’re about to find out.”
Grace
I watched her, roaming through the house in search of Daniel, murmuring his name in that seductive voice of hers. It made me so sick, I could taste the bile rising in my throat. I’d known for years Lauren Beckett didn’t like me. I could see it in the way she looked at me. She was a greedy, self-centered bitch. I didn’t know for sure if she wanted me dead, but I was going to find out.
The second the gunshots sounded outside, my heart stopped. Lauren casually looked out the window, then her eyes widened. “Oh my God.” She took off down the hall to the back bedroom, repeating those words over and over, sounding more frantic as time went by.
I tiptoed down the hall and watched her from the doorway, shoving her belongings into a red suitcase. “If you’re trying to get out of here before the police arrive, you’re wasting your time.”
“Shit!” she screamed, backing up against the wall. Slapping a hand over her mouth, her eyes widened. “Grace?”
“In the flesh.”
She rubbed her eyes. “It can’t be you. You’re dead. I know you’re dead.”
“Is that what Daniel told you? Sorry to disappoint, but I escaped the night he killed your father. Tell me, were you aware your boyfriend had a thing for killing people?”
“What? That’s insane. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I pointed toward the direction of the barn. “Really? He had Ian Chandler and your brother out there, ready to slaughter. You can look out the window and see them for yourself.”
She held up her hands. “I swear, I didn’t know what he was doing.”
“Bullshit,” I growled, entering the room. “Were you that jealous of me? I knew you were shallow and a selfish bitch, but I never thought you’d be so deranged you’d want me dead.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She shoved the rest of her clothes into her suitcase and started toward me. “Get out of my way.”
“Sorry, but you’re not going anywhere.” Using her suitcase, she tried to push me away, but I knocked her back. “Did you want the hotel for yourself? Is that why you wanted your f
ather and brother killed? Might as well kill your mother while you’re at it.” I gasped. “Just think of how much she’ll hate you once she knows you’ve been involved in all of this!”
Her eyes blazed. “Shut up!”
I held out my arms, adrenaline coursing through my veins. “If you wanted me dead, here’s your chance, Lauren. Might as well finish what you started. You’re going to have a long life of hell in prison either way.”
It was as if everything inside of her exploded. Screaming at the top of her lungs, she dove at me and we fell to the floor. I wanted to rip her apart after everything she’d done. She grabbed a fistful of my hair and I punched her in the jaw with a mean uppercut. When she didn’t let go, I punched her again, her nose and lips oozing blood. She finally let go, but I kept hitting her until I was pulled away.
It was Ian. I hugged him hard, thankful he was okay. My father and two of his deputies stormed in and hauled Lauren to her feet, handcuffing her. Eyes wild and face covered in blood, I saw a side of Lauren I’d never seen before. She was fueled with hate, trying her best to fight off the deputies.
“I hate you,” she screamed at me. “My whole life, I’ve had to hear how wonderful you are. My father loved you more than me. Even my brother chose you over me.”
“If you believe that, you’re a fucking idiot.” I knew for a fact her family loved her. She was just too self-absorbed to see it. The deputies dragged her away and we followed them out of the house. An ambulance had already arrived and Jared was being loaded in the back. He got one look at Lauren and turned his head, not even acknowledging her screams. But when he looked at me, tears filled his eyes.
Ian put his arm around me. “He didn’t know, Grace. His father told him everything right before he died. When Jared confronted Daniel about it and threatened to turn him in, he ended up here in the basement.”
My father ran over to me and drew my attention from Jared. I met him midway and jumped into his arms. “I’m not even going to ask what you’re doing here,” he said, voice muffled in my hair.