Tracked by Trouble (Bad Boys Need Love, Too #3)

by Calinda B

  Holding her tightly, he tied the scarf around her mouth. He spun her around to face him, restraining her arms once more. “How’s that?” he said, grinning broadly.

  The bastard looked almost gleeful, his too handsome, military groomed face alight with satisfaction. His golden hair had grown out, swirling around his head in a disheveled mess. His eyes, the color of a bright blue sapphire, resting on the gray barrel of a gun, reflected the clear, calm, in control brain of a trained killing machine.

  Beck let out a swift kick, aiming for the groin but catching his shin with her foot.

  He laughed, like this was some sort of game. “I like you. Maybe when this is all over, you and I can…well, you know…have a little fun.”

  She shook her head vehemently, eyes wide with horror. Then over the shoulder she went, flung like a sack of potatoes.

  The cotton wrapped tightly around her mouth stunk like unwashed hair, sweat and stale hair product, making her gag. Why isn’t anyone looking in this direction? Because they’re all watching Zed. A pesky tear escaped her eyes. Fuck that. No crying, Tosetti. You need a plan.

  Once he reached his Jeep Wrangler, he dropped her on her feet and opened the passenger door, one hand clamped around both of her wrists like a vice grip. A slew of white wire ties lay strewn on the floor. He grabbed one and tried to wrap it around her wrists.

  She struggled away from him, kicking his shins, his ankles, whatever her feet could connect with before launching away from him in a sprint.

  With swift, pounding footsteps, he caught up to her, and secured her hands behind her back. He dragged her back to the vehicle, plunking her on the front seat.

  Oh, no, where’s he going to take me? She whipped her head at him, trying to connect with his face.

  “You’re a feisty one,” he said, chuckling. “I’m definitely going to fuck you before I kill you. I’ll be the last thing between your legs, guaranteed.” He grabbed his crotch and gave it a hearty squeeze.

  Beck shook her head back and forth like a weathervane. The thought of him raping her was unreal. The thought of never seeing Zed again, was heartbreaking. She jacked her legs as high as she could in order to kick at the dashboard.

  “Nuh uh. You’re not going to mess with the Jeep, bitch.” He shoved her legs down, getting his eerily placid face so close, she could count the hairs sprouting from his nostrils. “Got it?”

  This time her head butt connected with his nose, causing a bright spurt of blood and the man to curse and yelp. Then he laughed. “Someone needs a lesson.” He wiped the smear of blood, spreading it across his face like war paint, reached toward his hip and retrieved a non-reflective black combat knife from its holster. It looked like a modern issue of the knife her dad still had from his days in Viet Nam. Like the soldier before her, it looked sharp, menacing and efficient.

  Lawson stood and contemplated. He hummed a nursery rhyme.

  Beck scanned her memories. Is that Frère Jacques? That ‘are you sleeping’ song?

  Then in his deep, nasty voice, he sang, “Are you creeping, are you freaking, yes, I am. Yes, I am. Brother Zed’s a loser, Brother Zed’s a poser, I will kill, yes, I will.” He chuckled, seized a lock of her hair and sliced it free. He waved it in her face. “You give me a hard time, your face is next, got it?”

  When she nodded, he smiled. As he backed away from her, she wriggled her legs free and began kicking the dash, the console, whatever her feet could reach.

  “You fucking bitch. You’re nothing but trouble, you know that? You’re going to destroy my Jeep.” He gripped her thighs with one meaty paw, ground her head against the headrest with his other sweaty palm, and contemplated her for a few grueling seconds. Then his mouth dropped open and his face brightened, like he had the best damn idea, ever. “New plan. We’re going to play ‘bait and switch’ with old Zeddie-boy. Before I murder his ass.”

  Bait and switch? This guy’s nuts.

  He jerked his glove from his hand and wiggled his fingers at her. The index finger only had one mangled joint left. “See this? I lost my job because of this. I lost my job because your prick of a lover had the nerve to slice off my finger. He’s going to pay. I’ve been watching him. Tracking him. Planning. This is a big mission. Operation Destroy Brother Zed. He’s going down, that boy. I’m going to lure him away from here and put a bullet through his head.” He made a gun out of his hand, his stumpy digit acting as the barrel of the shotgun, and pointed it at her head. “Pow!”

  Beck jerked, terror filling her eyes.

  “Then I’m going to fuck the shit out of you. And then?” He curled his hand into the pistol shape again, pointed at her once more and repeated, “Pow! Mission accomplished.” He hauled her from the seat of the vehicle. Whirled her around and hooked the wrist restraints with his middle finger. Dragging her behind him, he sauntered to the back of the vehicle, swung the rear door panel open, and Beck’s ears were met with something weighty and jangly. When he strode in front of her, she saw a lengthy chain slung over his shoulder. “Here we go, sweetheart,” he said. She was hefted over his other shoulder, and they trekked away from the Jeep.

  Waterbourne Park had one lone wood and concrete outhouse near the water’s edge away from the race. A few minutes later, Lawson set her down in front of it.

  Beck glanced wildly around. Her view of the racers was obscured by trees. Only distant cheers and clapping could be heard. No one’s out here. What’s he got in mind?

  He opened the door to the loo and shoved her into the relatively spacious, cold concrete room, with the stainless steel throne and the stench of a mountain of feces and piss held in its confines. “Remember I was nice to you when you think about your dead boyfriend…at least you won’t have to piss your pants.” He unbuttoned and tugged, until her pants were around her ankles. His satanic tongue slid between his lips as he studied her hips, one hand reaching for the cleft between her legs.

  She hauled her leg back and kicked him, as hard as she could.

  He quickly seized her shoulders and slammed her against the cool concrete wall, making stars appear in front of her eyes.

  She blinked through the tears of pain.

  Lawson got close again, staring at her with unhinged eyes. “Let’s get one thing clear, bitch. You ever say who did this, I’m going to hunt down every one you love and kill them, one by one. Then, I’m coming for you. Understood?”

  She nodded, tears streaming down her face.

  “I’ll be back for you in a little while. After I’ve dispatched Waldo.”

  Chapter 35

  Zed and Jace sprinted toward the row of bright blue porta-potties. Zed’s right thigh began to scream. His blisters burned. The chafing chafed and his ankle kept making little stabs at his consciousness. He needed to rest and restore, badly. He needed to get Beck, far worse.

  “Where are you going?” someone yelled. “You have to return the timing device. You’ll be charged for it!”

  “Least of my worries,” Zed snapped. “You start at that end. I’ll start here.” He opened every door, giving a sharp rap first. “Empty, empty, empty, empty, empty,” he recited as he hustled before each one. When his shoulder collided with Jace, he said, “What next?”

  “Hey, asshole!”

  The voice sliced through him like an ice-cold dagger.

  “There’s your answer,” Jace said, his voice emerging low and deadly.

  Zed turned his head to see Lawson, standing a few yards away next to his Jeep, waving what looked like a brilliant red lock of hair.

  “It’s Beck!” Zed felt his stomach drop, sliding down his legs and landing in the dirt. Rage filled the empty place where his stomach had been. It immediately ignited his entire insides. “You motherfucker.”

  “I’ve got her. Want her back?” A wide, wide grin split his face, like the Joker in Batman. Still twirling the lock of hair overhead, he yelled “Yee ha!” like this was some kind of rodeo event. Lawson leapt into his Wrangler and powered it up, peeling from the parking lot
.

  Zed’s hands curled into fists. “Where’s your truck? That motherfucker’s lost his mind.”

  “This way,” Jace said, and they resumed their sprint.

  When they got to the Ford, Jace blipped the unlock and they leapt in the cab. Jace had the engine powered before Zed had his body on the seat. He took off before Zed closed his door.

  “Shit. I do want to live to see this through,” Zed mumbled.

  “Yeah, well, buckle up.”

  They took off after the asshole’s forest green Jeep, moving leisurely in the distance. As they closed the gap, the Wrangler suddenly took off, like it had gone into warp speed.

  “How fast can a Jeep go?” Zed asked.

  “About a hundred.”

  “How fast can your truck go?”

  “About a hundred.”

  “Make it go one-twenty,” Zed said, his jaw tight.

  They sped through the evergreen-lined road, leading out of the park. Jace kept his eyes trained on the vehicle ahead. As they gained speed, Zed glanced in the side-mirror. “Shit,” he murmured.

  “What shit?” Jace asked.

  “This could be good news or it could be bad news.”

  “Don’t make me guess.”

  “A hot red Mustang just swerved onto the road.”

  “Holy shit!” Jace asked, flicking his eyes into the rearview. “Do you think it’s Beck?”

  Zed let out a laugh of relief. “At the speed it’s approaching, yeah.”

  “How fast do you think her car will go?”

  Zed laughed again. “The way she’s got it jacked, about one-fifty. Her dad’s a mechanic.”

  Jace whistled. “Damn. Then I say, game on.”

  Chapter 36

  “Thank God for the park service,” Beck mumbled as she sprinted toward her Mustang.

  Minutes after Lawson abandoned her, she heard a truck pull up. One thing she could do, and do well was scream. Scream she did, and damn the bandana swathed mouth. She kicked the metal trash can against the wall, over and over, making loud crashing noises. Within seconds, she heard the jangle of chains. That’s why he got them from the back of his Jeep.

  She quickly squatted to preserve whatever dignity remained. When a husky, short-haired, beige clad woman opened the door, holding a sturdy set of bolt cutters, Beck nearly wept for joy.

  “Jesus fucking Christ, what happened to you,” the female said. “I saw that guy chain you in here. I came right away!” She swiftly untied the bandana, took a pen knife from her belt and sliced through the wire ties.

  Beck made haste to right her pants and get some feeling back into her hands. “It’s a long story and you can bet I’ll press charges, but right now I’ve got to warn my boyfriend a murderer is on his tail.”

  “A murderer?” The woman’s ruddy face looked horrified.

  “Yes, a murderer.”

  “We should get a statement to the police. I can radio them over here.”

  “No time. I’ve got to go. You can testify on my behalf.” Beck dug in her pocket and retrieved one of her ever-present business cards. She thrust it into the woman’s hands. “This is me. I work at a PT office in Port Townsend. I’ll contact the park service…” Her eyes dropped to the woman’s nametag. “…Ranger Dahlia, and ask for you. But I’ve got to jet.”

  She sprinted toward her Mustang, trying to form a plan. Up ahead, Jace’s truck sped from the parking lot. “There’s my plan,” she said, through her chuffing breath. Her car in her line of sight, she pressed the key fob to unlock the door and had the Mustang in motion before her door was even shut.

  The Mustang’s tires screeched as she turned from the park service road onto the highway. She almost wept for joy, spying Jace’s truck and that asshole’s Jeep in the distance. She floored it. In seconds she sat right on Jace’s tail. As they approached the passing lane, she pulled side by side next to Jace. She grinned at Jace and her heart melted seeing Zed. For a split second their eyes locked in determined fire. Turning her gaze back on the road for a second, and then back to Zed, she mouthed, “Let’s get the jackass,” and she surged ahead of them.

  When Lawson spied her in his side window, he did a double take. His jaw even opened like a grouper’s and he blinked, stupidly.

  She laughed and pulled in front of him.

  He tried to speed ahead of her.

  His Jeep was no match for her. She swerved, blocking him.

  He veered to the right, trying to get around her.

  Once again, she out maneuvered him, tires screeching, the car fishtailing to avoid careening off the road. “Shit, shit, shit,” she said.

  Up ahead, the passing lane disappeared, making it a two lane road. A huge semi-truck and trailer sped down the incline, preparing to climb the hill.

  Beck stayed behind the truck, wanting to trap Lawson between her and Jace.

  A long line of pickups pulling campers, RVs, four-door sedans with Thule storage bins on top and other vacation goers appeared in the opposite lane.

  Stuck behind Beck, with Jace’s truck behind the Jeep, Lawson had nowhere to go.

  Beck glanced in the rearview. That fucker’s grinning. He’s actually grinning. She opened the glove box and retrieved her phone, gliding her thumb over the screen to open it, and then speed dialing Zed.

  “You have a plan?” Zed asked her.

  “No. You?”

  “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

  “Me, too. I’ll tell you what he did later. Let’s focus.” Beck kept her eyes on the Jeep. She watched Lawson reach for something behind his seat. “Shit.”

  “What’s he holding?”

  One hand clutching the wheel, Lawson’s hand went to his mouth and he bit at whatever he retrieved. He jerked his head and spit something out. Lawson pulled into the side lane used by truckers, until he was next to Beck’s Mustang, his tires rumbling along the uneven pavement.

  “Beck, get out of the way!” Zed yelled.

  His arm appeared outside the window, clutching what looked like a grenade. He gave it a toss in her direction.

  Beck gritted her teeth and torqued the steering, launching her into the opposite lane, leaving streaks of rubber behind.

  Cars swerved and tires screeched to avoid hitting her head on.

  An explosion rocked the road, narrowly missing her vehicle, catching a stately Cadillac sedan. The car exploded in colorful fragments, ablaze with fire.

  “Are you guys okay?” Beck screamed.

  “Yeah. Barely,” Zed replied.

  Several cars behind the Cadillac swerved and crashed, as best Beck could tell. She fought to maneuver in front of Lawson, colliding with his front bumper as she took the lead.

  Lawson reached behind him again.

  “He seems to have a whole arsenal in his Jeep,” Beck yelled, hoping the phone hadn’t disconnected when it flew off the seat.

  “What’s that?” Zed called. “Didn’t catch that.”

  “Arsenal. Weapons,” she called back.

  “Fuck!” Jace said.

  “What?” Beck tried hard to keep on the road without rocketing over the edge into the forest-filled ravine to her right.

  “Do something! Do it now, Beck, he’s got a gun!”

  Beck peered in the rearview to see a sleek black revolver held outside the Jeep window, aimed in her direction. She gunned the engine and pulled into the side lane.

  Bullets glanced off the back of the truck in front of her.

  Beck screamed. “Everyone okay?”

  “Yeah, he hit the semi. The driver doesn’t seem to be slowing.”

  “He’s probably listening to some Death Metal band and thinks it’s part of the song.”

  “What? Death what?”

  “Death Metal. The driver. Never mind,” Beck said. She pulled behind Lawson.

  The vehicles in the opposite lane stood at a standstill in gridlock, forced to a stop by the accident Lawson’s grenade caused. Onlookers stared at them as they flew by, their eyes wide and terrified.
Some of them picked up their cell phones, hopefully to call for help.

  “Semi’s pulling into the side lane. It’s going too slow up the hill. We’ve got to force this fucker off the road,” Beck said. Spying her phone on the floor, she quickly reached for it and put it in her lap.

  “This road climbs for a while. Then it heads down into the next town.”

  “Yeah. With a cliff on the side and the Strait of Juan de Fuca below.” Beck white-knuckled the wheel.

  “Shit. This is going to take some fancy maneuvering,” Zed said. “You got anything in here we can use as a weapon? You don’t happen to carry a gun, do you?”

  “Nah,” Jace said. “Got some free weights. I think there’s a couple twenty pounders in the back.”

  “What are you two thinking of doing?”

  “We’re just brainstorming,” Zed called. “Look! He’s pulling ahead of the truck.”

  “I’m on it!” Beck cried. The Mustang took off like a fuel-injected racehorse, Jace’s Ford trying to keep up. “He’s no match for my tricked out ride.”

  The three vehicles sailed past the semi.

  A few seconds later, the speedometer climbing into the triple digits, she rammed the Jeep with her front bumper.

  Lawson lifted the gun, kept glancing at the road ahead and back at her, and took a wild shot.

  She screamed as a bullet flew past her, the glass of her windshield exploding all around her. “Fuck this shit. It’s going to take months to restore this baby.” She spared a quick side-eye at the passenger seat, the leather blown open by a bullet.

  “Baby, watch out!” Zed yelled.

  Beck ground her teeth together and gripped the wheel, noticing the edge of the road next to her – the one that led to a long, long drop-off. “Shit! That was close.”

  They zoomed past the last car stuck in the opposite lane.

  “Stay on his tail, Beck!” Zed hollered.

  “Got it!” She glanced in the rearview and watched as Jace’s truck approached her. Jace looked focused and serious, as if it was taking every ounce of concentration to force his truck to match her speed. She slowed a bit to give him room to pass.