“I was hiding under a tarp in the back of Gabe’s truck. I snuck in through the kitchen when you were still up. I hid in the closet in the bedroom.”
“You’re too young to understand. I love Gabe. We’re in love. He has to be okay.”
“I’m not much younger than you, and I understand a lot for my age,” she replied.
I turned in her direction; my face burned. She was dead wrong. “I don’t love Caleb. He’s a flirt, and he thinks he can do whatever he wants with me.”
“They both told me they love you,” she said.
I stuck out my chin and spoke through my teeth. “When did Gabe tell you that?”
“At the hotel when you were taking a shower. He has lots of pictures of you in his wallet. First he laid into me about ruining his week and his truck, and then he got all sappy and told me he liked having a sister and how much he loved you. Boys are so moody. He said he tries to make you happy, and he’s damned sorry at it. Those were his words.”
“Wow. He’s not usually big on sharing his feelings.” I felt like crying, but I knew my tears would sting with angst. “I’ll never stop loving Gabe. I’ve told Caleb a million times. He doesn’t listen even when I slap him,” I muttered. “This is crazy. We should be driving to Benjamin right now.”
“I always wanted a sister to share things with. You’re gonna marry one of them, right?”
I laughed and then I quickly thought about why I was stuck in a truck in a threatening windstorm in Texas. Halden family drama was cramping my precious time with Gabe.
“They already love you,” I told her. “I gave up on having a sister, and bam, I had one. I miss her. I won’t be with her for Thanksgiving.”
“Is your mom nice?”
I didn’t laugh although I really could have. I didn’t answer her either. She seemed to appreciate my silence. My mother was nice. But she treated me as if I were twelve.
“Mine just lets everybody else play my mom. She checks out all the time. I got in trouble at school and she sent Tessa. I got in big trouble at the docks, she sent Leon. She tries to act like my mom, but she sucks at it. Yours probably doesn’t lay around, looking like she’s always about to cry. Yours probably cooks dinner and buys you clothes and talks to you.”
I didn’t think I could feel any worse, but I did. I had a mother who was present. Deliah and Gabe and Caleb never did. I also knew my mother loved me even though she and I had different views on just about everything in the entire world. Maybe their mother loved them in a way she didn’t know how to show.
“I don’t understand how she could leave her little boys? How could she never tell you about your family?”
Deliah shrugged and looked down at her lap. “How could my dad not want me? If he’s so stinking rich…couldn’t he afford to keep me?”
“I got in trouble too,” I said, trying to change the topic. I didn’t know how to answer the question about her father without making her feel worse too. “I skipped the last week of my junior year and some other stuff happened.”
Her face brightened.
“I skipped a whole week once. My mom even signed the paper saying I was sick with pneumonia. She didn’t know what she was signing.”
“My mother wouldn’t sign anything for me. She made me go to Saturday detention. She doesn’t like me being with Gabe. She doesn’t know him enough to give him a chance. She judges him by his…well, it’s not important.”
Deliah sighed and stared out her window. “I hope he’s okay.”
Caleb was taking too long. I wondered what he was up to that he couldn’t share with us. I wanted to leave the truck.
“Shouldn’t we go find him?” I asked. “We outnumber him. We should do what we want.”
“He said to stay put.”
I twisted my neck and glared down my nose. “Gabe’s life is in danger and his brother just took off and left us to twiddle our thumbs. I don’t have to do what he says. They’re all so bossy.”
“Yeah, I noticed,” she laughed.
“Except Lane. He’s sweet and heroic and doesn’t tell me what to do. I wish he would answer his phone. He’d know what to do right now.”
“I want to meet Lane,” she said softly.
“You will. He’ll like you. He looks like the both of them, but he doesn’t act like them at all. Except for the fact that he and Molly…never mind.”
“Did you hear that?” She swung her head. Her body followed, and she sat on her knees to peer out the back window. “It was definitely a car. I know it. It growled like the Mustang Gabe drove.”
I followed her and turned around in my seat. I didn’t hear anything.
“There. Look. See the lights.” She pointed. The lights drew closer, flashing on and off through the trees. My eyes widened, and my heart pounded in my ears.
“It’s Gabe! He’s here.”
“Maybe he’s running away,” Deliah said.
I twisted on my knees and fell in place on the seat and turned the keys. “We have to tell Caleb.”
“He said not to leave the truck.”
“We won’t leave the truck.” I put it in drive and drove forward. The ground proved to be treacherous and bumpy. I drove over downed trees and who knows what other kind of nature. “I’m stuck. I can’t go any farther.”
I gassed the truck, and we jerked back and forth. I gunned the engine so hard the tires spun and spun, digging deeper into the ground. Mud shot up the sides of the truck, and rocks thudded as they hit the wheel wells and tires.
“I can’t go backward either.”
“Try again or we’ll have to get out in the middle of a swamp,” she whined.
“I can put it in four-wheel drive and gun it out. I’ve seen it on TV. These trucks plow through everything. Even six feet of snow.”
“Oh no! You shouldn’t do that, Avery,” Deliah shouted. “Remember what happened to Gabe’s truck? He’s not gonna let me live that down. Don’t touch the button. Caleb will never speak to you again if you kill his truck.”
I glared sideways and raised my eyebrows. She had a good point. In fact, it was an excellent point.
Ten
Precious time was squandered from saving Gabe while I struggled to get the truck out of the mud. I studied the four-wheel-drive dial. There were three driving modes, and when I turned a knob, the screen in the dash notified me that shifting was in progress. I waited until it was ready. The truck pulled forward, and we popped out of the rut and splashed through the mud. The wipers couldn’t clear the window fast enough.
“You did it right,” Deliah cheered.
In less than a minute, the cabin appeared in front of us, and mud and the fog helped to camouflage Caleb’s silver truck. I turned off the engine and stretched out my arms, pressed my back into the seat, and blew out my breath. I couldn’t see Caleb or the front door.
The cabin sat on the edge of a lake. From my angle, I could see what I missed earlier. Even in the rain and darkness, I could tell the lake was impressive.
“That was close. I don’t think I ever want to do that again. What is it with guys and off-roading? I rattled my brain and now it hurts. My hands are shaking.”
“Now what?” Deliah asked. She rolled down her window and sniffed the damp air. I did the same.
“He’ll be pissed, but we have to find him and tell him we saw Gabe. Ready?” I said.
“Not. So. Fast.” Caleb jumped up and slapped his hands on my filthy window. I let out a scream and slid down in the seat. My heart banged in my throat.
“You need me to pull the potatoes out of your ears, legs? Jeezus Christmas. I told you to sit still. What the hell you gotta drive this for?”
“Gabe! He drove away! I saw the Mustang. He was here and he left. We have to follow him. Look, you said not to leave the truck. I didn’t leave the truck.”
“I said don’t handle my keys either. You miss that part?” he drawled.
“Don’t just stand there. Leon could be in the car with him,” I cried.
<
br /> Caleb ran a hand through his wet hair. He was covered in mud, head to toe. “That was Leon. Gabe wasn’t with him. I think he’s inside, but I can’t be sure. He might not be alone. This dude’s an idiot if he actually left him here. You think he’s working with anybody, little sis?”
Deliah crossed her arms over her shirt and rolled her shoulders.
“That’s what I thought. He’s not alone.”
“What do we do? Should we call the police now?” I asked.
“Naw. I want to check the place out first. You stay here.”
I pushed the door into him. “No way, Caleb.”
He pushed the door closed. “Yes way.”
“If you don’t let me out, I’ll scream. Try me,” I said.
He held the door tight, and I opened my mouth. He raised his hands and backed away. “Damn, you’re stubborn.”
“I’m going in there. I need to see him. I need to know he’s okay. Move,” I asserted.
Caleb helped me down and then in a quick twist of his hand, he had a muddy palm covering my mouth and a grip around me like a vise. “No, you listen to me, legs,” he whispered harshly at my ear. His lips touched me. “You’ll get him freakin’ killed if you run at that cabin. Do you want your boyfriend dead or alive?”
“Hmmph!”
He let go.
“Don’t you ever do that to me again. Ugh. You’re filthy.” I wiped my mouth with the hem of my shirt.
“You like my arms around you and you know it.”
“I want to go look,” I said.
He held his hands up. “Both of you be super quiet. No screaming. No gabbing.”
Deliah slid into Caleb’s arms and he steadied her. The mud was gross. We were going to look like pit wrestlers.
“Does it ever stop raining? I thought Texas was supposed to be dry all the time,” she said.
“It is always dry. This is an omen,” Caleb answered. “Joel Halden’s omen.”
I got a good look at the clouds above the cabin. I’d never seen such threatening skies back in New York.
“That doesn’t look promising.” I pointed high.
“Twisterfest. Good thing we got off the open road. We’d be tossed all the way to the Gulf if that hit. Lieutenant built a crypt under here. In case he has to hide from evil forces, angry lawyers, scorned business heads. You know, the usual.”
“You think Leon’s keeping Gabe in a basement?” I asked, alarmed.
I stood behind Caleb at a window. It appeared dark inside. He pulled himself up the wall to peek. His biceps flexed in his soaked shirt sleeves.
“No. It’s like a shelter. He wouldn’t know about it. We gotta break in. I can’t see anything.”
“I know how,” Deliah shared.
“It’s my house. I know best here,” he countered as he grabbed a fist full of her T-shirt to stop her. “I know how you got in the other day.”
My throat tightened. Did he know she was hiding in the room and she watched him kiss me?
“Follow me,” he said.
Deliah took my hand, and we tracked Caleb to a corner in the back of the cabin. He lifted her onto the overhang, and she smirked back at him, all her hair plastered over her face. The more I watched her, the more she looked like a Halden. “This is how I got out, duh.”
“Okay, smarty-pants. Go see if the window’s open,” he replied.
“Then what?” I asked.
Caleb grinned as the wind made him blink hard. “Climb on up me, legs.” He patted his chest. His shirt was plastered to his skin. “I’ll hoist you.”
“Nuh uh. You go up and lend me a hand.” I knew where he wanted to manhandle me.
“Suit yourself.” He scrambled up the overhang after dangling like a monkey for show and flipped himself onto the ledge. “Maybe you should just stand guard.” He waved and disappeared from sight.
“Caleb!” I hissed and shielded my eyes from the whipping wind. “Don’t you dare leave me here. I need to get to him. If I have to, I’ll bust in the front door.”
“Aw come on, legs. Grab hold,” he said. His hand slunk over the roof. “Get a hurry on.”
I took his hand and ran my sneakers up the beam. I tried to get traction, but I was too wet and each step slid right back down. Maybe it was my bad leg. I had a difficult time trusting it.
“I can’t…you’re hurting me.”
Two seconds later, he bounded off the roof and scooped me into his muddy arms. I reached for the gable and Deliah’s wrist, and Caleb took my rear end in his hands. He hoisted me until I got a steady grip of the molding with my free hand. I could have sworn he was chuckling. As I climbed over the windowsill, my heart began a fevered race. I’d be able to touch Gabe if he was inside. I pushed Caleb out of the way and started to the door. He grabbed my arm as I was about to turn the knob.
“Where do you think you’re going?” he asked.
“To find Gabe. I know he’s in here and he’s okay. I have to see him.”
“Not like that. I’ll take a look and you stay here. I asked you if you wanted him dead or alive. You’ve got a mighty short memory.”
I stepped away and scowled. He looked like someone who’d performed a belly flop at a pig farm.
“Fine,” I agreed. “Call up as soon as it’s clear.”
He took my chin and held tight while his other hand forced the door closed. The cabin rattled from the wind as my fist rammed into his rock hard gut. He didn’t even flinch or let go.
“You make me laugh. You can’t keep your hands off me. That’s why I can’t resist you. Now don’t remove your toosh from this room or you’ll get us all killed.” His hazel stare bore into me with warning. I took him seriously—for once.
I waited with my ear to the door. Deliah fell into the bed and buried her head in her arms. We were all exhausted. The wait for Caleb was endless. It took all my willpower to stay in the room. Deliah fell asleep in minutes. When I couldn’t wait another second, I pulled the door open and stepped into the hall. My feet didn’t make a sound, but my heartbeat thundered behind my ribs.
The floorboards didn’t even creak. I made it to the landing and crouched to listen. My legs trembled. I wasn’t turning back. Rain hit the windows, but still I heard rustling at the bottom of the staircase. I took each step slowly with heightened caution. If Gabe wasn’t in the cabin, my plan was to find Mr. Halden and demand he call in every favor he had.
But Gabe was in the cabin. I felt it in my bones. We shared a connection.
Then I heard Caleb’s voice, his whispers. I took a few more steps until I reached the opening where I became visible to both sides of the house. Caleb stopped talking. I stopped moving. I heard shuffling, and in the corner of my eye, I saw a boat ore lift into the air.
“Legs?”
“Is he here?” I hissed.
“I almost clobbered you. You just keep breaking the rules.”
“You don’t make the rules, Caleb. Is he here? Are we alone?”
Caleb swung his body around the bottom banister, and I got a good look at his eyes when he turned on his flashlight. He took a step up the stairs and so did I.
“What? You’re scaring me. What is it?” I asked.
“Shhh. I don’t know if we’re alone, but I need your help. Just stay calm. Okay, Avery?”
He rarely used my real name. I covered my mouth with both hands and slurred, “Why?”
“C’mere. He’s here.”
I began to speak into my hands, but then I stepped down and spotted Gabe sitting in a chair with his long arms stretched behind his back, his hands bound and his head dropped forward.
As I opened my mouth to scream, Caleb’s hand shot up and stopped me.
“I said to shush. He’s just passed out.”
I pealed Caleb’s hand from my mouth. “Nooo,” I coughed. “What really happened to him?”
“I don’t know,” he whispered.
He was lying. Thunder cracked. I could barely stand.
“Call the police!”
>
“I just did. No answer. Service must be spotty since he obviously called us from here,” he answered.
“Can I touch him?”
“Hell yeah. Wake him up good. Dance on him or whatever you gotta do. I’m gonna work on the cuffs. I need a hacksaw. Wish I had my trusty chainsaw.”
“He’s handcuffed?” I asked in a weak voice.
“The thug was a cop. That was a given, legs.”
Caleb hurried into the kitchen, and I stumbled to Gabe and fell to my knees. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t feel anything. I tried to lift his head. A blindfold covered his eyes. I almost cried, but I held it together. My chest ached for him.
“Gabe,” I said. Even in the darkness, I could tell by the angle of his body that he was out cold. “Gabe. Please wake up. We’re getting you out of here.”
Caleb returned. “I’ll pick the lock. Where’s Mona Lisa?” He waved something shiny in the air.
“She fell asleep upstairs,” I replied.
Caleb chuckled. “What a lightweight.”
How could he laugh? Somebody slugged his brother.
“You have to get him free before Leon gets back.”
Caleb whispered, “I’ll give it my best shot, but I’m no professional.”
“Why are you whispering?”
“Smell that stink?” he asked, raising his nose. “I know that smell. It’s those short, fat smoke butts in the sink. Whoever was here left an empty pack on the table. I bet my life the thug went out for smokes. He could have somebody watching the place. That’s why I parked in the woods until you decided to go swamping.”
“Josh had a pack of funny cigarettes with him. Maybe he was here looking for us.”
“So now the kid smokes? These aren’t anything you get at the corner drugstore. They’re French-made.”
“He got a tattoo too. You wouldn’t believe it. Well, maybe you would,” I spoke softly.
I held my ear to Gabe’s nose. His breathing sounded normal.
“Josh don’t know how to get to this place. I bet Gabe fought a good fight, and the guy socked him so hard he thought he could leave for a while. It’s a good hike to civilization from here. But I’m not taking any chances.”
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