Chasing Carson

by Amanda Bennett

  “Ky, let go. What is your deal?” I tried to get him to let go, but his grip on my arm only tightened. “Ky, stop.” I shouted. When we were finally outside, he turned me so I was facing him.

  “I need you to promise you won’t freak out.” Of course him saying this did nothing but freak me out. “Ruger is missing. I just got the call when we were walking in.”

  I felt all the blood instantly rush out of my body, and my heart broke into about a million pieces. I felt myself begin to faint, and Ky caught me just before my body hit the hard and unforgiving asphalt. Ky carried me over to a bench that was on the side of the building. I shook my head to pull myself out of the haze I was now in, but not much was working.

  “Here, give her this.” Lyndley handed Ky a glass of water and I wasted no time downing the entire thing.

  “Thanks.” I muttered. “Now, can someone please explain to me what the hell is going on?”

  “I don’t have all of the details quite yet, but it looks like he disappeared around five o’clock.”

  “But I saw him this morning.” When I saw the look on Lyndley’s face, I instantly tried to backtrack. “I mean, I…Oh screw it. He showed up at the house this morning while you all were gone doing whatever. He left around eleven.”

  “Are you sure that’s what time it was?” Ky asked.

  “Yeah, I checked the clock before I jumped in the shower. He said he would come tonight. I told him where the party was, just not what time. This doesn’t make any sense. He’s a trained sniper and a U.S. Marshal, how could someone take him?” I was starting to freak out.

  “Carson, I promise we have our best guys on this, but I need you to tell me everything he said or if he eluded to any trouble he might be in.”

  Lyndley sat next to me and held my hand as I recounted everything we talked about today, and what I had told him about the party I went to with Trey and the girls. He already knew about the shooting, so I skipped that part. “Do you think it was them?”

  “It’s possible. Right now, it’s the only lead we have. I wish I didn’t have to tell you about this tonight, but I saw the way you were looking around and I figured it was for him.”

  “Has anyone checked out at the farm? Or what about his place in the city?”

  “We have people looking everywhere. I promise we will find him.” Ky tried to reassure me.

  “Yeah, but in what shape will you find him is the question.” I muttered into my sister’s shoulder as she hugged me tight. “I don’t want to be here. How am I supposed to enjoy my birthday, when Ruger is god knows where?”

  “I know it’s gonna be hard, but I need you to pretend like everything is fine. We don’t know who these guys are affiliated with.”

  “Are you saying they could be affiliated with people I know? No way. That isn’t possible. My friends are all good people.”

  “I know that’s what you want to believe, Carson.”

  “Ky. Stop trying to scare her. I think we should go back inside.” Lyndley was quick to defend me, and it made me feel a little less crazy.

  Ky nodded and walked us both back inside where everyone was dancing and having an amazing time. I tried to fake my way through most of the night, but eventually the worry caught up to me. I was about to ask Ky and Lyndley to take me home, when my dad came walking out with the cake all lit up in sparkler candles. It was absolutely beautiful and if I was in a better mood I probably would’ve been beyond excited, but unfortunately I felt like a piece of me was missing.

  I smiled as everyone sang happy birthday, and then like a good girl, I blew out my candles and made a wish. A wish that if I were lucky, would come true very soon. I spotted Trey on his phone and walking towards the exit, so I ran to catch up with him. “TREY?” I shouted over the music, but he didn’t turn around. When I finally caught up to him, he was outside and walking towards a dark car in the lot.

  “Hey, where are you going? You didn’t even say good-bye.” I grabbed his shoulder to turn him towards me.

  “Hey love. Sorry, I have some stuff I need to take care of, but Happy Birthday. Did you have a good day?”

  I feigned a smile as I nodded. “Yeah, the best. Will I see you tomorrow?”

  “Um…I have to work, but I’ll call you when I’m done with my shift. Okay?”

  Trey was acting weird, but I blew it off to the fact that I was completely consumed with the fact that Ruger was missing while I was off partying. “Okay.” Trey kissed me on the cheek and headed towards the blacked out car that was parked across from where we stood. I suddenly had the distinct feeling that I had seen this car before. I thought back to all the times I had been around a black car such as this one, but shook it off and headed back inside. Now, it was time to go.

  Fifteen

  Ruger

  “You’re not who we want, but you’ll do.” I heard one of the male voices say.

  “I won’t let you have who you want. You hear me, assholes?” I shouted from under the black bag that was coverin’ my head.

  Never in a million years did I think I would’ve ended up gettin’ kidnapped after makin’ love to Carson, or at all for that matter. When I left her house, I headed straight home to get ready for tonight. I wanted to surprise her with another gift I had made her, but instead of walkin’ into an empty house, I walked into two guys who beat the shit outta me, and then took me to god knows where. Luckily, I have cameras in my place. Now I just needed Ky to remember how to get into the room that housed the tapes.

  I kept tryin’ to move my hands, but they were handcuffed to a bar above my head that left little to no room for movement. I wasn’t sure where I was, but every time the guys spoke, their voices would echo so I could only assume I was in some kind of warehouse. “Stupid fuckin’ assholes need to get this fuckin’ thing off my god damn head before I bust outta these cuffs, and beat the holy livin’ shit outta y’all. You hear me?” I shouted.

  I twisted my hands in the cuffs one last time, tryin’ to figure out just how much room I had, when I felt what I could only assume was blood, drippin’ down my arms. I took in a deep breath and waited for someone to come back to talk to me, or torture me, whichever came first. When I finally heard a metal door slide open, I let out the breath I was holdin’ and prepared myself for whatever these assholes had comin’ for me next. Before I had a chance to speak, somethin’ slammed into my side that was still healin’ from the bullet that went into me. I let out a loud gasp as I could feel the undeniable warmth of blood begin to pour down my side. I bit back my groans of pain, not wantin’ them to see me hurt, when suddenly the bag was ripped from my head.

  “Remember me, asshole?” The guy who had shot me was directly in front of me with a sinister smile plastered on his smug little face. He slammed the bat he had in his hands across my other side, and I could hear the distinct cracking of ribs. “You’re not so tough now, are ya?”

  “As soon as I get my hands free, I’m comin’ for ya. You might wanna make sure you’re not here when that happens.” I spat.

  “Ha ha ha, ya like that will ever happen.” He brought the bat back behind him, gearin’ up to swing at me again, when another voice echoed throughout the small warehouse we were in.

  “That’s enough, Dale.”

  “Come on, just one more time.” He pleaded with the guy behind me.

  “Dale, huh. I’ll make sure I remember that name.”

  “Oh please, you’re gonna die before you ever get the chance. I’ll even tell you where I live.”

  “Dale, go!” The voice that was comin’ from behind me was now standin’ in front of me.

  “Holy shit.” I mumbled to myself.

  “Surprise, asshole.”

  “You’re fuckin’ jokin’ me right now?” I laughed.

  “Does this look like a joke?” He held his hands out as though we were standin’ in a mansion, and he was showin’ it off.

  “What the fuck. What do you want from me?”

  “Isn’t that the question of the hour?
Well let’s start with this. I want my youth back. Oh no wait, let’s start with something a little simpler than that. I want the money I’ve lost since you and your little hero friend took out the Nelson brothers. Still don’t have your attention? How about, you give me Carson and I’ll call it even.”

  I fought against my restraints, tryin’ to get to the little piece of shit in front of me. “I will never let you have Carson. Do you hear me, you little punk ass bitch. I will die before I let you anywhere near her.” I continued to fight against the metal that was tearin’ into my skin, but there was no gettin’ out of them.

  “See that’s where you’re wrong. I already have her. As soon as you’re gone, she’ll be all mine again.”

  His hand was squeezin’ my cheeks so hard that my teeth started to puncture the skin inside of my mouth. I could taste the distinct metal taste of blood as it pooled in my mouth. When he let go, he stood there starin’ at me in all his little glory, and then I spit all of the blood straight into his face. He fell to the ground immediately as he tried to wipe the blood from his face onto the inside of his sleeve, just as I knew he would. A loud crackin’ sound echoed through the small space as I slid my hand from the handcuffs above my head. I made quick work of pullin’ the safety pin I kept pinned to the inside of my shirt off and undid the other cuff around my other hand.

  I glanced up to see that he was still on the ground, whinin’ about how he couldn’t see because of the blood in his eyes. “I’ll give you five minutes to recover before I beat you to a bloody pulp. Startin’ now.”

  As soon as my other hand was free, I fell to the ground in pain. I scooted over to my feet, freein’ them from the second set of cuffs. As I pulled myself to my feet with the help of the toolbox that was next to me, I turned to find another guy comin’ in after me. I flung open the top drawer, grabbed the monkey wrench and swung just as he came around my side, knockin’ his front teeth right out of his mouth. His hand flew up to his mouth and I hit him again across the back of his head.

  Once he fell to the ground, I started to make my way over to a now petrified teenage boy. “Now what was it that you just said? Oh that’s right, I believe you said you were goin’ to take Carson from me? Did I hear that right?” Trey stood in the corner, shakin’ as he stood toe to toe with me.

  “Look, let’s make a deal. We can all just walk away from this.”

  “I don’t think you’ll be walkin’ away from anything today.” I swung hard at his right kneecap, the metal of the monkey wrench makin’ a loud sound as it connected with bone. Trey fell to the ground in agony, and screaming like a little girl. “Should I go for the other one?”

  He lay there clutching his knee as he raised his other hand to fend me off. “Please don’t.”

  “Oh, now it’s, please don’t? What happened to the tough guy who was gonna take me out? Do you even know who the fuck I am?” I spit at his cowering body.

  “I know exactly who you are.” He managed to croak out between his painful cries. “You’re the brother who left me to take care of a sick parent, and the guy who took out the guys I had been working for, leaving me with nothing. And lastly, you’re the guy that took the only girl away from me that I’ve ever loved.”

  I raised the wrench again, but it fell from my grip as soon as the word brother came out of his mouth. “What are you talkin’ about?”

  “Which part?”

  I crouched down, grabbin’ the front of his shirt in my fist and bringin’ his face right up to mine. “The brother part.” I growled.

  “Did she not tell you? Yeah, I’m your little brother. Hard to swallow, isn’t it, Ruger Worthington?”

  I almost choked when I heard him use my real last name. “How do you know my last name?”

  “Because it’s mine too.”

  “And who is she?” I was prayin’ that Carson wasn’t the name that came out of his mouth.

  “Who do you think, Ruger?” My hand fell from his shirt as I fell back onto my ass. There was no way. Carson would never do this to me, would she?

  Sixteen

  Carson

  “Carson, your phone is ringing.” Lyndley’s voice broke through my thoughts like a knife.

  “Oh.” I muttered as I searched for my phone in my purse. It had now been seven hours since Ky last heard anything about Ruger, and all I could do was sit on the couch and stare off into space as so many different scenarios played out in my head.

  “Carson, it says Ruger on your phone.” I could hear the panic rise in Lyndley’s voice as she handed it to me.

  I slid the bar across and tried not to panic as I spoke. “Ruger?”

  “Yeah, it’s me.” From the tone of his voice, I could tell he wasn’t all that thrilled to be calling me.

  “Oh my god, are you okay? Where are you?” I tried to control the panic that was rising in my voice, but I couldn’t hold it back any longer.

  “Tell me it isn’t true, Carson.”

  “Tell you what isn’t true? Ruger you’re scaring me.” Ky came walking over to me, motioning for me to put him on speakerphone.

  “Tell me, god damn it!” He shouted, and I covered my ears.

  “Ruger, please just tell me where you are.”

  “Not until you tell me the truth. TELL ME THE FUCKING TRUTH, CARSON. TELL ME YOU KNEW THIS WHOLE TIME!” He was shouting so loud that the phone was sliding across the glass table in front of all of us.

  Ky looked up at me as I started to cry uncontrollably, and pressed his finger against his lips so I would be quiet. “Ruger, it’s Ky. Tell me where you are so I can come get you.”

  “Wakely, I’m only gonna tell ya once, stay the fuck out of it.”

  “I’m sorry Ruger, but I can’t. You’re scaring the shit out of her.”

  “Good. She should be scared. She has been lyin’ to me since the first day I fuckin’ met her. How could she not tell me that Trey was my little brother? How could she let me believe that what she felt for me was real, when she was hidin’ such a big secret from me?”

  My eyes went wide, and my hands flew to my mouth as the words came out of his mouth. Trey was Ruger’s little brother? I thought he didn’t have any siblings? “I swear he never told me.” I stuttered as I continued to sob.

  “LIAR!” He shouted.

  “Ruger, man. I believe her.”

  “Well I don’t. You know, I’ll bet you this whole Lyndley thing was just a ploy to get to me too.”

  “What do you mean?” Ky grabbed the phone and took it off of speakerphone as he walked out of the room.

  That’s when I let go and sobbed into my sister’s shoulder as she held my shaking body against hers. It felt like hours before Ky came walking back in, the phone no longer pressed against his ear. I looked up at him from under hooded eyes, but he just shook his head.

  “He’s off the rails. I don’t know what that little fuck told him, but he’s not listening to me. I’m so sorry, Carson.”

  “I swear I didn’t know.” I choked out.

  “I know you didn’t.” Ky came over and sat on the other side of me. “Carson, I need you to tell me what all you know about Trey. Can you do that?”

  I nodded as I reached for the glass of water that Lyndley had run to get me. I took a sip, and then started in on the story of Trey’s life. “I’ve been friends with him for forever. I knew his mom before she died and everything.”

  “It’s true. She’s been friends with him since they were real little.” Lyndley chimed in.

  “His mom died when he was sixteen. She left him the house they lived in, and some money. I never met his dad, and as far as I know neither had he. I don’t understand any of this.” I stood and started pacing across the living room. My red dress that I was still wearing from my party was all wrinkled and covered in tears, and it almost made me want to cry more. “How could I be so blind, and stupid?”

  “You’re not. I don’t think he plotted this out at nine years old. I honestly think that it is all just one big coincidence. I m
ean, once he found out who Ruger was, then I’m sure it was planned, but not before then.”

  I knew that Ky was just trying to comfort me, but there wasn’t much that would right now. The one man I thought would never question my loyalty or motives was now doing just that, and it was breaking me in two. “I’m gonna run up and change my clothes.” I got half way up the stairs and looked down at Ky. “Are you going to get him?”

  He shook his head. “He asked me to give him some time to figure this all out.”

  I nodded and finished making my way upstairs. As I opened my bedroom door, it all hit me at once. What I had done with him in here, the way he told me all about himself, and how he touched me so tenderly. I started to throw everything in my path, causing nothing but destruction. When everything I owned covered my floor, I dropped to my knees and broke down. When I felt the cold metal slap against my chest, I reached for the medallion that he had given me, ready to rip it off of my neck, but I felt a warm hand reach for mine.

  “Don’t. You’ll never forgive yourself.” As Lyndley spoke, her voice was cut off by Ky’s as he came barreling into the room.

  “Hurry up and get changed, both of you. I have an idea.”

  Lyndley and I looked at each other in confusion, but stood and did as we were told. I quickly changed into a pair of jeans and a baggy sweatshirt with a tank top underneath, and threw my hair up before grabbing my shoes and running down stairs. Within ten minutes, we were in Ky’s truck and heading to who knows where. I reached for the medallion that hung around my neck and silently prayed that all of this would get sorted out.

  “It’ll be okay, Carson. I’m glad you kept it on.”

  “Yeah, not that it’ll do much good, but who knows. Where are we going, Ky?”

  “We’re almost there. Don’t even worry about it.”

  As much as I trusted Ky, I wasn’t sure that his judgment was all in tact at the moment. Out of all of us, Ky knew Ruger the best. If anyone were going to be partial to anything Ruger said, it would be Ky. I sat staring out the window as trees and life passed by me in a blur. As much as I cared for Ruger, maybe it was good that I was seeing this side of him now as opposed to later. I didn’t want to be with anybody who didn’t trust me. I knew what a relationship like that felt like and I didn’t have the stomach to go through that again.