by Wade, Maddie
“Yeah, thank god,” Nate smiled back.
They were brought out of their discussion by shouting coming from upstairs. They stepped forward as one towards the magnificent staircase made of hand carved oak.
“Time to make our presence known, I think,” said Zack determinedly, starting up the stairs quickly, Nate one step behind him. They followed the sound of the escalating shouting down a long, elegant hallway. Stopping as, what appeared to be a glass, came sailing out from the door on the far left, and hitting the wall and shattering into hundreds of tiny pieces. Nate stopped, his hand moving to his weapon at the back of his waistband–he saw Zack doing the same.
The next minute a very pale butler came running out. He stopped short when he saw them and tried to regain his composure.
“You can’t be up here,” he said pretentiously
“Yeah, well I am. What you going to do?” said Nate, feeling pissed off beyond belief. This shit was going down and all he wanted was to find a, most likely, terrified out of his mind little boy.
“Out of the fucking way,” he said as he pushed past the butler into the room.
What he saw when he entered made his spine stiffen and his hand on his drawn gun tense. He couldn’t believe it–surely nobody’s bad luck was that bad. He stalked towards the bed and at the grinning, self-satisfied, smug face of his childhood nemesis.
The man who had tormented him, who had pursued him and had fucked his fiancée just to fuck with him, was lying in bed in all his naked glory.
“Tell me you are not Hugo Lockwood…” Nate growled, dangerously. He’d honestly never felt so close to losing his shit. His hand tightened again on his gun and his stance was rigid as he stood by the bed.
“Nate, what’s going on? Do you know Lockwood?” Zack asked from beside him, close enough to lock him down if needed.
“This is Lockwood?” Nate asked instead.
“Yes, this is Hugo Lockwood.”
“This is the Hugo Lockwood who left my woman alone and pregnant and abandoned his son?” he ground out.
“Yes, unfortunately. Now, Lockwood will you tell me why Nate looks ready to commit murder?”
Hugo Lockwood started to chuckle and both men’s eyes swung back to him.
“Shut the fuck up,” Zack commanded in a frigid voice, causing the smile to die on Lockwood`s smug mouth.
“When I knew him from my time at scout camps, he was known as Sam Reeves. He and his posse made my life a misery as a kid at those camps. And it got worse when ‘Sam’ decided he liked me and wanted a bit of this,” Nate said pointing to himself and indicating exactly what way he meant. “Then, when he couldn’t get his own way, he fucked my fiancé and made sure I would walk in and find them, and now you are telling me he is the father of my woman’s son?”
“Fuck. That is fucked up,” Zack said, shaking his head. “Sorry, man. I had no idea. Knew he was a prick, but not that he was that much of one. Shouldn’t be surprised, though. His dad was a prize prick, too.”
“Umm, I am right fucking here, you know, and this is my house,” Hugo said, recovering some of his arrogance. “You can’t just burst in here and insult and wave guns at me.”
“Think I just did,” replied Nate.
“Put some clothes on and get downstairs. We have some questions you are going to answer, and I don’t want to look at you naked while I do it,” Nate said disgustedly, waving his hand at Hugo and his nakedness. He was finished with the reunion. “We’ll wait outside, and please do something stupid to give me a reason to put a bullet in you.” Hugo must have known not to push his luck, because he just nodded.
Out on the landing, Zack looked at Nate, “You going to be cool” he asked?
“Trying, man, but what I know of this guy, he won’t make it easy.”
Zack nodded, “Yeah, I can see that. But we need to stay focused on Noah.” Nate cut his eyes to Zack, “I know that,” he said through gritted teeth.
Lockwood came out a few minutes later, dressed in dark slacks and a hunter green shirt, his hair still messy but his clothes immaculate. They started down the stairs–Hugo in front of them. He’d regained some of his swagger and decided to try to push Nate’s buttons.
“So, we both fucked the lovely Skye. She is rather beautiful and classy in a common sort of way.” Clearly, the look on Nate’s face and the muscle twitching in his jaw was not enough of a warning for Hugo to shut up. “Did she do that thing with her tongue? You know, the one that makes you feel like you are gonna blow any second if she doesn’t stop?” he asked smugly, and then, as if he had a death wish said, “Ha! You haven’t fucked her have you? Oh, man, are you in for a treat.”
Hugo tripped suddenly, after Zack pushed him the last few steps down the stairs, causing him to fall. Before he could get up, Zack had him up by the collar and punched him in the face.
“What the fuck!” Hugo whined, “You split my lip!”
“Well, shut that fucking mouth of yours and I won’t do it again. Be warned, dipshit. I was in control when I hit you. If I let him have a go at you, he’s not going to stop until Granny has to have you cleaned off the marble flooring.” Hugo cut them a scathing look, but shut up.
“Why’d you do that? You said I couldn’t.” Nate asked, slightly pissed that he hadn’t got his go at Hugo-Dickhead-Lockwood.
“Three reasons–one, I’m the boss, two, he was annoying me, and three, I’m not sure you would have stopped.” Nate huffed. He was probably right. When he’d start pounding that bastard, he probably wouldn’t stop.
Grabbing Hugo by the shoulder, Nate shoved him towards the first door they came to on the ground door. It was a large library; Nate was astounded by the opulence of it. The walls that were not covered in ancient books were a deep, dark red.
Ancient tapestries hung from the ceiling, and down the walls, there were even swords and shields displayed. A chaise lounge was in front of an open fireplace that was lit and roaring. Beside the lounge were an antique sofa and chairs set in a semi-circle round the fire. Behind the chaise was an antique, dark wood drinks cabinet with a cut glass crystal decanter filled with a dark, amber liquid. As if that wasn’t enough, two of the windows on the front were stained glass and depicted some sort of family crest with roses in it.
Hugo walked over to the crystal decanter, grabbed a glass and poured himself a healthy dose of whatever was in it. He knocked it back and glared at them.
“So, what do you want?” he asked, acid in his voice.
“Where were you on Saturday night between 10 pm and 1 am” Zack asked as he circled to the left, leaving Nate to stand near the door and only exit. Nate watched Hugo intently, looking for any tells he was lying as he spoke. And there it was. Hugo looked to his feet, then swallowed before answering. He was going to lie.
“I was here with grandmother.” Zack looked at Nate, who shook his head.
“Wrong answer. Come on, Hugo, don’t fuck with me. Now, try again or I’m going to let Nate have a go at using your face as a punching bag.” Nate stepped forward, playing his part, although, it wasn’t a part. He would happily pummel Lockwood’s smug face.
“Oh, please, lie again, dickhead. I just need one excuse to rip your head off.” Hugo didn’t look quite so cocky, now.
“I was, umm, I was with friends at a private party,” he hedged, looking uncomfortable, now. “Why are you asking me all this?”
“Because someone has kidnapped your son, you piece of shit and we are going to get him back. If I have to shoot every person I meet between now and when I find him to do that, I will. Because, you see, I love that boy and his mother, and I will stop at nothing to get him back to her. Now do you get it?” Nate had walked closer to Hugo as he spoke, his face barely containing his anger, his body tight, trying to control the desire to hit Hugo.
“Well, I didn’t take him,” he denied vehemently. “I was nowhere near Skye’s house on Saturday night.”
“Who said anything about Skye’s house?” Nate growled.
“Well,” Lockwood lounged back against the back of the sofa and rubbed at the back of his neck as if he didn’t have a care in the world, “I just assumed that he was, at home when it happened,” he defended cockily, not once looking them in the eye.
Nate lost it, then. This dickwad knew something, and he was going to tell him. Stalking up to Hugo, he grabbed him by the throat and pushed him nearly double against the back of the sofa, putting his gun muzzle to Lockwood’s temple. “Start talking,” he snarled.
Lockwood pulled at the hand locked tight around his throat, desperate for air.
“Let him breathe, Nate,” Zack said nonchalantly from beside him. He’d materialised there when Nate lost his patience. Loosening his grip a bit, Lockwood sucked back air.
“Fuck, you’re nuts man,” he wheezed.
“’Yeah, I am, so start talking before I shoot you.”
Hugo was just about to start talking when they all heard a screech from the door, “What is the meaning of this?”
They all turned to see a coiffed and demure Lady Lockwood standing at the door, with the smug butler behind her. She quickly, but elegantly, crossed to her grandsons side. Nate held fast to Hugo’s neck until Zack indicated to let go. He dropped his gun to his side and released his hold on his throat. Hugo stepped sideways, rubbing his neck and sucking back more air.
“Zack, what are you doing here? Why have you come into my home with your thugs and brutalised my grandson?”
Zack laughed. “Oh, please, Felicity. Let’s not pretend you don’t think that Hugo is the weak embarrassment to the Lockwood name. As to why I’m here, Hugo was just answering some questions about his son for us.”
Nate saw Felicity go stiff at those words and wondered what she knew. Was she in on this? Nate was certain Lockwood knew something about Noah, but did the old lady know, too?
“What about the boy?” She asked, cautiously.
“He was kidnapped on Saturday night, and as you can imagine, we had questions for the next of kin. Unfortunately for Noah, that means Hugo.”
“But, why are you and your mercenaries handling this and not the local police?”
Zack didn’t bother to explain the difference between what he did and what mercenaries did.
“Because Noah’s mum, Skye, is one of our friends and Nate here’s girlfriend” he said, pointing at Nate. “So, that makes it our business.” Felicity Lockwood turned her cold, imperious gaze to Nate. She gave him the once over, clearly finding him wanting.
“Well, we know nothing about it. And, it would seem to me, that if the boy is not safe with his mother, maybe it is time for Hugo fight go for custody.”
Nate felt the like his head was going to explode. Never in his life had he wanted to lay his hands on a woman in anger, but right then, he wanted to ring her scrawny neck. Zack must have sensed this, because he stepped in front of a growling Nate and got up in Felicity’s face.
“Saying that right now is very unwise, Felicity. And in light of your grandsons proclivities, I would think you ever gaining custody of Noah is unlikely wouldn’t you. If you gave a shit about your family, you would want to help, not grind his mother down further by saying fucked up shit like that. Also, if you cared so much, why is Nate the one giving your great-grandson the bone marrow transplant he needs instead of his father, who refused to be tested?”
Felicity looked at Hugo, “Is this true that you refused to give the boy bone marrow?” She asked with an ice-cold tone in her voice.
“Umm…well, I…”
“Spit it out, you stupid boy,” she said, losing her cool and cuffing the six foot Hugo behind the head. Nate saw him go red, and his nostrils flare angrily. “Well, did you? Oh, forget it, of course you did. Always out for yourself,” she said furiously.
Nate was surprised she had let her mask slip. God. what an utter bitch. No wonder Hugo was the way he was, being raised by that. He might not have had been rich growing up, but he never doubted he was loved by his family. This woman was as cold as a witch’s tit. In fact, witch felt like a good description, even if she was a well-dressed one.
“As fun as this is, we do have things to do. So if you wouldn’t mind answering the question we will be going,” Zack said, in a bored tone, contradicting the frustration Nate knew he was feeling.
“Well, go on then. Tell them what they want to know, Hugo,” she said, patting Hugo’s arm, almost kindly, as if the last few minutes hadn’t happened. She had gotten a grip on herself now and was back to showing her caring grandmother side.
Nate could see something flit through Hugo’s expression. The man hated this old lady, and if Nate wasn’t mistaken, he was close to snapping. But he wasn’t quite there, so he answered, “I was with some friends and we went to a private party. I had a few drinks, smoked a bit of weed, then came home. You can check with Delilah and Henrietta Ibbotson-Smythe and Ashby Clements–they were there, too.”
He looked like a child who was acting out and being told off by the head teacher. It made Nate wonder how this dipshit had ever managed to pull someone as clued in and wonderful as Skye. The thought of her with Lockwood soured his stomach.
It made him want to lay claim to her in the most intimate way possible. To eradicate Lockwood from her mind and body. If he could wipe any memory of this man from her, so that she was his for all time, he realised he would.
Concentrating on what Hugo said, not on his history with Skye, he thought about his answer. Although he felt Hugo was telling the truth just now, he was sure he knew something about what happened with Noah, and he would bet his house that Witch Lockwood did, too.
“Fine. We will check that out, we have all we need for now,” Zack said, watching Lady Lockwood intently, and making Nate wonder what he was thinking.
“We’ll show ourselves out.” Zack spun on his heel, ready to leave. But Nate stopped and got up into Hugo’s face, “Don’t forget, dipshit, you come near my woman or her boy again, this is not going to end with granny holding your hand. You get me? From now on, they cease to exist for you. If I find out differently, you’re going to be the one who ceases to exist, are we clear?” Nate watched Hugo swallow and fight not to take a step back. “Yes, we’re clear,” Hugo answered through pinched lips.
Nate turned his glare on Lady Lockwood, then, just to make sure she got it too. She had more backbone than her grandson, but she also had some sense, so she just glared back–lips pursed as if she was sucking a lemon. He strode to the door, then, and followed Zack out.
They climbed in the car and Zack turned to him, “You love her,” he accused.
“Yep,” he said, no more and Zack chuckled. “What is in the water–my men are dropping like flies.” He sobered then, though, “Sorry you had to deal with Hugo. I had no idea you had history.”
“Don’t sweat it. It’s done, it’s over. Skye and Noah are mine to protect, now, and I think I made that clear.”
“That you did, brother that you did.”
“So, he knows something. I think we can agree on that,” Zack said. “I’m going to get Lucy to concentrate on Hugo and Felicity Lockwood and keep Drew on general backgrounds. I’m also thinking I’ll bring Jack and his team in on this. See if they can get surveillance on this place and on Hugo and Felicity.”
“I think that’s a good plan. I have a very bad feeling about this. I know he is your friend, but if I get hold of this Kanan guy, I ‘m going to rip his head off. What he’s putting Skye and Noah through can’t be justified, no matter what he says.” Zack nodded his understanding, “I get that, and I wouldn’t call us friends, now. More like acquaintances.” A look of regret crossed Zack’s face before he could stop iy, but Nate said nothing. Whatever that was about was his business.
Zack put the call in to Lucy as he drove. He also called Jack Granger and got him to put a team on surveillance. They were just driving back into Hereford when Zin called.
“Zin, talk to me,” Zack answered.
“Just had a call come into Fortis, Celeste
Bourdain wants to come in and see about the job. I told her we would call with a time.”
“Okay. Daniel is there checking out the outdoor training facility in the woods. Call him and ask to meet with her ASAP. I want her there today.”
“Done,” Zin replied and disconnected. This did not surprise Nate; Zin was not one for words if a chin lift or glare could accomplish the same thing.
He should call Skye and give her an update, but he wanted to be very careful with what he told her. They didn’t know for a fact the Lockwood`s were involved and he didn’t want to upset her or her get her hopes up in case they were wrong–not that he thought they were–but he would rather gauge her reaction and talk to her face to face.
He shot of a quick text, telling her he’d be home in half an hour.
Chapter Eleven
Nate let himself into Skye’s bungalow using the key she’d given him a few months ago. He was a little concerned she hadn’t texted him back. He walked down the hallway, feet quiet on the dark laminate flooring. Entering the kitchen, he saw Lizzie was washing the dishes from what looked like lunch.
She was, as usual, dressed in smart, cigarette leg trousers and a classy wine coloured jumper. She looked like the epitome of elegance. Lizzie always dressed like this. Nate couldn’t ever remember her in jeans, even as young girl. She was class from head to toe. Running her own successful antiques shop, he guessed she had to portray a certain look, and she pulled it with aplomb.
Her dark hair was pulled back into a chignon at the nape of her neck. He liked Lizzie, because despite her elegant look and her put together appearance, when you got to know her, she was just like Lucy. And she could put away jaeger bombs with the best of them. He was pleased she was here with Skye. He liked Reg, but he trusted Lizzie.
“Hey, Liz.” Lizzie jumped and held a hand to her chest as she spun to face him.
“Nate. I didn’t hear you come in.” Nate put his hand out to steady her.
“Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. Where’s Skye?”