I wanted him to know that I was proud of him for his accomplishments in his real life and in his life this week. I was sure that his brother was proud of him, too. It appeared as if he’d learned to see the world in a new way over the last few days. I didn’t know him prior to this week, but the man that I knew was incredible.
I wanted to tell him that I didn’t care if he was a billionaire or a bum. I wanted him either way. I wanted the man who sat barefoot in my kitchen with damp hair and a lopsided smile, humming around my French toast and asking me a ceaseless slew of questions. I wanted the man who stayed up all night working and then wanted to go to the market with me, just so we could spend a little more time together.
I watched him for another minute, but when they were ready to lock up, I decided to wait outside. The bar owner didn’t seem too thrilled about having me there while Jackson finished his cleanup. He said that there was a park across the street, so I walked out into the cool night air, clearing my head.
I jumped when a strong hand, covered in a leather glove, smashed into my face, covering my mouth and nose, cutting off my scream.
He stood behind me, pulling me flush against his body and wrapping his other arm around my neck.
“I knew you’d lead me to him,” he said, in my ear, just before my air supply cut off.
Chapter 17: What’s Most Important
Jackson
I felt drained. Physically and emotionally, this one was one of the most strenuous weeks of my life. Explaining my journey to Alissa had really brought it all home for me. In a few short days, I had gone from a corporate tycoon, to a homeless bum, to a regular guy working in a bar who was trying desperately to impress an amazing woman. It had been a lot to experience.
She had been incredibly quiet the whole night. No one could listen like Alissa, and it made me want to pour my heart and soul out to her. I was cleaning as fast as I could. I was excited to finally hear her thoughts on the whole thing. She hadn’t walked out on me yet, and I took that to mean that she wasn’t angry. She would probably tell me I was an idiot, but I could live with that. I would do it a thousand times over if it brought me to her door again.
I had it bad for this woman.
I had decided to let Buddy, the bar owner, know that I would not be continuing this job.
All good things must come to an end. It really was pointless now that Alissa knew the truth, and I needed to return to my real life to deal with the Nick Carver situation.
Fucking Nick. I hadn’t been sure how to explain that whole thing to Alissa. She knew pretty much nothing about my business, and I wasn’t sure that I really wanted to go into detail, but she had already had one run in with him, and I wanted her to be wary. I didn’t trust him or Kayla, and I wanted Alissa to know that. I didn’t want her to be anywhere near them ever again.
I told Alissa about Ben and the pictures he had taken of her in the lobby of my building. I thought she might be upset that she had been followed, but she actually seemed to relax when she learned that she wasn’t alone. That was good. Clearly Nick had put some fear into her. I thought that was probably healthy for the time being.
I also explained how Ben had gotten pictures of Kayla at Nick’s apartment. I didn’t want to frighten Alissa any more than necessary, but I knew that Nick could be ruthless, and I had worked with Kayla long enough to know that she could be incredibly aggressive as well. Now that I thought about it, they were a perfect match. I wondered how I had missed the connection.
They had obviously been working together and planning this for a while. I was going to have to put an end to it very soon.
I put down the dirty dishrag and started to restock the beer fridge. It didn’t matter right now. All that mattered was Alissa. I was going to buy her a pizza and listen intently to everything she wanted to say to me, and then I was going to throw her over my shoulder caveman style and drag her home to my penthouse apartment where I would spend the rest of the night worshiping her beautiful body and listening to her sweet voice crying out my name.
Well, maybe not... I was really trying hard to be a gentleman, but the more time I spent with this girl the more I wanted her. I hadn’t had an appropriate moment to kiss her yet, but I had every intention of rectifying that oversight as soon as possible. She’d only been outside for five minutes, and I was already desperate to see her again.
When I was done with the beer, I called out to Buddy that I was leaving. He yelled back a
“see you later,” and I stepped out into the night. I crossed the street to the little park where I expected to find Alissa waiting for me, but the park was empty.
“Alissa?” I said into the night. There was no response. I scanned the street. Everything was still and quiet. “Alissa?” I called a little louder, trying not to let the panic creep into my voice. Where was she?
“Alissa is occupied at the moment.” Nick stepped out from a clump of trees. He had her in a headlock and she was clutching his arms, clearly unable to breath. Her feet kicked wildly, but she was unable to reach him. In his other hand was a sleek black pistol. The barrel of which was pressed to her lower back, right around the kidneys.
How could I let this happen?
“She’s in good hands. You cooperate with me, and she’ll be fine.”
“I will not negotiate on this. Let her go, and then we’ll talk.” I looked around. Where was Ben? Weren’t those guys following him?
“I tried to work out a reasonable business deal with your brother, but it turns out that he’s too loyal to you. So, I’ll just have to make my bargain another way.”
Alissa
Don’t pass out. Don’t pass out.
A dark sedan pulled up to the curb and Nick dragged me towards it. A fierce looking brunet woman got out of the driver’s seat and opened the back door so that Nick could force me inside.
“Get in the car, Jackson,” Nick said before slamming the door. I made an attempt to escape out the other side of the car, but he never released his hold on me, and my struggle only made my arm blossom with a fresh bolt of pain.
“It’s nice to meet you, Alissa,” the woman said, “the girl who finally got the great Jackson Hayes’ attention. I’ve worked with him for more than five years, and the self-absorbed prick has never given me the time of day.” There was jealousy and spite in her voice. “But I think he’ll pay attention this time.”
She worked with Jackson...
Kayla. This was Kayla.
Jackson got into the passenger seat while Nick continued to hold me at gunpoint.
“I know you’re not stupid, Jackson,” Nick said. “Which is how I know that you’re going to behave yourself until we arrive at our destination. Take your cell phone out of your pocket and toss it back here.”
Jackson did as he asked, and the phone fell to the floor in the backseat.
“Drive, Kayla.”
The car pulled away from the curb. I tried to control my breathing. It was better now that I could breath, but Nick still had a very firm grip on me, and I wasn’t about to risk getting shot. A few minutes later, we arrived at a warehouse in the old industrial part of town. They hadn’t bothered to blindfold us or try to disguise the location in anyway. A small part of me realized that we probably wouldn’t be leaving here alive.
Nick pulled me out of the car, never taking the gun away from me, and Jackson followed us into the building like an obedient puppy.
A chair scraped across the floor. Nick sat down and then pulled me up onto his lap. The sudden movement was too much for my stomach on top of the fear. I turned my head to the side and vomited all over the bare cement floor.
“Well now,” Nick laughed, “I can certainly see the attraction that Jackson has to you.
That was very lady like.”
He thought this was funny? This was like some kind of a sick game to him.
He pulled my hair back roughly with one hand and locked the other around my waist. I tried to struggle, but I could do nothing except lay limpl
y against him. Kayla was now in my line of sight. She was sneering at me. I don’t think she approved of my position on her boyfriend’s lap. Well, join the club. I didn’t like it much either.
“Now Alissa,” he said “you’re going to remain very still and do exactly as I tell you.”
“Let her go, Nick.”
“All in good time, Jackson,” Nick said. “You need to make a few phone calls first.
You’re going to wire five hundred million dollars to the offshore accounts that you see listed there. Distribute the money evenly.”
Kayla handed Jackson a white piece of paper from the industrial desk in the corner.
“You fucking bitch,” he spat at her.
Nick dug the barrel of the gun into my throat, and I let out an involuntary squeak.
“I require your full attention, Jackson,” Nick said calmly, as if he was really in the boardroom processing a negotiation instead of holding a gun to my head. “After you transfer the money, we will be borrowing your private jet. You will see us safely into the air. When I am sure that no one will be disrupting our flight, I will release Alissa back to you.”
“Release her to me how?” Jackson asked.
I couldn’t believe that they were even discussing it. It wouldn’t come to that. He couldn’t pay all that money for me anyway.
I coughed. I felt light headed like I couldn’t get enough air. None of this was making any sense.
I tried to stop when I saw the worry in Jackson’s eyes, but I just couldn’t control it. I was crying and gasping for breath. Nick pushed the gun up under my chin.
“Shut up,” he hissed in my ear.
Oh God. This is what it feels like to die.
Everything after that happened in a blur. Jackson was running full speed towards me. I was falling. My head hit the concrete, and the lights went out.
Chapter 18: The End of the Whole Mess
Jason
“Nick did what?” I said.
I got this crazy call from Ben telling me that Nick was holding Alissa and Jackson hostage. My head was still foggy with sleep, and Shelby was glaring at me for waking her.
I got out of bed and pulled on some clothes. “Yeah, I’ll call the cops. Yeah, calm down.
Where is he headed? Yeah, I have the address for his warehouse. I’ll meet you there.” I hung up the phone. Calling the cops was not something that I was looking forward to. I had a feeling that this was about to get very complicated. I made the call anyway and explained the situation as best I could.
The cop on the phone suddenly got a lot more interested when I mentioned Alissa’s name. He asked me repeatedly if I meant Alissa Allen, Mark Allen’s daughter. I had no idea who her parents were, but I offered that she owned a restaurant, and apparently that was enough information. They were dispatching four officers immediately to the warehouse where we thought that Nick was headed.
I told Shel that I needed to take care of something with Jackson and headed out into the night. I took the Jeep. It was the most versatile vehicle that I had, and God only knew what I would be getting myself into tonight.
Part of me was really hoping that Ben was blowing this whole thing out of proportion. It was always possible, but my gut told me that this was serious. Being the type that showed little emotion, I had never seen him so worked up over anything.
Apparently, Ben had been following Nick, as we’d asked him to, but when Nick parked himself on a bench across the street from the bar where Jackson had been working, Ben had taken the opportunity for a bathroom break. By the time that he had returned from the Wendy’s up the street, Nick had grabbed Alissa and was training a gun on her.
Not seeing a good opportunity to intervene, he’d gotten in his car and was now following them through an industrial part of town. Nick had a warehouse in the area, which I assumed was their intended destination.
When I arrived, I spotted Ben’s car up the street. I parked on the other side of the building and got out. One of the warehouse side doors had been left open, and I could hear shouting inside. The police weren’t here yet. I circled the outside of the building hoping to find another entrance. I didn’t think bursting right into the middle of everything right now was wise. I slipped in through an open loading dock, noting how the security in this place sucked.
I moved along in the dark trying not to trip over anything and alert them to my presence.
Moving behind a stack of boxes, I could get a pretty good view of the situation.
Jackson was facing Nick who had his back to me and was sitting in a chair with someone draped across his lap: Alissa presumably. It looked like he had a gun in his hand, but I couldn’t be sure. Kayla was standing between Jackson and Nick.
I nearly screamed when Ben laid his hand on my shoulder, but I was very glad that I hadn’t.
I was a good twenty steps from Nick’s chair, but I was pretty quick for my size. I thought I could probably run full speed and tackle Nick before Kayla could alert him to my presence. It was a gamble though, especially for Alissa. I didn’t want for her to get hurt in the process.
The sirens in the distance alerted me that it was now or never. Nick was about to be made aware of our presence either way, and I thought that it was safer to try to take him down now.
Who knew what he would do when the cops came in with guns drawn?
Using some of our old football signals, I did my best to explain my plan to Ben with hand gestures, and he seemed to understand. He nodded that he was ready.
I took a step out from the boxes and sprinted to Nick. Kayla saw me about five steps in, but Ben was faster. He lunged at Kayla just as I was reaching Nick.
I went for the gun first, pulling it away from him. It clattered to the floor, but unfortunately, so did Alissa. Jackson was immediately on top of Nick, punching him repeatedly in the face. Alissa was crumpled up on the cement. She was bleeding pretty badly from her head.
“Jackson, get Alissa,” I said.
He looked up at me with wild eyes, not really comprehending. When he looked at her bloody form, he let out a strangled cry and released Nick. He pulled Alissa into his arms and began desperately trying to wake her.
Kayla took off running, but I barely noticed.
Nick was still fighting, also trying to make a break for the door, but I caught him and pinned him to the floor. He was no match for my size.
It had all happened so quickly that I hadn’t heard the cops arrive. They burst in and held everyone in place at gunpoint. They called for an ambulance while Ben and I did most of the explaining. I was afraid that Jackson was in shock. He was rocking back and forth on the floor with Alissa in his arms. In all the years that I’d known him, I had never seen Jackson cry like that. They were both completely covered in her blood.
A few minutes later, both Jackson and Alissa left in the ambulance. I stayed behind to help the police sort everything out.
It took us all a few minutes to realize that Kayla was no longer present. Ben had shoved her out of the way, so that we could get to Nick, but she had taken off running before the cops showed up. My attention had been focused on Nick. The police were mostly concerned with getting Alissa to a hospital. Somehow in the confusion, she had simply disappeared.
The police sent a car out after her, making the assumption that she couldn’t have gone far. I was hopeful that she would turn up.
Alissa
Ouch. Somebody turn out the lights. I groaned. My head was killing me.
“Alissa?” My angel’s voice. Jackson.
His face came into view blocking the blinding fluorescents. His hair was a disaster. He had a bruised cheek, a cut above his eye that had recently gotten stitches, and a swollen lip. He never looked more perfect. He was okay. We were going to be fine.
“Alissa, can you hear me?”
Yes, Jackson. I hear you. My mouth was dry; I couldn’t quite talk.
A doctor appeared. “Hello, Miss Allen,” he said. “Can you tell me how you’re feeling?” He shined a
pen light in my eyes, and I flinched away. What’s with the lights in this place?
I licked my lips. He turned sideways, and then held a cup of water up to my lips. Much better.
“Jackson,” I breathed. He appeared at my other side and took my hand.
“I’m right here, baby,” he said.
Baby. I like that. I tried to smile, but it hurt.
The doctor talked for a while. I had a concussion, and numerous bruises, and they had given me something for the pain that was making me feel a little loopy. That was okay. I would recover.
“Alissa!!!” I could hear him from the hallway.
Oh no. Someone had called my dad. This wasn’t exactly how I planned on having him meet Jackson. I tried to sit up.
“Stay still, Alissa,” Jackson said. “We can move the bed if you want to sit up.”
“Yes, please,” I requested. Jackson found the remote for the bed and lifted my head up so that I could see. My dad barreled into the room in full uniform with his gun at his hip. Oh great.
“Alissa,” he said, stopping at the foot of the bed. “Are you okay? What happened?” Jackson cleared his throat to get his attention. “Chief Allen? I’m Jackson Hayes,” he said extending his hand. My Dad didn’t shake it. Not good. Jackson lowered his hand, not seeming to be offended.
“Sir, Alissa has been through a lot, and the doctor wants her to rest. I think it would be best if I told you what happened.”
“It’s okay, Jackson,” I said quietly. “I’m fine. I just need a drink.” He brought me the water from the bedside table.
“You sure?” he asked me with concern in his eyes. “I think you should rest.”
“I will in a minute.” Wanting my dad to like Jackson, I wasn’t about to let their first discussion be an argument over my safety.
I started by assuring my dad that I was okay. Then I worked backwards through the story explaining about Nick and Kayla. He already knew most of this. The police had called him en route to the scene. My dad was good friends with several members of the neighboring police force and news traveled fast in the system.
The Billionaire Bum Page 10