by Dani Wyatt
My heart jumps into my throat. Walker doesn’t have the funds until tomorrow. One more day and Marco would have nothing. “How did you know?”
He chuckles. “Little girls shouldn’t play a man’s game, Mia. Roman Hendrik? See, he and I have some mutual connections. Your friend,” he emphasizes the word, “pissed him off. After I found out where you were, it was easy. Seems you and your father’s former partner didn’t make any friends in your new start in life. I paid Roman for his information on you and also to leave you both alone until I could get here I don’t care about Walker, so I’ll let Roman have him. And I get you. This is how a gentleman does business, sweet girl. Well, I get you. And this place. It’s quite nice. I like my new acquisition.”
“Take it. I’ll live in a box before I’ll marry you.” For the first time, my attachment to Tensfield evaporates and I realize what makes me feel safe are the people in my life, not the place.
“I will take it. I’ll also take Nana.”
My skin goes cold.
“No, you won’t.”
“Too late, actually.” Marco stands, stuffing the paper back inside his jacket. “She’s already on the private jet by now. See, we came in and took her first. So if you want to see her again—”
“If you hurt her, I swear I’ll kill you! I’ll tear your balls off.” Hatred swirls in my brain. “I don’t know how or when, but I promise I will. I will end your life if you touch one hair on her head.”
His laugh only ignites more fury.
“Such a different girl I like it. But, I’m a businessman, Mia. I’m only collecting on what’s rightfully mine. No need for any more violence. As you can see, if I’d just wanted to hurt you, take you by force, I would have. I use leverage. Not violence. That’s not my style.” He leans in, clapping his hands with a grin. When he stands back upright, his face hardens. His eyes darken. “Now, I’m done fucking around. Nana is on that plane. You want to see her again? Then you will marry me, simple. So, let’s go, my patience is wearing thin.”
I hesitate. Not because I’m considering his offer. I’m furious, and I need to delay him. Every second is a second closer to Walker getting home to look for me. “I’ll need to bring a few things. I need my insulin...you do know I need insulin, right?”
He shrugs. “Just get it. And hurry up.”
I pack a quick bag, throwing a few clothes in for good measure, making it look like I’m being hasty but trying my damnedest to use up some time.
Blood rushes in my ears as we make our way down the hall. Outside, a black limousine is idling and as we approach, the driver holds open the back door.
“Put her bag in the trunk.” Marco nods toward the driver who holds my bag and answers with a returning nod.
As I lower myself into the back, I force a slight smile on my lips trying to make him think he’s won. Marco nods as he comes up behind me, “That’s a good girl.”
My blood goes cold hearing his words. I take a seat in one of the rear-facing seats so I can see out of the back and Marco sits in front of me, settling himself against the leather. A moment later, the driver shuts the door behind him, and there’s a click as the trunk swings open, followed by the muffled thud of my bag being thrown inside.
I watch the driver slam the trunk lid and I swear I read irritation on his face. Not the face of a loyal comrade in arms and I wonder if he may be a weak link in Marco’s chain. My last thought as Tensfield grows smaller in the rear window of the limo is that Walker has to find me. For my sake, sure, but I also know that if he doesn’t his heart will never be the same.
C H A P T E R T H I R T E E N
Walker
I’M SURPRISED I HADN’T yet received a call from Mia after the time the cab was scheduled to pick her up. I was expecting her to back out. Not because I don’t have faith in her. I do. I just also know her fear of going out in the world. I know that it embarrasses her, and how badly she wants to overcome it.
I made sure I was at Albert’s forty-five minutes early, just in case she got there and panicked when she didn’t see me. I already have nightmares about all the times I wasn’t there for her over the years, I swore to myself there would be no more of those as long as I can help it.
But now it’s 1:03 p.m. and I’m the one starting to panic. I never expected her to make me wait. Well, unless you count the ten years I waited...but that was different. I mean waiting for her to arrive somewhere.
Every time we’ve gone out, we’ve been together. And I didn’t realize how nervous it would make me knowing she was on her own outside of Tensfield.
Sweat begins to coat my palms and a tightness gathers in my lower back. I should be on cloud nine; I had another blistering hot trading day and my bank account is gathering zeros faster than I ever expected.
I’ve already bought and paid for a black Mercedes 600 sedan for Mia. She’ll be behind the wheel as soon as I get her through driver’s ed. I’ve hired a private teacher for her, and that’s going to be a surprise I give her tomorrow when I’m finally able to tell her the tax lien is paid in full. I’ve got the funds cleared and we could go today, but I want to enjoy our lunch and put in a few more hours of work today. I’m on a streak and I’m twitchy to get back to things once we are done with lunch. The payoff for Tensfield can wait for tomorrow.
I glance at my watch. 1:08 p.m. And now I want to cause harm to the cab driver for not picking her up on time, or for taking some long fucking route here to cash in.
The irony is, if he’d dropped her here on time I’d have given him a hell of a fucking tip.
I glance around the room and see the waiter heading my way
“Something you need, sir?”
“No.” My surly reply sends him stepping back as I grab my phone and dial Mia.
When she doesn’t pick up, I end the call and try again.
Nothing. Voicemail.
The hairs on my arms stand up on end, even under my dress shirt and jacket sleeves. Something is wrong. This isn’t just a loose cab driver. I feel it down into the marrow of my bones.
My next call is to the taxi company.
“What the fuck is going on?” Faces turn my way, but I don’t care. Anyone says shit and I’ll feed him his own ass. “I hired a driver to pick up at 1245 Maxfield, gave him the fucking gate number. Did he do the pickup or not?”
I’m on my feet now, ready for something but even I’m not sure what.
“Let me check, sir.” The woman on the other end of the phone must sense I am not playing. She puts me on hold and I hold my breath. Another minute clicks by as my heart slams around in my chest.
“Sir.” Her voice comes back on and my muscles twitch. “He arrived as you ordered to the address at 12:40 PM. He honked, knocked and waited until 12:50. When he received no reply he left.”
“What the fuck? Why the fuck didn’t you call me?”
I’m already slamming my arm into the door, exiting the restaurant.
“Sir, that’s not our normal procedure. If someone misses a pickup—”
I end the call and I’m at a run to my car, screaming at the valet to toss me my keys as I go by.
He reaches into the shack and tosses them in an arc, and I snag them from the air.
I’m in the car and spinning my tires out of the parking lot, redialing her phone repeatedly on the chance I get an answer from my sweet girl, embarrassed that she couldn’t make herself get into the cab. In my heart, I know that’s not about to happen, but I have to try or I’ll tear myself apart.
I hit the gas as I hit the freeway. It’s usually a fifteen-minute drive but I make it in seven. I nearly run a few people off the road as I go and it’s a wonder I don’t tear the steering wheel off the column, I’m gripping it so hard.
Rage engulfs me. If she’s fine and just couldn’t do it, I’ll understand. Jesus, right now I’ll be over the moon. But my mind tells me if that’s the case then why isn’t she answering her phone? That just doesn’t sit right. And my connection to her is so strong, so
mething tells me it’s more than just her fear that’s kept her from me.
By the time I scream to a stop in front of the door at Tensfield, my pulse is in the red. Inside the house, I’m screaming her name as I storm into the bedroom. When I see her red dress, the lingerie I bought her and the shoes still sitting on the bed, my blood turns cold. Her wet towel is in a heap on the bedroom floor.
Something is wrong. Very fucking wrong.
I’m inside my dresser drawer in an instant. It’s something I swore I’d never do again, but right now nothing else matters but finding Mia and I’ll break every rule I’ve ever made for myself to make that happen.
When I unlock the heavy metal box and reach inside there’s a shift inside me. That hardness I thought I’d broken forever covers my heart as my fingers curl around the grip of the Desert Eagle. The gun was a gift from Mia’s father, something he said might one day be necessary. I’ve never had to use it, but who knows, maybe he was right after all.
I slip it into the back of my pants and take the stairs two at a time.
Inside Nana’s room, my worst fears are only more solidified. Her computer monitor is on the floor. Her mouse and keyboard are across the room, and she’s nowhere to be seen.
My next move is calling her phone. I dial Nana’s number and wait, listening.
Nothing. Silence.
Outside her room, I try Mia’s phone again. In this massive old house, the ring will echo.
But there’s nothing.
I pull up the tracking app and find Mia’s on the move. I never installed it on Nana’s phone, my obsession with her isn’t the same as my girl and frankly, guess I didn’t figure she would ever be out without one of us.
Mia’s not far away, maybe five minutes south. I can close that distance. I have to.
Seconds later I’m in my car, tires squealing as I pull down the street and after that little blinking red dot on the screen of my phone.
Weaving in and out of traffic, I’m making five minutes into two. The dot is getting closer and I see a limo up ahead. I slow, biding my time as I gather my breath and feel the indent of the gun against my back.
The limo starts to swerve. Once.
Then twice.
The luxury car rights itself speeds ahead and off at the next exit
He finally pulls into the parking lot of an empty gas station just off the freeway. The driver’s door is already opening just as I skid to a stop behind the car and I’m out of my car and on them in a second. The driver snaps a glance my way, but dives toward the trunk and my mind runs through the scenarios. A gun? Why keep it in the trunk and not beside him in the cab?
The back door of the limo opens just as I’m coming upon it, and inside I see Mia laying on the floor. Her eyes are closed, and my stomach clenches tight as a tall fuck exits the vehicle.
I’m on him in a heartbeat, hoping to use him as leverage against the driver.
His throat is in my hand in my next breath and I’m pushing him so hard against the open door of the car his feet come off the ground.
His hands come to grip my forearms, toiling to pull them apart and give him some relief, but my grip is stronger than he’ll ever be.
As his jacket spreads open, I see the strap of a leather holster.
I reach to my back, pulling out then pressing the gun barrel to his forehead. “Your fucking move, your brains will the all over the top of this car.”
The driver comes up from behind.
“Don’t or you’re next,” I grunt out and he raises one hand, holding the other at shoulder level with a small black duffel I recognize from when I bought some things over to Tensfield.
I reach the holster inside the jacket, following the leather until I pull out the black 5mm and shove it in the back of my pants.
“I’m just a hired driver, man!” The small tuxedoed man says. “That girl, she’s sick or something, she needs something in here...”
“Insulin,” I mutter, glancing around the guy I’m holding to see Mia’s eyes open slowly.
When her gaze meets mine, she winks and nods, and immediately I catch her signal.
Relief floods through me, but the rage doesn’t subside. Someone took her and for that, there will be revenge.
The driver keeps his distance as I grind the gun barrel centered between the fuck’s eyes I’m holding.
“He hurt you, baby?” I call to Mia, snapping my eyes between the two men.
“Nope. All good in here.” Mia exits the opposite door, much to the driver’s obvious surprise. “That’s Marco, my former fiancé. Thought that ring he forced on my finger actually meant something. I told him he was mistaken, that my father’s deal died with him, but he’s a slow learner.”
I tighten my lips against my teeth and suck in air before addressing Marco. “You learn slow, huh? You’re gonna turn over a new leaf. Because this is your one and only chance to understand what I’m telling you. You ever come back. You lay one fucking finger on her. I will toss your limp, lifeless body into a wood chipper and watch you spray all over.”
He grinds his teeth, but I take his silence as understanding.
Mia is beside me, pressing her body close, needing to feel my strength. And I’ve got enough for the both of us.
“But they have Nana,” she says, her voice breaking in panic. But that catch in her words only spurs my vitriol.
“Where is she?” I narrow my eyes at Marco, pull the gun back and smack the metal on the top of his head before moving it to his temple this time, but he stares at me, some sort of victory in his eyes. “Tell me or I swear to God—”
Silence, so I turn to the driver whose eyes flash with fear. He eyes Marco, then me and I see uncertainty.
“You better have words.” Mia’s voice startles me as she speaks then reaches into where I shoved Marco’s firearm, stepping forward and raising it to point at the driver.
My instinct is to tell her to stop, she’s going to get hurt. But when I see the determination in her eyes I hesitate and let her go.
Mia steps toward the back of the car, the gun raised. Marco starts to speak and I cut off his air with my fingers around his windpipe.
“No talking,” I order then turn back to watch Mia.
The driver’s hands turn upward as he raises them by his sides.
“I don’t have a gun. I just took the job for the money,” the driver pipes up. “They are at the Murphy Airport. A private jet is there waiting. My partner drove the older lady. I’ll take you, no police report. I’ve got a family man. I needed the money. I’m sorry.”
“Good man.” I nod at the driver, who’s shaky smile tells me he’s happy to save his own ass.
“I knew he’d give it up.” Mia turns back to me with a smile. “The driver stopped the car as soon as I said I was sick, even when Marco was telling him not to.”
“Okay.” I nod then turn to Marco. “Now, strip, motherfucker.” I step back and grab Marco by the front of his suit, spin him around and wait.
I run a hand through my hair and slow my breathing, glancing over at Mia who still has the gun on the driver.
“Baby, you sure you’re okay?” Just imagining someone hurting her has white spots clouding my vision.
“I’m fine. Totally fine.” She spins and glares at Marco turning her gun barrel toward him. “Didn’t you hear him? Strip, asshole.”
I bob my eyebrows and flick the barrel of my gun back to the driver with a jerk of my head. He understands and moves slowly back toward the driver’s door.
Marco’s hands come to his tie and his strip tease starts.
“Get in the car baby.”
“I’ll keep my gun on the driver until you’re inside.” She’s turning into quite the little mobster. I hold back a smile because as much as I want to chuckle at her, we are both holding guns on people that just tried to kidnap her.
Mia does as I ask and climbs into the back of the limo. A few minutes later, Marco is hunched naked behind the building.
I address
Marco. “Kick your clothes into a pile right here, keep your hands on your head while you do.”
He does as I say and I grab the pile and step back to the open door of the waiting car tossing the clothes inside.
“Drive,” I command as I get into the front passenger seat and shut the door. I put my window down and keep pointing the gun at Marco until I feel the limo move forward. “You’ve earned my respect by telling me where Nana is. Don’t fuck up that good will. Take us there and tell me who else from their side is going to be there.”
The limo’s speed increases as we pull out of the gas station leaving Marco naked as the driver spills everything.
“It’s just one other guy.” The driver’s voice is heady as we speed down the expressway toward the airport.” He didn’t seem too happy when they took that older lady out of the house either. But, that guy we just left back there...he was tossing around a lot of smack about the money. He didn’t seem much like a tough guy just more like a bully with a checkbook.”
One thing I’ve learned over the years, you can’t buy loyalty with the Benjamins. It comes from somewhere much deeper.
The driver keeps going, “And that old lady? I heard them saying she was throwing stuff at them when they went to get her.”
Go, Nana.
“Hey, baby.” I turn and glance in the backseat. Mia is looking back at me with red-rimmed eyes. “You okay? Did he touch you? Are you feeling okay?”