I was wrong and now I’m being kidnapped because I wasn’t as thorough in my job as I should’ve been. And they’re right. Zack’s going to freak when I’m not there. I have to think of a way out of this. I’ve been trained, I should know what to do.
“We’re going to walk out of here quietly now. Stand on her other side, Jim. And Kev, you walk behind us. Don’t even think of trying anything.”
Dex takes his hand off my mouth, but pushes his gun further into my side. I get the hint. I’ll be shot if I scream or make a scene. And I may be well trained, but there’s three of them, and only one of me. Lindsey and Jack stop us before we can get very far.
“Goodnight everyone. I see you’re looking after Ainsley for Zack.”
“That we are. We know how much it means for him to have her at the game tomorrow.”
Lindsey knows something’s wrong—I can see it in her eyes. “I forgot to tell you that I talked to your mother today, and told her what a great job you’re doing. She said I should call your Aunt Jane and tell her as well. She was worried that Jane was mad at you.”
“If you could call her, that’d be great. I definitely want her to know what’s been going on. Thanks so much, Lindsey.”
I know she’ll call Jane as soon as she can, so I’m a little calmer as I’m walked to my car. They’ll activate my tracker and find me. Dex tells Kevin to get in the front seat and then pushes me into the back with him. Coach gets in his own car and heads in another direction. As soon as I get into the car, my hope fades. Dex is holding my arm against me as he pulls a Taser out of his jacket pocket. He shocks me on my side right next to my arm. I know it’s too close to my tracker which will make it malfunction, and as I fall into the blackness, I realize that I’m probably going to die.
My prediction hasn’t come true yet since I eventually wake up. I don’t know why they haven’t killed me yet, but I thank God for keeping me alive. I’m chained to a wall in a dark basement. At least, I think it’s a basement. It is pitch black in here, and I can’t get my bearings. If I’m going to survive, I need to start planning.
I’m really hungry, but since there’s no chance of me getting food unless one of them comes back, I will my mind to overcome my hunger. It doesn’t completely work, but I can’t dwell on that now. I pull on the chains that are wrapped around my body, but they don’t budge at all. I try to suck in my breath to see if I can wiggle free by making myself smaller, but it’s no use. One of those guys is smart. My money’s on Dex.
With no windows or clock, I really don’t know how long I’ve been down here. None of them can miss the game, so I think I have time to sleep. The more rest I can get, the stronger I’ll be. My only hope right now is that they’ll unchain me before killing me. I’ll fight them using everything I know and all the strength that’s left in me, if that happens.
I close my eyes and think of Zack as I fall asleep. I say a prayer that he’ll be okay and play a good game, even while he’s distracted with me not being there.
Chapter 15
Zack
I can’t believe Ainsley’s not here. Coach said she called him and said she’s not feeling well. But she’s not answering my texts or calls. I thought everything had been going great, but I must have done something wrong. I’ve wracked my brain, but I can’t come up with what it could be. She kissed me when we said goodbye last night, so I know she wasn’t mad then.
I can’t dwell on it, though. Even without her here to cheer me on, I need to go out there and play to win. Sierra’s here at least. She promised to cheer extra hard when she heard that Ainsley wouldn’t be here.
“Hey man, I heard your girl won’t be here today. Have you talked to her?” Dex asks me.
“No. I guess she’s pretty sick.”
“Listen, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I saw her leaving with Donaldson last night.”
“What? She wouldn’t go anywhere with that asswipe.”
“I only know what I saw. Just try to put it all out of your head and play a good game. You can always ask her about it when she feels better.”
She wouldn’t do that. I know she wouldn’t. I know how I can find out, though. I seek out Jack Rivers and find him in Coach’s office.
“Hi Zack. Did you need something before the game?”
“I just had a question. Did you see Ainsley leave with Donaldson last night?”
“Yeah. We both did,” Coach answers.
“He said he was taking care of her for you. She looked a little pale,” Jack tells me.
“Oh. Okay. Thanks.”
Maybe she is sick. He said she was looking pale. I walk back out and into the locker room. Donaldson smirks at me, and it takes all the control I have to not punch him.
We need to win this game, so I walk away and take my place in the tunnel. When the music plays, I run onto the field with everyone else. I automatically look to where Ains should be, then shake my head and find Sierra in the stands.
The first half of the game passes in a blur. I don’t make any touchdowns, and neither does Donaldson, but the other guys pick up the slack and we’re up by ten points as we head back into the locker room. We’re only in there for a few minutes before Matt Corrigan and that Aiden guy burst into the locker room, followed by Ainsley’s friend, Audrey.
“There’s a bomb in here and one in the visitor’s locker room. We need to get you all out of here.”
“What are you going to do, pretty lady, disarm it?” Donaldson asks her.
“Yes, I am, you bastard,” she tells him before punching him square in the jaw.
He stumbles backwards, and Aiden grabs him. Matt goes over to Coach. I see the glint of a gun and my eyes widen. “Taylor, you need to come with us.”
“My sister’s in the stands.”
“Tegan got her, Zack. Go with Matt. He’ll help you.”
I nod at Audrey and follow them out. We get into a large party bus type vehicle and I see Sierra already inside with Tegan. I run over to her, and we hug. Matt and Aiden throw Donaldson and Coach down onto seats and hold guns on them. Another guy comes in with Dex and tosses him down next to them. Jane Corrigan gets on next, followed by Reina, Stella, Ellie, Faith, Jade, and the Rivers’. We sit in silence for a few minutes until Audrey and Isabelle join us. Then the bus starts moving.
“The bombs are neutralized?” Jane asks.
“Yes. They’re both disarmed. Metro’s taken over,” Audrey tells her.
“What’s going on? There were bombs in the stadium? Who could be doing all of this?” Jack asks.
“The three of them,” Mrs. Corrigan says as she glares at Dex, Donaldson, and Coach.
“What? Why? And how do you know, Jane?”
“Your wife asked me and my team for help in figuring out who was sabotaging the team. We’ve been pursuing several angles and knew Mr. Donaldson was involved, but it was only an hour ago that we found out the motive and who his two accomplices were.”
“You’re crazy. I have nothing to do with this, you old bitch.”
Matt shoots Donaldson in the arm. “Oops,” he says while glaring at him. Holy fucking shit. I mean, yeah he insulted his grandmother, but that was beyond bad-ass.
“You shot me. Someone help me.”
“It was a flesh wound. Man up.”
“Thank you, Matthew.”
“Anytime, Gram.”
“As I was saying, we found out this morning that these three are behind the dummy corporation that owns the other team that was looking for a place in the NFL this season. We’ve been watching them all closely, and saw Dex set the bombs before you and the other team came back to the locker rooms. I guess having two teams out of the way gave you an extra chance to get your team in place.”
“You can’t prove any of this.”
“I love nothing more than research, and with Ainsley’s team of geniuses working the computer end of things, we found more than enough evidence,” Tegan tells him.
I see Donaldson smirk when Ainsley’s name
is mentioned. There’s so much information going around that I think my brain may explode. But I’m still wondering where she is. I’m not the only one.
“You think Tegan mentioning Ainsley is funny, Kevin?” Reina asks him.
“A little.”
She opens up a case at her feet and lays it flat. It has all kinds of tools and things I don’t recognize. They look pretty scary, though.
“I can guarantee that you won’t be laughing when I’m done with you.”
“You can’t touch me. It’s illegal.”
“Who’s going to believe you against me? I’m a pillar of the community. Matt, Nate—can you hold him still please.”
“No. NO! Please. I’ll tell you whatever you want to know. Yes, we were behind everything. Dex was the mastermind.”
“Shut up, Kev.”
“Don’t worry, Dex. You’ll be next if he doesn’t tell me what I want to know.”
“I just told you we’re to blame.”
“But you didn’t tell me where you took Ainsley last night.”
Wait. What? “You kidnapped Ainsley?”
“Your little slut figured out that it was Dex who attacked her at the hotel. We had to take her. It was just an added bonus that you’d freak out if she wasn’t there for you at the game.”
I’m out of my chair before anyone can stop me. I ignore Donaldson and go for Dex. I throw him against the windows, holding him by his neck. “You don’t have to worry about Reina and her toys. I’ll make you wish you were never alive if you don’t tell us where she is.”
“Okay. Okay. Calm down, Zack. She’s fine. I mean, she’s probably hungry, but none of us touched her.”
“Where. Is. She.”
“She’s in the basement of Coach’s lake house.”
I let him go, and he drops into his seat, rubbing his neck. The bus pulls over and the guys haul the three bastards out. I see them get handed over to the police. The Rivers’ also get off the bus, after thanking Jane. Reina zips her case back up and sits down. When the guys get back onboard, we start to move again, heading for Lake Mead.
“I know you have some questions, Zack. Normally, I wouldn’t tell you anything, but Ainsley had already asked for permission to tell you herself yesterday. I’m trusting that your sister will keep what I’m about to tell you secret as well. Many lives depend on the two of you keeping quiet.”
“I won’t tell anyone, and Zack won’t either. We promise. Right, big brother?”
I nod, and Jane tells us all about Ainsley and her friends. No wonder she said she wasn’t looking for a better job than being a football consultant. She already has a job that uses her unique skill set, and gives her a chance to explore the world outside her computer room, too.
I feel punched in the gut when Jane says that the original agreement was for her to date Donaldson. Until she met me. I hear the words she’s saying. Words that tell me Ainsley fell in love with me and assured them that I wasn’t part of the sabotage. I hear those words, but all I can think about is how it was more than secrets she was keeping from me.
I was just a part of this mission, nothing else. No matter what Jane says, I know that. I’ve never been anything other than a body for women to use. This was no different. I was a means to an end. She used more than my body, but I was nothing to her. Absolutely nothing.
We pull up to the house, and I sit numbly in the bus while the guys and some of the girls run out to get Ainsley. I just stare straight ahead. My sister tries to talk to me, but I shake my head and look away from her. Right into Reina’s eyes. She sees what I’m thinking, I know she does, because her eyes narrow.
Matt comes back carrying Ainsley in his arms. She sees me and struggles to her feet. “Zack.”
“Don’t come near me.”
“What’s wrong?”
“I know everything. I know how you needed me for you mission.”
“No. It wasn’t like that. I mean, it was a little bit, but I love you.”
“Stop. Just stop. There’s no need to pretend anymore. I’ll keep your secret. I’ll keep everyone’s secret. But I need you to stop lying to me.”
“I’m not. I swear it.”
“Too bad I can’t trust you.”
I turn and walk to the seat farthest away from her. I look out the window, but I see her go to her knees out of the corner of my eye. Her friends—and my sister—surround her. Matt starts towards me, but Jane stops him shaking her head and whispering something to him. He nods and stops, but the look he’s giving me tells me this isn’t over.
They take me back to the stadium where my clothes and car are. The police are still there, too, but things have quieted down. They wave us through once they realize who we are. Mrs. Corrigan really does have connections everywhere.
“Thanks for the ride, Mrs. Corrigan, and for saving my life and the team. I appreciate it.”
“I’d tell you that you’re welcome, but I’m not feeling too charitable towards you at the moment, Zachary.”
“I’m sleeping with one eye open I guess, huh?” I’m trying to joke, but no one laughs. “Come on, Si.”
“I’m not going with you.”
“What?”
“I need to make sure Ainsley’s okay. What she does is awesome and cool, and you’re acting like an ass.”
“Tell me how you really feel, sis.”
“Don’t play the victim here. You weren’t wronged.”
“Priceless. This is just priceless. You must be really proud of yourself, Ainsley. First you play with me and my emotions and now you’ve turned my sister against me. Bravo.” I clap silently.
“You have two seconds to get off this bus before I end you, Football.”
I turn and see Stella pointing a gun at me. My eyes widen and I back away. I look to everyone else, and they’re all looking like they want their guns on me. I shake my head and walk off the bus. I go to the locker room and change into my street clothes, then go home where I drink every beer in the house before passing out on the floor.
* * *
Ainsley
It’s been two weeks since I was kidnapped. I’ve been back at work for a week, and I’m feeling better and stronger. At least physically. I’m still a mess emotionally since Zack won’t talk to me.
Sierra stayed with me for a couple of days, and I made her go see him before she left town. She’s really angry at her brother, but I understand how he’s feeling. His biggest fear with me was that I’d be using him for something. And he thinks I did. Even though I really didn’t. I lied about what I was doing with the team, but never about what was happening between us. I finally trusted him, but now he’ll never trust me. Every day that we’re apart makes my heart break a little more. I don’t know what to do to get him to believe that he wasn’t just part of the mission.
There’s a knock on my doorframe and I look up to see Faith. She looks a little nervous.
“What’s wrong, Faith?”
“I just saw something I think you need to see. I wish I didn’t have to be the one to show it to you, though.”
“It can’t be that bad. Just show me.”
She turns her tablet to me and starts the video.
“Local football heartthrob Zack Taylor seems to have found someone to help him get past the scandal that’s rocked the Legions and sidelined the team for a month. He’s been spotted out several times this week with Dr. Deidre Lind. The doctor is a noted pediatric surgeon, and sources say they met while he was visiting patients in the Children’s ward at a local hospital. They make a striking couple. All in all, this is a welcome change from the revolving door of women he’s had on his arm for most of his career. I’m sure thousands of hearts are breaking around the valley right now.”
“I’m so sorry, honey.”
“You didn’t do anything wrong. I would’ve seen this somewhere else if you hadn’t shown it to me.”
He would’ve made sure I saw it. I know that this is a message to me. He may care for this woman, but he’s also da
ting her to show me he can. That I’m not the only woman who uses her brain that he can get. Point, Taylor.
* * *
Zack
Deidre’s nice, but tiring. She likes to be taken out so she can be seen with me. She’s using me and I’m getting nothing out of the deal. Well, almost nothing. I know Ainsley had to have seen pictures of us. So there’s that.
I usually try to turn into Deidre as the pictures are taken so it looks like we’re intimate. Even though we’re not. I haven’t kissed her anywhere but her cheek, I don’t hold her hand, and we definitely haven’t gone to bed together. I haven’t even let her see my house. She’s been pushing lately, but it’s not going to happen. My heart, and body, still belong to the brilliant computer girl who deceived me.
I’ve tried getting over Ainsley, but I’ve come to realize that it’s just not going to happen. I’m still pissed at her, but my love for her hasn’t lessened any since I found out the truth. Sierra tells me she’s a wreck, and that she really loves me, but I’m just not ready to believe it yet.
I shake my head to clear thoughts of blue eyes and sexy lips. I have to finish getting dressed so I can pick up Deidre for our night out at a local club. The show must go on.
A few hours later, I realize that the show needs to end. For good. I’ve had to push her off my lap more times than I can count, and she keeps trying to kiss me.
“Enough, Deidre. I told you no, and you’re smart enough that you should understand what that word means.”
“Come on, Zack. We’re both sexual people. I need a taste of you.”
“Well, I don’t need or want a taste of you. This isn’t working and I don’t want to see you again.”
“You’re kidding, right?”
“I’d say ‘no’ but you’d probably pretend not to hear me again. So I’m just going to leave.”
Fielding Her SECRET (Corrigan & Co. Book 1) Page 14