Tossing my brother’s rumpled shirt under the pile of my new ones, I stripped and stepped into the small shower cubicle with a semi-hard dick. Rose’s pheromones, had me fisting myself, desperately needing a release of some kind.
***
Thirty minutes later we were parked on Fields Road, our gazes honed in on the faint light glowing through the curtains of the old, ramshackle building I was certain housed my brother.
“This is it,” Rose muttered, turning to me. She reached over and clasped my hand in hers, lacing our fingers. “If it turns out to be a dead end, I’m here for you. We’ll figure something else out together.”
Squeezing her fingers, I was grateful for her support, but she didn’t know what I knew. “Thanks, Rose. I mean it. I couldn’t have done this without you.”
Exiting the car, I strode with purpose. We were just two people looking for someone. Nothing untoward happening. Nobody need be suspicious.
The rusty gate squealed as I opened it, heading in first with Rose at my heels.
She clung onto my elbow as we neared the front door. I was so keyed up, adrenalin filtering through my veins. What if Dallas opened the door? Would I grab him and flee? Technically I could do that because I had full custody.
We attempted to remain as quiet as possible while stepping up onto the verandah. The faint light we’d seen from the street had dimmed to the point where the place looked dark again.
Glancing at Rose, she took a deep breath. I knew she was as nervous as me. I needed to get this over with. Raising my fist, I pounded on the door loudly, so it could be heard even from the back of the house.
I shook out some tension in my arms and head as we mutely waited. My harsh breath ballooned out in front of me with the bitterly cold air. I placed my hands in my jacket pocket to warm them up and to keep them from shuddering at my side. Rose was keeping guard, combing the vicinity for any sign of life.
“Why isn’t anyone coming to answer the frigging door?” I ground out, my cheeks stinging from the biting temperature.
“Give them a chance. It’s only been a minute.”
“A minute too long.” Pounding again, I sucked in a deep breath, my patience already wearing thin. Something unsettling curdled in my stomach. If Mrs. Radcliffe was on the run, she wouldn’t answer the damn door.
Stepping away, I said to Rose, “Stay here if you want. I’m heading around the back. If someone comes to the door, you know what to say.”
“Jagger. I don’t think you should be lurking around back. Just wait here a bit longer.”
“Nope. Not happening.” Nothing she could say would make me wait. In my gut I knew no one was coming to the front door. I was fired up and ready for action.
Stalking around the side of the house, I let my anger rise. Fuck this shit. I was getting my brother tonight one way or the other. I was tired of waiting. Instinct told me the woman inside was wanted by police. That gave me the advantage. I was doing the cops a favor.
The light became brighter as I approached the back door. Someone was inside.
Rapping hard, I called out, “Hello?”
Faint voices filtered through from inside, but I couldn’t make out whose they were. I thumped again.
“I know you’re in there!” Trying the door handle, of course I found it locked.
Well, lucky for me, I had my trusty Swiss knife. I’d used it once already, so I might as well get in a bit more practice.
Jamming my hand into my jacket pocket, I felt the cool metal against my skin. I pulled it out and opened it. Just as I was about to insert the tip of a thin, precise blade into the lock, a cold, metallic object pressed up against my cheek.
“Don’t even think about it. Put your hands in the air.”
“Fuck!” The cops. I was screwed. How had they passed by Rose? I hadn’t even heard a car pull up.
Dropping my knife, I raised my hands. The cop with a female voice lowered the gun to the center of my back.
“Keep your hands in the air and don’t try anything stupid,” she barked.
As if I was going to tackle her to the ground and ram my fists into her face. That would get me back in prison real quick. As much as the idea was tempting, I wouldn’t risk it. Plus, I never hit women.
“My brother is inside. The woman he’s with has abducted him from Prescott, Arizona. I have legal guardianship, so I’m here to collect him. Jagger. My name is Jagger Reed. Officers at your precinct know about this case.”
My mouth was moving of its own accord. Surely if she called into headquarters, it would all be cleared up?
“Quiet!” she bellowed. Metal clanged. My left hand was seized and a cuff locked around it.
What the hell? She was arresting me? “I wasn’t trespassing. You need to call your boss. Ask him. He can vouch for me.” Where the fuck was Rose?
My right hand was dragged down to meet my left, the other cuff circling my wrist before the solid click let me know I was bound.
This was a hiccup I didn’t need. How did the police know we were here anyway, and why wasn’t the cop reading me my rights? I moved to turn around but the butt of what I knew to be her gun dug into my back through my jacket.
“You can put the gun away now. I’m cuffed.”
“Shut up. Don’t speak unless I tell you to. Understand?”
“Fine, but I want to see some ID.” I wasn’t stupid. I had rights too.
“Turn around real slow.”
Doing as she said, I shuffled in a circle and came face to face with a dark haired woman, middle aged, dressed in a police uniform. Badge displayed on her chest. Gun aimed at my heart. Good enough for me.
Moving quickly, she reached out, gripped my bicep, and pulled me down onto the grass. “Stay here and don’t move.
Still with the gun trained on me, she walked up to the back door and knocked, calling out. “Police. Open up.” While her head faced the door, waiting, her arm was still outstretched, gun aimed in my direction. If I was as quick as I knew I was, maybe, just maybe I could disarm her, but I didn’t’ want to risk it. My brother was close by and I wanted to see how this played out.
I watched, wondering if she’d get any response. Perhaps this wouldn’t end so bad after all. She’d soon learn I was telling the truth and hand Dallas over to me.
Something shuffled inside and the door unlocked. About fucking time.
The face I remember from her visit to the prison came into view. The interior light shined on her grey hair and wrinkled face. Lena fucking Radcliffe. The reason I was on this ridiculous cross country trek in the first place.
“Where’s my brother?” I shouted, ignoring the cop who turned to me with a baleful stare.
Lena looked at me with surprise and then back at the officer.
“We’re doing the trade a little earlier than I planned.” Nodding toward me, the cop continued. “We’ve had a small hiccup, but nothing I haven’t been able to handle.” Digging into her pocket, she pulled out a fat envelope. “Here’s your money, now get the boy.”
I shook my head in confusion. What. Was. Going. On? Moments later, Dallas appeared at the door. My brother. My family. Elation washed over me. “Dallas?”
Moving closer, I felt a tidal wave of emotion take over as he looked at me.
“That’s Jagger. That’s my brother. You’re Jagger, aren’t you?” He blinked furiously, grinning. His extra-large tongue moved around his mouth.
I could have cried. “Yes, buddy. It’s me. I’ve come to take you home.” He was the same as I remembered. Chubby face, blond hair, explosive smile. I wanted to run to him, hug him, and tell him I loved him. Even when he visited me in prison, I hadn’t been able to touch him through the bullet proof screen. Here we both were, less than ten feet from each other, and yet there still felt like there was a barrier between us.
“Like hell you are,” seethed the woman cop, who was quickly pissing me off. “This is my son. I’m taking him, you meddling asshole. I tried to get you locked away for a long time
, but you somehow managed to beat the system. Now I have people searching for me. Everything was all organized. Lena coming to Montana. Hiding out with Dallas until I could get some of the heat off me. And then you had to go and fuck it all up, didn’t you? I gave you a warning, but you didn’t listen.”
This shit was not happening. This was Dallas’ birth mother? The woman who had withheld information during my trial? The heartless wench who had given up her son when she’d found out he was disabled? The woman who had called me on the phone telling me to back off. Marcy Dewhurst? This brought on a whole new wave of fury.
“You!” I raged. “Like hell you’re taking my brother. You gave him up because you weren’t fit to raise him and now you want him back? Why? What do you get out of it? ’Cause you sure as hell must be getting something.”
She turned to me, fully. Mrs. Radcliffe held Dallas firm so he didn’t run into the line of fire should the psycho cop choose to shoot me where I stood. To be honest, I wasn’t scared of her or her damn gun. If my hands were free, I would have charged her without a second thought now that I knew who she was. Everything was beginning to make sense now.
“You’re not in a position to question me, Jagger.” It was said with such spite. What had I ever done to her?
Squaring off with her, I let loose. “I took care of your son, which is more than you ever did. I was the only one who loved him. Do you have any idea what we put up with in that dump we grew up in? Do you? The abuse we both suffered at the hands of that maniac? You never once tried to get in contact with Dallas. No birthday cards or phone calls. You made sure I got arrested and locked up, knowing your son would go into foster care. Why?” God, I had so many questions.
“I might not have raised him but I didn’t want him sent to an institution. I was protecting him.”
“And so was I. I’d do anything for him. Why can’t you just let me take him and I’ll give him the life he deserves? He knows me. You’re a stranger to him. When you go to prison for withholding information and stealing him, he’s going to be on his own. I won’t let that happen.”
She laughed. Actually laughed. “You think I’m going to be caught? You’re forgetting I have friends in high places. They’re in the law’s pockets. How do you think I’ve avoided being arrested for so long?”
This woman was insane. There was no way she’d be fit to take care of Dallas. I didn’t want him anywhere near her.
“Jagger’s a good boy. Jagger’s my brother.” Dallas, in his own way, was attempting to make her see that he needed me. It broke the remainder of my already splintered heart.
My legs moved toward my brother. I needed to touch him. God, it had been too long. He was standing right there looking at me. Before I even made it two feet, I was stopped.
“One more move and I shoot. You or him. I don’t care, but I will pull this trigger.”
My bleary eyes found my brother. I needed to memorize everything about him. The one person who had kept me grounded after my arrest. I had done it all for him. To give him a better life. He didn’t deserve any of it. The Down syndrome. The mother who gave him away. The adoptive father who was never fit to look after him. I was dying. Each molecule I was made from was dying. Why couldn’t we cut a damn break? Who was conspiring against us? God? Why?
He had something in his hands. A toy. He was twisting and turning it as if nervous. Catching the familiar shape of the body and head, I let out a whimper. It was his stuffed turtle he’d had since he was fifteen. I’d bought it for him because he had a damn obsession about turtles. Whoever had taken him into care from our house on that fateful day must have let him take it with him. Tears pooled in my eyes. The piano and the turtle were all he had. I guess they were the two most important things to him.
“Jagger’s turtle.” He held up his hand to me. When I merely stood rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do, he shook his hand. “I love turtles. Jagger does too.”
What was he doing?
“I love turtles, Dallas.”
He appeared to get annoyed with me, his voice taking on a panicked edge. “Jagger’s turtle!”
For a brief moment, all eyes were on me and my brother, watching the strange exchange. It was almost like he was giving it to me.
“You want me to have it? Are you giving me your turtle?”
He grinned madly. “Yeth.” He lisped when his tongue got tangled in his lips.
Fuck! Reaching up with my cuffed hands, I swiped my moist eyes as best I could. Turning to my captor, I ground out. “He’s giving me his turtle. At the very least, let me take it. He’ll never stop until I do.”
She narrowed her eyes, weighing up her decision. “Fine. Walk real slow and don’t do anything stupid.”
She moved the barrel of the gun around to my back and pressed firmly. I wanted to rip it from her and fire off a couple of shots into her heart, but I couldn’t. Not with my hands in cuffs. Smart cop. She knew to incapacitate me first.
Inching up the ramp, I kept my eyes firmly on Dallas. He was moving from foot to foot, excited to have me near.
“Jagger’s home. Jagger’s home.” He looked up at Mrs. Radcliffe, but she remained focused on me, showing no emotion whatsoever.
“Hey, buddy. I’ve missed you so much.” Reaching my hands out, I touched the fabric turtle. There was no way on earth I was going to be this close to my brother and simply walk away. His eyes were lit with recognition. He would always know who I was, regardless of my time away from him.
“Hey, buddy,” he mimicked me. I was done. I was gone. I didn’t care that a sob broke away from my dry throat. I let it release along with the bucket of tears I knew were waiting to follow.
Fuck the gun in my back. Fuck it all. Lifting both arms, I brought them up and over his head, locking him inside my embrace. Just to feel his large frame again and his familiar smell that brought back so many memories, choked me up more than anything. I held on to him, clinging to the only family I had. He wrapped his arms around me, squeezing the life out of me, and I’d never been so happy. My whole world was right before me. Warm and alive. I’d never ever trade him in for a better model. I loved him with everything I had, regardless of his shortcomings. He was my brother. My best friend. When he was with me, I was home. I didn’t need anything fancy. Just a roof over my head and Dallas.
He patted me on the back as he’d always done and I smiled through my tears.
It was only a couple of minutes before the two women acted. Marcy attempted to pull me away from one side while Mrs. Radcliffe tried to get my brother out from under my embrace. I held on, not ready to let him go. Not ever wanting to let him go. They couldn’t do this.
“Jagger!” Dallas was yelling, aware something horrible was happening.
“It’s okay, Dallas. I love you. Always remember that.” My voice was broken and heaving.
Movement at my side made me spin around. Rose. She stopped mid-stride and gaped at the scene in front of her.
“Run, Rose! Call the police and get in the car. Lock the doors!”
Her eyes were bugging out. “There’s a cop already here.” She pointed to the madwoman behind me.
“Just do it, Rose. Now! She’s Dallas’ birth mother. She’s here to take him.”
Shock registered on her face before she found my desperate eyes. I pierced into her, silently begging her to do as I’d asked. With a solemn nod, she took off, letting out a cry as she went.
I only hoped to God she could do something to help.
Chapter Nine
Rose
Everything was spiraling out of control. When I’d heard heated voices and gone to check it out, the scene before me had zapped me like a taser. Jagger was handcuffed with a gun pointed at him, his brother mashed up against him. The very definitive words: “Run.”
Now as I fumbled with my keys, pressing the door release on my car, I scrambled inside, locking it, breathing as if I’d just run a marathon.
What the hell was happening? Dallas’ mother? Why had s
he handcuffed Jagger and aimed her gun at him? Why was she even in Great Falls? Shit. My fingers were cold and shaking as I dialed 911.
“Hello? Yes, I’m on Fields Road. There’s a woman claiming to be a police officer. She has my friend handcuffed and is taking a child from the premises. I need someone to come quickly!” The woman on the other end asked me my name and where on Fields Road I was. “I’m not sure of the number. It’s an old farmhouse. Hurry!”
Hanging up, I didn’t know what to do. Would Jagger get shot? I felt so helpless, but I didn’t want to put Dallas in danger, either. Well, more than he already was.
Jagger’s face had brooked no arguing, though. If I went to his rescue, I would make things worse. Marcy Dewhurst had severely lost the plot and was probably teetering on a fine, razor-sharp edge.
A gun blast made me jump. My blood froze over. Danger or not, I was out of that car so fast and running without thinking. Opening the gate, I left it ajar, my feet unable to propel me forward quick enough. I stumbled on a tree root as I neared the side of the house, but managed to regain my balance, desperate to get to Jagger.
When I rounded the corner, I screamed. He was lying on the grass at the bottom of the ramp, face screwed up in agony, the porch light shining on a big red stain on his shoulder.
“No!” I yelled, running to him. Mrs. Radcliffe was nowhere to be seen, the back door closed. Searching around the yard as far as the light would allow, I saw nothing.
Dropping to my knees next to Jagger, I crooned, “Shhh. It’s okay. I’ve got you. Police are on their way.”
“She fucking shot me, Rose. I tried to hold onto my brother and she fucking shot me.”
His breathing was all over the place, pain evident as he gritted his teeth. His hands were still cuffed. I needed to get them off.
“Where’s your Swiss knife?”
Jagger raised his head off the ground and looked over toward the back door. I followed his gaze but didn’t see a thing. I scrambled up to search for it, trying to control my shudders.
Stealing Dallas (Search & Seek Book 2) Page 9