7 Months

by Bethany Lopez

  “Shit, Brady, Zeke’s escaped. They were on the way to court and he got away. Looks like he had some guys helping him from the inside.”

  I tried to call Ming, but it went straight to voicemail. I knew she usually turned off her phone when preparing to go to court, and definitely while she was in court. Looking at the clock, I noticed it was only ten thirty, and Ming had said she’d meet Natalie at the court at eleven.

  Throwing my phone at Doobie, I said, “We might be able to stop Nat at her friend’s house before she leaves; see if you can get her on the phone. Tell her to stay put.”

  I told Smitty we were going to check the house.

  “Just don’t do anything stupid, either of you. We’re heading to the court, and Marsha’s putting out an APB. We’ll get him.”

  “No answer,” Doobie said as I tore down the street.

  We were parking in front of the house in minutes, and when I saw Natalie walking down the sidewalk with her friend, surprised to see us rushing out of the car, I felt a wave of relief.

  “Get back inside,” I ordered as we ushered the women back up the way they’d come, our heads swiveling to keep an eye on our surroundings. “Zeke escaped.”

  “Oh my God,” Nat gasped, collapsing onto the sofa when she got inside. “Do you think he’s coming after me?”

  “We’re just taking the necessary precautions,” Doobie replied, not wanting to cause panic.

  Natalie nodded, but I could see she was frightened, but trying to remain strong.

  “There’s an APB out,” I told her. “We’re gonna get him, Nat, don’t worry.”

  We waited for what seemed like hours for word from Smitty or Marsha, and I remembered to shoot a text off to Ming, Brock, and Brendan to let them know what was going on. I also tried calling Ming again, when I didn’t hear back, but figured Smitty had gotten to her and let her know what was going on.

  When her name finally lit up on my phone, I answered right away and said, “We’re with Nat, Ming; she’s fine, you don’t have to worry. There’s been no sign of Zeke yet.”

  The male laugh coming through the phone caused my blood to run cold, then freeze, when Zeke said, “Looks like you saved the wrong woman.”

  Then the line went dead.

  Chapter Thirty-Four ~ Ming

  I was getting my briefcase out of the passenger seat when two arms came around my waist and pulled me from the car. At first, I was shocked, then I began to struggle, turning my head to try and see who was holding me. I’d just about turned and was readying my knee to come up and make contact with the stranger’s balls, when a third arm shot out and punched me in the jaw.

  I blacked out.

  When I came to, I was in the backseat of a beat-up old Chevy. A nervous-looking man was driving and Zeke was sitting next to me, holding a gun and smiling creepily at me.

  “What are you doing, Zeke?” I asked, keeping my voice calm.

  “Shhhh,” he replied, putting one finger up to his lips, while his other hand rested on his lap, holding a gun.

  I listened and didn’t say anything else, my mind spinning as I wondered the best way to play this without getting myself hurt.

  The driver was smoking a big, putrid cigar, and strumming his fingers on the steering wheel.

  “Left up here,” Zeke told the driver, and we pulled into a rundown trailer park. “That light-blue one down on the left.”

  Once we were parked, Zeke grabbed my arm and urged me out of the backseat. I looked around the quiet residential area, but there was no one outside. No busy-body neighbors peeking out their windows.

  Zeke started swearing as soon as we entered the trailer, and although I tensed at his anger, I breathed deep and told myself it was going to be okay.

  “Fucking bitch didn’t clean this shit up?” I followed Zeke’s gaze, taking in the broken glass, upturned furniture, and bottle of champagne still sitting on the end table. “Help me pick up the couch.”

  Zeke and his partner left me standing in the middle of the room to pick up the couch and set it back on its feet. I thought briefly about running, but the gun in his hand, and the bullet holes in the walls, kept me from doing anything stupid.

  “Sit,” Zeke said, waving the gun from me to the couch.

  I followed directions and sat, careful to pull my skirt down my legs as far as I could, while pretending to be calm and collected.

  “You said we were grabbing the bitch that locked you up, you didn’t say shit about snatching a fancy lawyer off the street,” the other guy complained, practically hopping from one foot to the other.

  “Plans change,” Zeke replied as he settled back into what looked like a well-loved recliner.

  “They don’t change ten minutes into a jailbreak, Z. We could have snatched your wife and left town, and no one would have given a shit, but this piece? Someone’s gonna be lookin’ for her.”

  “That’s what I’m betting on,” Zeke answered, then looked at me and held out his hand. “In fact, give me your phone.”

  I pulled my phone out of the inner pocket of my jacket and handed it to him. He scrolled down, found the number he was looking for, and pressed send.

  Whoever he called must have started talking as soon as they picked up, thinking it was me, because Zeke listened for a few minutes before saying anything, a shit-eating grin on his face.

  “Looks like you saved the wrong woman,” he said finally, then pressed end and tossed my phone on the couch next to me.

  My heart sank at the realization that Brady was on the other end of that call. That he must have heard of Zeke’s escape, and gone to protect Natalie, having no idea that I was Zeke’s target.

  “I’m not sticking around for this shit,” the shifty guy said.

  “Do what you have to do, man,” Zeke replied.

  The short, baldy, stubby guy looked from me to Zeke, then said, “Fuck this,” and walked out the door.

  I turned my attention to Zeke, who was still smiling to himself over his victory, and asked, “Was that Brady?”

  “The drummer turned cop who’s been sniffing around my wife and filling her head with stories for years?” Zeke asked, his tone nasty. “Yeah, that was him.”

  I paused, thinking about what I wanted to say ... how I wanted to play this. I needed to keep a level head and try and keep this situation as calm as it was now, but worry for Brady was now gnawing at my gut.

  “What’s your end game?” I asked finally.

  “My what?”

  “What do you hope to get from this? Are you planning to use that? To kill me?”

  He looked down at his gun, then back at me.

  “Not as long as you’re a good girl and don’t try anything stupid.”

  “Then, what is it that you want?”

  “What I’ve always wanted … My wife. And, as a little bonus, revenge on the fucker who took her from me.”

  “What do you want with me?”

  Zeke leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and said, “Well, you see, I’ve been wanting to teach that cop and his nosy brothers a lesson for a while. Always filling Nat’s head with nonsense, making her think she’s something more that she is … And, even though Nat denies it, I always figured he was fucking her. She’s a nice piece, and the way she’s always flashing her tits around that damn bar, I’m wouldn’t be surprised if she’d taken on all three of them.”

  He started getting angry, but surprised me when he seemed to calm himself down and rested back into his chair.

  “I was pissed as hell when she filed for divorce, then put the cops on me like she did, forcing me to go underground, and she surprised the shit out of me when I came home and she came at me with that fucking bat. But, I was willing to forgive her, for all of it. Him, on the other, I wanted to teach him a lesson about butting in to another man’s marriage. Into his home.”

  Zeke’s eyes were hard, his finger playing with the trigger of the gun.

  “I had time to think about it while I was sitting in ja
il. My buddies came up with the plan to help me get out. I was going to get Nat and get out of here, but not before I found Brady, preferably in a dark alley…” This he spoke softly, like we were conspiring together, then he clapped his hand on his leg loudly, causing me to jump. “But, when my buddy said he saw you, my woman’s lawyer, leaving Nat’s friend’s house with the cop, and that you looked real tight … if you get my drift. Well, an idea popped into my head. I’d take his woman, just like he took mine.”

  “But, you just said you weren’t planning to hurt me,” I replied evenly, grateful that he couldn’t feel my pulse throbbing painfully.

  “Well, not physically,” Zeke said, his face turning into a frightening scowl. “But, he’ll come here looking for you, and when he does, I’m gonna kill him.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five ~ Brady

  “Where would he go?” I asked Natalie after Zeke disconnected.

  Natalie looked nervously between Doobie and me, and I realized that they didn’t know what was happening.

  “Zeke has Ming.”

  Doobie swore under his breath and Natalie’s eyes widened as her lower lip started to tremble.

  “Home,” she said, and I realized she was answering my previous question.

  “Back to the trailer?” I asked over my shoulder, already moving toward the door.

  “Irish,” Doobie called, chasing me out the door. “We gotta call it in.”

  “Call Smitty, Marsha, let ‘em know, but I’m going over there.”

  He climbed into the Chevelle just as I was pulling away, and I could hear him explaining this new development through the ringing in my ears.

  I locked down the fear, letting my training take over, as I tried not to think about the fact that the man who’d beaten the shit out of his wife, had my girlfriend.

  “Brady,” Doobie began. “We don’t have our weapons; we need to wait for the others to arrive before we go in there.”

  I knew what he was saying was right, but in that moment, it didn’t mean shit. I didn’t care if I got in trouble, all I cared about was getting Ming out of there safely.

  “You don’t have to follow me. Stay here, I’ll try and let you know what’s going on and you can tell them when they get here, but I’m going in, Ty. I have to.”

  “Fuck,” Doobie exclaimed as I parked one row over from Nat’s house and jumped out of the car.

  I tried to keep low as I rounded the first trailer. Before crossing the road, I locked eyes on Zeke’s trailer, looking for movement. There were no cars parked out front, the curtains were drawn, and the entire park was eerily quiet. I had no way of knowing if they were actually in there or not. I had to get closer to try and see inside.

  I ran across the street and rounded the trailer next to Nat’s, conscious of the sounds the gravel made crunching beneath my feet. It sounded as loud as an air horn to my ears, but was probably barely audible to the people inside these trailers.

  I went to the back of their trailer, pausing by the window to the back bedroom. Testing it, I slid my fingers under the lip of the window and lifted. It slid up smoothly and silently. Once I’d pushed it all the way up, I paused and listened. I could hear the deep rumble of a man’s voice, then let out a stuttering breath when I heard Ming reply.

  I couldn’t hear what they were saying, but I knew it was her.

  I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and texted Doobie.

  Don’t go inside, was his quick reply.

  Unable to comply with that request without knowing what the situation was inside, I placed my hands on the window sill and lifted myself up and inside. I landed as softly as possible, pausing with each movement as I strained to hear what was happening in the other room.

  When I didn’t hear footsteps coming down the hall, I moved gingerly through the bedroom and stopped at the door. It was open a crack, so I peered through the opening and into the empty hallway that opened into the living room. I couldn’t see anything, and no one was talking. As far as I knew it was just the two of them, but I was still aware that Zeke had needed help to escape, so there may be other people on the premises.

  I had to be smart, and not allow my fear and anger to propel me forward until I was sure I wasn’t endangering Ming by doing so.

  I don’t know how long I waited, but the sound of sirens in the distance caused an eruption of sound in the living room.

  “Son of a bitch!” I heard Zeke yell, followed by the sound of something heavy hitting the ground. Then, through the crack of the door I saw him cross to the window and pull the curtain back a bit to look outside.

  He had a gun in his hand, which he was tapping against his leg.

  After that, everything seemed to happen in a flash.

  Ming said, “They’ll be here any minute,” so I knew she was all right.

  Then I heard the crunch of wheels on gravel and saw the blue lights of the police car flashing in the window.

  “No shit,” Zeke replied, and started to turn from the window. Figuring this was the opening I was waiting for, I pushed the door hard as I took off at a sprint. I barely registered the shock on Zeke’s face and the fact that he was lifting the gun toward me as Ming’s scream filled the air and my body collided with his.

  The gun went off as I tackled Zeke to the ground, and my team burst into the trailer shouting, guns raised.

  “I got him, O’Malley,” Smitty called from right beside us.

  I kept Zeke’s hands secure with mine as I lifted myself off of him, not removing them until Smitty slapped the cuffs on him.

  Immediately I turned to see Ming standing by the sofa, hands clasped in front of her mouth, eyes on me.

  “You’re okay?” I asked, rushing toward her and gathering her in my arms.

  I felt her nod against me as her body began to shake.

  “He shot at you,” she exclaimed, her tone wavering.

  “He missed,” I assured her, my arms tightening as fear and relief filled me. “I’ve got you.”

  “He said he was going to kill you,” Ming murmured, and I felt the wetness of her tears on my chest.

  “I’m okay,” I assured her, brushing my lips across the crown of her head.

  “Okay,” she whispered, and we stood there holding each other while Zeke was removed from the trailer.

  Chapter Thirty-Six ~ Ming

  I was lying in Brady’s arms, my head on his chest, my hand across his stomach. We’d finally calmed down after the rush of adrenaline the situation with Zeke had caused in both of us. We’d given our statements to the police, and Brady had been instructed to go down to the station to talk to some investigator, but he’d taken me with him.

  Said he didn’t want me out of his sight.

  We went to his place after, and I wasn’t surprised to see Brock, Victoria, Brendan, and Bronagh there waiting for us.

  Bronagh had collapsed in tears when I walked in, and she’d held onto me as if she were afraid I’d disappear if she let up an inch.

  “I’m all right,” I’d said, trying to keep my voice calm and reassuring, but I was still a little worked up myself, and it ended up coming out like a question rather than a statement.

  I looked over her head to see Brady enveloped in Brock’s arms, while Brendan stood right next to them, waiting his turn to put his hand on his brother and feel that he was okay, for himself.

  “This danger shit is starting to become way too frequent,” Brock was saying as he held on.

  Once they’d seen for themselves that we were both fine, Victoria talked them into giving us some space so that we could rest, and they’d left, albeit reluctantly.

  Now it was just to two of us, and I was calmed by the distinct sound of Brady’s heartbeat beneath my ear.

  “When he said he wanted to kill you…” I began, my voice sounding reedy to my ears. “I almost lost it.”

  “Shhhh,” Brady replied, his hand rubbing circles on my back. “He never even got the chance.”

  I lifted up so that I could look at his face
and argued, “He got a shot off. It could have hit you.”

  “Nah,” he said with a grin, finally losing the hard lines that had been prominent all day. “He was a terrible shot.”

  I rolled my eyes, knowing that he was just trying to ease my mind and the tension that we’d been feeling for the last few hours. Still, I didn’t like coming that close to losing him. No matter what he said now, I’d been there, and when that gun had gone off right as Brady was leaping at Zeke, time had stood still. I’d been frozen with fear until I realized that Brady was still moving on top of him.

  “Those were the worst moments of my life,” I admitted softly.

  Brady’s fingers ran lightly down my cheek, then cupped my chin, and the way he was looking at me warmed me through and through.

  “When I answered that phone and realized that you were his target, not Nat, I didn’t know how to handle it,” Brady began, his tone low and full of sincerity. “That mind-numbing fear that I’d lose you … I had to tap it all down and rely on my training to push through, but there was no way I was going to let him hurt you.”

  “It may sound crazy, but I was never afraid for myself. I knew you’d do everything in your power to get me out of there safely.”

  Brady’s eyes closed, but I could still see the emotion on his face.

  “You humble me,” was his barely audible reply.

  I let out a small laugh and said, “You’re already the most humble man I know, but thank you.”

  Brady was quiet after that, his eyes roaming my face as I leaned over him. It was like we couldn’t get enough of looking at each other. Assuring ourselves that the other person was unharmed and that we were still there, together, with the ability to hold each other.

  I put all of my weight on one elbow, so I could trace his lips with my fingertip.

  He was so handsome. His hair, his soulful eyes, those full lips that could make me swoon with one touch. And the beard he’d been growing since he was on a leave of absence, really made him look even more virile. Which I never would have thought possible.

  Brady was the epitome of my perfect man, and I could barely believe that he was now mine. That I could look at him like this, touch him like this, whenever I wanted.