by K. C. Crowne
I’m here, girly.
“She said she’s here, but I don’t see any cars,” I muttered, sitting up taller and looking in every direction, hoping I could see better that way.
“I don’t see a car either. Sure it was here?”
“Pretty sure,” I said, scrolling back through our messages. “Yes, I said at the end of Falls Creek Road where it meets the highway…”
The rain was slowing, but only a bit, making it easier to see out the windows. No car parked was anywhere. My heart raced as I reached for the door handle.
Graham reached across and grabbed my hand before I could get out of the truck. “No,” he said. “It’s not safe.”
He did a quick U-turn and headed back down the road to his house.
“Graham, I need to find Liv.”
“She’s not there, Emmy, and this doesn’t feel right.”
“I can’t just leave her if something’s wrong,” I cried, panic in my voice.
“We’re not going to leave her, but we need to get back to the others. Once there, I’ll send my brothers out to look for her. Hopefully, she just got lost.”
I quickly typed a message to her and hit send.
“What did you just do?” he asked.
“I sent her a message telling her I couldn’t find her and asking for a response,” I said. “I want to make sure she’s okay.”
“You need to limit all contact with her.”
“Why?” I asked, looking at him.
“In case they got her,” he said gloomily.
I gasped. “You don’t mean—”
“I do, Emmy,” he said, glancing at me. “They’re here. They’re in Liberty and looking for you. I saw one of them in town earlier.”
My blood was as cold as ice in my veins, and for a second, I couldn’t breathe. I gulped my fear and asked, “How do you know it was them?”
“Because the man handed me a photograph of you and asked if I’d seen you.”
I collapsed back into the seat. Antonio had told me earlier that they had people in Liberty. I don’t know why it came as a surprise, but it wasn’t until that moment that reality hit me. He’d meant it. It wasn’t just an empty threat - Antonio Lombardo knew I was in Liberty.
“They might have Liv,” I said, my voice cracking.
“Let’s hope they don’t,” he said. “But if they do, we’ll find her. We’ll get your friend back safely.”
Tears rolled down my cheeks. “What if they have my best friend, and it’s all my fault.”
Graham reached over and took my hand in his, giving it a firm squeeze. “No, none of this is your fault. We’ll find her. I promise you.”
I glanced at him. His jaw was tight, his eyes on the road in front of us. His entire demeanor had changed and not in a negative way. The Graham from before was all giant teddy bear, but now I was seeing his papa bear side. His protective side.
And I had to admit, it was hot as hell.
We pulled up to the house, and he said, “Wait here.” He hopped out of the truck and walked around to my side. He opened the door and helped me down, his hands on my waist.
“Thank you.”
“Stay close to me. I’ll feel much better once we have you in the house.”
Graham made sure not to walk too fast, but we hurried into the house as quickly as possible. Once the door was closed behind us, it felt like a weight had been lifted off my chest. I felt safer. I had been an idiot to leave earlier.
While I was still catching my breath, Graham was yelling orders to his brothers. “Eli, head down the road, look along the highway and see if you can find anyone who seems to be waiting for her. If it’s a blonde woman, it could be her best friend.”
Eli was out the door without so much as a question.
“Is Mason still watching the cameras?”
“He is,” Samuel affirmed.
“Good. You and I will guard Emmy,” he said, turning to me. “And this time, we’re not leaving you alone. Let’s get you upstairs and changed into something dry and warm.”
“Sam, I’m sorry—” I started, but he held up a hand to cut me off.
“No apologies. I’m just glad you’re back safe.”
My head was spinning, but I nodded and let Graham lead the way. Sam stayed outside the bedroom door while Graham came in with me.
“I’ll turn away, but I’m not leaving you alone,” he said.
I noticed the window was closed and sealed. No one was getting through it now - not with the thick, metal bars in place and locked into position.
Graham handed me another pair of sweatpants and a dry sweatshirt. “We’ll get you some more clothes soon,” he said. “Yours are in the dryer right now.”
“It’s alright. It’s the least of my concerns at the moment,” I murmured softly.
Graham sat down on the bed. “I’ll cover my eyes while you get dressed.”
“You don’t have to,” I said. “You’ve seen me naked before.”
“I know, but I just want you to be comfortable.”
I thought about my concerns. “I am comfortable. Nothing has changed on my end, but if you don’t forgive me for keeping the baby from you, I understand.”
I averted my gaze. Graham stood up from the bed and closed the distance between us in two long strides. His hands were on my face, tilting it up to look at him.
“Listen, I understand. You were scared. You hardly know me. You were only doing what you thought was best for the baby.”
“And because, well, I wasn’t sure if I’d have to run.”
“You don’t have to run anymore, Emmy,” he said. “I’ll keep both you and our child safe, I promise you.”
His eyes narrowed on me, and the way he looked at me, I knew he meant it. His dark eyes were so sincere and filled with emotion. His hands stroked my face gently, and I truly felt safe here.
“I was an idiot before,” I said, leaning into his touch.
“You were scared. There’s a difference.”
I closed my eyes and tried to forget about everything for a moment.
“Get changed,” he said softly. “I’d hate for you to catch a cold.”
He leaned down and pressed his lips to mine - a soft, sweet, chaste kiss. My heart fluttered in my chest, and it took everything in me not to kiss him with more passion. But I couldn’t forget about Liv. She was out there somewhere, and until Eli came back with good news that she was found, I couldn’t relax.
I slipped the soaking wet sweatshirt off over my head, with Graham’s help. My bra was also soaked, and his hands worked at the clasps in the back, letting my breasts fall free in front of him. There was a heat in his eyes, but he behaved himself. He helped me slip out of the wet sweatpants and into the dry pair. He slipped the new sweatshirt over my head.
I was surrounded in warmth and softness, and even though the clothes were much too big, I was comfortable.
“There, much better,” he said softly. “Now come here.”
He walked me over to the bed and we laid down. He wrapped those big, strong arms around me, and my head rested against his chest. His heartbeat and breathing calmed me, helping me to focus on the here and now.
Graham
I’m going to be a dad.
I was trying to remain calm for Emmy’s sake, but on the inside, I was a nervous wreck. I’d never thought about having kids. Not that I didn’t like kids, I just wasn’t sure I’d make a good dad. I worked a lot, and I worked in a dangerous profession. It just didn’t seem compatible with fatherhood.
But now I didn’t have much of a choice, and I felt feelings I never expected to feel before. I was excited. I loved the child already, and my feelings for Emmy… well, they were complicated. I knew it was too soon, but I had feelings for her. I’d wanted to protect her before, but knowing she was carrying my child, that feeling was amplified.
No one would hurt her. No one would take her away from me.
“I’m going to try calling Liv again.”
I d
idn’t say anything, but I perked up, paying attention to Emmy and what she said if anyone answered. But no one did. She dialed the number again with a sigh. And this time, she left a message.
“Liv, where are you? I’m getting really worried about you.”
I had to admit, I was getting worried too. No news from Eli, and he hadn’t come back yet. The fact that he was still out looking for Liv made me think there was no one to find.
Or maybe there was and I had sent my little brother into a trap. Not that Eli couldn’t handle himself. He was ex-military too and was armed to the teeth, but I’d sent him out alone. I should have sent Mason with him, but I felt like we needed everyone here, with Antonio’s target.
“Why do you think she’s not answering?” Emmy asked, her eyes red from all the crying. “No, wait, don’t answer that - I don’t want to know.”
I stroked the hair back from her face. There was nothing I could tell her to make her feel better. I didn’t want to give her false hope or to lie to her, but it wasn’t looking good.
“We’ll figure it out. No matter what.”
“But how can you be sure you’ll save her? If they got her, they could kill her.”
“If they got her,” I stated matter-of-factly. “And that’s still an if at this point. If they got her, they will use her as bait. Killing her would defeat the whole purpose of kidnapping her. They want you, not her. I know that might not help you feel any better, but it’s true. Your friend will be used as bait, and we’ll find her - and then we’ll take them all down.”
“You sound very confident.”
“Because I’ve done it before. More times than I can count, and rarely has it gone differently.”
“Rarely?” she cocked an eyebrow. “So sometimes it doesn’t go the way you expect?”
“Sometimes, sure, but the motives were different. It was more for revenge than wanting to get to someone. Antonio wants you, Emmy,” I reminded her. “He clearly wants you badly, and he wants you alive, so they won’t be storming in with shotguns. He’s smart – he’ll make you come to him. And you wouldn’t do that if your best friend was dead.”
Emmy let out a shaky breath and wrapped her arms across her chest. “I don’t like this.”
“No, of course not, darlin’,” I said, scooting closer to her. “And I’m sorry you’re going through this.”
She leaned against me and closed her eyes as I stroked her cheek.
There was a knock on the door a minute later.
“Yes?”
“Eli’s back,” Sam said.
“Send him in,” I said.
A few seconds later, the door opened, and Eli entered the room. He was alone, and the look of defeat on his face brought out a sob from Emmy.
“I didn’t find anyone along the highway,” he announced morosely. “I went up and down, all the way into town, and I didn’t see a car waiting or a woman like you described.” He paused for a moment, then added, “I have bad news about the road out of here.”
“What?”
“It’s beginning to flood. We need to get out of here, or we won't have any way out.”
Shit. I knew things were getting bad, but it was going from bad to worse very quickly. “Alright, we’ll get ready to head out—”
Emmy’s phone rang, shutting me up. I turned my attention to her, and her face was filled with shock. “It’s Liv.”
“Hold on—” Before I could stop her, she answered the phone.
“Liv, where are you, I—”
Her face fell and turned as white as a sheet.
I could hear the voice on the other line, and it wasn’t Liv’s. It was a man’s.
Antonio.
Emilia
“Emilia, my love, you’ve given me no choice.”
“I’m not your love,” I growled despite the terror in my heart.
“Tsk tsk, you’re in no position to be unkind. You would hate to make me mad when I have your friend in my care,” he said, his voice sounding almost bored. “You’ve really upset me, Emilia. I’ve given you plenty of opportunities to play nice and live up to our deal.”
“You made a deal with my father. Not with me,” I reminded him fiercely. “We have no agreement, Antonio.”
“Well, what if we made one now?” he suggested, his voice oozing with fake charm. “Since I have someone you value. Clearly, I overestimated how you felt about your father – but Liv? She matters to you, yes?”
I wasn’t about to answer the question. I couldn’t let him know he had power over me. But my eyes filled with tears and my hands were shaking. I had almost completely forgotten about the guys until Graham touched my arm. He had written Speakerphone on a piece of paper. I nodded and fumbled with my phone, hitting the speaker button.
Antonio continued talking. “I know she’s important to you, Emilia. I found your Facebook account.” He chuckled, a menacing sound. “I saw the photos of the two of you together at her wedding. You were her Maid of Honor.”
“Is she okay?” I managed to mutter.
“She’s fine. For now. But if I don’t get what I want, I can’t make any promises. You know, I have a temper… and I always get what I want.”
Graham wrote, Speak to her.
“Let me speak to her,” I said. “I need to verify she’s alive.”
Graham gave me a thumbs up.
“Alright, alright,” Antonio said as if I was bothering him. “Here you go.”
There was some rustling in the background, and then a tiny voice. “Emmy?”
I couldn’t hold back the tears. I covered my mouth to drown out the sobs. “Yes, Liv. It’s me. Are you okay?”
“I’m ok. What’s going on, Emmy?”
“We’re—I mean, I’m going to get you out of there. You’ll be okay, I promise—”
I heard more rustling, followed by Antonio’s voice. “So you’re going to do everything I ask you to,” he said. “Or that’s the last time you’ll hear Liv’s voice, I can assure you of that.”
I looked at Graham. He wrote something down and showed it to me. Go along with him for now. I nodded. “What do you want, Antonio?”
“You know what I want, Emilia. I’ve wanted you since the moment I first laid eyes on you, and I knew it was only a matter of time until you’d be mine. I love you, Emilia. And I believe, in time, you will love me too.”
“This isn’t the way to win my love, Antonio,” I said quietly.
“What was that?”
Graham shook his head, and I sighed. “Nothing. Just tell me what you want me to do.”
“I’ll call back with further instructions,” he said. “For now, hold tight, my love.”
The line went dead, and as soon as the call ended, I began shaking and dropped the phone on the bed.
“He’s insane,” I said, feeling like I might vomit.
“Yes, and he’s obsessed,” Graham agreed.
“It’s disgusting. I was just fourteen when he met me.” I shuddered at the thought of the pervert ever laying a hand on me. “I was just a little girl.”
“Men like him don’t care about things like that. They see what they want, and they get it. Usually. Not in this case, though.”
There was a knock on the door, and we all turned to find Mason in the doorway.
“Did you see something?” Graham asked. “Is someone here?” He was up and off the bed within a second, ready to jump into action.
“No one’s here, but we have bad news,” he said. “We have to leave, now.”
“How long do we have?” Graham asked.
“We should have left half an hour ago, so I wouldn’t say very long,” Mason replied.
“Alright, let’s go,” Graham said, reaching his hand down for me. “Emmy will ride with me. The rest of you can follow us in Sam’s truck.”
I took Graham’s hand, and everything was a blur. My head was still stuck in the conversation with Antonio. All I could think about was Liv. But I went through the motions with Graham, and somehow, I mana
ged to get into his truck.
He was driving down the road, his hands tight on the steering wheel. There was tension in his entire body. I knew we were in danger, but all I could think about was Liv.
“What are we going to do, Graham?” I asked as we approached the gate.
Water rushed alongside the road, splashing up and over at times. Graham paused, checked the rear-view mirror and gave a thumbs up to his brothers behind him.
“We’re going to make it across, that’s what we’re going to do.”
“I mean about Liv,” I said. “How are we going to save her?”
“Right now, we need to save ourselves,” he told me. “But trust me, we’ll get your friend back.”
“But how?”
“Trust me, Emmy. One problem at a time, though,” he said, hitting the gas. “I promise you - we will save Liv. Everyone will be just fine.”
I held my breath as we drove through the water, the tires throwing up torrents on either side of the truck.
“Had we waited another fifteen minutes, we wouldn’t have gotten out this way,” he revealed, though I’m pretty sure he was talking to himself.
The road sloped back up to higher ground, and the flooding was behind us.
“Where are we going to go?” I asked.
Graham didn’t answer me. He just kept his eyes on the road.
One problem at a time, Emmy, I told myself, repeating Graham’s words. First, we need to get out of here. Then we’ll find somewhere to stay.
And then we’ll save Liv.
Graham
I was quiet most of the drive. I knew that just because we got off the property, it didn’t mean smooth sailing for us. Liberty was surrounded by rivers and lakes, and the road leading to the highway was the least of our worries. If it was flooded, it meant other ways would be too.
Downtown probably wouldn’t fare much better either. The Liberty dam protected the town from being completely underwater, but the rain itself would see the streets beginning to flood. Businesses likely wouldn’t be open. The hotel probably wouldn’t be operating.
But getting out of town likely wasn’t an option either. There were bridges in almost every direction, and I’d be shocked as hell if they weren’t washed out by now.