I heard some noise coming from the living room, so I knew they were awake. Thank God I muttered under my breath. Storm saw me the moment I got out and said jokingly, “So nice of you to join us”.
“We thought you were going to stay in bed all day”. Shadow chimed.
My instinct was to shout at them, but I calmed down and realized that they were not the source of my problem; rather, they were the only ones who could proffer solutions. I kept quiet, allowing them to enjoy themselves. When they saw I wasn’t in my jovial mood, Shadow said, “What’s up man?”
“Has any of you seen Joslyn today?” I asked as calmly as I could.
“What do you mean by have we seen Joslyn today? You guys have been inside all day, and you clearly refused to come out this morning.”He said.
“Guy what’s wrong?”Storm asked. “Did you guys not sleep in the same room last night?”I ran my hands through my hair. I was frustrated already.
“We did, at least that was what I believed.” Trying to recall the events of the previous night. “We definitely did,” I announced.“Last night we were together but when I woke up she wasn’t there anymore.” I said as I cussed under my breath. Their eyes opened up as they stood up immediately. Storm ran out to check if her car was still outside while Shadow sniffed the air, trying to check if anyone was lurking around. Her car is still here, Stormed announced. He was about to ask if she had been kidnapped, but Shadow reported that no one had been around. I ignored them and went to sit on a sofa. I threw the note she left towards Shadow. He looked at Storm who just shrugged and motioned for him to pick it up. He took a while for any of them to pick the note. Impatient, I spoke up –
“She has gone after her brother whom she believes is in her dad’s estate.”
Storm breathed a sigh of relieve. “There is still hope,” he said. “At least we know where she is.”
“No we don’t!” I replied. “I don’t fucking know where her dad lives. She is fucking going to die!” I exclaimed.
“How could she think of going to such a place by herself, is she trying to get herself killed?” I asked no one in particular. Before they could respond, I continued. “As if that was not enough, she also included that we should not come after her. This is crazy.” I shouted.
“I don’t even know where she is right now. I don’t know if she is there already.” I paused, “This girl drives me crazy.”
She does drive you crazy, Shadow said silently thinking I couldn’t hear. I growled so loud that Storm had to intervene.
“Sorry man.” He said to me as he looked over to Shadow giving him a warning look.
I could not mention the part where she added that she took our money. At least not right now.
“We have to go after her,” I said pacing back and forth, “I don’t know how long she has been gone, I don’t know if she has reached her father’s house. I don’t even know if she is still alive, but I still have to go after her even though I don’t even know where the house is located.” I tried to remember conversations we had about her family but no clue came to mind. She rarely talks about them. “This is fucked up!”I shouted.
“Guy, guy, Calm down.”Storm said as he tried to come close to me. I glared at him and was about to respond when Shadow spoke up,
“We know where she is.”
“You what!” I screamed. “How would you even know where she is?”
Agitated, I grabbed Shadow by the neck when he didn’t respond early and asked him where the hell she was?
“Cool off man, let me show you.”Shadow said which made me release him. He picked up his phone and showed me a grid with a red dot blinking.
“What’s this? What am I supposed to do with this” I asked.“Is this a joke? Am I a joke to you?”
“Calm down dude.” Shadow said, “That red dot is your girlfriend, and that is where she is at the moment.”
Confused I stuttered, “How? How is this even possible?”
Shadow smiled and said “I put a tracking device on her phone yesterday after the attack. After fighting those twins, we noticed that her brother was not in that field. Storm figured that if she survived her encounter with Jackie, she would definitely go after her brother. So I had to put a tracking device in her phone. That way we can trace her.”
I didn’t know how to respond to what I just heard. Thanks man was all I could say.
“So what’s next?” I asked, “We know where she is. How do we reach her?”
“We follow the red dot.”Storm announced.
“Are you guys sure you want to come along?” I asked them. “I already put you guys through a lot yesterday. Are you sure?”
“Yeah. We are coming,” Storm announced “You can’t do this yourself. Now go and put on some clothes and let’s go get your girl back.” Grateful that they were coming along, I hurriedly went into the room to put on some clothes, came out, grabbed my keys and was ready to find my girl. Storm grabbed the keys from me and started the car. “Sit tight, “he announced, “We have a long journey ahead of us and we need to come up with a plan, but first we need to pick up a few things.”
“What?”I asked.
“You will find out soon enough” he replied. Storm drove us to his house. I wondered what he was doing here, but he told me to wait in the car that he and Shadow needed to get something. With no other choice, I sat back and waited for them to return. After a few minutes, I was getting impatient and was just about to get out of the car when I saw them coming, I also noticed that Shadow was carrying a big bag. I waited for them to come in before I reacted.
“What the hell is this bag for, what’s in it?” I asked. Calm down brother, Shadow replied. We don’t know what we are up against, but we definitely have to go prepared. What will I do without these guys? I wondered. They have everything figured out, they already thought ahead, and were not about to go into battles unarmed. Josyln must be similar to me, I thought. Here I was blaming her for always running into a fight without a plan while I was clearly the same.
I don’t know what was in the bag, but I felt better and silently thanked them. Remembering what Storm said, we needed a plan, and we needed it fast. No matter the outcome, one thing was clear. Save Joslyn, her brother and if possible, kill her father. That last part might be tricky, but it was the only way to ensure her safety and her peace of mind, because I was sure she would not stop until she took care of him.
Shadow handed me a brown bag. I gave him a puzzled look as I opened the bag to check its content. It contained an apple and two sandwiches. I couldn’t believe I had not eaten for over 24 hours, without realizing how hungry I was. I devoured the contents of the bag and gave Shadow a thankful smile, grateful for having a brother that cared this much about me. We traveled the remaining part of the journey in silence with each person thinking of a plan.
We were almost reaching the red dot when Storm requested that we park at some distance to prevent us from being noticed. That was when Shadow announced his plan.
“I just need a few details and it will all be settled but first, we are going in through the back.”
Chapter Fourteen
Joslyn
After what seemed like ages, I finally arrived at my father’s estate. I couldn’t remember the last time I was here. The only thing I remembered was that whenever I came around, I always left angry. My father and I never saw eye to eye on anything, and when my mother died, it became worse. I never thought I was going to come back here, but with my brother locked up somewhere here, I can’t help but come to save him. He is the only one in my family who was clearly on my side.
My mind drifted to all the events that brought me here. The fun filled day I had with Ash, the nice evening stroll we shared. The smell of the flowers, the gentle blowing of the wind, the way the winds carried his words, his lingering touch, the smell of his shaving cream. How it all crashed at the sight of the figure lying in front of his house. How scared I was that someone could perpetrate evil and bring it near me. The way the
fear seemed to disappear when he held and protected me with is body, the feeling of excitement that bubbled through me.
Remembering the note attached to the body, how my whole body shook with anger. It was then that it suddenly hit me. How did Jackie know where I would be? Had she been stalking me? I wondered aloud. These were questions I should have asked her while I confronted her. I guess it is too late to find out now. Thankful that I had extra money left from all my purchases, I was able to get a taxi that dropped me at my destination. I couldn’t imagine taking a train or driving down here. My mind was too clouded to concentrate on anything. Also grateful I had something to eat. I went into the store where I knew I could get what I needed. I never imagined myself ever going into a place like that or worse, purchasing anything from there, but it was the only way this could end.
I told the driver to drop me off at a distance from the gate. That way the noise from the taxi will not alert the guards, and I would be able to stay away from the security cameras outside the gate. I got closer to the gate – still at safe distance, I looked into the compound, scouting and trying to figure out what I was up against. It seemed clear, looked like no one was around, but the few times I have come here to see my father. The house was like a fortress, there were nothing less than 10 guards, strategically placed outside, and I’m sure more would be inside. There were also security cameras everywhere, but thankfully, there were no dogs. I could see all his cars parked outside, which definitely means that he is in the house I muttered.
A simple plan formed in my mind, save my brother, put him somewhere safe, and then face my father. If I die I die, but my brother must live. No one knows my current location. Even in the note I left for Ash, I did not tell him the address. If he was ever going to find out, it will take a while. I will have come and gone, or maybe I would be dead. At least I will have a decent burial I thought. My body will not just be thrown into the bush.
I looked into the bag for the hundredth time that day and admired the two; forty five caliber pistols that I bought. They were beautiful to behold but also very dangerous. Having very little knowledge about guns, I told the owner of the store and he offered to teach me how to use it. Wondering why anyone will be so enthusiastic about guns, although I kept my thoughts to myself. After purchasing the weapons, he took me further into the store where there was a mini shooting range. He explained a lot of things about the gun but the only thing I understood was its effectiveness. That was what I was looking out for; I just needed them to be able to get the job done.
In all the movies I have watched, I saw the people just bring out a gun and shoot. I did not realize there was more to it than was portrayed. From the stance, to the posture, even to the way the gun should be held. I almost gave up but the thought of my brother gave me the needed boost to focus. When the owner of the store was satisfied with my training, he wished me luck and said he hoped to see me again. If I survive this encounter I will definitely go and see him again, I thought and if possible sell the guns back to him.
Thought about my plan once again, I added a little more detail to it though I wasn’t sure if I could pull it off.
It was pretty simple. Enter the building through the back, avoid as many guards as I could. Hold my gun at standby and shoot anyone that comes in my way. Enter the main building while avoiding the security camera and find my way to my father’s study. Looking at the plan, it did not look solid but it was the only thing I could come up with in such a little time. I had to do this, it was now or never.
Picking up the fully loaded guns and about to enter the compound, I tucked them into the waist of my trouser and was about to head into the estate when my mind drifted back to the wolves I had left behind. I thought about calling them. I didn’t even get to say thank you to the brothers that came to rescue me, instead I got busy thinking about Ash.
Will they ever forgive me and most importantly will they forgive Ash or even trust him again? Those questions stood strong on my conscience but there was nothing I could do about it. The deed had been done. If I survive what lies ahead of me, I would find a way to fix it. I always do.
With my mind made up, I took in a deep breath, came out of my hiding place in the trees and walked straight ahead into the building, heading for the main house when I felt two strong arms pull me back into the shadow of the trees. I was about to scream out when a strong arm covered my mouth. “Shhh…. calm down.” a voice said behind me. Recognizing the voice, I calmed down. The voice sounded exactly like Storm’s voice. Panic came over me, it is not possible I thought, how did he know where I was? I thought I had made sure I wasn’t followed. Despair was about to take over me when the hand slowly released me and I turned around. “Storm!” I cried “what are you doing here?”
“We came for you.” He replied. “We?” I asked. I had not realized that he was with company until I looked around and I saw Ash and Shadow. Relief rushed through me at the same time with mixed emotions of fear and guilt.
“You have to leave now” I cried. “I need to do this alone. This is my life, this is my business and you shouldn’t get involved.” Squaring my shoulders I announced “I have to kill my father.” Ash came forward, looked into my eyes and said calmly, “We know.”
“How do you intend to defend yourself” Shadow asked. I pulled out my two; forty five caliber guns from my waist belt and grinned at him. “Do you even know how to use that thing?” Storm asked. ‘Yes” I replied confidently “I had a few lessons.” He couldn’t hide the surprise in his voice when he asked “for how long have you been planning to get yourself killed?” “Relax I told him, the owner of the store where I purchased them taught me how to shoot and how to reload.” With a shocked look, Ash interjected and asked me if I planned to storm into a guarded estate with just two guns. “I have enough extra bullets” I defended. He looked at me with disbelief and shook his head. “What were you thinking?” he asked, “why would you walk into the Lion’s den with nothing but a few pieces of meat.” Confused, I looked at his brothers hoping they could help me out but they just shrugged. “These bullets will kill some guards, raise the alarms and you will be surrounded in no time” he continued. “I never really thought about it that way.” I replied. “Were you really planning on getting yourself killed?” he asked.“Why didn’t you tell us to come with you?” He asked again?“I didn’t want to involve you.” I replied firmly. “I told you already, it is my fight.”“What part of I will do anything for you don’t you understand? Do you even have the slightest idea of how important you are to me? Any decision you take now does not affect just you, it affects me too.” “And us” Storm added. “You are my life now, you mean everything to me. I would gladly give my life for you and your brother if it will make you happy.”
Tears welled up in my eyes. I hadn’t realized how much I was loved. I didn’t realize that he was willing to give himself for me. No one has ever offered that to me. With regret in my voice, I apologized. I tried to tell him that I was trying to protect him and that I could not live with myself if anything ever happened to him. “It’s okay” he replied, “I understand, but I also want you to know my deep feelings for you” he continued as he drew me close and whispered softly into my ears,“Everything would be fine. Together we will conquer the world. I am here for you now, we all are.” This time, the tears fell freely and I did not try to stop them. It was at that moment I decided I was going to live the rest of my life by his side no matter what.
“Enough of all these emotions.” Shadow said, “They are beginning to get under my skin. Are we doing this or not?” he asked. “Doing what?” I asked with a puzzled look on my face. “Breaking in of course.” Looking at the three brothers, I said, “What do you mean?” Shadow was the first to respond “We are not here to stop you, we are here to help you, we just need a few details on the interior of the house and we are good to go.”
I turned back to Ash and he smiled at me, nodding his head in agreement with what Shadow said. We are here to help you get you
r brother back. This time, fresh tears filled my eyes but they were not tears of sadness or regrets, they were tears of joy. For the first time, I understood what people meant when they say “these are tears of joy.” After gaining a little bit of composure, I asked “Do you know who or what you are up against?” He shrugged. “They are flesh and blood aren’t they” he responded. Nodding my head, I could not help but laugh. “We’ve got you, don’t worry we are here for you. We just need to know more about the building and a few other details and we would be good to go.”
“Really?” I asked with great curiosity. After what seemed like ages he finally responded. “We have a plan.”
More From Imani L. Hawkins and an Excerpt from Captured
Peace between humans and vampires is a lofty goal.
But not everyone wants to see it happen.
Indebted to a dangerous human,
maverick hacker, Davina, decides to take a stab at vampire money,
and gets caught by the deadly and oh-so-sexy vampires of the Nightborne Motorcycle Club.
When vampires start disappearing only to return deranged and attack their own,
The club will use anyone and anything, including Davina, to find out who’s behind it,
Who wants to destroy their fragile peace with humans, and
Who wants a war.
If you love sexy vamps, motorcycle gangs, and a bad*ss heroine who doesn't have to choose, grab this dark romance now.
Save Me Page 7