LOCK

by Debra Anastasia

  Our plane was getting readied. Skinny and Volt were visibly uncomfortable. Felon was the one to pick Cosmo up and somehow calm him enough to transport him. I followed behind. Skinny and Volt would stay here to handle the dead body. Felon and I were in charge of the guy who wished he were dead.

  It was almost a white noise of panic in my head. All this time I’d been in the Feybis I was able to pin my gaze on Ember when I was worried about her. And now...after this past week...she was more mine than ever.

  Was she really pregnant? Did girls just know shit like that? I didn’t think so. I thought of Ma and Rhy. Maybe they would love a little baby. How dare I think like that? Ember was now with Olin who’d just shot the love of his son’s life to prove a point.

  She was anything but safe right now. Felon offered Cosmo a stiff drink on the plane. He downed it. Felon and I sat in the back of the plane.

  He glanced at a text message and whispered to me, “She’s okay. Pregnancy is confirmed. We have to keep Cosmo alive because he wants them married.”

  Relief and fear collided in my mind. Ember would be kept alive—that was good. But I was going to be a dad? I thought about Felon’s scenario. Staying within a stone’s throw of his own child all this time. If I lived long enough. Ember was in Feybi’s care. And now she was actually pregnant. It was a mind scrambler.

  The next time Felon went up to refill Cosmo’s drink, I texted the information to Animal’s emergency number.

  Seconds later, I had another message:

  Destroy the phone.

  I got up and went to the bathroom. I tore the phone apart. I stomped on the sim card and flushed the pieces. When I came out, Felon was waiting for me with a drink of my own. He had the same. Cosmo was lying on the leather couch, quietly dying inside. For now, keeping him alive was my way back to Ember.

  Was she pregnant? Seemed so if the blood test said yes. I trusted her. I loved her. But I never asked what had happened to her before I was able to be with her. Could it be someone else’s baby? Not that it mattered. She had to stay alive.

  I sat next to Felon and we finished our drinks.

  Chapter 66

  Animal

  WE’D HAD TROUBLE LOCATING them at first. But then there was a ping on the tracker and we knew they were in New York. They stayed there for a week. And then the shit hit the fan. Both T and I were working furiously while Nix lost his cool. When we heard from Lock that Ember was with Olin, he went straight to the weapons room and loaded himself up for a battle. I heard him mumble, “Pregnant?” Then as he stood behind me, getting real-time reports, he took a knee. Like a knight waiting to serve a queen.

  But this queen was his sister. I didn’t want to imagine what it was like for him. Was he reliving his mother’s turbulent pregnancy with Ember?

  When T yelled that she had contact with Lock, Nix was on both his knees. A suffering skeleton.

  “He says she’s getting a blood test.”

  Nix snapped to and made his way to his computer, using two at once. “It’s best she is? Right?”

  T and I made the decision. Olin seemed obsessed with an heir. We’d done our research. He was investing in LLCs and making trusts.

  “I can’t find them. We’ll watch to see if any of Ember’s files are pulled for medical information, but we can go to the airport and research from there.” Nix stood from his computer and unplugged his laptop from the power source. “Now. We go now. Whatever we have to do. I’m not playing games anymore. I’m going to get my sister.”

  And I knew our time was limited. I wanted to get Ember and Lock out. Maybe I was the worst of all because I was thinking about losing her, and the ramifications that would have on Nix and our company. He didn’t know about Merck...yet.

  T packed a bag. They would go. I would stay. Ember was to be saved, or we would all go down in flames with her.

  Chapter 67

  Ember

  OLIN WAS AN ABSOLUTE psycho. Not even dealing with the news that his son was gay. He glossed over the whole thing in his head. Like killing Felix would make the fairy tale in his head true.

  I looked at my stomach. I wasn’t pregnant, despite all the throwing up I’d been doing. Maybe I couldn’t make murder work in my head. And I was okay with that. My psyche was reacting to the violence. Olin had taken me to a house on the ocean, the off-season lending itself to privacy. That, coupled with the hugeness of the estates surrounding us, made me lose hope of alerting a neighbor. To what, I wasn’t sure.

  I wanted to get to Lock. And as far as I knew, our week in heaven was secret from everyone except Felon. And he didn’t talk, though that didn’t mean he couldn’t tell people things.

  It’s crazy that your body can only stay at a heightened state of panic for blocks of time. And then you think.

  And then you plan.

  And then you get angry.

  I was in a pretty room with a view of the ocean. The white curtains were billowing. I stood between them. In my head I compared myself to whom I thought my mother was. In my memory. I knew she was beaten. I knew she was killed. The few pictures I had of her were not clear enough. Since knowing Nix, he’d shown me more about her.

  But there was the knowledge that Merck could be my father. The man with the kind eyes that I’d met with Animal. A baby would be his grandchild, if he was truly my father.

  Olin knocked on the open door. “Pardon me?”

  I could see his reflection in the window next to me. His shock of white hair. I turned around because I didn’t want to have my back to him, not because I wanted to see him.

  I lifted an eyebrow. He was asking like I was a guest he didn’t want to trouble.

  “I wanted to make sure that you had everything you need.” He almost bowed.

  “I’m captive. So everything sucks.” My mouth got away from me. Maybe it was the exhaustion talking. The lack of Lock talking.

  “Of course, of course. I understand. I just wanted to know for your health. Do you need food?” He stepped into my space, all humble. The last two days he had left me be. His minions delivered food.

  It didn’t make sense. He didn’t make sense. I tested him. “I know that fruits and vegetables would be good. And a nice water cooler. I’m thirsty all the time.”

  He deferred to me, promising to see to my needs. Instead of thanking him, I nodded. I recognized this version of Olin. It was the way he’d treated Cosmo before he killed Felix. I wasn’t a psychologist, and I’m sure someone somewhere could write one hell of a paper on him, but maybe, if he didn’t snap, I might be able to play this game with him. Treat him like a spoiled child would.

  He shuffled out of the room, very unlike the booming, insane person that I was used to. I narrowed my eyes.

  “Close the door,” I demanded.

  His old, orange-tan hand grasped the doorknob. “Of course, my dear. Of course.”

  It popped back open and his creepy face hovered there. “You can’t ignore the wedding plans. I want to make sure it’s the event of your dreams. White dress, handsome groom. All the trappings of a wedding.”

  I crossed my arms and turned my back on him. The door clicked shut, but I could hear Olin chuckling like a madman. I let Lock’s smile fill my mind and bring me courage.

  Chapter 68

  Lock

  WHEN WE TOUCHED DOWN in Denver, we had to pass the famous horse with the glowing eyes. It felt ominous. Felon updated me that we were going to a safe house with Cosmo. Soon, Ember and Olin would arrive for an impromptu wedding. It was surreal. I’d destroyed the phone I had, so I was looking for opportunities to contact Nix and Animal.

  Cosmo was lying on the beat-up couch in the house Olin apparently rented or owned. I felt a little bad for him, but more so for me. The week we’d spent together was stupid. Because I’d tasted what forever could be like with Ember. And it was amazing.

  We were too young. We were too far in for each other. And we were both captives. Felon was whittling. I wasn’t sure what he was making; he always seemed
to be moving his hands. In the quiet, Cosmo fell asleep and started snoring.

  Felon set down his work and motioned for me to sit down at the kitchen table with him.

  The seats creaked and groaned as we pulled them under us.

  “How are you?” Felon folded his hands and waited.

  “Not sure. Nothing feels real. Thank you. For giving me that time with Ember.” I had to thank him, even though we were all in this purgatory.

  “He’s gay.” Felon indicated with a tilt of his head to Cosmo.

  “Seems like.” I wasn’t sure where he stood on the subject. He was from a different generation.

  “Olin won’t go for that. He’s pretending now. He can wish away things he doesn’t want to face.” Felon’s eyes clouded with sadness.

  “Do you think Ember’s okay with him?” I tapped my fingers on the table, making sure to keep my voice hushed.

  “Yeah. She’s part of the dream. As long as she’s got a baby, she’s in the clear.” Felon sat back and looked over at the sleeping Cosmo.

  I felt helpless and useless sitting here while she was trapped somewhere without me. It was all a mirage anyway. Me believing I could keep her safe while I worked for Feybi.

  “We’ll get back to her. Don’t worry,” Felon offered

  It would be another two days before I saw her.

  Chapter 69

  Animal

  PART OF BEING IN charge was turning off your heart and tuning into your head. I was doing that. Letting the Ember situation just run in the background of my thoughts.

  I moved forward with some property purchases. I met with our guys and gave them orders they already knew about Midville. Stay ready. Stay observant. Really I just wanted to maintain the control in my city.

  I was straightening my tie when Nix called. He rarely called. He was more of a texter, so immediately, I was concerned.

  “Brother. I had some facial recognition software scanning security cameras, and I found that Ember was at an Urgent Care in Chicago just a few days ago. She left with Olin.”

  There was hope then. At least she had been alive enough to need any medical care at all.

  “T and I are pulling up now. I’ll keep you on speaker, but mute your side.” I did as he asked.

  Now I was privy to whatever he and T found out. T posed as a patient and requested someone named Wanda. Within ten minutes, I was listening while Nix spoke to what sounded like an elderly women. At first, she was not willing to discuss it and claimed HIPPA rules were a problem. Then Nix let his heart bleed out in front of her. That his sister had been kidnapped and he would do anything to find her. That the people she was with were dangerous.

  Wanda’s voice was lowered in a whisper while she told Nix that she was concerned. A girl and an older man had been in and the girl begged her to reveal fake results to the man.

  Bingo. Wanda even had a son who worked at the local airport, so Nix thanked her and promised to find his sister. When they were back in their rented vehicle, I took off the mute button.

  “So Baby Girl caught a break. Thank fuck.”

  Nix responded, “She’s keeping herself alive however she can. Next stop is the airport to meet Wanda’s son. As soon as we have a location…”

  I finished his thought, “I’ll be on the next flight. We’ll get our girl back.”

  I just hoped we were in time. And that Ember could keep up with her lies.

  Chapter 70

  Ember

  I WAS IN A wedding dress. I was about to marry a gay man who had a broken heart. Olin rubbed his hands together.

  “You do paint a beautiful picture of a bride. I wanted a big party back at the compound, but considering it’s only been three days since I learned I’m going to be a grandpa, this is the best we can do. We’ll just get it done quickly. Then, after the baby, we can have a big party. When you’re back to your fighting weight.” He was wearing a white tuxedo. Battling me for the spotlight I didn’t want. Nor would it have an audience.

  Ann was here in this old church in Denver with a view of the mountains, having hustled in before I was even in my gown this morning. A priest had been in and out with one of Olin’s guards. He looked terrified, so I was assuming he was under duress.

  Ann’s hand shook a little when she applied my makeup. She had always seemed unflappable, and now she was flapped. If that was even a thing.

  I ran my hands down my body. A simple, strapless gown. Olin proudly brought it to me before we boarded the plane to get here before dawn.

  He went with simple, but it had a train and a veil. Ann fastened it in my hair.

  I was hoping like hell that Lock was with Cosmo. Olin didn’t mention it. It seemed that he’d transitioned his treatment of Cosmo to me, or at least my supposed baby. But I was toeing a line. Just like Cosmo had saved me from the spanking, but hadn’t been able to save Laura’s life, I could only ask for so much. At least this was the conclusion I’d drawn during the few days he kept me prisoner in his house by the ocean.

  Ann emerged from the bathroom where her bags were and produced a pregnancy test. “How about we double-check for Olin? Make sure everything is moving along?”

  I swallowed hard. I’d gotten my period forty-five minutes ago. Luckily, the ladies’ room in this church had tampons. But it didn’t bode well that I was wearing white. My nerves were rattled. I locked the bathroom door after taking the test from her hand. I studied the box. Two pink lines, I was expecting. One, I wasn’t. And then the jig was up. I dug around in Ann’s bag and found a thin pink lip liner. I sat down on the toilet and did what I had to. After waiting the required two minutes, with Ann knocking on the door, I added the second line with the lip liner. When I tossed the liner back into the bag, I saw a knife. Madams were ready for everything, clearly.

  When I handed my test to Ann, she accepted it with a smile, though thankfully didn’t study it too hard. “Very good. Nice work.”

  As Ann fussed with how the veil hung in the back, we overheard Olin on the phone in the hallway.

  “Yes. That’s fine. Just bring Cosmo and those two. I have a few tuxes here for him. You know what? We’ll use one of the guards as his best man. Well, I’m walking my new daughter-in-law down the aisle. Yes. Okay. In an hour.” He slid his phone into his pocket.

  Ann had toned down her madam flourish a ton. Olin walked back in and tutted over my appearance. “I chose well. So convenient, really, for our families.” He started walking in a slow circle around me. “And your brother will be indebted to me because we’ll be family. Surely, you recognize the genius in this?”

  I shrugged. “If you say so.”

  I felt Ann bristle behind me. Of course, my new attitude was a bit shocking to her. I was taking chances that were paying off, slightly anyway. I was still here in this dress, so the man got what he wanted, eventually.

  The loud sigh of disappointment filled the room, and then I realized it was coming from me.

  Olin tilted his head. “Why so sad, princess?”

  His use of “princess” reminded me of Animal. Reminded me of Lock.

  Olin’s phone sounded a tone, and he dug it out of his pocket, putting on his jovial attitude.

  Ann started packing up her makeup. “You’ve made yourself a place here, I see.”

  She was reaching out to talk, when it wasn’t something she did normally. I didn’t trust her, so I stilled my lips.

  “What happened with Cosmo?” She was fishing.

  I turned my mouth down in the corners. “Nothing. The wedding was moved up since I’m pregnant. That’s it.” After sliding my high heels on, I waited to see what else she would say. She offered nothing, but went to the corner and swapped out her less formal attire for a black gown. I averted my eyes when she was in her underthings. She snickered when she noticed.

  “Sweetheart, enough people have seen this old vessel. I’m not shy.”

  I still gave her my version of privacy, though Olin could clearly see her from where he was huddled on the phone
in the hallway.

  “I would’ve married him a million years ago if he’d asked.” Ann fixed her hair in the mirror. I must’ve made a face because she laughed. “We weren’t old our whole lives.”

  The whole conversation was confusing. “He’s a murderer.”

  I mean, that had to be common knowledge. Ann licked her lips like I’d shown her something distasteful. In a wave, I realized that she was probably as deranged as he was if I had to remind her about the murders. About Laura. I still saw her death when I closed my eyes.

  I stood in a wedding dress, not in school, having witnessed multiple murders. Scared, trying to control the uncontrollable. I felt the change within me. I’d gotten harder. Meaner. Maybe I was more like my brother than I thought.

  I had a fleeting thought about my possible father, Merck. His kind eyes. In that moment, I wanted the life I knew I should be in. These people were using my fear against me. The people I was protecting weren’t innocent lambs. They could take care of themselves. I felt the courage start to fill my lungs with hope and plans and the air I was breathing. I could do something. Right now. Lock wouldn’t see it coming. No one would.

  When I opened my eyes, I saw Lock in the hallway wearing a tuxedo. I smiled at him. Cosmo lumbered into his shoulder. He was either drunk or dying of a broken heart. Probably a bit of both. But I kept my eyes on Lock. So thankful he was here.

  Ann put her hand on my waist. “It’s showtime.”

  Chapter 71

  Lock

  THE LIGHT FROM THE window behind her made the edge of her dress and veil look like it was glowing. I was stunned. Breathless. She opened her eyes and pierced right into my soul.

  If there was a more beautiful sight than Ember in her wedding dress, I didn’t want to see it, because I felt like my heart was going to explode already. And then she smiled. Cosmo bumped into my shoulder. I snapped back into reality. She was about to marry the guy next to me. Not me. I’d stay in their employ as long as I could. After sliding an arm around Cosmo and propping him up, Ember was still smiling.