by Wilder, L.
Without looking up, he answered, “Maybe later.”
“But you promised that we could go.”
“And we will.” Still focused on his papers, he huffed, “I’ve got some work to do first.”
“Leave your father be, August. I’ll take you in a minute,” Mom promised.
I wanted so desperately to argue, but I knew it wouldn’t do any good. Once my father started working, it would be hours before he stopped. Trying my best to be patient, I went out on the front porch and stared out at the water. It was the most beautiful sight I’d ever seen. I was watching the waves crash along the sand when I heard my mother talking to my father. It wasn’t until that moment when I realized I hadn’t shut the sliding door all the way. With the wind and the waves, it was difficult to hear exactly what they were saying, but I could tell from the tone in her voice that Mom was upset. “It wouldn’t kill you to at least pretend that you want to be here.”
“Don’t start, Samantha. I can’t help it that I have work to do.”
“Your work can wait,” Mom scolded. “That little girl loves you, Denis. She’s excited about being here and wants to swim with her father.”
He mumbled something incoherent under his breath, then snapped, “I’ll go with her later.”
“Fine. Suit yourself.” Mom opened the sliding glass door and feigned a smile as she told me, “I’m ready when you are.”
I could see the sadness in her eyes, but I was too young to truly understand why it was there. I nodded, then walked over to her and gave her a hug. “I love you, Momma.”
“I love you, too, sweet girl.” She gave me a quick squeeze, then said, “Now, let’s go for that swim!”
Too excited to even think, I grabbed my towel and rushed to the front door. Mom grabbed our chairs and umbrella, then followed me out onto the front porch. When we got down to the beach, Mom started setting up our spot. Seeing that I was about to bust a gut, she smiled and said, “You can go ahead and get in, but don’t go too deep. I’ll be there in a minute.”
Before she had a chance to change her mind, I took off running towards the water. I could still remember the feeling of the utter joy I’d felt the moment I first stepped into that gorgeous blue ocean. It was so warm, and the sand felt so strange between my toes. I absolutely loved it. I waved at my mother as I urged, “Come on, Momma!”
“I’m coming! I’m coming!” Moments later, she was at my side, and we were fighting against the monstrous waves as we tried to get into the deeper water. Once we’d gotten waist deep, I dove in, kicking and splashing as I swam around my mother’s legs. I was pretending to be a mermaid, swimming along with all my fish friends when I came across a shell in the shape of a circle. I was studying it when Mom glanced over my shoulder and said, “Look at that! You found a sand dollar.”
“What’s a sand dollar?”
“It’s a little sea urchin, but if you look at it real close, some people say it resembles Christ on the cross. It’s supposed to be good luck if you find one.”
“That’s so cool.”
“Yes, it is.” Mom pointed towards the shore as she asked, “Why don’t you go show your father?”
I’d been so excited about finally getting to swim in the ocean, I hadn’t even noticed that he’d come down. When I started towards him, I noticed that he had on his swimsuit and sunglasses. I’d hoped that meant he was going to come swim with us, but I’d quickly learn he had other plans. “Hey, Daddy. Look what I found!”
“Hmph. A sand dollar.” He took it in his hand and studied it for a moment, then his nose crinkled as he announced, “This one’s broken.”
“It is?” I asked as I leaned in to see.
“Yeah. The edge is broken off.” He slipped it into the pocket of his t-shirt, then smiled as he said, “Why don’t ya go see if you can find another one?”
“Okay.”
Feeling a little disappointed, I went back to the water next to my mother. I searched for over an hour, hoping to find another sand dollar that wasn’t broken, but never did. When I finally came back for air, Mom asked, “Do you want to swim some more or make a sandcastle?”
I glanced up at the shore at my father sitting in his chair. I watched as he brought his beer up to his mouth and took a long drink. “I want to swim some more.”
“Okay. Then, let’s swim.”
Mom and I spent another half hour swimming and jumping the waves. We would’ve stayed longer, but my dad motioned for us to come back. When we approached, he looked over to Mom and said, “I’m ready for dinner.”
“Okay. Just give me a minute to get this cleaned up.”
She quickly wrapped a towel around me and then herself before collecting our chairs and umbrella. Dad grabbed our chairs, and without saying a word, he started walking towards the house. I watched as she followed behind him, never saying a word as they trekked through the sand and up to the front porch. They both disappeared inside, while I played in the sand. It wasn’t long before my mother called me inside to eat. Once I’d changed clothes, we all gathered around the table. I was still feeling excited about being at the beach, so I started in with the typical kid questions. “What are we doing tomorrow?”
“We’ll go back to the beach and swim.”
“And look for more sand dollars and shells?”
“Yes. We can do that. We’re here for several days, August. We’ll have plenty of time to do whatever we want.” Hoping to get me to settle down, she turned to me and said, “Now, eat your dinner before it gets cold.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
I sat there watching as Mom picked at her dinner, and Dad devoured his. As soon as he was done, he got up, never saying thank you or helping to clear the dishes. He just went back to his work while she cleaned the kitchen. Once she was done, she didn’t join him in the living room. Instead, she took a book out on the porch and read until bed.
Thinking back on it now, I remember it always being like that with them. They rarely ever kissed or held hands. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d actually seen them talk or laugh together. There were times when he would talk with me, and even hug me and kiss my cheek, but there was a distance there—one I never really understood, at least not until now. Knowing what I do now, I get why he never truly invested himself in his marriage or with me. We were never truly his, and he was never truly ours. He wasn’t my father. He was simply a stand in.
As I thought about that broken sand dollar I’d given Denis, I realized that he’d never given it back to me. If I had to guess, I’d say he’d tossed it as soon as I returned to the water, never giving it a second thought. I couldn’t help but wonder what Gus would’ve thought about my little, broken treasure. Remembering how he’d lined his walls with broken motorcycle parts, I couldn’t help but think that he would’ve held on to it, keeping it as a memento of a wonderful memory we’d shared. Unfortunately, I’d never truly know how he would’ve reacted.
I glanced down at Harper and wasn’t surprised to see that she was sound asleep. I was far too wound up to even think about sleeping. I wouldn’t be able to relax until I knew my mother was back, safe and sound, so being careful not to wake Harper, I eased out of bed. It had been two hours since the guys had left, but I hadn’t heard anything from anyone. Curious, I opened the door and peeked my head out into the hall. Just as Gus had promised, Rev and Link were standing guard. “Any sign of them?”
“No, ma’am. Not yet.”
“Okay. Please let me know if you hear anything.”
“Will do.”
I closed the door, leaned my back against it, trying to muster whatever strength I had left in me to make it through the next few hours. I closed my eyes and let Gus’s words play back in my mind. “We won’t be coming back without Samantha.” Having no other choice, all I could do was hold on and pray that he would stay true to his word.
CHAPTER 17
Gunner
The plan was simple. Divide and conquer. We’d hit all four of Polito’s pro
perties simultaneously, hoping to catch him and his crew off-guard. While Gus was with Shadow and his team of twenty at the main warehouse, T-Bone and Hawk had six men covering the office with Gauge. Blaze and Axel had six more at the other warehouse, while I was at Polito’s home with Viper, Murphy, Riggs, and four other Sinners. As much as I wanted to be there to get August’s mother back safely, I didn’t have a choice. Knowing we were familiar with the property, Gus wanted me at the house with Riggs and Murphy. At exactly, 8:42 p.m., we would enter each of our designated locations and wipe out anyone who was present, including Polito and his front man, Carbone.
Tensions were high as we waited on Riggs to check the surveillance feed one last time, making sure we didn’t have any surprises, especially ones that could be avoided. Even after he’d given us the go ahead to proceed, we all knew we’d have to be extra careful when we entered Polito’s home. We were in a neighborhood full of possible onlookers, and on top of that, the cameras we’d installed only gave us a view of the ground floor, making it impossible to know what was going on upstairs. For August and Samantha, I was willing to take the risk. We all were.
The time had arrived for us to proceed to our locations. We were masked in darkness as Viper, Riggs, and I made our way up to the front door. As we hid in the stillness of the night, Murphy and a few of Viper’s boys slipped around back. The countdown had begun. I glanced over at Riggs, and for just a brief moment, time stood frozen. We both knew what lay ahead, what we were putting on the line, but knowing my brothers had my back, I was ready to face whatever was waiting for us behind that closed door. I wanted this shit to come to an end, and for August to finally be free of Polito.
As we put the silencers on each of our weapons, Riggs’ eyes flicked from mine over to Viper’s. Once he was certain we were ready, he gave the nod, letting us know it was time. I watched as he pulled out his gun and shot the lock on the front door. Adrenaline surged through me, engulfing my entire body with a mix of fear and excitement as he kicked the door open. As soon as we stepped inside, two men in suits came charging towards us with their weapons drawn, making it impossible to survey my surroundings. They were the same two men we’d seen on the surveillance video, tall and bulky, wearing business suits, and they both seemed stunned to see us standing there. I used that moment of shock to my advantage and started shooting, taking out the biggest of the two with the first shot and wounding the second. Viper charged over to the guy I’d shot in the chest and placed the barrel of his gun at his head. “Who else is here?”
“You’re dead asshole. All of you,” the guy barked.
“Answer the fucking question!” Viper demanded.
“I’m not telling you shit, motherfucker!”
“Have it your way, dickhead.” Viper pulled the trigger, killing the guy instantly. We were checking to see if anyone else was close, when gunshots were fired in the back of the house. Having no idea what Murphy and his boys were facing, Viper turned and started towards them. As he disappeared into the next room, he shouted, “You two, get upstairs.”
As ordered, Riggs and I started up the staircase. The house was like something out of one those magazines for the rich and famous with elegant pictures on the walls and large crystal chandlers. The stairs curved upward, making it difficult to see as we made our way up to the second level of the house. We’d almost reached the top when a shot was fired, and I felt a familiar searing pain flash across my bicep. I glanced down at my arm, and even though it was just a simple graze, I was pissed I’d actually been hit—again. “Goddamn it!”
The second I saw the asshole who’d shot me, I aimed my 45 directly at his head and fired, killing him. His lifeless body dropped to the floor with a loud thud. Riggs smirked as he glanced back at me and asked, “You all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” I glanced over at the body on the stairway and said, “Next time, that motherfucker will think twice before shooting me.”
As he stepped over him, Riggs chuckled. “Yeah, you taught him a lesson for sure.”
“Damn straight I did.”
Like the rest of the house, the upstairs was decorated in all kinds of fancy shit—a large statue standing beneath the window, expensive paintings lining the hallway, and more crystal chandeliers. When we approached the first bedroom, Riggs turned to me as he reached for the doorknob and said, “Cover me.”
I nodded and watched as he opened the door and stepped inside the oversized room. There was a king-sized sleigh bed along with several large, ornate antique pieces of furniture, but there was no one to be seen. I covered his every move as Riggs checked the closet and adjoining bathroom. Once we were certain no one was inside, I looked over to him and said, “It’s clear. We need to get moving.”
He motioned his hand towards the door, then said, “Across the hall.”
I nodded, then stepped out of the room and into the next. Like the one before, it was completely empty. We continued forward, checking the next two rooms with no sign of anyone. I was beginning to think we wouldn’t find anyone at all, but I was wrong. When we went to the next room, the door was different from the others. There was a door panel lock with a keypad. Having no idea why an inside door would have such a lock, I turned to Riggs and asked, “What the fuck is this?”
“Might be a safe room or something?” He turned the doorknob, trying to get inside as he said, “No telling who or what’s on the other side of that door.”
“How the hell are we supposed to get in there to find out?”
Riggs took a step back, aiming his 45 at the lock, and shot off several rounds. When there was nothing except a few wood fragments left behind, I lifted my foot and kicked the door down. We were both expecting to find more men waiting to take us down, but instead, we were greeted with complete silence. The room was dark, making it difficult to see as we stepped inside.
I had a strange feeling we weren’t alone, and that feeling was confirmed the second I heard a strange sound drag across the floor. My heart rate started to quicken as I aimed my weapon and prepared to take my shot. Just as I was about to pull the trigger, Riggs moved to my side, allowing the light from the hallway to cast a dim light into the room. It was at that moment when I saw the source of the strange sound. A large chain was mounted to the floor. I followed the links across the room and found that it was attached to the ankle of a beautiful young woman, who was cowering in the corner, trembling in fear. I could hear the surprise in Riggs’ voice as he asked, “What the fuck?”
Trying to shield her face, the girl held up her hands as she cried, “Please don’t shoot.”
“We won’t as long as you don’t give us reason to,” I told her. “You got a name?”
“Gabriella.”
The second she said her name, I knew exactly who she was. I’d often wondered what had happened to the girl who was locked away in the room with Harper back when Polito had taken her. Now I knew. “Damn.”
“What?” Riggs asked, “Do you know her?”
“No, but Harper does.” I knelt down beside the young woman as I asked, “How long have you been here?”
“Weeks … maybe months. I don’t know anymore.”
“Well, we’re getting you outta here tonight.” I grabbed a thin blanket off the bed and used it to wrap around her. “I’m gonna need to remove this chain.”
“Okay.” I looked over to Riggs and said, “See if you can find a light.”
When he started searching, Gabriella told me, “There’s not one.”
“They’ve just left you sitting here in the fucking dark?”
“Yes. There’s just the window, and the light that comes from under the door.”
I couldn’t help but think of how scared Harper must’ve been when she was locked away in that godforsaken room for all those days. The thought angered me to no end, making me want to kill Polito with my bare hands. Without telling me where he was going, Riggs stepped out of the room, only to return moments later with a lamp. He plugged it in, and for the first time,
I got a good look at Gabriella. She was pretty and young, maybe twenty or so, with long, curly hair. Even though she was a little on the skinny side, you could tell by her muscle tone she was athletic. With her olive skin, it was difficult to see the dark circles under her eyes, but they were there none the less. I had no idea what the girl had been through, but it was clear that being locked away in that room had taken its toll on her. I tried to keep my voice low and non-threatening when I said, “I’m going to need you to cover your eyes for just a minute.”
She nodded, then looked away and covered her head with the blanket. Hoping it would be enough to shield her from any of the fragments, I aimed my gun at one of the chain links and pulled the trigger. Riggs gave it a tug, then said, “That got it.”
“Good.”
While I hadn’t managed to get it completely off of her ankle, I’d made it possible for us to get her out of that fucking room. I eased over to her and was about to pick her up when Riggs said, “We need to make sure the rest of the house is clear.”
As much as I hated to leave her there, I didn’t have a choice. “We’re going to have to go check the other rooms, and then we’ll be back to get you.”
“No,” she said, as tears filled her eyes, “please don’t leave me in here alone. Not again.”
“I’m sorry, but we don’t have a choice.” I stood up and told her, “We have to make sure it’s safe so we can get you home.”
“Um … There’s a woman. She’s across the hall.”
“Okay. We’ll check it out.”
“Be careful … She’s his mother or something,” Gabriella warned.
I nodded. Before we walked out, I turned back to her and said, “Don’t worry. We’ll be back for you.”
I closed the door, then followed Riggs across the hall. When he tried to turn the doorknob, he discovered it was locked. He was about to knock it down, when a bullet pierced through the wooden door, quickly followed by two more. “Fuck. The bitch is carrying.”