by May Gordon
“Baby,” he calls out to Willow, making them look up. “We’re heading out.”
Both girls get up and come over to say goodbye. I take Annabelle into the living room, wanting some privacy, and gather her in my arms. I kiss her passionately and her moans drive me crazy. Even though I had her only a few hours ago, my need for her burns strongly. When I pull back, she looks dazed and satisfied.
“We’re leaving,” I remind her before giving her another kiss.
“Another hunting trip?” She asks with a smile.
I laugh at her words and say, “Yes, another one, angel.” I kiss her again, unable to resist. “When this is all over, I’m taking you back to Portland, and we’ll create a home there, together.”
Her eyes widen in shock then soften as she smiles. “I want that too.”
I want to say so much, tell her I love her, that I can't live without her, but I'm scared. It’s been a whirlwind with us and I don’t care, but right now I need to focus on the task at hand. If I said it and she didn’t say it back it, it’d throw me off what’s about to happen. I know she does love me, but I don’t want her to say it because i’m going off doing something dangerous. So, I’ll save it for when I return.
“Sit tight and I’ll be back before you know it. Ted will stay with you and Willow.” I grin and kiss her one last time. “Bye, angel.”
“Be safe,” she whispers against my lips.
With one last look, I turn and leave, more motivated to get this shit over with.
We’re about two blocks away from the warehouse, Novak and I have our men armed and ready to go. We’re aware this could be a trap, so we’re taking our time trying to find a way around it.
“What you got, Cole?” I ask.
“The signal is still strong and his men are there. Can’t confirm Arnold is. Feels suspicious,” he tells me.
“So, we place bombs around the building and blow it. See who comes out or shows up then take them out,” Novak supplies.
“Sounds like it could work,” Jace offers
“I second that,” Luke pipes up. “Heat recognition shows bodies in the building but no type of explosives outside.”
“Okay, we’ll send a small team in, set the bomb then fall back and let them go off. From there, we’ll pick them off and see what happens next,” I say.
We’re just about to move when one of the SUVs we drove blows up, the force of the blast sending us all flying. I’m disoriented, and out of it, but not too much to see the carnage laid out in front of me. Novak, Luke, Jace, Cole and all the men that came with us are scattered everywhere. I have no idea who is dead or alive. Another explosion goes off, and I'm knocked out. I regain consciousness, unable to remember much, when I feel myself being picked up and put in the back of a car. The next time, I'm in a warehouse, tied up. I hear a low groan to my side and see Novak in the same predicament.
“Hey,” I call out quietly. He groans again and at least I know he’s alive.
“Well, well, look who’s finally awake. Thought I might’ve killed you.” I still at the voice. It’s Arnold, my father.
“Fuck you,” is all I have to say which pretty much sums up everything I feel.
“Now, that’s not nice to say to your flesh and blood.” He chuckles. “You’ve been a pain in my ass, son. I didn’t have a personal vendetta against you when you ran away, so I was going to let you be,” he says as he takes a seat on a wooden box in front of us. “You started coming after me, interrupting my work. My boss is a mighty man and you don’t want to anger him. It’s pissing me off that my son is the one doing this,” he almost pouts.
I laugh in disbelief. “Are you kidding? After all you’ve done you didn’t think I’d retaliate?”
“I was hoping you were smart,” he muses. “I guess you just need some incentive to get off my back.” He pulls out a cell phone and I instantly recognize it as mine. He taps on the screen then puts it to his ear.
“What’s happening?” Novak's weak voice reaches my ears. I glance at him and see he's not doing well.
“No idea, but we need to get out of here.” I test the ropes, and they feel loose. I look back to Arnold who still has my phone to his ear.
“No, I’m not your Foster. Annabelle, isn't it?” Arnold says and I growl at the fact he’s talking to my angel. “What do I want you? I want my son to fall in line and I think you have to power to make that happen,” he informs her.
He pulls out a gun and shoots me in the shoulder, causing me to groan in agony. I notice he’s holding the phone toward me, capturing my screams.
“No!” Novak yells.
“You hear that, Annabelle? I’m going to kill him, then Novak, all the other kings, their wives, and children.” His voice is deadly. “Again, you ask me what I want.” He laughs and shoots me again, this time in my side and one of his men duct tapes my mouth shut. Novak screams at him once more and I’m close to blacking out. I only hear a bit of what he’s saying to Annabelle.
“He’s dead, Annabelle, and I’ll kill everyone else unless you run far and fast. And if my men don’t catch you, maybe I’ll let you stay gone.” He laughs before adding, “And I’ll start with Novak, he’s expecting a child, isn't he? I’ll give you a ten minute head start. Run, dear,” and with that, he smashes my phone.
I’m uncontrollable now as I feel adrenaline rush through me. I snap the ropes and punch Arnold's men behind me, quickly grabbing the gun. I start shooting toward Arnold, but he runs. Ripping the tape off my mouth, I untie Novak.
“We need to hurry.” I can barely form a sentence as I chase after Arnold.
“Foster, wait!” I hear Novak, but I push on. I don’t see him anywhere, and my sight is slowly going on me because I'm loosing too much blood. I drop to my knees and see visions of Annabelle. I need to get to her, protect her. One of the last things that goes through my mind before I pass out is how much I love her.
Chapter 12
Annabelle
I drop my phone with shaky hands as tears run down my face.
“Anna? What’s wrong?” I feel Willow’s hand on my shoulder.
“Foster’s dead,” I choke out, tears spilling down my face.
Willow gasps in shock and covers her mouth. I see her eyes well with tears. “Novak?” she whispers.
“He’s alive for now, but I need to leave this second.” I don’t bother wiping mine away because more would keep coming. I rush out of the kitchen and head to the bedroom we were using to pack my bag.
“What are you doing? What’s happening? Who was that?” Willow’s voice is clogged with tears.
“It was Arnold!” I scream. “He killed Foster. Told me to run away or he’ll kill Novak, the others, and their families. His men are coming for me now.” How I managed to get all that out I have no idea.
“Stop, Anna. We’ll figure this out. Stay here. Ted and the others will protect you,” she says, trying to convince me.
“No, Willow!” I turn to her “I already lost Foster. I can’t lose all of you either. You all meant so much to him, and if I stayed, I’d be putting you guys in danger. He even said if I didn’t get caught he’d leave me alone,” I say then finish packing.
“And you believe him?” Willow shouts.
“I can't take the chance not to.” I take a deep breath. “Willow, please. If it's safe, I’ll come back, but until then I need to protect all of you, and that includes this baby.” I gesture to her pregnant belly.
I can see the frustration in her eyes. I know she’s upset and doesn’t agree with my decision. She cries harder while she pulls me into a hug. “Promise you’ll contact us soon, and if Arnold is dealt with you come back.”
“I can't right now, but I’ll try my best to call when I can.” I hug her tightly.
Pulling back, she wipes her eyes then her expression becomes serious as she informs me, “I have some cash and an untraceable car I can give you.”
“Thank you for everything.”
“I’ll create a distraction so
you can haul ass and get out of here.” She wipes her tears once more.
“Please, recover his body and cremate him. And one day I’ll be back for his ashes,” I vow. “And take this.” I pass her my cell. “I won't need it.”
“Of course.” We’re both on the move as Willow packs a bag of cash from their safe then shows me a black SUV in the garage. She gives me one last hug before telling me to wait three minutes, then to leave as fast as I can.
And I do just that. Three minutes go by and I open the garage and burn rubber as I leave. Willow must’ve managed to open the main gate because it’s ready to drive through. I see a guard yelling as he chases me, but I don’t stop. I already lost Foster, the least I can do is protect the people he loved most.
Foster
I slowly open my eyes but close them again as my senses return and I hear familiar voices.
“Come on, Doc. I thought he was going to make it,” one voice says.
“Relax, Novak. He’s coming to,” the other tells the first.
I finally open my eyes and see a blurry Novak and an older man. I still feel weak and have a burning sensation in my shoulder and side. “Annabelle,” I mumble.
“What did he say?” The older man asks.
“Annabelle,” I say stronger this time.
“He’s saying his girl's name, Annabelle,” Novak explains.
I finally get my wits about me and try to sit up. It’s excruciating but Novak helps me. “Easy man, I thought you were dead.”
“I feel it.”
“I had to burn the holes closed, son. It was the fastest way to stop the bleeding,” I now recognize the other man as the doctor Novak has on call.
I look down and see my shirt open with two burn marks from the bullets.
“They were both through and through. You’re very lucky,” Novak says.
“Arnold? The team?” I ask, struggling to stand. Novak and doc help me to my feet.
“I lost a few men. Luke, Cole, and Jace are beat up but still alive.”
“Thank fuck,” I breathe out.
“We have a problem though.” And those words send my gut and heart into a spin.
“What now?” I groan as we walk to the SUV where Cole is working on his tablet.
“Annabelle is missing,” Cole answers my question.
“What?” I shout. Then it all comes back to me, the phone call Arnold made and what he said to her. “Do you know where she is?” I snap as I slowly and painfully get in with the rest of them.
“I used satellite imaging and sent Jace and Luke to follow her.”
“Let’s go now.” I turn to Novak and ask, “Was the house hit?”
“No, everyone is safe, although it seems Willow helped Anna escape.”
“What the fuck was she thinking?” I mumble.
“She thought you were dead and was trying to save all of us,” Novak defends her.
“Fuck, when I get my hands on my angel I’m going to spank her,” I grumble still feeling pain from my side.
We speed along the route Cole thinks she took, and it doesn’t take long to get to our destination. What we’re met with breaks my fucking heart. An SUV is turned over, and there are three dead bodies on the ground. The highway we’re on overlooks the sea and I see tire marks that go lead over the cliff. Jace and a few of Novak's men are searching and I get out of the SUV as safe as I possibly can in my condition, and stumble toward him.
“Jace,” I say as I pass the bodies, knowing they’re probably Arnold's men. When Jace turns I stop still, his expression one of utter heartbreak, his eyes filled with tears. “No,” I whisper. I don’t believe it. “Where is she?” I yell as I get closer.
He shakes his head and in a voice I barely recognize says, “Boss, I’m so sorry.”
“No!” I scream at the top of my lungs and move toward the edge. I drop to my knees when I see the wreckage of an SUV scattered along the bottom and going into the ocean. “No!” I roar again in utter agony as I break down in tears. I brace myself on my hand, tears running down my face, my shallow breaths making it hard to take in oxygen. I can't handle it. My brain feels like it's short-circuiting from the overwhelming grief.
She’s gone forever, my angel is dead. I lost her and without her, I am as well, dead inside for eternity.
Chapter 13
Foster~Four months later
I hear the phone ring, and see it’s Quinn, again. The fucker never stops, none of them do. They don’t understand that I want to live alone in this cabin and eventually drink myself to death. I don’t need them pestering me every second of every day. I hit ignore and get up from my chair then head to the counter where my scotch is. I fill my glass and throw it back, taking the bottle and leaving the glass as I sit down again.
After Annabelle's death I was an uncontrollable mess, still am, honestly. Defeated, I boarded myself up in my cabin, never planning to leave. I left Jace and Cole to run my empire, and Novak to take over the business with Porter, Griffin, and Duke. I don’t care about a damn thing anymore. I can't live without my angel, but I know if I killed myself, she’d be disappointed in me. Plus, I deserve this hurt. Though that’s a very mild term for what I feel. It’s my fault she was even in this mess. I should’ve hidden her, protected her better, but I didn’t, and now she’s gone. I spend everyday drinking myself to sleep where I can dream of her, of the future I’d planned, telling her how much I love her, making love to her, hearing her laugh, remembering her touch, smell, and voice. I miss everything about her, and my heart aches with my memories, what's left of my heart.
There’s a knock on my cabin door, but I barely hear it. I’m so shitfaced and numb to the world. I should be pissed someone is interrupting my solitude but am too drunk to give a shit at this point, so I ignore it. As I close my eyes and take a swig from the bottle, I hear a bang and the door slamming open, not reacting to either.
“What the fuck, Foster?” I hear Quinn growl. There they are; Quinn, Lawson, and Novak. I stare at them with a blank expression.
“You’re wasting away, man. You don’t give a shit about anything. You shoved your whole empire off on Jace and Cole to run,” Lawson tells me things I already know.
“You're not the only one grieving,” Novak says quietly. “You haven't talked to anyone in four months.”
I take another swig and glare at them. I know what I look like. I’ve let myself go, my beard and hair resembling that of a wild woodsman and I’ve had a liquid diet the past four months. I look like shit. I know it and don’t care.
“I do apologize. I should have better manners after losing the love of my life,” I slur. I take another sip, but Quinn stops me.
“Fuck you. We’re all grieving!” Then he adds softly, “We know how you feel.”
This gets a reaction out of me, the words hitting me like a bolt of lightning. I stand and throw an older empty liquor bottle to the side.
“You have no fucking idea how I feel!” I roar. “None of you lost the love of your life! None of you lost your reason for breathing. You can never know the depths of pain I feel!” I yell.
“He didn’t mean it that way,” Novak says, trying to calm me. “We’re worried.”
“Yeah? Well fuck off and leave me with my sorrow,” I growl and chug the rest of the liquor before moving to the cabinet and pulling out another bottle.
“Foster, we need you sober and listening to us,” Lawson comments.
“I don’t want to hear anything about fucking work. I’m retired,” I mumble.
I'm about to pour yet another glass when the bottle is taken away. “What the fuck?” I snap out.
“Foster, this is important,” Novak’s eyes are pleading.
“More than my plans to eventually drink myself to death?” I ask, feeling dizzy and seeing double.
“Yes,” Lawson says. I look at their faces and see their expressions have shifted.
“Did something happen to your babies?” I ask Novak. I know Willow gave birth recently to their twin
s.
“The boys are fine,” he says with a smile.
“We need you calm and in your right mind for what we’re about to show you,” Quinn says with an edge.
I know he’s pissed at me the most. He doesn’t like the spiral I've been in. Neither does Molly and they decided to use the rough love approach. A method I’ve completely ignored.
Quinn pulls out a folded paper and puts in on the counter passing it to me. I suck in a breath when I see the photo. It’s Annabelle, probably from a surveillance camera, her back is toward it, but she’s looking over her shoulder at something.
“So, you’re here to torture me with a picture of Annabelle? Couldn’t you even get a good one? Why are you showing me this?” I ask, angry and a little sober now. Even seeing her in this shitty gariny photo messes me up.
“This is from a camera in a gas station two days ago,” Lawson states.
My whole body goes still, and with shaking hands, I pick it up again, then look at them. “Is this some sick joke?” I growl.
“No,” Quinn states evenly. “Cole’s been working on this the last few months. This is what he got and sent it straight to us.”
“What?!” I yell. “Are you saying this whole time Cole thought Annabelle was alive and didn’t fucking tell me?” I’m raging mad.
“He wasn’t sure, and didn’t want to say anything until he had concrete information. If this is her, it means she’s alive.” Quinn says.
My hands are shaking uncontrollably, and tears start to fall down my cheeks. Honest to god, I thought I’d cried all I could over the last four months, but the thought of Annabelle being alive brings forth tears of joy and relief.
“Why hasn’t she come home? Contacted us?” I ask in panic and confusion.
“Arnold’s call,” Novak says. “He’s still out there. We’ve been fighting his men over territory and products. She’s running for her life, even after all this time.”
And for the first time in four months my head clears and I’m brought back to life, the anger that was being overshadowed with sorrow comes forward like a massive tsunami.