by K. C. Crowne
Josie eventually laid down in bed and closed her eyes. I stayed awake, unable to sleep and promising to protect the two of them at all costs.
My eyes fell on her phone beside her bed. I trusted Josie with my life when it came to most things, but I wasn’t entirely sure she was convinced we were doing the right thing. I reached for her phone carefully and used her fingerprint to unlock it.
There was no way I would let anything happen to her.
Chapter 23
Josie
It took forever, but Cyrus eventually curled up behind me - convinced I was asleep. I’d dozed off briefly, but I couldn’t stay asleep with my mother in Wade’s hands. In my mind, I knew what I had to do.
As soon as he began snoring, I slipped from the bed. I quietly walked over to Milo, who lay peacefully in his crib. My sweet baby boy. I’d do anything for him. I’d die for him if I had to.
What Cyrus didn’t understand was that as long as Wade was out there, he’d always be after me. Until he got me, he’d make the lives of everyone I loved a living hell. Cyrus could protect Milo and me for now, but this was no way to live.
There was only one way I could save my mother and make sure Milo had the life he deserved.
I leaned down with tears in my eyes and placed a gentle kiss on Milo’s forehead. Tears fell on his face, which I wiped away carefully, trying not to wake him.
God, I loved him so much. He had my entire heart in his tiny little hands.
It pained me to walk away from him, but I knew what I had to do. I picked up my phone, which Cyrus had placed next to me on the end table, and quietly snuck out of the bedroom. Once in the living room, I scribbled a quick note.
Cyrus,
Whatever happens, please take care of Milo. I know he’s in good hands with you if something were to happen to me. I know you don’t understand, but I have to do this so Milo and everyone I love can live the lives they deserve, without fear. Wade only wants me. If I give him what he wants, he’ll leave the rest of you alone. So please, protect him and raise him to be a good man. I hope there’s a way I can make it back to him one day, but if not - tell him how much I loved him.
I love you,
Josie
I left the note where Cyrus would see it as soon as he came into the living room. I knew where he kept his hunting rifles. I didn’t know the first thing about shooting one and didn’t think I could sneak in a rifle, but I also found a couple of knives. I took two - one of which went into the waistband of my pants, the other I tucked into my shoe at the ankle. Then, without another thought, I slipped out of the house as quietly as possible. The floorboard creaked under my feet, and I feared it might wake Cyrus. I listened at the door but heard no sounds. With one last look behind me at where my new family had almost taken shape, I walked out of the house.
I locked the door behind me and climbed into my car. I cringed as I started it, fearful the sound of the old engine would wake Cyrus. Once it was started, I hurried and pulled out of the driveway, speeding down the road to put as much distance between us in case he did wake up when I left.
When I reached a safe distance, I turned down a random dirt road and drove far enough that I wouldn’t be seen from the main road. I parked and pulled out my phone. With my heart racing, I hit the last known number Wade had used to call me from and prayed that it would still work.
“I’m not going to talk to anyone but Josie,” Wade said in lieu of a greeting.
“It’s me. I’m alone. I snuck out of the house and I’ll meet you. Just tell me where to go.”
“You’re not bullshitting me? Can’t blame me for not trusting you after all we’ve been through.”
“I’m not, Wade. I had to sneak out after Cyrus fell asleep, but I’m ready to do whatever I need to do in order to save my mother.”
“I always knew you were weak for the ones you loved.” He made it sound like an insult; that was the type of man he was. He lacked compassion and saw it as a weakness. It took me a while to see it, but now it couldn’t be more obvious. I was dealing with a psychopath.
“I’ll text you an address, but just know, if you’re not alone, there will be consequences.”
He hung up and I was left sitting in silence. The only sound was the beating of my heart and my heavy breathing as I tried to calm down.
My phone buzzed, and as promised, there was an address. I clicked on it and brought up Google Maps. It was literally in the middle of nowhere about fifteen minutes away from where I was.
With a sigh, I turned around and headed in the direction it told me to. I had to remind myself over and over again that soon it would be all over.
Ooo000ooo
I parked the car in absolute darkness. The air around me was silent - too silent. Getting out of the car, it took a few moments for my eyes to adjust. Finally, in the distance, I saw a small cabin. The windows seemed to be covered, but as I got closer, I saw that there were lights on inside - just closed out by thick, dark curtains.
“Stop right there.” A voice spoke from the darkness.
I froze, putting my hands up. Something poked me in the back as a man came up from behind me. It took me a second to realize I was being poked with the barrel of a gun. Panic set in, but I focused on my breathing. If I did what they asked, the man wouldn’t kill me. Wade wanted me alive, I knew that much. He might kill me, but this random stranger in the night wouldn’t unless I gave him no choice.
“Follow me,” another man said as he pushed past me. “And don’t think about fighting or Mel will shoot you.”
I nodded even though I wasn’t sure he could see me and did as I was told. I followed the man toward the house. Mel stayed at my back.
“We’ve been waiting for you,” the man in front said we walked up the stairs to the cabin. “What took so long?”
“I got here as quickly as I could.” My voice cracked. “I was fifteen or twenty minutes away.”
The man in front opened the door, and the light from inside was blinding after so much darkness. I covered my eyes, and when I got a better view, I realized the man in front of me was none other than Chuck, the damned private eye Wade had hired.
There was no one else on the other side of the door, as far as I could tell. I took inventory of the room. The entryway led into a small living room, where there was no one. A hallway led past a kitchen, and there were several doors shut.
“Where’s Wade?” I asked.
“He’s in his office,” Chuck said. “We’re to pat you down before you can see him and make sure no one else has followed you.”
I could be wrong, but I had a feeling it was just the two of them plus Wade. I’d even bet that Mel was the guy who broke in and tried to kidnap Milo, but I couldn’t get a good look at him. I didn’t get a look at him before, not without the mask. But I started to wonder if perhaps Wade had less people working for him than I thought.
It was only a hunch, however, and I couldn’t risk my life on a hunch.
Chuck patted me down, finding the knife in my waistband easily. He shook his head as he tossed it to the ground with a clank.
“A girl’s gotta try to defend herself if she can,” I muttered, shrugging.
He moved down my body, and my breath caught in my throat as he felt around my shoes. As my luck would have it, he pulled out the knife there too.
“Fucking amateur,” Chuck laughed, tossing the second knife to the ground. “If you’re going to come in armed, at least figure out less obvious places to hide weapons.”
I was so out of my league here. I had no idea how to hide weapons, much less use them. I had some self-defense skills. I’d taken some martial arts after we split and right after I’d had Milo, but when it came down to it, I was outnumbered and my chances were not good.
Unless I could get Wade alone.
Chuck finished patting me down, kicked the knives out of reach in case I got any ideas, and walked down the hallway. Mel still had the gun pointed at my back, digging into my ribs.
; When the door at the end of the hallway opened, Chuck came out first, followed by Wade.
My breath caught in my throat, and I was frozen in fear. It had felt like an eternity since I last saw him. He still looked as charming and handsome as ever. His dark hair had grown out a bit, with some grey at the temples. But his piercing grey eyes were cold and dead. He smirked when he saw me.
“Josie, long time no see,” he said, acting like we were old friends.
He came into the living room, walked right up to me and wrapped his arms around me. He was hugging me. I remained stiff and frozen in his grasp, not hugging him back.
With his face so close to mine, I whispered, “Do you really need these guys to protect you from a little girl like me?”
He pulled away, a scowl on his otherwise handsome face. I hit him right where it hurt - his manhood. His masculinity was so fragile, how dare I threaten it? I knew the look on his face well - I’d pay for that little jab. But at least it might get us alone, and while I might not be able to fight off three men, I might be able to fight off one of them if he wasn’t expecting it.
He waved Mel away from my back, and once the gun was no longer held against me, I felt like I could think more clearly.
“You want to talk alone. Fine.” Wade narrowed his gaze on me. “Follow me.”
“I want to see my mother first. I need to make sure she’s alive before I’m willing to do anything for you.”
He cocked an eyebrow, seemingly amused by my request, but he nodded. “Fine. Right this way.”
He took me down the hallway, and instead of turning into the room he’d just left, he unlocked another door at the end of the corridor. We stepped inside and my heart clenched tightly in my chest.
My mother was tied to a chair, her mouth gagged. She had blood on her face from where she’d obviously put up a fight, but her eyes were awake and alert. When she saw me, she began to cry. I rushed over to her and removed the gag.
“Josie, you shouldn’t have come here.”
I wiped away her tears, as she’d done countless times for me over the years. “Yes, I did. I can’t let my past mistakes hurt you if I can help it.”
I stroked her face and cried with her for a few moments before Wade grabbed my shoulders, yanking me back from her.
“That’s enough bonding time,” he growled.
“Let her go,” I demanded. “I’m here, that was the deal. Now let her go.”
Wade let out a sound that seemed to shake the floors beneath us. It was a laugh, but there was no joy in it. “When are you going to learn, Josie, that I’m in charge. Not you. I make all the rules around here.”
I knew then that Cyrus had been right. He had no intention of releasing my mother. Why would he? She could be used to manipulate me to do whatever he wanted. After all, he’d learned a while back that he could no longer control me by making me fear for my own well-being. He needed someone I loved to do that.
Chapter 24
Cyrus
One good thing about Josie’s car being a piece of shit was there was no way anyone could sleep through that thing starting up. I sat up in bed, pissed that I’d let myself fall asleep anyway. I looked beside me, and as I feared, she was gone. Milo was still in his bed, safe and secure.
I hopped from the bed and prayed that I’d find Josie in the bathroom, but no such luck. I pulled up the tracking app on my phone that I’d installed on hers while she was sleeping. Just in case she thought about going after him.
She was represented by a little red dot, and yes, she was on the move.
“Fuck, Josie,” I growled.
The first person I called was Grant. He answered, sounding half asleep.
“Grant, I need you to watch Milo.”
He didn’t even ask for the details. I knew I could trust him. After I hung up, the next call I made was to Teddy.
“I don’t know exactly where she’s headed, but as soon as I know, I’ll let you know too.”
I gave Teddy the road she was currently on, hoping he might be able to get to her before she got to Wade’s. But I couldn’t leave Milo alone. I had to wait for Grant.
Dammit, I cursed to myself. Why did I let my guard down even a little bit?
Grant got to me as fast as he could, and I took off with little explanation. I grabbed a gun and headed for the truck, then raced toward the little red dot on my app. It hadn’t stopped yet, but once it did, I’d call Teddy with the location.
I just prayed we’d get to her in time.
I glanced at my phone and noticed the dot had stopped. I could either keep driving or pull over and send the info to Teddy.
I decided to keep driving.
I needed to get to her. I trusted Teddy to do the right thing, but I was closer and could get to her quicker. I couldn’t waste any more time.
I sped down the dirt road that it showed she’d turned down last. The trees hung over the road, enveloping it in darkness. There was nothing as far as I could see. When I got close to the dot, I decided to park, not wanting to alert anyone that I was there by pulling right into their driveway.
I pulled out my phone and sent Teddy a quick text with her location.
“We’re fifteen minutes away. Be there soon.”
Not soon enough, I feared.
Teddy, knowing me well, added, “Wait for us. Don’t go being a hero, Cyrus.”
A gunshot pulled my attention away from Teddy. The sound echoed through the forest, followed by silence. I wasn’t even aware my feet were moving until I was at the front door. I couldn’t just stand there and wait for Teddy.
I had to get to Josie.
The front door was locked, but it was no match for someone of my size. I took a running start and rammed into it with all my weight, slamming into it as the wood cracked and shattered. The door couldn’t hold against me and split from the frame.
With my rifle at my side, I started shooting just as a guy turned to level his gun at me. I had the element of surprise. He missed me, and I narrowly missed him as he ducked out of the way. I shot again, this time hitting him in the shoulder. He dropped the gun, but the other guy rushed toward it.
The other guy I recognized as Chuck.
With one guy down, I just had him to worry about. Chuck cocked the gun and took aim but missed, shooting out the window behind me instead.
“Do you really want to do this, Chuck? You’re just a private eye. Is Wade really worth dying for?”
I didn’t want to kill anyone if I could help it, but I would if it meant saving Josie. I held the gun up and aimed at Chuck, and he aimed directly at me. We were in a standstill.
“I just want Josie. Let me have her and her mom, and we’ll leave. No one has to get hurt.”
Chuck’s hands were shaking. He wasn’t cut out for this. Bad thing for him, I was. I could stand there all day, staring down the barrel of a gun and not flinch. I’d done it before against men scarier than him.
Chuck didn’t answer me, but I saw the sweat dripping from his brow. He was scared shitless. A man this scared could be dangerous, but he could also be talked out of his weapon if he thought he’d get out alive.
“We can put our guns down at the same time, Chuck,” I offered.
After a moment, he nodded and licked his lips nervously. He began to lower his weapon, and I lowered mine as well.
The guy on the floor moved, and from the corner of my eye, I noticed he’d grabbed something near him. I turned the gun on him, but he flipped around and lunged at me, knife in hand. I shot as the knife sliced through my lower arm, and the guy stopped moving, collapsing in a heap onto the floor. This time, I was pretty sure he was dead.
That one second, however, gave Chuck a moment to grow some balls. A bullet hit the wall behind me, and I had to quickly turn my attention back onto him.
“Where’s Josie?” I growled.
“She’s with Wade,” Chuck snarled. “And likely dead already.”
There were a couple of doors in the hallway. She could be in
one of two that were closed. I had to choose. But first, I had to take care of Chuck.
“Do you want to die like your friend?” I asked. “You don’t have to die, Chuck.”
He wavered again, and I thought I might have him. But then a sound came from the first door - Wade’s voice. He yelled, “Chuck! Mel! Get your asses in here.”
That voice seemed to bring out something in Chuck. There was a fear in his eyes. He didn’t work for Wade because he respected him. He didn’t work for Wade because of the money. In that one moment of time, I saw fear in his eyes. He worked for Wade because Wade had something on him.
And whatever it was, it seemed to frighten him more than the concept of death. I didn’t want to have to kill him, but I feared I’d have no other choice. I raised the gun and took aim, just as he did the same. Everything seemed to move in slow motion.
The sound of the gunshot was deafening.
Chapter 25
Josie
“You think you’re so fucking tough, don’t you?” I snarled. I was staring into his piercing eyes, and even though he tried to pretend he wasn’t afraid, it was clear he was.
He was afraid of me for a change.
He’d dragged me back into his office, but when he was angry, his guard was down. I knew from experience. When we’d been dating, I didn’t have any skills to fight back. But now I did. I’d made sure I would never be a victim again.
When he got me alone in the room, I used his cockiness against him. He’d let his guard down and I managed to lunge at him, slamming my arms against his and knocking the gun free from his grip. It fell to the ground with a clatter and a shot, blowing a hole through the window behind his desk.
Without a gun, he was still dangerous. He was larger than me. I couldn’t beat him in a fist fight, but I had dexterity which he lacked. I dropped to my knees and evaded his fist, sliding across the floor until I grabbed his gun. I flipped around and pointed it at his chest.
