Three Sacred Words (Golden Arrow #2)

by Christina Lee

“More than you like daddy?”

  “Honey, your daddy and I liked each other all through our childhood and brought a beautiful gift into the world. You.” I took a deep breath. “But we’re living separate lives now.”

  There was silence from the back seat as Joaquin processed that.

  “He’ll always be a part of us in some way—mostly through memories,” I said, practically cringing at the fact. “He’ll check in with us from time to time. But he’s busy with other things now.”

  Like evading the law. I considered whether telling him any of that would frighten him or scar him. It would have to wait until another time, when he could understand it better.

  “Does Mr. Alex have any kids he checks in on?” Joaquin asked, his cheeks pinked from the conversation. His thoughts and emotions were probably swirling just as strongly.

  “No,” I said. “But I bet he’d like to check on you.”

  A wide toothy grin. “Okay.”

  * * *

  It felt good to be home but in some ways the reservation looked different, as if I was viewing it from a different angle. We’d always struggled in this town. And though these were my people and I was proud of my heritage, I didn’t know if I ever felt completely stable here—certainly not after my parents had passed away.

  I’d always dreamt of leaving. Of starting someplace new, where nobody knew our names or our history. Though in the back of my mind, I knew it would be as much of a curse as a blessing. After all, there was a quiet comfort in having people understand and recognize you. Come to your defense if you needed it.

  Jayden and the girls were outside when we arrived home and Joaquin practically charged out of the car to the swing set.

  “Have a good time?” she asked as I rounded the grass to the concrete structure.

  “It was nice,” I admitted, feeling the color rise on my cheeks.

  “Want to tell me what that trip was all about?” she asked. It was time to admit some things out loud. Maybe Jayden could help me work through them.

  “Alex is a Federal Marshal,” I said and she nodded because it was information she already knew. “He’s involved in a task force whose purpose is to hunt Sparrow down.”

  “Oh my God,” she said, her fingers slamming over her mouth. “Those men who came around?”

  “Right,” I said. “I think it was Sparrow’s men, checking up on me. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you, but the less you knew—”

  “The more authentic I’d seem if they questioned me,” she said, filling in the blanks. Her eyes widened. “So that’s why you left?”

  “Gloria, too. We’re finally resolving our differences,” I said. She bit her bottom lip as she thought that through, no doubt remembering our tension over the years. “Sparrow is no longer the person I knew him to be. He’s a powerful and dangerous man in the drug trade.”

  “I’m sorry, Meadow,” she said, her hand slamming over her mouth. “I’m guessing they thought it was safe for you to return?”

  I looked around at the parking lot, almost hyperaware of my surroundings now. “They’re closing in on his top men and assume he’s gone further into hiding.”

  I saw the curtain flick closed at Frank’s trailer window and I threw a watery smile in that direction. I made a mental note to bring him some sort of warm meal this next week. Maybe some soup and sandwiches or a pot of chili with corn bread.

  Tears sprang to my eyes unexpectedly and for the first time in a week I felt the urge to cry, to release all of my pent up emotions from the past several days.

  Jayden reached for me and allowed me to weep softly on her shoulder.

  “Have you fallen for the Federal Marshal?” she mumbled close to my ear.

  “Yes,” I said, wiping at my eyes.

  “Oh honey,” she said. “You deserve to be happy.”

  “He’s going to remove himself from the case,” I said, taking a step back. “Which lessens the anxiety of him being the one to arrest Joaquin’s father. But he still lives in Atlanta.”

  “Did you enjoy the city?” she asked squeezing my shoulder.

  “It’s nice there.” I told her about the neighborhood, what little we saw of it, though we hoped to return soon and see more.

  “What if he asked you to move?” she said, her gaze on our children as they climbed the slide.

  So many conflicting emotions slammed into me at once I had trouble voicing any of them out loud.

  “We’ve lived in several locations as a military family,” she said. “I moved off the base to be closer to this community. But sweetie, you’ve been struggling here for a long time.”

  Just then my phone buzzed. The sound confused me because it was a new device that Alex had given me for our trip back in order to communicate with him.

  A text from Alex.

  Alex: Thinking of you.

  “See?” Jayden said. “That smile says it all.”

  * * *

  The following day I dropped Joaquin off at school and then headed into work. Joaquin would be riding home later with Jayden and her girls since I wanted to pick up some extra hours of overtime after my shift. That would also allow me the opportunity to stop on my way home to buy the supplies I needed for my jewelry session at the kitchen table tonight.

  It was time to get more serious about my business. I would even research how to build an on-line shop, an idea I’d discussed with Jayden months ago, and then again with Alex the night before we headed home.

  “Meadow,” Dakota said near her office door as I approached the break room.

  “I appreciate the sick days and overtime,” I said, hoping like hell I wouldn’t have to put off the oil change and new brake pads for my car this month.

  “Of course,” she said. “And listen. If you ever need to talk . . .”

  “Thank you,” I said. “It’s definitely been crazy this past month.”

  Dakota and I had never really been friends but right then I felt more connected to her than ever before. Shane had been Alex’s co-worker and he had relocated here to maintain their relationship. But she had a casino to run. I was simply an employee.

  Sure the Golden Arrow was like my family but the casino job wasn’t exactly my passion. It didn’t feel quite right to imagine Alex settling here to be with us. The problem was I didn’t know precisely what did feel right. Or maybe I didn’t want my mind to go there yet, lest it never came to fruition.

  “A word of advice?” she said, lowering her voice.

  I hesitated. “Sure.”

  “Last year, I wouldn’t allow myself to believe that I could change my life to make a relationship work,” she said, as if she’d just snuck into my brain and read my thoughts. “But as soon as I did, everything happened. So stay open to the possibilities.”

  “I will,” I said, smiling, because it was perfect advice.

  “One more thing?” she said, before stepping inside her office. “No matter what comes your way, keep fighting. For the people who matter most to you.”

  I thought of her words all the way through my shift, as if they were some ominous message, meant to warn me of some further danger—physically or emotionally.

  I had no idea she had been willing to leave the casino behind for Shane. If Alex asked us to live in his town, to try to make it work, I might just jump at the chance. The only problem was, I still needed to be able to make it on my own with some type of income.

  There were no guarantees in life, I had learned that early on. I hadn’t put much stake in having another meaningful relationship. Of finally meeting the man of my dreams.

  Gloria and I had been like co-conspirators today. In passing near the restroom, she briefly told me about staying in a motel in Kentucky and how scared she had been that Sparrow’s men would find her. I expressed how glad I was that she was okay and asked if she’d come for dinner in a couple of nights, so we could talk for a longer period of time.

  At the end of my shift I rode the elevator to the garage. I would get my jewelry supplies, pick
up Joaquin, and head inside to make some pasta.

  Suddenly Gloria was walking beside me through the line of cars. She grabbed my arm and yanked me toward her.

  “What’s up?” I asked, laying my hand over her trembling fingers.

  “Something was left inside my car,” she said, angling her head. “Around the corner.”

  My stomach seized up. “What is it?”

  “A large envelope.”

  My eyes darted to each corner of the building, looking for any sign of visitors.

  “Could it be divorce papers?” she asked.

  “Regardless of what it is, they know you’re in this casino,” I said, in a shaky voice as my heart thudded in my chest. “We need to call Charlie, now.”

  As I dug in my purse for my phone, I heard the screech of a car’s tires around the bend and a door open from somewhere behind me. The only thing I could think to do was run. I forced Gloria to start moving toward the stairs and we practically tripped over each other’s legs in our panic.

  I only got a few feet before a strong arm wrenched me back and a hand slammed against my mouth. I could smell him, cologne, sweat, and leather all mixed together and it nearly made me gag. I flailed my arms and legs but it seemed no use against his brute strength.

  “Stop struggling,” a deep voice was telling Gloria. Or me. I didn’t know which. “The boss wants to see you.”

  The man behind me jammed a cloth against my mouth that made me gag upon impact, and the world faded to black.

  32

  Alex

  I was in my car driving back to the Golden Arrow to be with Meadow and Joaquin and I couldn’t wait. We’d need to figure out the logistics, but at least we would be together. I had gone to the Atlanta office to meet with my supervisor about pulling back from the case. Hank wasn’t happy but he understood and the paperwork had taken a solid couple of days.

  My phone buzzed with a call from Charlie as I was gassing up my truck at the service station. “Where are you?”

  “About an hour out,” I said, taking note of the strain in her voice. “Why?”

  “We had eyes on her,” she said, almost regretfully. “But not inside the casino parking deck. That was their loophole, apparently. The recording shows nothing.”

  I thumped the roof of my car with a fist. “What the fuck do you mean?”

  “Alex,” she said, her voice biting and stern. “I need you to keep a clear head or you’re not going to be any help.”

  “Just tell me already,” I said, gassing up as quickly as I could. My heart was thrashing against my ribs as I removed the nozzle from the tank.

  I needed to keep my cool and get to Meadow as quickly as possible but I couldn’t do that by scaring people on the road.

  “Dakota received a call from Meadow’s neighbor,” she said, filling in the details. “She immediately alerted Shane.”

  “Jayden?” I asked, my heads swimming with all kinds of horrible thoughts. Did something happen to them?

  “Right. Jayden tried calling Meadow to alert her that the same man was in their lot outside their trailer door. When she couldn’t reach her, she decided to call the casino directly,” she said. “She picked Joaquin up from school and he’s safe with her. She was also able to get us partial plates.”

  “Fuck.” I smacked the steering wheel as I fired up the engine. “And what about Meadow?”

  My chest could not handle the moment’s hesitation. It was going to explode.

  “Meadow and Gloria’s vehicles were found in the garage at the casino.”

  My foot faltered on the gas. He had gotten both of them. My world practically tilted upside down.

  “What about the tracker on Meadow’s phone?” There had been a sound reason why I asked Meadow to keep a new phone on her at all times. Not only for calls between us, but for tracing purposes should something like this happen.

  “We’re working on that now. Shane’s stepped in to help,” she said. “Just get here in one piece.”

  “On my way,” I said and ended the call, placing both of my hands on the wheel.

  Hopefully the tracker would work, but something told me Sparrow was smart enough to know that she could be traced.

  Why hadn’t I kept them with me for one more day?

  If we found them—when we found them—they’d never be out of my sight again.

  * * *

  I tried to keep a cool head my last leg of the trip and made it there in record time.

  I darted inside Shane’s office and nodded to Charlie, who was on the phone.

  An officer from the tribal police sat in a chair across from Shane, but I only grunted in his direction, dying for any type of news.

  “Her phone has been traced to a specific location,” Shane said, looking up from his computer screen. “We’re waiting on final word.”

  I paced and asked questions, catching up on anything I missed on this case, since I’d stepped down a couple of days ago. Turned out, there hadn’t been much.

  But before I could get my hopes up about Meadow and Gloria’s safety, it was already too late.

  “Looks like a dead end,” Charlie said, her cell planted at her ear. “They threw Meadow’s cell out the window. Found it in a ditch about a mile from here.”

  “Gloria’s phone?”

  “No signal.”

  33

  Meadow

  My lids flickered open to a glare from a large picture window and I immediately shielded my eyes. I was lying on some kind of couch with itchy cushions. I blinked a few times and Sparrow came into focus across the room.

  The shock of seeing him was immediate. He looked different. Bags beneath his eyes, worry lines creasing his forehead, and his dark hair was buzzed short.

  He was hovering over a computer screen at a round table and the pieces of what happened in the garage at the casino slammed back into me at an alarming rate.

  “Gloria,” I said, bolting upright, which only made me feel dizzy, so I sank back down.

  Joaquin. My baby.

  Thank God for Jayden. Please let them be safe.

  Sparrow rubbed a hand over his dry lips, his eyes red and agitated as they zeroed in on me. “You’re awake.”

  I tensed immediately. “You drugged me.” My voice was thick as if my tongue had grown three sizes too big.

  God, Jayden must be going crazy. But she also may have tried to reach me at work and possibly they had found my car. Or maybe they just thought I had already gone home. How long before somebody notified Alex and Charlie?

  I looked over Sparrow’s shoulder and noticed that we were in some kind of an apartment where the dingy kitchen bled into the dull living room. Another man was leaning over the counter on a phone.

  As Sparrow looked me over, he threw me one of his cockiest grins, and a chill rushed through me. “How do you feel?”

  I was about to spew out obscenities but I didn’t think that would get my questions answered. “Where’s Gloria?”

  “She’s taking a rest,” he said motioning behind me, down some hallway at quick glance. “And I thought you were feisty.”

  I shuddered. What had he done to her?

  Sparrow reached for an unopened water bottle on the table and stood up to hand it to me. My throat was so parched, I accepted it without seeming too grateful. “Where are we?”

  “Somewhere safe,” he said. “That’s all you need to know.”

  I took a long swallow fearful I wouldn’t be offered anything to drink again. “You call being kidnapped by you safe?”

  He chuckled in a tired voice that didn’t sound like his former youthful self in the least. That persona was all but gone and what replaced him was so despicable, it made bile crawl up the back of my throat. I gulped it down with the water and hoped it stayed there.

  “Be glad you’re safe for now, after giving me up to the feds,” he sneered.

  My gut tightened and any kind of response got caught in my throat. My gaze darted to the floor not wanting to see his cold,
angry eyes.

  After a couple of minutes of steady breathing, my head cleared a little more and I adjusted myself on the couch to glance around. It was dusk outside and the landscape of older buildings gave me no indication of where we could be.

  I noticed my purse lying open on the floor, and the contents appeared to have been rifled through. My phone wasn’t visible and I had the sneaking suspicion I wouldn’t find it in there.

  I wiped the fog from my eyes and then reached for my handbag. My finger groped for my cell in the front compartment but it was no longer there. I thought about how Alex hadn’t used his real name in my contacts, so maybe Sparrow didn’t know anything about him. Fat chance. Sparrow had made it clear that he knew we had been talking to Federal Marshals.

  The same man who was on the phone had now stationed himself at the window. He was tall and broad shouldered and had scruff on his chin like he hadn’t shaved in days. He must’ve been the man who had drugged me in the garage.

  His hands were large and I remembered how rough they felt against my lips.

  “Please,” I said, my stomach tightening to the point of pain. “I need to use the restroom.”

  Sparrow looked at the man and then nodded. “Second door on the right.”

  I stood up on tentative legs as nausea roiled through my gut. I reached down for my bag.

  “That stays here,” Sparrow said.

  I dropped the handle and the man followed me down the hall to the bathroom.

  “You don’t plan on coming in with me, do you?” I asked as I reached for the light.

  “Be quick, woman,” he grunted. “Do what you need to do.”

  I bristled, shoving down the urge to sputter some choice words at him. But at this stage, I couldn’t afford to make him angry. Not when my little boy was somewhere out there depending on me to keep him safe. Though I had no idea how to make that possible.

  Closing the door behind me, I stared in the grimy mirror, noticing the raw fear in my eyes. My chest tightened as a tidal wave of panic arose. Why did Sparrow want us with him? Was he going to kill us?