by Laura Pavlov
His arms came around me and I knew everything would be okay. As long as I was with Gray, we would figure it out.
“Hey,” he said, pulling back and tucking my hair behind my ear. “Didn’t I tell you to stay put?”
I rolled my eyes. “Yeah, that didn’t work for me. I wanted to help.”
“Shocker,” Cade seethed before his lips turned up in the corners just enough to show me that he was being his typical sarcastic self.
“Hey, sweetheart.” Gray’s mom hurried over, and he pulled her in for a hug. “You didn’t have to deal with this on your own.”
“Apparently not,” he said, and his gaze locked with mine and he quirked a brow. I didn’t care if he was mad that I’d involved his mother. Gray couldn’t do this on his own, and he shouldn’t have to. Simon was a very wealthy man, and he had the financial resources to help out, and I just planted the seed with Gray’s mother.
I knew she wasn’t doing it for her ex-husband, she was doing it for her son. And Gray needed to know his mother would step up for him.
Wren and Gray were deep in conversation with the undercover cop who had arrived a few minutes earlier. Apparently, the guy that Wren worked with had brought them together, and for the first time today, I felt like there might be hope. I didn’t want Gray walking into this alone. My stomach was in knots. I knew my boyfriend would not abandon his father. It wouldn’t be an option. But knowing that there would be police officers watching this whole thing go down made me feel a lot better than Gray going in solo.
Simon stepped out of his office and dropped a duffel bag at Gray’s feet. “This is twenty-five thousand dollars. It’s yours.”
Gray nodded and studied him before he spoke. “I appreciate it, Simon.” The emotion and appreciation in my boyfriend’s eyes said it all.
“I understand your need to help your father. I’ve been assured that the police will be monitoring your every move.” I didn’t miss the way his voice cracked, nor had I missed the worry lines that had formed between his eyebrows over the past two hours.
“That’s what I’ve been told,” Gray said as his phone buzzed in his back pocket.
He read the text aloud. “Drive to the parking lot at the warehouse where the fights take place, and a motorcycle will be waiting there. Do not get out of the car. You can follow him to the location. You better have that money with you or don’t bother coming. There is no negotiation. You come alone, and if anyone follows you, your father dies. Leave now. The clock is ticking.”
I sucked in a breath as tears streamed down my cheeks. This was actually happening. I dropped to sit on the bottom step and covered my face with my hands as I tried to muffle my sobs. What if Gray got hurt? They could kill him and his father. We didn’t know what he was walking into.
Oh my god.
All the air left my lungs, and I couldn’t breathe.
Cade came to sit beside me, and he whispered in my ear. “Don’t make this harder for him, Gigi.”
“Baby, it’s going to be fine. In and out. They want the money, not me.” Gray pulled me up to my feet and into his arms. I gripped his T-shirt in my hands, wanting to keep him close.
I couldn’t find any words, so I nodded.
“All right. You sure you want to do this?” Wren asked, and Gray pulled back. “If you wait, they’re going to assume you’re up to something. You want me to get in your car and they can just deal with me whether they like it or not?”
“That could work,” Simon said, and we all turned with surprise.
“No. They said no negotiating. We’ve come this far. We have the money. Let’s not give them any reason to hurt him. I’ve got this.”
“I agree with Gray, I’ve got my guys on the line. They’ve already got eyes on your father. He’s okay. They are sitting in a car at the park, which is where we assume they are going to lead you.” Officer Romero studied his phone as he spoke.
“So why even do this? Grab those son of a bitches now,” Simon hissed and Gray’s eyes bulged out of his head as he studied his stepfather.
“We need to catch them in the act. If we go in now,” he looked at Gray and cleared his throat, “Dylan isn’t the most reliable witness. We need Gray to hand them the money. It will be enough to put them away for a long time. We’ve been following these two for quite some time, and this is exactly what we’ve been waiting for.”
“He’s not your scapegoat,” Simon shouted, and I reached for Gray’s hand and he intertwined our fingers.
“We’re going to keep him safe,” Officer Romero said.
“All right. Let’s do this.” Gray kissed the top of my head and grabbed the bag off the floor. He turned back and glanced at everyone one more time before walking out the door with Wren and Officer Romero on his heels. Officer Romero got on the phone just as Gray jumped in his truck.
Sobs racked my body. I didn’t know if I’d ever see him again. This wasn’t fair. Gray shouldn’t have to be put in a position to save his father.
“What are we going to do now?” I asked, and my words were barely recognizable as it was difficult to speak. The lump in my throat was suffocating.
“We’re going to wait,” Wren said, but the bleakness in his tone had chill bumps covering my body.
“He’s going to be fine. He’s the toughest dude I know.” My brother paced in front of me and my parents moved on each side of me.
“These are bad guys, Cade. This is not a fraternity fight. These guys will kill his father, so what stops them from killing Gray?” I shouted as fear radiated from every part of my body.
“The police are following him, Gigi. They won’t let anything happen to him,” my father said.
“I agree. I spoke to my contact as well, and he said the whole force is in on this.” Wren’s gaze locked with mine.
“He’s going to get through this. It’s Gray we’re talking about.” Jett rubbed my shoulder and forced a smile.
I heard Simon yelling into the phone to someone and only made out part of the conversation. He was telling them to call in every favor they had. Simon was a powerful man, and I hoped he was doing something to help Gray.
Gray’s mom sat on the couch in the living room, staring off into space. I hugged my parents before moving to sit beside her. I wanted to tell her that he’d be okay, but I didn’t know if that was true. And I couldn’t mask the absolute fear that was currently consuming me. I reached for her hand and she turned to face me. Tears streamed down her face and her bottom lip quivered.
“You love him, don’t you?” she asked.
“Yes.” I couldn’t muster any other words in my current state.
“Good. He has something to fight for. I’ve failed him, you know that, right? Of course, you do.”
“He loves you,” I said as I swiped at the tears that were blurring my vision.
“Your family has been more of a family to him than we have.” Her words were riddled with guilt, and I wanted to make her feel better, but I couldn’t. Because it was the truth. Gray’s family had failed him on more than one occasion, and here he was stepping up to save his father.
He deserved better.
He deserved the kind of love that he gave.
And that was the one thing that I could give him. Because I loved him more than I’d ever loved anyone or anything. More than I ever knew possible.
And I needed him to be okay.
Because I wouldn’t be okay without him.
I buried my face in my hands and the doorbell rang.
I heard their voices before I saw them.
Addy, Maura, Ivy, and Coco rushed over to me.
They’d been with me when I’d called Jett for help. I’d insisted they go home as I didn’t want them involved. But here they were.
Addy was at my side, and Coco was crouched in front of me. Ivy and Maura moved behind me and wrapped their ar
ms around my neck and hugged me.
“It’s going to be okay,” Addy said, her voice calm and stoic.
“What are you guys doing here?” I croaked.
“Jett told us you needed us. So here we are. How are you holding up?” Coco asked.
“I’ve been better. We’re just waiting now.”
Ivy and Maura moved to sit beside Gray’s mom, and they did what they could to comfort her. Mariana set a bunch of water bottles out for everyone and went upstairs to check on the girls. I didn’t miss the sadness in her gaze when she’d patted me on the shoulder.
Wren and my father paced around the room, Simon was shouting into the phone, Officer Romero stared down at his screen, my brother had his face buried in his hands, Jett dropped to sit on the chair, and my girls surrounded me.
I wished Gray could see just how loved he was.
But right now… it was a waiting game.
And I was out of patience.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Gray
When I arrived at the desolate parking lot, there was a man waiting there on a motorcycle, just as expected. I followed him out to Willow Springs park, and I prayed like hell that my father was okay. I knew there was a chance that we’d both die tonight. I had made peace with it, because regardless of the outcome, I would do it again for my dad. For a chance to get him back.
But fuck if my mind didn’t stop going to Gigi. The sadness in her eyes when I left. The awareness that I had something amazing to stick around for. For the first time in my life, my future was brighter than I’d ever imagined. I’d been studying for my LSAT and I was determined to go to law school. I had a kick-ass internship set up for the summer, but most importantly, I had a girl that I loved more than anything. A girl that made me want to be better. She made me want to fight for all the things I’d never thought I deserved.
Because she believed I deserved them.
But here I was in the middle of a shit storm that was so far out of my control, I had no idea what I was walking into.
The dude on the motorcycle stepped off his bike and I got out of the truck, duffel bag in hand. He didn’t speak. He motioned for me to follow him down the dark tree-lined path. He didn’t take his helmet off, but I was able to see that he was a bit shorter than me, but probably had fifty pounds on me. I tried to assess the situation one step at a time. We walked in silence, and the sound of gravel moving beneath my feet was the only audible sound. My heart raced, and I wiped my sweaty palms on my jeans.
Stay calm.
I glanced over my shoulder, but I didn’t see any officers in sight. I hoped like hell they were somewhere nearby, but at this point, I was on my own for all I knew. The man in front of me came to a stop beside a tall evergreen tree, and the streetlight a few feet away shone just enough to allow me to make out a man wearing a ski mask. My father was down on his knees and he croaked when his gaze locked with mine.
“Shut the fuck up, Dylan,” the man said to my dad then turned to me. “You followed the directions well, Gray. You’re already a lot wiser than your dumbass father.”
I tried to keep my composure. Showing these guys fear would just give them an edge they didn’t need. They held all the power right now. My reaction was the only thing they couldn’t control.
“What the fuck happens now?” I snarled.
“Oh, we’re feeling brave, are we?”
“I’m not the one with my face covered, am I?” Where the fuck did that come from? I sure as shit didn’t need to piss them off.
“You don’t want my mask off, Gray. Not when money is involved. That would mean I’d have to kill you, and I’m trying not to go there unless you give me reason otherwise.”
“I’ve done everything you’ve asked.” I dropped the bag of money on the ground and the guy wearing the motorcycle helmet reached for it.
He unzipped the bag. I’d never even checked it. I’d trusted that Simon put the money in. Nerves engulfed me with each passing minute, but I forced myself to push that away.
Don’t show fucking fear.
I repeated the words over and over in my head as the dude that was hovering over the bag pushed to stand. “It’s all there.”
I let out a breath I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding for the past few minutes.
I didn’t know if this was my father’s rock bottom, but I knew without a shadow of a doubt that it was mine. If I made it out of here alive, I would not be looking back.
I was done being his savior.
He would have to save himself.
“What have we learned here, Dylan?” The man yanked my father to his feet.
“I will cover what I owe you moving forward.” My father’s words wobbled, as he had no fight left in him.
Moving forward? This isn’t his rock bottom? How much lower could we go?
“That’s right,” the man said, shoving my dad toward me. “You are fucking with the wrong man. Do you hear me?”
My father had chased his demons into hell.
And I’d followed him here.
I heard a ruckus behind me, and everything happened in a blur. Bright lights filled the space as a couple dozen men rushed the area. Someone yanked me back and my fists came up in response, before I realized it was a police officer. He hurried me into the tree line as shouts rang out around me.
“Drop your weapon,” someone yelled.
The sound of three gunshots had me turning and I tried to run toward my father, but two men held me back. I was shoved to the ground and shielded by the officers.
A helicopter appeared overhead, and a bright light shone down on all of us. The sound of the propeller mixed with muffled voices.
“We’ve got them both. We’re clear,” another voice called out.
I pushed up to look for my dad and saw a few policemen down on the ground with him.
The place was chaos in a matter of seconds. Fire engines and police sirens arrived on the scene. A group of paramedics were rushing toward my father, and I shook the officers away and ran toward him.
“For God’s sake, Gray. Let us get this under control,” a man shouted as he gripped my shoulders hard.
“Was he shot?” I asked, dropping down to squat beside my father.
“He’s all right. Looks like the bullet just grazed his leg.” Three guys lifted my father onto a gurney.
“Dad, can you hear me?” I asked, and I swiped at my face when I realized tears were blurring my vision.
I couldn’t believe I was walking out of here.
I just hoped my father would be okay.
“I hear you.” His words were slurred.
“His blood pressure is dropping. We need to get him out of here,” the paramedic said, as they placed a mask over his mouth.
I followed them toward the ambulance and glanced over to see a slew of officers with the two assholes that had held my father captive. They were cuffed and being shoved into two different squad cars. This was surreal. It felt like I was having an out-of-body experience, but I knew that it was happening.
“Do you want to ride with your father?” one of the officers asked, and I nodded. “We’ll talk to you at the hospital.”
“Gray,” my father called out as they loaded him in the ambulance.
“I’m here.” I reached for his hand and stood beside him.
The siren sounded and lights had my father’s face going from red to blue as we sped down the road toward the hospital. When the doors opened, three people in scrubs stood there ready to take him. One turned to me with empathy. “We need to take him inside. We’ll find you when we know more.”
I jumped down from the ambulance and a blur in my peripheral had me turning to see blonde hair flying around as she sprinted toward me. Gigi lunged into my arms as sobs racked her body.
“Oh my god, you’re okay?” She pulled
back, running her hands down my arms and chest.
“I’m fine, G.” I wrapped her up and breathed in all that goodness.
All the reasons to walk away from this darkness.
“I was so worried. We heard shots were fired. You weren’t hurt?” she asked, hugging me tighter.
“No. I’m okay. My dad was shot in the leg. Looks like it just grazed him and isn’t too bad. The two guys were arrested. How did you even know what happened?”
“Officer Romero kept us updated. Simon and Wren also had people giving them updates. They had everyone on it. I snuck out the back door. Coco drove me here.” Her breaths were labored, and I pulled back to look at her.
“So much for staying put, huh?” I chuckled as I used my thumbs to swipe away the tears from her cheeks.
“Jesus, girl. Do you ever do what you’re fucking told?” Cade came running up the sidewalk and rushed toward me. He wrapped his arms around me. “Glad you’re safe, brother.”
“I was not going to wait there when we could be at the hospital,” she snipped, moving back to settle against me.
“You know, you two might just be perfect for one another. Neither of you ever fucking listens or follows a goddamn rule.” Cade waved a hand over his head to let his parents know where we were.
“Damn straight,” I said, pulling my girl even closer.
Wren, my mom, the Jacobs, Jett, and Gigi’s best friends were all there as we made our way into the hospital to wait to hear about my father. Even Simon walked in and dropped down to sit beside my mother. He looked up at me and smiled. I couldn’t remember the last time he’d smiled at me. Or even if he ever had.
“Glad you’re okay, Gray. You gave us a scare, but that was really brave what you did. Really brave. Son.” He nodded before turning his attention back to my mother.
This night just kept getting crazier.
Three days later, I’d gone to the hospital to check on my dad. He was getting discharged, and I didn’t have a fucking clue what he would do. How would we make sure this didn’t happen again? And how involved would I allow myself to be, after all that had happened?
