“Can I get my lawyer friend to read it first?”
“No. You can’t share anything Indie Rebel-related with anyone unless we’ve agreed to it and unless they agree to become one of us, too. Remember the rules regarding secrecy?”
Felicity bit her lip. “I guess I’ll have to read it myself.”
“Sure. But before I let you do that, you must sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement stating you will not share any of the contents of the contract with anyone else.”
Felicity chuckled. “Wow, you guys are really big into secrecy, huh? I guess that’s why no one can name a single Indie Rebel.”
“Yes, our lives do depend on our secrecy.”
Felicity sobered. “Okay, may I please read the NDA terms?”
Emma tapped on the iPad before handing it to her.
After a minute, Felicity nodded. “I’m happy to sign this.”
Bryce handed her a stylus.
Once Felicity had signed the NDA relating to the contract, Emma called up the actual IR contract and handed the device back to Felicity.
Felicity took her time to read it. “It’s exactly as you explained. May I see that, please?” she asked Emma, indicating the button.
Emma handed it to her. “It can attach to any fabric, so you can put it on your clothes, scarf, even your underwear—wherever you can easily and discreetly access it, depending on what you’re wearing. The idea is that, if you’re taken by someone or hiding somewhere and you don’t have access to your phone, you can use this to secretly call for our help. It has GPS and personal tracking, and, when you activate it, our Control Centre will be notified as well as the IR agent closest to your location.”
“Wow.” Felicity stared at Emma, as if unable to believe what she’d heard.
“We’ve got a lot of cool gadgets,” Emma said with a laugh.
“How do you activate it?”
“See this tiny switch here?” Emma pointed to the part. “Once you’ve attached it to wherever you want, flick this switch, then press down this mound in the middle.”
“Mound?”
“Touch it and feel the protrusion.”
Felicity did as instructed. “I see. So, taking this today doesn’t mean I’m making a decision to join you, right?”
“Right,” Emma confirmed. “If you agree to sign the contract, I can email it to you so you have a copy. We’re clear that you only agree to become an IR when you call us to come to your aid by pressing that button.”
“And if I never use this? Is that still okay?”
“Yes. The decision to join us is totally up to you.”
“This thing is high-tech. It must be expensive. You don’t mind losing one of these gadgets to me?”
“Remember that helping you also means an opportunity for us to catch the bad guys we’re after,” Emma said. “We’re happy to give you that in exchange for that chance.”
Felicity nodded.
“I hope by now we’ve shown that we’re sincere in helping you,” Bryce said. “And I hope we’ve reinforced how important secrecy is for us. It’s literally a matter of life and death. So, I just want to reiterate that you can’t tell anyone about our offer to help you or the contract itself. That anyone includes your detective friend, Sophie Heywood.”
“You know about her, too?” Felicity asked in surprise. “How?”
“She came up when we were doing checks on you.”
Felicity ran a hand over her face, appearing totally undecided.
Aidan shut his eyes. He couldn’t remember the last time he'd been this nervous. Every ounce of him wanted Fel to sign that contract.
“Okay, I’ll sign,” he heard Felicity say.
“Yes!” Aidan raised his fists in the air. Felicity now had another way to call for help if the need arose.
And, who knew, she might just become an Indie Rebel one day.
But even if that never happened, he’d still keep trying to seek Felicity’s forgiveness. He missed her like crazy. And if his only chance of reconciling with her was to revert back to becoming inactive, he was happy to do that.
Now that Fel had the IR button, he was happy to take a back seat with the operations. His main focus now was to make Felicity understand how much he loved her.
Chapter 20
Felicity heard the chiming of her phone as she washed the dishes. She finished rinsing a plate before standing it up on the drainer and checking who’d texted her.
Her heart skipped. It was Aidan again. This was his fifth text in five days.
Hi. I hope I’m not annoying you with my texts. I just really want to talk to you. I miss you. I still love you.
Felicity’s eyes watered. Damn him. Why did he keep saying he loved her but never want to explain himself? She huffed and, for the first time since they’d broken up, she answered him.
You keep saying that, but you still can’t tell me who that woman is.
Aidan was quick to respond.
She was a friend helping me out with my project. I didn’t try to explain before because you were so angry that I didn’t think you’d listen to anything I said. Plus, I really wanted to talk to you face-to-face. Can we do that, please?
Felicity plopped on a kitchen stool, letting out a heavy breath. Admittedly, she missed Aidan. No matter how much she told herself it was better to move on, she couldn’t help her feelings.
But she’d like to think she’d learnt her lesson. She didn’t want to make the same mistake of forgiving a man then being the victim of his lies again. How could she tell that Aidan wasn’t a cheating liar like he’d been claiming?
She covered her face with her hands. Maybe she should talk to him, because something had to give. She couldn’t keep going on like this. Not responding to his messages was like being in limbo. So, either she should demand that he leave her the hell alone or give him another chance.
It was just that she couldn’t make a decision.
Just bloody see him, Fel.
Fine. That might help her figure out what she really wanted to do.
She texted Aidan.
Okay, let’s meet.
Great! Maybe tonight? Have you had dinner?
Well, he was keen. It wasn’t a bad idea to meet tonight, though. Waiting would be worse.
I already had dinner so maybe we can have drinks at Ollie’s in twenty minutes?
Great! See you there.
Felicity trotted to her bedroom to get changed. She put on a dressy olive green blouse and paired it with skinny black jeans. She was grabbing her handbag from her dresser when she paused, glancing at her underwear drawer where she’d hidden her IR call button.
The thought that a criminal gang could be after her was terrifying. She’d resorted to holding her phone in her hand when walking the block from the bus stop to her home after work, ready to tap Sophie’s number at the first sign of danger, and clutching her personal alarm in her other hand. Those acts alone relieved a lot of her fear.
However, in the last couple of days, she’d also been attaching the IR button to her clothes even though she only intended to use it in the direst of emergencies.
She opened the drawer and took out the small box containing the button.
Was there a point in wearing it tonight when she was driving straight to Ollie’s to meet up with Aidan? One thing she’d hate was to start being reliant on a little button to feel safe when venturing outside. She didn’t want to encourage her paranoia.
Felicity turned into the underground car park for Ollie’s, and her heart started galloping. There was Aidan, standing outside his car. He must have been waiting for her.
Gosh, he looked great. He gave her a wave and smiled. Hm, he seemed nervous. Thank goodness, she wasn’t the only one.
She gave herself a mental shake. This was her chance to listen and determine whether Aidan was prepared to be completely honest with her. She’d hate it if her attraction for him clouded her judgement.
She parked her car and composed herself before getting out
.
“Hi,” Aidan said, his hands shoved into the pockets of his jeans as he stepped towards her.
“Hi,” she responded.
“Thanks for agreeing to see me.”
Felicity gave him a tight smile.
Aidan glanced at the walkway to the restaurant. “It’s pretty busy in there because of their Tuesday night specials. I was gonna save us a seat, but they’re full.”
“Oh. I should have thought of that before suggesting coming here.”
“No worries. We can go elsewhere.”
“Okay. Where do you—”
A white van screeched to a stop next to them, its back doors flying open. A man jumped out, pointing a gun at Felicity. “Hands up, both of you.”
Felicity’s heartbeat spiked as she instinctively obeyed. She glanced at Aidan, who did the same.
“You! Get inside,” the man ordered Felicity.
Suddenly, she felt faint. These people had to be Nolan’s criminal acquaintances.
“What do you want?” Aidan said in a challenging tone, keeping his hands raised.
“Don’t worry. We only want your girlfriend,” the thug said.
“Why?”
“We have to take them both, idiot,” said a second guy. He got out, holding a gun with one hand and grabbing Felicity’s arm with the other.
Felicity almost stumbled as she was dragged towards the vehicle.
“Don’t do that,” Aidan protested. “She’s not resisting.”
“Chivalrous, aren’t you?” said the second guy.
A third man tied Felicity’s hands behind her back with duct tape and pushed her onto the long bench-style seat on one side of the vehicle. Then, he patted her jeans.
She cringed. “Hey!”
“Where’s your phone?” the thug demanded.
“In my car.”
The second guy, who appeared to be the leader, motioned for Aidan to climb into the van.
“No,” Felicity cried out.
“It’s okay,” Aidan said with a comforting smile as he sat next to her.
She sniffed. Aidan shouldn’t be here. She was the one these criminals wanted, not him. But they obviously didn’t want to leave behind a witness.
Goosebumps formed all over her as she watched one of the men secure Aidan’s wrists behind his back, then take his phone from his pocket. Would they kill her and Aidan when they discovered that she truly didn’t have any idea where or what had happened to Shannon’s money?
The vehicle started moving.
“Where are you taking us?” Aidan asked.
“You ask too many questions,” said the guy who seemed to be the leader. “Say one more word and I’ll put you in a coma.”
Felicity gasped, sweat pouring down her face as her heart hammered hard. She gaped at Aidan, pleading with her eyes for him to cooperate.
But Aidan wasn’t looking at her. He was eyeballing the leader unflinchingly, projecting fearlessness. He appeared unfazed even with a gun pointed directly at his face.
He had to be scared inside, though. Who wouldn’t be, in this situation? Still, Aidan’s demeanour calmed her somewhat.
The leader let out a dry laugh. “Pretending to be brave in front of your woman, huh? Let’s see how you take this.” The thug’s fist landed on Aidan’s jaw.
“No! Please, don’t,” Felicity begged. She willed Aidan to look at her, just so she could determine that he was all right.
But Aidan kept his gaze on the leader’s face, seemingly undaunted.
Felicity could see that Aidan’s reaction was angering the leader further. She had to do something before they hurt Aidan again. “What do you want?” she asked. “I’ll answer any questions you have honestly.”
The boss turned his attention to her. “Good. I’m glad you’re not as uncooperative as your boyfriend.”
“Well…he’s not my boyfriend. I mean, we used to go out, but I broke up with him.”
The leader laughed uproariously. “So that’s why he’s so keen to impress you. He wants you back. It’s obvious.”
Felicity glanced at Aidan. She hoped he understood that she’d said that to maybe help take the heat off him. Now she wasn’t sure if it was a good idea.
“Okay,” the leader said, sitting in front of her and leaning close. “What did you and Nolan do with Shannon’s money?”
She shook her head. “I don’t know why Nolan’s claiming that I know something about his dad’s money, because I don’t. He probably wants to have his revenge because he’s now in jail for what he did to me and my car.”
“You think I believe that shit?”
“It’s true! Nolan used to abuse me. So, I left him, but he kept trying to find me. Then, he burnt my car to scare me into submission. That’s why he’s in jail.”
“Pretty heavy reaction from a man who’s never abused another woman before.”
Felicity frowned indignantly. “How dare you! I’m not lying.”
“If you bought the lies of a scum like Nolan,” Aidan interjected, “then you’re just as much of an idiot as he is.”
“I told you to shut the fuck up,” the leader barked.
“Aidan,” Felicity said softly. She waited until he was looking at her. “Please don’t antagonise them. Please.”
Aidan let out a heavy breath.
The leader chuckled. “She’s much smarter than you.”
Aidan looked away.
The leader turned back to Felicity. “Isn’t it true that Nolan hurt you and torched your car because you manipulated Shannon and took his money?”
“What? No!”
“Well, pity Shannon can’t tell us the truth now, huh? Unfortunately, that money belongs to us. Shannon owes us that. It’s not Nolan’s, Lydia’s, or yours. Just tell us what you did with it, and we’ll let you go. If you’ve already spent it, we’ll take whatever you bought with it. We’ll value the goods, and if the total doesn’t amount to a quarter of a million dollars plus interest, we’ll take the rest in cash instalments payable in, say, one whole year. Now, isn’t that fair?”
Felicity eyes smarted again. “I’m telling you the truth. I don’t have it. I don’t know what happened to it.”
The boss pointed his gun at Aidan’s head.
“No,” Felicity begged. “Please don’t hurt him. But even if you do, I still won’t be able to tell you what you want to hear. I don’t know where Shannon’s money is or what happened to it. I didn’t even know he had that much cash. Nolan never shared anything regarding his father’s assets with me—except the fact that the house we used to live in when we were together was Shannon’s. Even if you shoot Aidan right now in front of me, then point that gun on my face, my answer won’t change. It can’t, because I don’t know anything about the money. So, please, there’s no point in killing or hurting us, because I really don’t know.”
The boss leaned back on his seat and stared at her for an interminable moment.
She met his gaze squarely. Somehow, she had to get it into this person’s head that she was telling the truth.
“Okay,” the leader finally said. “If that’s the case, then you’ll help us get it from Nolan.”
Felicity’s chin started trembling. She never wanted to have anything to do with Nolan ever again.
“Aw,” the boss said. “You scared of your ex?”
“Leave her alone now,” Aidan growled.
The boss threw Aidan a furious glare. “Didn’t I tell you to shut up or I’ll put you in a coma?”
“Please,” Felicity said hurriedly. “What do you want me to do? How do you expect me to help you get the money from Nolan?”
The boss turned his attention back to her. “We’ll discuss that later. You two just stay here and be quiet.” He moved to the front seat next to the driver and pulled a black curtain behind him so they couldn’t see where they were going.
Felicity let out a little sigh. Thank goodness, the pressure was off for the time being.
She looked at Aidan, who was
staring at her.
He smiled, his eyes soft and…loving.
“Everything will be fine,” he whispered.
Tears rushed to the surface. Suddenly, it occurred to Felicity that if there was any person in the world she’d prefer to be kidnapped with, it was Aidan. Not that she wanted any harm to come to him, but his mere presence gave her hope. And courage.
Something else popped in her mind. Perhaps it was courage that she needed to make the decision to get back with him. Yes, Aidan still needed to explain himself. But if he’d been lying about his feelings for her, then he could have moved on and forgotten about her when she refused to answer his numerous texts and calls, right? It wasn’t as if Aidan was desperate for a girlfriend. In fact, Aidan was a catch. God, what a catch he was—unless, of course, he was a real cheater.
Did she really believe that, or was she simply afraid to give him another chance because of Nolan?
She inhaled sharply. Did she deserve another shot at happiness when, in her heart of hearts, she knew she was still madly in love with Aidan? Was their relationship worth another chance? Did she have enough self-worth now to be able to walk away without a backward glance if Aidan hurt her again?
Yes, yes, and yes.
A quiet sob escaped her, and she sent him a smile, hoping to give him the same comfort he’d been giving her during this surreal ordeal.
Aidan slid closer and kissed her forehead.
The thug sitting across from them snickered.
Felicity shut her eyes briefly, praying they would get out of here unhurt.
“Everything will be fine,” Aidan repeated softly.
She nodded. Damn, she wanted so much to be held by him right now, but she doubted the goons would agree to cut the tape that bound their wrists.
She comforted herself by leaning on Aidan while the van drove and drove.
Soon, Felicity felt the vehicle drive slower on what seemed like a dirt road. How long had they been travelling? And where could they be?
Aidan: The Rescue (Indie Rebels Book 5) Page 19
