The Bailey Brothers Box Set- the Complete Trilogy

by Melissa Devenport

  He listened for any sound of movement upstairs but last time Ace had checked on Jen, she was fast asleep. She must have been exhausted from such a traumatic day. While watching her chest gently rise and fall he had wondered what it might feel like sleeping next to her. Having her curled up on his chest as they shared the bed for the night. He almost wished it could happen. But no… he could never be close to a woman again. Not after my parents, not after Alice.

  “Right, that should do it!” Lenny held the small black plastic rectangle above his head proudly.

  “So… this is a clone of her SIM?” Ace tentatively took the card from him.

  “Yup. So, now whenever she gets a text or a call it will also go the spare phone. You can see exactly what she’s receiving at the exact time she receives it. Pretty cool huh?” he smiled.

  Ace tried to smile but the situation didn’t allow him the pleasure of sharing his friend’s happiness in the moment. Lenny noticed and turned down his enthusiasm a notch.

  “You still haven’t told me why I can’t tell Joe or Pearl I’ve cloned her SIM for you. This is to do with a job, isn’t it?”

  Ace replied, “Yeah, of course it is. The problem is they don’t know this part of the job. We have a plan and if they knew I was using Jennifer as bait, they’d fucking kill me on the spot. Lenny, I’m trusting you to keep this to yourself. At least until tomorrow is over and done with. Once I’ve completed my job and got rid of the fucking bastard finally, then the twins have nothing to complain about.”

  “As long as Jennifer doesn’t get hurt…”

  Ace grabbed Lenny by the shirt and shoved him high against a wall, “Shut your fucking mouth, you idiot. Don’t you dare say shit like that!”

  Lenny was trembling as he raised his hands above his head in a motion of surrender, “I’m sorry, man. Ace, put me down. I didn’t mean nothing by it, I swear. She’s going to be fine.”

  Ace felt guilt rip through him as he noticed the fear in his friend’s eyes. He hadn’t meant to react so badly, but it had touched a nerve. He carefully placed Lenny back on his feet. Lenny kept an eye on him as he readjusted his shirt and started to put his equipment away.

  “You told her about Alice yet?”

  Heat flamed in Ace’s chest but he gulped back his anger, “Yes, what of it? She knows what she’s getting herself into. You know I wouldn’t let her get hurt.”

  Lenny turned to face him, “I know she won’t get hurt, but I also don’t want to see you go through the same thing as with Alice. I could tell by the way you were on the phone that this Jennifer means something to you. She’s different from all your other flings. I’m not sure this is just a job for you anymore. You’ve got to stop beating yourself up about Alice and let it go. There was nothing you could have done to save her. You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, that’s it. End of story. Don’t spend your life chasing ghosts when you have the potential of an actual future.”

  “How can I not think about Alice? Every time I look at Jen, I think of her bleeding out on the sidewalk like her. I can’t deal with it. What if something goes wrong tomorrow?”

  Lenny patted his friend on the back, “It won’t. Now, I’ve got to get back to the city. The twins need me to deal with a breach of security and there will be hell to pay if I’m not back there by midnight. Good luck, man.”

  Ace watched as his old friend left the cabin and clambered into his car, swinging his laptop on the passenger seat beside him. The glow dim of the headlights faded as he pulled away into the tree-lined road and back towards civilization. He was running low on time and quickly picked his mobile back up, heading out the back door onto the decking. His brothers were on speed-dial. He started with Red, hoping that both of them would be together. Red answered on the second ring. Ace could hear the bustle of a crowd behind him and shouting nearby. They must be at the bar.

  “What’s up, little bro?” Red drawled down the phone, clearly quite a few beers into the night.

  “I need your guys’ help. Are you with Van right now?”

  Red seemed to sober up at the call for help as his voice cleared slightly, “Yeah, Van is standing right next to me. Hold on, let me take him outside where it’s a bit quieter. Van, follow me.”

  Ace listened to the background noise, envisioning his brothers parting the crowds as they hustled towards the doors. People naturally moved out the way of the Bailey brothers. If they weren’t aware of their reputation then they still looked scary enough, especially with the coating of tattoos and scars winding around their bodies like gruesome cloaks. He heard the noise clear away as they stepped out into the night air.

  “Talk to me, little brother. What can we help you with? Is it serious?” Red spoke.

  “It’s quite serious. The stalker has made contact with Jen and they are meeting tomorrow evening, but he’s insisted she go alone or he’ll kill me.”

  “He threatened to kill you? Who the fuck does this guy think he is? I’m going to smash his teeth out,” Van was yelling down the phone.

  “So, you’re letting Jennifer go alone?” Red cut in on Van’s ranting.

  “Don’t be stupid, of course not. I got Lenny to clone her SIM and I’m going to connect it to a spare phone he brought around. The asshole has said he will only text Jen the coordinates once she is in the car and driving. He has sensors somewhere in the car which will detect whether she is alone, and if she removes them he will also kill me…a lot of fucking death threats from him, to be honest. Anyway, once she gets the text it will come through to the spare phone also and I’ll be able to track down their meeting place. I was hoping you guys would be able to join me just in case the fucker is planning anything stupid. Red, as soon as we locate the bastard, I want you to grab Jennifer and get her the fuck out of there. Take her straight back to her house and keep her locked in, no matter if she argues. Van, I want you to stay with me and deal with M.”

  There was an unusual silence at the end of the phone before Van spoke up, “We’re on our way to the cabin now. Hold tight, brother.”

  Chapter 14

  JENNIFER

  Clashing from the kitchen, pulled her out of her slumber as she clambered out of bed. She quickly put on some loose joggers and a t-shirt and she wandered downstairs to discover the source of the noise. To her surprise, she found not one, but all three of the Bailey brothers attempting to make breakfast. Smoke filled the room from burnt toast and grease splattered the cooker from the sizzling bacon. They looked like the messiest cooks she had ever laid eyes upon. It made her giggle seeing three big burly tattooed men stumbling over one another in an attempt to make something edible.

  The sound of her laughter brought three pair of dazzling eyes landing upon her. She froze on the bottom step, unable to fathom what she should say now that she had caught their attention. Red smiled and strode over to her, scooping her into a bear hug.

  “Good to see you looking well, pint-size!”

  “Get off of her, you moron!” Ace bellowed above the sound of the frying pan spitting oil at him.

  Van didn’t bother to speak, only acknowledging her presence with a slight head nod. She smiled and walked over to the chaos in the kitchen.

  “Need any help?”

  “With what?” Red asked.

  “I’m guessing she means the shit show around us, dickhead!” Van gestured wildly around him.

  “No, take this and sit down. Our attempt at food will be ready in a second,” Ace thrust a coffee cup at her and pointed with a spatula at the dining room table.

  Jennifer decided to comply, knowing the Bailey’s tempers could get hotter than an oven. She sipped at her coffee as she propped herself daintily on a chair. Perfectly content to watch the circus act continue in the kitchen. It looked as though Ace was trying to attack the bacon with utensils while Red was physically shaking the toaster to get the blackened bread from its grasp. Crumbs spilled out over the worktop and toppled onto the floor. Van, on the other hand, was neatly frying eggs on the side
, sighing every time one of his brothers increased their stupidity. That makes sense. Van stepped in to be the parent once theirs were murdered. Of course he would know how to cook.

  It appeared the show was over as they heaped the plates with food and flung it on the table with plates and forks. Before Jennifer had even managed to adjust herself in her seat, the men were tearing at the plates, shoveling food into their mouths at breakneck speed. She quickly served herself and observed as they slurped at their coffees in between inhaling bacon and eggs. One brother had been enough, but three at breakfast was a complete barnyard. Finally, once the plates were practically licked clean, they rested back in their chairs and simultaneously burped contently.

  “Gross!” Jennifer couldn’t help but laugh.

  Red beamed across the table and at her while the other two brothers appeared to be brooding over their coffees. Well, I guess I finally have to ask why they’re all here.

  “So, I called my brothers in to help,” Ace seemed to have read her mind.

  “Yeah, we couldn’t let our little brother have all the fun on this job!” Red interjected.

  “We’re keeping you both safe,” Van mumbled, “It appears that your stalker may be more than what he is giving on. From the sounds of this it could get very dangerous, despite the humor that Red thinks is relevant at this particular moment.”

  A chill fell across the table as the situation sunk in. Ace asked them both out here to protect me? Does he really think it’s going to be that dangerous? Maybe I should call the whole thing off?

  “I’m just thinking that I would rather not take any risks with this fucker. He’s threatened to kill me on multiple occasions and I already have serious doubts about using you as bait. Promise me you’re going to stick to the plan and not do anything reckless, Jen?”

  She could see the plea in his eyes. Jennifer knew he was thinking about his parents and Alice at that moment.

  “I promise,” her voice was practically a whisper.

  “Good! So, let’s go get this bastard!” Red jumped out his chair.

  Jen was glad of Red’s positive spirit at that moment, but she couldn’t help feeling a sense of dread impeding on her thoughts. Are we all going to make it out of this alive?

  Afternoon was slowly fading into evening. A faint glow of orange started to spread across the top of the trees, outlining them against the sun, as Jennifer started to get ready. She had slipped into some stretchy jeans and had opted for a pair of sneakers. She knew, if things went south, she would have to make a run for it. Zipping up her leather jacket, she was ready to go. She wanted to run away and hide, the idea of presenting herself to her stalker filling her with fear. The thought sent a shiver up her spine as she closed her bedroom door behind her and joined the men downstairs. They appeared to be in fierce debate, but looked up once they heard the creak of the floorboards.

  “Damn, you look good in leather. You sure you don’t have time for a ride on my bike before you go?” Red flirted, clearly trying to ease the growing tension in the room.

  “Shut up, moron,” Van shoved his brother.

  “Ah, lighten up. I don’t get why you guys are so uptight about this. It’s just another job. We’ve been against entire gangs and you’re worried about one measly lovesick stalker? Grow a pair, both of you!” Red stalked off to have a smoke on the decking.

  Ace slowly walked over to Jen and placed his hands around her face. Taking the hint, Van went to join his brother outside, leaving them alone. She stared into her bodyguard’s eyes, searching for a sense of security.

  “You’re going to be okay. You know that, right?” Ace’s voice was surprisingly gentle.

  “I hope so. I may have played many badass women on screen, but right now I feel as small as a mouse. I don’t want to go. I’m scared, Ace.”

  “We’re going to keep you safe,” he wrapped her in his arms, “That bastard won’t even know what hit him. Just make sure you do what I say, no matter what. For all we know it could be some horny teenager playing stupid games with you. I only called in my brothers to ensure it goes to plan.”

  “And if it is just a teenage boy? Then what will you do?” her voice was muffled in his chest.

  “Then I guess we let him off with a warning. I’ll make sure he stops stalking you, that’s for sure.”

  Jen nodded and breathed in his scent. His body was starting to feel like home and in that moment she couldn’t tell what she feared most – meeting her stalker or the job finally being over and Ace leaving once and for all. Please, stay with me.

  As though sensing her need, Ace pulled back and leaned in. Their lips met with fury. Will this be our last kiss? Desire flooded through her and the feel of him against her suddenly made everything fade away. No matter what, as long as I have him then everything will be okay. Before the kiss started to develop, Ace pulled away, she wanted to drag him back and stay in that moment forever, but she knew she had to face reality. Looking at her watch, it was coming up to 7:30. It was time.

  Van must have been watching through the door because as soon as their bodies were apart, he dragged his brother in from outside. They both strode over to the pair to go over the plan one last time.

  “Right, Jennifer, you get in the car and start driving. Don’t go too fast, just a bit slower than the speed limit so we’re not too far behind you. Once he texts you the coordinates we’ll get it through on this phone,” Van waved the spare phone in front of everyone, “From there it’s all systems go. Hopefully, this fucker will pick a known location so we will be able to assess it before entering. We don’t want to give him the chance of getting away. Better to cover all access points. You ready?”

  She nodded, not trusting herself to speak in fear of bursting into tears. Ace walked her to the car slowly and held the door open for her as she climbed in. He gave her hand a final squeeze before closing the door. She hesitated for a moment before starting the engine, giving one last look to the Bailey boys standing on the porch and then pulling out into the unknown to follow.

  Headlights swooped over the trees, the shadows twisting into distorted creatures in the dwindling sun. Even the birds seemed to have stopped singing, as though in knowledge of the impending doom. Jennifer felt sick, she had almost stopped multiple times but willed herself to keep going. She had to finish this once and for all, for both hers and Ace’s sake.

  It was close to 8 pm and had been following the roads blindly away from the city. She doubted that he would pick somewhere too public. Jennifer wondered how far behind the men were traveling and if perhaps the stalker knew and that’s why he hadn’t messaged yet. This bastard seemed to know everything about her whereabouts.

  Suddenly, her mobile pinged. She screamed in shock before regaining composure and pulling over to read the message. Unknown number. It was him.

  “39.368439, -120.899369”

  As Jennifer fumbled typing the coordinates into her GPS system, she hoped that Ace had also received the message. She had been sleeping when his friend had come around, but Ace had assured her that the man was a whiz kid and his technology was fool-proof. Finally, after gain control of her trembling fingers, she entered the address. Her car was directing her to a nearby historic park, at least the brothers didn’t have far to travel.

  She took some deep breaths. Just follow the directions and drive, don’t think of anything else right now. I can do this. Just listen to what the GPS system tells you to do.

  After getting her heart beat down to a normal level, she pulled back into the road and started her journey towards her stalker. It was as though her mind was preventing her from freaking out by completely blocking her emotions. Right now, she could only think logically and follow the instructions the robotic voice issued through the speakers. As she drove, she thrummed her nails against the steering wheel, trying to keep a constant rhythm all the while distracting herself from what was to come. The trees lining the road slowly began to thin out and large patches of fields filled her vision. As she got c
loser to her destination she noticed a few houses and buildings, all abandoned. Their rafters had fallen through leaving gaping holes in the roofs open to the elements of the wilderness. She watched as an owl darted out of one, in search of its prey. Lucky for M, his prey is coming directly to him instead.

  After what seemed like eternity the GPS announced they had reached their destination. Jen dimmed the headlights, hoping she hadn’t drawn M’s attention to her arrival just yet. She squinted out into the evening light, trying to establish where the meeting would take place. In the gloom, she managed to make out a large pointed building. After her eyes adjusted she finally noticed it was an old church. A cross hung crookedly from the front and the wooden beams appeared to be rotting. If this isn’t a mass murderer’s playground, I don’t know what is!

  Carefully, she opened the door, not wanting to alert M to her presence. She was about to lock the door when she thought for a moment – What if I need to make a quick escape? Better to be safe than sorry. It’s not like anyone is going to rob it from around here. The place is a ghost town! Jen pocketed the keys away and slowly walked towards the building.

  Nature has started to reclaim the land and ivy crept up the wooden walls. White paint was peeling away from the timber and small flakes drifted in the wind. It reminded her of scenes from movies after a nuke had dropped and all that was left was ash gently falling from the sky like snow. M has certainly dropped a nuke on my life. She tiptoed around the church, not wanting to enter just yet, giving the brothers extra time to catch up and time for her to assess her escape routes. The windows were partially boarded-up but panels hung loose in sections, reveling tiny glimpses to what was contained within. As she rounded the corner, she noticed that the entire stained glass window had been shattered. Somewhat recently, judging by the tiny shards of colored glass glittering on the grass like precious gems. She was dazzled by the setting sun reflecting rainbows off the pieces that she didn’t hear the person approaching from behind. It wasn’t until a hand gripped tightly into her shoulder that her scream broke the evening’s silence, shattering it like the stained glass window.