No. That first day I knew I had to figure something else out. Luckily, Sammy walked through my door that morning, with her son Mika in tow. She was flustered, disorganized and trying to blow her pink hair out of her eyes at the same time as she was digging through her purse. She pulled out keys, her phone, wipes, a picture of a rainbow clearly made by her little boy, a marker, a plastic hammer and a banana, which clearly no one was about to eat, before she found her wallet. She asked for four iced donuts and two cinnamon buns. I knew right then and there, she was my kind of people. Sammy’s been working here ever since.
Shouting pulls me from the kitchen and as I walk toward the front of the store, I see it’s coming from outside the front. Sammy makes a move to see what’s happening, but Big Mike gently pushes her back. I smile, he’s been treating her delicately, I think he likes her. Sammy blushes and bites her bottom lip when his hand touches her arm, but he doesn’t seem to notice, all business as he heads outside to split up the young guys almost fighting, before they fall through my window.
There are seven customers in the store, split between sitting at the tables and waiting for Sammy to serve them. I walk back through the door and into the kitchen. Checking the buns, they still need a little cooling before I can place them in the front of house. My cell chirps and I grin when I realize it’s Kato. Grabbing it I slide it between my ear and shoulder, while I start wiping down the sides and preparing to shut the kitchen down for the day.
“Hey,” I murmur.
“Hey, gorgeous, how’s your day been?”
“It’s good, I’m just closing down the kitchen, another two hours and I should be on my way home,” I answer, deciding not to mention the idiots outside the store.
“Good, hold on,” he mutters and I hear rustling and muted talking before he returns, “sorry, Nola, just having to fix a job.”
“What do you mean, fix? What happened?”
I hear him sigh down the phone. “Carlos, one of the new guys in my team, pulled up some flowers,” he explains.
“Okay, why?” I ask, shaking my head, “I mean, aren’t you supposed to plant flowers?”
“Yep,” he sighs again, “but he thought they were weeds because they were wildflowers.”
“Okay,” I reply, not knowing what else to say.
“It gets worse,” he tells me and I smile, because one thing I’ve learned is that it always does.
“So, Carlos carried on digging up the flowers and came across a cereal box, so he threw it in the trash.”
“O-kay,” I breathe the word out slowly, waiting for the punchline.
“Apparently, in the cereal box was Ms. Glynn’s beloved pet ferret.”
“What?” I shout. “Why would she bury a ferret?” I ask, stupidly.
“Because it was dead, gorgeous,” Kato replies and I can hear the smile in his voice.
“Oh, yeah, right, of course,” I ramble. “So, what happened? I mean, it’s already dead, not like Carlos killed it.”
“Still, she wasn’t happy and Carlos has been digging through the dumpster for the last fifteen minutes.”
“Has he found it yet?”
“No, but he has found two dead rats and a blow-up doll.”
I snicker down the line like a spotty teen and Kato chuckles at me.
“Anyway, I’ll be here for another couple of hours, so I’ll meet you at home after?” he asks.
“Sure, the baby wants Indian food tonight,” I say, rubbing my tummy as I salivate at the thought of the spicy food, knowing I’ll pay for it the next day.
“Okay, I’ll bring some in with me.”
I sigh like a lovesick school girl. “Love you,” I coo.
“Love you more, gorgeous,” he replies and I drop the trash bag I’m holding to grab my purse and throw my cell into it.
I smile while tying the top of the bag tight and push the back door, taking the bag to the alleyway behind my store. I step outside and the door slams closed behind me.
“Dammit,” I curse myself. I know to prop the door open, it’s not the first time the door has closed on me, however, it’s the first time I’ve forgotten since the store opened.
I heave the bag into the dumpster and dust my hands down on my pants. I know there’s no point banging on the door as everyone is out front and I don’t have my cell.
I sigh when I realize I’ll have to walk around to the front of the store. Unfortunately, I can only go one way, as the other way – that would be the quicker way - has eight-foot gates which are always closed. It’s late afternoon so it’s warm, but thankfully not the middle of the day heat, so the walk won’t be a bad thing. There are six stores on our street, my bakery is on the end, the other five are on the right of mine. I turn to walk that way and that’s when my eyes narrow on a dark blue van with blacked out windows. It only takes a second to understand this vehicle doesn’t belong to any of the stores here, and that second is all that’s needed for Lance to grab me and drag me inside.
God knows what he has on the rag he places over my mouth, but whatever it is, it turns the world black.
Chapter Twenty-Five
KATO
“Carlos,” I shout, banging the side of the dumpster with my fist. He’s been looking for a dead ferret in a cereal box for nearly fifty minutes, and at this point I’m wondering whether to buy a new box and place one of the rats he’s found inside it. I’m pretty sure Ms. Glynn wouldn’t know the damn difference, especially if we re-bury the damn thing.
“Found it!” Carlos bellows, popping up from the dumpster and waving the box near my face. I’m leaning toward punching him, but he could drop the ferret, and that would mean going through this shit again.
Instead, I level him with a look. “Get that box out of my face,” I order.
“Yes, boss,” he grins, nothing souring the moment for him.
I walk away, hiding my own grin from him. He’s a decent worker, although he needs to calm down a little and grow up a lot. I sigh and check my watch. I’ll head home soon, stopping to get food for Nola on the way there.
“Kato,” Rob, one of my team, calls to me. I wander over to him.
“I finished the water feature, what do you think?”
I look at his work. Rob is a master when it comes to wood, and Ms. Glynn wanted a wooden water feature, taking on the shape of a bird. “It looks good, not my style, but you’ve worked wonders with the direction she gave,” I say, slapping him on the back.
“Hopefully she’ll appreciate it,” he replies.
“I’m sure she will. I’m heading off, can you keep an eye on Carlos, and make sure you all pack up within the next hour. It’s a seven am start tomorrow,” I remind him.
Bending down, I snatch my white tank from the ground where I dropped it a few hours ago. Sweat still clings to my chest and as I slip the top over my head, it sticks to my ribs and I wonder if I’ll have enough time to shower before Nola gets home.
“Yes, boss,” he salutes me with a smirk and I flip him off.
When I get to my truck, I decide to do a little tidying. I still have fifteen minutes before I need to leave, I don’t want to be too early or the food will need reheating by the time we serve it up.
I’m leaning down to pick up an empty candy wrapper that Nola left on the floor, when my cell rings. I know the tone, it’s Rufus, or Big Mike as Nola calls him.
“Hey Rufe,” I greet, smiling when I also find an empty chip packet.
“Kato,” the serious tone in his voice has all the hairs on my body standing to attention. I sit up immediately.
“What, what’s happened?” I demand.
“She’s missing, Nola’s missing.”
My chest constricts and I’m physically unable to reply.
“Kato, brother, I…I’m sorry.” Rufus never apologizes, he never has to. This is bad.
“What happened? Details, Rufe. Just the facts,” I bite out. I need to focus and I can only do that if he tells me exactly what’s going on, so I can piece the situation to
gether.
“There was a fight outside the store. A couple of kids messing about. I… shit, I went out there, man, thought they might come through the window. I shouldn’t have left her, I know better.”
I say nothing, because he’s right. I didn’t employ Rufus on a whim, I’ve known him for years. There was a dark period in my life where I struggled with who I was, during that time Rufe and I fought in the same underground fight ring. He went into the military, learned a lot, and when he came out he set up his own security business. So, falling down on the job is not something I ever expected from him. And that leaves me in a shit place, with a missing fiancée.
“What happened while you were gone?”
“I ran the cameras. She took out the trash, forgot to wedge the door.”
I curse and hit the steering wheel. “Then what?”
“The cameras I installed showed someone getting out of a van, no license plates and blacked out windows. He surprised her and placed a cloth over her mouth, I’m assuming chloroform.”
“Fuck,” I hiss. “Who was it?”
“Lance.”
I stiffen, “Motherfucker.”
“I tried tracking her, but she left her phone, purse, jacket… everything we had planted devices in.”
I twist my neck to the side, waiting for the click. It’s times like these that the ugly side of me emerges. It’s been nearly ten years since I fought, since I had so much anger I could taste it on my tongue, feel it in the air surrounding me. People used to give me a wide berth and I understood why, I welcomed it. I’m not the same person I was back then, I don’t harbor my anger in the same way.
However, today I do. Today I’m him again. Today, my anger is so strong the world ripples around me.
I close my eyes and think of Nola’s face, her light green eyes, soft, wavy blond hair and the six freckles dotted across her nose. I see her smile, imagine her flipping me off and I smile.
She is everything. Everything.
And I can’t lose her, because if I lose her, I’ll lose myself, but this time, I’ll never come back from it.
“Where have you looked?” I ask him, clicking my neck before turning my truck on and pulling away from my team still working on the lawn.
“I sent someone over to his house, it’s the only place I’ve looked so far.”
Rubbing my hand down my face, irritation zips through me. I try to think about any little piece of information Nola has shared about Lance.
“He doesn’t have a lot of friends. He isn’t the smartest cookie in the jar,” I tell him, trying to imagine what he might do. “Have you tried his work? The only thing Nola mentioned was how he worked all the time.”
“I’ll send someone over now, but it’s unlikely to be open.”
“Wait,” I murmur, thinking back on something Chance told me. “He has a home office, not sure where it’s at on his property, but…”
“I’ll check it out,” he tells me and I can hear he’s already on the move.
“I’ll meet you there-”
“Kato-”
“No, I have to try. I have to find her.”
I cut the call. I know Rufe is only trying to protect me, but she’s mine, her and the baby, and I need to protect them. By any means necessary.
Chapter Twenty-Six
NOLA
Well this is just freaking perfect.
My hands are tied behind my back and then tied again to the leg of a heavy desk. Lance dragged me into his van like some kind of psycho and now we’re at his office. Of all the places to bring me, this is the last place I would have expected. I’m uncomfortable and I need to use the bathroom, but he disappeared almost as soon as I woke up, and hasn’t been back since.
I have no real idea what time it is, but as it’s dark outside I imagine it’s late. I’m tired, agitated, and I want to punch Lance in the throat. The need to cross my arms in anger is overwhelming. The fact that my wrists are bound should make the reality of the situation sink in, but it doesn’t. The emotions I currently feel toward Lance are so strong, they’re overpowering any sense of self-preservation or concern I might normally have.
“Asshole,” I murmur to myself.
“Was that aimed at me?” Lance asks, striding into the room, a look of crazed excitement in his eyes.
“Well I don’t see any other assholes here, do you?” I reply, anger shimmying across my skin.
He smirks, actually smirks at me, the fucker.
“I don’t think you’re in a position to speak to me like that,” he growls.
“Do you know me at all?” I drawl. “Wait, don’t answer that, clearly you never did,” I snap, surprised steam isn’t coming out of my ears.
His eyes change then. They narrow on me and a wild irritation clouds them.
“And he does?” he bellows. “He knows you after what? Seven months?”
“Nine,” I pout.
Lance picks up a computer screen and throws it across the room. I watch as it smashes into the wall and black plastic pieces splinter off until it hits the ground with a thud.
I look from the wall to Lance. His face is flush and his eyes now burn with anger.
“Well that was a waste of money,” I mutter.
“Fuck woman, can’t you keep that mouth shut for five minutes?”
I bite down on my bottom lip, and scrunch my nose. “I don’t think so,” I shake my head.
Taking two large strides forward, Lance grabs my face with one hand, squeezing my cheeks with his finger and thumb so hard that my mouth protrudes in protest.
“Maybe you should learn to shut the fuck up,” he growls before letting go.
I work my jaw, trying to take away the sting of his grip as he paces back and forth muttering to himself.
“Jesus, you’re a pain in the ass.” He scowls down at me.
“Then why are you keeping me here?” I reply, sarcasm lacing my words.
“You left me!” he shouts clenching his fists and shaking his head manically. “No one leaves me, don’t you get that?” he states, turning to face me. “I decide… me,” he thrusts his thumb into his chest to make his point clearer, like I didn’t know who he meant. I roll my eyes. “I saw that!” he shouts again.
“I wasn’t hiding it. I mean, my hands are tied, so it’s not like I can cover my face.” I roll my eyes again.
“You think this is some kind of joke? You know I could do anything to you, right? No one knows you’re here. Think about that.” He slams his hand on the desk top and it moves a few inches, dragging me with it.
“Could you not do that!” I shout. “I’m uncomfortable enough.”
He bends down to my height. “You don’t get to make demands!” he roars in my face.
“You need a breath mint,” I murmur.
Lance stands and walks away, slamming the door as he leaves the room.
“I need to pee!” I scream, hoping wherever he is he can still hear me.
The door swings open again, hitting the wall and almost bouncing closed with the force, but Lance stops it, and there’s something in his eyes, something I’ve never seen before.
Feral, with a hint of crazy.
He takes three big strides toward me and before I get a chance to say another word, or take note of what’s happening, his arm rears back, then rushes forward and he hits my cheek. The impact is so hard my head slams against the corner of the desk, and I cry out in pain.
“You never knew when to shut up, never grasped the idea that just because you think it, doesn’t mean you should say it. The biggest problem with you was you not knowing your place, which was to stand still, and look pretty. I never wanted your opinion, but all too often you gave it. I see your mouth still runs away with you. Keep on, Nola, and you’ll feel more of my anger.”
“Asshole,” I can’t help but mutter.
He grabs my hair in his fist and wrenches my head back so hard it feels like my neck is going to snap.
“One more word,” he whispers.
<
br /> My mouth opens, my brain is screaming at me to shut the fuck up, but I can feel it coming, like word vomit. I can’t stop it, but then, before the single word rolls off my tongue, someone else speaks.
“Lance, baby, that’s enough. We need her.”
Any thoughts I had in my head disappear, and there are no words for what I’m feeling.
“Bryony,” her name comes out as a whimper, but she doesn’t look at me.
Instead, she reaches toward Lance, who, thank the lord, releases his grip on my hair and takes her hand. Then they walk back through the door and leave me alone, utterly confused. More than anything, though, I’m now scared. I still need to pee, and I’m also pretty sure my head is bleeding.
I jerk awake and try to remember where I am. The memories come back to me like flashes of a dream and I groan as my head throbs with pain. Visions filter in and I remember the last thing I saw, Bryony. She’s with Lance now and she’s also a part of kidnapping me.
What the hell?
Noise comes from the door, so I quickly close my eyes and pretend to be asleep.
“What exactly are you planning on doing, Lance? This was never the plan,” Bryony whines.
“You don’t get to choose what I do. That stunt, throwing the stupid rock, what the fuck was that? You wanted to break a window. Well done, you did, but what did it achieve?” he snaps at her.
“I wanted to scare her, I never agreed to kidnapping.”
“Then leave!” he roars at her.
I hear her gasp and my body tenses as I feel his fingertips run along my leg. My eyes open automatically and he’s looking at me, smiling manically.
“I knew you weren’t asleep, Nola. The question now is, what am I going to do with you?”
“W-what do you want with me?” I whisper, and I hate that fear has seeped into my every pore. I feel useless and weak, but it’s in his eyes. Death is in his eyes and it scares the shit out of me.
Cocky Delight: A Hero Club Novel Page 18
