Escape

by Jay Crownover

  Once I had my keys in hand, I tore out of the entrance like I was driving a race car instead of a truck.

  It was time to call for backup. There was too much at stake.

  Chapter 12

  Brynn

  Live or Die

  Bauer was shaking so badly that it was a mini-miracle he was still on his feet. The kid was holding onto his composure, barely, but he was doing it. The path out of the side door appeared to be clear, but I wasn’t taking any chances. This entrance was far less populated and crowded than the main doors, and anyone looking for Bauer would have no trouble spotting him if we went out this way. I was scrambling to think of a good distraction when the red fire alarm mounted on the wall near the restrooms caught my eye. I knew there were a million cameras trained on the casino floor, but I had to take the chance that I was faster than security would be.

  I nudged the teenager with my elbow and waited until he slowed enough that we were walking side by side. I tilted my head so I could whisper in his ear. “As soon as I move I want you to run for those doors.” I indicated our escape with a lift of my chin. I pressed my phone into his clammy hand and ordered, “Don’t wait for me and don’t look back. Get somewhere safe and call Lane so he can come and pick you up. Understand?”

  He took the phone reluctantly. He tugged the nose of my sunglasses down so were eye to eye and muttered, “What about you? I can’t show up without you. Lane will flip out.”

  Lane would flip, but he would also do the right thing and protect Bauer while getting him somewhere safe until he figured out what was going on with the kid’s brother. He couldn’t stop being a hero, even when things went absolutely wrong, and that was one of the things that I loved most about him.

  “Lane will get you to Denver no matter what. I’ll be right behind you, but if it looks like you’re lingering and waiting around for something to happen, that makes us both look suspicious. Lane said we should find a crowd to blend into in case that exit is being watched. It’s too early for there to be many people on the streets. If I can’t find a crowd, I’m going to make one.” I grabbed his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “It’s going to be okay. I know that it’s hard for you to believe that since things have never ended up okay for you in the past, but your team is due for a win, Bauer. I’m not going to let you down, and I know for a fact Lane would rather die than let anything happen to either of us.” I waited until I got the smallest nod of acknowledgment. He didn’t know how to believe in anyone else, but he was willing to try for me. “Good. Now go!”

  I gave him a gentle shove and waited until he was a few feet away with the exit in clear sight. Glancing around to make sure our little heart to heart hadn't attracted any unwanted attention I made sure the coast was clear and meandered toward the bathroom. I bent my head down, letting my long hair fall forward and cover my face. I was glad our rush this morning prevented me from pulling the thick mass up and out of the way like I normally did. I kept my eyes on that little white lever, fingers twitching where my hands swung loosely at my thighs.

  “Excuse me, dear.” I almost jumped when the door to the bathroom swung open, revealing an older woman dressed head to toe in contrasting neon colors. She smiled politely at me while fidgeting with her designer purse. I put a hand on my racing heart and forced myself to return her friendly expression. “You wouldn’t happen to know if there is a Starbucks anywhere around here, would you? I’m dying for a frappuccino.”

  I shook my head in the negative and shifted a step closer to the alarm. “I have no idea. I just got in last night and haven't had much chance to explore.”

  She waved a heavily jeweled hand in the air and stepped around me. “No problem. I’m sure there’s gotta be one close by.” The woman cocked her head to the side and studied me for a painfully long moment. I could see Bauer shifting uncomfortably out of the corner of my eye. “You’re quite lovely, my dear. That is some very unusual coloring you have. That red hair can’t be natural. Your stylist deserves an award.”

  Any other time and place I would have had something smart to say to that, but right now there were more pressing matters at hand. I thanked the woman for her backhanded compliment, and once she was gone, I lunged for the alarm handle before anyone else could exit the restroom. Almost instantly an ear-splitting shriek and flashing lights filled the occasion. The gamblers glued to the slot machines barely flinched, but the rest of the hotel guests milling about the lobby immediately started muttering and looking for available exits.

  Bauer bolted just like I instructed him to. I saw his thin frame delicately weaving between bodies as people surged toward the door. I kept the family camo hat in sight as I followed a hundred feet behind him. Security started filling the floor, guiding pedestrian traffic while talking into invisible microphones and scanning the increasingly nervous crowd. I moved swiftly and with purpose, keeping my eyes on the prize, refusing to be distracted by the mayhem I created.

  As soon as Bauer was out the side door, I let myself breathe a sigh of relief. Unfortunately, that reprieve was short lived as my upper arm was grasped in a steely grip. I was mere inches from the door when a burly security guard with a bald head and mean eyes grabbed me.

  “Ma’am, you’ll have to come with me. Pulling the alarm with no cause is a crime.” I blinked up at him and tried for an innocent expression, but his stern expression never wavered. “I’m sorry, but you’re kind of hard to miss with those legs and that hair.”

  Fair enough. My hair did stand out like a beacon. I nodded and was getting ready to go quietly with the man and face my punishment when the guy suddenly put his fingers to his ear, straining to hear something coming over a radio hidden there. He dropped his hold on my arm and started to move the opposite direction of the crowd. I watched his retreating back as he yelled to another guard, “We have a problem at the front. Possible shooting, armed assailants. All hands on deck.”

  I refused to freak out over the fact that Lane was out there with those armed men. He was trusting me to do my part, and I had to have faith that he would do his. I ran through the door, rudely pushing past looky-loos and dawdlers. I almost knocked over the woman in neon, offering her a slight smile of apology, but didn’t stop until I was outside. I kept to the middle of the milling crowd, moving slowly and methodically until I reached the fringe of the group. Once I had room to move, I jogged toward the closest casino. My frantic pace and wild-eyed look got me a few strange glances, but I slipped in mostly unnoticed due to the commotion next door.

  I had no idea where to start looking for Bauer. Luckily, he found me instead. I was weaving through the slot machines and blackjack tables in the direction of the lobby when I was suddenly tackled from the side. Bony arms wrapped around me, and we nearly went to the ground in the aftermath of Bauer’s enthusiasm.

  “I’m so glad you made it. I thought it was all over when that security guard grabbed you.”

  I hugged him back briefly but urged him to keep moving. “Were you waiting for me? I told you not to do that. I almost didn’t make it.”

  He pulled on my hand and forced me to change direction, guiding us away from the casino and the entrance of the hotel.

  “This casino is attached to a mall. There’s another entrance on the side of the building not facing the Strip. I already sent Lane a text and told him to meet us there. It’ll be less busy than the main entrance.” He started moving purposely in the opposite direction I was planning on going.

  “How do you know that?” I followed him, casting furtive looks over my shoulder every few minutes to make sure no one was following us.

  “I stopped to look at the directory while I was waiting for you.” He turned to look at me, and I wished he didn’t have the glasses on so I could see his eyes. The kid was hard to read without the dark shades offering him one more shield to hide behind. “It’s habit. I always need to have more than one way out of a room.” Of course, he did, because nine times out of ten when he was in a room, he was paid to be there
by someone who wanted to use him and hurt him.

  His words had me grinding my teeth together and hating every adult in his life who had failed him. I thought I hated the ones who had hurt me, but somehow my anger was twice as hot and doubly dangerous when it came to this lonely, abandoned kid.

  When we got to the exit of the mall, Lane was already there in the idling truck. I wanted to cry seeing that he was in one piece and unharmed. His expression was fierce and focused as I hustled Bauer into the cab, following him up in a rush. I practically jumped across the center console in order to drop fevered kisses all over the side of Lane’s handsome face. He let out a breath that had his shoulders shaking. His hands lifted off the steering wheel and tangled in my hair. His lips hit mine with reverence and so much relief that I felt it push against all the fear and adrenaline that was coursing through me.

  I returned the kiss with a passionate one of my own, and when I pulled back, he was already moving the truck forward. None of us said anything as Lane navigated the complicated Vegas traffic. It was a snarled mess made even worse by the hectic goings-on at the casino we’d just fled.

  It wasn’t until we crossed into the tiny corner of Arizona that we had to get through on the way to Utah that Lane decided to break the silence. He told us that we needed to stop for gas. He didn’t tell us that when we stopped, he was going to take a couple minutes and call for backup. I knew he didn’t want to send Bauer running, but we were dealing with things neither one of us had any experience with, and our lack of knowledge could get everyone killed.

  When he told me he was calling Ten to ask her to meet us in Denver, I didn’t object. The woman was a forest ranger now, but at one point in time, she worked for the FBI. She was a badass, through and through. Tennyson was a bloodhound when it came to finding missing people. If anyone could track down the legendary Mikey, it was her. Lane also wanted to call Webb’s brother Wyatt. I had no clue what a DEA agent could do for us, but I figured he might know someone who could help. As long as everyone agreed that the priority was keeping Bauer safe and out of the hands of the people who bought and sold him, I told him to call whomever he had to. I felt bad going behind the kid’s back, but if the end result was Bauer being protected from the people who hurt him, I would deal with the guilt. After all, he was a child, and it was about time someone made some decisions that were in his best interests.

  I distracted him with a mini shopping spree in the gas station. We grabbed what seemed to be one of everything off the junk food aisle including Lane’s precious Funyuns. I also bought him a pair of cheap sunglasses so I could confiscate mine. He seemed so appreciative of the cheap gift that it twisted my already sideways heart into more knots.

  He was quiet the entire time we were in the convenience store, and it took me a minute to realize his demure demeanor was due more to the truckers coming in and out than the events back at the casino. Bauer was no stranger to out of the way stops and long, lonely trips on the highway. It didn’t occur to me that these types of places probably held some pretty shitty memories for him, just like every time I was forced to return to the reservation and to my mom’s trailer did for me. It was a place I never wanted to visit, old ghosts found in haunts of places best left buried. I had to force myself to go when I wanted to check on my sister. I bet it was the same for Bauer.

  Lane also dropped a quick call home to let Cy know what was going on. I could tell by Lane’s side of the conversation that his older brother wasn’t happy with the dangerous turn of events. From the sounds of things, Cy was trying to talk Lane into forgetting about Denver and head straight home. He wanted us back at the ranch, and he didn’t care if we brought the kid with us. I could hear Lane explaining that he didn’t want to betray Bauer, that he promised the kid he would help him get to his brother, but Cy didn't seem to be moved by his younger brother's dedication and loyalty. I understood where the oldest Warner brother was coming from. It had been Cy’s responsibility to take over the ranch and his brother's care when Boyd died. He’d dropped everything, left his life behind to do what was expected of him, and the last thing he wanted was one of his younger siblings out there fighting this kind of battle alone. It was Cy’s job to be the roadblock against all the bad shit that was bound to come looking for boys as wild and wicked as the Warners were.

  Lane eventually told Cy he had to go. I heard the other man practically yelling as his little brother hung up on him. Bauer seemed amused by the exchange but his gratitude at knowing Lane wasn’t going to change the plan and stop him from getting to Denver and his brother was palpable. Slowly but surely, he was letting us get around the walls he’d been forced to hide behind to keep his sanity and any remnants left of his soul alive.

  I offered to drive for part of the way and was surprised when Lane took me up on the offer. Those Warner boys rarely let anyone near their precious trucks, even the women they loved. It was another move proving that he trusted me, that he was ready to give me all that he had. We were no longer former friends trying to pretend we hadn’t turned into adversaries along the way. We were friends who turned into lovers—lovers who were going to do their very best to be each other’s forever. We weren’t shoulda, woulda, coulda. We were happening now. Finally, it was our time.

  The drive through Utah was both beautiful and boring. There were some stunning rock formations the first part of the drive, but halfway, the road turned as long and blank as the drive out of the desert in California. Both Lane and Bauer dozed off leaving me alone with my thoughts. I tried my best to keep my mind off what we were walking into once we hit the Mile-High city. I wanted Bauer’s brother to be everything he needed and the young hero he described, but I had my doubts. I was sure the young man loved his brother, after all, he’d put himself between Bauer and his father’s misplaced anger time and time again. But the reality of helping someone who had been through the kinds of things Bauer had been through, I wasn’t sure Mikey was ready for that. I didn’t know how much he knew about his brother's past, but I was betting Bauer hadn’t been completely honest with Mikey about what he’d done to simply survive.

  I knew there were parts of my ordeal I refused to share with anyone. It was easier that way. I didn’t want my old experiences to taint the way people saw me. I didn’t want pity, I wanted a chance to prove that I was nothing like my mother. I wanted a shot to show the world I was the woman Boyd Warner allowed me the time and space to become.

  And I wanted that same opportunity for Bauer.

  The weather was gross when we got into Colorado. Windy as hell and raining so hard it was difficult to see out the windshield. I gladly handed driving responsibilities back to Lane and tried to catch a quick nap. The howling wind was noisy enough that I thought it was going to be impossible to rest, but the next thing I knew Lane was shaking me awake. It was dark outside, and the clock on the dashboard told me that it was closing in on midnight. The skyscrapers of downtown Denver were lit up all bright and shiny, and it was still raining out. Lane was asking Bauer for directions to his brother’s place, and we both cringed when he rattled off an address that was recognizably in a less than desirable part of the city. Certain streets ran through parts of Denver that we all knew to avoid when we traveled to the big bad city…well, big and bad for those of us from small-town Wyoming.

  “Is your family from Denver?” Lane asked the question innocently enough, but I could see him watching Bauer in the rearview mirror.

  The teenager was closed in on himself, arms wrapped around his legs as he stared unseeingly out the window.

  “No. I’m from the coast.” It didn’t go unnoticed that he didn’t mention which coast he was from. “The city I’m from has a really nice part and a really, really bad part. I grew up on the dividing line between those two places. Sometimes it was scary. Most of the time it was a typical suburban upbringing complete with a white picket fence.”

  “Mikey always loved the mountains. He’s an avid snowboarder. He always talked about going to college in Denver wh
en he was old enough. It’s so cool he managed to make that dream come true.” He sounded so wistful I could practically feel the longing for something normal like the chance at college in his tone.

  “Bauer”—Lane hesitated for a second before plowing on— “Are you sure your parents never reported you missing or as a runaway? Maybe your mother had a change of heart along the way.”

  The teenager snorted and shook his head violently back and forth. “No way. I got picked up for solicitation in San Francisco and again in LA. When they ran me through the system, nothing came up. They had to call my folks before dropping me in foster care over and over. My parents don’t give a damn about what happens to me. The only person who cares about me is Mikey.”

  “Not the only person, kid. Try and remember that.” Lane never raised his voice or sounded frustrated. He was the quiet reassurance, the steady, unwavering strength that someone as skittish and gun shy as Bauer needed.

  Bauer simply turned and looked out the window, a look of doubt laced with a sliver of hope on his face that spoke volumes. If he only knew the hell we’d both been through to get to this moment, he’d truly understand that someone can come out of the depths of hell and onto the other side if they had people worth fighting for on the other side.

  We lapsed back into silence for the rest of the ride to the rundown apartment complex off of East Colfax. Lane took his time trying to find a place to park. It took me a minute to realize he was circling the block to make sure we weren’t being followed. I was pretty sure the woman standing on the corner around from where Lane finally parked was a prostitute, and there was no question that the guy sitting on cracked concrete steps in front of the building was dealing drugs. He eyed us up and down as we moved in unison to the front door. There was no security door. There was a busted-up intercom that Bauer bypassed, pushing his way into the complex with Lane and me hot on his heels. I could feel the heat of Lane’s hand on my lower back. It was reassuring when the situation was anything but. The elevator was broken, so we climbed three flights of stairs until we reached apartment 3F. Bauer took a deep breath before knocking, and I watched him deflate when there was no response. He knocked again, this time calling his brother’s name and lifting a foot to kick the wood.