That plane ride was the longest ride I had ever been on. I couldn’t stop moving the entire time. My hands fidgeted as my legs bounced. It felt like my whole body was vibrating, like every hair on my body was charged with electricity. I couldn’t do anything but wait. Wait and pray that she was okay. Pray that I would get the chance to end him like I had been wanting to do since Lennox walked back into my life.
Dane leaned over Alissa to look at me. “So what’s the plan?”
“What plan?” I didn’t want to talk. I didn’t want a plan. I wanted Lennox, safe in my arms.
“We have to have a plan, man. We can’t just walk up in there and demand that he hand her over. What if he has bodyguards? How are we going to get past the door man?”
“Leave the door man to me,” Alissa said, speaking for the first time since we had gotten on the plane.
“You think you can distract the door man long enough for me and Mason to get in?”
She nodded. “If it’s the door man that I’m hoping it is, then yes.”
Dane’s eyebrows rose. “Did you fuck this guy?”
“Come on, man. We don’t have time for your insecurities right now.”
“Okay, listen.” Alissa sat up straight. “I will walk ahead of you guys. I will distract the door man and you two sneak past. Chris lives on the top floor. There are two apartments up there, the elevator opens into a hallway. When you get off the elevator, go left. You will see his door. But the bigger question is, how are you going to get inside?” Her eyes flashed back and forth between the two of us.
“Walk right in,” Dane said.
“I’ve seen him have a guard posted at his door before and unless he is wanting you to come in, you may want to prepare for that.”
Dane and I sat back, thinking over our options. It wasn’t like we had any weapons, we were on a fucking plane.
When the plane landed, I didn’t wait for a seatbelt signal. I pulled off my seatbelt and stood as soon as I felt the plane stop.
Just when the flight attendant was about to yell at me, the sign lit up. I ran from the plane with Dane and Alissa on my heels.
We jumped into a cab just outside the airport doors and Alissa rattled off an address.
“Okay, guys. It’s the moment of truth.” Alissa looked from Dane to me and back.
“I don’t know. I can’t think like this.” I ran my hand through my hair. “I don’t care what he has planned for me. I’ll take him and you get Lennox somewhere safe,” I told Dane.
He gave me a quick nod.
When the cab stopped outside of a large building, my heart started slamming against my chest. I was so close, I could feel her.
Dane tossed some cash to the driver before sliding out of the car.
Alissa set her plan in motion.
Dane and I stayed at the side of the building, peeking around the corner. I watched as Alissa approached the doorman. She leaned in, grabbing his arm, and pointed down the road like she was asking directions. The man stepped away from his post and looked the way she was pointing. Dane and I were almost to the door when someone walked out. I took the opportunity and grabbed the door before it closed.
I couldn’t believe it. We were in the building.
We didn’t stop to think about it, we just walked as quickly as possible to the elevator.
It felt like the elevator wouldn’t ever stop. The space was so small and quiet, you could hear our labored breathing.
The elevator dinged before the doors opened. Dane and I looked at each other. “Are you ready for this?” he asked.
I nodded. “Let’s do it.” I stepped off the elevator and turned left. To my surprise, there was no guard. What Alissa said started to worry me, was he expecting me?
Either way, it didn’t matter.
I was going in there.
I was getting my girl back.
I placed my hand on the doorknob and slowly twisted. The door opened easily and quietly. I peeked my head in and looked around. My eyes scanned the entire room before I stepped in.
I walked slowly, trying to take in every inch of the apartment. I didn’t like surprises and I was half expecting Chris to jump out at any moment.
The place was in pristine condition. The brown leather couch looked like nobody had ever sat on it. The oriental rug that laid on the floor, looked like it had never been stepped on. I passed by the kitchen that was loaded down with top of the line appliances before finding my way to the hall.
I stopped with Dane behind me and listened. I heard her. It sounded like she was fighting against him. I heard her crying and her whimpers as I closed in on the last door in the hallway.
Before barging in and making my presence known, I held my ear to the door. The sounds were louder. I heard metal clanking and that’s when I snapped. I barged through the door, it bounced off the wall behind it with a loud boom.
I saw Lennox on the bed with her hands tied above her head. Her eyes were swollen and blood shot. There was dried blood running down her face and on the white pillow her head was resting on. Then, my eyes found him.
Before I could think, I sprang into action. I lunged toward him, knocking him off of her. He took me with him as we went flying over the bed and landed in the floor on the far side of the room.
I felt like the air had been knocked out of me, but I didn’t have time to stop. I jumped toward him. “I’m going to fucking kill you,” I said between gritted teeth as I wrestled against him.
We rolled around, taking turns of who was on top. I landed a hit to his face and heard a crack before blood poured from his nose. I took the opportunity to roll him off of me. I kneed him in the stomach when he was at my side. I fought to stand, but he landed a kick to the side of my head. My ears rang as my vision started to double. I turned to find him, I couldn’t let him win, but with my ears ringing and my vision distorted, I was dizzy.
The next thing I heard was the cocking of a gun. “Everyone stop!” Chris demanded.
Everyone in the room stopped. My eyes found Dane and Lennox, they had almost made it to the door. He pointed the gun at my head. “Lennox, come here.”
“Don’t do it, Len-” I was silenced with a hit to the head with the butt of the gun. I fell to my knees.
“Now!” he screamed.
“Don’t!” I yelled back at her.
“Mason, I can’t,” she cried.
“Dane, get her out of here!”
“I wouldn’t fucking move,” Chris threatened. “Lennox!”
Dane let her arms go and I felt myself crumble.
I watched as she slowly walked to his side. When she was close enough, he grabbed her up, pulling her against his chest as he aimed the gun at her temple.
“Don’t fucking touch her.” My vision was clouded with the blood that was pouring out of the open wound on my head.
He smiled. “I don’t think you are in the place to make demands.”
I held my hands up in defeat. “What do you want? I’ll give you anything you want.”
“What do I want? What do I want?” he screamed. “I want you to watch while I take away everything you love.”
I needed to think fast. Lennox had a gun pointed at her head at point blank range. I needed a distraction.
“Take me. Just leave her alone.” I got to my feet. I watched as his hold on her tightened.
His eyes held on mine. “I don’t want you. I want you to pay. I want you to feel the loss I did when she left and decided to take everything in my life with her.”
Just then, Alissa walked in. Her sudden intake of breath alarmed us all. Chris’ eyes jumped to her and the gun followed to the new threat.
The second that gun wasn’t on Lennox, I jumped, grabbing for the gun as the three of us toppled over. The gun went off, but I didn’t stop to see what he hit. I fought against him, trying to get the gun. I landed a hard hit to his face, the gun fell from his hand and slid across the hardwood floor.
Chris stretched for it, but Lennox grabbed it out
of his reach. I rolled him over and landed another punch to his face. Chris fought, and got a solid hit to my head again. It stunned me, enough for him to roll us over. He hit me once, then twice while I protected my head as much as possible. I couldn’t hear anything but the hits I was taking to the head while he sat on top of me. I was dizzy, and my head was cloudy. I knew I was about to fall unconscious.
Then the gun firing filled the room. Chris stopped hitting me, I moved my arms to see him looking at her while blood soaked through his blue dress shirt.
Another shot went off, but this time, he fell over. I quickly stood and rushed to Lennox, holding her against my chest. She was crying and shaking.
I took the gun from her hand and shielded her eyes from Chris who was laying unmoving on the floor.
“Someone call 9-1-1,” I said holding Lennox but not taking my eyes off Chris.
His eyes were wide open, his shirt was soaked in blood while it pooled beneath him. He was gone.
Chris was out of our lives for good.
The next twenty-four hours were a blur. We were rushed to the hospital to get checked out. My eyebrow was cut and needed to be stitched up. I had several bruises and cuts, but nothing was serious enough to require a stay. After I was checked out, I went to Lennox’s side and didn’t move.
When I got to her room, she was sound asleep. I took her hand in mine and pressed a kiss to the top. A knocking sound filled the room and my eyes automatically jumped to the door to see her doctor walking through. Her eyes fluttered open and landed on me and then the doctor.
“I have some good news.” He opened her chart and glanced at it for a moment. “Just a minor concussion, nothing to worry about, and the laceration on your head is superficial. You are expected to make a full recovery and should be out of here tomorrow. We just want to keep watch over you for twenty-four hours to make sure you don’t have an allergic reaction to the drugs you were given.” His eyes locked on mine and then Lennox’s before glancing back at the chart. “Oh, and the baby is doing just fine.”
“The baby?” Lennox and I both asked in unison.
He nodded. “Yes, you are only five weeks pregnant, but everything is looking great.”
Lennox and I looked at each other in shock.
The doctor took a few steps back. “I will give you two some alone time. You look like you have enough on your plate for one day.
“I’m pregnant?” Lennox questioned.
“We’re going to have a baby,” I whispered with a smile. The smile almost felt foreign to me after all of the time that I had spent being pissed and worried about her being taken.
Her hand automatically flew to her stomach. “But how? How can it be okay after the drinking and the drugs I was given?”
I leaned in, grabbing her hand and holding it to my lips. “I don’t know, but I’m glad she is.” I placed my hand on her flat stomach and locked my eyes on hers.
“She?” Lennox asked, picking up on my last statement.
I felt myself smile again before I shrugged. “I was just picturing a little baby girl that has dark curly hair and emerald green eyes.”
Lennox pulled my hand until I climbed into bed beside her. I wrapped my arm around her neck and kissed her forehead. “I love you so much.”
She lifted her head so her eyes could meet mine. Despite the stress we had both been through, her eyes shined brighter than I had ever saw them. “I love you too.” Her soft lips touched mine and I forgot about the events we had been through. The only thing I could think about was how much I loved this woman, how I couldn’t wait to start this next phase of our lives together. We were finally free of Chris and his threats, we were getting married, and had a baby on the way. Finally we were free.
A New Beginning….
Chapter Sixteen
Lennox - Eight Months Later
“Mason!” I screamed from the bed.
He ran into the room. “What’s wrong? Are you in labor?” His eyes were wide, panic written all over his face.
“No, I have to pee and I can’t get out of bed. Hurry, help me up before I make a mess.” I held out my hand.
He laughed but moved closer to help me from bed.
“If this baby doesn’t come out soon, I will reach up there and get it out myself,” I threatened on the way to the bathroom. I was already two days past my due date and the little rib kicker didn’t seem to want to come out.
After using the bathroom I stepped into the shower and let the hot water pour over my swollen stomach. I hated the way I looked. I was fat, my ankles were swollen, and I peed every time I sneezed. Mason would rub my stomach and tell me how beautiful I was. I liked it at first, when the bump first started to show, but the bigger I got, the more annoying it was.
Mason stepped in behind me and wrapped his hands around me to rest on my stomach.
“Why won’t it come out?” I cried leaning my head back against his chest.
“She loves you. She doesn’t want to leave her mama.”
“Why do you keep saying she?” I asked, looking up to meet his eyes. We had agreed to wait to find out the sex of the baby.
“I hate calling her ‘it’ and that’s what I think ‘it’ is.”
“Really? You want a girl? I thought guys always wanted a boy first.”
He shrugged. “I would love to have a boy, but I’m hoping for a little girl that looks just like her mama.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead.
I spun around in his arms to shower off and smiled. “If it’s a girl, you’re going to be in so much trouble.”
“Especially if she looks anything like you.” He laughed before placing a kiss to my shoulder. “Let’s get you two some breakfast.”
“Then you really need to put the crib together. I can’t believe it isn’t done yet.” I wrapped the towel around myself and stepped out.
“I’ve been busy. I promise I will do it today.”
After dressing, we made our way downstairs for some breakfast. He handed me a cup of coffee. I moved the cup to my nose to breath in its heavenly scent.
“Why would you give me decaf? We’ve talked about this, I can have one ‘real’ cup of coffee a day.” I moved to the sink and poured it down the drain. I began making my own cup.
He always tried to slip me decaf. I knew he was just watching out for me and the baby but I needed my coffee. I had already went from four cups to one. I gave him the stink eye the whole time my cup of coffee brewed.
Mason got to work making breakfast. Most days, I was eating like a whale so he always made sure to have plenty of options. I sat down at the island and started with a cup of yogurt and some strawberries.
“I need to run by the shop today and sign off on payroll,” he said working at the stove.
“Okay, I need to get out of the house anyway.” I dipped my strawberry in my yogurt and took a bite. When the yogurt was gone, I took my first sip of delicious coffee.
“Lennox, did you hear me?” he asked, turning around at the stove to look at me.
“Shh, I’m having a moment here.” I closed my eyes as I savored my coffee.
He laughed and put a plate down in front of me. The scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, and toast looked delicious. I put the coffee down and dug into the amazing breakfast he had cooked for me.
“Will you promise to cook for me every day?” I asked around a mouth full of bacon.
“I promise. I won’t let you starve.” He sat down next to me and my eyes fell to his plate, it had the same thing mine did, but he had a piece of bacon that looked better. I reached over and took the bacon before shoving the whole thing in my mouth.
He dropped his shoulders. “You know, I’ve lost like ten pounds since you’ve gotten pregnant.”
“Lucky you,” I said stealing a piece of sausage. Mason let out a small laugh before picking up his plate and standing at the stove to eat. He knew I wouldn’t move to chase him down. Instead, I kept my eyes on my plate and ate everything on it.
“Seriously, thi
s kid has to come out soon. It feels like it’s about to fall out anyway,” I said trying my best to walk normal.
“Let’s run by the shop and then we can stop at the bar and have an early lunch.”
That got me moving. The only thing that could get me off my ass since I got pregnant, was food, sex, or coffee. Being pregnant did weird things to my body, and I’m not talking about the physical aspects of it.
I’m talking about the crazy cravings that kicked in the middle of the night. A craving so strong, that it would wake me up out of a dead sleep to demand cake icing and Cheddar and Sour Cream chips. I had never in my life liked pickles, but pregnant, I loved them, especially with bacon wrapped around them and a side of cream cheese to dip it in. Just thinking about it made my mouth water.
I had to pee before we even made it to the shop. Since we lived in the country, there wasn’t anywhere to stop so I had to hold it. I was holding onto the door and squeezing my thighs together while bouncing up and down, doing anything to help me keep it in. I didn’t have any extra clothes to change into. Finally, when I thought I couldn’t hold it any longer, we pulled into the shop.
The moment the truck stopped, I unfastened my seatbelt and threw the door open to make a run for it.
I found Mason in his office, going over paperwork. Joey was behind the counter and Trent was stirring trouble, everything was back to normal. After Jessica ran off to never be seen again, Joey offered to take her job back. Which made everyone happy and took a load off for Mason. He didn’t like anyone else being behind the counter after growing up with only Joey back there.
Everything was falling into place. The shop was open and making more money than ever. We had all of our old employees, plus a few new ones. But the best part was that Mason and I were finally free and able to be together. No Chris or Ashley to get in our way. Those past few months with Mason was what I’d always wanted.
I couldn’t wait for my little rib breaker to be out so we could get married and live life like we always wanted. When we found out that I was pregnant, we decided to hold off on the wedding for a little while. We were both stressed already with everything that happened with Chris, and we had to prepare for a baby, the wedding got pushed to the back burner.
Our Last Chance at Forever (The Chance Series Book 3) Page 12
