by J. D. Chase
His look of annoyance turned to one of resignation. “All I can do is make the request, ma’am. Give me a moment.”
He turned and walked over to the van. He appeared to be having a muted conversation with himself so I assumed he was wearing some sort of concealed communication equipment.
He returned momentarily and announced that everyone was in place to storm the building. Apparently, they’d been waiting for Joel to retire for the night. He had done so an hour earlier, so they’d be going in at any moment. He made sure to point out that Lucas was not involved in the first wave, that he wouldn’t go in until ‘the perp’ was apprehended and the building secure. Lucas would only go in once the hostages were found and released. Then he passed on the message that my presence in the area was distracting and could jeopardize the whole exercise so I was to go home immediately. The guy then said he’d been tasked with escorting us to the county line.
For a moment, doubts almost overcame me. What if I’m mistaken? What if it’s just my overactive imagination? But a little voice in my head asked, What if you’re not?
Very quickly I told him about the woman carrying groceries who’d walked in that direction and that she’d borne a strong resemblance to the female hostage. Instantly, he looked skeptical and his body language changed. He became dismissive. “I’ll be sure to pass that on, ma’am. Right now, you need to get back into your van and head home. I’ll be following in this van. Don’t even think about doubling back once you’re over the county line.”
Anger bubbled up inside me at the way my information had been discounted. “No,” I hissed. “You pass on that information first. Exactly as I told you, or I’m going nowhere.”
Cold brown eyes stared back. “Then I’ll have to restrain you and your friends and put you in the back of your van until this is over.” He withdrew a pair of handcuffs from his jacket and stepped closer to me.
“Issy, don’t be stupid. Let’s just go!” said Angel, attempting to grasp my arm.
“Tell him now!” I shrieked as I backed away.
He continued to advance but stopped hastily and held his fingers to his ear. “It’s too late now, they’ve gone in.” His grin made my stomach churn.
“It’s not too late to tell Lucas. He’s not going in yet, you said so. Tell him now or I’ll scream.”
In a flash, he was on me. He grasped my arm and pulled it tight behind my back as he spun me around so that my back was against his chest. I shrieked in pain, although the arm he’d grabbed wasn’t my injured one. Chad looked on in horror but Angel instantly jumped to my defense.
“Don’t hurt her, you bastard,” she cried as she launched herself at him from the side. She may as well not have bothered for all the good it did. He completely ignored her and proceeded to cuff one of my wrists. But then Chad had thrown himself into the fray and all four of us ended up on the floor. I managed to free myself from his grasp and get my feet underneath me but, when I tried to stand, I found my wrist had been cuffed to one of his.
Chad landed on top of him, pulling me back down and making me yelp in pain. The three of us writhed around on the ground. I grasped and kicked whatever I could, fervently hoping each time that I wasn’t hitting Chad. Distantly, I heard Angel shout, “Remember he’s armed!”
That was enough to knock the fight right out of Chad, who froze in terror. Within a second, the guy had me back in his grasp and on my feet. Man, he looked angry. He was also completely disheveled.
“That wasn’t a good idea, Miss Prince. You could have got yourself hurt. Now, I’ll give you one last chance to agree to get in your van and leave Orange County, and if I even get a whiff of you—”
He stopped abruptly and pressed his fingers to his ear, concentrating hard.
“Yes sir,” he said eventually. He released me, giving me a stern look as he uncuffed me. “I’m needed back at the house. It’s too late anyway. It’s all over and everyone’s safe. Now go home.”
I sagged with relief as he walked away, got in the van, and set off towards Joel’s house.
I turned to Angel and Chad and winced at Angel’s furious glare. “Feeling foolish are we?”
“Why?” I shrugged.
“Because you’ve dragged us back here, put us in a very dangerous situation and jeopardized Scott’s rescue, and it was all for nothing.” Man, she was pissed at me.
I said nothing. I couldn’t think of anything worthwhile to say. She did have a point, after all.
Chad jumped on the bandwagon. “I could’ve been shot! So even if they’ve got Scott back, the tour would’ve been fucked.” He turned to Angel. “This is your fault too. You let her persuade you to come back here. I left it up to you. I didn’t want to come back.”
“Oh, so it’s my fault. Yet again, you just go along with things then turn on me afterwards,” she cried, her face matching her taunting tone.
That was it. They bickered like school kids. I’d had enough—of them, of the whole emotional rollercoaster day, and of being kept in the dark. I wanted to get away. I was desperate to see Lucas. To know that he was safe and what the outcome of Joel’s blackmail attempt would be. I knew it wouldn’t be as simple as rescuing Ava and Scott. Joel had material evidence as well as anecdotal evidence that could still ruin Lucas. I wondered what Lucas could do to Joel to ensure that the threat of ruining him never came to fruition.
I crept away from them. They never even noticed me leaving; they were too intent on scoring points off each other. Once I was out of their line of sight, I ran along the thin grass verge that bordered the gravel path. I soon reached the graveled yard that Chad had seen. It was lit only by the dim light emitting from the draped windows of the house. I could see it now contained several vans, but I couldn’t see whether there was anyone around. I didn’t dare use the flashlight, so I skirted around the outside, keeping to the grass to minimize the sound of my footsteps.
The front porch was deserted and, as I crept closer, I could see that the door was closed, so I decided to take a look around the back. It was eerily quiet until I turned the rear corner of the property. Then I heard faint voices but couldn’t see where they were coming from. My heart rate accelerated as I steadily edged forward. I noticed that the voices were growing slightly louder as I went, but they were still too muted to make out what was being said.
I stepped away from the building in an attempt to make out where the voices were coming from. Halfway along there was an open door with light spilling out onto the ground outside. I stepped back against the wall and continued forward, scarcely daring to breathe when I got close to the door. I stopped for a second to attempt to get my rapidly beating heart back under control, and forced myself to take several deep breaths. As I wiped my clammy palms against my jacket, my ears pricked up. Lucas!
Chapter Seventeen
Just the sound of his voice had an instant calming effect on me. I resisted the temptation to close my eyes and let that deep, velvety voice wash over me and cleanse my tense, tired mind. Instead I slipped a little closer to the door and strained to hear what he was saying.
“. . . ends now. We’re not leaving until the guys have searched this place from top to bottom,” he said. He sounded calm and confident.
“Yeah and a lot of use that’ll be to you. You don’t think I’d keep everything I have on you here, do you? Just how stupid do you think I am?” Joel’s voice sent shivers down my spine.
I heard Lucas laugh. “That’s no problem. I have a team on the way that can get through your security in seconds. Your phone and laptop will soon give them the information they need. They’ll track and trace all your activity and then follow up all the leads. I’m more than confident that we’ll find everything we need, regardless of how long it takes. After all, you obviously have no problem holding people against their will until you get what you want. I’ll just return the favor.”
“I was never going to hurt them. I was simply making sure that you’d comply with my instructions. They were insurance, that’
s all.”
“And I won’t hurt you. I won’t even imply threats as you did. I’m no monster. I don’t approve of using violence to get what I want. I doubt you’ll enjoy being detained indefinitely in very basic conditions and, as you won’t comply, it could be for some time. In some ways, that’s a good thing. At least I won’t have to look over my shoulder if I know you’re out of circulation. That’ll be a novelty.”
“Oh, come on, Luke. It’s because of you that I lost my mother. The loss of her drove my father to his death. I’ve paid the price for your existence all my life.”
“I paid the price too. I never knew our mother. Her death was not my fault. I didn’t ask to be born.” Lucas’ voice was thick with emotion and my heart went out to him.
Joel continued, “You ended her life. You ended my father’s life. You ruined my life when I was just a kid. No, you don’t use violence, what you do is much worse. You ruin people’s lives.”
“That’s not fair and you know it. The sequence of events was unavoidable. You chose to adopt the same stance as our father. And you chose to inflict as much pain and suffering on me as you could, both before he died and after. I accept that as a child you didn’t necessarily know any better. But even as an adult, you made a conscious decision to try to break me at every turn. You couldn’t even cut me out of your life and let me get on with mine. You had a choice to face the facts and be a better man than our father was.”
“My father was twice the man you’ll ever be!” He laughed. It was a nasty, taunting cackle. “And who are you to talk about being a better man? You weren’t man enough for Ava. She needed a real man. I obliged, willingly—what red-blooded, real man wouldn’t?”
What the fuck? Joel and Ava? There was silence. My blood boiled in anger as my mind whirled in confusion.
“Yes, that’s right,” he continued, his tone smug and mocking. “I fucked her as a real man should. I can satisfy her needs. More than satisfy her. I’ve pushed her past her deviant limits and haven’t left her wanting or begging as you did. I’ve made her use her safeword and beg for mercy on more than one occasion. She’s the lucky one. Thanks to me, she lusts and longs for you no more. What have you got to say about that?”
“That doesn’t make you a man. You’re even more of an animal than I thought. Pushing a submissive past their safe limits is dangerous. It’s an abuse of their trust . . . no, more than that, it’s abuse, plain and simple. No woman should have to beg for mercy.”
Joel laughed. “Oh, but she loves it. Don’t you, darling?”
Darling? Oh fuck!
Without thinking, I found myself inside the doorway. My feet seemed to move of their own accord. Thankfully, it was a long hallway and was empty. I heard a female voice that must have been Ava’s, but the blood was pounding in my ears, making it difficult to hear properly. I couldn’t even tell where the voice was coming from, except that it was somewhere ahead. Somewhere close by.
I realized that it would be dangerous to go blundering in. Carter’s men were armed. I stood still and carefully studied the hallway. There were doors off the hall on both sides. Closer examination showed that most were closed. The voices I’d heard when standing outside carried clearly so I doubted they were emanating from one of those rooms. It all went quiet. The first door off to the left was open.
I had to assume they were in that room. I’d have to pass it to get any further in anyway so I kept my back to the wall and slid slowly towards the door. I’d almost reached it when I heard Lucas shout, “Don’t!” Instinctively, I froze.
Who the hell’s he shouting at? And why?
Then I heard a female voice again. It was definitely Ava. “If anyone so much as twitches, I’ll bury a bullet in his skull. Got it?”
Whoa! What the fuck? Bullet? Whose skull?
“Do as she says,” Lucas replied quietly but clearly.
My chest constricted and my breath caught in my throat as I realized whose head she’d referred to.
She’s got a gun to Lucas’ head! I fucking knew something was wrong. I should’ve known that bitch was up to something. She’s in on it with Joel. They’re lovers after all.
Fuck! Fuck! Fuuuuuck! Why the hell didn’t I tell Lucas about seeing her? Because I’m a fucking idiot and now she’s got a gun to his head!
“Release him,” she said confidently. I knew she was talking about Joel.
Oh fuckadoodledoo! You’ve ballsed up big this time, Issy, you prize prick!
“Put your weapons down, boys,” came Joel’s sneering voice. “And make sure you step away from them. Nice and slowly now. Ava’s got a very itchy trigger finger.”
There was a pause. Silence.
“I said put them down!” Joel cried.
“Do it,” Lucas ordered. I could tell from his tone in just those two words that he was totally defeated. The fight was over.
“Thank you very much for your proffered hospitality, Luke, but I think I’ll pass. Let’s get down to business. My terms haven’t changed but you’ve raised the stakes. I have the necessary paperwork prepared, I’m sorry but you won’t have the opportunity for your legal team to look it over but then again, why would you need to have them check to see if I’m screwing you over? I am screwing you over. No . . . I’m breaking you. Finally, I get to break you. I get to take everything you value just as you took everything I valued away from me.”
“Why should I sign everything over to you? You’ll still have the evidence about Odyssey and my business dealings. You’ll go public with all that after I sign. I’m not stupid enough to think you don’t have copies of everything. I may as well hang on to everything and let you do your worst.”
Go Lucas! You tell that little creep!
“Because now, with the barrel of a gun pressed to the back of your head, you’re in no position to refuse. It’s no longer an option. You sign everything over or Ava will end your miserable little life.”
Oh fuck! Do something, Issy! You can’t lose him. Not now.
Get out and call the cops. Fuck the district attorney’s reputation . . . this is Lucas’ life!
But they won’t get here in time. And even if they do, what will Joel do if he hears sirens? I couldn’t even contemplate that. Fuck! The only person who can help Lucas is me!
Desperation forced me to edge right up to the door. I crouched down and attempted to peep into the room. Fear made me freeze before I could see anything. I pulled my neck back and took a couple of deep breaths.
Come on, girl, Lucas needs you . . . And you need Lucas.
I took a deep breath and steeled myself before leaning forward again. I was petrified that Joel or Ava would see the top of my head poking around the doorway. I leaned out a little more, oh so slowly, trying to resist the almost overwhelming urge to pull back.
“So this is how a real man succeeds in business, is it? Or is it only real men who’ve inherited a successful business but have no business acumen so they run it into the ground and have to use bully-boy tactics to acquire a new one?”
“Shut your fucking mouth! You finished my business. Your dirty tactics enabled you to own what’s left of it. And for that, you pay the ultimate commercial price: Giving me back my business plus your own. Let’s call it an interest payment for the time you’ve had mine. Or if you try to play hardball, you’ll pay the ultimate price and will be carried out of here with a bullet lodged in your brain.” He sounded truly pissed off now. I wondered what the hell Lucas was playing at, winding him up and taunting him when Ava had a gun pressed to his head.
I could finally see into the room a little. I couldn’t see anyone, just an empty couch against the far wall. Summoning all my courage, I leaned a little further. I saw part of an arm and a leg, both clothed in black.
Lucas?
The urge to see him made me push out a little more. As soon as I did, I realized it wasn’t him. Thankfully, it wasn’t Joel or Ava either. Then my heart thudded loudly when I realized who it was. It was the guy who’d tried to force me to
go back home. He’s one of Carter’s men. And he knows who I am. That I’m on Lucas’ side!
As I wondered how to catch his eye without attracting anyone else’s attention, I saw his head move slightly. Nothing more than a twitch, really. Has he seen me?
“Ava, you don’t want to hurt me, do you?” came Lucas’ voice, surprising me because it was so loud although he was only speaking softly. He must be near the door. Which means Ava and the gun are close to the door too. I tried to picture it, to help to orientate myself.
I realized that Lucas and Ava would surely be facing into the room. That meant that they’d probably have their backs to the door. But that meant that Joel would be facing them and so he’d be facing the door.
“You love me, Ava. You know you do. I love you too. I never stopped.” What the fuck? I found myself scowling at Carter’s man and quickly relaxed my facial muscles. My mouth dropped open when he gave me a sly wink. If I’d blinked, I’d have missed it. What does that mean? Is he trying to tell me something? Issy, you’re fucking useless at this kind of shit! Think, woman, think!
I hadn’t got a clue so I leaned a little more. I saw that he was standing in the corner of the room, next to a table which had his gun on top of it. I could see another partial arm and leg. They were completely motionless, even as I heard Joel telling Lucas that his pathetic strategy, to make Ava crumple and declare her undying love for him, was based on lies and wouldn’t work. So I doubted that the arm and leg belonged to him. Bravely—or foolishly—I shuffled my feet a tiny bit, taking my crouched body a little further forward.
It was Carter! And he was staring straight at me. I saw that his gun was on the floor at his feet.
“Enough of this. Time to sign over your empire, Luke.”
I heard faint footsteps and for a moment I thought Joel was going to walk out of the room and find me. Panic surged through my veins and I froze in fear. But nobody came out. I got a grip and peered further into the room. A daring act that I’d never have believed I was capable of. I saw a guy wearing jeans and a deep-red hoodie standing with his back to me about a meter away from Carter. He was rifling through a desk drawer.
