Outsider: The Flawed Series Book Two

by Becca J. Campbell

  A mumble from Josh pulled her back to reality. She rushed to his side. “What?”

  His eyes were closed, and he spoke thickly. “I said, make sure you show that door who’s boss.”

  “Was the noise bothering you?”

  “No. Kick all you wa…” His mouth drooped. He was out again.

  There was no way a normal person could kick that door down, no matter how hard they tried. But Alex wasn’t normal. She crossed the room, considered what position would be best, and lay down on the floor with her knees bent and her feet against the door. She began to kick, and when she was comfortable with the position, she went into hyper drive. Channeling the anger at the kidnapper, the rage at his pettiness, she threw her feet into super speed and pounded away at the door. This wasn’t a run for entertainment or a drum practice just to see how fast she could play. This was a race for their lives.

  She pushed herself hard, faster than ever before. Her legs began to burn—they never did that. Her abs, too. Every muscle in her body was tensed, and every ounce of her energy was focused on this one thing. She could feel the door pulsating beneath her feet, feel the resonation of each kick. The metal shelves along the wall clattered, the hooks on the ceiling above her jangled angrily. She smelled singed rubber and guessed it was the soles of her boots, but she didn’t stop kicking.

  Around her, the walls were shaking. She prayed the whole building wouldn’t come down on them. Dust and debris rained on top of her, but she didn’t stop pounding the door.

  Crack!

  The door went slack beneath her soles. She stopped kicking. Her ears rang and she felt off-balance as she pulled herself up to look. The door’s latch side was still connected, but the flashlight showed her a gap where the door hung open an inch or two.

  It had worked! The force of the vibration must’ve loosened or broken the outer hinges. She just had to dislodge the latch or break it off. Alex backed up then leapt forward, giving it a round-house kick with all the strength she had. The door banged onto the floor in the hall. They were free! Now she just had to get Josh out before the gunman returned.

  Standing in the corridor, Alex heard sounds from outside the building. She had made such a commotion that anyone nearby could have heard it. But who would be out in this part of town at this time of night besides the evil men who’d brought her here? She trained the light on the exit door, straining to listen. The ringing in her ears and her racing pulse might be blocking her hearing—or else she’d imagined the sound. No, she definitely hadn’t imagined it.

  They were out of time. She couldn’t leave Josh behind. A weapon, she needed a weapon! She had to protect Josh.

  The sound again, this time louder and changing pitch, like voices. She couldn’t make out words, but she definitely heard the low rumble of a male voice, and if he were talking to someone, he wouldn’t be alone. How could she take down both men? Even in the chilled air, her hands began to sweat. She clenched and unclenched them, looking for something…anything. Swiveling again, she spotted the pile of bricks near the fallen door.

  She lunged forward and grabbed one, clumsily dropping Josh’s flashlight in the process. It clattered across the floor and went out. Great. She’d broken it.

  Standing here in the hall, she’d be visible the moment they entered the building. Her only chance was to hide and pray that her speed would be enough. Alex ducked back into the meat locker, realizing that there was no time to hide the broken door. Either way, they were sure to come here first.

  Just inside the doorway, she held the brick to her chest, breathing heavy. A scraping metal sound echoed down the outer corridor, followed by soft light. She held her breath. They were in the building. They’d come down the hall and see the door any moment now. She raised the brick over her head, angling her body toward the opening. She had to take them out before they could shoot Josh. She tried to swallow, but her throat was rough and dry.

  Light danced down the hallway.

  She froze, readying herself for the strike, trying to muster up the courage needed to attack.

  “In here.”

  A whispered reply Alex couldn’t make out.

  “…not sure. I see several doors.”

  The familiarity of the voice caught Alex off guard. She knew that voice. It wasn’t her kidnapper. Before she could think, a figure stood in the doorway and his light was on her.

  “Alex!”

  “Dad?”

  He threw his arms around her, hugging her roughly in the doorway.

  “Josh!” A dark shape bolted past Alex and to where Josh lay highlighted by the light. It wasn’t until the figure fell to her knees and threw her arms around him that Alex recognized Chloe. Sobbing, Chloe buried her face in her brother’s chest.

  Something inside Alex broke with relief. “Dad!” It came out as a sob. He was squeezing her so tightly she could barely breathe, but instead of protesting, she let all of his emotions seep into her. He held her for what felt like several long minutes. Her father wasn’t a hugger, and she’d never seen him like this.

  He pulled back, holding her at arm’s length to scrutinize her, a worried frown creasing his brows. “Are you all right? Did he hurt you?” She could see the flicker of some passionate emotion in his eyes. Love or anger…maybe both.

  She guessed how she must look, covered with blood and caked with dirt and sweat, not to mention the bullet holes in her jeans. She shook her head, forcing herself to hold back the tears. “I’m okay, Dad. But Josh needs help.”

  “That’s it. I have you, I’m calling the cops now.” Handing her his flashlight, Jim reached for his cell phone and dialed. He frowned at the display and took a couple of steps out into the hall. “Need a signal first, though. I’ll let your friend know what’s going on, too.”

  “What friend?” Alex asked.

  Chloe sniffed. “Jade’s waiting in the car. I’ll explain later.” A soft moan escaped her lips. “What happened to Josh?”

  Alex knelt by Chloe, Jim’s flashlight held tightly in her hands. It illuminated Josh.

  “There’s blood everywhere!” Chloe’s voice was a whisper and, under the flashlight’s beam, Alex saw that her face had gone white.

  Alex could hear her dad talking down the hall and didn’t want him to overhear them. She lowered her voice. “These guys knocked me out, kidnapped me, and brought me here. When I woke up, one of them gave me this lecture about being special and shot me in the legs half a dozen times. He left me here, but Josh eventually found me and he…” Alex swallowed.

  Chloe’s eyes were wide. “He touched you?” When Alex nodded, Chloe placed her palms over her eyes. “Josh.” It came out in a massive breath, barely above a whisper. “Oh, Josh, I’m so sorry for everything I said.”

  Alex felt a surge of fresh guilt. She put her hand on her roommate’s shoulder. “Chloe. I—” She choked on her words. “I’m so sorry. It should be me, not him.”

  When Chloe brought her hands away, tears glistened on her cheeks. “It’s not your fault.” She shook her head. “I just hope he’ll be okay.” She started to sob again.

  Alex threw her arms around Chloe, feeling her own eyes brim over.

  ~

  “You what?” Nic screamed. The car swerved.

  “I told you, I gave him the location.” Ethan’s voice was calm, lower than normal.

  “What were you thinking? You idiot!”

  “I needed some insurance.” Ethan’s cool demeanor made Nic’s rage flare even more. What had happened to the pathetic, needy Ethan? Who did this guy think he was?

  That was it. Nic would take care of this once and for all. He turned sharply off the road and pulled into an old, dilapidated car wash, screeching to a halt in one of the bays. He killed the engine and jammed his gun in Ethan’s face. “Get out of the car.”

  Cool as ever, Ethan stepped out, raising his hands as he did so. The arrogant bastard, thinking he had nothing to fear. Nic couldn’t remember ever being so outraged. Even when that witch had flaunte
d her magic feet.

  “Insurance?” He slammed his door and stomped over to Ethan.

  “I knew once I’d helped you do your dirty work, there’d be no guarantee you’d be willing to help me. So I had to ensure that you would.”

  “Well then you’re a fool.” Nic spat on the ground. “You didn’t ensure I’d help you—you ensured I’d kill you!” Nic leveled the gun at Ethan’s head. Ethan didn’t flinch, and Nic knew he could see him. It was nearly pitch black out here.

  Ethan raised his hands higher and spoke quickly, his voice still eerily calm. “You won’t kill me. You need me.”

  Nic didn’t want to hear the guy out. He wanted to shoot him through his blabbering pie hole. But Ethan started talking fast.

  “I know you want that girl dead. That’s why you’re so upset I gave her father the real location.”

  “Of course I want her dead! She maimed me!”

  “You collected your money, and you can still get your revenge.”

  “If she’s alive, it’s going to be near impossible to get to her after this. The police will be watching for me. Who knows what hoops I’ll have to jump through to even get close.” Nic tore at a fistful of his own hair with a shaking hand, the gun trembling in his other. “This is a nightmare!”

  “Oh she’s alive, I’d bet. You’d be surprised how stubborn women like that can be to die. And you’re right, it will be harder than ever to get to her. But there is a way, and I’m part of it. I can’t help you get your revenge if I’m dead.”

  Nic seethed silently for a moment. Ethan’s words hit home—hard. He wanted to shoot him through the head and see his brain splatter across the wall of the car wash. But what he wanted more was to kill the witch.

  “What’s your plan? Tell me.”

  “I’m not telling you a thing until you’ve fulfilled your part of our deal.” A wry smile tugged at the corner of Ethan’s lips. He was enjoying this way too much.

  The gun continued to tremble, and Nic brought his other hand around to steady it. Ethan stared coolly at him, as if detached from the entire event. Nic’s fury continued to rise at his own helplessness, but no matter how badly he wanted to waste Ethan, he couldn’t pull the trigger yet. He pounded the hood of the car with a fist, causing pain to reverberate all the way up his arm. The thud echoed through the carport. He lowered the gun.

  “Fine. I’ll help you find your stupid girlfriend. What was her name again?”

  “Kelsey Mason.”

  Alex sat in the ER waiting room, trying to get a grip on her limbs. Her hands drummed on her knees. She tried to still her feet, but every time she thought about Josh, they kept getting away from her until she was stomping and people around her were staring like she was a freak. She jerked out of her seat and began to pace. Her hands still tapped on her sides, but at least they were silent.

  She thought she’d wrapped her mind around everything that had happened in that dark, dirty meat locker. But the enormity of Josh’s sacrifice came crashing over her again, like an icy hurricane, whirling her around and turning her insides upside-down.

  She was still overwhelmed by the reality of his feelings toward her. Since his transformation, he’d given her every sign that the opposite was true. More shocking than that was all he’d willingly given up for her. There was no telling if he’d ever walk again. Every time her mind went there, anxiety gripped her anew. She took a deep, shaky breath.

  Her father walked up, announcing his presence with a hand on her shoulder. She turned into him, and he wrapped his arms around her. Normally oblivious to her needs, her dad had given her his full attention ever since finding her. He pulled back, studied her face, and motioned to the chairs. “Why don’t we sit down?”

  There was a moment of awkward silence, her dad repeatedly smoothing the legs of his pants with his hands, and Alex tapping her foot lightly. He cleared his throat. “So, where’s Chloe?”

  “Outside, I think. She had a phone call.”

  He nodded, then reached a hand toward her hair as if to touch it but hesitated, pulling back. His face still looked paler than normal. When he spoke, his voice was husky. “I was so worried about you, sweetheart. I’m just…I’m so glad you’re safe.”

  Alex nodded. She couldn’t imagine how he would feel if he knew what had really happened—that she’d been shot six times. Instead, he thought she’d ripped her jeans during the kidnapping and that the blood all over her legs was Josh’s. She couldn’t betray Josh by disclosing his secret, even to her own father, and her dad didn’t need the extra stress, anyway. She tucked her right foot beneath her chair to hide the bullet hole in her shoe.

  Back at the warehouse she and Chloe had hastily agreed on a cover story, and Josh was still unconscious. If the surgeons were surprised by the lack of bullets lodged in Josh’s legs, they’d have to come up with their own explanation.

  After a few moments her dad spoke again. “You really care about that boy, don’t you?”

  Alex met his eyes. She’d never seen them like this—gently probing her, wanting to be in tune to her thoughts, and almost there…almost understanding, though she couldn’t tell him everything. But here he was, sincerely wanting to. That was new. Was this the side of him the chick he was dating saw?

  Her heart softened. Maybe she’d underestimated him in the past. Or maybe she hadn’t, but now he was really trying to be there for her.

  She swallowed. “Yeah. I do care about him.”

  He smiled at her, tucking a curl behind her ear. “I hope he realizes how special you are.”

  She blinked but didn’t answer. After a moment, she asked, “So what did Karen think of you coming all the way out here?” Alex knew he hadn’t told her mother about all this yet, she would have to do be the one to break that news. She wondered if she’d be able to pretend it never happened.

  “I didn’t tell her I was leaving. It was the middle of the night.”

  “You didn’t? Isn’t she going to figure it out when she wakes up?”

  He shrugged. “Eventually.”

  “Eventually? Aren’t you staying at her place?”

  He turned sharply to face her, his face reddening just a hint. “We’re not that serious yet.”

  “You aren’t?”

  “No,” he said. “And even if we were, it wouldn’t really matter what she thought. You’re my daughter. I did what I needed. You come first, and she knows that.”

  Alex knew her face had betrayed her heart when he grabbed her hand and held it between his.

  “Sweetheart. You are more important to me than anything. More than Karen or anyone else. More than all the money in the world.”

  Alex’s heart surged and then plummeted again when she realized his full meaning. “Wait—you paid him money? Oh, no! How much?”

  He shook his head, setting his jaw and refusing to answer.

  “How much, Daddy?” She asked again, louder this time.

  He straightened in his seat. “It doesn’t matter. Money isn’t important.” He patted her hand. “Having you back is.”

  Alex shook her head. Sorrow welled in her chest. Pain for Josh’s sacrifice. Pain for her dad’s lost savings.

  Despite the hurt, a sliver of hope shone through the cracks in the wall between Alex and her father. She wasn’t sure which of them had been responsible for erecting the barrier, possibly they’d laid the bricks together, unaware. Whichever the case, it was brittle now, crumbling bit by bit. Her pain lightened at the thought of being able to see over the top of it, of looking him in the eye and knowing where his heart lay.

  She squeezed his hand. “I hope Karen knows how lucky she is to have you.”

  ~

  The first thing Josh was aware of was the cacophony of voices echoing inside his brain. The sounds floated in and out like seaweed captured in ocean currents. One moment they gurgled incomprehensibly by, and the next they rushed toward him, loud in his head.

  He opened his eyes and blinked, registering the bland hospital room and t
he faces surrounding him. One of them zoomed toward him. He flinched.

  “Josh!” Chloe’s enthusiastic embrace pinned him to the bed. He tried to move his arms, but they felt rubbery, lethargic. The room was swimming, but when she pulled back he had the chance to focus on the other faces. Cam, hands shoved in his pockets, gave Josh a lopsided grin, then sobered as if unsure if it was appropriate to smile yet. Alex stood on his right with big, concerned eyes, tapping her hand on her leg. Her dad sat in the chair near the door, rubbing bloodshot eyes. And in the far corner, Jade Edwards and Logan Henry were huddled together with wary looks on their faces.

  They were all watching Josh. He felt like he needed to say something. “Hey. Everyone’s here, huh?” His speech felt thick when it escaped his lips. He managed a sheepish smile.

  On his left, Chloe bounced on her toes, bubbling with nervous energy or caffeine—there was no telling which. “I haven’t called Mom and Dad yet. It’s four in the morning. I figured I’d give them a few more hours of sleep.” Her gaze flicked to Alex’s dad for an instant and then back. She lowered her voice. “I didn’t know how much you wanted me to tell them.”

  “Uh…”

  “Your surgery went well,” Chloe added with a smile.

  “Surgery?”

  At that moment, a nurse came in. “Need to take some vitals,” she said. Then she frowned at the group standing around Josh’s bed. “Give the kid some space, people.”

  They scattered like frightened geese, letting her get closer to him.

  “I had surgery?” Josh asked. The nurse taking his blood pressure looked down through her glasses and smiled patronizingly.

  Chloe nodded. “Yeah, they sewed up all those bullet holes in your legs. They had to do some serious work on your kneecap, too.”

  “You’re part Borg now,” Cam said with a grin.

  “Am I…” Josh hesitated. “Will I be able to walk again?”