by Hamel, B. B.
But I’m not above scaring the shit out of her.
I find Amber lying on the bed with her wrists tied in front of her. She starts crying as soon as I step into the room.
“Amber,” I say, running over. I undo the ropes and she sits up and throws her arms around me. I hug her tight. “I’m so sorry.”
“They threw a bag over my head and dragged me out—”
“You’re safe now.”
“They wanted the money.” Her eyes go wide as she pulls back. “They called my dad already. He knows I’m here.”
I stare at her. “How long ago?”
“An hour. Maybe. I don’t know.”
“You’ve been gone for about three hours now.”
“Then longer than an hour.”
I get her up. “Come on.”
She stumbles and I lift her. I don’t see her cane anywhere and finally find it in the living room. Hannah stands in my way before I can leave.
“Don’t you take her,” she hisses. “We need that girl. We need the money.”
“Fuck off,” I say, pushing her aside.
Collin’s sitting up, blood pouring from his nose. He’s trying to stop the bleeding with his shirt. He flinches when I look at him.
“Wait,” Hannah says. “Please. I’ll split it with you.”
“What the fuck?” Collin says.
“We’re in debt, Brent. We need money. And you know we don’t have endless cash like you do. We just—”
I turn to her. “You thought you’d kidnap Amber? You thought you’d give her back to her abusive asshole father? That’s much better, you scum. You could’ve asked me. I would’ve given you money.”
“It’s embarrassing,” she says.
“You’re sick.”
“Uh, Brent?” Amber says. “We should probably go. Also, don’t forget I’m here.”
I glare at Hannah before turning away.
“He’s on his way already,” she groans. “Please. Don’t take her.”
“Fuck off, Hannah. Clean up your own mess.”
I carry Amber out. We get down the steps before I put her down. “Are you okay to walk?”
“I’m okay. Can I lean on you?”
“Absolutely.”
I take most of her weight as we limp back out onto the sidewalk. Johnson and Patricks appears nearby. Johnson looks relieved and Patricks is frowning.
“You got her,” he says.
“Hannah and Collin have an apartment in there. I guess they’ve had it for a while. One of their neighbors hates them.”
“Wow.” He reaches into his belt and takes out a gun. “Now, hand the girl over.”
We all stare at him. His face is calm.
“What the fuck?” Johnson says. “Patricks?”
“Shut up,” Patricks snaps. “That girl is worth a million dollars. What the fuck do you care about this shitty job? We can get a million for her. I’ll split it with you.”
“Patricks,” Johnson says softly. “Shit, man.”
“Put the gun down,” I say, stepping in front of Amber. “Put it down, Patricks. We’re in public. You can’t just take her.”
“I can fucking do what I want. I have the gun and I know how to kill you with it.” He stares at me and I can see the fear in his eyes. He’s rethinking his decision, but he’s come too far. “Give her to me or I’ll end you.”
I take a step closer. “Go ahead. But you can’t have her.”
Johnson throws himself at Patricks. He slams into the man. The gun goes off, a deafening roar. I stand there for half a beat before I jump on the struggling duo. I manage to grab the gun and wrench it from Patricks’s hand before it can go off again.
I look at Amber. “Are you okay?”
She nods. “I’m… fine.”
“Anyone shot?”
“I’m fine,” Johnson grunts.
“Fuck you,” Patricks cries. “Fuck you, traitor, you fucking traitor. Why do you give a shit about these rich bastards?”
“I like this job,” Johnson growls then looks at me. “I’ll handle him. We’re square?”
I stand and slip the gun into my belt. “We’re square.”
“Good.”
Patricks struggles but Johnson keeps him pinned. I grab Amber and we walk away. She leans on me still and looks back at them.
“That was insane,” she says.
“I know. Keep going.”
We make it to the black sedan. I hustle her inside before running around, getting behind the wheel, and pulling out.
As I drive away, an enormous black truck drives slowly past. My gaze meets with the driver.
Amber’s father smiles and waves.
I hit the gas and drive as fast as I can.
“Was that…” she trails off.
I don’t answer. No need to. She knows it was him just as well as I do.
“Minutes,” she says. “Minutes and he would’ve had me.”
“This ends.” I say it through clenched teeth. “This fucking ends now.”
“Okay.” She blinks at me. “God, this is insane.”
I take her hand and hold it tight.
We can’t keep going like this. It doesn’t matter where we run.
Her father’s money will chase us.
There’s no hiding. There’s nothing else but to solve this problem, and I suspect I know how to do it.
21
Amber
Brent’s parents sit in front of us in an old-style sitting room with a fire blazing in the fireplace. It’s too hot for a fire but it sure as hell sets the ambiance.
After we got back, Brent instantly sent word to his parents. I don’t know what he has planned, but he says he has something.
His mother crosses her legs and frowns.
“Hannah and Collin?” she asks.
“Took her,” he confirms.
She looks at me.
I nod. “It’s true.”
She sighs and closes her eyes. “That’s… a disgrace.”
“It was for the money,” Brent says. “I don’t know what they got themselves into, but Hannah seemed… upset by the whole thing. And if they were willing to go to such lengths…” He trails off.
“I’ll speak with Ronald,” his father says. “Surely he can come up with a proper punishment for—”
But Sylvia cuts him off. “Those two need to learn their place,” she says.
His father goes silent.
“Hannah went too far,” she continues. “I don’t particularly want you here, Amber, but I’d never kidnap you and threaten to give you back to your father like that. I’d never condone that action.”
“Thank you,” I say.
Brent lets out a breath. “That’s beside the point.”
She looks at him. “Hannah and Collin will be dealt with. What else do you need?”
“I need money.”
She laughs. “You have plenty of money.”
“I need more. I need a loan.”
That gets her attention. His father shifts uncomfortably then stands and walks to the bar. He pours a drink and stays there, away from the conversation. I get the sense that he just excused himself and doesn’t want to be involved anymore. Not that I can blame him.
Sylvia shifts in her chair and leans forward. “What do you need a loan for?” she asks.
“I’d rather not say.” He glances at me. “But it’s for her.”
“For her.” She doesn’t smile or move. “How much do you need?”
“Millions,” he says. “A lot. I don’t know, exactly.”
“A lot.” She leans back. “The Lofthouse coffers aren’t what they once were. You realize that?”
Brent snorts. “I know that isn’t true.”
“Do you now?” She raises an eyebrow. “I thought you were done with us. I thought you didn’t care about the family.”
“I never said that.”
“Not in so many words. When you became a doctor and left, that was saying it enough.”
&
nbsp; Brent clenches his jaw. “Is that what this is all about?”
“Yes,” she says simply.
Brent shakes his head. “I wanted to be my own person. I wanted some freedom and to do something good in the world. Can’t you see that?”
“No,” she says. “I see duty. I see family. I see a man that refused to sacrifice for those that raised him and sheltered him and gave him everything.”
“That’s not true.”
“Isn’t it? I wanted you to go into finance. Not because it’s a respectable field, mind you, but because the family needed someone to manage its money to ensure its future. And yet you outright refused.”
He looks away. “I was young. And I’m not suited to it.”
“Good thing your brother is.”
He looks back and cocks his head. “I know he’s doing well, mother.”
“Yes. He is.”
“So the coffers are fine, aren’t they?”
She doesn’t answer.
I sit there and shift in my chair. I feel like I shouldn’t be here. His father gives me a conspiratorial little smile. I’m tempted to go over there and share a drink with him since this is the battle of the titans, and I’m just a little human girl.
But I stay in my seat. I get the sense that this is an important moment and Sylvia won’t be happy about any sort of lapse in decorum.
“I need a loan,” Brent repeats. “Because I’m going to make her father an offer.”
“What kind of offer? I doubt money will sway him at this point.”
“I agree. He wants land in Texas, a particular ranch that won’t sell unless Amber marries some boy. I’m going to give him what he wants.”
Sylvia frowns slightly. “I see.”
“I need a loan, mother. I need a loan for an indeterminate amount, and I need it without strings. Can you do that for me?”
“I will,” she says.
I look surprised. His father looks surprised. Hell, even Brent looks surprised.
She sighs. “I was young once, Brent. And despite what you think, I’m still your mother and I still care. If you want to help this girl, I’ll help you. But there’s a price.”
He tenses. “Of course. I’ll work to pay it back.”
“No, you won’t. You’re going to come home.”
He stares at her. “Excuse me?”
“I won’t make you live in this house. Or even in this town. I’m not so naive as to think that would ever work. But you will live in this state. You will come visit twice a month. You will stay for several days once in a while. Bring Amber, if you decide to keep her.” She gives me a tight little smile.
He stares at her for a long moment. Nobody moves. Nobody speaks.
I don’t know what to do. I don’t want him to agree to something he’s against. I don’t want him to do this for me if it’s going to mean living with people and in a place he doesn’t want to be around. He’s done so much for me already.
Sylvia’s eyes fall onto mine with a mocking little smile, as if trying to remind me of our conversation from before.
“Brent—”
“I’ll do it,” he says. “I’ll move back to Virginia. I can open a new practice here. And I’ll visit more often.”
“Good. It’ll be nice to have you around.” She stands. “You may make whatever offer you see fit. Confirm it with your brother before making it final.”
“Jacob?”
“Yes. He controls the money now.” She smiles a little. “And I’ll be watching, of course.”
“Thank you.”
She nods and leaves the room. His father lingers for a second.
“That was… intense,” he says and laughs. “But I hope it works out for you, son. It’ll be nice to have you around.”
“Thanks, Dad,” Brent says.
His father smiles and salutes me with his drink then leaves after his wife.
Brent turns to me. “Okay,” he says.
“Brent.” I stand. “You can’t do this.”
“What?”
“Listen. I can’t ask you to do this for me. I know living away from your family is important. You want a sense of independence, you want to be your own person. I can’t ask you to give that up for me. Please, we can find another way.”
He laughs softly. He steps close and kisses me. “Are you done?”
“Brent.”
“Are you?”
I glare at him. “Yes.”
“Good. Now, let’s go book a flight.”
“Where?”
“Texas. We have a deal to make.”
* * *
The Texas landscape flits past the window. I feel strange, being back here, so close to my father. Although then again, he’s probably still back in Virginia. We crossed paths, so close, close enough to touch, but now we’ve run and come back here.
Back to Texas, back to my home.
The rented black SUV pulls down a driveway. It’s a familiar driveway although I try not to think about it. We head up to the main house and Brent parks, killing the engine.
“You ready?” he asks me.
I shake my head. “I don’t know.”
“Come on. It’ll be okay. The worst that can happen is they say no.”
“Or they try to kidnap me and force me to marry Michael.”
He laughs at that. “Okay, or that. But I won’t let them.” He squeezes my hand. “You trust me?”
“I trust you.”
“Come on.”
He climbs out then comes around and helps me down. I limp along on my cane as he helps me along. I refuse his offer to carry me up the steps and manage them on my own, a feat that feels easier every day.
He stops at the door and rings the bell.
After a minute, David answers. He looks surprised to see us, but not changed at all.
“Well now,” he says. “Amber Gibbins. And you must be… Brent Lofthouse.”
“Hello, sir.” Brent puts out his hand.
David shakes. “Welcome to my ranch. I suspect I know why you’re here, son, but let’s go inside and talk.”
Brent nods and we follow him inside.
“Is Michael here?” I ask.
David glances at me. “He’s out back. You wanna go see him?” He grins. “Probably a good idea. You hurt his feelings, you know.”
Brent tenses but I put a hand on his arm. “I’ll go talk to him. It’s okay.”
He nods as I head away from them. I go out the back and find Michael sitting in a chair with headphones on. He looks shocked to see me and sits up straight. He pulls off the headphones and stands.
“Uh, hey,” he says. “You’re… here.”
“I’m here.” I smile at him. “Sorry about all the craziness.”
“Yeah, uh, whatever.” He laughs a little, clearly uncomfortable. “What are you doing here?”
“I wanted to talk to you about… you know.”
He blushes a little. “Yeah. Sure.”
He sits down and I take a chair across from him. He crosses his legs, trying to look casual.
“Michael, you know none of this is about you, right?”
He laughs a little like that was a crazy thing to say. “Uh, right. Yeah. I know that.”
“Do you though?”
He looks away. “I mean… you ran away from marrying me like it was the plague.”
“That’s not what I did.”
“Isn’t it?”
“No.” I lean toward him. “Listen, you seem nice enough. You’ll find a girl that really loves you. But it’s not me, okay? I just don’t want to marry you.”
He shrugs. “Yeah. Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Whatever. It was my dad’s idea anyway. Marry you, keep it in the family, make it real. But it’s crazy, right? Really crazy. You can’t just… your dad doesn’t own you.”
“That’s what I think.” I lean back in my chair. “I’m happy to hear you say that.”
“I didn’t think that at first,” he says quie
tly. “But then your dad’s ads came out… and he was on TV… and I saw some of the comments. Read some articles. I started thinking. You know… you’re a person. You can have a choice. I can too.”
“I’m happy you think that.”
“Look, you’re hot. I won’t pretend like you’re not. You’re really fucking hot. I’d love to marry you. But if you don’t want it, then fine, forget it.”
“Where does that leave things?” I ask him.
“Ah, shit. With my dad and your dad and the land?”
“Right. My dad still wants all this. And he’s still willing to pay.”
Michael stands up. “Come on.”
I frown then get up and follow him back inside. We walk over to where David and Brent are sitting. Michael stands in front of his father and clears his throat. Both men look up at him.
“Dad, I’m not going to marry Amber.”
His father frowns. “Well, now, son—”
“No, Dad. It’s not going to happen. Not ever.”
Brent smiles at me and I shrug.
“Son—”
“Dad. Sell the ranch. I know we need the money. We can make a killing off the sale, figure out something to do with all that money, something we both like. Maybe we can move somewhere else. I can invest it all. We can grow it.”
David lets out a long breath. “Are you sure? It’s not over.”
“It’s over, Dad. I don’t want this.”
He nods miserably and looks at Brent. “I’d do anything for my boy, you know?”
“I understand.”
He looks over at me. “I’m sorry to you, too. You got dragged through all this pretty hard. I had no clue your father would be so… tenacious.”
“That’s my father,” I say. “Very tenacious.”
“Listen, I’ll sell the ranch to you,” he says to Brent. “You pay me what you just offered, and you’ve got a deal.”
Brent nods once. “Consider it done then.”
They shake hands and Brent stands up.
“Send your lawyers over. We’ll make it all official and such,” David says.
“Thank you.”
“No, thank you. I’m about to be really rich.”
Michael laughs and grins at me. “Thanks, Amber. Sorry about all this.”
“It’s okay. It’s ending right.”
