“I’m sure he will. What, with you being so much better than me and all,” I retort rolling my eyes.
What she does next shocks the shit out of me. As in, actually shock me. So badly in fact that my mouth pops open, and my eyes start to water at the effort it takes to restrain my tears of hilarity. The evil troll stomped her foot. Yes, you heard right. She stomps her foot with an overly exaggerated pout on her overfilled lips and glares at me. Now, I really have seen it all. I can die happy. Maybe not right now, but eventually.
“There’s no need for you to be jealous of me, Alexis. I’m sure one day you’ll find someone willing to overlook your faults who will care for you anyway.”
Is she to be believed? I reiterate, insane. Certifiably, lock her up and throw away the key, insane.
Asking the obvious, I pry.
“So do you want to enlighten me as to this plan of yours? I’m locked safely away in here, no chance of escape, what would it hurt?”
Please take the bait. Please take the bait. I repeat over and over. And wouldn’t you know it, if you believe it, it will be done. If you hadn’t guessed, I’m buying time, watching for any lapses in judgement, any mistakes she makes, so hopefully take the evil troll down. I won’t kill her. No, that would be too easy, and I wouldn’t want the boys to miss out on having their fun too. Mind you, I intend on getting my licks in too, I deserve it after this.
Twirling a long strand of her brown hair around her index finger, she looks to be considering what to say before giving me her response. She sucks in a deep breath preparing to divulge her dastardly plan, and flicks her eyes to the door. Which is still wide open, but seeing as I’m sitting on the floor, I figure she’s weighed the risks of my ability to make it there before her.
Geez, and they say blondes are dumb. I’ve been running as a part of my daily exercise regime since I started junior high. I might not complete the full eight mile circuit I was doing before I found out I’m pregnant, but that doesn’t stop me from getting in at least five miles, five times a week.
Snickering to herself she says,
“I met him first, and you trapped him. I want to see how he feels when he’s trapped. What he’ll do to get you back. So I decided to take you and watch him run around like a chicken with his head cut off.” Sighing dreamily she adds, “I’ll let you go eventually, it’s not like I plan on keeping you like a pet or anything. But when I do let you go, you’ll go without your babies.”
What in the actual fuck?
“See, I can’t have children. I’m sure you know my parents aren’t very well off. We didn’t have a lot of money for medicine and stuff like that, so when my sister and I got mumps we both got it bad.” I’d be almost sorry for her if my ass wasn’t going numb and my legs weren’t cramping up on me. “Kelly and I spent two weeks in the hospital, and when we were released she was given a clean bill of health and I was told I couldn’t have children anymore. At the time it didn’t matter of course, I was young, but as I got older I saw the people around me growing up, getting married, and having kids. That’s when I realized, I want that too.”
I’m sure she does, I muse without the slightest inflection of humor. But she won’t be getting her crazy hands on my babies. Over my dead body. Probably not the best thing to say when you’re faced with a lunatic with nothing to lose, and you’re at a disadvantage due to your burgeoning belly. I’m not all that concerned though. She’s clearly not thinking straight, and I highly doubt she has the staying power to keep me locked up here for close to twenty more weeks. Not to mention how she’s going to deliver not one, but two babies by herself. See where I’m going with this.
Going on she explains further.
“It was a stroke of luck, Glock getting you pregnant that is. I’ve always wanted him to be the father of my babies. He’d make a great daddy, don’t you think?” Gag. I swear if I could vomit, I would. However entertaining her rambling have been over the past two days, this is a bit much even for me to handle. “What do you think of the names Zachariah and Bartholomew? I heard you were having boys, and I saw those in a baby name book I picked up and thought they would be perfect.”
Ah, no. And if that doesn’t work for you I repeat, hell no. Wincing, I try to bite my tongue, but it’s painful to hear someone talk about your babies like they’re theirs. Like you are nothing but an incubator. Deciding to follow through with my original plan, which is to get the hell out of here A-SAP, I slide my hand slowly around the back of my pants while she keeps talking.
“Twins are going to be so cool to dress up in matching outfits, hats, and shoes. They’ll be like my own real life dolls,” she rambles on excitedly. In all honesty, after all this is over I really do hope she gets he help she needs. It can’t be safe living inside the looney bin that is her mind.
“Uh-huh,” I mumble still reaching for the compact pistol I carry with me at all times.
What? You think living with an MC taught me nothing. Not to mention I’m surprised I didn’t have a gun mobile as a baby with all the firearms my dad owns, that’s how often I’ve been in contact with them since I was a kid. The real reason for the men in my life’s demand for me to learn how to shoot, defend myself, and attack if necessary is my moms’ kidnapping, my Aunt V being shot, and Ade having suffered worse than both of them.
I’ve known how to shoot since before I could drive a car. I can tear down and clean a gun faster than most of the men in the club. I can drive stick shift, whether it be in the form of a truck, car or semi. Not to mention I can drive and ride a Harley, Triumph, and Indian like I was born to, and I can stitch a bullet wound closed on the move in a perfectly straight line. Impressive, right?
Finally curling my hand around the grip of my Glock 19, 9mm compact, I slowly finger my way down until my pinky finds traction against the safety release, and flick it to the off position. It’s not like I would only have one shot at this, but regardless of how deranged she is, I didn’t want to inflict more pain than necessary for my freedom, so I waited.
The next half hour is filled with ridiculous questions from my, would be captor. More fucking stupid diatribes about how badly she’s struggled, what she’s gone through being raised in a house without money. What her parents will say when she takes the babies home to meet them for the first time. I feel sorry for them the most I think. Meryl and Barbara are wonderful people, I’ve known them my entire life, and this is going to devastate them.
They are good, hardworking people that live clean, love their community, and have never left Blackwater longer than a week long vacation in their lives. Finding out their second oldest daughter is suffering from a mental health condition that caused her to kidnap, and imprison a pregnant woman will break them, and I don’t want that. I don’t want them to think she is a reflection on them. She isn’t. She made her choices, and whether she’s later diagnosed with a medical condition or not, that doesn’t excuse all of the choices she’s made. This was planned. Maybe not well thought out, but planned nevertheless, and that isn’t the sign of a woman having a total break from reality. A vacation from sanity, possibly. But a permanent relocation to la-la-loopy-land, I think not.
While she continues to babble I scan the room like Uncle Tank taught me years ago. First, locate all entry and exit points. Check. There’s one door and no windows, easy peasy. Second, assess your immediate surrounding for threats and potential hazards. Check. The table could be a point in my favor or against. If I get thrown into it it’ll hurt, but it won’t leave any lasting damage. But used properly it could make for a mighty fine clubbing stick if I don’t say so myself. Third, Uncle Tank told me to assess the risk. He said sometimes it’s better to sit and wait to be rescued than attempt something that could get yourself hurt. No worries there.
I don’t believe for a second she has the skills I do, and if she surprises me, I’ll improvise.
“Do you think they won’t be looking for me? Do you honestly believe they will just give up and leave me to fend for myself?” I prod
.
That was the final thing Uncle Tank told me. The more you keep your attacker off balance, the better your odds for survival. They’re more inclined to make a mistake if they are too busy trying to work out what your angle is. Sure, it could backfire and I end up doing nothing but making her dangerous by fueling her erratic behavior, but that’s a calculated risk I’m willing to take if it gets me out of here. She appears genuinely confused by my questions. Did it not occur to her that my family, my Uncles, the entire club, and Glock would be searching for me? Clearly not.
Fuming she stamps her pointy toed heel again screaming,
“No, they won’t. You’re not worth it to them, you’ll see soon enough. No one is coming for you, Alexis. It’s just you and me until those precious babies are born.”
Turning her back on me she rakes her hands through her hair, staring at the wall like it’s going to solve all her problems. This is my chance. Seizing the opportunity I pull the gun from behind my back holding it loosely at my side. Using the wall at my back as leverage, I slowly pull myself up to standing. Once I’m up I wait patiently for her to turn back around, and the wait is not long.
Raising my gun, so that she’s firmly in my sights, I smile broadly at her and ask,
“Now that I’ve evened the playing field what are we going to do now, Candice? I opt for ordering pizza because I’m starving, and then waiting for the boys to get here, but if you’ve got a better idea I’m all ears.”
Standing in the open doorway, I notice Candice’s face has gone ashen and she visibly trembling. Good. She’s right to be scared, because I’d sure hate to be her when the boys get here. If the look on her face is anything to go by, I’m just waiting for the begging and pleading section of the evening to begin.
It might have been juvenile of me to openly taunt her, but she deserves it after all she’s put me through. It, and more. My back is aching. My legs have cramped off and on so badly that they feel like I’ve run a marathon. I’m hungry, tired, and I just want to go home, so excuse me for feeling a little childish right now.
Pulling my iPhone out of my back pocket and swiping the screen to unlock it, I note that by the open door I have one measly bar of service. Enough to make a call I hope. Dialing the one person I pray will answer I almost sob when I hear his frantic hello yelled down the phone line.
“Daddy, can you come get me please?”
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
Thomas
“Never underestimate the power of an extremely pissed off woman.”
- Rotten eCard
I didn’t imagine Cage screaming Lex’s name into the phone to be the sweetest sound I’d ever heard, but it was. Hearing the relief in his voice at whatever she was saying lifted a weight off me that had been hanging heavily around my neck up until then.
I can’t begin to describe the terror I felt when Rob called telling me Lex was gone. Her apartment wasn’t trashed, all of her stuff was still there making it look more like a kidnapping than a burglary gone wrong. The feelings of déjà vu that surfaced hearing that it may have been a home invasion were intense. They burned deep in my gut, and ignited a fire I hadn’t felt in years. In the end it was just my woman that was missing, and she was far more fucking important than a TV or some fucking DVD’s. Where the fuck was she? Was she okay? Had someone hurt her? She is pregnant for fucks sake. The bastards better not have hurt a hair on her head, or they would be meeting the pointy end of anything and everything I could get my hands on.
My terror escalated when I grabbed the picture hanging on the fridge. Taking a closer look at what I thought I caught a glimpse of in passing, Baby A and Baby B ran on continuous loop through my head until I caught sight of Tilly watching me warily. The look on her face confirmed what I was seeing, and I lost it. My temper, my mind, and the last bit of my patience.
“You knew didn’t you? This whole time you fucking knew, and you didn’t say shit,” I whisper pointing accusingly at her.
Tears begin to leak from her eyes, but I pay them no mind while I keep inspecting the picture of my baby, or babies I should say. No wonder Lex wasn’t sleeping, eating and felt like shit all day long, the poor girl is carrying two of my offspring. That couldn’t be easy for anyone, let alone a woman of Lex’s size. I’m not a huge guy, not as big as Reaper or Tank, but I’m not fucking small either. For Lex to be carrying two mini-me’s around inside her day-in, day-out has got to be putting a massive strain on her already tiny body.
Turning away from Tilly, I make it to Cage where he’s still talking to my woman on the phone by the front door. Stretching my hand out to him I demand,
“Give me the fucking phone, now!”
Narrowing his eyes, Cage assess me with his critical gaze. I get he doesn’t want to hand the phone over, he’d been tearing his hair out waiting to hear from her or her abductor, but Lex is my woman, she’s carrying my babies, and I was getting that phone one way or another. Deciding it best to comply he speaks to Lex quietly, with more patience than I’ve ever heard come from him.
“Okay, calm down baby, we’ll be there soon. I’ve got someone here who wants to talk to you though. You wanna talk to him?”
She doesn’t have a fucking choice, and neither does he. Whatever she says earns her a grunt, and ends in him practically throwing the phone at me. Catching it before it hits the floor, I put it to my ear and listen to the last words meant for her dad.
“And if you don’t get your asses here in the next ten minutes with at least two burgers, a six pack of soda, and some damn Cheetos I’m…”
“It’s me, Princess,” I rasp. “You okay baby? Are the babies okay?”
She gasps and then dissolves into a fit of tears. This isn’t like my woman, she doesn’t cry. She’s never been a crier, that’s one of the things I love about her. She’s tough, confident, and has the heart of a warrior. To hear her hiccupping sobs is killing me. Talking to her softly, telling her everything will be okay seems to calm her within minutes, and when she’s finally in control she replies,
“You know? I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I wanted to tell you but…”
“It doesn’t matter, Lex, none of that shit matters. As long as you’re safe, the babies are safe, and you’re not hurt, everything else we’ll deal with later, yeah?”
I envisage her nodding on the end as she murmurs an Mmhmm, followed by,
“How long until Liam finishes that trace on my cell? I want to come home, and I swear, if someone isn’t here to take this bitch off my hands soon, I-I don’t know what I’ll do, but it won’t be good that’s a guarantee.”
Laughing at her, and with her feels good. I haven’t laughed in God knows how long.
“Not long now, babe. I think your dad said five minutes and we’ll have a location. You know I’m coming to get you, yeah? Don’t think about arguing with me over this, Lex. I’m not taking no for an answer, and you don’t want me to either.”
“No, you’re right I do want you to come get me, but can you bring your truck or my car? I honestly don’t think I can ride on the back of your bike right now,” she says tiredly. A spike of fear goes through me at why she can’t ride, but I tamp it back down when she explains. “This mattress sucked. My ass is numb, my legs are aching, and I don’t think I can hold on tight enough without getting pins and needles up my arms, so for all that’s holy get someone to get the truck first please.”
There’s my feisty girl.
“Already got it, Princess. Sent Noah out to get it as soon as you called your dad.”
“Got it. Service road 8A, thirteen miles out, off route 62,” Cage bellows attracting the attention of every man in the room.
Thank fuck. That should only take you fifteen-twenty minutes at the outside for us to get her.
“Did you hear that, babe? We’ve got you. Hold tight, I’ll be there in less than half an hour, Princess.” Tentatively she clears her throat, mumbling something I can’t make out. “What was that, Lex?”
I can imagine the acc
ompanying eye roll to go along with the snort she gives me.
“I said, can you get one of the prospects to drive the van, you’ll need it?”
I don’t question her on why, all I want is to get on the road and go get my woman. Bikes roll out of Cage’s driveway first, followed by my truck carrying Cody and Wheels, both of whom refused to be left at home, and finally another set of four bikes pulling up the rear. In all we’ve got seven riders, and the three of us in my truck riding out, and I still wonder if that’s enough. We don’t know who we’re dealing with, and we aren’t as well armed as I’d like walking into an unknown situation. He only thing that gives me a measure of relief is Lex was obviously in control of what was going on there, so hopefully that means we’re not walking into a mine field.
It takes seventeen minutes and thirty-six seconds to pull up outside the run down shack Lex is being held in. Seventeen minutes of wondering what I’d find when I got her, and seventeen minutes of being worried sick she’d been hurt. What I didn’t expect to find when we pulled up is Lex sitting on the rickety front steps, twirling her Glock 19 around her index finger, humming the theme song from Bad Boys. Jesus fuck, I love this woman.
I don’t hesitate in throwing my door open and jumping out before I’ve even turned off the truck. I’m bound and determined to get my hands on Lex, and nothing as stupid as a truck still turned on and in gear is going to stop me. Eating up the distance in six big strides, I reach down and pluck her off the stairs crushing her to my chest.
Broken: A Devil's Spawn MC Novel Page 22
