But I had something that the kids didn’t have: a weapon, and the knowledge of how to use it.
Dodging left, I swung out with the fire poker with every ounce of strength I had. It connected with the asshole’s knee, dropping him quickly.
“Fucking bitch!” He screamed out, his flashlight rolling along the floor, casting an eerie glow throughout the dust laden room.
I would have taken the time to laugh if I had it, but Gage wouldn’t stay down for long. I was fortunate he’d been the one to open the closet, and that I knew about the long-standing injury in his knee that had effectively ended his career in sports.
Scurrying out of the closet like a rat escaping a hungry cat, I launched myself to my feet, running as fast as my legs would carry me. Bounding down the stairs two at a time, it wasn’t long before I heard the first set of boots pounding the floor behind me.
I didn’t bother to stop once I made it outside, and I wasn’t quite sure where I was going, but what I did know was that I had no plans to stop until I found a place where I could hide.
The heartbreaking, dilapidated state of the property was suddenly a blessing since it provided a wide berth of overgrowth and shadowed areas for me to run to. The night air crashed against me, my bare feet aching from the rocks and twigs that jammed up into the soles as I ran.
I wouldn’t let the pain stop me, and within seconds I heard Gage’s voice join Gideon’s as they called for me, their boots moving quickly beneath them in search of me.
A beam of light struck my back and I dodged right into a particularly dense patch of overgrowth. Ducking my head, I crawled beneath a low lying branch, before bouncing up again and hurtling over several dead bushes.
“Holly! You’re caught, babe. Might as well slow the fuck down so you don’t piss us off more than you already have!” Gideon’s voice carried over the wind, their combined huffs of breath echoing across the fields as they searched for me.
My lungs were on fire, but I refused to pay attention to my body’s demand to stop. I didn’t care if my heart exploded in my chest. There was no way in hell that I was letting those two assholes drag me back to New York. I knew this property better than anyone, and if I had to run all night, I would.
I could hear them laughing in the distance and it pained me to think that they were amused about the idea of ruining my life. How dare they do this to me? I never did anything to them. Hell, I barely spoke to them growing up.
Reaching the fence line of an old horse paddock, I jumped over the rotting wood and lost my footing when the railing gave out, time and dry rot weakening the structure so much that it couldn’t hold my weight. I went down like a ton of bricks, twisting my ankle, but not losing my will to keep going.
Forcing my way through the pain, I continued running – albeit much slower than before. I was in an open space, and the beam of their flashlight found me again. Turning to glance over my shoulder, I could barely make out their shadowed bodies as they continued moving in my direction.
“Might as well give it up, Holly! Payback’s a bitch!” Gage’s voice called out.
I took the time to give them both the finger before turning to continue through the old paddock. Hopping the second fence, I darted left in hopes that I could reach the small lake at the back of the property.
I hadn’t been out to explore that far before the sun set, and I hoped that nothing had changed since I’d last seen it. Last I remembered, there was an old boathouse that my father had built. It didn’t hold much more than a few canoes that my father had used for fishing, but it would help distract Gideon and Gage away from where I was actually going.
Praying they would take the time to search the structure, I hid in a string of bushes that bordered the lake, my hand reaching down to grab a rock and hurl it at the boathouse.
The sound of breaking glass filled the quiet night, the boots that had previously been pounding the dirt stopping suddenly as the beams of the twins’ flashlights scanned over to the house.
Neither Gideon nor Gage spoke, but I could still hear their heavy breath as they crept towards the house. All I needed was for them to step inside so that I could run across the open field that tracked back towards the main house. If I could reach Anthony’s car, I had a chance of escaping the property before the twins had a chance to get back to their vehicle.
Deep laughter drifted over the land. “Come on out, Holly. We know you’re in there.” It was Gideon’s voice, his arrogance obvious in the tone of his voice. I wanted to call out to tell him he was a dumbass, but it would blow my position, so I refrained.
Both flashlights were directed towards the boathouse and I smiled. My plan was working. They inched closer, talking low so that the wind wouldn’t carry their voices. I continued crouching in place, but felt the ground sinking beneath my weight. I was exactly sure what I was balanced on, but I hoped it held out long enough for the twins to enter the house, giving me the chance to run.
You don’t really think she’d be so stupid, do you…
Aren’t they all? Everybody we’ve chased fucked up at some point. It’s only a matter of time…
I could barely make out their conversation, but from what I could hear, they weren’t underestimating me like I’d hoped they would. Angling my head, I peered around the bush, watching as their flashlight beams grew bright against the walls of the boathouse.
Fate was a cruel bastard, and before they could enter the house, the branch beneath my weight snapped, two beams of light instantly turning in my direction. They couldn’t see me behind the overgrown bush and I sat as still as a statue, hoping like hell that they didn’t come to investigate the source of the sound.
Speaking loud enough for me to hear clearly, Gideon said, “Probably just the wind, huh? It sure is picking up.”
Above our heads, a summer storm was starting to cover the full moon and countless stars, their light blocked from illuminating the trees and fields that surrounded us.
That didn’t mean the field was completely dark, however. Loud thunder cracked in the night sky, the ground shaking beneath me before lightning split the landscape.
“Shit.” Gideon called out. “We better find her quick, Gage. This storm is coming in fast.”
My head spun back in the direction of the boathouse and I was happy to see the beams of the flashlights heading inside. As soon as the interior was well lit by their million watt bulbs, I darted out, the ground becoming mush beneath my feet when the sky finally opened up and released its rain.
I slipped in the mud that quickly formed, losing my footing only for a second before I caught my balance and ran straight into what felt like a brick wall.
“Got you,” Gage said, laughter evident in his voice as his arms wrapped around me like a steel cage.
The rain I’d been cursing only seconds before was suddenly my best friend. Pouring down in sheets, it slickened my skin, making it easy for me to wriggle out of Gage’s grasp and start across the field once again.
“Gideon!” Gage yelled, still laughing despite the fact that I’d broken free. “We’ve got a runner!”
Gideon came out of the boathouse, both flashlights in his hands as he darted left and Gage darted right. Assholes had set it up to look like they’d both gone inside, when in truth, they’d spotted me and Gage had circled around, realizing I’d run as soon as I thought they were in the boathouse.
I had to hand it to them, they were smart.
I was being corralled and I knew it, but that didn’t stop me from trying to break free anyway.
The muscles in my legs were cramping and on fire, and I could barely catch my breath in the downpour of rain, but I kept going, kept placing one foot in front of the other as I hauled ass out into the dark distance, not really caring where I ended up.
I wouldn’t go back to New York. Not until I’d proven my innocence at least.
Glancing around, I looked for the beams of their flashlights, but I couldn’t find them. They must have turned them off and chose to
continue their pursuit by the illumination of the frequent lightning that was tearing across the sky.
The wind howled and the trees in the distance were bending and snapping. The rain stung where it struck my skin and I tripped over a divot in the dirt that was large enough to swallow my entire foot.
My body slammed down into the mud, sliding along until my hand caught hold of an errant, dead branch in my path. Pain shot along my spine, and I could feel where I’d torn the skin of my knee. Pushing up, I was still crouched on the ground when I felt a body slam into me, tackling me back down into the mud.
His hand gripped the back of my hair and held my face to the ground, barely giving me enough room to breathe.
“Stay down, Holly, if you know what’s good for you,” Gideon breathed out. Raising his voice to be heard over the thunder he called out. “I’ve got her, Gage.”
“Where the fuck are you? I can’t see shit!” Gage called back.
“I’m in the center of the field!”
I tried to wriggle away, but he stopped me from moving by placing his knee directly over the center of my spine.
“Move again, and you won’t be walking away from here, Holly. If I press down with all my weight, I’ll snap your spine in two,” he growled.
Lightning split the sky, the crack sounding like it had torn a hole in the atmosphere. Within seconds, Gage was running up to us, grabbing one of my arms as Gideon grabbed the other.
“You are a slippery little bitch, you know that?” Gage asked.
“Fuck you both!” I screamed.
With laughter in his voice, Gideon answered, “You’d like that wouldn’t you? I always knew there was a dirty little beast hidden somewhere in your prim and proper image.”
Dropping my legs out from under me, I made the two men drag me to the house. I wasn’t about to make it easy on them by offering to walk along. The groaned as they dragged my weight, Gage obviously limping from where I’d clocked him in the knee.
“How’s the leg, Gage?” Sarcasm was thick in my words, but instead of pissing him off, my question only made him laugh harder.
“I have to hand it to you, Holly, you hit me in the right spot, but it wasn’t enough to keep me down.”
“Maybe I should have aimed higher and wrapped the poker around your head.”
More laughter bellowed from his chest, his broad shoulders shaking with his mirth. “Maybe. Hindsight is twenty-twenty. Know what I mean?”
By the time he’d spit out his question, they were dragging me inside the ranch house. They’d made quick work of the distance between the field and the house and they dropped me onto the floor, my wet clothes glued to my body as I splat down.
“Fuck, man. We’re soaked,” Gideon said.
I watched as the two men circled the house, closing doors and any windows that were already broken. “There’s no way we’ll be able to lock her in.”
Gage turned to look at me just as lightning flared like a spider web across the sky. His blue eyes stared me down and his wavy brown hair was glued to the sides of his face. His chest beat with heavy breath, and I squinted up at him before reaching up with my hand to wipe the rainwater from my eyes.
Seconds passed in silence before he finally asked, “Did you really think we wouldn’t find you here?”
Flinging the water from my hand, I straightened my posture on the ground and examined my legs for injuries. I couldn’t tell the difference between the mud and blood that covered me, so I looked up again and answered, “I’d hoped you stay in New York. How will the cameras follow you all the way out here?”
Leaning against the wall, Gideon stared me down as hard as his twin brother. “We realized pretty quickly that you’d left town. You can thank Anthony for that.”
Breathing out, I shook my head in disgust. “I can’t believe he told you two anything. How did you find him?”
A bark of laughter escaped Gage’s mouth and he plodded over to kneel down in front of me. Reaching out, he gripped my chin in his fingers, but I yanked my head away, a warning growl rattling up from my lungs.
“Oh, you are a feisty one, aren’t you? I never would have guessed it after growing up with you. I’d always figured you for a priss.”
“Fuck off, Gage. I’m family. Why the fuck are you doing this to me?”
“Two million dollars is why we’re doing it,” Gideon answered for his twin.
Glaring in his direction, I laughed. “Don’t you two have enough money already? I’m sure your Daddy made sure you were set for life.”
Gage smiled, the dimples in his wet cheeks indenting in. If I didn’t hate him so much at that moment I would have considered his expression charming.
“Daddy didn’t give us shit. You need to get your facts straight, little girl. It was our grandfather that made us wealthy. But none of that really matters, does it? The fact is, you killed someone, and now you’re a wanted woman. Our job is to drag you back, regardless of whether we’re related to you or not. I’d hoped you would make our job easy.”
He reached for me again and I pulled away, scooting back on the dirty ground to get away from him. He chuckled when my back hit a wall and my neck snapped back from the sudden stop.
“Be careful there, Holly. Our instructions are to bring you back alive. We won’t be able to do that if you keep hurting yourself so much.”
* * *
Another hour passed as the twins circled the living room, their eyes darting out to look at the storm every so often. The old boards of the walls rattled with each crack of thunder, but I ignored the howling wind that kicked up the dust in the house.
My back was still against the wall and I hugged my bent knees to my chest. Refusing to meet either of the twins’ eyes, I sat in silence as they discussed their options.
“We’re going to have to wait out this storm, at least until morning. There’s no way in hell I’m going to try to navigate dirt roads in this wind. I’m sure once the sun comes up, we’ll be on our way towards the airport.”
Finally deciding that there was no way we were leaving tonight, the twins slumped down to sit on the floor on the opposite side of the room from me. When I glanced over at them, Gage was staring me down, his eyes narrowed as he eyed me.
“Why’d you do it, Holly? She was your best friend.”
Narrowing my eyes on him, I answered, “I didn’t kill her. If you two were half as smart as you claim to be, you would have figured that out already.”
Gideon glanced away from wherever he’d been staring to lock his eyes to mine. “What do you mean?”
Sitting up, I reached to brush the hair out of my face. “I mean that you’re arresting the wrong person. If you really want to catch Diana’s killer, you need to look at Oliver Hendricks. He’s the one that pushed her overboard because she’d embarrassed him in front of all of his rich, asshole friends.”
The words came tumbling out of my mouth before I could stop them. Anger rolled along my spine, pain stabbing at my heart when I remembered that my best friend in the world was dead.
A tear slipped from my eye and rolled along my cheek. With a choked voice, I asked, “Did they find her body?” My shoulders shook with my tears. “She deserves a funeral.”
Silence fell between us like a heavy blanket before Gage finally admitted, “Last I heard, they were still looking for her. The boat was pretty far out when she went over. I was surprised to hear that you didn’t drown after jumping from the boat yourself.”
“I was a swimmer in high school, remember?”
My words were broken apart by my sobs. Now that I was finally sitting still, every emotion I’d been avoiding over the past few days came crashing back, their intensity only amplified by the pain I felt because Gideon and Gage had caught me.
Standing up from the floor, Gage walked slowly in my direction to take a seat beside me. I scooted away from him, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me back against his side.
“You’re freezing. Do you have another set of clothes you
can change into?”
“Fuck off, Gage.”
I couldn’t contain my anger, couldn’t allow myself to let the small bit of kindness he was trying to show to break through the tough exterior I was desperate to hold on to.
Speaking slowly, he answered, “I’ll take that as a no.”
He was quiet again for a moment, but once he’d leaned back against the wall, his hand still firmly wrapped around my wrist, he asked, “What do you know about Oliver?”
Huffing out a breath, I relaxed against him, hating myself for enjoying the warmth of his body against mine. He was right, though. I was freezing, but it seemed like, despite how wet he was as well, his body was still pumping out heat like a furnace.
My voice was barely a whisper when I answered, “I know he killed Diana. I’m not exactly sure why, but I think it has something to do with the life insurance policy he had on her.”
Gage shrugged. “Money is typically the thing that drives people to kill, but I don’t get it. Why kill her for an insurance policy and then turn around and offer two million dollars as a reward to find you? What’s the point?”
A bark of humorless laughter ripped across my lips. “The policy was valued at thirty million.”
Gage’s eyes widened, his lips puckering up as a soft whistle blew through them.
“But they weren’t married,” Gideon commented. “One would think that the policy wouldn’t pay out before the actual wedding occurred.”
Glaring up at him, I smiled. “One would think that, but in truth, they were already married. After working out the details of the prenup, they got hitched in secret in order to secure the policies. Diana told me about it before the engagement party.”
Both men grew quiet, their expressions contemplative as they considered my words.
Gage spoke first, his voice controlled as he continued thinking over what I was telling them. “Oliver Hendricks is one of the wealthiest men in New York. He has to be worth close to a billion dollars. What’s another thirty million to a man like that?”
Gideon & Gage, Book One Page 5
