No Going Back (Revolving Door Book 3)

by Dani Matthews

  My fists clench at my sides as I walk to the living room window and stare out into the afternoon sunlight. It’s beautiful outside while inside this house, I’m living in my own personal hell.

  “I think you could use this right about now.”

  I turn to find Gabe standing there, two bottles of beer in his hand. Without a word, I accept one of the bottles and walk back to the sofa, reluctantly sitting down.

  Gabe sinks onto the other end of the sofa, taking a drink of his beer. “The waiting is a total mindfuck,” he says bluntly.

  I glance at him, recalling the hell he’d gone through when Harper was dealing with her own stalker of sorts. “Yeah, it is,” I agree. “Every minute that goes by is an extra sixty seconds he has with her.”

  Gabe doesn’t say anything, he just studies me.

  “What?” I ask with a frown.

  “I didn’t see it then, but I see it now,” he says quietly.

  “See what?”

  “You’re in love with her.”

  I hold his gaze. “Yeah, I’m head over heels for her. I’ll gladly die trying to get her back,” I say levelly. I will go into this next meeting ready to take Janke down. As long as he goes down first and can’t hurt Quinn, I don’t care if I go down too. Not that I want to, but if it’s my life or Quinn’s, I’d give up my own.

  “I know you would. I can see that.” He sighs with regret. “I’m sorry I was such a dick.”

  His apology is welcoming, but it’s not on the forefront of my mind right now. “It’s done and over,” I say, brushing it off.

  “She’s not going to be the same, so you need to prepare yourself,” Gabe forewarns.

  “Yeah, I realize that,” I say quietly.

  He hesitates. “Harper, she has nightmares.” He clears his throat. “I catch her looking over her shoulder at times, and when she’s out in public, she’s always aware of what’s going on around her. She’s not as carefree as she once was, and I’m okay with all that. I’m there when she needs me, and as the memories fade, I know she’ll eventually resemble the old Harper. But she’ll never be the same.”

  “I’m in it for the long haul, Gabe. I just want her back.”

  Gabe looks at me intently. “Don’t let her push you away, okay? I don’t know what she’s enduring, but if she tries to cut you out, don’t let her. Whether she’ll admit it or not, she needs you there for the good and the bad.”

  I give him a look. “I’m not going anywhere. Ever. She can try pushing me away, but it isn’t going to happen.” No way in hell. Quinn fought for us when I wouldn’t, and I’m going to fight for us even if she no longer will.

  Bryce enters the living room, and I look at him sharply. “Anything?”

  He shakes his head and sits down. “It wasn’t about Quinn, sorry.”

  I’m done with this waiting around shit. I lean forward and set the beer on the coffee table. “I need to draw this bastard out.”

  “He’s too smart to fall for it. This all has to go down on his terms, or he’ll either continue playing with us, or he’ll give up on you and kill Quinn.” Bryce looks at me pointedly. “We can try to predict how Janke will react, but that doesn’t mean we can’t be wrong.”

  It’s the same damned conversation we’d had earlier, but I can’t help it. It’s not in me to wait around like this. I’m accustomed to shit getting sorted immediately when there’s a problem. This waiting is brutal. “I can’t sit here any longer. It’s been hours since he last contacted me, and while we wait, Quinn is likely suffering,” I say darkly.

  “He’s watching the house,” Ash says quietly.

  I look up, noting for the first time that she’d entered the living room and is standing near the sofa, gazing at the three of us.

  Something is shifting in her dark gaze. “He wouldn’t stop watching the house. He needs to know where Colt’s is and what he’s up to so that he can plan accordingly,” she says slowly, as if she’s thinking out loud.

  Bryce’s eyes sharpen on her. “He’s nearby.”

  Shit. Why didn’t we think of that? My eyes swing to Gabe. “Take Ash and go stay at Beck’s or Rem’s place while they’re working. Get her out of here.”

  He hesitates, and Ash frowns in protest.

  “He’s not contacting me because too many people are around. Get out of here and stay out of sight. It’ll be safer that way, and you guys won’t get caught in any crossfire,” I say as I rise to my feet.

  Gabe looks resigned, knowing I’m right. He stands and gives me a look. “Keep me updated hourly. I mean it.”

  “I will,” I assure.

  “But…” Ash begins, her brows furrowing. She wants to stay and know what’s going on, just like Gabe. But being here could derail everything, and she’s aware of that.

  Gabe touches her shoulder. “As much as we want to stay, this is our only way to help.”

  She reluctantly nods and turns to me. “Bring her back, Colt. Please,” she says, her eyes pleading with mine.

  “I plan to,” I tell her.

  Gabe ushers her out of the living room, and I turn to Bryce. “You need to leave, too. Your car has been out front all this time.”

  “You need backup, Colt.”

  I shake my head. “If you stay, he won’t contact me. And if you search the neighborhood for him, he’ll likely evade us, and it’ll blowback on Quinn. You need to back off and let me do what needs to be done.”

  “Colt, I can’t just walk away from this.”

  “You have to. Like it or not, Quinn’s life depends on me. I can handle this, you know I can.”

  Bryce is silent a moment, and I watch as he rakes a hand through his hair. He knows I’m right. “I’ll stay back, but not too far. Three blocks is the best you’re getting,” he grits out.

  “Fine.” I know Bryce won’t be obvious with his surveillance, so hopefully three blocks won’t bring suspicion.

  ***

  It’s been three hours since everyone had left the house, and Janke isn’t taking the bait.

  I pace the living room floor, my gun tucked in the waistband of my jeans at the small of my back. I’m ready to face the fucker head-on, and now he’s pussying out. Feeling aggravated, I check my phone again to make certain that I’m still getting service and the battery is fully charged. He should have contacted me by now, which can only mean one thing.

  Three blocks is still too close.

  Janke knows.

  “Son of a bitch,” I growl. It’s becoming apparent that I need to draw him out on my own—without backup. It’s the only way this is going to go down.

  Bryce is going to be pissed, but too damned bad. Quinn’s life is at stake, and I’m done doing things his way. Now, it’s time to do them my way. I stride out of the living room and head downstairs to my bedroom. My laptop is laying discarded on the bed, and I open it and bring up a map of the city. If I’m going to coax Janke out of hiding, I need to find the perfect place. It should be abandoned and somewhat secluded.

  There’s a warehouse for sale that’s been on the market for a long time. The other buildings within the area are also for sale, and I know that’s exactly where I need to lead Janke. Once that’s been decided, I shutdown the computer and stride to Sebastian’s room with it, slipping it beneath his mattress. When Bryce figures out I’ve ditched him, he’s going to try to figure out where I went. There’s no way I’m taking a chance of him showing up and ruining this.

  I re-enter my room, open the top dresser drawer, and pull out my case of knives, slipping a blade inside each boot. Then, I grab the only lightweight, leather jacket that I own and finally head upstairs.

  Now, I just need to find a way to leave the neighborhood without Bryce or the police seeing, while being visibly noticeable to Janke.

  Fuck.

  I need to take my truck.

  An idea forms, and I sigh, knowing I’m going to get an earful from Bryce when this is all over. It’s also a dangerous idea, because I’m giving up the only way for Jan
ke to contact me. I have to try, though. I pull out my phone as I leave the house. Instead of going to my truck, I detour to the side of the garage. After I bring up Bryce’s number, I press send.

  “Anything?” Bryce asks, picking up before the first ring is finished.

  I slam my elbow into the garage window, shattering it loudly before tossing the phone inside. Then I take off to my truck, flinging myself inside and recklessly backing out of the driveway. This is all based on luck, and I choose to go left, driving down the street until I reach a stop sign. The road I’m on has ended, leaving me only the option of turning left or right. I look both ways and from the left I catch sight of an unmarked dark vehicle coming towards me in the distance. It’s not Bryce’s vehicle, so choose to pull out onto the road, turning right instead, knowing that the unmarked car will turn onto the street that I’d just left behind.

  I watch in the rearview mirror as the street gets further away, and sure enough, the unmarked car turns and disappears from my sight.

  I’m on my own, and I’m grim as I drive. Quinn’s life is officially in my hands, and I can only hope that I’m doing the right thing. My gut is telling me this is the only way to save her, and I can’t ignore it.

  The drive to the warehouse is tense, and I keep checking in the mirror to see if Bryce had somehow managed to follow me after all. I don’t see anything suspicious, and once I park the truck behind the warehouse, I worry that maybe Janke hadn’t been able to follow. If he hadn’t, the fucker should at least realize I am no longer at the house, not with my truck gone. But that’s useless if he can’t figure out where I went. Even so, at least he’ll know I’m trying to lose the police and meet him on my own terms. I could really be screwing this up, but at least I’m doing something to try and help her.

  If Janke doesn’t show within a few hours, I’ll have no choice but to go back to the house and listen to Bryce bitch about how he was right and I was wrong. Then, it’s back to waiting for the damn phone to ring.

  I climb out of the truck and investigate the outer perimeter of the warehouse. There are two side doors that are chained and padlocked. I just happen to have a bolt cutter in my truck along with other tools that might come in handy in an emergency, and I grab it and cut the chains on the door facing the parking lot. After looking around the vacant, cracked lot, I enter the warehouse. There’s no way I’m meeting Janke out in the open. I know I could take him in a fight, but if he has a gun, there’s no guarantee I can dodge a bullet.

  The warehouse is mostly empty with broken windows near the ceiling that allow the early evening sunlight to filter in. I look around and debate where to position myself. It’s too damned open, and there’s nothing to hide behind. I hadn’t been counting on that. The photos on the realtor website had been a bit misleading. Knowing the other door is still chained and padlocked, my best bet will be to stand along the side wall near the door I had come through. Although to be safe, I drag an old, metal filing cabinet which is sitting against the wall, and barricade the already locked door. This way, if Janke doesn’t come through the door I want, I’ll know he’s coming in from the other.

  I make my way back to the door I’d chosen. It opens outwards, so I can’t hide behind it. I’ll just have to hope that Janke will be expecting me to be inside hiding somewhere rather than waiting by the door. The second he sees the openness of the room, Janke will know my hiding place, but hopefully I can take him out before he realizes it.

  I pull out my gun and make certain it’s ready before I stand against the wall near the door and wait.

  The minutes tick by.

  And then an hour.

  My body is beginning to protest over standing in one place for so long, but I’m not budging. An hour has passed, and that’s a bad sign, but I’m not ready to give up yet.

  One more hour to go, and then I’ll begin worrying that I’d fucked up, big time. More minute’s pass, and then I hear music to my ears—tires on old pavement. Whoever’s behind the wheel is driving slowly, cautiously.

  If it’s Bryce, I’m going to lose my shit.

  I tense and wait.

  The sound of a car door opening reaches my ears, and then it carefully closes. Come on, fucker. Enter the warehouse and assume you’ve got the advantage.

  Footsteps approach the door that I’d left cracked. They pause, and then the door begins to open.

  Here we go.

  My eyes stay focused on the doorway, and as soon as I see the tip of the deadly looking knife, I know it’s Janke. His knife is held in front of him as he creeps further into the doorway.

  This is too easy, but I can’t resist the takedown. Before he even knows what’s happening, I slam the gun down hard on his wrist, and the knife goes flying as I grab him around the neck and throw him face first onto the floor.

  Janke begins swearing under his breath as I place my knee in the center of his back and pat him down. I find a second knife and toss it. Once I’m certain all his weapons are removed, I rise to my feet and kick the warehouse door, closing us inside.

  Janke launches himself to his feet, his eyes darting to the knives I’d kicked away.

  I point my gun at him and grin coldly. “Try it. I won’t hesitate to shoot you.”

  His eyes narrow, and then he smiles. “Then you’ll never find Quinn.”

  “I never said I was going to kill you. I’ll just inflict enough pain to immobilize you. I’m sure you’re familiar with that tactic.”

  “Pain won’t get me to talk,” he says, his eyes fixated on me, and I can practically see the wheels turning inside his head. His plan has gone to shit, and now he’s trying to figure out an alternative. “If you want to know where Quinn is, you need to put down all your weapons.”

  “We both know you plan to kill me.”

  “Plans change. She pissed me off, so now your death is going to be slow and excruciatingly painful. And it’s not going to be here. Put down your weapons, and I’ll take you to her.”

  I’d think he’s bluffing, but knowing Quinn, she probably had pissed him off, and the anger I see in his gaze tells me that he’s serious. I also know that he wouldn’t take me to Quinn unless I’m seriously injured or out cold. He wouldn’t risk taking me in good health—not when he’d just seen me in action. If he did manage to take me down—which I doubt, but shit does go wrong from time to time—I would be absolutely no help to Quinn if I’m tied up or bleeding to death.

  No, this needs to end here.

  “I’m not going anywhere with you,” I tell him.

  “Then you’ll never find Quinn.”

  “You’re going to talk, Janke,” I say as I stare him down, my gaze unwavering. “You just don’t know it yet.”

  He looks amused. “Cocky bastard, aren’t you?”

  “I’m done talking.” I pull the trigger, and Janke stumbles back as blood blossoms across his right shoulder. I can tell that I’ve taken him by surprise, and he weaves on his feet until he loses his balance and his ass meets the cement.

  “You shot me,” he mumbles, putting a hand to his shoulder and wincing from the pain.

  I move closer, gun still pointed at him. “It’s the benefit of not having the police here. I can play my own game, and no one’s here to stop me.”

  He looks up at me, his expression tightening.

  I cock my head, and now I’m the one who’s amused. “You misjudged me. Just like you misjudged Quinn.”

  “She’s bleeding, you know,” he says silkily, his eyes filling with maliciousness.

  Everything within me goes still.

  “I marked up that pretty skin of hers. Even if the police do somehow find her, she’ll never be the same.”

  Red flashes behind my eyes, and I drop down and slam my fist into his injured shoulder. He grunts with pain, and I push him onto his back and use my free hand to shove my thumb into the bullet hole. Janke’s throat arches as he clenches his jaw, sweat breaking out across his forehead.

  “Where—is—she?” I demand, pus
hing my thumb in further.

  He shudders as the color drains from his face, and then his eyes focus on mine, and he begins to laugh manically.

  “Where?” I roar.

  His laughter echoes around the room, and it’s beginning to sink in that pain isn’t enough to get him talking. Which means Quinn is on her own until we can find her.

  As I stare down at the laughing son of a bitch, I realize that this isn’t the worst that could happen. Taking Janke into custody where he can’t harm Quinn further is the only way to save her. He’d already hurt her last night, and had he gone back to Quinn this evening, I’m certain he would have done something horrific to her in a fit of anger.

  No, as much as it pains me, this is the best outcome.

  For now.

  ***

  If I continue pacing the living room carpet, I’m going to wear a hole in it. I’m not the only one on edge. Everyone’s home and waiting in the living room for Bryce to fill us in on what happens next.

  Bryce had been furious with me for going rogue—so I’d been sent home to wait for any news while he’d stayed at the hospital to sort out the mess I’d made.

  I rub the back of my neck, regretting nothing. Wherever Quinn is, she can’t be harmed further. That’s the only positive that’s come out of this besides Janke being in custody. Now we just need to find her.

  “We need to eat whether we’re hungry or not. I’ll go order pizza,” Sebastian says lightly before he drags himself to his feet and leaves the room.

  It’s been four hours since Janke had been admitted to the hospital, and I haven’t heard anything from Bryce since I’d been forced to leave.

  “Quinn’s strong. She’s going to be fine,” Harper insists.

  I glance at her. She’s curled up next to Gabe, and his arm is wrapped around her protectively. Her voice had sounded strong, but her eyes reveal that she too fears what’s going to happen to Quinn.