Man Up Stepbrother

by Danielle Sibarium

  My GPS says I arrived at my destination. I turn into the long driveway, disappointed at the sight in front of me. This is the only house in sight, so it must be the one. The weeds are overgrown and the windows are dark, dirty. I know Gerard Miller mentioned in one of our earlier emails the house has been empty since his grandmother went into the hospital a few months ago. But from the outside, it looks like the place hasn't been cared for in years.

  I turn the engine off and take a moment to check myself in the vanity mirror before getting out. My hair and make-up look neat enough. I take one last breath before I get out of the car and head to the front door.

  My phone rings. My heart leaps. It's Jagger. I know it. I feel it. I fumble with my phone as I try to answer.

  "Hello."

  "Where are you?" No pleasantries, no I miss you. In fact, his voice is harsh, angry.

  "Jagger." So many emotions flood through me, the strongest being a sense of relief. "I'm so glad you called back..."

  "Not now." He cuts me off. "Where the hell are you?" He sounds panicked.

  "I'm about to meet with Gerard."

  "Am I supposed to know who that is?"

  "Yes, since you gave him my contact information and recommended me."

  "Listen," he says with urgency. "I need you to turn around right now."

  "Why?" I stop and look around, knowing something is very wrong.

  "Are you in the car? Please tell me you are."

  "No, I'm about five feet from the door."

  "Allie, get back in the car and go straight home. I'll explain everything once you do. I promise."

  "I don't know..." The front door opens. "If I can."

  "Aleena." The man in front of me is dressed in black, and he sneers as my name comes off his lips. "I'm so glad you made it."

  Chapter 21

  Jagger

  "Allie. Allie! Are you there?" I hear rustling and muffled voices. He's got her. Fuck. Staying away didn't detract him from going after Allie. It left her vulnerable. "Allie!" I try one last time.

  My pulse rate explodes. It's running at a furious pace. I won't hang up. I can't. I need to listen as long as I can, no matter how difficult it is. I turn onto the highway. I jumped in my truck and pinged her location the second I heard her voicemail. She's about an hour away from home, and an hour away from here.

  Thank God I listened to that message. She hasn't called in days. I thought she might have given up on me completely. I've been doing all I can to hold back from listening to old voicemails over the last week because when I do, I have to battle hard not call her.

  Being away has eaten me alive. It's nerve-racking. I've only been able to hold steadfast because I believed this was the best way to keep her safe and out of the line of fire. It appeared to be working, too. But like me, the perp was buying time.

  Ox promised to put his best man on Allie while Troy and Marlena promised to check in with her twice a day. I check their social media sites daily. Seeing a post with Allie mentioned or tagged in it means all is well. Not the most sophisticated plan, but it's something when we had nothing.

  "Allie!" There isn't much noise on the other end. No screaming. No crying. Nothing to hint that she's okay. "Allie!" I press my foot down harder. I want to hang up and call Ox, but I can't bring myself to end the call. I wait for something more.

  My phone chimes. Another call is coming in. It's Ox. I need to take it. I try calling her name one last time. Nothing. I stop torturing myself and switch calls.

  "Jagger, we have trouble."

  "I know. I was on the phone with her. Is your guy there?"

  "He is. He couldn't take him out. Before he realized what was happening, the perp had a gun to her head. Said he backed up dragging Allie into the house using her as a shield."

  "Do we have a positive ID on him? Allie said his name is Gerard Miller."

  "It's Declan."

  "No fucking way."

  "It is. Collins sent me a pic. There's no doubt, it's him."

  "How can that be? I've known Declan for years. His brother was my best friend."

  "Whatever the reason, it's a good thing he was on the radar. I left his ex half an hour ago. She said he's borderline obsessed with ruining your life. It's one of the reasons she wanted out of the marriage."

  I don't know if I can process this information. Declan? Holy shit. This is payback for Austin. He blames me for Austin's death.

  "Get back to Stacey's. We need her help."

  "What are you going to do?"

  "Make sure he doesn't hurt Allie."

  "And how, pray tell, do you plan on doing that?"

  "By serving up what he really wants. Me."

  *

  Everything's set. I met Ox, Stacey, and her six-year-old son Forest a few minutes away from our destination. Stacey isn't comfortable having Forest here, but it's the only way I can think of to keep Declan from hurting Allie. Ox called in three more men for backup. The place is surrounded. Declan's only chance of escape is to let Allie go. The problem is, it's possible this is a suicide mission. I keep this suspicion from Stacey. But she’s not stupid. It has to have crossed her mind.

  If it is and Declan plans to blow the place up, his son will be close enough to be hurt, if not killed in the explosion. If he decides to kill Allie instead, Forest will be there to watch, then Declan will lose all hope of visitation with his son. Not to mention that the kid will have serious emotional shit to navigate through.

  I know I'm a shit for pulling Forest into this. It's a long shot, but it's all I've got.

  Ten minutes after I hung up with Ox, the first text came in from the unknown number.

  Unknown: Time to play hide and seek. The question is, will you find us in time? You have two hours. We'll be waiting.

  Me: I need proof she's alive.

  He sends me a pic of Allie bound and gagged to a chair. Fucker. I want to pound his face in.

  Just before meeting with Ox and Stacey, the next text came in.

  Unknown: Time’s almost up.

  This time he has a video attached. Allie's standing on the chair. Her hands and feet are still bound, and he has a noose around her neck. My body shakes with rage.

  "Jagger, don't come." Her voice is low, raspy. "He's going to kill you."

  Declan climbs up on the chair and slaps her hard across the face. "Fucking bitch. I should knock the chair away right now!"

  It's him. I don't see him, but I recognize his voice. It's the last thread of his sanity unraveling. Fear unlike any I've ever known fills me. It was one thing putting myself in the line of fire to defend my country and my brothers. Trying to save Allie, it takes a different brand of strength I'm not sure I have.

  The showdown is here. The men are in place. Forest is in the car with me. There's nothing left to do now but stand up to the devil.

  Forest hasn't said a word to me since we left his mother. He's probably scared and confused. How could he not be? Ox and Stacey will pull up once Forest and I are inside. I'll have ten minutes to talk Declan down before the police are called and the house is rushed by Ox and his men.

  "Hey, little man," I say to Forest. "You are an incredibly brave boy to help me out."

  "Please don't hurt my daddy."

  I force the corners of my lips up and swallow hard. "I don't want to. I've known him most of my life, and I know he's a good guy." Barring recent activity. "I'll do my best to make sure your daddy isn't hurt."

  I get out of the car and walk around to the passenger side. I take Forest's little hand in mine, and together we head toward the unknown.

  I don't bother knocking on the door. I turn the knob and head in with Forest at my back. The place is dark and musty. A thick layer of dust covers every visible inch of the floor and furniture.

  "I'm here," I call out, walking in slowly with my hands raised. I hear rustling in one of the back rooms. The problem is I can't be sure it's Declan and not a fucking rat. "Come on, Declan. We need to talk. You don't want to do this. What will
Forest think?"

  "Don't ever mention my son's name!" The shout comes from the direction where I heard the noise.

  Oh yeah, he's losing his grip.

  "Daddy!" Forest yells.

  "Forest?" Declan's voice loses the vitriol it just held. Now there's just panic. "No!"

  "Like I said, we have a lot to talk about. How about we have a prisoner exchange?"

  Forest looks up at me with terror in his eyes. He looks more frightened of the thought of being handed over to his father than of being with me. I put my pointer finger over my lips, urging him to stay quiet while I shake my head.

  "I'm not going to hurt you," I bend down and whisper in his ear. "And I won't let him hurt you either. I promise."

  "Come on, Declan," I call out. "Time’s running out. I need to see you and Allie right now, or I take Forest and walk. If that happens, I promise you'll never see him again."

  More rustling from the back room, until the rustling turns into the creak of footsteps on the old wood floor. Declan carries Allie over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes, and his gun is pointed straight at me. Something in his eyes changes as they move over to his son.

  "Come here, Forest," Declan calls. "Get over here now!"

  "Don't. Move," I say to the boy in a low, threatening tone. "If you want to see your mother again, you need to stay right here by my side."

  Loud sobs take over Forest's body. My heart aches for this kid, for putting him through this, but if he has any chance of a life with both his parents in it, I need to bluff through this hand.

  "Why don't you put the gun down so we can talk."

  Declan shakes his head. "No way."

  "I know this is about Austin."

  "Don't talk about my brother, you fucking scumbag!"

  "He was my best friend. I was closer to him than to my own brother."

  "No, you weren't. You're a fucking liar! You killed him. You're the reason he's dead!"

  "It's okay, Declan, he forgives you. Now it's time for you to forgive yourself."

  "I didn't do anything that needs forgiving."

  "So Austin didn't catch you in bed with Stacey before he enlisted? That's not the reason he cut all ties with you and left?"

  The gun drops to Declan's side.

  "He told you?"

  "Yes," I lie and continue using all the details Stacey gave me about the situation. "He told me how finding you and Stacey together sliced him open and killed a part of him. How all he wanted to do at that moment was to leave and start over. Find a new life."

  "A life that ended because of you!" The gun is pointed back at me.

  "I know you feel guilty. I do too. And I know how that guilt eats away at you. Little by little, it gnaws at your soul and all you know how to do is lash out and hurt the people that love you, but really, you just want to hurt yourself." He shakes his head, but I know I'm right. And he knows I know I'm right.

  "The thing is, you made a mistake. It's okay. We all make them. But we have to forgive ourselves and move on." I dart my eyes away from Declan and onto Allie. "I made a mistake, Allie. I made a lot of them. But walking away from you was the biggest mistake of my life. I'm so sorry."

  Tears roll out of her watery eyes, I don't know if it's because she's afraid or if she's hurt, or if it has anything to do with what I just said, but I am sorry. I look down at Forest. No matter how this plays out, it was a mistake to drag him into this.

  "You shouldn't be here, Forest. Go on out to your mother."

  "Daddy!" The boy takes a step forward.

  "Go on, Forest. Get out of here," Declan yells at his son, "You don't want to see this."

  I know the chances of me getting out of this alive just dropped to the level of slim to none.

  "Let her go, Declan. I'm the one you want.” I reach down and pull my Glock out of my ankle holster and kick it away. Allie's eyes widen and she shakes her head wildly. "I let Forest go in good faith. I know you don't want to hurt Allie. You want your revenge on me. Here I am."

  "I want you to hurt, the way I do."

  I nod. "I do. I feel Austin's loss every single day. Not just him. The other three guys that died along with him as well. Any time I close my eyes and drift off to sleep, I see them. I hear them screaming. Every single night. If I could go back in time, I'd do it all differently. I'd sacrifice my life for them. But I can't. All I can do right now is offer my life for Allie's. Please, let her go."

  I watch with my heart in my throat as Declan pulls a hunting knife out of his back pocket and starts cutting Allie's bindings. I want to take her in my arms and hold her one last time. I don't, because I know if I do, he might change his mind, or he might shoot. I don't want Allie to be here. He might miss and hit her, and even if he doesn't, it's not a sight anyone should see.

  "Get out," Declan orders once she's free.

  Allie staggers in my direction. "Don't!" I yell.

  She freezes. "Jagger..."

  I take one last look at her and soak in her beauty. Even with red, swollen eyes and make-up running down her face, she still looks like an angel.

  My angel.

  "Go on, Aleena. Go be happy."

  She squeals as she runs out of the house. I drop down to my knees when I hear the door slam behind me. She's safe. Mission accomplished. Now whatever happens, I'll be at peace.

  "Hands behind your head."

  I do as I'm told. "You know, if you kill me, your son will know."

  "It doesn't matter. She took him away and won't let me see him. She has a fucking court order saying I can't go anywhere near him."

  I feel the cold metal of the barrel against my temple.

  "Then get help and appeal it. I'll testify for you."

  "Liar." He shakes his head, and I notice the gun shaking in his hand. I'm completely at his mercy, but he's not fully committed to killing me or I'd have a bullet in my head already.

  "Stacey loves you, man. That's why she's here. That's why she allowed Forest to come. She doesn't want you to do something so horrible that there's no coming back from it."

  "I lost her."

  "I promise you didn't. Not yet. But if you kill me, you're giving up, you're letting her go because of your guilt. You didn't kill Austin any more than I did. Some very bad people are responsible, and we were just left in the wake of the aftermath. If you put that gun down, there's hope."

  "Why the hell aren't you fighting back?" He drops the gun from my head and shoves me backward.

  "Because I'm not going to make this easy on you. I'm not going to give you the reason you’re looking for to justify killing me. What happens next depends on you and you alone. From here on out, your life is what you make it, and it has nothing to do with me. It has to do with your choices. And you're going to have to live with them every day of your life."

  Sirens sound in the background. For the first time since Allie was released, I hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears. One way or another, this is ending in the next few minutes. Declan drops to his knees, still holding the gun, and the tears start.

  "I'm the reason he enlisted. He hated me."

  "Stop. He didn't hate you. But killing me isn't going to bring him back. It's only going to ensure you never see Stacey or Forest again."

  He shakes his head. "It's too late."

  "It's never too late. Just put the gun down and let's walk out of here together. I promise you, I'll do whatever I can to help you. For Austin."

  Reluctantly, Declan slides the gun behind him. We get to our feet and with our hands behind our head, we walk to the door.

  "Come out with your hands up!" a bullhorn issues the warning.

  "It's going to be okay," I reassure Declan one last time before pulling open the door and placing my hands behind my head.

  "Up against the wall, both of you! And spread 'em."

  I do as I'm told and wait for the police to finish patting me down. I'm a mixed bag of emotions. I can finally breathe. My heart aches because I don't see Allie, and I thought...I was afraid
I'd never see her again."

  A police officer leads me over to a squad car so we can talk. I go willingly. I'm ready for whatever comes next. No matter what it is, because I finally believe the things I said to Declan. I'm not responsible for Austin or the other guys. I didn't make or strap that bomb on anyone. All I did was try to help a woman not lucky enough to be born on American soil.

  But I did save Allie. And hopefully Declan will do as I suggested and get help. I'm sure if he does, in time Stacey will forgive him enough to let him back in her and Forest's lives.

  "I need to take you down to the precinct to get your official statement," the officer says.

  I nod.

  "Hey Ox," I call out. "Thanks, man," I say, tossing him my keys.

  *

  After hours of giving statements separately, I find myself in the same room as Allie. She's sitting in a hard plastic chair with a blanket wrapped around her. I'm supposed to take a seat and wait for some official paperwork to be printed out so I can sign it.

  "Hi," I say, giving her a wary smile as I sit down next to her. She looks okay, aside from the bruising on her face, but I'm not sure what else he might've done to her before I got there, and I don't know how to broach the subject.

  "Hi."

  "Are you okay?"

  "Thanks to you."

  I shake my head and look away. "No. I'm the reason all this happened. I'm sorry, Allie. I fucked up so bad. I let things go too far because I didn't listen to you."

  "Jagger, please don't. I don't have the energy to fight with you."

  I nod. I don't blame her. I'm worn pretty thin myself.

  "I'd rather save my energy for when we make up later," she says with a twinkle in her eye.

  "Yeah?" I ask, not sure I trust my ears.

  "Yeah."

  I wrap my arms around Allie as she leans her head on my shoulder. I know despite the hell we went through earlier, this is one of the best days of my life.

  *

  We make the necessary phone calls on the drive to my apartment. Allie fills our parents in on what happened while I do the same with Troy. We promise to answer any and all questions over dinner tomorrow night at Mom and Vic's.