“Of course, I will.” Xavier hands me a piece of paper and I put it in my pocket. I need to get back to my office, but I must play it cool. Xavier doesn’t know what I do for a living and it needs to stay that way, his life could be in more danger if he finds out.
“Thanks, bro, I owe you one,” he replies with a smile. His blue eyes are shining in the sunlight and he walks back into his garage with some stress lifted off his shoulders.
I climb in my pickup and pull out my phone from my pocket. I dial my right-hand man, Ashton Iverson. He picks up on the second ring.
“Boss, what’s up?”
“Iverson, can you track a number for me? Xavier said he wants to have Izzy’s friend from California out here, but I want a full background check on her to make sure she’s legit. They don’t know the whole situation of these people. Her names Ashley Force and I have her cell number if you need it.” I rattle off her cell phone number.
“Give me a second and I’ll have the information.” I can hear him moving around on the other end. The telltale sound of a laptop comes through the line and listen as he hits the keys. “Got it. She’s legit. Studies at Otis College of Art Designs in Los Angeles, California. Born and raised in the area and has been everything Izzy has said about her. She’s got the green light.”
“Thanks, bro.”
“Anytime.”
We end the call and I start my black Dodge Ram. I pull out of Xavier’s driveway, the exhaust growls when I touch the gas and head toward my office in town. I park my pickup in front of the immaculate building and pull out my phone again. I dial the number Xavier gave me with unsteady fingers. What the hell is wrong with me? I’ve never been this nervous before. The phone rings several times before a charming melodic voice comes on the line.
“Hey! This is Ash, I can’t answer your call right now. I’m either livin’ it up or in class. Either way, leave a message and I’ll call you back!” The phone beeps for me to leave a message.
“Ashley, you don’t know who this is, but I’m a friend of Izabella’s. Please call me back as soon as you can. Thanks.” I hang up the phone and twist it between my thumb and fingers. I climb out of my pickup and head inside.
The sunlight spilling into the lobby is bright against the marble floors as I make my way toward the set of elevators on the opposite side. The security guard to my left nods his head when he sees me. I nod back, push the up button and wait for the elevator to descend. The doors whoosh open and I step inside. I watch my reflection in the floor to ceiling mirrors and the cart carries me up to the top floor. Thanking my grandfather for this opportunity to have a different life, I step out of the elevator and walk down the hallway and into my office. Everything is where I left it this morning.
My massive red oak desk is neat and tidy, and my large leather chair is pushed in. I pull it out and swing around, staring out the enormous bay windows. My phone vibrates from my desk and I answer it without checking to see who it is.
“Ryan here.”
“Nolan? It’s Izzy’s friend Ashley.” Her sweet melodic tone draws me in and I’m stunned. I’ve never heard a voice like hers. It’s like an angel is talking to me “Are you there?” she asks softly.
“Sorry, yes I’m here,” I respond. My tongue is tied, I can’t find the words I wanted to say.
She giggles on the other end and my heart skips a beat. What the fuck is wrong with me? “You said you wanted me to call you, so what did you need? Is Izzy OK?”
Clearing my throat and composing myself I finally respond. “Yes, Izzy is as OK as she can be. Her dad’s still in a coma but that’s not why I called.” There’s silence on the other end.
“So, why did you call?” she questions.
“They have a big race coming up on Saturday, and I wanted to know if you could come out here to support her.” My words rush out, and I’ll be surprised if she understood me. I’ve never and I mean never had a reaction to a woman like this before. Must be from the lack of pussy around here. My heart is hammering in my chest and my palms are so sweaty, I almost dropped the phone.
“Yes, I can be there. I can’t leave until Friday night though. Is everything else all right with her?” Ashley answers concern etched in her voice.
“Yes. She’s fine, just worrying about her dad. He’s still in a coma and the doctors don’t know when he’ll wake up. She’s been a beast on the track and making all of us proud.”
“That’s great to hear.” Ashley grows quiet, she wants to say something, but I don’t know if she will. I should put her out of her misery, but I don’t want to finish this conversation and hang up just yet. Talking to her is like a breath of fresh air and I’ve been drowning way too long. “How’s Xavier treating her?” She finally asks. Ah, there it is.
“He’s treating her the way he should have all those years ago. He’s an idiot and knows he is lucky to have a second chance with her. She’s the sweetest person I know and loves with her whole heart for life.” My grip tightens on the phone and rage consumes me with the thought of anything happening to either of them. My ears start ringing and my hands start to shake. The demon is waiting in the recess of my mind to take over and destroy anyone who dares hurt them.
“Nolan, are you OK?” Ashley’s voice breaks through the ringing and for some reason, it calms me down. That’s never happened before. It’s usually hard for me to snap out of it. “Do you need my help with anything?”
“What? No, I’m OK.” I shake my head. “Do you need me to pick you up at the airport? Let me know when you get in and I can be there.” I hear male voices in the background and her walking away, closing a door. Figures she’d have a man. A woman with that sweet-sounding voice can’t be single.
“No, I’ll be getting in really late. Just text me the address where Izzy will be, and I’ll be there Saturday morning.” I can hear a door in the background open and loud voices fill the line.
“Hey Krimson, we gotta go.” A male voice announces in the background. She mumbles something to them, then comes back on the line.
“Listen, I hate to cut this short, but I’ve got to go. I have some stuff I need to take care of before I head out there. Thank you for calling me, Nolan. I’ll meet you in a couple of days.”
I love the way my name rolls off her tongue. “No problem. Thanks for coming out on such short notice.”
“Any time. I told her all she needs to do is call me and I’ll be there in a heartbeat. I really have to go. Just text me the address.” Ashley says.
“I will, and I’ll see you in a few days.”
“Thank you, bye,” she responds. I don’t want to hang up, but the voices in the background are getting louder.
“Bye.” I answer, and the line goes silent. I stare at my phone for a few minutes until a loud knock on my door pulls me out of my head. Ashton’s massive build comes strolling in without a care in the world. He stops walking when he looks at my expression.
Cocking an eyebrow in my directions he asks, “Do I need to come back? You look like you want to have a moment to yourself.”
“What?” I ask shaking my head and dropping my phone onto the desk. “No, I’m good. I was talking to Izzy’s friend Ashley. She’ll be here late Friday night. Can you put Ramirez on her when she lands to keep her safe? I don’t want these assholes near her.”
“You got it boss,” Ashton answers and turns to leave. “Oh, I have a new client who will be here in an hour. Can you sit in?”
“Sure.”
“Thanks, boss.” Ashton leaves my office and quietly closes the door.
I turn around and face the bay windows. Thinking back to the conversation with Ashley, my jeans become tight, her sweet voice echoing in my head. What the hell is wrong with me? I know it’s been a while, but fuck, this is crazy. I’ve never even met her, why would my body respond this way?
Then it dawns on me like a slap in the face. She controlled the rage brewing under my skin. No one has ever pulled me from my dark and deadly secret before. I respond
to her. I wonder how I will react seeing her in person.
********************
White hot pain penetrates my chest and I slowly open my eyes. Blinking a few times, I can finally see where I’m at. Fuck! This isn’t good. Not good at all. What are they planning to do to me now? I’ve already been tortured and beat beyond submission. They have my life on their hands right now. I’m powerless to stop them.
Chapter 19
Ashley
Rush quirks an eyebrow at me and his mouth is hanging open. He opens and closes his mouth a few times before he finally finds his voice.
“You’re doing what?” he asks, exasperation is clear in his tone.
“Going into The Circle tonight. When I win, I’ll draw that bitch Wrath out and take her on too. I’ve got a plan, Rush. Trust me.” Venom seeps from my voice and Rush is smart enough to keep his mouth shut. I’m not changing my mind. They’re going to wish they’ve never fucked with me.
Walking into the bedroom, I quickly change into a pair of jeans, a black hoodie and slip my racing boots on. Nolan’s phone vibrates in my pocket and I check the messages. It’s a confirmation text for tonight with an address below. Once I’m dressed, I leave the comfort of the room and walk to the door.
“Where are you going now?” Rush asks.
“Going to scope the place out. You coming or staying?”
Both Ashton and Rush follow me out the door. I knew Rush won’t leave me to wander the city streets by myself. We make our way out of the apartment building and walk down to the subway station. Once we’re down waiting for the trains, a sense of foreboding settles in my bones. This asshole will pay for the trouble he’s caused. I have no doubt about it. Once I get Nolan back, we will take Switch down and make him wish he never crossed us.
The wind picks up and I step to the edge of the platform. Rush and Ashton are standing behind me scanning everyone who steps near us. The brakes from the train make a squealing noise as it stops. The doors open and the three of us step inside. I walk to the back of the train and take a seat on the hard-plastic bench. Rush follows, and Ashton stands guard in front of us.
“Did Ashton get you all up to speed?” I ask.
“Yeah.” Rush nods his head, his black hair with blonde highlights fall towards his eyes. He pushes it back and looks at me with concern. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
“More than anything. I need to do this for Nolan, Izzy, and Xavier. Redline was going to go in, but now he can’t. They need to be stopped and I’m not backing down.” My hands are shaking again from the anger seething in my body. I clench my hands into fists and take a deep breath. I need to have more control and not let my emotions overpower me.
“We’re here,” Ashton grunts.
The train slows down and the three of us stand up and walk toward the doors. I’m in between Ashton and Rush this time. The doors whoosh open and we step out onto the platform. There are people all around us waiting for other trains or making their way out of the underground city. I look around and spot a young girl and a little boy sitting on a bench. She’s scolding him, while he cries in his little hands. She pulls her blonde hair into a ponytail and there are big hoop earrings dangling from her ears. Her hazel eyes meet mine for a moment before she turns her attention to the little boy. She whispers something to him and he pulls his little hands away from his face. His eyes meet mine. Similar features I’ve adored just a few hours before staring back at me. Before I decided to approach them, a swarm of people passes between us. I shove my way through the crowd, my heart beating hard in my chest. There’s no way. This can’t be happening. Rush is shouting my name, but I ignore him.
Finally able to break free from the crowd, the teenager and the little boy are gone. Disappeared. Nowhere in sight. Rush and Ashton approach me. I spin around pinning Ashton with a deadly glare.
“What the fuck is going on?” I demand.
“What are you talking about?” Ashton asks. He’s withholding something. I can see it in his eyes. “Come on we need to get out of here.”
“Ashton Iverson, so help me God, you better explain yourself now. Who the fuck was that? I know you know.” I growl.
“Not here. There’s so much in play right now, I can’t explain it here. Come on. Let’s scope this place out and I’ll tell you.” Ashton answers.
“You better explain everything. This shit doesn’t work if you keep things to yourself. I’m so pissed right now I could throttle you.”
“Good, keep that feeling. You’re going to need it tonight,” he responds.
We walk toward the tunnel exit and into the street. The sun is hiding behind some dark clouds and the wind picks up, creating a shiver to wrack my body. We walk in silence down an empty side street. The massive buildings are blocking the wind and I glance around. There’s a large bald man standing in front of a discreet brown brick building, smoking a cigarette. His eyes meet mine from across the street for a moment and I break eye contact. Walking between Rush and Ashton, I peek around Ashton’s massive form to get a better glimpse of the building. The man is following us with his eyes as we walk around the corner and stop.
“The guy out front is a guard. We might need a password to enter the building.” Ashton says.
“I have it. They sent it to Nolan’s phone when confirming the fight. Come on. It’s getting close to time and I need to focus on what I have to do inside and change my clothes.” Feeling like this was a wasted trip, we head back to our apartment building. No one saying a word.
Once we get inside, I go into the bedroom and shut the door. I pull out Nolan’s phone and turn it on. I scroll through his pictures of the two of us and a tear falls down my cheek. I don’t bother to wipe it away. Why are these people so adamant about getting to Nolan? What did he do to make them want to hurt Izzy and Xavier? Why are they tearing apart my family? I’ve never even met these people before.
A loud knock on the door startles me from my questioning. I get up from the bed and pocket Nolan’s phone. Opening the door, I’m face to face with Ashton.
“We need to talk.” He grumbles. I follow him into the living room where the laptop is still on and a picture of a little boy fills the screen.
“That’s the boy from the subway station,” I say, shocked.
Rush comes up behind me and studies the picture too. A small gasp flows from his lips. The little boy staring back at us is a spitting image of Nolan. From the brown hair to the whiskey-colored eyes and crooked smile, this has to be Nolan’s kid. My heart drops to my toes staring at the screen. Is Nolan really missing or did he go back to whoever this kid’s mother is and make us think they took him? Is this why he wanted to come back and not tell me? These questions plague my mind as I stare off into space. The seed of doubt for how much Nolan loves me and how much I don’t know about him takes over and I become furious. Angry at Nolan, angry at Switch, angry at this unknown woman who’s trapped my man in her sticky web of lies and deceit.
“Ash,” Rush says gently, rubbing my arms. “Stop. You know Nolan. You know he loves you and if he knew, you know he would have said something.”
“Are you sure Rush? What if all of this was a lie? What if he’s out fucking this other woman as we speak, laughing at the way I’m worried about him?” Tears are threatening to spill down my cheeks and my stomach is churning. I’m going to be sick. I run into the bathroom and dry heave into the toilet. Once I stop retching, I lean back against the wall, wiping my mouth with toilet paper. Sobbing, I lay on the floor, curling up into a ball. How could I have been so stupid and let someone like Nolan into my life? Into my heart? Everyone I’ve ever loved leaves me and why should he be any different. I was just a means to pass the time until he could come back here and be with this woman.
The bathroom door cracks open and Rush sticks his head inside. He sees me on the floor, a crumbled mess and immediately comes to my side. At least he’s never left me. No matter how hard things get, Rush is always there for me. My heart shatters into a million pie
ces, I cling to Rush and cry. He strokes his hands down my silky hair, soothing the inner turmoil running through my head.
“Ash, please. You know Nolan isn’t like that. He’s not going to leave you. I strongly believe they took him and we need to get him back. He loves you.” Rush’s strong rich voice quiets my sobs.
Sniffling against his hoodie, I look out into the bedroom. Our bed is still disheveled from this morning’s fun we had. Every caress, every touch, every look is etched into my mind. “How do you know this? How can you know he isn’t laughing at us right now? Everyone I’ve loved leaves me. How can you know he won’t?”
“I know because I see the both of you. I see the way he watches you move. I see the way his eyes light up when you walk into a room. I see the way he needs to touch you when you’re near, the way he reaches for you when you walk by. I see it all and I see both of you are made for each other. Trust me, I’ve never lied about something like this before. I’ve never seen the dynamics you two have for each other with anyone else.” He raises my chin to stare into his black eyes. “You’ve found your other half. Now, get off your ass and fight for him.”
Staring into Rush’s black eyes, I get what he gets. I see what he sees. “Thank you, Rush. God, I feel like such a baby. My emotions are all over the place. What do we do now?”
Ashton walks into the bathroom and a frown crosses his face when he sees Rush’s arms around me, comforting me. He crosses his arms over his chest and lets out a grunt of disapproval. That has me on edge and my temper flares. I stand up and wipe the stray tears trailing down my cheeks. Approaching Ashton, he quirks an eyebrow at me. “You got something to say?” I demand.
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