Tides of Vengeance (The Montclair Brothers Book 4)

by Terri Marie

  “We don’t have to get it, Brian. We can pick up a sweatshirt or something.” She was only thinking about his warmth when she’d brought the black hoodie up to the counter.

  “No it’s fine. Thank you for doing all of this. I guess I still have a lot more issues to deal with than I thought,” he joked, while softly elbowing her, but Carrie knew the truth when she heard it.

  “Let’s go grab me some clothes. We have to hurry because I don’t know if there will be any cabs out front. I might have to call for one and God knows how long it’ll take for it to get here.” Brian didn’t want to go into the women’s clothing store, but Carrie insisted he come with her. There was no way she was going to let him out of her sight.

  After quickly purchasing a change of clothes for Carrie, they hurried to bathrooms near the entrance. She’d never changed faster in her life. She had to make sure to be out before Brian, so nothing would happen to him. He strolled out in his new jeans and t-shirt, but he was still wearing his black dress shoes. She sighed, but they couldn’t spend any more time inside the mall.

  “We’ll shop more later. Besides, dress shoes and jeans aren’t totally unheard of.” Brian shook his head at her as if she hadn’t kept up with the fashion trends for someone his age. She couldn’t hide the worried look on her face.

  “Hey,” began Brian in a reassuring voice, “I look fine and so do you. Let’s get out of here. There’s lots of security in here, and we both know how risky this is.”

  Outside there wasn’t a cab in sight. “Okay, I need you to look tired and lost, and I’m going to ask the first person we see to let us use their phone.” Re-entering the mall just wasn’t an option. Carrie watched as an older woman came walking up from the parking lot.

  “Excuse me. My brother and I need a cab. Can we borrow your phone to call for one?” Brian looked as pathetic as possible.

  “I’ll call one for you, Sweetie. I have the number programmed in my phone. I always take cab rides to the hospital. There’s never any good parking over there!” She pulled the phone from her purse and called the number. After she spoke to the dispatcher, she informed Carrie that the cab should arrive within ten minutes.

  “Thank you very much,” said Brian wearily.

  “You’re both quite welcome. Have a great day and if that driver goes too fast, don’t be shy about telling him to slow the heck down!” Her voice was raspy, liked she’d been smoking for many years.

  Carrie couldn’t wait to get in the cab when it finally arrived. They’d only had to wait for fifteen minutes, but it felt like fifteen hours. She could only imagine how horrible it must have felt to be on the run and hiding from Robert, or how hard Brian had fought to stay hidden from his parents.

  “It’s going to be okay, Carrie. You should wipe that worry off your face or you’ll get wrinkles.” Brian winked at her. “I know things haven’t always worked out for me, but Tyler and Renee aren’t going to let me go back to my parents. If they catch us, I might end up there for a short period, but it won’t be long before Tyler busts me out.”

  “You’re not going back to that deathtrap, Brian. Not under my watch.” Carrie looked at him as seriously as she could.

  “I know you’re smart and that you’re trying your best, but if I get caught and have to live with her for a short while, I’ll deal.” Brian hugged her and patted her back.

  “I made a promise to Tyler, and now I’m making one to you. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep you away from them.” Carrie held her purse up and opened it towards Brian.

  Tucked neatly inside was her gun.

  CHAPTER 2

  YOU HAVEN’T BEEN to your house in quite a while, Shirley. If you need me to have anything delivered for you and Brian, please let me know.” Tyler’s stomach was reeling. He’d never hit a woman in his life, nor would he, but siccing Emma on her was becoming even more appealing by the second. Filming your kid being abused makes you even guiltier and crazier than the person who was directly doing the harm. Tyler smiled as visions of her being cemented into a block and dumped overboard into a lake of fire, ran through his head.

  “Where’s Brian? It’s been about ten minutes. He should be back by now.” Shirley wrung her hands and stared at the doors to the courtroom.

  “I’m afraid that Brian’s stomach has been a wreck for the past two days.” Tyler glanced at his brothers for some help. He was running out of conversation topics and excuses.

  “Sorry about that,” began Jacob. “I treated Brian to some sushi and I think it got him a little sick. It’s not food poisoning, but the kid ate a truck load of the stuff!” Tyler watched as his brothers shared in the laughter.

  “Well I believe that!” Shirley chimed in with more of her lies. “He’s always been a big eater. That boy could easily eat us out of house and home. It was hard keeping enough groceries in the house!”

  Tyler’s smile slipped from his face. Sean grabbed his arm and gently tugged at him. “Bro, could you look at this email and tell me if I should forward it on to McFarlan?” Tyler blinked hard twice. He knew he couldn’t react to the crazy sicko, but who the hell was McFarlan?

  “Uh, sure. Tyler turned to Sean who had typed a message on the screen of his phone. ‘Easy Brother. Brian’s safe.’ Sean then deleted the message.

  “Yes, everything seems to be correct.” Tyler gave a slight nod before turning back to Shirley.

  “Tyler, I’m going to go check on him.” Without giving anyone time to respond, Shirley headed towards the door and walked out.

  “Shit!” whispered Tyler. “I hope they’re long gone.”

  “We’re going to the office. Right now!” Vincent directed through clenched teeth. “All of us! Hurry before the cops start asking questions.”

  “I’ll go out first,” offered Tyler. “I’ll try to stall the bitch to give you guys time to get out of here.” He hurried to the door and stepped out into the hallway. There was Shirley, aimlessly walking around.

  “Tyler, he’s not out here. Could you check in the bathroom for me? I can’t exactly go in there.” She stared at the restroom door down a short corridor.

  “No, you don’t want to go in there. I’m sure it’s disgusting. Let me check it out instead.” Tyler went into the restroom, waited for about thirty seconds, then came back out. “I see familiar shoes, so I think he’s in a stall. Let’s give him a few more minutes. Back at the house, he’d be in the john for a good half hour!” Tyler laughed as he looked around at the positioning of the guards and the cameras. There’s no way Brian walked out of here without being caught on film, he realized.

  “This is worrying me, Tyler. What if he’s really sick? There’s no way he’ll make the long ride back to Ohio. I’m his mother, so I should let him know I’m right outside.” Shirley started for the corridor.

  “You don’t want your first day back together to be centered around embarrassing the kid. He needs his space right now.” Tyler tried to reassure her, but Shirley wasn’t buying it.

  “No, I’m going to the men’s room. I won’t step inside, but I’ll whisper to him from the doorway. “I’m his mother after all.” She briskly walked away from Tyler towards the men’s room. His heart began to pound in his chest.

  After about 10 seconds, she came rushing back. “He’s not in there!” Just when Tyler thought she’d start yelling for help, he gently took her hand in his.

  “Shirley, he must have gone to a different restroom. He gets embarrassed so easily. Let’s check out the other bathrooms before we start making a big deal out of this.

  “Well okay. Now that you mention it, I guess I’m overreacting a bit. Do you know where all the restrooms are in this place?”

  “No, but we’ll go find them together.” Tyler knew there were only three bathrooms in the courthouse. One in the basement, one on the main floor, and the other was located up on the third floor. But she didn’t need to know that. He’d take her on an adventure to every nook and cranny in the building.

  “Thank you, Tyler. Y
ou’re much too kind.” She allowed him to put his arm around her shoulders and guide her down to the basement.

  For once in his life, Tyler was elated over the long, rambling hallways of the courthouse. But his hope was deflated when she quickly found the bathroom.

  “I’ll peek inside. If there’s any men in there, I’ll just apologize.” Tyler watched in shock as she opened the door and stuck her head in. “There’s no one here, Tyler!” She ran past him and headed back to the elevator.

  He hurried inside with her. “Don’t panic Shirley. He must be on the second floor.” Tyler’s smile quickly left his face when the doors opened, and she poked her head out.

  “Excuse me!” She called out to a guard who was walking down the hallway. “Where’s the bathroom on this floor?”

  “There isn’t one, Ma’am. You’ll have to go up to the third floor or downstairs. But I’d go upstairs if I were you. They’re halfway down the hall on your left when you get off of the elevator.”

  “Thank you!” she said as she repeatedly pressed the button for the third floor.

  “Well at least we know where he is.” Tyler saw the fear in her eyes. To get away with all of her crimes for so long, she couldn’t possibly be stupid. He knew he couldn’t underestimate her. “If you’d like, you can wait here while I go check it out.” The elevator stopped but Shirley didn’t. When the doors opened, she ran down the hall and turned left. He heard the door bang open.

  “He’s not in here!!! Brian!!” she yelled, as she bolted back into the elevator.

  “I’m sure he’s still in the building, Shirley. He’s not a little boy, so give him a little time.” He felt a sharp pain in his temples.

  She didn’t even bother to respond. The second they reached the ground floor, she ran straight towards the guards at the entrance.

  “Officers! My son is missing!” She practically broke down in hysterics. Tyler wished he could tell them why her son needed to be far away from her.

  “Are you sure he’s not somewhere in the courthouse roaming around? Kids do that all the time. What’s his name, age, and what’s he wearing?” asked the officer.

  “He’s a teenager, for God sakes! The judge just granted me full custody, and he’s run away!”

  Tyler watched in horror as the guard wrote down Brian’s name and physical description. In a matter of a minute, a full search of the building was under way. Another guard was sent to review the video footage of the exits.

  “Stay right here. If he’s in the building we’ll find him.”

  Tyler checked his watch. Carrie should have Brian out of the city by now, he thought. He needed to find a way to get out of there, so he’d have time to speak with his brothers before the cops got to them.

  “Shirley, I have an appointment that I can’t miss. The officers will take good care of you, and they know this place better than anyone. Will you be okay if I leave now? Here’s my card. Call me the second you find out anything.” If she begged him to stay, they’d be screwed.

  “Go ahead, Tyler. He’s my responsibility now, not yours.” The look on her face had changed from humility to Satanic. He had no doubt in his mind that her intentions were to kill her own son.

  My son, thought Tyler as he walked out the door.

  ∞ ∞ ∞ ∞

  Vincent leaned against the storage room door frame waiting for Tyler to come down the hall. When the elevator dinged and his brother came rushing around the corner, gratitude washed through him. He’d been petrified that whatever his brother had done to save the kid had backfired.

  “Get in here, Tyler!” he called out in a panic.

  “The storage room? Why not one of our offices, Vinnie?” Tyler didn’t laugh like he normally would have.

  “This will buy us a few minutes when the cops show up here looking for us, and they will show up! Now, we don’t have a lot of time. You’d better explain to us what the hell you did, and how Carrie’s involved!” Vincent turned around and locked the door.

  “It’s no secret that I wasn’t going to allow Brian to walk the plank,” Tyler responded firmly. Renee smiled at him and winked.

  “You’re in on this, Renee?! How many of you knew what was going on?” Vincent could feel his temper rising.

  “No, Vinnie, I didn’t know what Tyler was going to do. It was either he got Brian away from his parents, or I was going to kill them. Emma and Elissa were going to help.” She seemed proud of herself and her plan, which sent Vincent’s mind reeling. That’s all he needed-to have to defend the three women against murder charges.

  “What happened, Tyler? I need to know every single detail.” Vincent crossed his arms and glared at his brother.

  “The short version? I asked Carrie to help me get Brian out of dodge. I gave the kid an envelope full of money and told him to run. He left the courthouse and got into a cab, where Carrie was waiting for him. I’ve provided enough money for both of them to disappear while we search for evidence. Now, if you all will excuse me, I’m going to go to my office and wait to be questioned. I don’t want any of you involved in this.” Tyler turned to leave, but Vincent grabbed his arm.

  “Listen, you’ve really, really dug a big hole for yourself. None of us want Brian to go back to them. Though we didn’t agree to or help you in this decision, pretend like we did. I need to know how to reach them, Tyler.” Vincent got out a pen and business card to write on. “Give me a number, so I can make sure they stay safe.”

  “You can’t Vinnie. Carrie’s not an idiot, so we’ll just have to wait for them to contact us. I have no idea where they’re going or where they are. I can guarantee you that they’re out of the city by now though.” Tyler looked into Vincent’s eyes.

  “Please tell me they didn’t take a damn plane…” It was moments like this when he hated being a part of the justice system.

  “Vin,” interrupted Emma. “You have to believe in Carrie. Not only is she a cop, but she’ll know all the tricks of how to go into hiding. Have faith in the woman! I’m glad Tyler did what he did. I saw him give Brian that envelope, and I knew the kid would be safe. While you’re at it, have faith in your brother!” Emma pushed between Jacob and Sean.

  Vincent nodded his head. “I do, Emma. I’m just really scared. Here’s the story. We. Don’t. Know. Anything.” That shouldn’t be hard to remember.”

  “I don’t know about the rest of you,” began Sean with a serious tone to his voice. “Escaping from his crazy parents is only the beginning. We have to find the evidence, so Brian and Carrie don’t have to spend the rest of their lives running. So Ty, what’s the plan?”

  “Well…I don’t have one.” Tyler swallowed hard.

  Vincent stared at his brother in disbelief. Now he knew they were in trouble. He had so many questions, and he needed answers, but now wasn’t the time. The cops could come knocking at any moment. “We meet tonight at ten at Tyler’s house. Bring work papers to scatter across his kitchen table in case we get an impromptu visit from Southfield’s finest. Now, go back to work like normal. If you have meetings, reschedule them so you’re out of here by five. Let’s go.” He cracked open the door and walked out while everyone else filed out behind him.

  Vincent sat at his desk and stared down at his lap. Memories of Carrie sitting there, while he held her, made him smile. He’d fallen for her, and though he hadn’t said the words, he loved that woman. She fit into his life and his heart like a hand in a glove. She’s beautiful, sweet, caring… and now a fugitive.

  He got up and walked over to the couch, sat down, and recited out loud every law Carrie was breaking. When he got to kidnapping, he wanted to throw himself onto the floor.

  As Vincent was plotting their next move, someone knocked on his door before slowly opening it. He rose to attention. It was Tyler.

  “I thought I said to go back to your office in case an officer shows up here.” Vincent’s shoulders slumped. He couldn’t wait for this day to end.

  “I brought bogus paperwork!” Tyler smiled and hel
d up a file. “Vin, the cops aren’t going to come here.”

  Vincent wanted to shake his brother. He quickly rose to his feet. “So like, we were the last ones to see him, he disappeared around the same time that we left the courthouse, and he’s a missing minor. You really believe they won’t come here to collect every grain of info they can get their hands on, Ty? They’ll especially want to talk to you.” He shook his head, clearly aggravated.

  “Maybe they will, but that’s not why I’m here. I need to make sure you aren’t angry with Carrie. This was all my idea.” Tyler closed the door without taking his eyes off of Vincent’s.

  “I don’t understand why you two kept me in the dark about this. As your attorney, and especially because I’m your brother, you should have said something to me!” Vincent sat down hard on his desk chair.

  “What would you have done if you’d have known? Try to stop us, that’s what. Not to mention you’d have become an accessory. Every member of this family, including Renee, Emma, and Elissa, would have been pulled into this.” Tyler’s voice was rising, and Vincent had to calm him down.

  “I suppose I should be thanking you, but damn it, Ty, we’re all involved anyway. There’s no chance that any of us will allow you to go on this mission by yourself. I love Brian, and I want to keep him from harm as much as you do. Go back to your office and pretend to be busy. Remember, when the cops get here, which they definitely will, you know nothing. I mean it, Bro, keep your mouth closed. Don’t offer any explanations or info that they don’t specifically ask you for.” Vincent stepped forward and hugged him. “The moment you hear from Carrie or Brian, you call me. I don’t care what time it is.”

  “You got it, I promise.” Tyler opened the door and stepped into the hall, just as the elevator dinged.