She’d survived so much already, and she be damned if she went down without a fight. Brooke and Chase flashed through her mind. She had to survive for them. And Declan…
She flung her head back, cracking hard against the man’s face. Pain exploded at the point of contact, white lights sparking in her eyes and making it hard to stay focused.
“You bitch!” he growled, his hold becoming crushingly tight. “Keep fighting, and I’ll kill you.” The culprit’s voice brushed against her ear in a sinister tone that stood the hairs along her neck on edge. She couldn’t see him, had no idea what this man was capable of, but going off his tone alone, he was deadly.
He pressed against her, his pocket hard and bulky. “Feel that. 45 Caliber. Don’t try me because I’m a perfect shot.”
Every inch of her body froze, sweat pooled along her hairline, afraid if she moved one muscle, he would end her now and her life would be nothing more than a series of sad unfortunate events.
Her willpower faltered, and she swallowed, body going still. He dragged her to the car next to hers. She prayed someone, anyone, would walk by, but the parking lot was dead silent.
In the struggle, her scarf held on by a thread and when the man shoved her toward the backseat of the car, his hands loosened for a second, and she let her mother’s scarf fall to the ground before he tossed her into the car and locked her in.
The guy got in the car, slammed the door, and threw it in reverse. “Try anything and I won’t just kill you. I’ll save your body for Luke to find. Now put these on behind your back.”
His eyes were black, like death, staring at her from the rearview mirror. Age lines slashed through his face, telling her the years hadn’t treated him well. His greasy black hair was slicked back, the ends curling. A pair of handcuffs slapped her hard in the face, and she winced as pain vibrated up her cheek.
Air sucked out of her, and she forced down the rising panic. She had no idea what was happening and who this guy was. Who the hell was Luke? Was it someone from Declan’s past? Was this part of the puzzle that Declan had kept to himself?
All she knew was that she spent her life overcoming people’s pity because of her father leaving and her mother’s unexpected death, and she’d be damned if she’d die a victim.
Chapter 17
Declan was on edge. It was only a matter of time before Trigger found him. Bringing danger to this town that had accepted him with no questions was something he simply couldn’t allow. But what the hell was he supposed to do? Continue running for the rest of his life, constantly looking over his shoulder, fearing every turn, afraid he might be taken out the minute he let his guard down? He couldn’t live like that, and he wouldn’t. He already said to O’Reilly he wasn’t running again, and he meant it.
He needed to figure shit out and finally put an end to the past that wouldn’t let him go. Declan didn’t want to get Matt involved, but he needed him to know what was going on. He hoped he was being overcautious, and Matt wouldn’t have to get involved on any level, but he needed someone other than O’Reilly to know. Someone who could protect Layla if something were to happen to him.
He walked into the police station and stopped to speak to a Martha, Matt’s assistant, receptionist, and at times dispatcher. She was an older woman with a take no shit kind of attitude.
“Hey Declan,” she said. “Let me see if he’s available.”
She picked up her phone, but she didn’t need to use it because Matt appeared in the doorway of his office. “Declan,” he said. “Come on in.”
Declan thanked the woman then bypassed her desk and headed to Matt’s office. When he got there, he eased the door shut and sat at the chair in front of Matt’s desk.
“You said it was important on the phone,” Matt said.
“It is.”
“What’s going on?”
Where the hell did he start? He didn’t even know if Trigger was coming to Red Maple Falls, but if he was coming, Declan needed to make sure Layla was safe, and the only way to do that was to let Matt know everything. He started from the beginning, telling Matt about his dad and how he was born into a life he never would have chosen for himself. Then he told him about his dad’s death and how he stayed in the club because of Vegas. He told him about O’Reilly and the bust and how he testified and got them all locked up. He told him about Trigger, not leaving anything out. The more Matt knew about Trigger, the more he knew how dangerous he was.
“Trigger got out a few days ago,” he added.
Declan was aware that Matt had been in the marines and that single fact gave Declan a little peace of mind. When it came to dealing with someone like Trigger, if God forbid he had to, combat training would come in handy.
When he was done purging his past, Declan reclined in his chair. “That’s everything.”
Matt stood up and paced back and forth, running a hand over his face before stopping and leveling his gaze at Declan. “Just answer one question. Is my town in danger?”
“I wish I could say no, but I don’t know. That’s why I’m telling you. For precaution.”
“Damn it, Declan.” Matt held his hand up, finger pointing. He retracted it and stepped away, shaking his head. “I have thousands of people coming through here in the next few weeks for the Fall Festival. My guys are already working overtime.”
“I know, and I wish I had an answer for you, but I don’t.”
“I swear if something happens to a single person in this town, it’s on you.”
Matt was an honorable man, and this town, every person who resided in the lines, was his extended family. His job was to protect and serve them, and Declan knew Matt would do everything in his power to make that happen. If something went wrong, Declan was willing to take the blame.
“Understood,” Declan said.
“Why don’t you just skip town for a few weeks, go into hiding. I’m sure we can find someone to run Calhoun’s.”
“I won’t leave Layla unprotected.”
“I’ll keep an eye out for her.”
Declan shook his head. While it seemed like a good answer, he already concluded, it wasn’t. If he left town and something happened to her, he’d never forgive himself for not being here. He was the one who blurred the line, got involved with her, and he would be the one to stay and make sure she was protected. Trigger wanted him, and if he showed up, Declan would gladly hand himself over before he’d let the vindictive asshole near Layla.
“I’m not leaving her. I’m sorry, but I think you can understand. Put yourself in my boots. If you thought Shay was in danger, would you leave her to go hide out?”
He met his gaze, his face stoic and serious. “No.”
“So you know, no matter what you say, I’m not leaving.”
“Yeah, I got that, but it doesn’t mean I like it.”
“He’s gunning for me. He wouldn’t want anything to get in his way, so I doubt he’ll hurt anyone and risk getting caught. Once he does, I’ll figure it out.”
“Figure it out?” Matt said. “That doesn’t sound very reassuring.” He released a breath and sat back in his chair. He folded his hands on his desk and leaned forward. “I’ll get one of my guys on you.”
“No,” Declan said. “I don’t even know if he’s going to find me, and if he does, I am not putting your guys at risk.”
“So what? You’re going to take him out yourself? I don’t want you to have blood on your hands, and I don’t want a dead body in my town. We don’t need the bad press, especially not right now. Let the law handle this.”
Declan’s temper flared, and he jumped up from the chair, unable to control his emotions any longer. “I did and look what good that did me! He got out and now he’s after me. The law failed me, and I’m not taking my chances again. I can’t keep living like this. It needs to end.”
“I’m not arguing that. I’m just saying don’t do anything stupid. You have to think about this. You kill him then how can we prove it was self-defense? Would you rather g
et thrown in jail and serve time for murder? How do you think Layla will feel about that? Especially when it hits the news, and now it’s not just her father making headlines but her boyfriend.”
Declan remembered that day in Layla’s living room, her eyes glued on the television as her father spewed bullshit from his mouth. The hurt in her gaze, the pain that tugged at her eyes, and the frustration that filled her features before she snapped. He never wanted to see her like that again.
Matt was right. If Declan killed Trigger, he wouldn’t be fixing the problem; he’d be making it worse.
Before Layla, he would have gladly taken a bullet to end this all, but now he had to think about her. Dying was an option but not anymore. He needed to survive. He just needed to figure out how.
Chapter 18
Declan headed out of the police station and back to his bike. He scanned his surroundings as he went, looking for anything out of the ordinary. Nothing caught his attention, so he kicked his leg over his bike and got ready to pull away.
Matt ran out the door, yelling his name. Declan paused and swung his gaze toward the station. Matt moved with determination, and Declan hopped off his bike and met him halfway. “What’s going on?”
“I just got a call from the nursing home. One of the residents said she looked out the window and saw someone take Layla. I’m going to go down there and see what’s going on.”
Every muscle in Declan’s body tightened; his heart slammed to a stop, and his stomach twisted in sickening knots. “I’ll kill him,” Declan snarled, storming toward his bike. Matt grabbed his arm, and Declan yanked out of his grip. “Don’t try and stop me.”
“Where are you going to go?” he asked. “You have no idea where he took her… if he took her. The resident is in her eighties and doesn’t have the best sight. Let me do my job, and we’ll find her.”
Declan wanted to say screw that and go search every square inch of the town, but Matt was right. It would be looking for a needle in a haystack. There was one thing he was wrong about, though. Layla was taken, he knew that without a doubt, and he needed to get her back.
“What’s your plan?” Declan asked.
“Let’s go,” Matt said.
He jogged over to his cruiser, and Declan hopped in the passenger side. “We need to question the resident who saw it go down. Find out as much information as we can. If she really saw someone take Layla, hopefully she’ll be able to tell us what kind of vehicle he was driving, what he looked like.”
“I know what he looks like,” Declan ground out. He’d rather rely on his description than a vision impaired resident of a nursing home.
“You have no idea if he’s dyed his hair or altered his appearance to make it harder for him to be found. We need to be thorough.”
“I don’t have time to be fucking thorough.” His heart pounded in rapid succession, and every inch of his body was filled with an anxious twitch. If Trigger hurt as much as a hair on her head, Declan would make him pay.
Declan reached into his pants pocket and dialed O’Reilly, grateful he took the asshole’s number. Even more thankful the asshole insisted after Declan told him no three times. He answered on the first ring.
“What’s up?”
“He has Layla,” he said.
“Fuck. I’m getting in my car. Where should I meet you?”
“Red Maple Falls Nursing Home.”
“I’m right behind you.”
Declan ended the call, and Matt glanced in his direction. “Who the hell was that?”
“O’Reilly.”
“He’s still in town?” Matt asked, his voice going up an octave.
“Yeah.”
Matt glanced at Declan, but Declan didn’t look back. He kept his eyes focused on the surrounding area, looking for a sign of Layla or Trigger.
“Reason you left that tidbit out?”
“Slipped my mind,” Declan said.
“I bet it did.”
Matt radioed into the station. “Martha, I need you to put an ATL out. We're looking for a missing and endangered person named Layla Marshall. Was last seen at her place of employment, possibly abducted. White female, brown hair, last seen in purple scrubs. I want all the roads coming in and going out of town blocked off.
“It’s the first weekend of the Fall Festival. Do you think that’s a good idea? Traffic will be backed up for miles,” Martha said.
“Just do it.”
“Fine. Copy that. Care to tell me what’s going on? I transferred a call to you and then you stormed out.”
Matt pressed the button of his radio then let it go. His jaw ticked, and he pressed it again. “We have reason to believe Layla Marshall was kidnapped.”
Chapter 19
Layla thought the worst thing to happen to her, other than her mother’s death, was her father blabbing to the tabloids. If she could only go back there instead of being handcuffed in a car with some crazed lunatic, she’d do it in a heartbeat.
She kept her eyes on the roads, hoping she’d be able to plan an escape and get to the authorities before this psychopath had a chance to hurt Declan. The only thing that was giving her peace of mind was the fact that Brooke and Chase were safe thousands of miles away.
He was staying away from Main Street and the roads that led to Basil Hill Farms, sticking to the less traveled roads that dipped and looped through the outskirts of town.
If only she had her cell phone. The asshole took her bag when he shoved her in the backseat. If she could manage to get to it somehow and make a call… Did anyone even know she was missing? Normally, she’d stop by Calhoun’s after work, but she wasn’t sure if Declan would think much of anything if she didn’t show up.
The handcuffs were barely on; she made sure to leave them loose. If she could slip her hands out, grab the guy around the neck, maybe she had a fighting chance. But what if he lost control of the car and they crashed into a tree? Would she survive the crash?
Anxiety pricked under her skin. There was no way she was dying like her mother so her brother and sister could go through that hell all over again. There had to be another way.
Just as she was contemplating opening the door and jumping, the car veered off the road and came to an abrupt stop. Not prepared for the sudden slam on the brakes, her body jolted forward, and she smashed into the driver seat, her head smacking against the headrest with a thud.
Stars burst behind her eyes, and she winced away the pain. The guy dumped her bag on the front seat, grabbed her cell, and got out of the car. He flung the back door open and reached for her. She scurried away, kicking her feet out, hoping to land a good kick to his face.
He grabbed her by the ankle and yanked her across the seat. “I wasn’t going to kill you,” he said. “But don’t tempt me.”
She didn’t know if she should stop fighting or continue trying. It wasn’t like she could trust this guy. She didn’t even know who the hell he was.
“Who…” Her words faltered, and she swallowed. “Who are you?”
“Luke didn’t tell you about his brothers?”
There was that name again. “I don’t know a Luke.”
“Oh, that’s right. He’s going by his middle name these days. Declan.”
Layla shook her head. Declan wasn’t his real name? Confusion slammed into her like a big ugly punch to the gut. What else hadn’t he been honest about?
“No,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady and void of fear. “He didn’t tell me about his brothers.”
He grabbed her arm and yanked her toward him. The leather vest he wore was covered in patches. The word Trigger sat above his chest. Was that his name?
A chill ran through her body as his hands reached behind her. He tightened the cuffs and pulled out a bandana. “Can’t let you see where we’re going,” he said as he draped the bandana over her eyes and yanked it tight.
Her head snapped at the force. When the bandana was secured, he wrenched her out of the car, and she stumbled, trying to find her foot
ing. “Yell and I’ll tape your mouth shut,” he said.
She tried to keep up with his pace, but with her sight gone, she was having a hard time. The hard feel of the ground gave way to a softer terrain. Leaves crunched under foot, and she realized he was bringing her into the woods. Oh God. What was he planning on doing to her?
Her heart slammed against her chest, her breath nearly impossible to catch as fear consumed her. She fought the rising panic and tried to calm herself. Panicking would get her nowhere.
“If you’re his brother, why are you doing this?” she asked.
His grip tightened, fingers digging deep into her flesh. “Because he’s no longer my brother. He’s a rat who got me and our other brothers thrown in the slammer.”
Brothers? And then it dawned on her like a light bulb had flickered to life in her head. He wasn’t talking about brothers in the sense of genetics; he was talking about the members of the motorcycle club. What did Declan do to get the members thrown in jail? Is that why this guy was after him? For revenge? Was she a bargaining tool, so he could get Declan to come to him? Or was she the collateral damage in his twisted plot for vengeance?
Her body shuddered at the thought, fear momentarily paralyzing her. “Let’s go!” Trigger snarled, jerking her arm and causing her to stumble. “Who the hell taught you how to walk?”
“What are you going to do with me?” She doubted he would tell her, but she wanted to know if she should close her eyes and have her final thoughts on earth. If only she could tell Declan how much she loved him. See her brothers and sister one last time.
“You’re bait,” he said.
Her foot hit something hard, and Trigger tugged her upward. Steps. She hit steps. She walked up them and heard the click of a door. Where the hell were they? They had left the main road and wandered into the woods. How did they get to a house?
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