"I'm gonna need you, Tink," I stated, forgoing all crosswalks and darting around the remaining members of the exiting employees, who by now had noticed something was going on.
"I'm already in the Department of Transportation website. We're gonna use the red light cameras, Adrian, but the asshole hasn't moved. He's just..."
"Staring," I hissed, finally getting my first real glimpse at Terry Windsor and his friend.
He was leaning casually against the brick wall of a small cafe across the street. He was thin, with dark hair and a scar across his chin—all things that Doc had made sure she drew to perfection, so that we would recognize him. His partner I was barely able to make out. The asshole had hidden himself in the shade of the cafe's awning. The worst part of looking at him was knowing for a fucking fact that he'd taken Juan and my girl, that he wanted to kill her. It made me sick. It made me murderous, and I couldn't wait to get my hands on them.
When I turned to follow his line of sight, I could've snapped right there in front of the press and civilians. He was just glaring at Alyssa through the glass of the press room wall, as my father, Kristen, and Macon guided her out and up towards the elevators of Neil Tower.
To my left, Ross was making her way down the sidewalk, and to my right, Jackson had just crossed to the corner, turning towards us.
The asshole finally broke his eyes away from the front of the building, looking up at me, to his right, and then his left, but it was Ross that got his attention. It wasn't all that surprising that she got his attention. She was just about the same size as Alyssa, with a bit shorter hair.
"Hey, pal," she sneered, walking a little faster. "Rumor has it you’re one of the guys that took my kid!" Her smile didn't come anywhere near her eyes. "You like taking kids and roughing up women? Come on, give me a go, why don't ya?"
Windsor stood up straight with wide eyes, the other guy remained slinking along the wall when he realized he was being closed in on. Just before Ross could get to him, he backed up two steps and bolted for the alleyway with Windsor behind him. When we broke through the other end, the big guy was already gone, but we did catch the thin frame of Terry Windsor.
" Forget him, J, take the other street! See if we can't corral him," I commanded, pointing for him to go the other way.
Ross and I took off, giving chase.
"If he turns, you gotta tell me, man," Jackson breathed as he ran.
"We're heading west up this alley, and he's a fast little slime ball," Ross told him as we dodged dumpsters and piles of garbage.
Ross took a quick right, cutting across a parking lot; it looked like he was heading for a small park.
"North, J," I panted, running as fast as I could. "He's head towards the park."
"Yes, sir. I'll cut up."
"Adrian," Tink said in my earpiece.
"Go ahead," I grunted, hurdling a flower planter to enter and landing next to some picnic tables. I could still see the asshole ahead of me, pushing women and little kids out of his way to get through.
"Dario isn't far from you. He wants to know where you want him. He and Hunter were on their way back to the tower, and they want to help you get that asshole."
"Heading northwest through the park. I need him ahead of me. He needs to cut him off!"
Terry exited the park, taking a left into another alleyway between two rather tall buildings.
"We just crossed Pine," Ross panted. "He's trying to lose us in the apartments, Tink."
"I see him," Tink replied, and I could see what the little pixie was trying to do; she was manipulating the lights so that traffic would slow him down.
We crossed one more street, and I was almost hit by a taxi as we continued down another shaded alley. In fact, I had to slide across the hood of it just to keep from getting clipped. Just as we came out on a fairly busy street, an SUV came out of nowhere, just barely catching Windsor's leg and causing him to roll in the street, but the fucker launched to his feet and kept running.
"Damnit!" the driver growled, and when I ran by, I saw that it was Dario.
"Keep going, keep going!" I snapped, gesturing for him to go around the block, because the truck wouldn't fit down the alleys.
My legs and lungs were on fire, but I pushed on, because ahead, I could see a dead end. I thought we had him, until he dove for the fire escape and scrambled his ass up.
"He's going up!" Ross and I yelled.
Ross rattled off the address as we passed the front of the building.
I jumped up and grabbed the ladder, reaching for her and practically throwing her at it, but she took it all in stride and hurried up to the first level, with me right behind.
"Jackson," Tink called over the radio. "Take the building you're next to, climb to the roof. You should only be three buildings away from them. Maybe you can catch him in the middle."
"On it," he answered her.
"Harris," Macon crackled in. "We're where we need to be. And we're good, just...get a hit in for me, will ya?"
"Got to fucking catch his ass first, Mack," I growled, looking up to see Windsor clamber over the roof wall. "If we can get a clear shot, I'm gonna shoot is feet off so he can't run any-fucking-more."
I heard chuckles from Mack and Tink, and breathless snorts from Jackson and Ross. We were running out of steam and places for Terry to go.
"Then...I'm gonna get creative…” I sneered, looking up at Ross as she pulled me up onto the roof.
"Keep him in a cell for three days?" Ross asked.
"At least," I grunted, catching a glimpse of the little fucker jumping to the next roof. "Damnit," I growled, shaking my head. "Jackson, he's heading your way, man."
"I see him," he whispered, but I heard him grunt hard. "Fuck, that was close! I'm getting too old for this shit..." he mumbled. "Jumping buildings, chasing assholes, and a partridge in a pear tree..."
Ross laughed, slamming into the far roof wall when we reached the other side. "He's right there," she whispered, pointing to the next building. And I see J. We've trapped him in the building between us."
I pulled my Glock, but I didn't have a shot. I was too far away.
"J, we need to get onto that roof at the same time. You got one more jump in you?" I asked him over the headset.
"Yeah, on three, bro," he huffed, taking a deep breath. "One..."
I backed up, trying to get the best spot to jump over. "Two..."
"Three!" we yelled together, and I took off, leaping at the last possible second in order to make it to the next rooftop.
Jackson and I both landed with a grunt, but my tired legs gave out and I rolled once, before standing back up. We were able to both converge on Windsor, who was looking over the side of the building.
"By all means, jump," Jackson panted, pulling out his gun, flipping off the safety, and arming it with swift, practiced movements. "It makes shit a helluva lot easier on us."
I pulled back the hammer on my gun with a loud click, and Windsor's eyes shot to mine. "On your knees, asshole," I snarled, taking another slow step towards him.
The jackass wasn't even scared. He had two guns aimed at him, by two men that outweighed him by at least forty pounds each, not to mention were several inches taller than him, but the fucker smiled. He fucking smiled. It was slow and creepy as he backed up against the wall of the roof.
"You think this is fucking funny?" I snapped, but he ignored me, looking once more over the edge of the building.
"I really hope he jumps. For his sake," Jackson snorted, still catching his breath. "I do not envy what you'll do to him."
"I haven't decided yet," I chuckled stiffly, my lungs still feeling like they were filled with lead. My legs were shaking as he turned again to look over the side of the building.
"And that's where you've made your first mistake," Terry finally spoke, turning to face me. "You should have killed me when you had the chance, but now...I'll still get to finish what I started. I have a job, and that also includes with Miss Marshall."
"I don't fucking think so," I said, losing my last thread of patience with this guy. I took one more step and pulled the trigger. Wanting to only maim him, I aimed low at his leg.
Terry cried out, falling to one knee as he held the through and through wound.
"You don't get death your way! You get it...mine!" I snapped, walking towards him.
There was a part of me that didn't even want to touch this pile of shit, but the other part of me, the man that saw every scar, every tear, and every nightmare of the beautiful girl he loved, wanted to tear this man apart slowly, painfully, and with so much fucking pleasure, it scared me. Mainly because this was the closest I could get to the guy that actually gave them to her.
Jackson and I walked to him, and just as we were about to reach for his shirt, he flung himself over the edge. We rushed to the side, expecting to see his splattered remains in the alley below, but I watched in fascination as he slid down one of those construction chutes, landing roughly and ungracefully right by a waiting car. He was in it and down the street before we really comprehended what we'd seen.
"Tink," Jackson growled in the earpiece, "he's in a blue Toyota, heading south down the alley off of Fourth."
"I see him," she said, typing away. "Dario, you're two blocks from him. Turn left, then turn right!"
"Fuck!" I snarled, balling up my fist and punching the closest thing to me, which thankfully, wasn't the brick wall, but an air conditioning vent. It collapsed under my punch.
I listened with fascination as Tink tried her damnedest to guide Dario, but the guy slipped down a few alleys that were blind to her, and they lost him when he finally came out at a main intersection, blending in downtown traffic. Terry was fucking gone.
“Damn it!" I growled, running a hand through my sweaty hair. I pulled my sunglasses off, and they shattered in my fist, so I tossed them to the rooftop.
My father's voice came over the radio. "Adrian, get back here. Have Dario pick you up, son," he ordered, his voice calmer than I expected, considering the fact that I'd failed to do what he asked.
"Yes, sir..." I muttered, getting a pat on the back from Jackson.
"Hurry, son...Alyssa needs you..."
"Fuck! Alyssa," I sighed, feeling like an asshole as I looked over at Jackson, because I'd totally forgotten about her reaction to seeing Windsor. "You tell her I'm coming. Put the radio in her ear if you have to, okay?" I asked, somehow finding the strength to run to the fire escape.
"Just...hurry, Adrian," he urged, as Jackson and I made our way down to the street.
Dario pulled up a few minutes later, and Hunter, Danny, and Jeff made room for me, Jackson, and Ross to climb in. I sat back, my head falling to the head rest as I took a deep breath and let it out.
"They'll come back, kid," Dario sighed, pulling out on the street. "Sounds like they couldn't stop themselves from coming." I nodded, just looking out the window.
"Hey," Hunter said beside me, placing one of his hands on my shoulder. “Alyssa's safe, and that's the most important thing...right now. Got me?"
"Yeah," I muttered, nodding again and suddenly feeling an ache to see her that I couldn't even express. "Just...get me back to her."
Dario grunted that he'd heard me, taking the next turn. "You got it, kid.”
Chapter 26- Second Quarter
Another three months had passed ending Alyssa’s first official quarter in complete control. She secured an open ended contract with South Cape following Dad’s negotiation terms to the letter and because of it, Neil Industries Stock was at an all-time high. The lower level execs loved the way that she ran things and greeted her warmly every time she walked the floors. The only ones that were still uneasy were the members of the board, but with the profits pouring in, even they couldn’t argue. She was doing an exceptional job, but she wanted it all to be over, and I felt beyond pissed that I couldn’t give her the one thing she wanted. My mind ran over the day three months ago, when I had to tell her that Terry Windsor and the mystery guy, our only lead, just got away.
Dad and Macon said when they had first got her back upstairs, and in Paul’s apartment that she was scared shitless. Doc got to her, talked her though everything, and by the time I got there, that fear was replaced with anger. She was pissed that she froze, because Alyssa rarely froze. When I got her into a room by herself her eyes were practically tearing in frustration.
"Hey," I said, cupping both sides of her face. "It's okay, he's gone. Not gone like I'd like him to be, but he won't touch you, love. Please, please stop being hard on yourself."
"Tell me what happened," she sniffed, trying her damnedest to settle down.
"We chased him to the roof of an apartment building. Jackson and I thought we had him cornered, and hell, I even shot the motherfucker, but he jumped," I told her, shaking my head at how fucked up it was that asshole got away from us.
"I thought you said he got away," she accused, narrowing her eyes at me.
"He did, baby," I sighed, brushing the rest of her tears away. "He slid down one of those construction chutes, and there was a car waiting for him."
"Oh," she huffed, and then took a deep breath, her brow still furrowed. “Both of them?”
"It's my fault," I nodded, running a hand through my hair. "I shouldn't have hesitated, but I was so angry that he was there, that he took Juan and all of this shit happened, and the way that he was staring at you...that I couldn't even begin to figure out what the fuck I wanted to do to him. And that cost me..."
My girl wrapped me up in a tight hug, murmuring, "Thank you for trying," but I hissed when her hand pressed against the scrape on my shoulder blade. She pulled back quickly, eying me intently. "Bathroom. Let me see," she ordered, scrambling down off of my lap.
I groaned, but followed her into the bathroom of the hidden apartment, my legs now stiff from my fall to the rooftop.
She spun in front of me, hands on hips. "Strip, mister."
"If you wanted me naked, you just have to say so, Alyssa," I teased her, but she wasn't having it.
"Not funny, Adrian. Let me see."
Carefully, I tugged my shirt over my head, kicked out of my shoes, socks, and pants, and stood before her in my underwear. I felt like an admonished child, until her eyes welled up.
"Baby, please don't," I begged her, pulling her to me. "It's just some scrapes. I'm fine."
"Your knee is swollen, Adrian," she bit back, pointing to the shower. "Shower. I'll get you some clean clothes and something for pain and those scrapes."
"Nothing more than over the counter, love," I grumbled. I'd experienced pain meds after my chopper crash, and I didn't need to be anything other than alert.
"'Kay," she sighed, pointing to the shower. "In, Adrian."
By the time I'd hissed and winced like a pussy through my whole shower, I got out to see she was waiting for me, with clean clothes, a bottle of water, two pills, and a first aid kit.
"This shit is not necessary, Alyssa," I growled, rolling my eyes at her wry smile.
"Tough. Put these on and sit," she commanded, ignoring my grumpy look and handing me a pair of boxers. We had all spent the night in this apartment at least once since she took it over. Sometimes with all of the work involved it was just easier.
She was so fucking cute, all commanding and serious, that I couldn't help but just do what she asked, because I got the feeling this was something that she needed to do...and she'd stopped crying, so whatever kept her tears at bay was a good thing.
I'd watched her the night I got her back from the mountain. She'd been so careful with Victor, cleaning his wound and wrapping it. My father, Doc, and I had stopped to watch her. Doc had whispered that it was therapy for Alyssa to help someone else with an injury, that it helped her forget her own wounds that she'd suffered through.
"Here, take these, please," she pleaded, putting two pills in my hand and handing me the water. "It's just acetaminophen, but it'll help, okay?"
I no
dded, downing the entire bottle of water at the same time.
She worked quietly, her eyes focused and concentrated on my injuries. Both knees were scraped up—and the one was swollen—so she cleaned them and medicated them, but I stopped her from bandaging them.
"Leave them open," I said, shrugging when she looked up at me, but she didn't argue.
She stood up and gently turned me so that she could take a look at my back, which actually stung worse than my knees, and I couldn't help it when I hissed the second she started to clean it.
"Did you fall, Adrian?"
"Not really. I'd run like six or seven blocks and climbed the fire escape, so by the time I jumped from one roof to another, my knees were tired. I landed okay, but I had to roll to soften the impact," I explained softly, flinching again when she swiped at it one more time.
"Here," she giggled, leaning forward and blowing softly on my skin to take the sting away.
That simple, innocent gesture shot straight to my dick, and I had to bite my lip to keep from letting out a groan, because I could just imagine her lips, her breath, her mouth other places.
"I'm going to cover this one, baby, so your shirt doesn't stick to it," she whispered in my ear, which didn't help my current situation, and she totally busted me adjusting myself as she leaned forward to kiss my cheek. "You're insatiable, Mr. Harris," she purred with a giggle against my jaw.
"Your fault," I said, finally giving in to the groan I couldn't fight. "Alyssa, please hurry..."
She smiled against my shoulder, placing a long kiss to my skin with another little giggle coming from her.
"Keep laughing, Honeyface," I growled, but her laugh as she put medicine and a bandage on me just made me smile, because I'd rather her laugh at me, than to be upset any day.
"And your hand?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at my scraped and red knuckles.
"I... I s-sort of punched an A/C vent," I sputtered, looking at my hand as she cleaned it up, as well.
The Law of Motion (Law Series) Page 41
