“I can handle it,” I say as I open the door.
Jake grabs my arm. “Phone me and the cops as soon as you find Gracie. Don’t do anything stupid or heroic because you’ll be of no use to anyone dead.”
“Fine,” I agree. “Now will you let me go? I need to find Gracie.”
***
The town of Elizabeth is about an hour from Old Town, if there’s not a lot of traffic. Today I’m not that lucky. It takes me closer to 90 minutes to get to Dex’s cousin’s house. His cousin, Rayleene, lives in a rundown neighborhood of mostly brick duplexes that have seen better days. Her home looks like it’s in desperate need of repair. Half dead plants line the walkway and the exterior trim is chipping badly. I notice they’ve got blankets strung up in place of actual curtains.
I ring the doorbell but it doesn’t seem to be working, so I pound on the door instead.
“Who is it?” I hear a raspy voice from behind the door.
“Delivery,” I lie.
“I didn’t order anything.”
“It’s a registered letter. It’s got your name on it.”
I hear her unlatch the lock and then open the door. According to her Facebook profile, Rayleene is 35 years old. The woman standing in front of me looks more like she’s 45 and that’s being generous. She’s rail thin and I suspect she may be some kind of addict. Maybe the drugs have not been kind to her.
“Where’s the letter?” Her voice is hoarse. She definitely smokes. She smells like an ashtray.
“Let me ask you a few questions first.” I step into the house so that she can’t close the door on me.
I quickly glance around. The place is even worse on the inside. It looks like it hasn’t been cleaned in decades or even straightened in years. And there’s an odor of stale beer and sweaty socks in the air.
“I’m looking for Dex,” I admit.
“Oh, hell no,” she says. “Get the fuck out.”
I shake my head. “Not until you tell me where he is.”
“What makes you think I know where the sick son-of-a-bitch is?”
This woman calling Dex a sick son-of-a-bitch is saying a lot. She definitely looks like she’s got her share of problems.
Not that I’m anyone to judge a person with problems. God knows I’ve got a mountain of my own.
“I’m just trying to get my girl back.”
She cackles. “Good luck with that.”
She reaches for a pack of cigarettes and I can see her hands are shaking. I also notice she’s got sores up and down her arms. She removes a cigarette from the pack and places it in her mouth. Then she looks me up and down. She takes the cigarette back out and points it at me. “You don’t smoke, do you?”
I shake my head.
“You’re not a cop are you?”
“Do I look like a cop?”
She eyes me again. “Not really. But you do look like you were in the military. I can see it in your eyes. I dated a guy who was in the military a while ago. He had the same look. Kind of like you’re there but not really. I don’t know. It’s hard to explain.”
Hard to explain. Yes. But I know exactly what she means.
“Where you in Iraq or something?”
“I really need to find Dex.”
“He hangs out with the Descendants. They’re a biker organization, if you know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I get it.”
“They’ve got a house over on Swan. It’s a few blocks from here.”
“What’s the address?”
“Five fifty six. You might not want to go over there alone.”
“I can handle it,” I state as I hurry out the door.
***
Five Fifty Six Swan is a dump just like Rayleene’s place. I’m not sure what to expect once I get inside but I have a feeling it’s not going to be good. I have just one goal, however, and that’s to get Gracie. And nothing is going to stop me from achieving my goal.
I knock on the door and wait. It’s quiet. I wonder if maybe they’re out. It is the middle of the day. But I don’t think these guys actually have day jobs.
I pound louder. I can smell the faint aroma of bacon and coffee, like someone made a late breakfast. Someone must be home.
I hear something that sounds like a muffled cry. My heart starts to race as I pound even harder.
After a moment, I hear pounding on the other side of the door. Then some rustling. I pound again. I can feel adrenaline surge through my body and I feel like I can tear the door down.
"Let me in," I yell as I use all of my body weight to smash against the door.
"Stop!" A male voice yells from the other side of the door. "You're gonna break the door."
"Then let me in!"
The door slowly opens and a small, bald head peeks out from inside. "Who are you?"
"I'm here to see Dex."
The guy laughs. "I doubt that."
"Where is he?"
The guy gives me the once over. He's small and wiry, probably only five foot three inches. But he's dressed like a biker, black leather pants, matching leather vest, the works. "Dex is out. But I've got what you need."
I cross my arms over my chest. "And just what do you think I need?"
"Not ups that's for sure. I've got whatever you want to calm your nerves. Take the edge off. Oxy? Percocet? Xanax? You name it. I've got it."
Now I'm the one eyeing him. "I'm here for a small blonde with a scar on her cheek. Her name's Gracie. Ring any bells?"
The guy gulps and I can see beads of sweat starting to form on his temples. "I don't want anything to do with that shit."
He makes a move to close the door but I'm a little quicker than he is. I've got half of my body in the door so there's no way he can close it. "Where is she?"
"I'm just watching the place while they're gone. I didn't have anything to do with her."
I can feel my stomach clench. What did Dex do to her?
I give the guy my meanest death stare. "If you want to stay healthy and happy, I suggest you tell me where she is."
The guy shakes his head. "Dex’ll kill you. And he’ll kill me too if I tell you."
"Right now it's me you need to be afraid of." When I get up closer to the guy, I can see he's starting to shake.
"She's in the back bedroom. You'd better bring a knife with you."
A knife? My mind reels with all of the reason I might need a knife? Does he have her tied up? "Where's your kitchen?"
The guy points toward the back of the room. "And the bedrooms are over there." He points in the opposite direction.
I hurry into the kitchen. It's a wreck. Dirty dishes everywhere along with some moldy food. It's repulsive enough to make me gag. I spot a bread knife on the counter so I grab it and head back out, through the living room and into the back bedroom. I take in a deep breath before I enter to prepare myself for the worst.
But I'm nearly brought to my knees anyway when I see her.
Gracie is on the bed with her arms tied to the bedposts. Her beautiful blonde hair is completely crusted with dried blood and the parts of her face that aren't bloody are black with bruises. Her eyes are so swollen they're nearly shut.
Her clothes are torn and dirty and also soiled with dried blood.
"Tucker," I hear Gracie moan. "Is that you?"
I hurry over to her. "Shhh. Don't talk."
I place a soft kiss on her forehead but even that slight touch makes her flinch in pain.
I don't have any frame of reference for how angry I feel. I want to kill Dex but even death wouldn't be enough. I want him to suffer. I want him to feel extreme pain. But now is not the time for anger.
I want to hold Gracie in my arms and never let her go again.
“I’m so sorry,” I whisper as I cradle her in my arms.
“Why?” she asks in a voice so soft it’s barely audible.
“I didn’t keep my promise. I didn’t protect you.”
“But you’re here now.”
“I still fee
l like I let you down.” I want her to know that she’s safe again. That I won’t ever let anyone hurt her again.
I need to get Gracie out of her and take her someplace where I know she will be safe. But first, I make a quick phone call to Mac and tell him exactly where I am and what’s happening just in case.
Ten
Gracie
I wonder if I've died and gone to Heaven and that's the reason I'm seeing Tucker. Why else would he be here? He couldn't have found me? How would that be possible?
But when he kisses my forehead, I know I'm still alive and Tucker is really here. Somehow he found me. He kept his promise. He wouldn't let anything happen to me.
He frees my arms and lightly rubs them to get the circulation started. He's got a strange look on his face. Sadness, horror, anger…all rolled into one.
Maybe I look at lot worse than I think. Dex has beaten me up before but never this badly. Every part of my body hurts. But not enough to keep me out of Tucker’s arms.
He embraces me and helps me out of the bed. I’m a little woozy from not eating or drinking anything and being tied up for so long. But Tucker has a tight hold on me.
“We’ve got to get out of here,” he whispers into my ear. “Before Dex comes back.”
I try to swallow but my throat is really dry. I can’t remember ever being so thirsty.
“Do you know where he went?”
“Just to make a delivery,” I reply as quietly as I can. “What about Little Louie?”
“Don’t worry about him.”
“I bet he phoned Dex.”
My worst fear is realized when I hear the sound of his motorcycle pulling into the driveway.
Tucker and I both freeze.
“The knife,” I suggest but Tucker shakes his head.
I feel my stomach knot at the thought of a confrontation between Tucker and Dex but I know it’s inevitable. And I can’t shake the feeling that they both want to kill each other and it’s because of me.
As Tucker leads me through the living room, Little Louie is standing right by the door laughing.
“Dex is gonna kill you.”
Tucker doesn’t respond. He just glares at Little Louie.
All three of us freeze when the door opens and Dex marches in. He gets so close to us that I can smell the sweat on his body. It’s a smell I’m quite familiar with but it still makes me want to vomit.
“Look at this. Loverboy’s come to save the day. Did you really think I was just gonna let you march out of here with my girl.”
I can feel every muscle in Tucker’s body tighten.
“I’m not your girl,” I spit. I’m not even sure where that came from.
Dex looks me up and down. “You’ll always be mine. And I’ll always do whatever I want to you.”
“Not anymore,” Tucker says.
Dex actually laughs. “And you think you’re gonna stop me.” Dex turns to me. “What do you want with this gimp? The guy can't even walk.”
"Tucker is more of a man than you'll ever be.”
Dex’s eyes narrow. “You’d better shut that pretty little mouth of yours. Or when I get rid of this guy, I’ll shut it for you.”
“Stay behind me,” Tucker says and I can tell by the look in his eyes that he’s dead serious. “No matter what happens, I don’t want you to move.”
I gulp but don’t move another muscle.
Without showing the slightest bit of fear, Tucker moves right into Dex’s face. The two are a pretty even match in height but Dex is flabby and Tucker is pure muscle.
I can see the slightest bit of fear cross Dex’s feature but just as quickly it’s gone. If I didn’t know Dex so well I probably wouldn’t have even noticed it.
The guys stare at each other for a long moment. I know neither one of them will back down, but for completely different reasons. Dex thinks I’m his and won’t stop until he gets me back. And Tucker will do anything to protect me.
“You think you’re tough?” Tucker says. “What kind of a man hits a woman? What kind of a man rapes a girl who’s not even out of high school yet?”
As Tucker speaks, Dex’s face turns to stone and his hands become tight balls of fury. I don’t want Dex to hit Tucker. I don’t want him to get hurt because of me. Just as I’m about to jump between them, Tucker turns back and gives me a quick look. One that says: Remember what I told you. Don’t move.
Just as Tucker turns back around, Dex pulls out a long knife and waves it in front of Tucker’s face.
I’m completely floored when Tucker starts to laugh. “Do you think I’m afraid to die? I’m not. And I would do anything to protect this girl, even if it means sacrificing my own life so you’ll go to prison.”
Without showing any signs of fear, Tucker points a finger in Dex’s face. “That’s right, Dex. The police are already on their way. So I want you to use that knife on me. Go ahead. If it means you’ll be in prison and I don’t have to worry about you ever coming after Gracie again, it’s worth it.”
When I see beads of sweat start to pour down Dex’s face, I think about all of the times that he forced himself on me and how much he used to sweat when he was on top of me.
“Go, ahead,” Tucker says. “Do it.”
I can hear a loud scream as Dex stabs Tucker in the abdomen. It takes me a moment to realize that I’m the one who is screaming.
“Dude,” I hear Little Louie say. “What did you do that for?”
As Tucker falls to the ground in front of me, I slide down with him. When I glance up at Dex, he’s staring at the bloody knife, Tucker’s blood dripping from his hands. He doesn’t even make any motion to move as the police sirens screech to a halt outside.
Everything is a blur as police and emergency workers take over the scene. Dex doesn’t even put up any kind of struggle when he’s arrested. It’s almost like he’s resigned himself to his fate. He gives me one last look as they take him away. It’s a look I’ve never seen before. Sadness. Disbelief. That I would choose Tucker over him. As if there was ever another choice.
But the only thing I really care about is Tucker. I’ve got my hand over the wound, trying to stop it from bleeding, but there’s just so much blood. That can’t be good.
“He’s still breathing,” I hear an emergency tech say as he carefully removes my hand from the wound.
“It’s okay,” another emergency worker says. “We can handle it from here.”
“You’ll need to go to the hospital,” a female emergency worker says to me.
“But I want to stay with Tucker,” I plead.
“I know,” she says softly. “But he’s going to need a lot of attention in the ambulance and once they get him to the hospital. He’s lost a lot of blood. He’s in critical condition. And you’ll need to be examined yourself.”
The tears sting as they roll down my face. “Okay,” I agree even though I really can’t stand the thought of being away from Tucker again.
***
“I’ve got good news,” the doctor says as he enters my examination room. “Nothing is broken. I’ll give you something for pain and to reduce the swelling but you should be fine.”
“What about Tucker?” I ask as I rise from the bed. I try not to flinch but I’m definitely in pain.
“Take it slow and easy. You’ll need to get some rest.”
“What about Tucker?” I repeat.
“He’s still in surgery.”
“Did you call his brother?” I ask.
“We phoned the emergency contact he had listed in his hospital records.”
“I need to see him.” I get out of the bed and power through the pain to grab my clothes. It takes me a minute to realize that I’ve got some of my new clothes here and not the tattered ones I was brought in with.
“Where did these clothes come from?” I ask.
“The nurses always make sure your clothes are all together and ready when you are.”
“But these aren’t the clothes I had on when I was brought in.”
The doctor snaps his fingers. “Oh, it was your sister. I believe she brought them in for you. She said she’d be right back. I think she went to get coffee.”
“But I don’t have a…”
“Hey, Sis,” I hear a familiar female voice say. “Wow, those are some really black eyes you’ve got.”
I can’t help but smile even though it hurts. Harley Davis brought me my clothes.
“The rest of the family is in the waiting room. Between you and Tucker, you’ve kept us busy.”
“Thanks for the clothes, Sis.”
“The nurse will bring in your prescriptions and discharge papers,” the doctor says. “And please try to get some rest.”
I nod but I have no intention of resting until I know Tucker is going to be alright.
Eleven
Tucker
I hear beeping. But it’s not my alarm clock. And it’s not stopping. Beep. Beep Beep. Over and over again.
It takes me a few moments to realize I’m in a hospital bed. Then everything comes back to me in a flash: going to get Gracie, finding her beaten and tied to the bed, Dex coming home, getting stabbed.
I guess I’ve cheated death a second time.
But where’s Gracie? I’ve got to find her.
I try to get up but I’m hooked up to all kinds of wires and tubes. And I’m also really weak.
“Whoa, there,” I hear a voice say, and I realize I’m not alone. I turn to see Jake as he rises from a chair and makes his way over to me. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“I’ve got to find Gracie,” I manage to say, but my voice is strained.
“Gracie is fine. Harley is with her. They just wanted to do some X-rays and stuff.”
“But Dex…”
“He’s in jail and I don’t think he’s going to be getting out any time soon. Not only did they get him for attempted murder. Yours. And assault. Gracie. They also found an arsenal of illegal weapons and lots and lots of drugs. He and his pals are going away for a long time.”
“How long do I have to stay here?”
Jake frowns. “As long as it takes little brother. You’re lucky to be alive. Again. You should start buying lottery tickets or something. Hey, it’s a good thing Dex wasn’t smart enough to know where to stab you that would be fatal but he managed to do some damage. You’ve got to give yourself time to heal.”
The Wilde One (Old Town Country Romance) Page 14
