Daring Summer

by Suzanne Steele

  Well, it looks like I’ll be able to keep Black Beauty for myself, Stacy thought. “When you shoot him, do what you can to make sure someone is within hearing distance and tell him over and over, ‘I’ve got a gun. Stop or I’ll shoot.’ Oh…and one more thing: let him come to you. Don’t try to seek him out. When the police question you, make sure you say that you feared for your life and your kids’ lives. He’s threatened to kill you before, hasn’t he?”

  “More than once.”

  ‘Well, my wish for you is that he goes away without you having to do anything. You and your family have had enough drama. Enough pain. Just make sure you tell someone here all about his threats before anything happens. You wouldn’t be at this shelter if you weren’t afraid of him, but you have to make sure they know without a doubt that you fear for your life.”

  “That should be easy enough; I do.”

  Chapter Thirty Seven

  Even though Amber knew there were no neighbors to see them, she still looked over her shoulder as they approached the porch. She felt exposed without the woods to hide them. They were dealing with a madman, and there was still that whole issue of Blue killing him if he came back and maybe getting caught. No pressure there… She couldn’t imagine life without Blue, so she pushed the painful thoughts aside and focused on the business at hand.

  “How are we going to get in? Pick the lock?” She had so much to learn before she could be of any real help to Blue.

  “You’ve been watching too many movies.” Blue took the butt of her gun and used it to break a pane of glass. She reached in and turned the deadbolt and unlocked the door knob. They let themselves in, doing their best to be quiet.

  “She’s got to be in the basement. It’s the only thing that makes sense, and I saw a small, low window when we were outside.”

  “Which means she must be tied up or she would have escaped by now.”

  “Well, look who’s thinking like a cartel girl,” Blue teased, but her eyes gleamed with pride.

  They quickly traversed the house, from the living room to the dining room and finally to the kitchen. A few more steps and they found a door that led down to the basement.

  “Be careful,” Amber whispered as she followed Blue down the decrepit wooden steps. “The last thing we need is to fall through these rickety stairs and get hurt.”

  The room smelled of mold and mildew and…sex. It was a pungent combination that set Blue’s teeth on edge as she mentally prepared for whatever they were about to find.

  “No more. No more, just let me die.” A raspy, faint voice came from somewhere near the bottom of the stairs.

  Blue switched on her flashlight app and directed the beam of light toward the voice, then froze. “Sweet Jesus. I’ll kill him,” Blue rasped as she struggled to make sense of the sight before them. “I won’t stop until he’s dead and in pieces.”

  She was naked, her neck and wrists locked in primitive, rough-hewn stocks, facing away from the stairs. Her feet were cuffed to the rear legs of a tricked-out sawhorse. Beyond the initial words spoken as they came down the stairs, the poor creature didn’t even stir as they drew near. She was exhausted beyond all endurance.

  Amber’s horrified gasp sounded more like a sob as she stumbled on the last step, nearly falling to the concrete floor. She raced over to where Blue was already crouched down next to Kat, assessing the situation. “We’re going to get you out of here, honey,” Amber said through tears.

  “Let me die…”

  “Kat? We’ve come to get you out of here. It’s over.”

  “Over? Please…he’ll be back. I saw the light…the light…”

  Mistaking Kat’s words for the lyrics to an old-time gospel song, Amber said soothingly, “That’s right, Kat, no more darkness, no more night…”

  “No…no,” Kat mumbled, struggling to piece the words together. “Only twice.”

  Blue took Kat’s face in her hands. “What are you saying, Kat? What was only twice?”

  Kat’s eyes were suddenly clear as she met Blue’s gaze. But they were devoid of hope. “He only turned the lights off twice. I can tell when he does it because a little of the light reflects off the floor over there. He’ll be back to fix it. Twice isn’t enough. Four times is too many…” She began struggling against her restraints, panicking as she screamed, “No! You don’t understand. He’s a psychopath. He’s insane. He’ll kill us. If he comes back and finds you here, he’ll kill us all. Don’t you see?!” Her voice became a barely intelligible shriek. “He only turned them off twice!!”

  Swallowing hard, Blue kept her voice steady and strong as she got to work. “Listen, you’ve got to calm down. I promise you, you’ve spent your last night in this hellhole. But the last thing we need is somebody hearing you screaming.” Even though Blue knew the chances of that happening were slim, she also knew she had to somehow get Kat’s attention. “We’re going to get you out of here. Now, let me think.”

  The woman fell quiet and just stared at the floor, wide eyed and slack-jawed. Blue nodded in Amber’s direction, “Go look on that workbench over there for some bolt cutters. They look like big scissors--”

  “I know what bolt cutters are,” Amber huffed.

  “Fine, just hurry up.” Blue didn’t want to tell her, but she was concerned about Stan coming back too. She didn’t know his routine, wasn’t sure what to expect from him. He was a wildcard.

  After rummaging around the piles of junk cluttered on the workbench, Amber returned with a pair of bolt cutters. In a matter of moments, Blue had Kat freed. They gently sat her upright and gingerly helped her slide an oversized t-shirt over her head. Blue had rolled her eyes at Amber’s insistence that they bring it just in case, but she was glad they did. Amber’s instincts were good, and she was adept at planning.

  Blue had her arm around Kat’s shoulders, trying to keep her steady on her feet as they approached the steps…and that’s when they heard the footsteps.

  “Son of a bitch!” Blue said grimly. “Change in plans. We’ll have to bust out the window.” Blue and Amber moved toward the window, practically dragging Kat along with them. She was so weak that Blue was concerned she would have to carry her, and she wasn’t sure the woman was up for what was about to be asked of her.

  Blue grabbed Amber’s elbow to get her attention. “Don’t stop for anything. You hear me? Once you are out of here with Kat, I’ll be right behind you. But you do not stop for any reason.”

  Not waiting for a response, Blue slammed the butt of her gun through the glass, then used it to clear the perimeter of the window of the countless jagged shards of glass that rose up from the frame like shark teeth. There was no time to lay a towel down to protect them from getting cut, but suddenly that seemed like the least of their worries.

  Amber scrambled out first, then Blue lifted Kat up and out so Amber could pull her the final few feet to freedom. All the while, Blue was grimly tracking the sound of footsteps through the house…across the room overhead…at the top of the staircase…down the steps…across the cement floor.

  Blue had just about cleared the window herself when she felt a hand grab her ankle and try to pull her back inside. “Amber, take Kat and get out of here!” Blue yelled.

  “You bitch!” Stan screamed as he lost his footing, then lurched toward her with his hands outstretched. Blue reared back and slammed the heel of her boot into his face, channeling into the blow every shred of rage she felt for the atrocities he had committed. He tumbled backwards, shielding his crushed nose with both hands, and shrieking as blood gushed between his fingers.

  Blue couldn’t resist. “Stan, you scream like a little bitch. You better be glad I’m in a hurry or you’d be getting worse than a broken nose.”

  Blue scrambled the rest of the way out of the window and ran to catch up with Amber and Kat. Together they got Kat settled in the backseat under a blanket. Stan didn’t follow them, but Blue left ruts in the driveway anyway as she sped away with her precious cargo toward the lights of Louisv
ille.

  “Who are you? Where are you taking me?” Kat whimpered.

  Blue and Amber exchanged a look before Blue replied carefully, “You let us worry about the details, hon. You’re safe, that’s all you need to know.”

  “But--”

  “The cartel looks out for its own, Kat.”

  Kat’s eyes widened briefly, then they closed and her face crumpled with emotions. Her shoulders began to shake. “No, no, no…” she wept softly. Her relief at being rescued was battling against her shame at the disaster her life had become. Diego had made it clear he was through with her; why had the cartel come for her? Why couldn’t they just let her die?!

  Kat had survived the nightmare in that basement, but she didn’t think she would survive the prospect of having to face the elusive remnants of her old life.

  Chapter Thirty Eight

  “We got her.”

  “Alive?” Diego’s voice was grim, the single word spoken in the clipped tone of a man bracing for the worst.

  Tony was heartened that the answer to the question still mattered to Diego. If Diego and Brook hadn’t completely given up on Kat, then maybe she still had something to live for. As things stood at that moment, Blue and Amber were doing their best to get Kat settled in, but she was practically catatonic. She had been brutalized beyond all imagination. The bastard had broken her spirit and the addiction had laid waste to her body’s ability to fight.

  “I said, is she alive?” Diego’s voice rose menacingly. Tony heard leather creaking in the background and could picture Diego rising from his chair.

  “Yeah. Barely, but, yeah, she’s alive.” Tony’s words were greeted with more silence, but he knew Diego had heard him. This next part was going to be brutal and there was nothing Tony could do to soften the blow. “So, man, listen…”

  “Yeah?”

  “What Blue found when she got there…what Kat went through… It was bad.”

  “Fuck,” Diego whispered on a harsh exhale. “Tell me. What did that evil motherfucker do to her?”

  Chapter Thirty Nine

  “You know they’re going to look at you first when this guy ends up dead.” Tony cut his eyes at King, his expression skeptical.

  “But not if he comes up missing. You’re giving law enforcement way too much credit, my friend. If there’s no body, there’s no crime. They’ll just think he ran like the fucking coward he is. He’s going to fucking wish he had. Is everything ready?”

  “Yes, against my better judgment,” Tony said. Time with his friend was infrequent these days, now that they were both living lives that actually meant something. Caden and Harley had changed them when he’d been certain nothing ever could. So, Tony was enjoying a little ‘man time’ with his good friend. If everything went according to plan, their evening was about to get a lot busier. “How’s your girl doing? What’s the latest?”

  King nodded encouragingly. “There’s no brain swelling so they’ve stopped the meds that had her in the coma. Now we just wait for her to wake up. Nothing yet. I hate not being there with her, but they said they’re running a bunch of tests so they wouldn’t let me in anyway.” He tapped the steering wheel and looked over at Tony with a grin. “I like to let the folks at the hospital think they’re the boss of me.”

  “Yeah, right. You’re so full of shit…”

  “Well, it keeps me in their good graces, so they pretty much do whatever I ask them to. I’d do anything for her, man. Any-fuckin’-thing. There’s nothing I’d love more than to be able to tell Harley that the bastard is dead. I can’t let this go, Tony. If it was anyone but my baby I might be able to, but this hit too close to home. No man worth a damn would find out his woman had been beaten and not avenge her. I couldn’t look Harley in the eye if I let this go.” He paused and took a deep breath, letting it out slowly as he nodded with determination. “I’m going to marry her.”

  “I know.”

  King grinned at his friend. “Of course, you do.”

  “Could see it coming a mile away. How have Roderick and her mom been through all of this?” He couldn’t help but ask about Harley’s parents. They had been beside themselves about what happened to her, and had been determined to pressure her to return to the fold and live the MC life where they could protect her. It had been one hell of a way for them to meet King, but King had won them over. Tony had known things were going to be good between them when it became apparent that Roderick was letting King take the lead in talking to the doctors about Harley’s care.

  “They’re good. I don’t think he’s going to kill me, anyway. I think he knows I’m serious about her. I tell you, Harley almost dying has changed everything. It’s like my whole world was shaken on its axis the first time I saw her, and when it righted itself the pieces suddenly all fit together -- all because of her. Now, this. She’s everything, man. Hell,” he grumbled, “even that little fucker Midas loves her.”

  “Wow, sounds serious.” Tony couldn’t help but laugh; that cantankerous primate didn’t like anybody.

  “I just want her to wake up. She can’t die, man, she just can’t. If she dies, she’ll leave a hole in me that can never be filled. The fuckin’ Grand Canyon will have nothing on me.”

  “Hey, hey, don’t talk like that. She’s going to come out of this whole and healthy. She’s going to wake up good as new and ready to give you a run for your damn money.”

  King nodded curtly. “Yeah, I know. So, you’re sure your Intel is good on this?”

  “Please. My Intel’s always good. This fucker can’t stay away from his favorite watering hole too long. He always turns up.”

  “I’m tired of waiting. I’m going in to find him myself,” King said. His hunting instincts and thirst for revenge were making him impatient.

  Tony grabbed King’s arm before he could open the car door. “I’ll go.” He grinned. “You need to save your strength. Plus, I’m not sure you could resist the temptation to crack his skull open with a bottle of booze. The last thing we need is a bar brawl, my friend. Sit tight; I’ll be back in a sec.”

  Tony was true to his word. It wasn’t long before he returned, looking more than a little pleased with himself. “Yep, he’s in there. Drunk as a skunk with a death wish, but he’s there.”

  “Good. Sounds like our friend might benefit from a designated driver when he comes out.”

  “Yeah,” Tony retorted, “and I know just the guy…”

  As if their words had conjured him out of thin air, their quarry stumbled out of the bar onto the sidewalk, taking a few shuffling steps backwards as he pointed at someone standing just inside the door of the bar. “Oh, yeah? Well, fuck you! You can’t fucking cut me off. I’m a reglum!” He looked down and frowned in confusion, his eyes becoming unfocused. Then he tried again, glaring at the source of his displeasure, and jabbing his pointer finger in the air. “I’m. A. Reg-u-lar!”

  The door closed with a bang and he nearly lost his footing as he took an instinctive step back. He scowled and looked around as if getting his bearings. “Motherfuckers…” He grumbled the insult to no one in particular as he wobbled on feet that didn’t seem to want to work properly.

  “He’s wasted, Tony. I’m not letting that asshole get behind the wheel of a car and kill somebody. This is our chance. Let’s make some magic.”

  Tony pulled a baseball cap and some sunglasses from the glove compartment and put them on. King slowly pulled up to the curb and Tony rolled the passenger window down. “Hey, Bobby, what’s up, man? Looks like you’ve been out partying.”

  Brooks turned to face the car and just stood there shuffling his unsteady feet. He eyed the car suspiciously through bloodshot slits. “Who th’ fuck are you? Do I know you?”

  “Yeah, man! We worked together on that old Victorian in the historic district. Aw, now, don’t tell me you don’t remember! Why don’t you let me take you home, buddy? I can bring you back to get your car tomorrow.”

  “You’d do that?” It didn’t occur to Brooks to bend d
own and look in the car window to get a better look at who the hell he was talking to.

  “For you? Sure!” Tony threw in a quick guilt trip before Brooks could say anything else. “You wouldn’t want to hit some soccer mom’s van and kill her and her kids, right?” His face and voice grew grim. “Kids are precious, Bobby. Women are sacred. Gotta protect ‘em. I know you’d never forgive yourself if you hurt somebody. Can’t have that, can we?” His concerned words did little to disguise the unbridled contempt he felt for this man. But Bobby Brooks was too drunk to notice.

  Tony almost felt sorry for Brooks when a sad expression crossed his face. Almost. This wasn’t a time for mercy, and this needed to be done regardless of whether Harley lived or died. The guy was wasting too much space, too much air – and causing too much suffering. It was time for him to go.

  “You’re prob’ly right.” He was weaving so badly now that Tony wondered if he’d make it to the car. Defying about a million laws of physics, Brooks eventually landed in the backseat and promptly passed out. King pulled away from the curb and forced himself to stay within the speed limit. No need to attract undue attention and have to explain why Bobby Brooks was unconscious in the backseat -- not when there was a coffin waiting across town with the guy’s name on it. Figuratively, of course.

  “Next stop?” Tony asked even though he knew exactly where they were going.