“Like you? Daddy’s pet, weak and pathetic?”
“I’m her owner! I own her!”
“No, you don’t. She was alone. She didn’t think anyone could help her. She believed me when I told her that we could and we would. I could see it in her eyes. She needed hope, and I gave it to her.”
“And when she realizes what happened to you, which she will, she’ll watch out for herself and forget all about you.”
If this had happened a year ago, Evelyn would have believed that.
She would believe Melissa wouldn’t think twice about self-preservation. She would believe she was all alone and her time was up.
But everything had changed.
Tyler, Joseph, and Ryan weren’t just Kate’s friends; she’d thought them to be just that. Now she understood that they didn’t protect her because she hadn’t allowed it. The walls she’d built had served her so well for so many years that she didn’t give anyone else a chance.
But even when her walls were still up, they had gone ahead to help her without being asked.
“That’s the problem when you’ve only one person whom you can’t trust to rely on. Even if Melissa doesn’t come for me, Dan and Kate will. Everyone back at the house will do everything to bring me home. While you, you’ll only have someone watching remotely, never approving.”
Just then, his phone rang and he hurried to answer it. The call lasted a few seconds, and he didn’t say a word throughout it.
“Daddy calling? Disapproving of something again?”
“Shut up.”
David Morgan moved to the corner of the truck and bent over a duffle bag.
She hadn’t noticed the bag until now. She’d dragged it out as long as she could. It was time.
A tangling sensation ran down her spine, and she couldn’t help but shiver.
Don’t be afraid.
She scoffed at the voice. Don’t be afraid?
She’d lived through the nightmare once. She’d felt the sting of electricity racing across her body, she’d felt the cuts and still remembered the sensation of her warm blood trickling down her wounds.
She was older now. Her capacity to handle pain would probably be better, but it was impossible to shake the fear.
He’s coming for you. Keep talking.
The whole situation was so absurd that she hadn’t realized she was speaking to herself, or her gut. Whatever it was, the voice was right at the office. She’d ignored it then and ended up here.
She wanted to heed the advice, but she didn’t know what to say.
The fear was raging wild under her placid exterior and she couldn’t think.
For the first time in years, she closed her eyes and prayed. God, if you’re out there, please help me, she thought. Tell me what to say…
Taking in a deep breath, she ignored the chilliness of her skin. She opened her mouth, not having a word or sentence prepared. “Your father is smart, coming up with this truck idea after you screwed up.”
That immediately caught his attention.
“I came up with this idea! I was careful! I didn’t screw up!”
She gave him a condescending laugh. “Oh, please. You did.” She didn’t allow herself to stare at him. The presence of the bag of torture tools brought back too many nightmares.
She had made sure she removed all fear from her face, but she didn’t trust her eyes. She couldn’t risk letting David Morgan detect any ounce of fear, so she kept her face away.
Thankfully, the idiot was easily manipulated.
He stood, empty-handed, and returned to the side of the cage. “I didn’t screw up.”
“So you’re saying your father did?”
“I didn’t say that!”
“Aw, you’re really his pet, aren’t you? Don’t dare to say anything bad about him because he’s watching?”
With him right beside her cage, she could see his face turning red. He started kicking the cage, hollering like a deranged man. “I didn’t screw up! I’m not his pet! He should be proud of me! I did this for him! I got him the girls! I made everything possible!”
She wanted to laugh as his outburst continued.
The cage that was meant to imprison her had become her protection against his insanity.
His phone rang again, and this time Evelyn was quick to interrupt his actions. “Oops, there he is again. Calling to tell you what an idiot you are. You’d better pick it up before your master gets angry.”
Instead of picking up the call, he sent the phone smashing against her cage, stopping the ringtone.
“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!”
“Are you talking to me or your father? You’d better be careful; he won’t be happy if you’re rude.”
“I’m the one in control! I created all of this!” His hand waved about as if he was showcasing a piece of art. “I made it possible for him to enjoy everything without lifting his finger, without dirtying his hands!”
The phone rang again, and Evelyn had to thank God for the timeliness. “I don’t think he agrees.”
He stepped toward the phone and stomped his feet on it; smashing the phone and shutting it up permanently.
“You talk a lot about making all this possible for your father. But look at the facts, he didn’t get caught; he wasn’t even a suspect. You were. You messed up and you got the police’s attention. You were charged.”
“He messed it up! He insisted on taking that girl. I told him it would bring attention, I told him we should find someone else. He screwed up and I took the fall for it!” He paced up and down the length of her cage. “Then, I solved it,” he muttered under his breath.
“By killing the lawyer.”
“And he says I was being stupid. It stopped the entire case, didn’t it?” he said, almost in a whisper.
Evelyn turned away and swallowed hard. She wasn’t afraid of him when he was yelling, but his hushed utters were giving her shivers.
There was such frenzy in his eyes that it worried Evelyn. She was afraid that he was coming unhinged.
She wasn’t sure if she should push him any further; he could snap and he would become unpredictable then.
Keep doing what you’re doing.
She sighed softly, then licked her lips and continued. “I think you meant, delayed. Lydia picked it up; she’s on the case again. And trust me, nothing is going to make her give up. So I hate to admit it, but I think your father was right.”
“Last time, the warning wasn’t clear enough. This time, when they see your body and your wounds, they’ll stop.”
“Wrong. If you turn up dead, your father probably won’t give a damn. But do you know why we stuck our nose into the investigation even when we had once told Lydia to back off?” She paused and smirked. “Because you were stupid enough to send someone to hurt her. And because of that, we’re fighting back. That’s what families do—something that you’ll never understand.”
He opened his mouth to retaliate, but a shrill scream cut him off. His head turned toward the entrance of the truck, then returned his focus to her. Suddenly, all his rage was directed back to her.
He’s here. Keep talking. Blame his father.
“Looks like your father found someone else to play with.”
The frown he was wearing deepened. With a growl, he turned away from her and pushed the heavy metal doors wide open.
Evelyn sighed heavily. She closed her eyes and the fear she had been suppressing surged to the surface. Please let it be Dan.
She pressed her face into her hands for a moment before she pushed the hair and her emotions from her face. David Morgan could come back at any moment.
She got up to her knees again and crawled over to the mouth of the cage.
What was the use of all those self-defense lessons? She should have learned to open a lock with a pin or something.
She lay on her back and pulled her knees back. Taking a deep breath, she kicked as hard as she could. The lock shook, the entire cage shook, but that stubborn silve
r lock remained exactly where it was.
Cursing under her breath, she tried it again before making herself stop. She should conserve her energy.
It’s okay, you’re safe now.
The voice had kept her from harm thus far, she had no reason to doubt it. So, she sat up and closed her eyes, listening for anything that would give her a clue to what was happening outside.
Chapter Twenty Four
Dan drove the car right up to the gantry like Melissa had said, and held his breath as the security peered out from the booth and stared right into his car.
Beside him, Melissa poked her head over the driver side and smiled sweetly at the security guard.
“Mrs. Morgan? Is everything all right? It’s so late—”
“Yes, I’m just picking something up for David.”
The security guard hesitated for a moment, and his eyes darted toward Dan for a second.
“This is Dan, my cousin.”
“Okay,” the security guard said hesitantly.
“If you need, you can call David to check. Just do it fast, he’s waiting for us back home.”
Dan struggled to appear indifferent. He really should have more confidence in Melissa.
Throughout the whole drive, Melissa had kept to herself. Not once did she even glance over at him.
Then, right before speaking to the security guard, her whole demeanor changed. She smiled and spoke confidently, a complete opposite of the frightened Melissa he’d seen for the past few hours.
“No, no. I don’t have to do that.” The security guard went back into the booth and the bar lifted.
“Thanks,” Melissa said and waved as Dan drove by.
“You’re good,” Dan said as they got into the lift.
“Being with David is the greatest acting class anyone can have.”
Dan gave her a small, apologetic smile. “Thank you, Melissa. Stay by the lift. I’ll find Evelyn.” He immediately noticed the fear in her eyes. “I’ll come back for you. It’s safer to be by the lift.”
Her head inclined slightly.
“Scream if you need anything,” he said and stepped out of the air-conditioned elevator.
They stood on the elevated platform where the cargo would be loaded onto the trucks. The parking lot was relatively empty, with a handful of trucks in the lot.
Shouldn’t be too difficult to find her.
He hopped down from the platform and treaded as lightly as he could up to the trucks. He pulled on one of the handles, but it refused to budge. He moved on, feeling that his hands were too empty.
He should have brought a gun or something.
Then, he heard a muffled voice and a thumping coming from one of the trucks.
He paused and listened.
In the large parking lot, the sound traveled and spread out across the place. He couldn’t make out which of the trucks the sound was coming from, but it confirmed his suspicions—Evelyn was in one of the trucks.
He started jogging from truck to truck, moving close and listening for any noise. But the only sound he could hear was the thumping of his heart and the silence of the largely empty lot.
“Come on, come on.”
Shhh…pay attention.
The soft echo of the thumping came back, and he continued his jog among the trucks.
He held his breath as he neared one of the trucks, and sighed as he pressed against it, feeling the pulsation of the truck against his skin.
Dan moved over and was about to open the door when a scream froze his hand. He spun around and hesitated for a moment. Evelyn was so close; he could get her first.
Go! Evelyn is safe for now.
He ran his hand through his hair. “Hang on, Eve,” he muttered and sprinted back in the direction he came from. From where he was, he could see the gray-haired man standing over Melissa. She lay curled up on the floor, her hands raised over her head, bracing for some form of attack.
That was when Dan saw the gun.
“Hey!” he shouted, bringing attention to himself.
The old man turned around and, without even aiming, fired a shot in his direction. He dropped to the ground, hearing the bullet chip off a piece of concrete floor somewhere near him.
He had to get behind one of the trucks.
He got to his feet the same moment as the old man was ready to pull the trigger. It might be too late, but he started running. He heard another shot and felt the burning sensation of hot metal skimming across his arm.
Before he could catch his breath, the corner of his eyes caught a movement. Instinctively, he tried to dodge the blow. Tucking his chin in, he raised his arms and prepared for the oncoming impact.
But he wasn’t fast enough.
He felt the blow on his cheek, and the sudden jolt of tingle that shot right up to his brain, disorienting him. He shook his head and kept his hand raised over his face to prevent further blows while he tried to get his focus back.
He wasn’t sure what happened, but he felt a shove and felt himself falling.
Muscle memory drilled in by years of training kicked in. He shifted his weight to the side, landing on his arm.
Other than the rough landing on his arm, no damage was done.
There was another scream from Melissa.
Dan opened his eyes to see David Morgan flinging himself over him. Dan couldn’t help but grin at the fool. Being trained in Judo, fighting on the ground was his forte and, for a moment, he almost felt sorry for the guy.
Dan didn’t even have to think. Before David Morgan could raise his hand, Dan flipped him over, his arms easily finding their positions.
He pinned David Morgan’s neck against his arm, locked his hands, and tightened his arm. Dan pulled back on the guillotine chokehold that he had on David Morgan.
David Morgan wasn’t puny by any count, but Dan’s arm was fitted snugly against his throat, cutting off all oxygen supply. Unless David Morgan knew the right method to escape the chokehold, there wouldn’t be much he could do.
He felt David Morgan’s finger digging into his arm, trying to pry his arm away.
Seconds later, David Morgan’s body went limp in Dan’s arms and another gunshot went off.
Dan released the unconscious David Morgan and stood just as Melissa sink her teeth into the old man’s arm.
The gun dropped to the floor, sending another shot into the air.
He wasn’t sure where the bullet was, but he ducked.
Before he could get up and help Melissa, Joseph emerged from behind a truck, slammed the old man onto the ground, and picked up the gun.
Joseph stood in front of Melissa, his gun pointed at the old man. Glancing over to Dan, he shouted, “Go. We’re fine.”
Dan sprinted over to the truck and swung himself into the container. “Eve!”
“Dan!”
He went up to the cage and tugged on the lock. “Are you hurt? Where’s the key?”
“I’m fine, but I don’t know where the key is.”
“It must be with one of them. I’ll be right back.”
He got out of the truck and returned to search the unconscious David Morgan. Finding the keys, he hurried back to get Evelyn out of the cage.
Taking Evelyn’s hand, he helped her out of the truck before pulling her into his arms. “You all right? Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. I knew you’d come. And that idiot kept on talking.” She paused, taking a step back, and gave him a look over. “Your arm!”
Dan had completely forgotten about it. “It’s nothing.”
Evelyn leaned in to check his wound, but he wrapped his arm around her and held her tight against his chest.
“Kate? Is she all right?”
“She’s fine, still at home, I believe.”
“Good.”
“Melissa, I’m sure you can find some duct tape in the truck. Can you get that for me?” Joseph’s voice caught their attention.
“I’ll get it. I think I saw it in the bag,” Evelyn said.
&n
bsp; Dan allowed Evelyn to step out of his arms, but he kept her half a step behind him as he got back to the truck to retrieve the duct tape and returned to tie the Morgans up.
“How did you get in?” Dan asked while looping the duct tape over David Morgan’s legs.
“Ben found the blueprint and Tyler found the loophole. There’s a small, out of sight entrance. Probably for them to go in and out without having to pass the security guards. It was easy to climb over. Are you hurt?” Joseph lowered the gun when both the Morgans were taped up and moved toward Evelyn.
Evelyn nodded and stretched her legs. “I was sure you guys were on the way. Melissa, thank you so much.”
“You would’ve done the same for me. Besides, I didn’t do much.”
Evelyn laid her head against Dan’s shoulder as the paramedic walked away. She looked at the Morgans in the police car, the older man looking straight ahead while David Morgan continued hurling God-knows-what.
When the police had arrived, there was a slight confusion. It was the Morgans’ office building, but their mouths, hands, and legs were taped while Joseph held the gun.
The confusion was quickly cleared when another policeman found the setup in the truck.
With the DVD that Melissa had, and the things David Morgan said while they were in the back of the truck, it should be more than enough to put them away for a long time.
“You sure you’re all right? I know the cage and everything…”
“I was scared. But something in me…a voice actually, kept telling me that you were coming, that I just had to keep him talking.”
He grinned and placed his arm over her shoulders. “I’m just glad that you weren’t hurt.” Dan leaned in and kissed her lightly on her lips.
“Dan?” Evelyn said between kisses.
“Yes?”
“Would you marry me?”
Dan straightened and looked right at her. “Did you just propose or was that a question like would I someday marry you?”
That wasn’t the reaction she was hoping for. “Depends on your answer.”
“No.”
“No? You don’t want to marry me?”
“No. No, because that’s my question to ask, not yours.”
She scowled at him.
Closing Books Page 24
