Hood River Zero (Hood River Hoodlums Book 4)

by K. Webster

  “Fuck, Penny,” I growl. “You undo me.”

  She works her hips, a loving smile on her face. “And you fix me. What a pair we make.”

  I grip her throat, dragging her to my mouth. She tastes like salty perfection.

  I’m dragged from the memory when Cal curses.

  “Holy fucking shit,” he grinds out. “Holy shit.”

  From over the tops of the trees, thick black smoke billows. In between the trees, I can see bright orange flames.

  My heart stops beating in my chest.

  I need them to be okay.

  Fuck, I need them to be okay.

  Penny

  I wrench at my bindings, screaming at Jack. He remains too still as he watches the flames lick around him on the floor.

  “Get her out of here you monster!” I bellow. “Go!”

  All too slowly, he turns to head for the bathroom. He pulls a sobbing Zella into his arms. My heart breaks into a thousand pieces as I realize this is the last time I’ll ever see her. I failed. I was supposed to be her knight and I couldn’t save the little princess.

  “I love you, princess,” I choke out. “Daddy will find you. Don’t worry.”

  “Penny!” she screams, reaching for me. “Penny!”

  He drags her over to the door and opens it. I can hear sirens nearby.

  “Fuck,” he snarls, darting off toward the right where the forest is rather than the parking lot.

  I don’t waste any time tugging and pulling at my bindings. The skin feels as though it’s being torn off, but I manage to slide one hand free of the rope. I cry out in relief as I quickly yank the other one free. The flames burn bright, blocking my path. I yank the covers off the bed and use them to shield me as I run through them. Flames singe my hair. All I can think about is catching up to Jack. I run toward the woods where I can hear Zella’s screams.

  As fast as my legs will go, I sprint through the forest, ignoring the slaps of branches. I may not be as strong as Jack, but I’m younger and fitter.

  I have to save her.

  I have to.

  Terrence is probably still at home, clueless that we’re in trouble. My heart aches for him. He’ll be devastated if something happens to Zella. I can’t bear to imagine what his life would be like if he lost us both. It’s not fair. Terrence is a good man who loves with his whole heart. Yet, life keeps throwing him the short end of the stick.

  He deserves everything.

  Not Jack terrorizing the ones he loves.

  If I can get her away from Jack, I can save her. I just need to get to them. For a moment, I don’t hear her screams. Panic surges up through me, making me dizzy and sick to my stomach.

  Focus.

  I need to focus.

  All I hear are the wails of the sirens that seem so loud.

  Wailing and wailing.

  Wailing and wailing.

  It’s maddening. The more I try to listen for Jack and Zella, the louder the sirens seem to get. Defeat overwhelms me as tears threaten.

  I can’t do this.

  I won’t reach her.

  She’s going to get stolen away forever because of me or worse yet he’ll kill her. I can’t let him do that.

  Focus, Penny.

  Ignore the sirens.

  Listen.

  I’ve been practicing lately with drowning out sounds that bother me. There were many therapies to try, but the one that helps me is singing a nursery rhyme Mom used to sing to us when we were babies and now sings to Hope.

  It’s a soothing song.

  Hush, little baby, don’t say a word.

  I manage to get through a few lines of the song before I hear her. A sharp cry. Changing from my original direction, I head toward the rushing sounds of Hood River. More branches slap at me, one snagging my arm and tearing the flesh, but I’m not deterred.

  I finally burst from the woods, nearly spraining my ankle on the sandy beach area. Jack is carrying Zella toward a dock where a boat is tied.

  No.

  If he gets her in that boat and manages to untie it, they’ll be down the river before I can stop them.

  “Stop!” I bellow when I reach the dock.

  He spins around, fury twisting his features. “You fucking slippery bitch!”

  “Let her go, asshole.” I bend to pick up a fist sized rock. “Now.”

  “What are you going to do? Hit me with your little rock?” he sneers. “Sorry, little girl, but that’s not happening.”

  “Give me Zella,” I demand. “She belongs with her real father. I won’t let you take her. Soon, they’ll find us. You won’t succeed.”

  His eyes narrow when I take a step forward. “She’s mine.”

  “No, she’s Terrence’s. And Lacey’s. You’re just a monster who steals from good people. You stole Lacey’s happiness and her life. I’ll be damned if you steal her daughter too.”

  “I’m not giving her up. That motherfucker will never have her,” he growls. “Never.”

  “Too late. Hear the sirens? They’ll be here soon. You’re trapped, Jack.” I take another step forward. “You’ll go to prison for a very long time.”

  He grits his teeth. “If I can’t have her, he sure as fuck can’t.”

  With those words, he tosses Zella into the river without warning. I heave the rock at him, taking sick satisfaction when it smacks him right in the forehead. As I sprint past him, I shove him. He crashes into the boat. I reach the end of the dock, searching for her.

  Oh my God.

  She’s gone.

  She’s gone.

  “Zella!” I yell. “Zella!”

  An arm. I see an arm. I dive into the water toward where I saw it last flailing. The current is strong here since it’s deeper here than where the beach areas are and where a lot of boats dock. I know I only have a few moments before I lose her.

  I can’t lose her.

  I can’t.

  My eyes burn as I keep them open beneath the dark, murky water, searching for her. The current pushes me, so I swim with it, knowing wherever it takes her, it’ll take me. I just have to get there faster.

  I surface, sucking in a deep breath of air, before dipping down again swimming hard. I’m thankful for having pushed myself so hard in basketball as it’s giving me the strength and endurance to swim like her life depends on it.

  Because it does.

  I have to find her.

  The water is rushing so fast, I almost fly right past where she’s tangled in some limbs. I manage to snag her shirt, yanking her with me as I pass. She breaks loose from the limbs and I curl an arm around her as I break the surface again. I spit out water and choke as I try to keep her head above the surface. Her eyes are closed and her mouth hangs open.

  Oh my God.

  She’s not breathing.

  “Zella,” I sob. “Stay with me.”

  Desperately, I kick against the current, swimming with one arm toward the shore. I nearly lose her from my grip when a log smacks into me. We go under the surface, but when my foot touches sand, I use it for leverage, pushing off it toward the shore. My feet have found solid ground.

  Thank God.

  “Zella,” I scream. “Zella! Wake up. We’re safe.”

  She’s unmoving as I drag her to the bank of the river, barely pulling us from the water before I’m lying her down, trying to remember how to do CPR.

  I made fun of Hollis so many times when he was training to be an EMT. He had a dummy he practiced on. Now, I’m thankful he practiced in front of me. I remember some of what he was learning.

  The chest compressions feel like I’m going to hurt her, but I remember how hard Hollis had to press on the dummy. I count as I compress and then I break to blow breath into her. Everything is a blur as I run through the cycles of what I remember, hoping like hell I’m doing it right.

  “Come on, baby girl,” I plead as I do more compressions. “I need you to breathe.”

  Tears blur my vision, but I quickly blink them back. Zella needs me str
ong. I’m her knight. The knight always saves the princes. Always.

  I blow air into her lungs once more and then I’m back to the compressions. Time feels stalled. Frozen. I’m locked in the most horrific moment of my life, trapped and unable to move forward.

  I crave for one sound.

  Her breathing.

  I’ll live with the maddening sounds that plague me if I can just have that one.

  “Please!” I cry out. “Please!”

  Hitting her chest far too hard, I’m shocked when she sputters. Quickly, I turn her head to the side, just as river water comes rushing out. She chokes and then a sob pierces the air.

  I yank her into my arms, squeezing her tight.

  “Baby, I’ve got you. I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” I say it over and over again in case she doesn’t hear. “You’re safe. I got you. I love you. I got you.”

  Rocking her in my arms, I try to sing the song Mom likes to sing, but I’m horrible at it. I want her to know that I’m here for her. I stroke her hair and kiss her a thousand times. Her weak little hands cling to my soaked shirt.

  “We’re safe,” I croon. “Daddy will find us soon. Tomorrow’s your birthday. We’re going to have the best time. I love you.”

  “Momma,” she whimpers.

  I’m not her momma. She’s confused. I don’t deny this girl, though. Not now. Not ever.

  “Momma’s got you,” I murmur. “You’re safe. I love you.”

  She starts to cry harder. I want to pick her up and carry her back, but I’m so exhausted and weak. All I can do is cling to my baby girl.

  “You’re such a good girl,” I praise. “You came back to me.”

  She hugs me tighter, her strength returning.

  “When we get back, I’ll make us some hot cocoa. You want hot cocoa, baby?”

  Her little head nods. “With marshmallows.”

  “A lot of marshmallows,” I agree. “Maybe even the whole bag.”

  She giggles, though it’s soft. “We have to share with Daddy.”

  “He can get his own bag,” I tease.

  “Did we go on an adventure, Momma?”

  I don’t correct her, though I should. This girl lost the only momma she had. It would be cruel to force her to call me anything else. Not now. Not when she’s been through something traumatic. Terrence can sort that out with the therapist later.

  “We sure did. We went diving and snorkeling and fishing.”

  “I wanted to catch a turtle,” she says. “Next time can we catch a turtle?”

  “Do you think a turtle wants to get caught?”

  “If he gets scared, he can tuck his head in his shell.”

  “Maybe next time we can catch a turtle for a minute, but then we’ll have to let him go on his way.”

  She snuggles against me. “I want to go home.”

  “Me too, baby. Me too.”

  “Is he going to get me?”

  My blood runs cold at her words. I’d been so wrapped up in saving her life, I didn’t even worry about Jack coming after me. He got into the boat.

  Oh God.

  What if he gets here and takes her anyway?

  We need to move. I’m so weak, though.

  I hug Zella tighter to me, knowing I can’t move. If we have to run from him, I’m screwed.

  “Can you stand up?” I whisper.

  She shakes her head. “Will you carry me?”

  I can barely move, much less carry this girl.

  But the alternative is letting that monster grab us. Slowly, I attempt to stand. Every muscle quivers and screams in protest. With pained tears in my eyes, I pick Zella up. She wraps her arms and legs around me, clinging to me like a koala bear.

  “Hold on tight,” I say, kissing her cheek. “We’re getting out of here.”

  Terrence

  The firemen can’t stop me. Not when my girls could be inside. Penny’s orange Jeep sits in front of the burning hotel, making my heart tighten in agony.

  If they’d been killed, I would’ve felt it.

  They’re okay.

  I know it with every ounce of my being.

  “He took that baby,” an elderly woman says from the parking lot. “That way.”

  I take off running through the forest. Heavy footsteps thud behind me, which means the other Hoodlums, aside from Roan who’s putting out a massive fire, are after me. I lead the way, my hip no longer protesting. I’m thankful as fuck for all the physical therapy time I put in. Faster than I’ve ever run in any basketball game, I make my way through the woods to the riverbank.

  “He’s in the boat!” Cal roars, rushing past me.

  They’re not.

  My girls.

  “There!” Hollis yells.

  I squint in the direction he’s pointing. My glasses help, but when I’m stressed, my vision suffers the worst. I finally latch onto what he’s pointing at and already running toward. Taking off in a sprint, I easily pass Hollis since I’m taller and it’s my fucking family. With each step, their forms gain clarity.

  It’s them.

  Penny holding Zella.

  They’re alive.

  Fuck, they’re alive.

  Both of them are soaked. It’s then I realized they must have fallen into the river. Terror claws at me, but it’s overridden by the fact they’re alive. Penny falls to her knees, a sob of relief piercing the air.

  Landing on my knees in front of them, I yank them both into my arms. Both girls are crying hard, clinging to me. My cheeks are wet as I hug them, thankful they survived whatever atrocities that fucker planned.

  “My girls,” I choke out. “My girls are okay.”

  Hollis joins the fray, hugging his sister from behind.

  “Penny, fuck, you scared me,” he rasps out. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?”

  “H-He threw her in t-the river,” Penny chatters out. “I had t-to s-save her.”

  I squeeze her tighter as the realization of what she’s done for my daughter slams into me. Penny is a hero. She’s always been a hero. I never fully accepted that fact until now. Zella knew. It’s why she wanted Knight Penny on her wall. I thought it was silly, but she knew.

  “I had t-to do CPR, Hollis,” she whimpers. “I t-tried to d-do it like y-you and it worked.”

  “Good, sis. You did good,” Hollis praises, his voice strained.

  Penny saved my daughter’s life.

  I’ll never be able to thank her enough for this.

  Ever.

  “Let me check Miss Zella,” Hollis says in a gentle tone. “Can I please look her over?”

  Penny reluctantly allows Hollis to look at Zella. I grip her jaw, angling her mouth toward mine, and kiss the hell out of her. The kiss is a chaste one, but I needed her to feel how thankful I am. I rest my forehead against hers, tears still leaking down my cheeks.

  “He got away!” Penny shrieks, sudden panic making her stiffen. “You have to catch him!”

  “Not necessary,” Jordy says as he approaches. “Come look.”

  Hollis nods at me. I pull Zella into my arms and kiss her head. Jordy and Hollis assist Penny as we make our way back to the dock. A crowd of police officers are forming as EMT make their way to the riverbank.

  Cal walks over to us. “Looks like he drowned.”

  “What?” Penny hisses, frowning at him. “Did his boat sink?”

  Cal shakes his head. “He was hanging off the side of the boat, his face in the water. They’re trying to revive him now, but it’s not gonna happen. Dude is dead.”

  Relief floods through me.

  Penny stiffens. “I threw a rock at him.”

  “Did he deserve it?” Cal asks.

  “He deserved more. I would have given it to him too,” she growls. “I didn’t have time. I had to get to Zella.”

  I run my knuckle down her spine and give her a kiss on the head. “You’re a hero, Penny English.”

  We linger quietly until a cop walks over to us a while later.

  “Henderson was pron
ounced dead on the scene,” the officer states in a flat tone. Everyone in this town knows about that monster. “He had a contusion on his head. Know how he got that?” He pins Penny with a firm stare. Almost as if… Almost as if he wants her to lie.

  “He fell,” she says, the emotionless Penny wall up and stronger than ever. “Must have bumped it on the boat.”

  “Must have,” the officer agrees. “You ladies okay?”

  “We’re perfect now,” Penny says. “We just want to go home.”

  “We’ll have you out of here in no time, ma’am.”

  “Work harder, pet,” Penny says. “For a construction dude, you sure do yap a lot.”

  Jace flips her off but doesn’t let go of the beam Jordy is trying to screw into. The swing set is much harder to assemble in the dark—our only light from the headlights of our vehicles—but my daughter deserves to wake up to this, especially after the helluva day she’s endured.

  Hollis and I are working on the rock wall section while Cal takes a break to walk Charlotte home. Roan’s shift will end soon, but he’ll be beat after putting that hotel fire out. It might take us all night with just the four of us, but that’s fine by me as long as it’s ready to go by morning.

  “Where’s Garrett?” I ask Penny.

  “Inside with Tierra. They’re watching Zella sleep. It’s super creepy.” She grins at me before sipping on more hot cocoa.

  I chuckle. “He’s a doctor. It’s what they do.”

  “What’s Tierra’s excuse for hanging with Dad?” Penny challenges.

  “Daddy issues,” Jace offers.

  Jordy kicks him.

  “Ow,” Jace complains. “A fuckin’ joke, man.”

  I get back to work but sneak glances at Penny. After she and Zella were released, we came back. Cal cooked up the burgers, the girls drank hot cocoa, and then Zella conked out. Poor thing nearly died today. She deserves to rest. Penny has been wired. I’ll wear her out later, properly worshiping every part of her like the queen she is.

  Sometimes a hero can be both a knight and a queen.

  My Penny is.

  “Your heart eyes are glowing in the dark, Smash,” Penny calls out. “Focus on your task or I’ll be forced to call in reinforcements.”