by A. M. Myers
“What are you thinking?”
“Well, Ian is just an abusive narcissist, we know this, but what if his brother has other mental issues? What if the brother started following Ali and became obsessed with her himself? Whoever is sending those letters and presents clearly thinks that he and Ali were or are in a relationship.”
I drop my head into my hands and let out a breath. Jesus Christ, did I do this to her? Did I lead a crazy person straight to her door? Maybe I should have just stayed away, but even thinking that makes me feel like I’m being ripped apart. Sighing, I stand and slap Streak’s shoulder.
“Keep diggin’, yeah?”
He nods. “You got it.”
I leave his office, needing to get my hands on my girl for just a second so I can breathe again. Goddamn it, if anything happens to her, I’ll never fucking forgive myself. Stopping in the middle of the hallway, I press my forehead to the wall and pound my fist against it. How was I supposed to stay away from her? It was impossible, and now she might pay with her life. My stomach lurches violently as I think about that possibility, but I pull away from the wall shaking my head.
No. I’ll do anything to keep that from happening. My phone rings, pulling me out of my thoughts, and I answer without even glancing at the screen.
“Yeah?” I bark.
“Hey, Storm. It’s Ray. I…uh, I heard some shit, and you’re not gonna like it, man.”
The other shoe comes crashing down, and this is the bad news I’ve been expecting since the moment I gave into this. I just know it is.
“Tell me.”
“Shaun, my guy up at the prison, just heard Ian boasting that he hired some guy to take out your girl. I don’t know many details but I know he’s got enough money to make it happen.”
“Fuck!” I roar, slamming my fist into the drywall as my entire world crashes down around me. I can’t erase the picture of Ali in a pine box out of my mind. I can’t fucking do this again. I can’t lose her. This time, I won’t survive it. “I gotta go.”
I don’t even wait for his reply as I hang up the phone, and the door to Streak’s office opens. “You okay?” he asks, and I glance back at him before stalking off toward the stairs. I’m not thinking as I fly down the stairs and scan the room for Ali. She walks out of the kitchen with a plate of fruit, a huge smile on her face, and I suck in a breath. Glancing up, she spots me and her smile fades as she looks me over. She hands the plate off to Smith and practically runs across the room to me.
“What’s wrong?” she asks, running her hands down my arms. I suck in a breath, breathing a little easier now that she’s in my grasp.
“I need you to listen to me, okay?”
She nods, her eyes vulnerable as she looks up at me.
“I have to go handle something, and I need you to stay inside this building, no matter what. You can’t go outside, you hear me?”
She shakes her head. “What’s going on, Logan? You’re scaring me.”
“Kitten,” I whisper, pulling her into me and pressing my lips to her forehead, “I promise to tell you everything when this is over but right now, I need to go. I’ll fill in the guys, and I need you to stay here. Please?”
She nods, reaching up to kiss me. “I love you. Please be careful.”
“I made you a promise, Baby, and I intend to keep it. I’m going to end this, and then I’ll tell you everything. I just hope you don’t hate me when it’s over because I don’t know how I would survive losing you.”
“I could never,” she says but I cut her off with my lips, kissing her with all the love and pain and desperation that I feel in this moment, and when I pull away, she wipes a tear from her cheek. Planting one last kiss on her forehead, I walk toward the door and throw it open, bright sunlight almost blinding me.
“Want to fill us in?” Blaze asks, waiting by my bike.
“Ian hired someone to kill Ali.”
“Shit,” Blaze spits as Fuzz runs a hand over his hair.
“What’s your plan?” Fuzz asks.
I stop and look at them because honestly, I hadn’t even thought about it. My girl was threatened, and I just jumped into action without thinking over my options.
“I’m going to take your silence to mean that you have no fucking clue,” Blaze says, and I nod. He glances over at Fuzz, who shrugs.
“When this all started, Fuzz came to me with an idea that might be our best option.”
“All right, well, let’s hear it.”
Blaze sighs and shakes his head, looking off in the distance. I know he hates this situation coming to this since they all left the violence behind six years ago, but there isn’t anything I wouldn’t do to protect Ali.
“I’ve got this friend up there, who is a guard. I’m going to give him a call, and he’ll meet you outside the prison on his break at five. Slip him a note to give to Henn, telling him to call you. When he calls you, tell him to recruit someone to take Ian out, someone who has no chance of ever getting out, and we’ll deposit two grand into their account over the next six months as payments,” Fuzz says, and I just stare at him for a moment, thinking through his plan. It might just work.
“I don’t fucking like this,” Blaze says, turning back to look at us. “But we ain’t gonna let your girl get hurt. It may be time to rethink some things if y’all are gonna start settlin’ down. Smith was right. We can’t let people think they can hurt our women.”
I nod. “We’re not regressing here, Blaze. Maybe just tweaking a few things.”
He nods and slaps my shoulder. “You should take Fuzz with you.”
“You ready to go?” I ask Fuzz, and he nods. Blaze heads back inside with a promise to keep my girl safe, and Fuzz and I climb on our bikes before pulling out of the parking lot. The entire way to the prison, I’m assaulted by memories of six years ago and everything that this worthless motherfucker did to Fi and I. I can’t stop them this time, and I stop trying, letting them come so I’m prepared to face him as we drive up to the prison. It feels so damn good to know that I’m ending this for real this time; that Ian Blackwell will never bother me again. Then, Ali and I can move forward and start planning our life together. There’s nothing I want more.
* * * *
I shift in the chair, waiting for Ian to appear on the other side of the Plexiglas so I can get this over with and get back to Ali. Fuzz’s plan didn’t require that I come here and confront him but I needed it. I needed to look in his eyes and let him know that he doesn’t get to win. He doesn’t get to take anything else from me. And then I see him. He limps into the room, a guard on either side of him and his wrists and ankles cuffed. When he looks up and sees me, a wide smile stretches across his face but his eyes look like death.
“Well, well, well,” he says as soon as they sit him down in the chair, and he grabs the phone on his side. “Gotta say, never thought I’d see you here.”
“This isn’t a social visit, asshole,” I snap into the phone but it only makes him smile wider.
“Ah, are you here about your new little toy? Let me ask you something, how could you do that to our sweet Sophia?”
“Shut up,” I growl, dropping my head and taking a deep breath to calm me. He laughs, and my head shoots up as I level a glare at him.
“No, I’m not going to stop. Do you know how much you would break her poor heart if she knew that you were with someone new?”
I shake my head, keeping my glare trained on him. I really just need to know who he hired to kill Ali, and then I can leave. “No, it wouldn’t because she’s dead. You killed her, remember? You just couldn’t let her go, and even now, you’re still obsessed with her.”
He leans back in his chair, a smug smile on his face. “I don’t know. I guess looking at sweet, sweet Ali, I can understand how you moved on. Maybe I’ll try and get me some of that.”
I lunge forward, and the guard behind me puts a hand on my shoulder. Gritting my teeth, I release a breath and shrug him off as I sink back down. Ian laughs. “You won’
t ever fucking touch her.”
The smile slides off his face, and he leans forward, getting close to the glass as he looks me straight in the eye. “You’re right. I won’t and neither will you because you’re going to pay for everything you did. You took my beautiful Sophia away from me, and now I’m going to take Ali. It’s just a shame I don’t get to test drive her before I crash her into a pole.”
Rage simmers just under my skin, and I toss the phone down, kicking my chair back as I stand. I’ve heard enough. Turning to the guard, he opens the door, and as I leave the room, I can still hear Ian’s laughter. My only regret is that I can’t be the one to choke the life out of him. But knowing that very soon he’ll be six feet under eases that desire slightly.
As I stomp back out to my bike, I try to calm myself down because I feel like I could rip someone apart with my hands right now, and I don’t want to go back to Ali like this. Fuzz jumps off his bike when he sees me coming, quiet as he studies my face.
“How did it go?”
“He confirmed it.”
Fuzz watches me for another moment before nodding. “My guy should be here any minute. You sure you don’t want to talk about it?”
“What are you? A chick? No, I don’t want to fucking talk about it,” I snap at him and instantly feel bad about it. Crossing my arms over my chest, I lean back against the bike and just stare at the prison, trying to get my anger under control.
“Sorry, man,” I mutter a moment later.
“Don’t worry about it. I can’t even imagine how I would react after talking to my fiancée’s murderer. Yell all you want. Hell, I might even let you hit me.”
I snort a laugh and shake my head. “No, you wouldn’t.”
“Yeah, you’re right, but it’s the thought that counts.”
“Bullshit.”
A guard crossing the lot to us interrupts us, and Fuzz climbs off his bike and meets him, shaking his hand. He slips a piece of paper into his pocket, and they both walk over to me.
“Hey, thanks for this,” I say, extending my hand, and he nods, shaking it.
“Fuzz told me about what happened, and I’m of the thinking that some people never need to leave this place. I’ll get this where it needs to go,” he says, patting his pocket, and I nod, standing up straight. “Besides, I’ve spent the last six years listening to that fucker boast about what he did to your girl. I’d stick a shank in his neck myself if I could.”
“Thanks, man,” I tell him, my face burning with the knowledge that Ian’s spent the last six years proudly telling everyone in there what he’s done. Fuzz pulls him off to the side and says something to him but I’m not paying attention, ready to get out of here. All I want to do is get back to my girl and forget about this shit-tastic day.
* * * *
My phone rings, rattling around on the table next to the bed, and I untangle myself from Ali, scooping it up as I pull some jeans on and slip out into the hallway.
“Hello?”
“You have received a collect call from,” an automated voice says, cutting out when Henn says his name, “at Dixon Correctional Institute. Do you accept these charges?”
“Yes.”
It rings once more before connecting to the other line.
“Storm?” Henn asks.
“Yeah, I’m here. Thanks for getting back to me, Brother.” I lean back against the wall and run my hand over my face. I haven’t slept in over twenty-four hours, and I’m not sure that I will until this is over.
“Don’t mention it. Shelby filled me in on what’s going on.”
“Shelby?” I ask, and he chuckles.
“Yeah, Officer Shelby. Fuzz’s friend.”
I nod. “Oh, right. Didn’t realize his name was Shelby.”
“It’s not something he advertises,” Henn says, laughing, and I grin, shaking my head.
“All right, my girl’s gonna wake up soon so here’s the deal, Ian’s gotta go, and Blaze wants you to find someone to do the job. Someone who is never gonna get out of there and would be willing to do it.”
“What kind of compensation are we talking here?”
“We’ll deposit two grand in their account over the next six months.”
He’s quiet for a minute, and I worry that our plan will fall apart. “I think I can make that happen. I’ve got a couple of guys in mind.”
“Thank you for doing this.”
“Don’t mention it. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for my woman. I get it.”
“Give me a call when it’s done?”
He sucks in a breath, and I pause. “Yeah, you got it. Listen, there is a favor I need to ask you for.”
“What is it?”
“I’m looking at getting out in the next year, and I need to find my girl.”
I push off the wall and walk down the hallway a little bit. “What do you mean ‘find’ her?”
“Fuck, I don’t know, man. The night I got pinched, I was supposed to pick her up, but of course, I couldn’t, and ever since then, Blaze says she disappeared. I haven’t seen her in six years, and it’s fucking killing me. She’s my world, you know?”
“Yeah, Brother, I get it. I’ll look into it.”
He thanks me, and we hang up before I slip back into my room and climb into bed, pulling Ali into my arms. Weight lifts off my shoulders as I realize that this is almost over, and a smile stretches across my face as I close my eyes.
Chapter Thirty-Two
Alison
“Oh my god, I missed you so much, bitch,” Izzy squeals as she runs across the parking lot and practically jumps into my arms as Carly follows behind her, shaking her head. Laughing, I hug her, and she pulls back before looking over my body. “Are you okay? What happened?”
When we left my house Sunday night, there wasn’t much time to explain everything. I did tell them that I had to go to the clubhouse for my safety but I couldn’t give them details. “It was crazy, Iz.”
“Well, tell me everything.”
I glance over my shoulder to the picnic tables that surround the fire pit. All the guys are on one side, drinking beer as they talk and stare into the fire. I point to the table across from them. “Let’s go sit down, and I’ll tell you everything.”
We move over to the table, and as they sit down, I take a deep breath and begin explaining the whole weekend to them – telling them about Logan’s cabin and how amazing it was. Then I start telling them about when we came home. When I finish, Carly has tears in her eyes, and Izzy looks murderous.
“I can’t imagine how terrifying that was, Hon,” Carly says, and I nod.
“I’ve honestly never felt fear like that. I was frozen, and I couldn’t even scream for Logan. I thought my heart was going to literally burst.”
Izzy blows out a breath and looks up at me from the table. “What are we doing to end this son of a bitch?”
“Logan is handling it.”
“Well, what is he doing?”
I shrug, peeking over my shoulder at him. He smiles and winks at me, and my cheeks heat. “I don’t know, Iz. He promised to tell me everything when it was over.”
“And you’re okay with that?” she asks, incredulously.
I turn back to her and nod. “I am. If there is one thing I know for certain, it’s that Logan is madly in love with me. He would do whatever it takes to keep me safe, and if me being in the dark for a little bit helps him deal with this, then I’m okay with that. But he will be telling me every little detail when this is all over.”
“I don’t know how you do it,” she grumbles, and I laugh as the boys surround the table.
“Ladies,” Chance says, his gaze lingering on Carly, and I arch a brow as his eyes shift to me. He looks away without a word but I swear, he was blushing. The guys fill in the tables around us, and Logan lifts me off the bench, sitting down in my spot as he pulls me into his lap and presses his lips to my neck.
“Wait, I’m gonna need you all to tell me your names again,” Izzy says, forgettin
g her earlier mood as she bats her eyes at the guys. I laugh, and Carly just shakes her head as they start telling her their names. When it’s Moose’s turn, he tells her, and she holds up her hand.
“Hold on. Moose?”
His brow arches. “Yeah?”
“How in the hell did you get a name like Moose?”
All of the guys start cracking up, and Smith slaps him on the back. “Yes, Brother. Please tell us how you came to be known as Moose.”
“No,” he snaps, looking away from the group.
“Ah, come on, Buddy. If you don’t, I will,” Kodiak says with a teasing grin on his face. Moose turns to glare at him.
“Don’t you dare.”
Kodiak smiles wider and turns to us. “It happened like this, ladies. Good old Moose here was dating this girl, a real psycho, but she sucked better than a hoover.”
I snort out a laugh, and Izzy smiles like the cat that ate the canary as she props her chin up on her hand, enthralled in the story.
“Anyway, Moose, in his infinite wisdom, recognized that this was the type of woman that would cut your balls off in your sleep and decided to end it with her. To say she didn’t take it well would be an understatement. She just didn’t want to let our sweet Moose-y go so she devised this plan to kidnap him.”
“What?” Izzy sputters out, and all of the guys are snickering at this point as Moose’s cheeks burn.
“Right?” Kodiak asks. “Moose is a big boy. I have no idea how she was planning on getting him out of here but we had a party one night and she showed up. She spent the night flirting with all of us but always keepin’ an eye on our boy here, and when Moose went upstairs to get something, she followed him. We heard the crash and went running up there. Home girl had shot him with a tranquilizer, and he was lying on the floor, moaning like a…”
“Moose!” Izzy shouts, cutting Kodiak off, and the entire table erupts in laughter, nudging him as he looks away, blushing harder.
“I fucking hate you all,” he growls, and Kodiak pats his head.
