Me.
Bryne would be furious when she woke up and saw I was gone again. She might never forgive me, even if I managed to survive, but if I could pull it off, her mom would be okay, and that was more important. I wouldn't, however, leave her without a note. She deserved more than that, but a note was all I could offer.
If she woke up and asked me not to go, I wasn't sure I could refuse.
I just hoped she didn't hate me when all this was over.
Chapter Five
Bryne
I was having the most amazing dream.
Dax and I were just lying in bed after a night of making love. His arms were around me, and I could hear his heart beating, a steady thumping sound that made me feel safe and protected. We weren't kissing or even talking. Everything was quiet and peaceful. No anxiety about things that might be happening. No need to hurry up and get somewhere. No deadlines or restrictions. Just him and me and all the time in the world to simply be together.
And then I heard a familiar voice calling my name and knew that it was all a dream. The knowledge was as effective as a bucket of cold water, and I jerked out of my sleep into disorienting wakefulness. The room was dark, though a glance at my phone told me that sunset was still about a half hour away. The curtains were drawn, keeping the light in the room dim.
“Bryne!”
I shook my head. Right. That was Carrie's voice at the door.
“Coming.”
My voice sounded rough, hoarse, and I flushed as I realized it was from me screaming a couple hours ago. I sat up, grimacing at the feeling of a foreign sort of ache. I wasn't in pain, exactly, but it didn't exactly feel...good either. I doubted anyone could've taken something that big in their ass and not felt it later.
Heat spread across my skin as memories came forward. Memories of an experience so far beyond anything I could've expected that my brain was still struggling to process it all.
The shower where Dax and I had taken our time washing each other. Thoroughly. It had been something so different from everything else we'd done. It felt like the sort of thing a real couple would do.
The feel of his tongue on a place I'd never imagined a tongue would be. Nerves I'd never known existed sending little ripples of a different sort of pleasure.
Then his fingers. First, the semi-familiar burn of a single digit pushing inside me, then more, stretching me even as he coaxed me toward an orgasm.
Finally, his cock, thick and long, breaching that tight muscle. A strange sort of discomfort and pain, a fullness that was both like and unlike what it had felt when he'd taken my virginity before.
He'd been careful, but not hesitant. Wanting to make sure he didn't hurt me, but not treating me like glass. A unique combination, but it suited everything I knew about him.
When he put his fingers inside my pussy at the end, I'd wondered what it would feel like to be even more full, how intense the sensations would be. And then I'd come, and I hadn't really thought about anything. I'd been aware of his release, of his arms around me after. Then, a vague, dream-like memory of his hands moving over me, a cool, clean feeling...and then nothing.
“Bryne!”
“Coming, Carrie.” I climbed off of the bed, grabbing at the sheet when I remembered I was still naked.
I wrapped it around me as I shuffled toward the door. Some part of my mind was still thinking about my time with Dax, and I wondered if I'd always feel like this after sex with him, if my body would throb, reminding me of what it'd felt like to have him inside me, if I'd constantly crave his touch.
And then I opened the door, and reality slammed into me.
One of Carrie's eyebrows went up, but that was all the reaction she had to what I was sure must've been a sight. Wild curls escaping from my braid, flushed skin, and a sheet. I also felt safe in assuming that I had at least one hickey somewhere visible.
“Come out to the living room when you're dressed. We have some things to talk about.”
I nodded, closed the door, and turned to what I now realized was an empty room. I frowned. Dax must've been out there already, but I didn't know why he hadn't come to get me. Unless Carrie realized that sending him in probably would've ended with the two of us in bed again. I didn't exactly have the best self-control when it came to him.
I grabbed jeans and a sweatshirt, then quickly brushed and re-braided my hair, grateful that I'd insisted on braiding it after my shower earlier. It would've been a tangled mess if I hadn't, and now that I was up, all of my previous anxiety and impatience was rushing back.
Carrie and Gavin were sitting on the couch when I came in, but they weren't alone. A handsome, muscular man with dark red hair sat in one of the chairs, a petite blonde perched on the arm next to him. I'd met Dena Monroe before, and from what I'd heard, that meant the man was her fiancé, Arik Porter. The two of them were friends of Gavin and Carrie...and lawyers.
“Bryne, I'm so sorry about your mom.” Dena's pale eyes were filled with compassion. “Arik and I are doing everything we can to get her back safely.”
I looked at Carrie. “I'm not sure I understand.”
“Arik is one of the city's best defense attorneys,” Carrie explained. “And Dena is a prosecutor with the District Attorney's office.”
A picture was starting to form in my mind.
“Arik will be Dax's lawyer, and Dena is authorized to give Dax a deal that will let him tell everything about what happened without incriminating himself,” Carrie continued.
“He's willing to go to the police without one,” I said.
“With this deal in place,” Dena explained, “a judge is willing to sign off on a lot of search warrants that will keep things from getting...complicated later on. Plus, this lets us take in anyone Dax can give us information on, which lessens the possibility of retaliations later.”
I nodded. The extent of my knowledge of the law was limited to movie and TV courtroom dramas. Carrie vouched for Arik and Dena, so I wasn't going to pretend I had any idea of what our best avenue of attack should be.
“Once he gets out here, we'll explain the details, get down everything he knows before bringing in the cops,” Arik spoke for the first time.
I opened my mouth to say something about how we were cutting it close time-wise, but then his words registered. Once he gets out here.
“Where's Dax?” I asked it quietly, but it seemed to echo in the room like a shout.
Carried blinked at me. “I thought he was still in your room.”
I shook my head. “I assumed he was out here with you.”
“He wasn't here when we got here,” Gavin said. His expression was stormy, the muscles in his jaw clenching.
An icy finger trailed down my spine, and my stomach churned. “I'll be right back.”
I managed not to run back to my room, but only the knowledge that I had four pairs of eyes on me kept my pace to a fast walk. I was hoping I'd run into him in the hall, that he'd just been in the bathroom and I'd just missed him. Or maybe doing laundry. Or anything other than the sinking feeling I had that he'd left.
After everything we discussed, he left.
Again.
The moment I opened the bedroom door, I knew I was right. He was gone. Still, I walked over to the bathroom and opened the door. Empty.
“Bastard,” I muttered.
I started to turn, fighting back tears of anger and betrayal, but then I saw it. Neatly folded on the top of my dresser, my name scrawled on the top.
A note.
He left me a fucking note.
I stormed over to the dresser and snatched up the paper. “This had better be the fucking Shakespeare of all notes.”
I tried to pretend that the words had been more outraged than wounded.
Bryne, sweetheart, I am so sorry to do this to you. Believe me, I wanted to stay in bed with you until Gavin and Carrie got back, but I'm running out of time to make this right. I'm grateful for their help, but this is my responsibility. I know we said we'd do this to
gether, but I can't risk your safety. It would kill me if something happened to you, and I know it isn't what your mom would want. Gavin and Carrie too. They love you and want you safe. So do I. Love you, I mean. More than anything. Even if you can never forgive me for leaving like this, at least I'll know that you'll have your mom back. I love you, baby, more than anything.
I read it a second time, hoping that I'd gotten something wrong and this was him telling me what he was going to do rather than something he'd already done. Hoping that I'd see that it was all a joke.
But it wasn't. And he was gone.
I whirled and ran back to the living room, the note clutched in my hand, tears running freely down my cheeks. The idiot was going to get himself killed because he thought he had to fix this alone. When I got him back, I was going to make him grovel before I forgave him, then we’d have a long talk about how this was never going to happen again.
I refused to think if. It had to be when because no other option was acceptable. I just found him. I couldn't lose him.
“He went after Booker,” I blurted out as I shoved the note toward Carrie.
She had to tug on the paper before I let it go, and I slumped down on the empty space on the couch. Giving her the note, saying what he'd done, it all made it too real, and a small sob escaped. I pressed my hand to my mouth, keeping my head down. I couldn't bear to see the expressions on their faces. I was sure Gavin and Carrie were holding in the I told you so's that I deserved for falling in love with Dax.
“Idiot.” Carrie sighed. “All he had to do was wait.”
“Annabeth will skin him when she finds out what he did,” Gavin said.
I raised my head at that. “She knows about–”
He shook his head. “But when this is done, she and I are going to sit down with that asshole boyfriend of yours and get some things straightened out, particularly about how not to treat the woman you love.”
If the circumstances had been different, I would've loved hearing those words from my uncle. Now, I could only think that his scenario only worked if Dax came back alive.
“Let me make a call,” Dena said. “I know a cop who might be able to help us out.”
“I have some contacts too,” Arik said. He looked down at me. “We'll do whatever we can to get both Dax and your mother back.”
I nodded my thanks, but I didn't have any faith in his words. Not because I didn't think these four would do whatever they could, but because I doubted it would make any difference at all. This was what happened, after all, when the women in my family fell in love. Their men lied and left, or loved and died.
I had a horrible feeling that I’d get to experience all four of those things before this was done.
Chapter Six
Dax
I was half-way to the shop before I realized that Booker wouldn't be stupid enough to hold Allison there. Everyone knew he owned it. It'd be the first place anyone would look. The fact that I was on my way there was proof of it. Still, it was the best starting point I had available since he hadn't answered the three calls I'd made or responded to the four texts I sent.
It was closing in on Booker's deadline when I arrived, so I hung back for a few extra minutes, waiting to see if he'd call. After a couple minutes, there was still nothing. I could've waited longer, but the temperature was dropping, and I knew the more time that passed, the worse things would get. So I went inside.
“What the fuck are you doing here?” Force's question had more shock than intensity in it. He came around the counter and grabbed my arm, pushing me back toward the door. “Georgie's going to kill you if he sees you here. And that ain't a joke.”
“I don't suppose it is.” I braced myself against the door. “I'm looking for Booker.”
Force's eyes widened. “You got a fucking death wish?” His voice was low, hushed. “Do you have any idea what's been going on here the last couple days?”
I didn't want to get Force involved any more than he already was, so I figured I'd see what he knew first. “Why don't you tell me?”
Force glanced over his shoulder. “Booker came in here a couple days ago, more pissed than I've ever seen him. Screamin' about how the dope we were gonna steal was gone. Says his cousin's on the warpath, blamin' you. Booker dragged Georgie into the office, and we could hear him yelling all the way out here. Couldn't really make out what he said, but it boiled down to Booker thinking you double-crossed all of us.”
“Do you think that?”
Force scowled. “No. Me and Little Eddie, we don't think you did anything. You ain't dumb enough to rip off Booker, even if that was your kinda thing, which it isn't. You've always tried to keep out of the illegal shit.”
I nodded. “Thanks.”
“Now get gone.”
“I can't.” I looked over Force's shoulder. “Not until I know where Booker is.”
“I don't know.” He took a step back. “But if you're as smart as I always thought you were, you'd get your mom and get out of the city.”
“Force–”
“I know where Booker is.”
Cleo came around the corner, swinging her hips with every step. Her eyes were locked on me, and I didn't like the look in them. I'd never trusted Cleo, not even when we were fucking, but I trusted her even less now.
“You think I'm going to believe you?”
Force looked from Cleo to me and then took another step back. “I'm staying out of this.”
“Good idea.” I didn't take my eyes off of her, but it wasn't for the reason she wanted it to be. As Force disappeared, I spoke again, “Now explain to me why I should listen to a single word you have to say.”
“Because I know what Booker has.”
Vindictive little bitch. “Where is he?”
“I'll take you to him.”
I wanted to argue with her, but I knew it would just waste time. Time that Allison didn't have. “Let's go.”
We made it a few feet down the sidewalk before I snagged a cab. We got into the back seat, and I gave Cleo an expectant look. She frowned at me, then rattled off an address. Warehouse district. Great.
“You regretting your choices yet?” Cleo snapped her gum. “I mean, you've been making some great ones lately.”
I glared at her but didn't argue. There was some truth in what she was saying. I'd been making some shitty decisions lately, but I didn't think Cleo would agree with me about which ones had been the right ones.
“Doesn't look like there's anyone here,” the cabbie said as he pulled up in front of a warehouse that looked like it'd seen better days.
“That's okay,” I said. “My guy's waiting inside.”
The expression on the man's face hardened, and I knew exactly what he thought I was here to do. Ironic since I was being blackmailed for drugs I didn't have.
I handed over a couple bills and climbed out of the car. I didn't have the time to worry about what some cab driver thought about me. I ignored Cleo too. Booker wouldn't shoot me on sight, not if he thought I had the drugs. If she followed me, that was on her. I really didn't care.
I did, however, knock on the door. If I tried to sneak in, Booker would get suspicious. I wasn't here to play the hero. I was here to make a simple trade.
“Booker,” I yelled. “I'm coming in!”
I didn't wait for a response but opened the door. It was dark inside, but I could see a light across the room, so I headed toward it. I kept my hands away from my pockets, clearly visible. I didn't want to give him any more reasons to shoot me. I'd be lucky to get out of here without a bullet as it was.
“Doesn't look like you brought my drugs with you.” Booker stepped out of the room, the light gleaming off of his bald head. “Now, I know that has to be a mistake because there's no way you'd come here without my property and expect me to do anything but break a couple of your bones, then go back into that office and cut off a couple of Allison Dawkins's body parts for you to take back to your girlfriend.”
I reminded myself that I
wasn't here to start a fight and that hitting Booker would be a bad idea for everyone involved.
“I'm here to trade myself for Allison. She and Bryne don't have anything to do with this. You want me.”
He stared at me for a moment, then shook his head. “No, Dax, I don't want you. I want my fucking drugs.”
I didn't bother pointing out that they technically weren't his drugs. Another bad idea.
I did, however, tell the truth. “I don't have them.”
Booker took a step in my direction. “You better not have said what it sounded like, Dax, or bad things will happen to you and to that woman in there.”
I held up my hands, palms out. “I swear, Booker, I never even saw the drugs. I got here the night we were supposed to go take the stash. I didn't like the idea, I told you that, but I was going to do it. The guys never showed. Instead, your cousin showed up with a gun.”
Booker's face hardened. “Julius says he's got proof that you double-crossed me and stole more than what the supplier had. Julius says you took his stash too, and the only way you could've known where it was, is that I told you.”
Now it made sense. Booker wasn't just coming after me because he thought I'd stolen five hundred kilos of coke from a drug supplier. His cousin was blaming him for all of the missing drugs, and I got the feeling that while Booker might not have been scared of much, Julius definitely made him nervous. After my own encounter with Julius, I didn't blame him.
“I know I was never a part of your gang,” I said, “but I never talked to anybody. Never got too curious. I kept to myself. And I didn't want the drugs to begin with. Why would I do something so stupid?”
“I don't know, Dax. I never really got how you think.” Booker took another step. “But that don't matter. What matters is that Julius says you took the stuff.”