It was done, everything was set. Jake and his men did an excellent job. Now it was time to hook, line and sinker my fish. I stand in the exact same place, the place my life changed for good, a place where something switched in me, where she would say for the better. It was our place, our secrets, our whispers, our pain was shared in this place. And now it’s cursed, it’s now a place that holds only nightmares.
I watch as Jake and his men bring it up. It’s heavy and it takes a team to carry it. It was meant to be a safe, the outings of it were already created. They changed its look. Now it will be a place of nightmares, just like this was my safe place. No longer more.
I walk down the hill, nodding to Jake and his men. They don’t look at me, they don’t like me. They don’t like what Jake and I are, they don’t like our friendship, they don’t understand it. Though he is their leader, they respect and acknowledge his rights. They just don’t have to like his company.
I drive to the same place I woke up at all those years ago—all those years with no memory. Contemplating what I will do, and how I will do it, several things come to mind, none seem too beneficial for him.
He betrayed me, took me away from those I loved. Robbie may have had a part it in, yes, it was him that told Grover, in which I found out that it was Grover who told Ru to shoot me, enough to knock me out. He had this planned, had it planned since he found out I was after Gray. He knew I would win, they all did but Ru and Gray, they thought they could outsmart me. Thought they could take what was mine and destroy it. She didn’t though, she’s strong, so much stronger than they could have anticipated.
Robbie is currently buried behind a wall, he isn’t dead, he will just wish he was. Jake knocked down a brick wall, picked him up and sealed him in there when he was knocked out. He can’t escape unless Jake chooses to knock the wall down. His cries go unanswered, his screams unheard. He is alive, for now…
It’s dead quiet, so quiet I can hear each breath I take. The place I called home for five years is broken, more broken than I’ve ever been. The fire has taken pieces of the building. The garage I once used to torture people inside, no longer stands. I position myself at the front, the front door is open, and I think for a second that he lied to me because no one is here. Then I hear footsteps so faint, apparently not wanting to be heard. Until I see his face in the doorway. He smiles at me, but it’s anything but pleasant.
“Black!” He nods his head, his sinister smile staying in place. No need to say his name, he doesn’t get that victory. “You killed all my men, Black. Tell me where my daughter is?” He looks to have no weapons on him. He’d be a fool not to have weapons, and he’s no fool. They’re obviously concealed.
“You will be visiting her soon.”
His eyes widen in surprise. “She loved you.”
“She used me.”
He shakes his head. “You killed her, didn’t you?”
A ghost of a smile touches my lips.
“I was hoping you wouldn’t say that.” He reaches to the left of him, behind the door. My phone starts ringing, I don’t look at it except when his hand pulls what he has hidden behind the door. I know automatically who it is that’s ringing me.
Rose.
His eyes go wide, he sees me and waves, having no idea what’s going on. How could he, he’s only a small boy—my son.
“No reaction? I thought for sure once you knew she had your kid that it’s all you would care about.” His head drops to the side to study me, then he pulls little Liam’s shirt to bring him closer to him. Protecting his front side, in case I shoot.
“Answer your phone, Black, I’m sure she’s worried.” He points toward my pants where my phone won’t stop ringing. I keep my eyes trained on him as I reach for it and bring it to my ear. Her voice is screeching and I manage not to pull it away.
“Oh my God! Liam… Liam are you there? Someone has taken our son. Do you hear me? He isn’t at his daycare. Someone took him. Liam… Liam!” she shouts through at me.
“I know…”
“You know?” That scream was for me. “You fucking get him back, do you hear me? You bring me, my son… fuck!” The last word is screamed so loudly in my ear, I have to pull it away.
“I will.”
“I’m calling Jake,” she says, then hangs up. I place the phone back where it was. Grover standing there smiling.
“Now, tell me where she is?”
“You want the location of her body?” I shouldn’t have said it, I’m not used to protecting other people. Little Liam screams when Grover wraps his hands tightly around his arm. He looks to Grover, then back at me. He doesn’t cry, he must be my son.
“A child for a child,” he says and that’s when I hear it. The sound of leaves being crunched. It couldn’t be Jake and his men yet. They would’ve only just started on their way. So I know it’s not someone to help me or to help little Liam, it’s someone who’s with Grover. I don’t turn fast enough. Someone throws something at me, it hits my back shoulder and it starts to burn, just as I turn I miss the second knife. A man stands—who I’ve never seen before—a few meters from me, his whole right arm, armored with small throwing knives. The third whizzes straight past my head. The guy smiles and picks another. I see it all now and am able to swerve and maneuver to miss it.
Little Liam is watching, his eyes so wide in terror. Grover still has his hand tightly wrapped around his arm. It’s going to bruise.
“Finish it!” Grover yells to the man throwing shit at me. It doesn’t take me long to react.
“Close your eyes, boy,” I say to Liam, his hands come up and cover his eyes. While I watch him, a knife hits my left hand. Thank God it’s not my right, because I pull the gun from my pants. The man that’s dressed in camo, knives strapped to his arms, sees me pull it out and he starts to throw knife after knife, just as I shoot. It hits him dead center. His eyes are large as he drops to the ground.
When I turn back, Grover and Liam are gone, somewhere inside the house. I hear the sound of cars, Jake climbs from one closely followed by Sax and a furious and distressed Rose. She looks around, her hands shaking. She spots and runs to me, looking at my hand, where the knife is still embedded so she reaches in and pulls it out.
“Where is he, Liam?” Her voice is high with panic.
“Inside.” I shouldn’t have told her, she doesn’t think twice as she runs into that house. It doesn’t take long for us to follow her. Jake is right behind her, Sax comes to the back of me and pulls the knife from my shoulder.
“If they’ve harmed him, I’ll re-stab you with this knife.” He holds it in his hands and throws it to the floor before he takes off into the house. Just as I walk in the door, I hear Grover’s motorcycle. Stepping back outside, I see him alone straddling his bike. He takes off in a shower of dirt and stones as fast as he can to get out of here. I hear Rose crying, and little Liam saying he’s okay. Jake walks to me, coming to a stop.
“If I were you, I’d leave,” he says, looking back. I can’t see them yet though I can hear them.
“Is he okay?”
“He’s fine, it’s not him you should be worried about. If she doesn’t kill you, I might.”
“He isn’t your son.”
His nostrils flare, he steps closer to me. “I know this, but I have been there every day while you have been fucking who knows where and doing who knows what. She may love you, you may love her in your own way, but you still have a lot to prove, and the way you are going will not help anything.”
“I have to kill him! He needs to die.” His head shakes back and forth.
“I know how you operate, she doesn’t fully understand it. She’s meant to make you happy, and being with her is supposed to fulfill you or some shit. So much so that you wouldn’t need what you need.”
“It’s not that easy.”
“Well, I hate to say it… love can only carry you so far. There comes a time when it’s not enough. She is there, I think.” She emerges then, little Liam in her arms. He sees me and smiles, but she doesn’t. I watch as she walks closer handing off little Liam to Jake. He takes him, then nods to me. They all walk back to the car and she stands in front of me, dressed in shorts and a singlet—beautiful. Her hair cascades down her back, her blue eyes stare at me, full of… I don’t know… anger toward me?
“No more, Liam, no more.” Her head shakes, tears well.
Are they because of me?
“Rose—”
Her hand shoots up, stopping me from talking. “I love you, love you so much I can feel the bones in me cracking, ripping me apart. But I can’t do this anymore, not when it comes to them. They’re my first priority, they will always be first.” I try to understand, I really do. I just can’t comprehend it, I remember my mother’s love, not very well, but I see glimpses of it. I didn’t think it was powerful enough to override anything else. It is.
“I told you, I told you I wasn’t good for you.”
“Fuck you! Fuck you and your beliefs. Open your fucking eyes. I know you don’t understand love, but tell me how it feels to be without me? Tell me Liam, right now?”
“Like I’m drowning,” I admit.
“Well, you’re going to continue to drown” And with that, she doesn’t look back as she walks to her car and climbs in pulling little Liam to her lap and showering him with kisses.