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I’M SURPRISED I HADN’T yet received a call from Mia after the time the cab was scheduled to pick her up.  I was expecting her to back out.  Not because I don’t have faith in her.  I do.  I just also know her fear of going out in the world.  I know that it embarrasses her, and how badly she wants to overcome it.

I made sure I was at Albert’s forty-five minutes early, just in case she got there and panicked when she didn’t see me. I already have nightmares about all the times I wasn’t there for her over the years, I swore to myself there would be no more of those as long as I can help it.

But now it’s 1:03 p.m. and I’m the one starting to panic.  I never expected her to make me wait. Well, unless you count the ten years I waited...but that was different.  I mean waiting for her to arrive somewhere.

Every time we’ve gone out, we’ve been together.  And I didn’t realize how nervous it would make me knowing she was on her own outside of Tensfield.

Sweat begins to coat my palms and a tightness gathers in my lower back. I should be on cloud nine; I had another blistering hot trading day and my bank account is gathering zeros faster than I ever expected.

I’ve already bought and paid for a black Mercedes 600 sedan for Mia.  She’ll be behind the wheel as soon as I get her through driver’s ed.  I’ve hired a private teacher for her, and that’s going to be a surprise I give her tomorrow when I’m finally able to tell her the tax lien is paid in full.  I’ve got the funds cleared and we could go today, but I want to enjoy our lunch and put in a few more hours of work today. I’m on a streak and I’m twitchy to get back to things once we are done with lunch.  The payoff for Tensfield can wait for tomorrow.

I glance at my watch.  1:08 p.m.  And now I want to cause harm to the cab driver for not picking her up on time, or for taking some long fucking route here to cash in. 

The irony is, if he’d dropped her here on time I’d have given him a hell of a fucking tip.

I glance around the room and see the waiter heading my way

“Something you need, sir?”

“No.” My surly reply sends him stepping back as I grab my phone and dial Mia.

When she doesn’t pick up, I end the call and try again.

Nothing. Voicemail.

The hairs on my arms stand up on end, even under my dress shirt and jacket sleeves.  Something is wrong.  This isn’t just a loose cab driver.  I feel it down into the marrow of my bones. 

My next call is to the taxi company.

“What the fuck is going on?”  Faces turn my way, but I don’t care.  Anyone says shit and I’ll feed him his own ass.  “I hired a driver to pick up at 1245 Maxfield, gave him the fucking gate number. Did he do the pickup or not?”

I’m on my feet now, ready for something but even I’m not sure what.

“Let me check, sir.”  The woman on the other end of the phone must sense I am not playing.  She puts me on hold and I hold my breath.  Another minute clicks by as my heart slams around in my chest.

“Sir.”  Her voice comes back on and my muscles twitch.  “He arrived as you ordered to the address at 12:40 PM.  He honked, knocked and waited until 12:50.  When he received no reply he left.”

“What the fuck?  Why the fuck didn’t you call me?”

I’m already slamming my arm into the door, exiting the restaurant.

“Sir, that’s not our normal procedure.  If someone misses a pickup—”

I end the call and I’m at a run to my car, screaming at the valet to toss me my keys as I go by.

He reaches into the shack and tosses them in an arc, and I snag them from the air. 

I’m in the car and spinning my tires out of the parking lot, redialing her phone repeatedly on the chance I get an answer from my sweet girl, embarrassed that she couldn’t make herself get into the cab.  In my heart, I know that’s not about to happen, but I have to try or I’ll tear myself apart.

I hit the gas as I hit the freeway.  It’s usually a fifteen-minute drive but I make it in seven.  I nearly run a few people off the road as I go and it’s a wonder I don’t tear the steering wheel off the column, I’m gripping it so hard.

Rage engulfs me.  If she’s fine and just couldn’t do it, I’ll understand.  Jesus, right now I’ll be over the moon.  But my mind tells me if that’s the case then why isn’t she answering her phone?  That just doesn’t sit right.  And my connection to her is so strong, something tells me it’s more than just her fear that’s kept her from me.

By the time I scream to a stop in front of the door at Tensfield, my pulse is in the red.  Inside the house, I’m screaming her name as I storm into the bedroom.  When I see her red dress, the lingerie I bought her and the shoes still sitting on the bed, my blood turns cold.  Her wet towel is in a heap on the bedroom floor.

Something is wrong. Very fucking wrong.

I’m inside my dresser drawer in an instant. It’s something I swore I’d never do again, but right now nothing else matters but finding Mia and I’ll break every rule I’ve ever made for myself to make that happen.

When I unlock the heavy metal box and reach inside there’s a shift inside me.  That hardness I thought I’d broken forever covers my heart as my fingers curl around the grip of the Desert Eagle.  The gun was a gift from Mia’s father, something he said might one day be necessary.  I’ve never had to use it, but who knows, maybe he was right after all.

I slip it into the back of my pants and take the stairs two at a time.

Inside Nana’s room, my worst fears are only more solidified.  Her computer monitor is on the floor. Her mouse and keyboard are across the room, and she’s nowhere to be seen.

My next move is calling her phone. I dial Nana’s number and wait, listening.

Nothing. Silence. 

Outside her room, I try Mia’s phone again. In this massive old house, the ring will echo.

But there’s nothing.

I pull up the tracking app and find Mia’s on the move. I never installed it on Nana’s phone, my obsession with her isn’t the same as my girl and frankly, guess I didn’t figure she would ever be out without one of us.

Mia’s not far away, maybe five minutes south.  I can close that distance.  I have to.

Seconds later I’m in my car, tires squealing as I pull down the street and after that little blinking red dot on the screen of my phone.

Weaving in and out of traffic, I’m making five minutes into two.  The dot is getting closer and I see a limo up ahead.  I slow, biding my time as I gather my breath and feel the indent of the gun against my back.

The limo starts to swerve. Once.

Then twice. 

The luxury car rights itself speeds ahead and off at the next exit

He finally pulls into the parking lot of an empty gas station just off the freeway. The driver’s door is already opening just as I skid to a stop behind the car and I’m out of my car and on them in a second.  The driver snaps a glance my way, but dives toward the trunk and my mind runs through the scenarios.  A gun?  Why keep it in the trunk and not beside him in the cab?

The back door of the limo opens just as I’m coming upon it, and inside I see Mia laying on the floor.  Her eyes are closed, and my stomach clenches tight as a tall fuck exits the vehicle.

I’m on him in a heartbeat, hoping to use him as leverage against the driver.

His throat is in my hand in my next breath and I’m pushing him so hard against the open door of the car his feet come off the ground.

His hands come to grip my forearms, toiling to pull them apart and give him some relief, but my grip is stronger than he’ll ever be.

As his jacket spreads open, I see the strap of a leather holster.

I reach to my back, pulling out then pressing the gun barrel to his forehead.  “Your fucking move, your brains will the all over the top of this car.”

The driver comes up from behind.

“Don’t or you’re next,”  I grunt out and he raises one hand, holding the other at shoulder level with a small black duffel I recognize from when I bought some things over to Tensfield.

I reach the holster inside the jacket, following the leather until I pull out the black 5mm and shove it in the back of my pants.

“I’m just a hired driver, man!”  The small tuxedoed man says.  “That girl, she’s sick or something, she needs something in here...”

“Insulin,”  I mutter, glancing around the guy I’m holding to see Mia’s eyes open slowly.

When her gaze meets mine, she winks and nods, and immediately I catch her signal.

Relief floods through me, but the rage doesn’t subside.  Someone took her and for that, there will be revenge.

The driver keeps his distance as I grind the gun barrel centered between the fuck’s eyes I’m holding.

“He hurt you, baby?”  I call to Mia, snapping my eyes between the two men.

“Nope.  All good in here.”  Mia exits the opposite door, much to the driver’s obvious surprise.  “That’s Marco, my former fiancé.  Thought that ring he forced on my finger actually meant something. I told him he was mistaken, that my father’s deal died with him, but he’s a slow learner.”

I tighten my lips against my teeth and suck in air before addressing Marco.  “You learn slow, huh?  You’re gonna turn over a new leaf. Because this is your one and only chance to understand what I’m telling you.  You ever come back.  You lay one fucking finger on her. I will toss your limp, lifeless body into a wood chipper and watch you spray all over.”

He grinds his teeth, but I take his silence as understanding.

Mia is beside me, pressing her body close, needing to feel my strength.  And I’ve got enough for the both of us.

“But they have Nana,” she says, her voice breaking in panic.  But that catch in her words only spurs my vitriol.

“Where is she?”  I narrow my eyes at Marco, pull the gun back and smack the metal on the top of his head before moving it to his temple this time, but he stares at me, some sort of victory in his eyes.  “Tell me or I swear to God—”

Silence, so I turn to the driver whose eyes flash with fear.  He eyes Marco, then me and I see uncertainty.

“You better have words.”  Mia’s voice startles me as she speaks then reaches into where I shoved Marco’s firearm, stepping forward and raising it to point at the driver.

My instinct is to tell her to stop, she’s going to get hurt.  But when I see the determination in her eyes I hesitate and let her go.

Mia steps toward the back of the car, the gun raised.  Marco starts to speak and I cut off his air with my fingers around his windpipe.

“No talking,”  I order then turn back to watch Mia.

The driver’s hands turn upward as he raises them by his sides.

“I don’t have a gun. I just took the job for the money,” the driver pipes up.  “They are at the Murphy Airport.  A private jet is there waiting.  My partner drove the older lady.  I’ll take you, no police report.  I’ve got a family man.  I needed the money.  I’m sorry.”

“Good man.”  I nod at the driver, who’s shaky smile tells me he’s happy to save his own ass. 

“I knew he’d give it up.”  Mia turns back to me with a smile.  “The driver stopped the car as soon as I said I was sick, even when Marco was telling him not to.”

“Okay.”  I nod then turn to Marco.  “Now, strip, motherfucker.”  I step back and grab Marco by the front of his suit, spin him around and wait.

I run a hand through my hair and slow my breathing, glancing over at Mia who still has the gun on the driver.

“Baby, you sure you’re okay?”  Just imagining someone hurting her has white spots clouding my vision.

“I’m fine.  Totally fine.”  She spins and glares at Marco turning her gun barrel toward him.  “Didn’t you hear him?  Strip, asshole.”

I bob my eyebrows and flick the barrel of my gun back to the driver with a jerk of my head.  He understands and moves slowly back toward the driver’s door. 

Marco’s hands come to his tie and his strip tease starts.

“Get in the car baby.”

“I’ll keep my gun on the driver until you’re inside.”  She’s turning into quite the little mobster.  I hold back a smile because as much as I want to chuckle at her, we are both holding guns on people that just tried to kidnap her.

Mia does as I ask and climbs into the back of the limo.  A few minutes later, Marco is hunched naked behind the building.

I address Marco.  “Kick your clothes into a pile right here, keep your hands on your head while you do.” 

He does as I say and I grab the pile and step back to the open door of the waiting car tossing the clothes inside.

“Drive,”  I command as I get into the front passenger seat and shut the door.  I put my window down and keep pointing the gun at Marco until I feel the limo move forward.  “You’ve earned my respect by telling me where Nana is.  Don’t fuck up that good will. Take us there and tell me who else from their side is going to be there.”

The limo’s speed increases as we pull out of the gas station leaving Marco naked as the driver spills everything.

“It’s just one other guy.” The driver’s voice is heady as we speed down the expressway toward the airport.” He didn’t seem too happy when they took that older lady out of the house either. But, that guy we just left back there...he was tossing around a lot of smack about the money.  He didn’t seem much like a tough guy just more like a bully with a checkbook.”

One thing I’ve learned over the years, you can’t buy loyalty with the Benjamins.  It comes from somewhere much deeper.

The driver keeps going, “And that old lady?  I heard them saying she was throwing stuff at them when they went to get her.”

Go, Nana.

“Hey, baby.”  I turn and glance in the backseat.  Mia is looking back at me with red-rimmed eyes.  “You okay?  Did he touch you? Are you feeling okay?”

“No.”  She shakes her head, her hair falling into her face.  “What if Nana is hurt though?  What if...”

“No what ifs, Cricket, we’re almost there.  She’s their ace in the hole.  They knew you wouldn’t come without her, so they’ll keep her safe.”  I’m not entirely sure my words are true, but until we know for sure no need to borrow trouble.

“And you.”  I address the driver who is as white as a ghost.  I can understand him being shaken by all this, but I need him to stay with me, so I rest my finger lightly on the gun, hoping to gain his undivided attention.  “When you see Nana come into view at the door of that jet, you get up those stairs, get her down and in this car, understood?  Once she’s inside, you keep both her and Mia safe.  That’s the price you’ll pay for not having me report you to the cops as an accessory to kidnapping.  We clear?”

He gulps on a nod, and I’m ready for whatever comes next.

Mia forces a smile as the limo pulls off the freeway and we wind back into a small private airport.  The minutes tick by until we are stopped as close as we can get to a ten-seater Learjet with the stairs down and waiting.

I address the driver as he puts the car into park. “Turn the car off and give me the keys.”

He complies.

“Now get out of the car and stand there ready to get her when she comes to the door.”  He reaches over and opens the driver’s door an I turn around to Mia.

Stay here,” I order, because if there is any trouble or—God forbid—something has happened to Nana, I want to be the first one to deal with whatever bullshit comes our way.

“But—” Mia protests with her hand on the door handle.

“I’m dead fucking serious.”  I leave no room for argument and with a defeated sigh her shoulders drop and she lowers her hand.  “I love you, baby.  Stay put.”

I take the steps up into the plane three at a time and I’m inside the small jet, gun first.

As I shoulder through the small space, I turn the corner to see Nana.

Her eyes flick upward as she catches me coming.  I see her swallow and note the worry in her eyes.  It tugs at my heart, but she’s alive. 

I hold a finger to my lips, motioning to her to keep still.  The seat across from her is occupied, the shiny bald head of a man with his back to me sticking up above the headrest.  He must be the one other person Marco brought with him.

With silent steps, I’m on him in a few seconds, cold steel against his ear.

“This is going to be easy,”  I announce.  The man turns to stone in his seat, hands gripping the armrests.  “I’m going to hold this gun on you.  Nana...”  I nod in her direction before continuing “...you are going to stand up and walk to the stairs. You okay to walk?”  She nods with a smile already pushing up and out of her seat.  “Good. A nice man in a tuxedo is going to help you into a car.  Mia is there waiting, she’s fine.”

I see her shoulders drop in relief.

“You make it to the door?”

She smiles.  “Of course.”  She eases herself the rest of the way to her feet, then takes slow, shaky steps towards me.  Reaching over to smack the head of the guy that was a moment ago guarding her.  “You should be ashamed of yourself.” 

I chuckle as she works her way to the front of the plane, hanging onto the head rests of each seat as she goes. 

Behind me, a moment later, I hear someone ascending the steps quickly, then the slow, steady steps as the driver helps Nana down to the runway.

I address the goon in the seat.  “Now, if you’d like our business to conclude with your brains still between your ears, I suggest you put your hands on your head nice and slowly.  Interlace your fingers.  Now,”  I order and he complies, keeping his eyes focused on the rear of the plane. “Keep them there.  Count to a thousand.  And you may want to rethink your employment.  Your boss isn’t very good at this shit.”

On that, I back away, keeping the gun trained on the back of his head.  When I finally get outside the door, I swing it closed and breathe a sigh of relief, descending the steps at a sprint.  I run over the tarmac and throw myself in the backseat of the limo, then bang on the divider shouting to the driver and tossing him the keys.

“Go.  Get us gone.  Back to the house on Maxfield Road.”

The euphoria of success rushes through me as I look to see Mia and Nana sitting practically on one another’s laps, their hands clasped together like they don’t ever want to let go.

We ride in silence for a few minutes.  The adrenaline calming and I just enjoy watching the way Mia’s face softens. 

“We’re okay,”  I assure them after a bit. “Fucking crazy day, but we’re here, we’re all safe.”

They both let out a soft sigh and the tension feels broken.

“Oh, I got an A on my test.”  Mia giggles and her sweetness rivals any candy in the world.

“Good girl.”  I lean over and kiss her, letting the warmth of knowing she is safe once again and going back home with me settle in.

When I move back I see tears cresting Mia’s lower lids as Nana gives me a tight smile.

“Baby, please don’t cry.”  The sight of her tears cuts straight through me.

“I’m sorry.  It’s just...this was not the way today was supposed to go. There is something I needed to tell you.”

Nana lifts one hand and pats her shoulder.  “Tell him.”

Fear spikes through me.  After what we just went through, what the fuck else could go wrong today?  What is it she needs to tell me?

“What’s wrong?” 

“I’m fine. I mean, I’m better than okay.”

“Cricket, if you don’t say words that give me some actual solid information my head is about to explode.”

Her cheeks redden and she tightens her lips, evidently searching for words.  Then she nods and reaches into the side pocket of her cargo pants to pull out a plastic stick.

I’m confused, not sure what she’s showing me for a second.

“I had the drug store deliver this today.  But I was going to wait until we got home from our dinner. I wanted to surprise you.”  A grin crests her lips.

The worst day of my life just became the best day of my life.

I pull Mia over and into my lap, smothering her face with kisses as she giggles and wraps herself around me.

Nana laughs from behind.  “I’m going to be a great-grandmother.”

“And you’re going to be a daddy,” Mia chides me playfully as my heart swells.

“We’re a family.  And you’ve given me the greatest gift I could have asked for.”  I hug her so tight against me.  “A bigger family.”

For a kid from the wrong side of the tracks who never knew what family meant growing up, I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.

This is what I was born to do.  Be Mia’s husband. Be a father. Take care of all of us until my last breath.

“Thank you,” I whisper in her ear.  “You are everything I’ve ever dreamed of.”

I take her mouth in a kiss listening to Nana’s playful chiding that we may have to add on to Tensfield to make room for all the babies if we keep going as we are.

“I love you.”  Mia looks at me.  “I have since that day I met you.”

“Here’s to adding onto Tensfield.”  I nod at Nana who wags her finger back at me.

“Here’s to adding on.”  Mia leans in and kisses me.  “But what about the tax thing?  They said they have a lien now.”

I smirk.  “They aren’t that smart.  The tax code includes a provision that for any payment of the arrearage by a party other than the property owner will not take effect for three business days.  The property owner has those three days to redeem the title and repay the lien.  And, I’ve got the funds, we’ve got a driver and the property owner. So, I say, we head to the courthouse and take care of this business once and for all.”

“But you said you wouldn’t have the money until tomorrow.”

“I actually have it today.  Just figured what difference could a day make, right?” I raise my eyebrows. I may be a slow learner but at least I learn. “No more waiting.  Let’s get it done.”

Mia’s smile lights up my heart as she taps on the divider between us and the driver.  When he lowers the glass she speaks.  “Take us down to the courthouse. We have some business to take care of.”

“I told you,” I add, reaching over to squeeze Nana’s knee and hold Mia close on my lap.  “I will always take care of my girls.  Always.”