I stand outside the house, taking a huge drag of my cigarette, hoping the nicotine will calm my nerves. This deal isn’t new to me. I’ve made plenty of deals, but each one runs its own risk. And the risk today is not knowing the guy we are dealing with.
I look at the guys standing behind me, ready to go and meet this motherfucking drug supplier. I hold the briefcase full of money in my hand. The rest of the guys haul the huge crates, ready to make our way inside.
“Fuck, just look at this place,” Bobby gushes. “Good job Carter ain’t here. He’d be so fucking jealous.” I chuckle, looking at the enormous house set back on acres upon acres of land.
“Motherfucker can’t be that clever, doing a deal at his house. Not exactly the smartest move,” I say, dropping the cigarette and crushing it with the tip of my boot.
“Guys,” I call to them, waving for them to gather round. They all rush until we are standing in a circle, our heads close together, my voice lowered. “I’ve never met this guy. We’ve never dealt with him before, so be on high alert. You see anything that looks remotely suspicious and we are out of there. Got it?”
“Sure,” the voices all talk at once, eyes wide, heads nodding in agreement.
“Something about this place makes me feel uneasy,” Nico blurts out. “Like it might be haunted or some shit,” he continues.
“I’m not talking about the heebie-fucking-jeebies, Nico,” I reply, annoyance lacing my tone. “I’m talking genuine reasons why we should get the fuck outta there.”
“I’m telling you…”
“Let’s just get in there,” I say cutting him off.
I storm toward the huge front door, three times the size of a normal door.
I rap my knuckles on the door, waiting for someone to answer. I let my hand drop to my waistband, reassuring myself that my gun is with me. I let out a controlled breath as I impatiently wait for a reply. I look over my shoulders to the guys standing right behind me.
“Eyes and ears open, guys,” I say with a nod. They nod and mumble in agreement.
I tense and relax my free hand, ready to knock the fucking shit out of this door. Surely these motherfuckers were expecting us.
“What the fuck is taking so long?” Anthony says with a huge sigh.
“Cocksuckers should be ready for us,” chimes in Felix, the guys’ grumbles all merging into one.
I raise my painfully clenched fist, ready to knock on this door again. Before my knuckles make contact, the door swings open and a light-haired guy appears in my view. He has a hardened expression, his head lifts a little, as though he’s trying to intimidate me.
Fucker has got me all wrong. I’m not easily intimidated and I look him straight in the eye.
“Braxton,” he says lifting a brow and holding out his hand to me. I step forward and shake it.
“That’s right.”
“We have been expecting you, Sir is waiting,” he replies, dropping his hand.
“Well, you kept us waiting long enough,” I snarl, looking over at the guys stifling a laugh. “Sir,” I mock, “Why the fuck don’t you call him by his name?”
He leans forward, his face closing in on mine. “It’s called respect, maybe you should fucking learn some.”
“Get the fuck out of my face.” I warn him, my hand slowly moving and finding the handle of my gun. I glare at him. Hard.
“He ain’t joking man, back the fuck up.” I hear the voices from behind me.
“We got business to attend to,” he says stiffly, turning on his heel as he steps back inside the house.
I turn and look at the guys in stunned confusion, loosely shaking my head from side to side.
“Well, that was fucking weird. I told you I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Nico says into my ear, his hand squeezing my shoulder.
“Carter says all is good with this guy, and I have to hope he’s done his fucking research.” I reply, watching the guy walking down the huge corridor. Keeping my eyes glued to the weird motherfucker, we follow him. I jerk a little, the sound of the door slamming closed behind us.
“Fuck,” I say, spinning on the spot as the door bolts behind us.
“How the fuck…” Felix mumbles, and I can’t help but think the same. The door has slammed shut and bolted itself and I can’t help but notice the scanner at the side of the door. What the hell is this place?
I charge forward, my eyes scanning around the expansive house, as I follow the strange guy that answered the door. We pass an impressive staircase and walk further into this maze of a house.
“Nice place,” I shout to the guy in front of me. He turns his head, his angry eyes landing on mine. “I don’t believe you introduced yourself,” I continue, storming forward until I’m on his heel. He stops dead in his tracks, turning and facing me.
“My name is of no importance to you.”
I chuckle to myself. “Listen, asshole, I’m here to do business. So, get off your high horse.”
“Alvrez is in here. I’d drop the fucking attitude or your business isn’t going to happen.”
He steps forward to the set of double doors just a few feet in front. He reaches out, pushing open both of them. I glance over to the guys, instructing them to be by my side. Bobby and Felix stand either side of me and the other guys remain behind us.
With a nod, the guy moves out of the way and we slowly enter the room, the smell of cigars filling my nostrils. I look up at the greasy looking guy sitting behind the office desk, my eyes landing on the girl standing in the white dress beside him.
I feel the muscles in my neck tighten and my body stiffens as I try to comprehend what the fuck is happening here.
Holy fucking shit.
A sharp pain ricochets through my chest and I can barely breathe.
Six fucking years my heart has ached for this girl. And here she is. Standing in front of me and I have no fucking idea how to react. Her eyes stare at the floor and I’m not sure that she has even seen me. Would she recognize me as a man and no longer a young boy?
“Come in, guys,” Alvrez summons with a wave. I swallow down the sick that burns the back of my throat. He stands up from his desk, taking a huge drag of his cigar, and blowing the smoke out in front of him. “Carter has told me so much about you, Braxton. It’s good to finally meet you.”
Her eyes lift from the floor and land on me. A look of realization crosses her beautiful face. Oh my God, her face is so fucking beautiful.
Her eyes bug out as she takes me in. Her eyes slowly roam the full length of my body. I can’t help but focus on the terrified look on her face. I have to do something, I just don’t know what. I want to jump over the goddam desk and pull her into my arms but being rash could cost us both our lives.
I feel like someone has knocked the wind from my lungs, and suddenly my mind is no longer on this deal, but totally consumed with Isabelle and how the fuck I’m gonna get out of here with her.
Alive.
I clear my throat and walk up to him, my eyes flitting to her standing by his side as my heart hammers in my chest. I hear the footsteps beside me and I look up at Bobby, giving him a look. He narrows his eyes on me, a look of confusion on his face.
I turn my attention back to Alvrez, taking his hand and shaking. “Let’s get down to business,” I say with a nod.
“Please,” he points to the chair. “Take a seat.”
“I’ll stay standing, if it’s all the same.”
He glares at me, the skin around his eyes creasing as he realizes something isn’t right here.
“What exactly is the problem?” he says with a flick of his head. I reach inside my waist band, drawing out my gun and pointing it directly at his head. Gasps fill the room but his face never falters.
“Big fucking mistake,” he says with a chuckle. “You think you can walk in here, in my fucking home and screw me over? Think again…”
“This isn’t about the drugs, or the fucking money,” I roar. “This is about the girl.” I inform him with a nod, my eyes flitting to her, then back at him.
“Isabelle is with me. She’s none of your goddamn business.”
“That’s where you are wrong,” I step closer to him, only to be confronted by his armed men in front of me. I look up at her, a solitary tear trickles down her face, but she doesn’t say anything. What the fuck has he done to her?
“She’s coming with me. Take the fucking money,” I say, holding up the briefcase.
Alvrez laughs maniacally. “You think you can buy the girl?” I look up in the haze of rage. Guns pointed at me, my men have their guns pointed at them, and I realize this is a mess. One big fucking mess.
I have to make it out of here. I have to make it out of here with her.
“She comes with me, or I’ll blow your fucking head off,” I growl, hoping he would heed my warning. My gun is pointed right between his eyes and I have a clear shot of this motherfucker.
“Try it,” he coaxes. “You’ll be dead before your finger can pull the fucking trigger.”
“No, don’t,” she cries out and her voice plays over and over in my mind. It’s the first time I’ve heard her speak in over six years. “Let him go. Please don’t hurt him. I will stay here with you.” She pleads, wrapping her arm around his, drawing his attention toward her. I look at the two guys pointing their guns at me. Without a second thought, I barrel at them both, knocking them onto the floor. Gun shots are fired and commotion fills the room. As I look up, Bobby stands over me, putting bullets in both fucker’s skulls. The spray of their blood covers my face, but I don’t have time to worry about it. I jump to my feet, my gun resuming its position on Alvrez’s head. He holds Isabelle in front of him, arms held behind her back. Hiding behind a girl, fucking pussy motherfucker.
“Hand her over and I will spare your life.”
“The girl goes nowhere. Who is she to you, anyway?”
“She’s the girl I have been searching for. Six fucking years I’ve been trying to find her. And what’s the chances that she would be here, with you? I swear to God if you have laid a goddamn finger on her…”
“You’ll what? Shoot me? Well go on then, just do it.”
I flinch at the sound of a gunshot, my head whipping to locate what has happened. My men lay lifelessly on the floor, blood covering the white tiles beneath my feet.
“Drop your fucking gun, cocksucker.”
“Harlan, no,” wails Isabelle. “Please, please don’t hurt him.”
He contorts his face as if in pain as he looks between the three of us.
“Take him down, Harlan,” Alvrez growls.
“No,” Isabelle continues to call out. “Harlan, listen to me, please. You have a choice.”
He shakes his head from side to side, his gun pointed at me, wavering, as he struggles to keep it still. I glance down at my men, panic rising as I realize they are not getting back up.
“Fuck!” I roar so loudly it burns my lungs. I look up at the sick bastard Alvrez, his whole body covered with Isabelle and I no longer have a clear shot. He turns, with his arm around Isabelle’s neck and shuffles his feet, making his way over to the door. She struggles, trying to fight him, slowing him down.
“No!” an unfamiliar voice calls out, and all eyes land on the woman standing at the doorway. “Let her go,” she croaks.
“Get the fuck out of here, Helena.” Alvrez growls at her and she flinches.
“No,” her voice quivers as she holds the huge knife out in front of her. “She doesn’t belong here. You have me. You told me it would only be me.”
“Step out of my fucking way,” he snarls, his teeth gritted and his arm reaching out to push her from blocking the way. She stumbles a little to the side as he makes his way past.
With an ear-piercing cry, Alvrez drops to his knees, Isabelle released from his hold. The woman holding the knife plunges it into his back over and over as he falls to the floor.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” I cry out, running toward Isabelle, past the crazed woman with the knife. I look back over at Harlan, his body frozen and his eyes glued to the scene playing out before us.
“Go,” I say, grabbing her hand and racing toward the door, retracing my steps from earlier.
“Oh, god, Braxton. I can’t believe it. I can’t believe it’s really you.”
“Fuck, Isabelle. I never thought I’d see you again.” I say, pulling her along, desperate to get out. I reach the huge front door, looking for the handle or lock, or something that will open the fucking thing.
“Fingerprint,” she calls out breathlessly, pointing to the screen beside the door. “The whole place is like this. The room where he kept me was the same.”
“Fuck,” I say, cupping the side of her face, my eyes focused on her. On the face that holds a thousand memories, the one I thought I’d never see again. “He kept you locked in a room?” I ask, pain searing through me at the thought of what she’s been subjected to.
“We just need to get out of here. I need to be with you, in your arms. Please. Just get me out of here.”
“The door,” I growl, rearing my leg up and kicking the fucking thing out of frustration. “We can’t get out of the door.”
I take a shot at the screen, pulling the trigger twice. Sparks fly and smoke plumes from the box beside the door.
“Try it now,” I say, hoping that shooting the shit out of it would work.
“It won’t open,” she says, her voice taut as she panics.
“There’s got to be another way. Are there any other doors?”
“I’m not sure,” she says shaking her head. “Let’s try the kitchen. Maybe we could get a window open.”
She tugs on my hand, leading me away from the door and back down the corridor. I link my fingers through hers, never wanting to let go of her hand. She swiftly turns her head, smiling at me with the smile that always had a way of melting my heart.
We make a turn, pushing on the door into the kitchen. “Here,” she says, climbing onto the worktop, reaching for the handle of the window. She opens it, but it stops abruptly. There is some kind of bracket on the window, restricting how far it can be opened. “Shit,” she gasps. “It doesn’t open far enough,” she says with desperation in her tone.
“Let me,” I say, climbing up beside her, moving her to the side, out of the way. I brace my leg upward, kicking the bottom of my boot against the frame of the window. I kick once, but the bracket doesn’t budge. I kick harder, over and over until the window swings open.
“You did it,” she gasps, wrapping her arms around my neck, pulling my face to hers. It’s like time stops and here I am, losing myself in this girl. The whole thing is surreal. A moment I never imagined was ever possible.
“We should get out of here,” I say, unraveling her arms from around my neck. “That Harlan dude could be after us,” I say mumbling. I rest my hand on the low of her back, guiding her toward the open window.
“I can’t,” she gasps. “The drop is too much. You go first... please.”
“You’ll be fine,” I say, trying to persuade her. “It’s really not that much of a drop.”
“Please,” she pleads. “You go first, you can catch me.” I glance over at the door nervous that we don’t have much time. I nod, reluctantly agreeing as I slide through the open window, dropping onto the ground below.
“Come on. I got you,” I encourage and watch as she slides forward, dangling her legs out of the window.
“Stop,” I hear the booming voice, but once again feel helpless. “Isabelle, please don’t leave me here.”
“Harlan,” she replies with a fondness to her tone. “You should get out of here. It’s over. You are free.”
“I have nowhere to go,” he replies. My patience for the motherfucker who just killed my men is wearing thin.
“Isabelle. We gotta go. Now.” I snap, my eyes bugging out as I will her just to drop down from the goddamn window.
“Come with us,” she offers sweetly.
“No way,” I argue. “No fucking way.”
“But he’s my friend. He’s helped me so much. I don’t feel like I can leave him behind to deal with the fallout.”
“Did you forget already what happened back there? He killed my men. My partner will send me to slaughter if he finds out I’ve helped the man who killed his crew.”
“Go,” Harlan says, waving his hand as he turns his back to her, walking out of the room.
“Harlan,” she calls after him. “Thank you for everything.” She turns her attention back to me, pulling her lips between her teeth as she slowly slides out from the window. I reach my hands up to her, grabbing her legs as I help her down. Her underweight body feels so light, like a child in my arms. She wraps her legs around me, her head buried in my neck as I carry her with ease over to the van. I dig into my back pocket for the spare key, unlocking it and opening the passenger door. I drop her down on the seat, slamming the door and running around the van, jumping into the driver’s seat.
I push the key in the engine and force the gear into reverse as I frantically try to get us the fuck out of here. I swallow down the nerves stuck in my throat. All that has happened has barely given me a chance to really appreciate that I’ve found her. The missing piece I never thought I would find. I’m stunned, driving erratically in silence.
“Braxton,” she whispers, her hand landing gently on my arm. “I still can’t believe it… I can’t believe it’s you.”
I inhale a shaky breath, controlling it as I breathe out slowly. “I just, I just don’t have any words…” I stutter, unable to put into words what this moment actually means to me.
“I feel the same,” she says, shuffling closer, resting her head against my arm. “I just need to be close to you right now,” she whispers.
I drive as fast and as far as I possibly can. As soon as we are off the beaten track, I pull over, desperate to speak to this girl, to hold her. I swing the steering wheel, slamming on the brakes, bringing the truck to an eventual stop.
“Fuck, Izzy,” I collapse onto the steering wheel as I feel the emotion bubble to the surface. “I fucking missed you so much,” I say lifting my head and cupping the side of her face.
“Me too,” she rushes out.
“Fuck,” I scream out loud again, Izzy jolting with fright.
“Brax, what is it? You’re frightening me,” she trembles, withdrawing from me and sinking back into the seat.
I want to tell her how scared I am. How in this moment I’m so confused and I don’t feel how I thought I would. What if she hates the man I have become?
“I’m not the same person, Izzy. My whole world fell apart the moment I lost you and I’ve been on a declining spiral in becoming the man I am today.” I let my head sink, running my hands down my hot and sweaty face.
“Me neither, Brax. But we need to find us again. What we had can never be lost.” She moves her hand toward mine slowly, and I struggle to fight back the tears that swell in my eyes. Crying isn’t something I’ve done much of since the day Travis died, but I can’t fight it.
It’s too much. Realizing how much I’ve missed the way she makes me feel, the way she knows exactly just what to say to me in any situation.
“We don’t need anything or anyone as long as we have each other, Brax. I’ve dreamed about this day. About the day where we are reunited, a million times,” she dips her head to look at me and a sudden sense of shame washes over me. I blink down, pressing my thumb and fingers against my tear soaked eyes, trying to force them back. This is not how I wanted her to see me. Weak, pathetic and crying like a damn baby.
“Don’t hide,” she tugs on my head. “It’s okay to not be okay,” she says with a chuckle and I can’t help the way my stomach flips at the sound that escapes her.
“How… how the fuck are you so strong? I have no idea what you’ve been through… fuck, are you okay? Did that sick bastard hurt you?” My emotions flip from one extreme to another. Anger soon consumes me.
“Honestly, yes,” she sniffles. “But that’s not important now. What’s important is that I’m here… with you…”
“I hate that he’s done this to you. I tried to find you. You have to believe me, Izzy. I spent years searching for you, I even hired private detectives which is how I know about your father.”
“You know about that?” she asks, her whole body shaking as she trembles uncontrollably.
I nod, “For years I thought you’d just left. Your mom was convinced and did nothing to try to help find you. I begged her to open a missing person’s case, but she didn’t believe you were missing.”
“He never hurt me, he just wouldn’t let me leave, Brax. He kept me locked up until the day he died. He was sick, Brax. He had it in his head that I would be tainted, that his perfect daughter would be corrupted by the big, bad world.”
“I’m so sorry,” I say, pulling her into my chest.
“I’d been so desperate for my freedom that as soon as I found it, all the things Dad was worried about, all the things he warned me would happen, did. I ran and ran, desperate to get back to the life I’d missed out on, the sun warming my cold, pale skin. That’s when he pulled over. That’s when the monster didn’t drive me home like he promised, but he took me to that house. That fortress in which he kept me captive. Until you came along…”
“Jesus,” I seethe. “I should go back there and make sure that fucker is dead.”
“He has to be,” she rushes out. “No one can survive that, surely?” she asks, her eyes wide and full of fright.
“No way. He couldn’t have survived.” I say with absolute certainty.
“Brax,” she says, pausing, her bright blue eyes glued to mine. I stare back, losing myself in the ocean that is the window to her tortured soul. “What were you doing there?”
“We were doing a business transaction…”
“Drugs?” she asks, her brows furrowing a little.
I nod, a little too ashamed to admit it verbally. To speak the truth about who I have become.
“Why? Why are you mixed up in this stuff? Shit,” she gasps, her hand covering her mouth. “You’re not, uh, you’re not an addict, are you?”
“Fuck, no,” I sigh heavily. “But listen, there are things that have happened, reasons why I am who I am today. I’ve been lost without you, babe. So very fucking lost. I lost a sense of everything that was real that day.”
“But Travis, you had Travis, right? God, I can’t wait to see his goofy face. I bet he’s still really nerdy, right?” The excitement in her tone is like a blunt blade to my heart. How can I tell her? How, how, how?
I shake my head, biting down on my bottom lip. My eyes flutter shut as I reach for her, pulling her head into the crook of my neck.
“I’m sorry,” I weep. “Fuck, I tried to save him, but I couldn’t.”
“What? No, it can’t be,” she screams out, clutching the back of my t-shirt. She wails, the sound ear-piercing and heartbreaking at the same time.
“How?” she pulls back, searching my face for the answers. “Was he sick?”
“Babe, it’s a long story. Not here. Not now, okay?” I say, swiping the tears that roll so freely across her pale white cheeks. “I will tell you, I promise. I know you want to know what happened, but it’s not an easy story for me to re-tell. Here and now is not the right time or place.”
I see the sadness wash over her face, her need for answers. But I can’t do it. I can’t tell her here.
“I don’t… uh… understand,” she stutters.
“It will make sense when I tell you. Please, you have to understand.”
She slowly moves over to her seat, pulling her feet onto the chair, huddling her legs as she cries, silent painful tears.
Reaching into my pocket, I grab my phone, dialing Carter’s number. Almost instantly he answers.
“Brax,” he answers with a sound of nervousness to his tone.
“You need to listen to what I have to say.”
“Ooookay,” he draws out the word. “Spit it out, for fuck’s sake…”
“The money is gone. The guys are,” I force down the anger, “they’re gone, man.”
“GONE? What the fuck do you mean, gone?”
“He had her, Carter. That motherfucker Alvrez had Izzy. He was holding her against her will.”
All I can hear his him breathing down the receiver. “Fuck,” he roars. “What happened to them? The drugs, man?”
“I had to get out, we are fucking lucky I’m here to tell the tale.”
“You should have done the deal. We could have gone back for the girl. We would have been prepared, ready to take the cunt down. Fuck, Brax.”
I slump my shoulders forward, my eyes glancing at her face. She’s broken and I don’t regret my decision. Not for a goddamn second.
“I wasn’t leaving without her, bro. You know what she means to me.”
“Rule number one. Don’t ever let emotion get in the way of business. You broke rule number fucking one, Brax.”
“Fuck the rules.” I growl, my frustration growing with every second I’m on the phone with this jackass.
“Oh, okay. Fuck the rules. Well, what about my money? Huh?”
“It wasn’t really my priority,” I mumble.
“Well, I hope she’s worth the three million you just fucking lost me!”
“Every goddamn cent.”