Emme
“Well that was harder than I thought it was going to be,” I said to Zane, my mood melancholy. We just left dinner with our friends and were on our way to Lou’s for Elle’s performance. Charley told us at dinner that she and Elle had spoken a lot about Taj over the past couple of days. Elle wanted to make sure that she put on a good show to appropriately honor her future sister-in-law’s late brother. Hearing that made me realize that dinner may have been difficult to get through, but Elle’s show was going to be much harder. I was thankful for the fact that we were going to be at Lou’s, where I knew we’d be able to have a steady flow of drinks to numb the pain. Of course, I always had to watch how much I had considering the whole one kidney situation.
“You did good, though, Em. I’m proud of you,” Zane began. “Have to admit, it was nice to learn a little bit about him. I’m not one to get too sentimental, but wish I could have met the guy.”
My body warmed at Zane’s words. “You would have gotten along great with him,” I said. “He was a surfer and he was a lot like you are with snowboarding; exceptional at it with what seems like very little effort to the outsider. Of course, those of us who know you know that you are very serious about what you do and that you work hard at your craft. Taj was the same way with surfing.”
Zane reached over and squeezed my hand. “Think you’ll be able to make it through Elle’s show?”
I let out a sigh. “I’m almost dreading it. Don’t get me wrong; she’s incredible, but I have a feeling this is going to be brutal.”
“You feel like you need to leave, you say the word.”
I looked to Zane, who had just pulled into a parking spot at Lou’s. “Taj died for me, Zane. I’m pretty sure I can suck it up for a couple hours and pay homage to the guy who saved my life.”
Zane gave me a small smile. “Ok, Em. But, the minute I think it’s becoming too much for you, I’m taking you out to get some fresh air. You take a break and you can go back in. Got me?”
I nodded.
With that, he turned off the truck, hopped out, and rounded the front of it to come to my side where he helped me out. I had worn a sleeveless navy blue lace mini dress. I didn’t want anything overstated or showy considering the occasion, but I still wanted something nice. In fact, when I had finished getting ready earlier at Zane’s house and he saw me he got this heart-melting look on his face before he stated, “You look really pretty, Emme.”
We walked up the steps to the saloon and made our way inside. All of our friends were filtering in together since we left the restaurant at the same time. We walked toward the stage and found Elle’s crew already on stage getting everything set up. Surprisingly, she was sitting at a table front and center that was already reserved for our group, but she wasn’t alone. Levi was with her. Oh boy, Wes was going to have a canary.
“Hey, Elle,” I greeted, as Zane and I approached the table.
“Hi, Emme,” she said as she stood and pulled me into a hug.
I looked to Levi with a smile on my face and offered, “Hi, Levi.”
He stood and nodded to me with a quick, “Em.”
Zane then looked to Levi and asked, “Wes know you’re here with her?”
Before Levi had the chance to answer Elle jumped in.
“Not that it’s anyone’s business, but Levi is not exactly here with me. I’m pretty certain he’s here on your behalf. Regardless, Wes doesn’t have a say in what Levi or I do, which unfortunately, isn’t much of anything,” she announced on a roll of her eyes.
I looked to Levi to see he was definitely frustrated. It was then that the rest of the group joined us. Everyone said hello to Elle and Levi. When Wes approached he pulled Elle into a hug and gave her a kiss on the top of her head. She then took off to get ready for her show.
Wes then moved to Levi and said, “Not getting into shit tonight; it’s about Charley’s brother. I’m just hoping you didn’t lie to my face at my place a couple weeks ago.”
“I didn’t,” Levi said, his face deadpan. “Told you I wouldn’t disrespect you in your house and I kept my word.”
“Hoping you keep your word outside of my house, too, and that you don’t do shit behind my back.”
“There’s nothing to worry about, Wes. I’m here tonight for Zane and Em. Arrived here before everyone else, though. And just saying, you don’t want me disrespecting you and I get it, but I’m also not going to disrespect her. So, you might not like it, but I’m not going to be a dick to your sister and completely ignore her.”
Wes nodded and moved away.
I let out the breath I was holding. The tension quickly dissipated and everyone took a seat at the table Elle had reserved for us. Nikki ordered a round of shots for everyone on the way in and the waitress brought them over to us a minute after we were all seated.
Nikki held out her glass as she said, “I’d like to make a toast.”
Everyone turned their attention to her.
“One year ago today, my best friend and my sister, Charley, lost her big brother. We were all devastated by the loss of him. His selfless act to protect and save our sister, Emme, is one that should be honored. What you might not know is that Taj was a big brother to all of us and sacrificed a lot for each and every one of us girls. For Charley, he gave up nights out with friends when he was eighteen to take care of her after their parents died. He encouraged her to pursue her dreams every single day. For Monroe and I, he sacrificed many nights of restful sleep or date nights just to keep us out of trouble. Oh, who am I kidding? It was mostly me he was keeping out of trouble.” Nikki said as she looked to Monroe. “I know you’re going to kill me for this babe, but for Monroe he always insisted on making sure that any guy who wanted to date her knew she was something special and that they better not try to take advantage of her, as if her three older brothers weren’t already scaring the guys away.”
I looked to Monroe. Her eyes were glassy, clearly reminded about how protective Taj was of her. When my eyes drifted to Stone who was sitting next to her, I saw he was watching her, his mind working.
“And then there’s Emme,” Nikki said, directing her attention to me. I felt my throat get tight and my eyes get wet. “Taj made the greatest sacrifice when he rescued Emme, his baby girl, one year ago. I know sometimes you struggle with it and regret making the decision to call him, but babe, if he were here today and had to do it all over again knowing the outcome, he’d do it in a heartbeat. So today, I’m grateful for all of the sacrifices Taj made and his selflessness when it came to keeping all the girls he deemed to be his baby sisters safe. I still mourn the loss of him, but I find comfort in the fact that I was privileged enough to be part of his short life. With that, I’d like to say cheers to Taj.”
“Wait,” Charley said.
Everyone, who now had their drinks in hand mid-air, stopped to look at Charley.
“That was beautiful, Nik. Thank you. I just want to add one more thing,” she said as she looked to me. “I know you wanted today to be about Taj, and it is, but I feel like there is something else that needs to be said. Taj died a year ago, but he didn’t do it in vain. He did it saving you so that you could live a life full of love and happiness. It’s taken you some time, honey, but you’re here and you’re finally happy. You’ve been able to see and feel what real love is supposed to be and nobody deserves it more than you, baby girl.”
Tears spilled over my cheeks as I smiled at my sister. Zane’s arm tightened around me and squeezed a little.
Monroe lifted her glass in the air and said, “To Taj.”
We all followed suit.
Seconds later, Lou was up on stage introducing Elle. When Elle had the floor, she made a statement before she began her set.
“A couple months ago I met a girl who became my brother’s fiancée and would grow to become one of my closest friends. I didn’t know when I first met her about the hardships she faced in her life that brought her into our world. Over time, I learned about those tragedies and I’m blown away by her. I know now that regardless of what she’s faced in her past she brings such joy into the lives of all my family members, especially my big brother. I can’t imagine my life without my brother and I don’t know how she stays so strong, day in and day out. So tonight, I want to help my friend and future sister-in-law, and her friends celebrate the life of and pay tribute to an incredible man that I wish I would have had the honor of meeting. This is for Taj.”
Elle immediately went into her set selected specifically for the occasion. The rest of us sat there initially just staring at her, too emotional to do anything else. Halfway through Elle’s first song I chanced a glance at Levi and found that he was riveted to her.
I leaned into Zane and whispered, “You think there’s any chance Wes is going to ease up on the whole situation with Elle and Levi?”
He looked to me with his brows drawn.
“Baby, look at your brother,” I said as Zane turned his head toward Levi. “He feels something for Elle and I get the sense that she feels something for him, too.”
“Agreed, but Wes is very protective of Elle.”
“We’re talking about Levi. He’s not some random guy off the street. What does Wes need to protect her from?”
“With Levi? Nothing. But, it’s not our place to tell Wes how to feel about it, unfortunately. If Levi wants to pursue something with Elle, he’ll do right by her and he won’t hide it from Wes.”
I nodded and rested my head on Zane’s shoulder as Elle continued her set. Throughout it, Charley, Monroe, Nikki, and I all had a couple more shots. I tried to always chase mine with water knowing drinking too much wasn’t something I should be doing. Thirty minutes later, Elle finished her set and came to join us. The four of us thanked her for putting on such an incredible show and then all five of us girls took off to the ladies’ room.
Zane
The girls had all just taken off to bathrooms and I sat there at the table with Wes, Stone, Luke, and Levi. The guys were talking about something, but I wasn’t paying much attention. I was too consumed with thoughts of my girl. I wasn’t around a year ago when she nearly lost her life, but this day was seemingly so significant in my own. I met Emme only three months ago; yet, I felt like I had loved her a lifetime. I spent the last several months trying to get inside her head and her heart. It was the single most frustrating experience of my life, but the reward I received once I got in was worth every ounce of effort I put into making her mine.
Over the last few weeks I had witnessed such a positive change in her. She let her guard down and was now smiling and laughing more often. Even when bad shit trickled in she found a way to always see through to the good. The strength she showed always amazed me. Even tonight, she got emotional at times, but she kept it together and stayed strong. I was so proud of her.
“Yo, Zane,” I heard Stone call out.
I snapped out of it and turned my attention to him. “What’s up?”
“Wes says you’re zoning out thinking about some surprise you got. What’s he talking about?”
My eyes sliced to Wes’ and I found him smirking at me. “Didn’t fucking know it on Thursday, but I found out this morning why you insisted the wait was worth it. Surprised you aren’t zoning out yourself considering your Christmas gift.”
“What the fuck are you two talking about?” Luke asked.
I looked to Luke and Stone and said, “You get serious enough with one of those girls, you might find out. I’ll tell you from now, though, that happens and you get what we both got you’ll regret you ever wasted any time on anyone but a girl like that.” I paused a moment and looked Stone right in the eye when I said, “Especially you.”
Stone and Luke looked at each other, shrugged their shoulders, and brushed it off. I looked to Wes to find him grinning. Fucker. I couldn’t help but laugh to myself and think about what Emme had given me that morning. Those pictures were everything. My sweet girl was pure perfection and I was stuck wondering how I could have ever gotten so lucky. And it once again showed me her strength. To have been in the situation she was in before she moved here and be able to get to a point where she was comfortable and confident enough to do a photo shoot like that only proved she’d always find a way to fight and get through to the good.
I was pulled out of my thoughts when we saw the girls approaching the table. It was crowded at Lou’s so they were moving toward the table single file. Charley was in the front. As she moved out of the way and rounded the table to where Wes was, Monroe followed behind her and sat next to Stone. Nikki was behind her and as she sat Elle stepped forward. When Elle moved out of the way I didn’t see Emme. My body immediately went on alert.
“Where’s Emme?” I asked, loud enough for everyone at the table to hear me.
“She was right behind me,” Elle answered as she turned to look behind herself.
I was up out of my seat and moving toward the direction the girls had come from. I didn’t turn around, but I knew Levi was moving, too.
Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.
Hoping she decided to get a drink, I scanned the area by the bar, but didn’t see her.
“Check the bathroom and talk to the bouncers, Zane,” Levi said behind me. “I’m heading outside.”
I took off toward the bathrooms. Thankfully, as I walked up toward the women’s bathroom two girls had come out together.
“Anyone else in there?” I asked them.
They shook their heads and walked off. I went in and double checked. Nothing. For good measure, I went into the men’s bathroom. Still nothing. I went back out into the bar area praying that I’d see that smiling face looking back at me, but when I got there I couldn’t find her. Cliff, one of Lou’s longtime bouncers was at the front door to the saloon. I ran over to him.
“Cliff, you see Emme leave here?” I asked.
“Just got back to the door about two minutes ago. Our new guy, Pauly, was covering the door before me.”
“He still here?”
Cliff looked beyond me. “Hey Pauly,” he called out to him.
Pauly walked over and said, “What’s up?”
Levi materialized beside me at this point.
“Nothing,” he said.
I held my phone up in front of him and showed him Emme’s picture. “You see this girl leave here?” I asked.
“Yeah.”
“She with anyone?” Levi asked.
“Some guy. She didn’t seem happy. Figured it was another typical lover’s quarrel.”
“She was kidnapped,” I said, turning to Cliff. “Can you give Levi access to the security cameras, Cliff? It’s likely Emme’s with a murdering rapist who likes to beat up women.”
“Pauly, cover the door.”
We took off behind Cliff to the room where they kept all their surveillance footage. Lou joined us at this point and gave Levi full access to all of the footage both inside the saloon and out in the parking lot. It took a few minutes, but we found the footage that showed the girls heading into the bathroom and then out. As Elle said, Emme was right behind her until a guy came up, wrapped an arm around her waist, and pulled her away from the group. She was tense. He spoke into her ear, saying something, and Emme nodded. We saw the footage of him walking her out of the bar. He had his arm wrapped around her waist and as she walked I could see the rigidity in her body. She was fucking scared.
Levi switched over to the parking lot footage and we watched the bastard dragging Emme across the lot. He was pulling her hair as he approached a white panel van. He opened the back of the van and moved to pick her up and put her in. She fought back. She kicked and flailed her arms, but he overpowered her and tossed her in the back like a rag doll. Levi zoomed in on the plate and got a number.
“Thanks, Lou,” he said before looking to me. “We’ve got to get to the office.”
We moved quickly out of the offices and back out into the bar area. The guys and girls were all there waiting for us.
“What happened?” Luke asked as they all fell into step beside us.
I pulled my keys out of my pocket and tossed them to him. “Motherfucker has Emme. I’m riding with Levi to his office. Somebody needs to grab her jacket and purse from the table. Take my truck back to one of your places.”
“I have her stuff,” Charley said, as they all followed alongside Levi and me.
“Seth took her?” Nikki asked.
“Yeah,” Levi said. “She fought him and tried to get away, but he threw her into the back of a van. I’ve got to get my guys on this so we can find out where she is and get her back.”
“Oh my God,” Monroe said, her knees buckling. Stone caught her before she collapsed.
“Going to get the girls back to my house. Keep us posted, Zane. Let us know what we can do.”
I nodded and hopped into Levi’s truck. He pulled out of the lot and took off toward his office. The Bluetooth in the car started ringing.
“Michaels,” we heard after one ring.
“Miller just took Emme. Need you to get any camera footage from the streets leaving Lou’s in Rising Sun heading west. White panel van,” he began as he rattled off the plate number. “Zane and I are on the way to the office, probably about twenty minutes out.”
“Roger that.”
Disconnect.
Levi hit a few buttons and we heard the phone ring once.
“Yeah, Levi?”
“Emme’s been kidnapped, Locke. Miller took her.”
“Fuck.”
“Zane and I are on the way to the office. I need all hands on deck. Call Dom, De Luca, Tyson, Reynolds, and Hayes. I’ll call Cruz to fill him in.”
“Got it, boss.”
Disconnect.
Ringing again.
“Levi?”
“Miller’s got Emme.”
“Motherfucker. When?”
“About twenty minutes ago. We were at Lou’s. Know you’re on assignment and not in town right now. You finish, we’re going to need you.”
“How’s Zane?” Cruz asked.
“Right here,” I answered.
“Almost at the office. I’ll keep you posted,” Levi chimed in.
“Thanks. Zane…we’re going to get her back, brother.”
“She’s scared, Cruz. Levi got the footage from Lou’s security cameras. She fought him in the parking lot, but he overpowered her and threw her into the van. I know my girl and I know she’s fucking terrified right now.”
“She’s a fighter, Zane. She’ll get through this. We’ll all get her through it.”
“Pulling into the office lot now, Cruz. Gotta go. We’ll update you when we’ve got more.”
Levi turned off the truck and we jumped out and ran to the door. To save us time, Pierce was at the door and had it open for us already. As we walked through the door, Levi asked, “What do we have boys?”
We walked into Trent’s office and found him sitting behind the computer. “Hit a dead end, Levi. Was able to follow the van all the way through town, but he got on the interstate, heading south. We lost him there. Don’t know how far he’s going, but I’m checking footage from the cameras immediately off every exit on the interstate. It’s going to take time. She have her phone with her? I can track that much faster.”
I shook my head. “She went to the bathroom with the girls and left her purse and phone on the table by me. They went as a group; I never thought she was in danger. FUCK!! I never should have let her out of my sight.”
“Can’t beat yourself up, man. We’re going to find her,” Hayes said.
I began pacing around the offices waiting for something to happen. The guys worked tirelessly attempting to locate her or any sign of that fucking van. A little over an hour after she was taken Trent got a lock on the van. They made a stop at a gas station. Dom and Hayes took off and made their way to that area. Emme was never taken out of the van. It was dark out and my sweet girl was locked in the back of a dark van. I hoped like hell we found her soon enough so that I could get her back into the light.
Three hours after she was taken we still had nothing new. The van got back on the interstate after the stop at the gas station and they hadn’t located it again. I heard a buzzing sound indicating someone was at the front door. I followed De Luca to the door. A woman was standing outside. De Luca turned on the intercom and asked, “Can I help you?”
“I was told to deliver something here,” the woman said.
“What is it? And from who?”
“It’s a flash drive. I don’t know the man who gave it to me, but he said to tell you to enjoy the show.”
De Luca and I went solid. “That’s him,” I said.
De Luca opened the door and took the flash drive from the woman. “When did you get this?” he asked her.
“Earlier this evening. I was told to deliver it now.”
“And you just did this for some guy you didn’t know?” he asked.
“He paid me to do it. I am a single mom and I’m struggling now. I was at work; I’m a waitress. He offered me a hundred dollars and I need the money so I agreed to do it.”
“Thank you.”
De Luca let her go and we walked back to Levi’s office.
“Just got a delivery. USB flash drive. It’s from him,” De Luca said to Levi, Tyson, Pierce, and Holden. Trent was still working on locating the van on the cameras.
Levi held out his hand and Lorenzo gave him the flash drive.
“Woman who brought it was paid off.”
“Message?” Levi asked.
“Enjoy the show.”
“Fuck,” Levi muttered under his breath.
Levi put the drive into his computer and opened the file. There was a clickable link in the file. When Levi clicked on it and a new screen opened my stomach twisted at what I saw. I stood there frozen, staring at the screen.
“MICHAELS!!” Levi yelled.
Trent ran into the room, a look of concern washed over his face.
Levi turned in his chair and pushed a button that dropped a projector screen down. He tapped out a few buttons on the laptop and suddenly the screen on his computer was displayed on the projector screen.
“Jesus Christ,” Trent said.
“Oh fuck,” Pierce and Holden said in unison.
“It’s a live feed, Michaels. Where is it streaming from?” Levi said as he stood.
Trent came over and sat at Levi’s desk. He immediately went to work, but I kept my eyes laser-focused on the screen.
We were watching a high-quality live feed being filmed with infrared cameras. My girl. My sweet girl. She was in the dark. I couldn’t see her face. She had her head down to the side and her hair was covering the side of her face. If that wasn’t already bad enough, she was there with her arms over her head with her wrists bound together in shackles, suspended from the ceiling. Her ankles were also shackled and connected to the wall behind her. She had no shoes on, but she was still wearing her dress, thankfully. I could see her body trembling. She was scared for sure, but she was cold. She hated being cold.
Emme’s body was hanging there almost lifeless when she suddenly went solid. That’s when we heard the footsteps.