Chapter 14
Zachariah
Before I knew it, spring was upon us. The rain turned into spring showers, the birds began to chirp, and everything was born anew. Only if my heart would be too.
After the phone call from Avidya on Christmas night, I finally grew a pair, as everyone kept telling me. I became the hard man I was known to be among my men and others that knew me. I was feared. A feared monster.
I ran my club, making sure everything was going smoothly. I ordered new equipment with the plans to expand to increase the member count. It all brought in more money, which was the main reason in doing everything I was.
Both of my parents seemed to be happy. Apparently, Avidya called them a number of times the past few weeks. Mom said she’s doing well, and hopefully would return home sooner rather later. God, I hoped so.
I didn’t hold too much hope on that. She hadn’t called me again. I wished she would. I wanted to hear her voice. I wanted to know where she was at. I just wanted her! I had looked for the number that she called me from, but it was blocked, so I had no way of calling her myself. It didn’t stop me from answering the phone every time it rang.
Currently, Travis was away looking for any leads on where she may be. He was the best man to track down anyone that didn’t want to be found. He had mentioned that she may be closer than I thought to look. Did that mean he knew where she was? Was it possible that she was so close that I didn’t even know it?
Jonas was my own personal bodyguard as I continued to dig up information on Aaron and his gang. I knew he wasn’t working alone. I just had to figure out who was working on his side. There wasn’t all that much digging to do, though, as the man was pretty much an open target. It just wasn’t as fun and thrilling now that I didn’t have to chase him down. I knew right where he was, but I was biding my time. He’d come to me soon enough.
Lynn had come crawling back a few weeks ago. She was upset her daughter wasn’t here with me, and refused to listen to reason. I didn’t know what to do about her, so I sent her away. What else was I supposed to do? Her daughter wasn’t here, and I didn’t know if Avidya would even want to see that woman.
Although she appeared calm on the surface, Lynn was skittish like something would jump out and attack her at any given moment. She was tight-lipped about what made her that way, too. I could only gather she was afraid that Aaron was coming for her. Little did she know, that man wanted nothing to do with her. He only wanted what was mine.
I was able to talk her into just going home with a promise that I’d let her know if her daughter ever turned up. If she really cared, she’d do more than she had so far. Like actually try to be a parent. I was sure she knew I wasn’t happy with her; it was pretty clear about that. When a mother gave up their child for their own sick pleasure, I didn’t look on too kindly about the choices.
Sure, she may have done what she thought was right, but it would have just been better if she’d have gone to my father and ask for our protection instead of going behind everyone’s back to do it.
Personally, I didn’t care what happened to her. My wife hadn’t really cared, either, as far as I knew. Avidya never asked for updates; never asked for me to look harder. Everything was just as it had been with no change.
The ringing of my phone jarred me from my thoughts, thankfully. More and more applications for people who wanted to join the club kept coming in, it was increasing weekly.
“Travis,” I answered, rubbing my dry eyes at the same time as I leaned back in my chair. My lack of sleep was slowly catching up with me.
“I have some information,” he answered easily. The sounds of cars were heard in the background.
“I’m listening,” I answered.
“Avidya is in Cali,” he said. “Living with a man named Taylor Shantez.”
“Ah, the mystery of where that man has been is solved,” I muttered, but happy for some good news.
“Yes,” he said. “I can’t get close, though. He won’t be afraid to shoot me on sight if he sees me. I saw her leaving the house this afternoon, and she looks…well, happy.”
“That’s good,” I said. I think. I wasn’t sure if I wanted her to be happy. Why should she have to suffer, but why should she be happy, either?
Yeah, I know. I don’t know what I wanted my wife to be. Alive, at least. Alive. That I could deal with.
“Can you talk to her? Bring her back?” I fired off.
“I will,” he said. “She left with a red-haired chick and a kid. Not sure where they went since the redhead chick drove a car, and drove like a bat shit crazy lady.”
“How long did it take for you to track her down?” I asked.
“Wasn’t all that hard, really. I listened to small talk at the diner about a new girl in town that was sweet, and she was staying with the quietest man in town,” he stated. “Only took me about a day to track what house she was staying in.” He paused, thinking over something before continuing. “I’ll catch her when she returns home. It’s early enough, maybe she has a job or something.”
“Keep me posted,” I stated before hanging up.
I trusted Travis to talk to her. Maybe he could be the only one that could talk some sense into that crazy woman that I loved more than life itself. At least she was alive, safe, and healthy. It was all I could ask for at this point in time.
Oh, but when I would have her back here in my arms, she’d get punished. My palm ached to swat that round ass of hers until she begged me to stop.
Crap. I had to stop thinking like that. I was stressed, and I knew I needed some sort of release. But I was a man of my word.
I wouldn’t harm her, but she’d fucking be sorry for leaving me.
Chapter 15
Avidya
After telling Krissy bye for the day and heading to my house, I couldn’t help but let a smile form on my lips. Today had been a good day at work. No one threw up and the kids actually got along pretty well. Also, there was a new twelve-week-old, who was adorably cute and small.
Everything was going smoothly as far as I was concerned. I was only a short eight weeks from my due date and this past weekend we’d a small baby shower. Krissy was determined to have one for me, which I didn’t fight her on.
Only thing missing was my entire family, but I was happy. I didn’t have a huge gaping hole where my heart was now. Thinking about my past hurt, but it was bearable. Every day it was more bearable.
Opening the front door, I froze. My heart beat in my chest in heavy thumps. My eyes widened in horror. Fear consumed me. My stomach twisted into knots.
Time froze.
In the living room, tied to a chair and unconscious was Taylor. His head hung down to his chest, his breathing slow. Behind him stood a man that looked way too much like Cody, but a bit pudgier and shorter. His eyes were a tad lighter, but still, I could see the pain he wished to cause me.
I hadn’t expected to come home to this. Anything but this. I had been so prepared to come home every day to find my husband waiting for me. Or even for any other family member to be waiting to take me back because something had happened to Zachariah.
Anything but this.
Oh God. Where are you? Please, oh please, come now.
“Well, don’t just stand there, child. Come in. Shut the door, too,” the man spoke in a demanding voice.
Slowly, I entered the house fully and shut the door behind me. I could have easily ran, but I didn’t trust the man that had a gun pointed at my head. He could easily shoot me before I took a step outside.
“Good girl,” he said, giving me a toothy smile. Most of his teeth were yellow from years of smoking and drugs no doubt.
I remained quiet. What did he want? How did he find me? Why was he here?
“Have a seat,” he said, nodding to the couch.
“Can I go pee first?” I asked, not moving. “Or I’ll pee my pants.”
“Fine. Make it quick,” he grunted out.
I nodded, taking steps backward, not removing my eyes from him. I didn’t trust this man. There was no way in hell I’d ever trust him. When I reached the bathroom, I shut the door and turned on the water slightly.
Oh, God. What was I going to do? Aaron was in my house. He was in the one place that I thought was safest from him. Safest from anyone that wanted to harm me. What did he want?
My breaths came fast and choppy. My heart beat in overtime. I forced myself to get my act together. I couldn’t panic. Not yet. I could when this was all over with.
Being seven months pregnant, I couldn’t afford to panic. I also couldn’t afford to let things get too far carried away.
Leaning my hands on the countertop, I looked at myself in the mirror. I mentally told myself to get a freaking grip. I could get through this. I had to.
My stomach tightened, causing my breath to hitch for a moment before the pain passed.
With shaking hands, I pulled my phone from my purse and dialed the one number that I knew would no doubt be able to help. I knew I had to.
“Hello,” Kent’s voice came through on the first ring.
“He’s here. Aaron is here,” I whispered hurriedly.
“In the house?” Kent asked, fully alert.
“Yes,” I whispered, my words filled with worry.
“Okay. Stay calm, okay,” he said.
Stay calm? Really? I was passed that.
“Where are you?” he asked.
“Bathroom.” My simple answer.
“Okay. I’ll have someone there very soon. But I need you to listen, okay. You will walk back out there in in just a few minutes. Don’t give away that you called me, or have any way of calling me. I’ll be deactivating your phone after this call, so he can’t try to use it against you. When you walk out there, don’t say anything. Do whatever he wants. Just don’t leave the house with him, okay. Stay inside. My men will be there in less than ten minutes.”
“Okay,” I breathed.
“You’ll be okay,” he said.
“He has a gun,” I breathed out.
“So do you. Taylor has guns hidden throughout the house. Can you find one?”
“There’s none in the bathroom.”
“That’s fine,” Kent said easily as though it didn’t matter.
“Hurry up!” Aaron shouted out, causing me to jump.
“Go on,” Kent said. “Put your phone in a pad or something, then go back out there. Just hang in there, Avidya.”
He hung up, expecting me to do just that. Which I did, of course. I quickly stuffed the phone into a bag of pads that had gone unused. I had just turned off the water as the door swung open, an angry filled Aaron in the doorway.
“You done?” he asked.
I nodded my head, watching him in fear.
He moved his head to the side, indicating that I needed to go to the living room as he waited. Once there, I took a seat on the couch, my hands folded protectively around my stomach. I wished I had worn a shirt that didn’t show off my baby bump today. With my arms folded over my baby, I felt him kick a few times, more than normal. The ache in my gut was still there. Not sharp, but annoyingly so.
“Is he okay?” I asked towards Taylor.
“He’ll be fine,” Aaron said. “But you are one hard gal to track down, did ya know that?”
I shrugged in answer.
“Let me tell ya this,” he went on, swinging his gun around in the air. I couldn’t help but grimace at his actions. Did he even know how to use that thing he had in his hand? “I wasn’t sure what I want to do with ya. I knew that woman didn’t do as I had told her to do. I knew what would happen if I ever had a spawn with my blood. I knew what fate would be laid out clear as day.
“I always made sure that I had no one to keep the blood of my family going. I am sure you know about how powerful it had once been. Everyone wants to blame me for not doing my part or not selling the drugs that I was meant to sell. Does it really matter, though?”
He paused, seeming to debate on something as Taylor grunted in his seat as he came back to the real world.
“So, what do you want with me, then?” I asked. After all this time, he had to want something.
“I had planned to just kill ya. I had someone that was meant to do that, but apparently, he was on the payroll of your so-called husband. Stupid of him, but I guess someone took him out before I could for failing at doing his job. Where is that husband, anyhow?” he asked, rubbing his chin with the butt of the gun.
I couldn’t help but mentally laugh at how stupid he was. I may not know how to use a gun all that well, but I knew the basics. Never point it at yourself unless you intended to use to kill yourself.
“Not here,” I said, my voice stronger than I expected as I said the words. “He didn’t want me.”
“Why? He was so intent on keeping you safe,” he said, genuinely worried about that. He slowly pointed the gun at the floor. “His family is always here.”
“Because they don’t trust me to not blab my mouth,” I lied. “I wasn’t the girl he wanted after he found out I wouldn’t bow to his wishes.”
“Then who’s kid?” he asked, glancing at my stomach.
“It’s mine,” Taylor said before I could answer. His voice was low and hoarse, but still powerful as he shifted in his seat.
“Huh,” Aaron hummed. “Whatever floats your boat. I didn’t know you liked to be an inbred fucktard.” His voice darkened in disgust.
“Will you answer my question?” I asked softly, looking at the man in an almost pleading way.
“What should I do with ya?” Aaron asked. He began to pace. Did he even know what he wanted to do? He seemed so unsure of his own actions.
“He won’t do shit,” Taylor said. “Always a man of threats, but never fucking follows through. I know you all too well. It’s always the same thing.”
“Shut up,” Aaron seethed towards Taylor.
“Or what?” Taylor laughed. “You’ve had the chance to kill me, and yet you haven’t. I don’t think you have the balls to do it. You want something.”
“I want many things, brother,” Aaron laughed. “None of which I will get.”
“Maybe I can help,” I spoke up, hoping to get the man to calm down. My heart beat too fast in my chest.
Where were the men that Kent said he was sending? Shouldn’t they be here by now?
“I wanted a family, ya know,” Aaron sighed out. “But that was so long ago. Now. Well, now, I want the Melendez family to pay for taking my family down. I want them to beg for your life, which they will never get in the end. Because I will control your life.”
“Just like what Cody did? Are you that sick in the head?” Taylor said, clearly amused.
“I am nothing like that man!” Aaron shouted in rage.
“Then act like it!” Taylor returned just at hotly.
“So, what will you do?” I asked, hoping he’d just freaking answer me. I may have fear consuming me, but I had to keep him talking.
“I don’t know,” Aaron muttered out. He placed both hands on his head, the gun still in his right, as he pulled at his hair. “I don’t know. I don’t fucking know!”
“Are you okay?” Taylor asked me as Aaron paced the house, muttering to himself.
“He hasn’t touched me,” I whispered. I gathered that was what he wanted to know.
I wanted to know how long the man had been in our house, and how the heck he even got in. I knew Taylor wouldn’t let this man into the house by any means.
“Good,” Taylor said. Louder, he asked, “Can I have some water?”
“Get it,” Aaron nodded my way as he peeked through the window.
Quickly, I got up and got a class of water for him. My hands were shaky as my eyes landed on the knife that sat on the countertop next to the chopping board. Glancing behind me, Aaron had returned to his pacing.
Praying that I didn’t get either of us killed, I took ahold of the knife and cup of water, making my way back to Taylor. He gave me a knowing nod.
Purposely, I dropped the glass on the carpet, watching as it bounced and made a wet spot. At the same moment, another cramp bit through my lower body, causing me to huff out a painful breath.
“Shoot,” I muttered, bending down behind Taylor to pick up the glass.
Aaron didn’t notice, nor care. He seemed to be fighting with his thoughts on what to do. Were mental issues a common thing in this family? Was he insane?
Quickly and quietly, I used the knife to cut through the thin rope that forcibly kept Taylor’s arms behind the chair before slipping the handle of the knife into his hand.
“You okay?” Taylor asked quietly.
“Fine,” I whispered, knowing I wasn’t.
“Did you make a call?” Aaron asked me harshly, causing me to freeze.
I shook my head, my eyes wide in fear.
Did someone finally come to save us? Oh God, please.
He didn’t reply. Instead, he marched to the bathroom. I could hear the banging of doors as he looked in every little nook and cranny that could possibly hide a phone.
I met Taylor’s eyes, and he looked way too calm. Was this something he’d expected after all these years? Why was it always me that had to be forced into such situations?
“Then who would be here?” Aaron asked as he stormed out of the bathroom.
“No one,” I answered slowly. “Please.”
“What should I do? I can’t just let you both live. I can’t be found here. I can’t die. I should. I’ve skipped that way too many times already. How can I get out of this?” he mumbled to himself. Finally, he met my eyes. Would he answer my question?
“I am sorry you were born. Ya know, if Racheal would have just did what I told her to do, you wouldn’t have to suffer like this. I just didn’t want any kids then, but now that I see how much you look like her, I think I’ve changed my mind. I didn’t want to feel like this. I’m so fucking out of control.
“I didn’t know you were alive until Cody called me, though. He needed money, and wanted to know how to get money, fast. He knew that you would be married off. It was just a matter of time, and to whom you’d be tied to for the rest of your life. He hated the fact that he had to have you, but it came with keeping his name protected.
“He was always a good actor; I’d give him that. But he could only act for so long. Lynn, for whatever reason he married that slut, was a pain in his ass. And mine. She had gotten the Melendez family involved. I warned him, but he didn’t consider what would happen if he kept it all up,” he rushed to get everything out.
What did this all have to do with me?
“I told him I’d take you,” Aaron laughed. “I told him I’d keep you safe. But I had other motives for that. But that was only to cover up my own needs. I could use you as a motive to get my money from the men that owed me. I wanted to use you as a way to prove that money would be nothing without a pretty thing to back up my claims.
“I only wanted you because you are my daughter. I wanted you Avidya, so I could finally get a foot in to places I couldn’t before.”
“You are one sick bastard,” Taylor seethed. I couldn’t agree more on that front. Was Taylor the only man that was sane in this family?
“Well, so are you, dear brother. So are you,” Aaron said with a glare. “You wanted that slut of a girl that I had, so much so you tried to have me killed.” Then turning back to me, “I would have given you such pleasure, you’d never want to leave, Avidya. You see, I wanted you for myself. And when Cody didn’t show up with you in toe, I threatened him how I saw fit.
“He had as yet to get you to me, and now I’m not waiting any longer. So, to answer your question, Avidya. You are mine. I will take ya from this house, let you keep that thing, and you can play house all the while, and I’ll have everything I ever want.”
I shook my head. He was sick and twisted. He would never get me to leave this house unless I was dead.
Before I could react, Taylor sprang from the chair, knife in hand. He charged at Aaron, stabbing the knife deep into his gut.
“Fuck!” Aaron shouted as a gun went off.
Bang.
Both of my hands covered my mouth as I watched on in horror. Taylor’s surprised face paled as blood instantly seeped from his chest. His legs gave out and he fell to the floor.
Aaron simply looked at him in disgust from where he stood, his own wound bleeding.
Oh God. Oh God. Oh my God.
Within seconds, the front door was busted down. Three men stormed into the house as though they owned it. They each had guns drawn.
I sat in horror. I didn’t move. I couldn’t as fear ran down my spine.
“Ah, about time you came inside,” Aaron said, his face beginning to pale from the pain and blood loss. “I knew that girl called. Someone had to. I saw you three out there, talking. I knew you would come in. Just a bit too late.”
As he went to raise his gun, I knew he was going to shoot me next. I saw the dark look in his eyes. If he couldn’t have me, no one would.
Before he was able to pull the trigger, all three men fired at Aaron, shooting him in the chest.
He fell in slow motion to the floor. His blood seeping into the carpet right along with Taylor’s. One man kept his gun pointed at Aaron as he gasped for air on the floor as the other two men cleared the house. No one else was here, but I couldn’t get my brain or mouth to work as I sat frozen in shock.