CHAPTER 25
RYAN

Staring at the window, I was watching the clock on the wall count itself down. It was the day of the robbery and we had agreed to meet exactly four hours prior at my house. I wanted to run down the details of all the plans and make sure everything was going to go according to plan. I wanted to make sure the guys had the four major plans memorized and to make sure no one planned on going off-book.

And right at nine o’clock, Kenneth and Jesse pulled up.

They came through the front door and the three of us got changed. We were in black from head-to-toe, with black ski masks as well as Halloween masks. We had wide-brimmed hats to shadow our eyes, which would conceal our eye color enough for frantic people to not be able to identify it.

“Do we need to run down the plans again, or are you guys good?” I asked.

“Let’s just get this shit over with. I’m ready to be done with you,” Kenneth said.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself.”

“Jesse, is the second car planted in case we need it?” I asked.

“Planted late last night. It’s a black Lincoln LS. Right where it’s supposed to be.”

“Good,” I said. “You made sure the plates you took for the getaway car were clean right?” I asked.

“Yeah dude, this isn’t my first rodeo,” Jesse answered, sounding irritated.

“I’ve got the electrical equipment in my bag. It’ll take me just shy of eleven seconds to take out their electricity once I can get the box open,” I said.

Jesse and I piled into the getaway car. Kenneth took off down the road, sticking to all the back roads like we’d talked about. I said a silent prayer that this would go as planned and by tonight, I’d be on my way to a new like with Grace, Harper, and our baby.

The car came to a stop and it was go time. I climbed out and went over to the side of the building I pried the electrical box open, hooked up all the wires I needed to, then waited until the time was right. Kenneth’s hand was hovering over the back doorknob as I cut the power to the whole damn place, then he yanked the door open.

“Kenneth. Vault. Jesse and I have the front,” I said.

I tossed the bag to Kenneth and he got to work getting the vault open.

Jesse and I burst into the darkened main lobby of the bank. We pulled our guns and popped off a couple warning rounds before we saw the security guards go for theirs. Jesse, aimed at them and warned them not to try anything stupid before disarming them. .

“Everyone get down and shut up!” Jesse said.

I could see people trying to run back to their offices, but with the power cut they wouldn't be able to call for backup. Jesse went over andtook the radios off the waists of the security guards. He kicked the radios into a corner before he stomped on them with the heavy heel of his steel-toed work boots.

“You good?” I asked.

He smiled at me and nodded.

“What do you want?”

The moment I heard her voice, I froze. I panned my gaze over to her and I couldn't believe my eyes. What the fuck was Grace doing here?

This was her damn day off!

Jesse strode past me and wrapped his arm around Grace. I watched as he pulled her into an office, scared that he might hurt her. The whole point of us doing this bullshit on a Saturday was so she wouldn’t be here.

That and I knew she would fight.

Which meant she would get hurt.

I couldn't believe it. I was frozen to my spot as Jesse pointed a gun in her face. She was clicking the button underneath her desk furiously, but it wasn’t doing any good.

Then, Jesse started giving her orders.

I looked around the room at all of the tear-stained faces. Mothers holding their children and husbands holding wives.

What the fuck had we done?

“What the hell, you guys?”

I whipped my head around and saw Kenneth coming through the doors.

Fuck. He was going off-book.

“Get to the car,” I said.

“I’ve got both of the bags loaded and you two fuckers are in here dancing around?” he asked.

Then his eyes panned over to Jesse who was still waving his gun at Grace.

“Who’s the bitch?” Kenneth asked.

“Don’t know, don’t care. You got the bags filled?” I tried my hardest to make it sound like Grace was someone inconsequential.

“Yep. In the car. We gotta get out of here though.”

“Then get Jesse and let’s get the hell out of here,” I said.

Kenneth went back to pry Jesse out of the room and I kept my gun trained on the people in the lobby. I was ready to jump at a moment’s notice. If they tried to hurt her for any reason, I wouldn’t hesitate to kill both of them. That was the mother of my child they were hovering over, and I wasn’t going to have her harmed in any of this.

Not after the lengths I’d gone to in order to keep her safe.

I watched as Grace followed orders. I had no idea what the fuck Jesse was doing, but I needed to stay put and let them do their thing. As long as she didn’t fight back, she would be unharmed.

Then, I saw that look in her eyes.

“Don’t!” I said.

Kenneth looked back at me as Grace lunged for Jesse.

She was wrestling for his gun as she elbowed her arm into Kenneth. It knocked the wind out of him and took him to the floor. I went racing for her office, ready to pull them out and get us the fuck out of here.

But Grace reached for Jesse’s face and tore his masks off.

Oh, fuck.

This was really bad.

“We have to get the fuck out of here,” I said.

Grace whipped her head around and looked at me, like she didn’t believe her ears.

“We have to take her. She’s seen Jesse,” Kenneth said.

“Leave her. We have to go now,” I said.

“Not a fucking chance,” Jesse said.

He twisted his hands into Grace’s hair and pressed his gun into her temple. There was a fire in her eyes along with fear. She was trying to be strong, but all I could think about was how Kenneth wouldn't hesitate to kill her.

“This wasn’t part of the plan,” I said.

“Neither was this bitch seeing my face,” Jesse said.

He dragged her out of her office and Kenneth shoved me toward the door. I could hear the police sirens off in the distance. I started running all of our plans through my head, trying to figure out how to mold them and bend them and break them so that Grace would be free and we could get away without being harmed.

But we all couldn't pile into the same vehicle.

“Stop. Stop, stop, stop!”

I pulled Jesse off Grace before he punched me in my face.

“I don’t know that the fuck’s wrong with you, but I’ve had it up to here,” Jesse said. “She’s fucking come with me and Kenneth.”

“You’re not taking her anywhere,” I said. “None of this was part of the damn plan! Why did you come into the fucking lobby?” I yelled at Kenneth.

“Because I figured you would bail on us,” he said plainly.

The sirens were getting closer as Jesse walked around the car with Grace in his arms. He tossed her in before shoving her over as Kenneth yanked open the driver’s side door. Before I could hop in, they took off down the alley with the mother of my child as a hostage.

The first thing I had to do was find a car to get the fuck out of this place.

Then I had to chase them down and get Grace.

No matter what happened to me, she couldn’t be harmed.

And if something happened to her, I would hunt them down to the ends of the earth.