“Me? Stupid? Since when?” I try to make light of the situation, but it’s no use because I’m livid. I could easily rip them apart.
“I’m serious, Logan. They know you’re strong, Herbert is no fucking idiot. He’ll have planned for you to try to break out of there,” Dax warns, and even though I know he’s right, I don’t think I can sit around and wait.
“Get them here as soon as possible,” I tell him before hanging up and moving toward the window. There aren’t any cars outside, just my truck, which is parked near the front door. Other than that, I suppose the men must have been left here without a way to leave. Perhaps I can get them to side with me. My father may pay their salaries, but I can offer them freedom from his organization before they get hauled into cells beside him.
With a slow twist, I unlatch the window with the small key I kept in my pocket, pushing open the upper half of the pane. The cool breeze fills my lungs the moment the wooden beams snap open. In an attempt to see the lower floor, I lean over the bottom half of the window and notice one of the men, dressed all in black, outside smoking a cigarette. That means there’s only one of them inside.
I turn toward the door. Moving silently, I twist the handle but find it locked. I don’t have the spare keys on me, which only sends frustration coursing through my veins. I should’ve kept the fucking batch of keys when I left.
I pick up the gun, realizing there’s only one way to do this—with brute force. Aiming at the doorknob, I pull the trigger twice. The resounding clank of metal bounces around the small bedroom.
“He’s trying to break out!” The shout goes off just like I knew it would. With a grin on my lips, I step back, waiting for the assholes to make their way inside. Because the moment they do, I’ll kill them both and get my girl out of here.
27
Logan
I listen to them, pulling away whatever they’ve barricaded the door with. I’m ready, my hand poised, my finger on the trigger, waiting, breathing deeply. My chest aches with worry and fear, and I want nothing more than to get Vera out of here. Since my father knows where we are, it won’t be long until he gets a team of men out here to keep us imprisoned.
The door flies open, the hinges squealing at the sudden movement, and my finger presses down on the trigger. The shot rings in my ears as I take down the first asshole. The second man stops, falls to the ground, and moves behind the wall, which is solid. I can’t take a shot until he’s moved into view.
“If you come out, I’ll spare you. But if you come near her, I’ll make you pay,” I tell him, not moving from my spot where I’m sheltering Vera if he does decide to shoot from around the corner.
“He’s going to find you, and when he does, this will all be the biggest mistake of your life,” the asshole grunts. His voice is low as if he’s trying to whisper the threat at me, but I don’t give a shit what my father does to me.
“And the biggest mistake of your life will be when I end you,” I inform him as I move closer to the doorway. I tread lightly, making sure to not alert him that I’m almost at the threshold. The gun still held out in front of me.
The moment I’m close enough, I spot his leg and take aim. My finger presses down, and within seconds, I’ve hit him right in the shin. A groan of agony bounces off the walls of the hallway, and the clank of his gun falling to the floor has me moving forward.
By the time I’ve moved both bodies outside and deep into the forest, covering up the shallow graves, I hear a car pull up to the house. I don’t have to look to know it is Dax’s men. When I turn around, I find my old friend Kael along with Axel. Both men I’ve met a few times since knowing Dax. Even though we weren’t necessarily friends, they were always around with Kael’s sister, Theia. She was the one who hung around to catch Dax’s attention.
“Seems like you got this all sorted,” Kael smirks, offering me a hand to shake. I’m reminded of the times we used to watch him spend hours at the easel while we drank beers. The long, curly brown hair with the ripped jeans and T-shirt suit him. He looks like he’s really relaxed after what went down with his dad.
“I managed to get two clean shots in. I need to clean up inside and get Vera somewhere safe,” I tell him.
“Well, Axe and I can help with that. I have two cars circling the area, making sure there aren’t any more assholes hiding away,” he tells me.
“Thanks for coming.” I slap him on the shoulder before I turn my attention to Axel. “It’s been a while, man.”
“It’s been far too fucking long,” Axel responds, his British accent thick. “Dax mentioned you’re coming back to the city with us?”
“Yeah.” I nod. “I need to end this shit storm my father started. Going after me is one thing, but he went after my girl.” Both men nod in understanding. They know what it’s like to have the women in their lives in danger because of some asshole who should never have intervened.
“Sounds good,” Kael says before following me toward the cabin. There’s not much inside I need to pack, merely some clothes for Vera and myself, and my computer, along with her devices I grabbed from the apartment when I took her.
Anything else can be locked up. Even if Dad gets into the house, he won’t find anything he can use against me. I’ll have the most important thing—Vera.
“Do you want anything to drink? Or are you ready to head out?” I ask as we step into the living area. The open plan offers up a view of the kitchen as well.
“I’m good. I think the sooner we leave, the better.” This comes from Axel, and I know he’s right. “If you want to shower first, we’ll wait.” He gestures to my clothes, and I notice the blood and caked-on mud I’ve brought in from burying my father’s men.
“Yeah, make yourselves at home.” I leave them downstairs, making my way up to the bathroom, where I quickly strip off and hop into the shower. I can’t be long. The more time we waste out here, the easier it will be for Herbert to send men back to claim Vera.
Back in the bedroom, I pull out my phone and tap out a message to Dax to ask him to send a doctor to my apartment once we get there. I want Vera checked out. I don’t trust my father. Even if he says she’ll be okay soon, I’d rather have a medical professional take a look and assure me she’s alright.
By the time we reach my old apartment, I’m exhausted. We got Vera into the bedroom, placed her on the bed, and I’ve finally gotten an hour’s worth of sleep. The moment Axel and Kael left, I flopped on the sofa and allowed my eyes to shut. It’s been one whole day, and she’s still not awake.
I know the doctor will be here soon enough, but I’m stressed. My muscles are stiff, and my jaw is aching from me grinding my teeth. Tension has taken hold of me, and I know it’s not going to let go until she’s awake.
I’ve been scrolling through websites, looking up information on what my father did to her. What I found has my blood boiling. She could be out for a couple of days or even weeks. The need to go to him is at the forefront of my mind, but I’m not leaving here until I know my Beauty will be okay.