Page 10 of Protecting What's Mine

Marco returns her stare, a triumphant smirk on his face. He waits, probably for dramatic effect, and then lets go of Ethan. Alex moves towards him.

I can’t help it. I reach out and grab her hand. “Alex…” I can’t think of anything else to say. I won’t say goodbye, because this is not our end. I refuse to let this be our end.

Her eyes meet mine and immediately fill with tears. She mouths the words I’m sorry before pulling her hand away. Composing herself, she moves to the car and gets in the front seat. The dark tinted windows mean I can’t see her once the door is closed.

Like the douchebag he is, Marco flips the gun around his finger before putting it back in its holster like he’s a goddamn cowboy. “It’s been fun gentlemen, but I think me and my lady will be off now.” With a salute, he gets in the car and drives off.

I barely register Lucas and Ethan getting me back inside the bar or pouring me a beer. Shock floods my system. I had her - my dream girl. The one perfectly made for me. My missing piece. And now she’s driving away with a Goodfellas wannabe with bad hair and a superiority complex.

“I’ve got a plan.”

Phoenix strides into the bar and claims the bar stool beside mine. I turn to look at him, and whatever he sees in my face causes a flicker of sympathy to cross his features. Just for a second. Then the steely gaze is back, the one that can stop a bar fight from ten feet away. That’s the Phoenix I need right now.

“How much did you see?"

“Enough to see Baby Boy with a gun to his head and the hot chick drive off with the sleazeball.”

Ethan groans at the sound of the nickname he hated since he was eight. I refuse to take the bait. “You’ve got a plan?”

He grins. What is with assholes grinning at me today? “Yeah. I do. As much as I don’t care about who Jay gets his dick stuck into, I do have an issue with mafia douchebags thinking they can come here and intimidate us. That’s a reputation I’d like to avoid.”

“So glad that my girl getting kidnapped aligns with your interests, Phoenix.”

His eyebrows shoot up. “Your girl? Never heard you call anyone that, Jay. Not since Courtney and - well, we know who she chose in the end. Maybe this one will too-”

My fist connecting with his jaw finishes that sentence early. Ethan jumps the bar to hold me back, Lucas steps between us. “For fuck’s sake, can we have this dick-measuring contest later? Time is critical - we need to figure out where she’s going and start following or we’ll lose her forever.”

Lose her forever. That phrase chills me to my soul.

Phoenix rubs his jaw. “Like I said - I’ve got a plan. My rookies are already riding to every exit in the mountains to watch for that car, and the veterans are casing out every motel, gas station and bar within a couple of hours’ drive. They’ll report to me the moment they hear anything.”

And right on cue - his phone rings.

Alex

The diner is straight out of the 1950’s - baby blue leather booths, checkerboard tiles and an overdose of chrome. It also smells like it hasn’t been cleaned since poodle skirts went out of style. Not that it really matters. Nothing matters anymore. My one chance to get out, my one chance of happiness has just been shattered.

Marco slurps his cola without taking his eyes off me. “What’s wrong, cupcake? I thought you’d be happy to see me.”

Any comeback would just fuel his fire. So I do the one thing that riles up men like him. I ignore him entirely.

A plate of fries slides towards me. “You’d better eat up, since this is our only stop. Then it’s just four short hours until you’re tucked up in bed with me. Just like old times.” The idea of him touching me would make me vomit if I’d actually eaten anything today. We were just about to have breakfast-

We. Jacob. And me. My heart squeezes so tight I think it might burst. His look of abject terror as I walked away from him is seared onto my eyelids, the helpless squeak in his voice as he said my name as I walked to the car on repeat in my ears. He’ll be ok. He’ll get over it. He’ll find someone else. Someone who doesn’t bring a dickhead waving daddy’s pistol to his beautiful, peaceful town.

A siren sounds in the distance. It seems to get closer. Actually, it is getting closer. And there’s more than one. Could it be? No, it can’t. Nobody knows where I am.

In a cloud of dust and rubber three police cars roar into the parking lot and cut their engines. Cops swarm and draw their weapons towards the diner. At the front there’s a familiar face - Lucas.

Oh my god.

Marco’s eyes throw daggers at me. “You fucking bitch.”

“This wasn’t me, I swear.”

He swears again and pulls out his pistol. The diner bursts into chaos - customers diving under tables, staff screaming and running to the back kitchen. A group of leather-clad guys huddle in the back, oddly calm.

My eyes dart through the crowd outside, searching for Jacob. I know he’s close. Then I catch sight of his handsome face, peering out from behind the car on the far right. His face mirrors mine, frantically searching. And then we connect. Relief floods through me, and I see him straining to get away from something. No, someone. Ethan is there, holding him back. I will him to stay, to be safe, so I can run to him as soon as it’s over.

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