Page 44 of The Book of Wrath

He turned from us to glare at the two idiots behind him. “Get back in the fucking car and don’t come out until I say so.” He slaps both of them as they turn and get back into the car. He looks back over at us, “There was a complication getting her here. She’s a feisty one and slipped from our car as we were driving. By the time we stopped she was gone. I don’t know what you want me to do. But I can tell you where we lost her, you can search there after you give me my brother,” the man said, confusion flashed across my face. This man was not Alan Paxley.

“The Paxley’s only have two children. Who the fuck are you trying to play?” Roark asks, but Ryan started laughing from beneath my foot. I kicked him hard in his ribs pushing him over onto his back with he force. “The fuck are you laughing at?”

“You’re a fucking idiot,” Ryan spat blood out of his mouth up at me as he smiled. “Derek is my older brother. He is the best in the world at making people like you pieces of shit disappear.”

I looked over at the man who was now leaning up against his car, lighting up a cigarette. He didn’t look like someone I would normally want to fuck with. But he took my future wife and for that he needs to die. I cocked a smile and tilted my head to the side.

“Well seeing as your brother has lost my soon to be wife, I guess it’s time we lose you,” I smile widely as it sinks into Ryans tiny pea fucking sized brain what I just proclaimed. Anger flared across his bloody, broken face. “Oh, didn’t I tell you. Megan is mine. You fucked around, and now you’re going to find out.”

I raise my hand and snap my fingers. I don’t know who shot first and who shot who. I didn’t give a fuck. Two bullets went through the windshield of the car across from us killing the two idiots inside the vehicle.

Derek Paxley ducked down below his car when he heard the shots fire. The look of fear on both Derek and Ryan’s faces was priceless. Roark moved closer to me and leaned in to whisper, “If they don’t have her, where the fuck is she?”

“I don’t know, but we need to find her quick. If she ran like they said she did then she could be anywhere on the way back. Call Pete and Monty, have them check the roads,” I gave the command that I would rather be out there doing myself, but I can’t move from this place.

“Got it,” Roark turned and walked away from us, phone to his ear already. Pete and Monty were waiting across the bridge just in case things went south. Rick wanted to come with us to, but I wouldn’t let him. Someone needed to be there for Melissa, she wasn’t doing well. Roark walked back over and looked down at Ryan. “Since your brother failed to produce Megan, you’re shit out of luck.” Roark gripped him by the throat, squeezing tightly.

“His death will come at the hands of Megan, Roark. Or me. Whichever she prefers. Don’t kill him,” I say, warning Roark to back down. He tossed Ryan forcefully into the back of the car. Footsteps came rushing at us, another gun shot in the distance halted them from advancing another step.

“You’re a fucking moron,” I said, looking at the now bleeding Derek Paxley. His eyes were full of rage, but I just smiled. One of the killer duo had shot this man in the knee cap, dropping him to the ground. I waited to see if he would get up, but he did. He just sat there seething, his eyes staying focused on me. “If you have something to say, spit it out.”

He laughed and looked in the backseat at his brother, “I see why you kept the little whore as your play thing. She was a good little slut until she jumped over the railing.” He laughed as shock rippled over Ryan’s face. I pulled my knife out of my pocket and plunged it into his right eye until I heard a satisfying pop.

“You’re dead,” I whispered to him as I pulled my knife, eyeball and all, from him and kicked him to the ground. He was still laughing even though he was now one eyeless than he started his day.

“Your bitch probably fucking drowned. Good luck finding her,” He laughed as I punched him several times in the face, his blood coating me. I didn’t notice Roark making a phone call as he ran over to where Ally and Tony were climbing off the ships they were on.

“Jokes on you fucker! She can fucking swim like a champion!” The voice that yelled that out wasn’t the voice of her best friend. No, it was Ryan who was seething at his brother trying to get out of the car.

“She’s fucking dead, you should’ve put her up for auction like she was supposed to be instead of putting your dick in her,” Derek spat at his brother. I didn’t care about either of their bullshit. We would handle it later. I gripped Derek by the throat and threw him against the car. Tony ran over with cuffs and put him in the back of the car, buckled in tight with his brother. He tossed a bag over both of their heads. Roark opened the front door and got in. Both doors closed at the same time so the brothers wouldn’t know there was someone in the car with them. Maybe they’ll open their mouths about something.

My phone started ringing, Pete was calling. I hope to gods he found her.

Chapter 36

Max

Scraps of her clothing were littered across the road, her pants, her shirt and her undergarments cut up and scattered like random garbage. Pete called me as soon as he found the clothes, he said he wasn’t sure if they were Megans, but I recognized the outfit she left that morning wearing. Hours have passed since we held the meeting in the port, who knows where she could be.

Ryan and Derek have been arguing in the backseat since we put them in there together, I feel bad for Roark having to listen to them bicker. Ally confirmed Ryans story about Megan being a champion swimmer. Apparently she was top on her high school team. It was interesting to find out these little tidbits about my little one, I just wish it was her I was hearing them from. My biggest concern right now is finding her. It’s well into the night and the water must be freezing. Monty commandeered a small boat saying it was for official police business, flashing his badge and everything. I hope that doesn’t get us screwed over.

Tony called Rick because I threatened to jump in the water after her. He threatened to come down here and remove me from the scene. Andy has been pouring over maps of the waterways and all the places she could possibly be. I didn’t want to think of what shape she was in.

“Max, take a look at this,” Andy called from his car. “There is a small little beach or outcropping that she could have possibly reached from where she landed in the water. If she’s as good a swimmer as Ally says, she might have made it there. I don’t want to think the worst Max, but we really need to find her.”

He didn’t have to tell me the alternative of not finding her. “How far is it from here to get to the beach?” I ask, heading for my car.

“About a five-minute drive with a two-minute walk down to the beach itself. Want one of us to come with you?” Andy offered. I nod, not thinking that I don’t have the space for someone other than Roark and the dumbass brothers in my car.

“Take mine, we got things from here,” Tony said as he tossed me the keys to his challenger, it was a nice car, loud as hell, but fast too.

“Thank you,” I said looking over at Andy who was already hopping in the front seat. A boat horn blared below us, I’m hoping it’s Monty and he found her. I hope she’s alive and safe. I hop in the driver seat, revving the car to life. She purred nicely, not as nice as my hellcat, but I wouldn’t complain. I threw the car into gear and sped back the way we came. Andy giving me directions from the passenger seat as if this was going to take an hour so some shit.

He said five-minutes, more like three. The hike down the rocky incline would be where I lost time. The horn blared again, only this time I was a lot closer to the source. Should enough, Monty was blaring the horn and aiming the light on the boat at the shore. I sped up my pace to make it over the last bit of rocks when I saw her. Her pale skin glistening in the moonlight, the only thing on her was her fucking boots. No wonder she was able to run and not fall.

I threw myself over the last little incline and raced over the sand to get to her. Her pulse was weak, her breathing was barely existent. She was freezing cold and wet. Andy tossed me his jacket as I removed mine and covered her with both. I pulled her up into my arms and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m here Mrs. Carter. Come back to me,” I whisper into her ear as I push her hair from her face. Her breathing was ragged, yet soft. Her lips a pale blue parted ever so slightly.

Andy was already on the phone as Monty pulled up closer to the shore, he threw down the anchor and a rope ladder. “Dude that won’t do shit to get her up onto the boat,” I say as he climbs down looking completely uncomfortable on that thing.

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