Page 149 of Bad for Me

“Alright then. Let's go.”

* * *

Ashby’s legbounces rapidly as I scan our surroundings. We parked at the end of the lot, far away from most of the people and closer to the forest’s running trail. Only a handful of kids are on the playground at the opposite end of the park, their tiny bodies little blurs as they run around the playset. A few people are scattered about on blankets, having picnics or reading, and a group of college kids are playing frisbee in the open field near the play set. For midday, the park is surprisingly empty and quiet. I shiver as a feeling of wrongness trickles through me.

“You need to try and calm down, Sunshine,” I tell Ashby, my hand settling on his knee to still the constant movement. “We have everything set up, your decoy is in place, and we have people hiding throughout the park, in cars in the parking lot and even a few people on bikes on the surrounding streets in case they somehow manage to get past us. One way or another, your father will be taken down today.”

“Something just feels off,” he says, echoing my unease. “Why aren’t there more people here? It’s midday on a Saturday. Usually, this park is overcrowded with people struggling to find a place to sit and kids fighting over the play sets.”

“I think there was some kind of fair in the city over from here this weekend. I’m sure most people are there today,” I explain, even though the excuse feels flimsy.

“How much longer do we need to wait?” he asks for the hundredth time since we got here.

“Your dad agreed to meet at one. So only five more minutes,” I reassure him just as a voice cuts over the earpiece.

“Movement in the parking lot. White van pulling in,” one of Vince’s men says. “False alarm.Looks like they are just here to have a picnic.”

I watch the two men move toward the empty pavilion in front of our car and spread out a large blanket. They start to pull food from a wicker basket, and I look away, going back to scanning our surroundings, looking for anything strange. The next five minutes seem to drag by, and Ashby’s anxiety builds as his fingers start to pick at a hole in his pants.

“Movement on the trail,” a voice cuts through the silence. “Three hooded men heading for the decoy.”

My spine stiffens, and I turn towards the far side of the park where the forest trail is, just in time to see three large men disappear down into the trees. I wait for the signal to be called, for Dad’s men to flood the trail and take down Ashby’s father, scooting to the edge of my seat. Adrenaline sparks through my veins, and my body feels like a live wire.

“Something’s wro…” the voice cuts off just as the sound of shots rings out in the trees.

“Wait here!” I tell Ashby, griping his chin and forcing him to look into my eyes. “Do not leave this fucking car, Ashby.”

“Where are you going? What if you get shot?” His breathing grows ragged, his bottom lip trembling as tears bead in his eyes.

“I need to go make sure that the men are able to take out the threat and get your dad. We want to take him alive, but I will kill him if I need to.”

I place a quick kiss on his lips and jump from the car, locking the doors. I pull a gun from my waistband and slip a knife into my other hand. With one final glance over my shoulder at Ashby, I take off for the trail. Before I even reach the path's entrance, an explosion rocks the world around me. My body goes flying, my back slamming into the trunk of a tree. My vision goes black, and I slump to the ground.

I groan, my head pounding as I regain consciousness. I'm not sure how long I was out, but the area around me is chaotic. Bodies litter the ground, smoke clouds the air, and screams pierce the fog in my head. It’s not until my gaze lands on the crumpled body a few feet away that my brain comes back online.

Cursing, I force myself to stand and stumble down the trail. Debris is scattered about, making me stumble and nearly fall. I can feel blood dripping from my head, and my side feels like I was hit with a baseball bat, but I ignore it all and push forward. I scan the park and the lot surrounding me. The grass is burned, children are screaming as parents herd them away from the play set, and the group of college kids are scattered. Some are on their feet, covered in soot and blood, while others are laid out on the ground, bodies unmoving. I turn towards the parking lot and run for our black SUV. The windshield is shattered, and some of the smaller cars nearby are on their side and burning, making it even harder to see.

I skid to a stop next to the passenger side and rip the door open, roaring when I find it empty. I turn, frantically scanning the lot for any sign of Ashby, but find nothing. Hands settle on my shoulder, and I spin, grabbing the person by the throat and pinning them to the car.

“Son,” my dad chokes, hands scratching at my arm. “It’s me!”

I blink and shake my head, releasing my hold.

“He’s not here,” I say without explanation, but Dad nods.

“As I was pulling up, I saw Jarred and his men putting Ashby into the back of an SUV and taking off.”

“And you didn’t fucking follow them? What the fuck are we doing just standing here!” I scream.

“I couldn’t get through the parking lot to follow him, and I was trying to find you. But don’t worry, we had people on the surrounding streets just for this situation, remember?” I nod. “I already called them and made sure they were trailing the car discreetly. I don’t want them to make a move until we know where they are taking him.” Dad hesitates, and I feel my hackles rising, fury pulsing through me.

“What aren’t you saying?” I demand, and Dad winces. “Tell me!”

“He didn’t look good, son,” he finally says, and my heart stops beating, an eerie calm settling over me. “He was bleeding from multiple places; his arm was hanging at an unnatural angle, and I couldn’t tell if he was conscious or not.” The more he says, the further I fall into that dark place deep inside me, the place I try to keep hidden so I don’t end up in jail or locked away. Instead of keeping it on lockdown I release my hold and let the beast free.

“I’m not waiting until we know where they are taking him. I’m going now, and if I have to kill every single person I see just to get him back, I will. Give me the keys to your car.”

“Storm, just wait. We have a team heading this way now, and they will go with us. You can't go alone!”

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