Page 99 of S.O.S. Billboard

“Never mind that,” the asshole behind her sneered. “We need to get out of here. If the boy called for help, we don’t want to be around when they show up, even if it’s one of ours. We’ll let the boss worry about putting out fires, then he can get the safe open.”

O’Shea felt herself tugged backward again, but this time a jute bag went over her head.

“Hey.” She sneezed as the dust of the ages went up her nose. “I have allergies.”

Her malefactors both laughed, and the one in charge answered.

“Aww. My heart bleeds,” He kicked her in the back of the knee and she crumpled. “When we get you to where you’re going, cunt, that’s going to be the least of your worries.”

She felt herself being lifted over his shoulder as they emerged into the yard, then she was tossed roughly into what she believed to be the back of a utility van if the metal floor where she landed was any indication.

The thunk of the safe followed her in, and she heard the doors lock behind her.

The engine roared to life and she lurched on her hard berth as they sped off.

“Come on, Billboard,” she whispered into the ether. “If ever I’ve needed an overprotective boyfriend, it’s now.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Billboard glanced at the clock on the wall of the conference room. He knew Del would wrap up the meeting soon. The man wanted to get home to his family as much as some of the other guys did, so they rarely worked late these days. The previous week had been incredibly busy, with several jobs concluding, and they thought they’d have a little breathing room. But this morning a raft of new cases had come in, and Del was just now making new assignments.

There was no reason for Billboard to be in any hurry. He and O’Shea weren’t seeing each other tonight. He’d be going home to mow the lawn, probably in the dark if Del didn’t stop talking.

Billboard’s phone rang in his pocket.

He got that snarky eyebrow from the boss, so he ignored the call.

When it rang again not twenty seconds later, Billboard got a funny feeling in his gut that this was something he couldn’t ignore. With glares in his direction, he pulled his phone out and looked at the screen.

“It’s Ethan,” he told everybody before he connected.

“Yo, little man. What’s up?”

“They took her! She told me to run, and I did. But I circled back to make sure she was okay and they TOOK HER!!”

“Slow down, Ethan,” Billboard barked, already on his feet. “Who took who?”

His teammates rose at those ominous words, their eyes glued to Billboard.

“O’Shea was out back getting the grill ready for the steaks,” Ethan panted as if he’d been running hard. “I was in the livingroom playing video games. All of a sudden, she yelled at me to run, so I did.”

“Good, Ethan. Good. Then what?” Billboard was already out the main office door, standing at the elevator with all the guys right behind him.

“I know I was supposed to hide like you taught me, but I couldn’t just leave her. There were two guys. One came after me, but I ran around the house to lose him, then watched from a completely different direction. I saw the man give up and come out of the woods, but that’s when I saw that the other guy had O’Shea’s wrists tied and a bag over her head. They threw her in a white van and drove away.” Ethan ended with his voice in a panic.

“Ethan. Take a breath. You did fine,” Billboard told him, trying to tamp down his own fear.Fuck!O’Shea had been taken. She was probably, right now, in the hands of a man who was known to be abusive, and who also didn’t tolerate anyone standing up to him. Especially a woman.

What the hell would Jakes be doing to O’Shea right now?

“I got the license plate, Billboard,” Ethan added hopefully, and he rattled it off.

“That’s good, Ethan.” Billboard wasn’t sure, yet, whether they’d need it or not. But he was about to find out. Sucking in a deep breath, he asked the next, all-important question. “Do you know if they took the safe from the garage, too?”

There was no hesitation.

“Yeah. They did. Was there money in it? Was it a robbery? If it was, why did they take O’Shea?” Ethan’s questions kept coming, but Billboard had work to do, and needed to shut him down.

“There was something better than money in the safe, Ethan. Something that will help us get O’Shea back,” Billboard told him,hoping it was true. The elevator arrived and they all piled in. “Where are you and your mother, now?”

---