Page 34 of Fractured Memories

His boss shot him a disgusted look. “That was before she beat you up. Again.” He glanced at his watch. “We don’t have time for any more delays. Get the van. Now.”

Daniel hesitated and then left the room. Felicity let go of the breath she was holding but kept her senses sharp. She was a long way from being out of danger. Harper too. “It’s not smart to have a drug user on the payroll.”

To her surprise, Kurtis laughed. “You’re right. It’s not. Daniel doesn’t normally handle this side of the business.” He leveled the gun on her again. “But it’s an all-hands-on-deck situation now.”

Felicity glared up at Kurtis. “What are you going to do with Harper?”

“I’ll make sure she’s found.” He shrugged. “Law enforcement comes out in full force when a kid gets hurt. I’ve poked that bear enough. Besides, I don’t enjoy killing unless I have to.”

“Nice to know there are some lines you don’t cross.” Felicity didn’t believe one word Kurtis uttered. He’d kill Harper in a heartbeat. She spat more blood into the carpet and then rolled over to push herself into a sitting position to face Kurtis. Had she left enough gap in the zip tie? She attempted to tug her hand free, but her knuckle snagged against the plastic.

“Why all the games? You want me dead.” A thought formed in her mind, and she inhaled sharply. “You’re buying time. Creating situations so the police are spreadthin and don’t have time to uncover your crimes. Where’s Melanie? She’s erasing the bank records, isn’t she?”

It was the only thing that made sense. Laundering money left a paper trail, and as the bank manager, Melanie had access to these records remotely. Noah had been right. The leader—no, leaders—of Triple 6 were cleaning house. Kurtis and Melanie were working off a plan. Once they erased any sign of their involvement, Melanie would be “found” or “escape” the clutches of the “killers.” She’d be viewed as a victim. No one would question her involvement.

Except… she’d been caught on video kidnapping Harper. Felicity’s gaze narrowed. “Does Melanie know you plan to kill her once she’s erased the records that connect you to Triple 6?”

He smirked again. “You talk too much.”

“What about Daniel? Does he know you’re going to frame him for all of this?” She wriggled her hand as much as possible without drawing Kurtis’s attention. “This property is connected to him, isn’t it? I bet he doesn’t know you left Jeremy’s body in his garage or that the police have been searching for him since yesterday.”

Her hand popped free. Relief flooded through her, but she was careful to keep it off her expression. “My guess is Gene is already dead. You got rid of him after the bank bombing. You’ll use Daniel to help kill me, then set him up for Melanie’s murder, too, so it’ll look like Melanie and Daniel were working together to run Triple 6.”

“Shut up.” Kurtis bent down to take her arm, shovingthe gun under her chin. The barrel pressed against her skin. Cold and deadly. “No more talking or I’ll blow your head off right here.” He glanced at the doorway, presumably to make sure Daniel hadn’t overheard their conversation, and then focused back on her. The malevolence in his eyes was bone-chilling. “You’ve caused me enough trouble. One more peep out of you about this and I’ll make sure Harper pays for it. You got me?”

She let the fear cramping her insides show on her expression. The more Kurtis believed he was in control, the less he would expect her next move. “Yes.”

He removed the gun from under her chin. Felicity balled her hand into a fist and leaned back so Kurtis would have to pitch forward more to yank her from the carpet. He glanced at the doorway again and then gripped her arm tighter. “Let’s go.”

He shifted his body weight forward in preparation to lean back and pull.

She socked him in the face and then flipped his body over hers. Kurtis landed on his back, stunned. Felicity didn’t waste a second. She knocked the gun from his hand. He rose, attempting to grab her, and she scrambled away. A well-placed kick landed right in his face. Bone and cartilage gave way.

Kurtis screamed as blood erupted from his nose. He instinctively grabbed at his face with both hands. Felicity scooped Harper from the floor, pressing the baby against her chest, and bolted from the room.

Escape. She had seconds to escape.

The hallway emptied into a living room, the kitchenbeyond it. The back door gaped open like a beacon. She raced for it. The front door creaked open, followed by Daniel’s shout. Felicity gripped Harper tighter. She added more fuel to her legs.

Rain pelted her skin as she flew across the yard. The shelter of the forest was a dozen steps away. Felicity heard Kurtis yelling. He and Daniel were coming for her. For her and Harper. Thunder rumbled like a bad omen. Her focus locked on an opening in the overgrowth. She had to make it there. Had to hide.

She stumbled over a root. Her knees hit the ground with bone-jarring pain, and she nearly dropped the precious bundle in her arms. Something whizzed past her and embedded in the tree branch above her head. They were shooting at her.

Felicity got back on her feet, moving in a zigzag pattern to make her figure harder to hit. Bark exploded as she passed a pine tree. The echo of a gunshot filled her ears. She flinched, stifling a scream.

And kept running.

TWENTY-FIVE

Lightning lit up the sky as Grady slammed on the brakes near a muddy road leading into the woods. Noah hopped out, rain pelting his clothes and skin, to place a flag on the road. More officers and sheriff’s deputies were en route. Marking the turn onto the property cost precious seconds—time Noah wasn’t sure his daughter and Felicity had—but not doing so could mean backup wouldn’t find the right place. He would risk his own life, but not Grady’s. The Texas Ranger had a wife and two kids to get home to.

Noah hopped back inside the vehicle. Grady handed him a bulletproof vest before slipping on his own. Each of them was armed with handguns and rifles. They had no idea what they were about to face. Triple 6 was a widespread criminal organization. It wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to believe this land was protected by several individuals.

Grady punched the gas, his tires spraying mudbehind them. He navigated through bumps and ruts without hitting the brakes. His truck was powerful. The engine revved as tree branches threatened to close in on them.

Noah gripped his rifle in one hand and the handle over the door with the other. “If this goes south, get out, Grady. I mean it.”

“Not a chance.” Grady growled and gripped the steering wheel, never taking his eyes from the road. “Felicity is one of ours. And that’s your daughter in there. No one comes after us and gets away with it. No one.”

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