Page 37 of Unveiled

Chapter Twenty

Without thinking, Rush hopped on his bike and took off. No forethought beyond bringing Tatum home. His home was her home and without her, it would never truly be his. She hadn’t said where she was going in her note, but he knew. She was headed to Winston and Family.

Considering Dale would not be in a good mood today after daddy cut him off, he had to get to Tatum before Dale did.

Rush tapped the button on the side of his helmet when he made the last turn. He’d been so terrified for Tatum, he almost forgot backup. Mark’s voice sounded in his helmet and he cut him off. “I’m almost to Winston and Family. Tatum took off sometime after your text. I may need backup.”

“Shit.” That was Charlie. Mark must’ve been on speaker. “We’re on our way. ETA about twelve minutes.” Rush tapped the button again to end the call. After he rounded the last curve, he killed the engine and jogged the rest of the way. He didn’t plan to give Dale an extra advantage.

The text he woke up to from Mark had a wealth of information. They were pretty sure they had all the blanks filled in. If they were right, and they most likely were, Dale was not going to let Tatum walk away if he found her. She was the only one who could contest the will, and he’d lose everything. Desperate men did desperate things. If they challenged his operation, then he’d become just that but with nothing else to lose, and that was a worst case scenario. They suspected it ran deeper than Dale just distributing meth and shit to the local drug addicts. In order to prove that, they needed to get into Winston and snoop around. But now Tatum was in the line of fire, and Rush didn’t give two shits about anything else.

He came upon the house that looked empty, but he’d kick himself if he didn’t at least look around and verify. A quick once over told him the place had been ransacked, but no one was there. The sight dumped more fear in his heart. Did Dale find her here? Was she hurt? Rush turned and made his way to the other building as fast as he could. Dale’s car was there, and his heart sank. He knew Tatum was, too. He could feel her.

Thank God, the door isn’t locked. Breaking in would alert the occupants of his presence, and he’d lose the element of surprise. Rush crept in stealthily, weapon at the ready. The front was quiet and undisturbed. Proceeding further into the back through multiple rooms, a male voice drifted to his ears. An angry male voice. Dale. Then he heard Tatum’s small and fearful one say, “I don’t understand.” His heart broke.

“You always were too stupid to live. Because money, that’s why. Why does anyone do anything? The almighty dollar, or in my case, the almighty millions.”

Keep him talking, Babes, Rush mentally coaxed her as he wove his way toward the very back of the building. The crematorium. Dale liked to brag, they’d discovered that easily enough. No wonder he made a shitty criminal and left loose ends everywhere. If his woman kept asking questions, the dumb fuck would answer them, buying Rush enough time to get to her and maybe even for backup to arrive.

He let the words echoing through the building fuel his anger.

“Your father couldn’t keep his nose in his own business, and I couldn’t have that.” Dale sounded almost bored, but strained.

“You idiot, this is, was, his business.”

Don’t bait him, Babes. The man is unstable.

“No, not this business, my business. I’m in business with some very dangerous men, and your father was trying to throw a monkey wrench in my plans. I made sure he couldn’t do that. And now, here you are, ready to interfere just like him.”

Now Dale sounded angry. Rush was closer but still didn’t have a visual. He had to trust that Tatum wouldn’t push him past his breaking point.

“Interfere with what? You say plans and bad men, but I do not know where my parent’s life’s work comes into play or their very lives? Dale, you aren’t making any sense.”

“Drugs, you stupid bitch. No one ever checks caskets, not even police. It’s disrespectful or some shit so it’s a free pass to move product anywhere I want with little or no questions. Not to mention the crematorium is a huge bonus in disposing of unwanted problems.”

The tone of Dale’s voice, coupled with Tatum’s pained cry, spurred Rush into action. He’d heard enough to fill in the blanks and to clue him into his next move.

He slid to a halt just feet from them, as Dale was shoving Tatum toward the furnace. Dale turned, pulling her in tight as a shield. Even with his shot record, Rush wouldn’t risk Tatum.

“Well, well, well, who do we have here, darling?” Dale kissed her cheek. Rush wanted to rip him limb from limb. “Cole Security, I presume, but which dashing hero, I wonder?”

Rush knew he couldn’t hesitate too long, or Dale would get a read on how attached he was to Tatum. As long as he thought he was hired help, it could work to his advantage. Dale was cruel, and if he thought Rush cared beyond a paycheck to protect her, he would hurt Tatum just to be mean. “I’m Rush, new hire, and I’d hate to fail my first job. So what can we do to end this without bloodshed so I don’t end up in the unemployment line?” He feigned boredom.

As hard as he tried to disconnect his heart, he knew he failed when Tatum gave him a sad smile. One that said she loved him no matter what happened. Dale caught it, too. “I think maybe there is a little more to it than that, Rush.”

Shit.

“Shall we test my theory?”

Dale jammed a revolver into her temple and pulled back the hammer. “I’m going to count to three. If you don’t put down your weapon and kick it away by then, I’ll pull the trigger.” Rush tensed. “Oh, I have no doubt you’ll kill me, too, but that won’t bring her back. Do as I say and we’ll see if we can work out a way we all walk out of here.”

Rush didn’t buy it for one second. Dale had no intention of letting them walk out, but if he didn’t buy them some time, he’d lose Tatum in mere seconds. Rush placed his gun on the ground and kicked it away as instructed. At least he knew Dale couldn’t get Tatum into the still cold furnace or shoot them both. He’d just painted himself into a corner but had yet to realize it.

Rush was trying to work out how to get the gun trained off Tatum when the problem solved itself. A shot rang out, almost deafening him inside the mostly enclosed room, and Dale dropped like a stone. Rush ran forward and caught Tatum before she hit the ground.

He knew who’d made the shot without looking, so he was able to focus all his attention on Tatum. “Babes, your safe now, shush.” He soothed as they both went to the ground, him cradling her as she began to sob.

“Oh my God, Rush. I’m so sorry, I just—”

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