Page 128 of Stella
“I don’t believe you. You’re good to the core, Callaghan. Who are you fuckin’ kidding?”
“Well, I can make a plea bargain, can’t I? Their lives for hers. You’ll get the reunion you so desperately want.” I’m buying for time, that’s it. Hoping my guys are behind me, ready to pounce because I’m ready to end this guy, but not before I get Stella back.
He shifts, moving away. Vanders must know he hasn’t much time left because it won’t be long until the team is here, but there’s no rock he can hide under.
He’s about to answer when one of the guys next to me topples sideways, then another. Vanders shoots at me, narrowly misses as I leap to the side. The other goon next to me falls, and I grab his weapon, turning back to fire at Vanders, but he’s gone.
“Cale?” Harlem barks. He, along with Ryder, Nevada and Steel, all pile in the doorway. “Where the fuck is my daughter?”
“I don’t know, he said he buried her,” I say frantically. “We’ve gotta find her.”
“What the fuck?” Harlem cusses. “Buried her?”
“She can’t be far,” Steel says. “We’ll find her, you go after Vanders, we need him alive.”
Before I can blink, Calli runs in, flying over the two men on the ground as she lands next to me, ready to fight. I embrace her, then look her in the eyes. “Come.” She follows me to the opening that must lead to the tunnel. I turn to the boys. “We’re going in.”
“Right behind you, brother,” Ryder says. “We’re gonna get this bastard.”
“We need him alive,” Harlem chokes out, like I needed another reminder. “For Stella.”
I point to the tunnel and say to Calli. “Find him.”
She takes off like a bat out of hell and I follow behind, my flashlight barely lighting the way. There’s no way I can keep up, so I have to trust my dog and hope she won’t get hurt. This is what she does, and she’s a fucking great when it comes to catchand release, not that she’ll be releasing this jackass anytime soon.
She barks, and I know she’s close. Then I hear shots, I duck, calling out for Calli.Fuck!
We have to get Vanders before he disappears, but I don’t want my dog getting shot. Stella’s life depends on it. As I get closer, I see an opening to a larger space, this must be the other end of the tunnel… the ladder on the far side of the wall confirms it, and the bastard is getting away.
“Stop him!” I tell Calli, but she’s already doing what she’s trained to do. With wild eyes, I see my dog jumping so high she could be doing the high jump, grabbing onto Vander’s leg and dragging him off the ladder as he falls backwards.
She snaps in his face as Vanders writhes around, dropping his gun momentarily, while he’s trying to reach for it, I rush forward. Just as he picks it up, my dog lunges in his face, barking frantically, biting him on his other arm as Vander’s yelps.
Out of nowhere, a silhouette moves out of the shadows. It all happens too fast. I’m focusing my gun on Vanders, but can’t get a clean shot with Calli in the way.
“You think you ended me?” Cash aims at Vanders, but he can’t see from my angle that Vanders has the gun again. “Think again.” He points and shoots at the same time Vanders does.
I don’t have time to register that Cash isn’t dead. He’s right here next to me.
“No!” I yell, diving sideways to take the bullet instead of Cash. “Calli, release!”
She lets go as I tumble, firing a round into Vander’s body and he drops the gun and falls backward onto the ground.
“I’m hit,” I mutter. “Calli, check Calli — she might be hurt.” Right on cue, Calli is at my side, whimpering and licking my face as I lay slumped across Cash.
He moves, setting me down on the ground. “She’s fine, but you’re a stupid son of a bitch,” he shouts. Someone else joins him, Tag? I’m not sure, things are hazy as I lay slumped, unable to move. “What did you do that for?”
“You’re my pops, right?” I laugh, but immediately wince. “Fuck. I just acted. We don’t know where Stella is; she’s buried…”
“We’ve got her,” Tag says. “We intercepted a couple of his goons and took care of it, she’s safe. Just stop fuckin’ talkin’.”
My heart surges with joy.Stella is safe.
“Need to stop the bleedin’,” Cash says. “Don’t you fuckin’ die on me now, son. We only just got acquainted.”
I grip Cash’s cut with one arm. “Tell Stella I love her, and that I’m sorry,” I sputter.
“Fuck that.” Cash shakes his head. “Tell her yourself, you’re not dyin’ on my watch, Cale.” It’s the first time he’s called me by my first name. “Not happenin’.”
