Page 65 of Unloaded
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“I hear congratulations are in order,” Tiger says, genuine happiness clear in his voice. “A wife and a baby? Damn man, I never figured you, of all people, would settle down even if you knocked up a bitch.” Bo’s happy expression falls at that last part.
“Shelby is not a bitch,” Bo growls angrily.
“Hey, I’m sorry, man,” Tiger hurries to interject. “I didn’t mean any disrespect to your woman.”
“She’s fucking amazing and gorgeous. I’m a damn lucky bastard she gave me the time of day,” Bo continues as if Tiger hadn’t spoken. We all chuckle at that comment, because Bo isn’t wrong. He is damn lucky. Shelby is way too good for him but perfect for him at the same time.
As that thought hits me, I realize I’m in the same boat. Rachel is way too good for me, too, but she’s damn perfect for me at the same time. She let me be me even when it was breaking her heart. Yeah, I’d seen how hurt she’d been when I didn’t hold her or kiss her before she left the house yesterday.
What the hell have I done?I can’t lose her. If she gets hurt out there on her own, it’ll be my fault. I have to find her, now.
28
RACHEL
I’m so damn tired. I can hardly keep my eyes open. The coffee is hot enough to scald my insides, so I blow before taking a sip. It’s been an extremely bad day, uh, two days that never seem to fucking end.
Yesterday morning, I’d woken up after the best sex of my life with the man I love. I’d had more great sex, faced emotional turmoil when Rosco pulled away, got shot at, and was locked in the fucking dark for hours, having no clue if anyone else had survived, while also fearing the demons of my past would open the door. Only to discover while I was hiding, my worst nightmare had come true. Vena had taken my brothers.
I’d been so relieved when Rosco opened the door. He was alive and in my arms. That lasted all of two point five seconds before I’d been pissed as hell at him for leaving me alone. Then the love of my life had broken my heart by giving me the cold shoulder. He hadn’t shown up at Luke’s to stop me from leaving, and so far, he hasn’t called to see if I’m alive or not.
Yes, I should have ditched my cell phone so I couldn’t be tracked, but I haven’t yet. The idiotic part of my heart that keeps hoping Rosco will come for me, just like Shelby had said, but hehasn’t. It’s time to stop dreaming and face reality. I’m on my own like I’ve always been.
It’s nearly six a.m. Monday morning. Vena has had my brothers almost twenty-four hours. God only knows what he’s done to them in that time. Another sip of the scalding brew helps to clear my blurry eyes as I stare at the unmoving gate.
I’ve been watching Winthrop’s estate all night, but I can’t get close enough to tell much of what’s going on. Are my brothers even here? Did Vena already leave for Chicago with them? If he took them straight to the airport, they’re long gone by now.
Just when I’ve convinced myself to head to Chicago, there’s movement at the gate. A limo emerges with the back driver’s window down. Reginald Vena leans out to speak to the guard. After a brief conversation, the guard nods and the limo drives away. I put my van in gear to follow. I just know Nicky and Ricky are in that vehicle. I feel it in my bones. Now how do I stop the mafia boss, retrieve his prized possessions, and not die in the process? I have no clue. That’s future-me’s problem.
Thirty minutes later, it’s clear that Vena is taking my brothers back to Chicago, but he isn’t flying them there. The limo I’d followed from Winthrop’s estate had stopped at a car dealership. I’d gotten a glimpse of the twins as they’d been moved from the limo to a dark blue SUV with tinted windows.
Winthrop and Vena had stood outside the SUV for several minutes in a heated discussion. I couldn’t hear what they were arguing about, but eventually, Winthrop had stepped back. Vena had gotten into the passenger side of the SUV, and it had driven away, with me following along behind them.
We’re on the interstate, heading out of Virginia. I have no idea how I’m going to get my brothers away, but I have to try. Perhaps when they stop for gas or food I can find a way, but until then, I’m stuck following them and praying they haven’t noticed.
I sip my coffee to stay awake. There isn’t much traffic on the road since we’ve left the cities behind us. A car in my rearview mirror is coming up on me pretty fast. Someone’s in a hurry, I think before reaching over to turn on the radio.
A Kelsey Balarini song is playing. I haven’t heard it before, but I like it. The car displays the title, ‘I hate love songs’. I chuckle because yeah, after the last forty-eight hours, so do I.
Checking my mirror again, the vehicle I’d seen approaching is riding my bumper. There isn’t any traffic, but they aren’t passing, which is concerning. I slow down a bit, but I can’t risk losing sight of the car with my brothers. Maybe this tailgating asshole will just go around, but it’s clear they aren’t going to.
Does Vena know I’m following him?I wonder while trying not to freak out, but how can I not? I’m following a mob boss who’s kidnapped my brothers, and now someone is following me.This is about to be bad.
Suddenly there’s another car behind the first one, and my stomach drops out of my ass.Oh hell, shit is about to get real.The last car pulls out to pass which gives me momentary relief.
However the car only comes up beside me. I keep looking forward at the road, resisting temptation to look at the car beside me. My gut is telling me I’m not going to like what I see.
The car keeps pace with me for a few miles. I finally lose the battle and glance over to see the sedan has blacked out windows.Oh shit!Not a good sign. When I glance a second time, the windows are lowering. Lawrence Winthrop is in the passenger seat, gun in hand.
The sedan swerves into my van just as the other car plows into me from behind. I scream as the van veers toward the side of the road. My van dips off into the gravel, and I completely lose control. The van swerves side to side, wildly, the back-end fish-tailing.
My arms are jerked violently as the van is hit again from behind. My stomach drops, my body feeling weightless for seconds as the van leaves the road to sail out over an embankment.
The van slams into the ground on its passenger side, and I’m airborne again in a roll. The windows shatter, glass flying everywhere. The air bags deploy with a plume of smoke.
The sound of crunching metal is all I can hear as the van rolls and hits the ground only to bounce into the air again repeatedly. My head bobs side to side with motions of the van. My head slams into the door, and my world goes dark.
