42. Chapter 41
Chapter 41
AJ
I couldn’t tell what was going on in Blake’s mind, and I wasn’t sure I wanted to know. I’d dumped a lot on her over the last twelve hours. More than I’ve ever told anyone . She'd need time to process it all. So would I.
“I’m hopping in the shower, then I’ll make breakfast while you take yours.”
She nodded and stood. Before she reached the door, she turned and asked, “Which do you prefer?”
I bit back my default sarcastic response, raised my gaze to hers, and answered, my voice thick with emotion. “Andrew, but only from you.”
Her smile lit up her face as she nodded. Then she left me alone with my tornado of thoughts and emotions.
Clean and dressed, I went to the kitchen to make breakfast. I was whisking the eggs when I heard what sounded like someone trying to pick the lock at the front door. I hadn’t gotten a text from Jack, so I drew my gun as I sprinted to the hall, positioning myself between Blake and the person coming in.
I lowered my gun when I saw Jack’s face behind my sights. “What the fuck!" I holstered my gun. "You’re supposed to message me if you’re coming in, so I don’t blow your fucking head off.”
Panic radiated off Jack as he closed and locked the door.
Concern replaced my agitation. “What happened?” I asked.
“Meg hasn’t shown up for work.” Fuck . “And I can’t reach her.” His voice cracked as he choked on his fear. His eyes darted around, like he hoped to find her in the safe house living room.
“What can I do?” I couldn’t do much from here, but I had to offer.
“Nothing. Jay will be here in ten, then I’m going back.”
He paced the room, stopping occasionally to pull back the curtain on the door window, as if willing Jay to arrive sooner.
I glanced down the hall as the shower shut off, knowing I’d be doing the same if I was in his shoes.
No, I’d be less calm. Less patient.
Jack’s phone buzzed. He answered the call, putting it on speaker. “Janerek’s with me.”
“We got a message.” It was John. “They have Cinderella.” His flat tone didn't give away the fear I knew he felt.
“No,” Jack whispered as his knees buckled.
I closed the distance and pulled him up before leading him to the nearest chair. “Breathe.”
“Jack?”
“He’s here. Give us a sec,” I answered, prying the phone out of his hand. “You good?” I asked Jack, knowing he wasn’t, but needing him mentally present.
He nodded as he said, “Tell me.”
“They want to exchange her for Aurora.”
“No fucking way.” I barked, my voice thick with venom. One look at Jack’s face and I back-pedaled, softening my tone. “There has to be another way.”
“We’re working on it,” John offered.
"What's it say?" Jack asked, reaching for his phone as he stood.
“We’re sending a screen shot now,” John said as a text popped up on Jack’s phone. “Sharpe’s tracing it, but it’ll take him a while.”
“Got it,” Jack said.
John disconnected the call.
I had to concentrate to read the screen in Jack’s shaking hands.
You have something we want.
We have something you want.
Let’s make a trade.
Details to follow if you agree.
I didn’t want to think about what would happen to Meg if we didn’t agree. “It’s not a lot to go on.”
Jack’s eyes never left the screen. “No.” He pulled the phone in close and started typing a reply to Jamie: tell them we agree.
I ripped the phone out of his hands before he could hit send and stepped out of reach. “No. No fucking way.”
He stood. “We don’t have a choice.” Desperation filled his voice.
I felt for him. I loved Meg like a sister, but wouldn’t sacrifice Blake. I couldn’t.
“There’s always a choice.” I said, squaring off against my best friend. “We’ll find another way.”
“They have Meg,” Jack pleaded, his voice thick with panic.
“I know, and we’ll get her back. But I’m not risking Blake’s life to do it.”
“We’ll keep her safe.” He stepped forward, holding his hand out for his phone.
I stepped back. “You can’t guarantee that.”
“Janerek.”
“Sheppard.”
Jack glanced past me, causing me to look. Blake was standing in the hall, her eyes round with fear as she watched me and Jack.
“What’s going on?”
Instinctively, I moved so I was standing between Jack and Blake—protecting her from my best friend.
“The people after you took Meg.” Jack didn’t couch his words.
Her hands flew to her mouth. “Oh no.”
“They want to exchange her for you.”
Blake gasped as she stumbled back, bumping into the wall.
“Jack.” I warned him.
“I’m just telling her the truth,” he growled in response to my implied threat.
“It’s not gonna happen,” I growled right back, crushing his phone in my clenched fist. Every muscle in my body was poised to strike.
Jack and I had our differences before, but we'd never come to blows. If we don't agree on a solution, that might change today .
Blake’s soft footsteps broke the silence as Jack and I stared each other down.
“Andrew,” Blake whispered as she put her hand on my bicep.
Jack’s eyes rounded in surprise—he’d seen me rip more than one person a new asshole for using my first name.
“Oh,” he said, stepping back as he looked from Blake to me and back again.
I relaxed my shoulders, “Yeah.”
And just like that, we were good again. He understood how much Blake meant to me, and how far I’d go to protect her.
“What do we do?” Jack asked, resigned to the fact I loved Blake and wouldn’t give in.
Before I could answer, Blake squared her shoulders and said, “You trade me.”
“No!” I barked, causing her to flinch. Shit. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell, but there’s no way in hell I’m letting them get their hands on you.”
“AJ, she’s pregnant.” Jack’s terrified whisper cut me to the quick, weakening my resolve.
Meg’s pregnant? Since when? No wonder Jack was losing his shit . I still wasn’t willing to sacrifice Blake, but it explained why Jack was uncharacteristically willing to sacrifice a client.
“We can’t,” I begged. Blake was my everything.
Blake stepped in front of me, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “You have to. I can’t let them hurt Meg because of me.”
“Blake,” her name falling from my lips like a prayer.
“I have to do this, please,” she begged. “It’s the right thing to do.”
Cupping her face, I said, “I can’t lose you.” I didn’t even have her yet, not really.
“You won’t. You’ll save me.” She placed one small, trusting hand on mine. “I know you will.”
Her trust was a balm to my soul. And a dagger to my heart.
I wanted to promise her I’d bring her home safe and sound, but I wouldn’t lie to her.
“I’ll go to the pits of hell and battle Satan himself.” Not a lie.
Her soft smile soothed my nerves. “They’re after my money, not me. I’ll just tell them I’ll give them whatever they want, if they promise not to hurt me. You’ll have plenty of time to rescue me.”
So innocent. So trusting.
So wrong.
Blake turned twenty-five in six days. Six days too many for her to be in the hands of someone with a vendetta against her father.
“Blake,” I begged.
“Jay’s here,” Jack interrupted.
“We have to do this,” Blake answered.
I held Jack’s phone out over Blake’s shoulder. The second my hand was empty, I used it to trace the soft, beautiful edges of her face. Memorizing every inch as tears blurred my vision. I blinked them away as I lowered my forehead to hers.
I whispered, “I know, but I’m terrified of losing you.”
I heard the knock and let Jack handle it.
A few seconds later, Jay’s shocked, “Whoa,” broke up the moment.
I lifted my head, willing laser beams to shoot out of my eyes.
He held up his hand. “Sorry, man.” He turned to Jack. “Dad said you’d fill me in on why we’re all going back to the office.”
I wrapped one arm around Blake’s shoulders, pulling her in close. “It’s not safe; they know where it is.”
“It’s the safest place we can be,” Jack countered.
Fair point. The entire building was bulletproof, but we had to get there first.
I nodded at Jack over Blake’s head.
“We leave in fifteen. Grab what you need while I fill Jay in,” Jack ordered. His voice was less shaky now that we had a plan, but his composure wouldn’t last long. Jack loved Meg with every fiber of his being and then some.
I’d watched him fall apart when the trafficker she’d testified against came back for revenge and kidnapped her. I helped him stack bodies outside the cabin as we shot our way to her. I stood beside him as he forced the guy to shift his gun from Meg’s temple to his chest, giving Jamie a clean shot. Jack took two bullets for Meg that day.
He’d sworn he’d destroy heaven and hell to bring her home safe.
I made the same silent vow to Blake.