Chapter 20 #2
“If the cops arrive before we get the patio door open, then we’ll let them handle it. But right now, every second counts.” Eli focused on me as we strode. “He could shoot your mom or your brother any second.”
“Fuck…” I hung my head, watching my sneakered feet as they crunched in the landscaping rocks. Mom and Wes could be bleeding out right now. I clenched my jaw. There was no stopping Casey and his friends.
As we stopped at the patio door, Casey peeked around the side of it. “We’re in luck, gentlemen. The vertical blinds are almost closed. He won’t see us come in.”
I hadn’t even noticed that fact. I’d been too worried about the situation. “Guys, please be careful.”
Through the glass, Carl’s muffled shouts broke. “You needed the fucking money, Linda. All I did was attempt to get it for you!”
Silence.
“You’re coming with me. I don’t care what happens to this fucking kid. He’s a witness to everything now!”
“No, please, not my son,” Mom shrieked.
“Oh, my God.” My eyes widened and my heart jolted. Was he about to shoot Wes?
With a maniacal gleam in his eye, Casey said, “Counter with a flea flicker, boys.” He pitched the sliding glass door open, and Eli and Tex rushed in first, the thin plastic panels on the window covering clattering behind them.
Pushing a few panels aside, I watched the melee, my knees knocking together. They could all be killed.
“What the fuck?” Carl swiveled, dropping his mouth open.
While Tex and Eli sped at Carl from both sides of the room, Malik threw himself over the back of the couch, falling across Wes and Mom.
Casey stormed into the room, head down and growling, and as he struck Carl’s chest, they tumbled backward with a gunshot clapping through the air. Plaster dropped from a hole in the ceiling.
“Got it.” Tex stomped on Carl’s wrist and ripped the gun free while Casey rolled off Carl just in time for Eli to pounce on him.
With a grunt, Carl flinched. Through panting breaths, he said, “Who the fuck are you?”
“You got ‘em, boys?” Malik asked, climbing off Mom and Wes.
“Yep.” Eli sat on Carl’s chest, his knees pinning his arms while Tex sat on his legs.
“You ain’t goin’ nowhere, cowboy.” Tex chortled and handed the gun to Malik. “Be careful with that thing.”
Casey sat on the floor with his knees bent and arms outstretched behind him. “Excellent play, guys.”
As my phone buzzed in my pocket, I stepped inside and rushed to Mom and Wes as they rose from the couch. “Are you okay?” Throwing my arms around them both, I pulled them into my chest.
“Who the fuck are these guys?” Carl twisted underneath Eli and Tex.
“Your worst nightmare, asshole.” Eli gave him a smirk. “Football linemen.”
“What?” Carl’s jaw dropped.
“Hold on.” I fished my phone from my jeans, the MCSO number scrolling across the screen. “Hello?”
“Ryker? This is detective Cranson. We have a SWAT team at the scene, and we see the back door open. Are you inside?”
“Yes, I’m inside, and so are a few friends of mine. They subdued Carl. He was about to shoot my brother.” I hugged Wes closer to my side. He and Mom appeared unharmed. Would they reprimand us for what we did? “We couldn’t wait.”
“I’ll give the all clear. Let the officers inside,” Detective Cranson said.
“I will.” I glanced at Wes and then at Mom, both wide-eyed.
They were in shock, pure and simple. Hell, I didn’t blame them.
“I’ll let the officers in. You guys, maybe go into the kitchen?
” I didn’t know what to tell them. With a deep breath, I ended the call and strode to the door. “Come on, he’s on the floor.”
Several men in tactical gear entered the apartment and made quick work of handcuffing Carl as Eli and Tex released him.
An officer faced me. “What happened here?”
With Carl muttering obscenities under his breath and throwing glares at Mom and me, the officers led him from the apartment. As they reached the door, Carl threw himself backward. “You’ll regret this, Linda. I’ll make sure of it!” he snarled as they rushed him outside.
Mom lifted her head high. “No, I won’t. Fuck you, Carl! Never touch my children again!”
Ticking my brows at Mom, I said, “Um…You tell him, Mom.” Damn. I looked around the room. What a fucking mess. Where should I begin?
“Hell yes, Linda.” Casey strolled to me and wrapped an arm around my shoulders, while Casey’s friends introduced themselves to Mom and gave her a high-five.
A police officer stepped toward us with a notepad in his hand. “Can you tell me what happened here?”
Puffing out his chest, Casey said, “Ryker is the love of my life, and so when he needed me, my friends and I showed up. We’re all on the ASU football team. We ran a counterplay with a flea flicker, and Carl was brought to his knees. Much like U of A will be tomorrow night.”
“Jesus, Casey. It’s not a press interview.” Malik snickered and planted his hands on his hips. “Crazy bastard.”
“I guess that’s about it.” I glanced at Wes coming around, then turned to the officer. “When I peeked in the window, my brother pointed at the patio door, so I knew it was unlocked. Then, when we heard Carl threatening him—”
“We went into action, right boys?” Casey flashed his smile at everyone.
“We did.” Tex ticked his head, standing next to Mom and Wes.
Wringing her hands, Mom stepped to the officer, taking notes. “Carl had a gun aimed at Wes’s head right before the boys burst in. They did the right thing.”
“Yes, I believe they did.” The officer up-nodded at us. “How did the suspect gain entry to the home?”
Hanging her head, Mom said, “I let him in.” She peeked at me, her brows wrinkling. “He knocked on the door, and I answered it. I was waiting for an package, and I assumed it was the delivery person.” She sighed. “He just barreled right in as soon as I opened the door.”
“Mom, it’s not your fault.” I swung an arm around her shoulders. “You didn’t know.”
“We tried to reach you, Ma’am.” The officer wrote on a pad.
“My phone battery died, and I hadn’t gotten around to charging it.” She gave me a sheepish look. “I ordered a charger yesterday from to put on my nightstand, so I can charge my phone every night. That’s what I was waiting for.”
Wes walked toward us. “He was in the house when I got home from school.” Flashing a glance at the front door, he said, “Carl must have been waiting by the door because as soon as I opened it, he shoved me onto the couch, grabbed my backpack, found my phone and shut it off.”
Nodding, the officer said, “Phones always pose a threat to felons planning an abduction. You’re lucky your brother and his friends acted so quickly.” He wrote some more. “Are there any further comments about the incident?”
“Will I need to testify against him in court?” Mom breathed in deeply.
“No, we have plenty to convict him with. But the prosecutor may contact you for a deposition.” The officer shifted his weight and dropped the notepad to his side. “It appears everyone is unhurt, correct?”
“Yes, I’m okay. I have a nasty bruise on my arm where he grabbed me.” Mom lifted the sleeve of her sweater, and a set of finger-shaped bruises mottled her upper arm. “But that’s it.”
“I’m fine.” Wes glanced at Casey. “I have an away football game tonight in Glendale. Guess I’ll be working my aggression out on the field.” He smirked.
“That’s my boy.” Casey patted Wes on the back. “You’re a tough kid.”
“Okay, well, I’ll file a report when I get back. If we need more information, someone will contact you.” The officer ticked his head and walked toward the door. “Have a good weekend, everyone.” He shut the door behind him.
My entire body relaxed. Holy fuck, what just happened? My phone buzzed in my pocket, and I startled, then slipped it out. “It’s Dylan.” I walked into the kitchen and locked the sliding glass door. “Hello?” Thank God, Mom had left the damn thing open, or it might have turned out differently.
“Dude, what happened? Is everyone all right?” Dylan asked.
I glanced around the room. Casey and his friends were chatting with Mom and Dylan, reviewing the play-by-play of the afternoon.
“Yes, everyone is fine now.” I wasn’t sure I wanted to rehash it, but…
“Carl was here, holding Mom and Wes hostage, but Casey and his friends broke into the place and tackled Carl. A SWAT team was here and—”
“Holy shit, Ryker. But everyone’s okay?” Dylan asked.
“Yes, everyone is okay. I’ll tell you more later. Right now, I think I need to be with my mom and Wes.” They still had to be shaken up. I stepped toward everyone. “Talk to you soon.”
“Later, dude. The shop is all taken care of, so don’t worry about that.”
“Thanks, Dylan. Later.” I ended the call and approached everyone. “Mom, is there anything you need right now?”
“A tranquilizer?” She chuckled. “No, seriously, I’m fine.” She gave me a warm smile.
Casey faced me. “The guys need to get home, and I drove them all here. But I want to stay with you a while, okay?” He grabbed my hands and kissed the backs of them. “Can you drive me home later? Or I can just Uber.”
“No, I’ll drive you home.” It was the least I could do. Along with his friends, he saved my brother’s life. “Who are you letting drive your car?” I smirked at him.
“Eli.” He fished his keys from his pocket and dropped them into Eli’s open palm. “Dude, no racing.”
With a scoff, Eli said, “In that heap? Hell no.”
“Hey, it’s not a heap. I’ve made sure the engine is in top condition.” I gave Eli a mock glare. He was teasing.
“Yeah, we’ll see you in the stands tomorrow night?” Eli slapped my shoulder.
“I’ll be there.” I stepped next to Casey, winding my arm around his waist. “And so will Wes, so you guys better win.”
With a scoff, Tex said, “Fuck, we’ll win.” He grabbed Eli’s arm. “Come on, boys, we have a team dinner to go to tonight.” He stopped on the way to the door. “Casey, you’ll be there, right?”
“Hell yes.” He kissed my cheek. “But right now, my boyfriend needs me.”
Emotion flooded my heart. How had I gotten so damn lucky? I’d thought this before, but it hit home even harder now. I had someone special, a once in a lifetime love.