Chapter 7
CHAPTER 7
FRANCI
F inals are here, and once again, I’m struggling to focus. I woke up the morning after the frat party hungover, covered in Gavin’s spunk, and alone.
No note.
No text message.
Nothing.
Although, to be fair, I had to get another phone because the previous one was left at the frat house and got broken. I didn’t want to go back for it, but one of the girls I went with got it for me.
I haven’t seen Gavin in the month since the party, and the holidays are coming. I pack my bag to go home for the winter break and look down as my newest phone rings. I answer it as always, hoping it’s him.
“Hello, little Gheg, you ready for me? I’m coming to get you soon. Now that I know Angeline is still alive, I’m going to have fun killing her after she watches me rape and kill you.”
I hang up, tired of the threats. I wish I could leave the phone here and just forget about it. Maybe he can’t find me then.
I head down to my car and drive home. I see Ley’s men following me, but I also notice a truck in the distance and wonder if that’s my phone caller or Gambit. I have to stop thinking of him as Gavin. It hurts too much. I could have given him my virginity that night and he wouldn’t have cared.
He didn’t care.
He left me alone.
Another Christmas without my family, and this one hurts the worst because I don’t know if my mother’s wishes will be fulfilled. I could be dead before the next holiday if my caller has any say in it. I’ve decided I need to tell Ley to send me away so she’ll be safe and happy.
T he holidays only had one good thing come from them. Ley and Leif are dating. I can tell they are in love, and that makes it worse because I want that. I doubt I’ll ever have it now. I know I’m young and it could happen, but my heart and body only want him.
I wait on the sidewalk for Ley to pick me up. I had to come back to campus early because I got the fellowship for next semester. Ley, Leif, and I are going to one of the local malls to pick up some things I’ll need.
When her SUV pulls up, I climb into the back. She and Leif start questioning me about sleep and how I’m feeling. I tell them I’m okay. My cell phone rings, but I ignore it. Leif asks if it’s the guy I said no to calling. I lied to him about my phone calls. I can’t tell him the truth. I’m still trying to figure out how to get away from my stalker and how to protect Ley. After their revelation at Christmas, I knew I couldn’t get her killed. I have to figure a way out of this myself. Maybe Gambit will help me escape. It’s not like he wants me anyway.
I haven’t been taking my sleeping pills lately, and last night I had a dream. The guy calling me is named Crank. He was there when my family was killed, and he and another guy begged to rape me first. I remember him because of his English accent. They were going to fight for me when Ley got us out of there. He was also the one who hit me to shut me up when I started screaming.
Ley makes a weird phone call, and I swear I hear Gambit’s voice, but I feel like I hear and see him everywhere. I know it’s my heart wanting him. I lean back in the seat and continue to joke with Leif about him and Ley. They tell me they are going on a trip together finally, and I’m excited for them. And again, I’m jealous.
After a few hours of shopping, I’m tired and ready to go back to the loft and snuggle one of the dogs. Leif pretty much lives at our place now and brought his dog Di Vinci, a large rottweiler that loves to cuddle, over. Murtaugh still wants to sit with me every time I’m home. He must sense that I’m struggling.
We walk to the mall entrance, all of us ready to get out of here.
“Wait here. I’ll pull the car up,” Ley says as she starts to walk through the door.
“Love, I can do that.” Leif takes the keys from her, and I watch as she watches him. I shake my head as I smile at Ley.
“He’s perfect for you.” I sigh.
I want that so much. I want a man to look at me like he looks at her. I want to check out my man’s ass as he walks away and know he’s just mine.
Her phone rings, and as she looks at the caller ID, a strange look crosses her face.
“Hello,” she answers, and I hear a quiver in her voice. I can’t hear what the person on the other end is saying, but everything changes when she responds in Russian. “ Chto ty imeyesh' v vidu, Otets?” She asks the caller what he means and addresses him as Father.
We very rarely talk about her father. I only know that he lives in Latvia now. She doesn’t tell me why she really ran and hid from her family for so long or faked that they were dead.
My own phone rings, and I’m about to ignore it again. Ley takes it from my hand and answers it instead. She keeps her phone to her other ear.
I can’t hear what is said, but I’m sure it’s him. Her face changes into a mask I’ve seen when she’s working, locking up her emotions, until she looks out to the parking lot. Stark fear fills her face as she drops her phone and runs with mine, screaming Leif’s name.
I chase after her and watch as he stops and turns to look back at us. His arm lifts as he clicks the remote to unlock the doors. A blast comes from the car, and we all are thrown back. I scream for both of them and can’t see in the dark smoke that surrounds us.
I finally find them, and she’s begging for Leif’s life, praying that he’s okay. I can’t stop the tears that flow from my eyes.
I did this.
It’s all my fault. I should have left a long time ago. I kneel down next to them as she yells into my phone.
“Angeline is dead.” She pulls her gun and takes aim on someone running toward us.
“It’s me,” Gambit says as he lands next to me and pulls me into his arms. I can’t stop myself from taking comfort from him. I need it.
Ley’s father is yelling from the phone in my hand, and she’s still on the phone with Crank. I don’t know what’s being said because I can barely hear her over the ringing in my ears.
“Up. Move,” Ley barks at us.
Gambit picks me up, and we are running for a cement block planter. I turn as a bullet hits the pavement where we all just were. I watch Ley get hit, and I’m screaming for her.
“Shh, baby. She’s okay. It will be okay.”
“No. No, it won’t. This is all my fault,” I yell as my ears continue to ring, but it’s starting to subside.
Leif picks Ley up, and they are with us behind the planter, hiding from Crank as he shoots at us. Ley slams my phone into the pavement over and over, taking her frustration out on it. I worry she’s that angry with me.
Gambit
I was watching from a distance and could feel the hair on the back of my neck rise, knowing there was something going on. Someone was watching my girl and Ley. My crew stopped that fucker from following them. He’s at a remote building, waiting to be questioned. I’ll kill him was my last thought before the parking lot lit up from the explosion. I last saw Franci running after Rogue and Leif. I was sure I was going to find her body broken and burning. But I’m glad she’s in my arms, even though now we are going to have to fight our way out of this.
Keeping Franci in my arms, I hear say this was her fault, but we know it’s not. It was inevitable they would come after her and Ley. It’s Thant’s fault for entering that farmhouse to begin with.
I watch as Striker skids my truck to a stop in front of us.
“Let’s go,” I yell as I run with Franci in my arms toward the truck. “Striker, you take care of Rogue. I’ll drive,” I instruct. He doesn’t question me as he jumps out and into the back, while I put Franci in the front seat.
As I buckle her in, I brush my lips across hers. “I got you, jellyfish,” I say softly so that no one can hear me. I open the back for Leif and Rogue, pointing out that we are safe because my truck is bulletproof.
“We need to get her to a hospital,” Leif yells, and we all cringe because his hearing hasn’t returned to normal yet. He was closer to the explosion.
“No,” we all reply, except Franci, who is slowly caving in on herself.
“To my place,” Rogue says. “It’s the most secure, and I don’t want to lead him to your place.” Rogue moves off Leif’s lap and sits with her back to Striker as she lets him check her bullet wounds.
I knew she had on a vest. It’s something all three of us will wear when we go into situations we think could go sideways. I have a feeling Rogue wears them almost all the time.
Rogue and Leif start getting all mushy with each other, saying I love you, and it pisses me off because I haven’t said those words to my girl. I turn to her again and find she’s completely closed off in shock, staring out the window. I need to hold her and comfort her, but I have to make her safe first.
“Rogue,” I bark her name, “sitrep, now.”
“Crank is a guy from Roger Thant’s unit. He’s Thant’s right-hand man and a sick fucker. He called Franci’s phone. My father was on my phone. He told me not to leave the mall.”
“Wait,” we all say and turn to look at my girl.
“I don’t want to talk about it,” she says softly as she continues to stare out the window, trying to ignore us.
“Oh, no you don’t, jellyfish. Tell us what’s fucking going on.” I raise my voice at her, hoping it will pull her from her head and talk to us.
“You don’t get to ask me questions like that. You told me I was a kid and not yours, then you attack Leif and say I’m yours. I’m not your jellyfish. I’m nothing to you. I’m done with you. Ley, I want to be moved. I understand you won’t want to, but I’m not staying here any longer. I’m an adult and obviously they found us.” I watch as her body trembles while mine vibrates with anger.
I pull into Rogue’s garage and slam on the brakes, causing everyone to pivot forward. I don’t care. She isn’t going to run from me now. Not after everything I’ve gotten ready for her. Not after I’ve planned our future and what I’ve done to guarantee it. I jump out of the truck and make my way around the hood. My eyes not leaving hers. I know I hurt her over and over, but I’m done. It’s past her birthday. I have everything for her party already set up for her. Her gifts waiting. I watch as Leif gets out of the back seat and stands there, ready to protect her, but I yank open her door and undo her seat belt. She’s in my arms and pressed up against the side of my truck within seconds.
“You’re not fucking running from me, little girl. I’m not letting you go ever again. I was fucking wrong. I wanted to give you time to grow up, but not anymore. You are mine.” My lips slam down on hers, bruising them, and I don’t care.
I distantly hear the cocking of a gun in the quiet around us, and I pull away with my side arm in my hand, ready if I need it. I’ll shield her body with mine.
“Take your hands off my granddaughter, now, asshole, before I give you a pussy and take that dick off you,” a deeply accented voice says from the darkness. A man steps forward into the light with a gun aimed at me, and I know who he is instantly. Guns shift to the other side, and I don’t turn from keeping my focus on him. He’s the most dangerous man here right now.
“Morosov, we had a deal. You stay in Latvia, and I let you be free. Don’t make me cuff you in front of your family. I might not be contracted by the DEA anymore, but I can easily get that taken care of,” Commander’s voice comes from the side, and I watch in my peripheral as he steps around my former teammates who still work with him. He approaches, and I slowly lower Franci’s body but turn, keeping her behind me as Commander walks over to where Rogue is standing with Leif. “Striker needs to stitch that up. Why don’t we head upstairs, and you offer these gentlemen some vodka? We have about three hours until your brother shows up with his men.”
A door opens, and in walks Rogue’s brother Gray, who is married to Leif’s sister. He gives his father respect and moves over to where we are all standing still by the side of my truck.
Gray starts getting upset and grabs for Rogue, not realizing he’s grabbing where she’s injured. Leif reacts by punching him, and then the fight is on, but Commander puts a stop to it quickly by taking Gray to the floor. Rogue, meanwhile, spins Leif out of the line of fire. She’s gotten much faster, and her Muay Thai is amazing to watch.
“Before we go upstairs, we need to adjust our current population,” Commander says and looks over to me and Franci.
“Gambit, you and Striker take the little bit out of here. Protect her for Rogue. Find out why she didn’t tell Rogue about the calls.”
Vladimir tries to argue, but Commander is thinking with his mind, not his heart like Morosov is. They argue about me wanting her, and I’m about to defend our relationship, but Rogue jumps to my defense, which I really appreciate.
“She’s just as old as Andrei’s mom was when you married her,” Rogue tells him. “Besides, she’s my daughter, and I say where she goes.”
“She’s my woman, and she’s going with us. My men will protect her with their lives.” I decide to let them know how it’s really going to be.
“Stop, all of you.” Franci steps from behind me, but I wrap an arm around her upper body, keeping her close to me. We still haven’t figured out everything, but I will be soon. “I want to go with him. He and I need to talk. As for Crank, I didn’t know that was his name. He’s been calling me and telling me he would kill you.” She points to Rogue. “He didn’t know you were Angeline until November. I mostly ignored him. Every time I’d lose my phone and you’d get me a new one, he’d get the number and call me again. He told me he was coming for me soon and was going to rape me like he should have all those years ago.” She shivers against my body, and I hold her tighter as Rogue moves toward us.
“We’ll take care of them this time. I swore I’d make you safe, and I will,” Rogue promises.
I release her so they can hug, and then I pick her up and place her back in the passenger seat of my truck. As soon as we pull out of the garage, my men are surrounding the truck, and we take off for the clubhouse.