Chapter Thirty
Wyatt
Lying still in bed, I listen to her even breathing beside me. I made sure to teach her that lesson about four times—it seems to have stuck. Reaching for my phone on the bedside table, I see two messages from Kade.
The first one is a picture of Tiger with police surrounding it. I sit up and my heart starts to race. I feel a rage inside waiting to combust. The second is a picture of the inside. In big red letters it says, “I’m coming for her.” I snarl and look over at the sleeping beauty next to me. I have to remind myself that she is safe here. I saved her and she is alive.
I lean down and kiss her forehead and she stirs.
“Wyatt?” her raspy voice breaks the silence.
“Go back to sleep, baby. I’ll be in the next room.” She reaches for me and I let her drag me to her, kissing me softly.
A kiss that would make any man weak, even one like me. I smile down at her as she rolls over and quickly falls back asleep.
It’s four in the morning and I am wired. Not knowing who is behind this is eating me fucking alive. They have to be the people who are also stealing our shipments. It can’t be a luck of the draw, no. No this is personal. This is about me, and I don’t know why. I have plenty of enemies but none stupid enough to attack me or what’s mine.
I walk up to the guard I put in charge of this place, Trent, a good shot and one of my most trusted. “I have to leave. She does not leave. Nobody enters without my say. Do not do a drill today, I will show her how it works when I come back.” He nods.
“Oh, and Trent?” He looks at me.
“If I find out any of you lay a fucking finger on her, I will fucking kill you myself.” He clears his throat and shifts his feet.
“I will make sure she is safe,” he says confidently.
I give one last look over my shoulder before exiting the house. Hearing the locks click into place makes me breathe a little easier, knowing she's safe. I make my way to the car through the pouring rain, with thunder rumbling overhead. I duck in and slam the door shut, reaching into the middle console for my cigarettes and lighter. I put one to my lips and light it, inhaling the sweet smoke and exhaling slowly. Even though I know she's safe here, leaving her is a lot harder than I thought. She’s safe.
I pull out and make my way to the club. Grabbing my phone off the passenger seat, I dial Kade’s number. He answers on the second ring. “I’m on my way, ten minutes out, fill me in.”
“The alarms went off and the police were alerted before I could get down here. Someone broke in and trashed the place. This is definitely personal. Someone is targeting us. But why? Why now? And why are they coming after Blair? Did you take her to the safe house?” He waits for me to answer, but my mind is racing .
“If she calls you, you answer immediately. I don’t give a fuck what you’re doing. We need to call pit. He had something to talk to me about, and he needs to see this shit for himself.”
“I’ll answer and alright, I’ll make the call.” He hangs up and I pull up the cameras in the house, she’s still sleeping soundly in bed.
When I pull up to Tiger, the police are gone and four black SUVs are parked out front. I get out, walk in, and the scene before me makes me stop in my tracks. Behind the bar is a blown-up picture of Blair at the dinner table, at her mother’s house. Leaning into me with a smile on her perfectly innocent face, the blood drains from my face.
“What the fuck? Why did you not show me this?” I snap.
“It wasn’t here when I took the pictures,” Kade's voice is collected but I can tell he is baffled by how this huge photo snuck past him.
“When the fuck would they have had time to get this in here without any of you fucking noticing?” I look around and try to get a read on anyone who might be acting strange. I snarl when all I find are loyal shit fucks. My eyes lock with Stuarts, and he gives me a simple nod.
“Take. It. Down.” Someone moves quickly and removes it.
“Give me the camera footage,” I bark, and someone else runs off towards the security room.
“This happened within the three minutes we were outside. Which means they never left. We have swept this whole place twice and nobody is here now. We went outside to give our statements to the police. You didn’t see anyone acting suspicious while you two were at dinner?” I think back and shake my head. If I did, I would have fucking ended them.
“Kamara’s boyfriend was there but he didn’t…” I think back trying to remember that dinner specifically .
Stuart steps up and places a hand on my shoulder. I almost punch him in the face, but I swallow my rage and take a deep breath. "Xaden is who I wanted to talk to you about," he begins. "There’s evidence that he might be involved in this. His background was squeaky clean, almost too clean. He would have had access to Blair and you at this moment. He's often with her mother, and I'm sure Blair confides in her. Maybe, just maybe, Kamara told him about you before he met you. He has a motive. His sister was murdered in a drug raid two years ago. One that we were supposed to handle ourselves." I feel like the world is spinning and I can’t stop it.
“It was never brought up that we were not involved. That someone else jumped the gun and killed innocent women and children for no reason. I hacked into the logs on his phone and laptop. Went to his search history, and he has been searching you.” My head feels like it’s going to explode.
“Son, if this is true, we need to get Kamara out of there- and fast. He could use her to get to Bair.” I shake my head not being able to accept this.
“I would have seen it,” I say through gritted teeth.
“Like you seen them watching you and Blair in the woods?”
I growl, turning and grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. “Fucking don’t!” I shout in his face.
I hate the look he gives me, one of sadness, and helplessness. I let go and he grabs my shoulder. Bold move.
“Wyatt, we need to deal with this, tonight.” My breathing is becoming harsher, and I feel like I might puke. I was there both fucking times, and both times, someone has gotten passed me. Xaden. The man had fooled me. Blair is making me lose focus- weak. Kade walks up to me and grasps my shoulder. I turn and knock everything off the bar counter, and it crashes to the floor .
“No, brother. She’s not.” Did I just say that out loud?
“This is my fault!” I yell and he shakes his head.
“She is not making you weak. She is everything to you. I know the feeling- this is not any of our fault. But especially not hers. They are out for blood. It’s time we repay the favor.” he squeezes my shoulder.
I close my eyes when Stuart speaks, “Son, we need to act now.”
I slowly gather myself, taking a deep breath to steady my thoughts. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I click the app for the cameras. Blair sitting in bed, reading a book. Right before I click off, I see her reach for her phone. My heart beats a little faster when she answers. I click on the audio to hear what she is saying.
“Mom?” She looks at the clock. I can see the worry etched across her face.
“Mom, calm down. I can’t understand you.” She gets up and starts pacing. I can see the pain from walking in her eyes and I grit my teeth.
“Something is happening, we need to go,” I announce.
"Ok, ok. You're ok. I'm coming! Hide somewhere. I'm calling the police," she cries, her hands trembling so much that she drops her phone. I grip mine so tightly I'm afraid it might break.
She looks around and yells for me but I’m not there. I swear to fucking god if they let her leave, I will fucking kill them all! I’m moving before I can even think about it. I look back and everyone is on my ass.
“I’ll be in the car behind you,” Stuart calls out, Kade grabs the keys from my hand.
“I’m driving,” I don’t argue .
I drop into the passenger seat, and we peel out of the parking lot. The notification of the doors unlocking pops up on my phone.
“Fuck!” Blair is frantically searching for me again, and when she can’t find me, she sinks to the floor.
“Ok, Blair. Ok. Call the police and… and go to your mom.” She talks to herself. She holds onto the wall as she gets up, crying out in pain.
I hear her call the police and see her head for the front door. I pick up my phone and dial her number. She ignores it- twice. Frustrated, I punch the dashboard. I dial once more, and she finally answers, "My mom," she cries out, and my heart sinks.
Her voice is laced with panic, “Never ignore my fucking phone calls!” I take a deep breath when I hear her sobbing.
“You do not leave. Do you fucking hear me?” I wait for a response and then she hangs up.
“Fuck!” I yell.
I dial Trent’s number and he answers instantly. “Boss, she’s trying to leave.”
“Get out of my way you fucking bastard!” I hear her scream at him.
“Lock the fucking house down and lock her in the fucking bedroom! She does not leave the damn house!” I yell and I hear her scream like a banshee.
“It’s my mom Wyatt! Please! I have to go! Please don’t lock me up in here while she needs me!” She sobs as she falls to her knees, again.
“Lock the fucking house down now!” I order and I get the notification on my phone that it’s locking down.
I see the thick steel plates sliding into place. Blocking her view from the world and any looming threats from her. Nobody can get to her and most importantly she cannot get out. This is a trap, and she is too blinded by her feelings to see it. I will not let her fucking die again because of my mistake.
I look at the camera in our room and she is looking directly at it. The look of pure hatred. I’m sorry.
“It’s done,” he says.
“I’ll call when it’s safe,” I hang up the phone and put my head back against the seat.
The throbbing in my temples is doing nothing but pissing me off more. How did I not see this coming?
“The Police are on their way to her house, but I called and sent back up. We’re almost there,” Kade says, as he also locks down his house just in case.
It feels like an eternity before we pull up. I push Blair from my mind and focus on the task. Kamara is in there and in danger. I need to get in there and rescue her. She is the only family Blair has. And I will not let anything happen to her.
The police aren’t here yet, I hear the sirens, so we have about five minutes before they arrive. Pit, Kade, me, and a few others round the house. I hear shouting and then a crash. We all lock eyes and silently move in. The back door is smashed in. We use that to gain entry. I nod for Pit and the others to go left while Kade and I go right.
The noise is coming from Blair's old room, and my nostrils flare with anger. Quickly and quietly, I make my way through each room. I hear a small whimper coming from the master bedroom closet. Kade and I fan out, and we slowly open the closet door, guns drawn, only to find Kamara’s bloodied face staring back at us. She slams something hard against my face, and I stumble back. Realizing it's me, she drops the object and sobs. I instantly retract my gun and pull her from the closet. Her shoulder has a bleeding wound, and her face and hands are cut up .
“Shhh, you are safe now. Where’s Xaden?” I ask and her eyes go wide, and she points to Blair’s old room.
“My friend Kade is going to take you out and get you somewhere safe.” Her raspy breaths let me know she’s still with us.
“I promise you, you are safe with him and me,” I place my hand on her arm and she pulls me into a huge hug.
I freeze for a moment, then wrap my arms around her, she nods softly.
“O… Ok. I trust you, is Blair…” she trails off and I give her a small smile.
“She is safe.” The look of relief that flows through her makes me feel a bit better about my decision.
A gunshot fires off in the room and her mom gasps. “Take her now.” Kade gently grabs her arm and leads her out of the house.
Pit and the others are at the door. I hear grunting and shouting. There is more than one person in there, I know that for sure. I listen a little more and hear a phone ring and Xaden picks it up.
“It’s done, the bitch stabbed me, but she will be dead by morning.”
I lock eyes with Pit, then kick open the door and fire the first shot, taking down the threat with ease. I sweep the room, moving methodically. As I near the closet, I hear groaning. Raising my gun, I aim towards the doors. With a swift motion, I swing them open, and out falls Xaden, a gunshot wound in his chest. My mind takes a minute to process that the man I shot was not Xaden. I grab him before he can fall on his face and set him down on the ground. I place my hand over the wound to stop the bleeding when I look up and see Pit pull the mask off the guy. He’s built almost exactly like him, and his face is identical- Twins .
Pit looks equally confused. I only know this is Xaden on the floor from the tattoo on his arm. The other man doesn’t have it. Xaden is also in his boxers, probably asleep when his brother broke in.
The man on the ground is still alive, spitting up blood and coughing. “Take him out, he’s been shot!” I yell orders and everyone follows my lead.
Two men take him outside and I hear Kamara’s cries of relief fill the room. I bend down and look at the pathetic man on the floor.
“Who are you?” I ask and his face turns up amused.
“Haven’t figured it all out yet, have you?” He laughs, coughing up more blood.
“Your own twin?” I question and he laughs harder.
“The dumb fuck doesn’t even know that I’m the one that killed our sister. The stupid bitch wanted to rat me out. But it’s easy to disguise yourself when your other self looks just like you. A few spray-on tats and nobody could tell the difference.” I kick him in the face, and he groans.
“Why?”
“He turned his back on the ones that would have done anything for him. He betrayed us! Now he will pay, you will all pay!” He yells, a sinister laugh coming from his bloody mouth.
I pick him up by the collar of his shirt, “Why are you targeting Blair? Who are we, exactly?” He doesn’t say anything, and I smash his face with my gun.
“Who!” I shout, again.
“Let me ask you, are you sure your women are safe?”
Before any of us can react, he takes out a gun, aims it at himself, and shoots.