Chapter 32
Chapter Thirty-Two
P arker’s head was swimming as he slowly regained consciousness. Feeling like shit, he kept his eyes closed while trying to pull himself together. Whatever the hell those bastards had in that syringe had knocked him out immediately.
Elder.
Parker was almost positive he’d seen Elder in the SUV before everything went black.
Everything happened so fast. One minute Parker was throwing punches, and the next he was being shoved into the vehicle. He didn’t remember anything after that.
Eyes still closed, he focused on his other senses. The air was damp and cold, and the space smelled a little like rubber and…cardboard. Maybe he was in a warehouse.
The only sounds were of traffic in the distance and several people talking quietly. He couldn’t make out what they were saying, but there were at least two different voices. Maybe three.
He slowly opened his eyes, happy it didn’t make his head hurt worse. Glancing around through half-opened lids, he confirmed that he was in a warehouse. The space around him was empty, except for stacks of wood pallets to his right. Against a far wall, old tires were strewn everywhere.
He also didn’t know how much time had passed. They had removed his watch, and by the feel of it, his phone and wallet weren’t in his pockets. His gun was also missing.
He had to get his hands free. Which he was trying to do now. They must’ve used a whole roll of duct tape around his wrist and ankles. He could barely move.
When he heard someone approaching, he stiffened.
“Oh, good. You’re awake. Parker Wilcox,” he said the name as if testing it out on his tongue. “I had only planned to knock you out long enough to calm you down, but I guess I got carried away with the sedative.”
Parker stared at a man who he’d known all his life. Elder. The person he hated almost as much as his father. Elder was probably the only other person who’d known that Wolf had killed Parker’s mother. Yet, he did nothing except say— sorry about your mom .
But what had Parker expected? The man worshipped Wolf and did anything he told him to do. No way would he go to the authorities to report a murder, especially when the murderer was his oldest friend.
“Who are you? What is this about?” Parker asked.
He didn’t know for sure, but he had a feeling that whatever was at play here had nothing to do with the havoc they were planning to release on Wolf and the Kingz. Something else was going on, and the only way he’d get any answers would be by acting clueless.
Hell, at the moment, he was clueless. No way they could know he was Junior.
Could they?
But if Elder was in town, Wolf might be, too. That meant they knew about him, or suspected he was Junior.
Did they also know about the takedown? That the Kingz would be dismantled in a matter of days? Well, hopefully in a matter of days. With whatever was happening here, all the plans he’d made might be ruined.
“Do you know why you’re here?”
“No clue. I just know I was kidnapped.”
“I wanted to talk…face to face,” Elder said. “I didn’t want to drug you or have you bound.”
“Yet, here I am with shit running through my veins, and my wrist and ankles bound.”
“That’s your fault. You almost broke one of my guy’s jaw. Of course I had to restrain you.”
“You’re telling me that if two people you didn’t know held you at gunpoint, threatening to shoot folks, and then tried to get you to go somewhere with them, you wouldn’t have tried to get away?”
Elder shrugged. “Fair point, but you didn’t give us a chance to explain what this was all about.”
“Cut the shit and this duct tape, then you can explain all you want,” Parker snapped.
His patience was shot, and the moment he was able to get free, he was killing everyone involved.
That thought made him think of Chelsey. Since he was still with Elder and his goons, it was safe to say she hadn’t called the cops. Then again, maybe a plan was being drafted to get him out of there. Because once Mason and the guys realized he was missing, they’d come for him.
“When my nephew Sean sent me a photo of you, claiming you looked like a friend of mine. I laughed it off, because there was no way you could be who you looked like.”
Oh, shit . That was the connection. The guy at the fundraiser, Sean, must have snapped a picture of him.
“Does the name Maverick or Wolf sound familiar to you?” Elder asked, watching him closely as if thinking that if he stared Parker down, he’d crack.
“No. Should it?” Parker asked, his words slurring a bit, but at least he could keep his head straight. He stared right back at his father’s longtime friend.
It was paramount that he didn’t show fear and didn’t break eye contact. For this guy to find him, he must know a lot about him. Or at least a lot about the persona that had been created for Parker Wilcox. If he said the wrong thing or made a wrong move, Parker could get himself killed.
No, actually, Elder wouldn’t kill him. He’d take him, or try to take him, to Wolf, because there’s no way Wolf wouldn’t want the pleasure of killing him…again.
Elder folded his arms across his chest. “Either you’re a hell of an actor, or you suffered some type of brain injury and don’t realize you’re Maverick Farron Jr.”
Stay cool , Parker told himself. He had to keep this charade going as long as possible.
Parker frowned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but clearly you have the wrong person. Just let me go.”
“Not yet. You’re going to be my guest here for at least another couple of hours.”
“For God’s sake, you kidnapped the wrong person! I’m not who you think I am!”
“Yeah, and if you’re not, then I’ll apologize. For right now, sit tight. It’s going to be a while.”
The moment Elder walked out of the room with his cell phone plastered to his ear, Parker tugged on the restraints. They were tight, but if he pulled on them enough, they’d eventually get loose.
They had to. His life depended on it.
Impatience clawed through Chelsey as she rubbed her hands together while staring out the window. She’d been hiding outside of the abandoned warehouse in her car forever, but she couldn’t leave. Not when they still had Parker. She was afraid to go in search of a phone or for help. Afraid she’d leave and return to find the thugs and Parker gone.
The industrial area was in the middle of nowhere, and it was scary dark where she was hiding. When she had first arrived, she hadn’t been able to follow close behind in her car, but she’d been able to see what building they entered.
She was currently across the parking lot, partially shielded by another warehouse. Ideally, she’d prefer to be closer, but at least she had eyes on the SUV. Every few minutes, she left her vehicle and ran across the lot to peek through a window.
Parker was alive. From what she could see, they had him bound to a chair on the far side of the building. All she had to do was slip in, get him out of the restraints, and get them the hell out of here.
Shouldn’t be hard at all , she thought sarcastically.
Slipping back into the black hoodie that she’d had in her trunk, she made sure her gun was on her, then climbed out of the car. It was time to get closer to the building. Maybe she’d get an opportunity to slip inside.
When she was out there, s he’d been alternating between the front and the back of the building, watching and hoping for a break. The SUV was parked on the side near one of the entrances, and so far, all three men were still inside.
She had to do something. She needed to get them out of the building. Maybe if she created a diversion outside, they’d come out and investigate, then she could slip in. But then what?
Noise from the side where the SUV was parked caught her attention, and she crept to the corner of the building and peered around it. Two of the men walked out and opened the doors of the SUV, while the third guy stood in the doorway. Chelsey couldn’t see him well. Yet, she did pick up a little of the conversation.
“One of my nephews, not James, but the one you met yesterday will be here soon with a toolbox and some supplies,” the guy who seemed like he was in charge said. “We should be back soon with the boss.”
“Will do,” the guy in the doorway said.
The boss? Who was their boss?
He said something else before climbing into the driver’s seat, but Chelsey couldn’t hear him.
Yes! This was the break she needed. She could handle one guy. All she had to do was figure out how to get in and out quickly with Parker. And she needed to do it before anybody else showed up.
When the guy went back inside and closed the door, Chelsey started checking doors and windows. Earlier she had found several entrances, but she hadn’t tugged on them for fear they’d hear the noise inside. She could do that now, though. Find the weakest door or window that she could penetrate.
After going around the entire exterior of the warehouse, she decided to return to one of the back doors. It was on the opposite side of where the SUV had been parked. When she reached the corner of the building, the skunky, pungent scent of weed permeated the air, and she peered around the edge. The guy who had been left behind was standing near the door she wanted to enter, smoking a joint.
Oh, it cannot be this easy.
But thank goodness. This might be the only break she got.
Chelsey tiptoed back the way she came, looking on the ground for a weapon. She didn’t want to shoot anyone unless she absolutely had to, but she definitely needed something to knock this bastard out.
She found a 2x4, picked it up, and crept along the side of the building again. Another quick look at the guy, and this time his back was to her, and she soon realized why. Ugh! His nasty ass was peeing up against the building.
Perfect. Now she had to try not to get pissed on.
She tiptoed her way closer, and as he zipped up his pants, she said, “Excuse me.”
He startled. “What the fuck!”
When he started to glance over his shoulder, Chelsey swung as hard as she could and the 2x4 connected with the side of his head with a loud thunk . Without a word, he crumbled to the ground and didn’t move.
Chelsey didn’t wait. She dropped the 2x4 and rushed into the building. She was fairly sure there were no other guys besides Parker inside. But she took out her gun and kept it at her side as she moved through the space. Making sure no one else was inside took longer than she expected, but she was glad she didn’t run across anyone.
“Parker,” she whispered-shouted as she ran to him.
“Dammit, Chels, what are you doing here?” he said, surprise in his tone, but then he went back to tugging on the bindings that were on his wrist.
Feeling emotional at the sight of him, she threw her arms around his neck and held him tightly. “God, I was so worried,” she said, and planted kisses near his ear, his cheek, and then on his lips even though they didn’t have much time.
“It’s good to see you too, but sweetheart, you shouldn’t be here,” he said in a rush, still tugging on the duct tape.
“I had to follow you, especially since I couldn’t call anyone. I accidentally left my phone on the charger at home,” she whispered while trying to pull the duct tape off one of his wrists. Those assholes had wrapped it tightly. That’s when she remembered the switchblade in her back pocket.
“Come on, sweetheart. We have to hurry. Start with the tape on my right wrist, then my right ankle. Actually, don’t cut it all the way through. Just slice it somewhere it’s not noticeable. Enough to where I can break free with a good tug.”
“Why?” she asked as she did what he said. Except she did both wrists before going to his ankles.
“If they come back before I get loose, I don’t want them to be able to tell that the tape has been cut.
Chelsey stopped and looked at him when she realized some of his words were slurred. She set down the knife and held his face between her hands as she gazed into his eyes. They were glossy and a little red.
“Those motherfuckers drugged you?” she ground out, suddenly wanting to kill all of them.
“Yeah, whatever they used knocked me out and left me with a pounding headache. Not sure what it was, but my stomach’s a little queasy too.”
He looked exhausted, which was expected. She needed to get him out of there and checked out at a hospital.
“Are you hurt anywhere? Can you walk?” she asked, and went back to working on the duct tape around his right ankle.
“I’m fine, but we need to hurry. They’ll be back soon.”
“Who are they? What do they want?”
“The Kingz. They found me.”
Chelsey’s hands froze . Oh, damn. She had feared Wolf and his crew might be responsible for this, but she’d hoped she was wrong.
He quickly told her about the conversation with Elder, but he wasn’t sure if his act was believable. He feared they knew he was Junior.
“Do the left ankle, and then I want you to get the hell out of here. I’ll take care of the rest. Go out the way you came in, and I’ll be right behind you.”
“No way. We’re going together.”
Maybe if there weren’t drugs in his system, she’d let him dictate their next move. But he didn’t look good, and he’d been sitting tied up for over an hour. She wasn’t sure if he could run or even walk for that matter.
“Hurry,” he said in a rush. “I need you to get out of here. They’ll be back soon.”
“I know, but I’m not leaving without you.”
“Where’s the other guy?” he asked.
“Outside, I knocked him out.”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she heard the side door open. The one where the SUV had been parked. Chelsey froze for a second, and then looked at Parker.
“Give me the knife and go,” he whispered, and she did. “Go! Now .”
She squeezed his hand and ran toward a stack of pallets that would keep her hidden while she raced for the door she’d entered. But when she thought she was in the clear someone came from behind the pallets, and she gasped. A gun was pointed at her forehead. She cursed under her breath.
“You should’ve killed me when you had a chance,” the guy from outside said. His eyes were narrowed, as if struggling to see her. No doubt his head was feeling like it would explode. But he waved the gun in front of her, gesturing for her to walk back the way she’d come.
Before she made it back to Parker, Chelsey heard footsteps and something banging against something. When she got into the clearing, a man stood holding a large, red toolbox, rope, and a tarp.
“Aw, hell,” she murmured when their gazes met.
“ Chelsey? What the fuck are you doing here?”
“ Terrence ,” she said through gritted teeth as disgust clawed through her body. “I guess I could ask you the same question.”