Chapter 19 #3
What would happen next for them was still to be determined. Would she go back to her apartment? She hoped they’d still date, figured they would…it wasn’t likely Flash would tell her that he loved her one day and decide they were over the next.
Kelli removed the chain on the door after Flash’s text, then waited impatiently in the kitchen for the men to arrive. When she heard the key in the lock, she walked around the counter.
Flash entered first, and Kelli beamed at him. He walked straight toward her and hugged her hard, taking her off her feet. It was how he always greeted her. As if it had been weeks since he’d seen her, rather than simply hours.
“You good?” he asked.
Kelli laughed. “Why wouldn’t I be?”
“Just checking.”
“Hey, Kelli,” Smiley said in his gruff way. “I like what you’ve done with the place,” he joked.
Kelli chuckled. “You mean cleaned it?” she asked.
When she and Flash had moved in, the place looked like a tornado had hit it.
Smiley was obviously not a very orderly person.
But now there wasn’t one thing out of place.
It was spick-and-span. She’d cleaned the apartment from top to bottom…
it was one way to keep busy during her long, boring days alone.
Looking around, Kelli figured Smiley was probably wincing inside at the shape of his apartment, how different it looked from when he’d seen it last. No dirty dishes in the sink, no mail piled up on the counter, and two blankets folded neatly and hanging off the back of the couch.
She’d even straightened his bookcase and alphabetized the books by the last name of each author.
“Yeah, that,” Smiley said. Then he stepped forward and gave her a hug as well.
Kelli was surprised. Smiley wasn’t a touchy-feely kind of guy, and him being so…
well… nice , made her feel guilty all over again.
He’d been desperately trying to find Bree, and she was keeping the fact that she’d been here, in his apartment, using his shower, his washer and dryer, a secret from the man.
She felt like shit. She was a horrible friend.
Suddenly, guilt threatened to overwhelm her.
Luckily, Smiley didn’t seem to notice. He stepped back and said, “I’ll just go and pack some stuff.”
The second he disappeared down the hallway, Flash wrapped his arms around her waist from behind and rested his chin on her shoulder. “What’s wrong?” he asked quietly.
“Nothing, why?” Kelli asked.
“Because you seem…tense all of a sudden.”
She sighed and turned around to face him. “I’m okay. I’m just feeling a little stir-crazy today. It’s a beautiful day and I’m stuck inside.”
Flash frowned. “When’s the last time you were outside?”
Kelli gave him a look.
“Right. I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For not truly understanding how difficult this is for you sooner.”
“It’s fine. I’m safe, and that’s all that matters.”
“That’s not all that matters,” Flash disagreed. “Your mental health is important too. And more than just feeling safe. I never want you to feel as if you’re trapped.”
“You said Ryleigh is getting closer to finding Brant, right?” Kelli asked.
“Yes.”
“So, it won’t be too much longer then. Hopefully.”
“Hopefully. I still want to go to that Thai place you mentioned this morning, but maybe we’ll go to the beach first instead of after. Let you get some sun on your cheeks. Some outdoor therapy.”
“I’d love that,” Kelli said with a smile. Just the thought of being able to sit in the sand, feel the breeze on her face, made her happy.
Ten minutes later, Smiley came out of his bedroom with three large duffle bags.
Kelli giggled. “Did you pack everything you own?” she asked.
“Not sure how much longer I’ll be gone, figured I might as well get it all now.”
Flash walked up to him and took one of the bags. “I’ll help you carry these down.”
“Me too,” Kelli said, reaching for one of the two remaining bags Smiley had over his shoulders.
He stepped away from her, frowning. “No.”
“Come on, I’m not that much of a weakling.”
“No,” he repeated.
Now Kelli frowned at him . “Why not?”
“Because.”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s not an answer. Flash, tell Smiley he’s being ridiculous and to let me carry one of his bags.”
“You know you sound like an eight-year-old tattling to her mom about something her brother isn’t allowing her to do,” Smiley told her.
Kelli frowned harder and put her hands on her hips. “So?”
Smiley didn’t seem to be affected by her irritation in the least. He just walked toward the door .
“Wait a sec,” Flash told his friend. He turned to Kelli. “You ready to go?”
“To the beach and dinner? Yes!” she said excitedly. “Let me grab a sweatshirt. And my purse. Oh, and I need to change shoes!”
She heard Smiley chuckle and say under his breath, “I’m taking that as a no , she isn’t actually ready to go.”
“Shut it, Smiley!” Kelli called out, as she hurried toward the bedroom.
She was back in less than a minute, more than ready to get out of the apartment.
They all left, Flash making sure the door was secured behind them. As they walked down the hall, Kelli complained, “I could be carrying one of those bags for you.”
“You could, but you aren’t,” Smiley said.
Kelli was actually amused now by his stubbornness. She didn’t really care whether she carried one of the bags or not, it was just fun to needle the uptight SEAL.
The second they left the building, she winced at the bright light but gloried in being outside, touched by the sun’s rays without a window as a buffer.
“It’s such a gorgeous day!” she gushed. Stopping for a moment to close her eyes and lift her chin to the sky, she reveled in the warmth on her face.
She was still standing there, soaking in the moment, when suddenly she was almost jerked off her feet.
Kelli’s eyes popped open as she stumbled backward, her hands instinctively moving up to her neck, where a strong arm was almost cutting off her air.
Her gaze flew to Smiley and Flash, standing by Smiley’s pickup truck, one of the three bags at their feet and the other two already inside the bed of the truck. She had the wild thought that she’d never seen Flash—or Smiley, for that matter—look so…murderous.
The men were furious. If she didn’t already know that she was in big trouble, their expressions would’ve given it away.
“Don’t get any closer!” the man behind her growled, even as he forced Kelli to walk backward. It was difficult to breathe, and all she could do was stumble along in the man’s grasp.
“Let her go, Williams!” Flash ordered.
Brant. He’d finally found them.
Instead of being on alert, the first time she’d stepped outside in days, Kelli had to stop in the middle of the parking lot and close her eyes.
She was an idiot.
“No can do,” he said. Kelli could smell his body odor, and it made her want to gag. Wherever he’d been hiding, he hadn’t been taking care of himself, that was for sure.
“You’re making a mistake,” Smiley said. He and Flash were matching her and Brant step for step now, and Kelli swore she could see both men readying themselves to pounce.
“I wouldn’t if I were you,” Brant said, producing a knife out of nowhere and angling it toward her chest—right over her heart.
“I’ll kill her. Right here and now. I swear I will!
How long do you think she’ll live with a hole in her heart?
Not long. She’ll bleed out in seconds and it’ll be your fault . ”
“What do you fucking want?” Flash said in a low, pissed-off tone.
“I want my money!” Brant screamed, sounding hysterical .
“What money? The money you tried to get out of the government? You’re an idiot if you ever thought the Navy would pay a cent of that ransom.”
“Well, they might not have paid, but you will if you want to see your precious girlfriend again. Now stop walking or I’ll do it! I’ll kill her!”
“Then you definitely won’t get your money,” Smiley said in a stone-cold tone.
To her surprise and horror, the knife in Brant’s hand lowered—and she gasped in pain as just the tip penetrated her shirt and skin.
Flash reached out an arm, halting Smiley’s forward motion.
“I’m serious! I have nothing to lose. Stop right there!” Brant yelled.
The knife still stuck in her chest hurt. A lot. Between that and the lack of oxygen, Kelli was having a hard time thinking straight.
“As long as you do what I say, she’ll be fine.
I want a million dollars delivered to a new bank account I set up this morning.
And if you do anything to get it shut down, I’ll send her back to you in pieces.
An ear one day, a few fingers the next. The last thing you’ll get is her heart. And don’t fuck with me! I’ll do it!”
A million dollars? Flash didn’t have that kind of money.
Even if he got help from all his friends, Kelli wasn’t sure they’d be able to come up with that much cash.
Brant had obviously gotten greedy, upping his demand significantly from the fifty thousand he’d originally hoped to get for this kidnapping.
Because Kelli was focused on getting air into her lungs—but not breathing too deeply, so the knife wouldn’t be penetrating her skin any farther—she didn’t realize they’d reached a vehicle.
It wasn’t until the arm around her neck loosened and Brant pushed her into an open door that she even thought about trying to escape.
But that idea was instantly foiled when Brant, still holding the knife, struck out and slashed her thigh.
Pain blossomed hard and fast. Kelli slapped her hand over the gash in her leg even as she cried out.
“Kelli!”
Flash’s voice sounded as if it was very far away. Brant pushed her over until he was behind the wheel of the decrepit, older-model four-door car, then he peeled out of the parking lot before his door was even shut.
Looking out her window, Kelli saw Flash and Smiley running after the car. Then they abruptly stopped and ran back toward Flash’s SUV.
Brant laughed. The sound so evil, it made the hair on the back of Kelli’s neck stand up.
“Those idiots aren’t going to catch up. I’ve outsmarted them!
All I had to do was wait and be patient and today was my day.
I knew you were somewhere, hiding out. I tried following your boyfriend, but he eluded me day after day.
I couldn’t find where you two were staying.
But today, he and his friend were careless, and I followed them straight to you.
I’m gonna get my money! One way or another! ”
Kelli’s throat felt bruised from the pressure he’d used with his arm, hauling her around.
And her thigh was on fire. At least her chest no longer hurt as badly…
but Kelli was terrified. Where was Brant taking her?
She’d dropped her purse in the confusion, so she didn’t have her phone to ca ll for help or give any clues as to where they were heading.
Brant drove like a man possessed. He took corners way too fast, side-swiped a couple cars, went the wrong way on one-way streets, and generally broke every rule of the road. It wasn’t long before Kelli realized he was right. Flash and Smiley weren’t going to catch up to him.
He was getting away.
Surreptitiously glancing at the man behind the wheel, Kelli tried to come up with a plan.
Some clever way to escape before he did more than just make her bleed.
Because he was going to kill her—she had no doubt.
Even if he got his money, he wasn’t going to let her live this time.
He was too pissed off that his kidnapping plan in Jamaica had failed.
That she and Flash had escaped. That it took so long to find them.
Then something out of the corner of her eye caught her attention.
Tucking her chin and pretending to fuss over the cut on her leg, Kelli turned her head just enough to glance into the back seat—and was surprised to see a pair of hazel eyes staring back at her.
Bree Haynes was in the backseat! Sitting on the floor behind the driver’s seat, covered by the clothes and other junk cluttering up the entire back of the car. It looked as if every possession Brant owned was back there…but how Bree came to be there was more than Kelli could comprehend.
Bree shook her head and put a finger up to her lips, warning Kelli to stay quiet, then held up a phone.
The relief that almost overwhelmed Kelli made her dizzy. Or maybe that was blood loss. She didn’t know. She had no idea how the heck Bree was in this car, but the fact that she had a phone—and was hopefully using it to communicate with Smiley—was enough for Kelli to get her hopes up.
Brant hadn’t won yet. Kelli might be bruised and battered, but she wasn’t dead. And as long as she was still breathing, she had hope that Flash would find her.
Jerking her head so she was facing forward again, Kelli took a deep breath.
Then another. She wouldn’t do anything that would give Bree away.
The woman was literally her best hope at getting out of this alive.
For both of them getting away alive. Because if Brant found he had a stowaway, there was no telling what he’d do.