Chapter 24
FLEX
My pulse is racing, my heart hammering so fast I’m about to have a heart attack or something. I listen intently to the call from Celest’s phone. I’m propelled forward by pure adrenaline.
The sound is muffled, but I can hear a man’s voice in the background. My girl is smart. She’s giving me details I can work with to get to her. Gracie is crying, and all I want is to be where they are right now. I can’t even reassure her that I’m on my way. If I end the call and call back or send a text, he’ll realize she has her phone on her. I quickly pull up the app to check her location.
I’m so fucking proud of her for keeping a clear head and doing exactly what is needed to lead me straight to them. I run out of my office at Venom and through the bar. “Eli, can I borrow your phone?”
“Everything okay?”
“No. I’ll explain later.” He tosses it over the bar to me, and I sprint to the elevator. It takes forever, and the ride down to the parking garage feels like an eternity. I still have ears on Celest, and I punch Luther’s number into Eli’s phone.
“Where the fuck are you?”
“At the office, why? ”
“Who is Celest’s bodyguard today?”
“Jaden.”
“The new guy! Why the fuck would you put him on Celest and Gracie?”
“He’s good at his job. Russell drove them from The Callaghan Group to Tiffany’s, then they walked around the park and came to meet you. We knew their exact movements ahead of time. Why, what’s going on?”
“If he’s so good at his job, then explain to me why I just got a call from Celest. She’s been kidnapped, along with Gracie.”
“She went inside her office building, and Jaden called to say they were inside. I told him to wait until you got there.”
“Why wouldn’t he just go inside? I specifically told you whoever is on detail for Celest needs to be with her every second of the fucking day that I’m not around.”
“I’ll call him right now.”
“Fuck. Ask him if he saw a blue Camry. His job is fucking done after today. This guy waited for a split second to pounce, and now he’s got them.”
“We’ll get them back, Flex.”
“How the fuck did this guy get around us? I have her location, and I’m taking the motorcycle to go after her. Get your fucking ass in the car and follow my location.”
“Yes, sir.”
“If they come to any harm… I have to go. Call Dalton and get footage of the lobby and the front of the building. You’re looking for a guy with long blond hair in a bun. Send it to Jenna and see if we can find out who the fuck this guy is and how he’s connected to Celest. I want a name, address, what he ate for fucking breakfast on Monday. Get it done, Luther.”
“I’m on it.”
I jump on my bike and roar the engine to life. I can’t believe this is happening.
With my AirPods giving me every breath Celest takes, I jam on my helmet and pull up her location.
They’re heading out of Manhattan. Surely, he’s not dumb enough to take her back to her old house? I can only hope this person is an amateur. I can’t make out what he’s saying. He’s too far away from the phone mic.
I follow Celest’s location and head for the Washington Bridge. I’m breaking every speed limit as I weave in and out of traffic, horns blaring everywhere I go. Today, I don’t give a fuck about courtesy on the road. I need to get to my girls the fastest way possible.
Keeping watch on my phone with Celest’s location, I’m lucky I don’t crash the fucking bike, but I can see that they’ve stopped.
I know where I’m going now, so I shove my phone in my pocket and go full out. If I get chased by the cops, they can follow me to Celest’s old place. It would save me time having to call them after I beat the shit out of this asshole for touching what’s mine.
My phone starts vibrating. It’s Jenna. I put the call with Celest on hold for less than a minute.
“Talk fast. Celest managed to call my number.”
“Michael Watson. Forty-year-old male. Drug lord in Seattle, Washington. Long rap sheet. Dangerous.”
“And Celest’s connection to him?”
“Celest Monroe doesn’t exist before four years ago. Nothing. Not a single online footprint.”
“What?”
“She’s not who you think she is. I checked her employment record and her membership background check for Venom. They pass muster on a surface level. She’s got a social security number, address, driver’s license.”
“There must be a mistake.”
“No mistake, Flex. The woman you’re going toward right now isn’t Celest Monroe. I don’t know who she is, but I’ll keep digging.”
“Thanks, Jenna.”
“Anytime. Good luck.” I end it and go back to Celest’s call. I can hear murmurs, but nothing I can make out, especially not when I’m on my motorcycle. I own the most successful security firm in the country, and yet I have no idea who the woman I fell in love with is. Love is fucking blind.
Knowing this changes nothing. I don’t love her name. I’m not in love with ‘Celest.’ I love her laugh and the way she loves her daughter. I love that she blushes every time I call her ‘pet.’ I can’t get enough of the way her body was made for mine—the perfect fit. I love that she can drive me wild on the voyeur floor, looking at me as if I’m the only person in the room. None of those things are any less true because her name is different.
I can’t lose her. There’s so much I still need to know. So many other facets of her personality for me to love. I’m devastated that she didn’t trust me enough to tell me who she really is, but it doesn’t deter me. So she has a different name—it’s going to change anyway when I ask her to be my wife.
The call with Celest is still on, but I haven’t heard anything in the last fifteen minutes, and it has me on the edge of madness. If I don’t get to her in time, I’ll never forgive myself. I should’ve been with them. Trusting anyone else with their safety was a bad decision. One I might regret for the rest of my life.
As I speed toward the house, my heart is thundering in my chest, and I can’t bear the distance between us. I have to get to them. Suddenly, there’s a loud bang on the call. It could be the phone dropping, but it sounded like a gunshot, and bile starts to rise into my throat.
Almost there.
Just hang on for me, pet.
A scream cuts through the silence. Gracie.
Two blocks. That’s what stands between my girls and me.
I try to talk myself down, quietening my mind. If I go in there the way I am now, I’ll be putting them in more danger. You have to keep a cool head when lives are at stake. I didn’t get the chance to save my parents, but I won’t fail today. I will save the two people who mean more to me than anything else in this world. There’s no other option.
When I arrive, I skid off my bike, letting it fall to the ground as I bound up the front steps of Celest’s ramshackle house. I grab my gun out of its holster and come to a grinding halt when I see Gracie in the hallway with a fucking gag in her mouth, her little wrists duct-taped together, and her ankles bound. I am going to slaughter this man.
I’ll take a lifetime in prison to make sure he can’t lay a finger on my girls ever again. There’s no sign of Celest, but I need to get Gracie to safety. I quietly crack open the door and slip inside.
Gracie’s little face lights up, and I motion for her to stay quiet as a mouse. I move with stealth, the culmination of my entire career coming down to this one moment—to saving my little girl. She’s mine.
I can hear Celest screaming, but I have to block it out. If I don’t, I risk losing both of them. Gracie has a bruise on her eye, and I see fucking red. Cradling her in my arms, I creep back to the front door and over to the next house. I lightly knock on the door, my adrenaline pumping so hard in my veins that it’s all I can hear.
Celest’s neighbor opens the door, aghast at the sight of us. I quickly slip inside, set Gracie down, loosen her restraints, and untie her gag. “Are you okay, little bear?”
Her tiny bottom lip starts to quiver as tears form in her sweet, innocent eyes. I can’t even imagine the horrors she’s seen tonight.
“Daddy.” She throws her arms around my neck, and I hold her tight as sobs rack her small body. At the sound of her voice, Celest’s mom comes bounding out of the living room. I forgot she was visiting with Mrs. Truman this afternoon.
“I’ve got you, Gracie. I need you to be really brave for me. Can you do that?”
I look to Nora. “Call the police. Tell them there is a hostage situation next door. He’s armed and dangerous.”
“What’s going on? It’s him, isn’t it?” Her body visibly shakes as I transfer Gracie to her arms.
“I’ll explain everything soon. Call 9-1-1 and get as far away from here as you can. I need to know you and Gracie are safe. Then, call Luther. He’s on his way, and I need him to get her away from here.”
“He’ll kill her, Felix. Michael will kill Celest.” She’s clinging to Gracie for dear life, the safety of her own daughter hanging in the balance.
“She’s going to be okay. I’m going to get her now. Look at me, Nora.” Her tear-filled eyes find mine. “You need to be strong for Gracie. I promise you I will get Celest out of there safely. You have my word.”
“You’re a good boy, Felix. Please save our girl.”
I lean in, pressing my lips to Gracie’s head. “I love you, little bear.”
“I love you, too, Daddy.”
My heart shatters into a million pieces. Today should be the happiest day of my life, hearing Gracie say those words to me for the first time, and yet here I am about to go to battle for Celest.
“Will Mommy be okay? The not-nice man was hitting her.”
“Of course she will. I’m going to get Mommy now. I’ll be right back, okay?”
“Okay. Promise?” She holds out her tiny pinky, crooking it with mine.
“I promise.”
As I leave behind part of my heart, I steel myself for what I’m about to encounter at Celest’s and make a plea to whatever higher power is out there. I can’t lose her, and I certainly can’t let that be Gracie’s narrative in life. She needs her mom, just as I needed mine. I want her to have what I didn’t. To have a mommy and daddy who love her, who get to see her sweet sixteen. I want to teach her to drive and give her advice to stay away from boys until she’s thirty.
I’ve had dreams of dancing with Celest at our wedding and growing old together. I just need to keep a level head.
I creep up the front steps once more, this time with my gun trained and ready. I have been in so many high-pressure moments, with so many lives at stake, but this is different. Half of my heart is in the room, and one wrong move could mean Celest’s life.
From the direction of their voices, my girl is in the living room.
“Did you really think I would let you get away unpunished? I told you I would come looking for you, you dumb bitch. I knew sooner or later you would contact someone. You’ve been back on my radar since you called that fucking stupid mother of yours. She didn’t even try to cover her tracks. I’ve just been biding my time.”
“Didn’t you fuck with me enough? I’ve moved on. I never wanted anything from you. All I want is to raise my daughter.”
“You mean ‘our’ daughter…” My blood fucking boils.
“Let her go. Don’t hurt her. I’ll do anything you want.”
“You think I want you ? You’re a washed-up junkie whore. No one wants you. Not even that rich boyfriend of yours. You don’t really believe he’s not going to get bored of you. I’m sure he gets plenty of pussy aside from yours.”
“Then what the fuck do you want, Michael?”
“I want to kill you. And then I’m going to sell our daughter to a dumb fuck who can’t get his wife pregnant. They want a kid, and they’re willing to pay me two million dollars for her. It’s a win-win.”
Our daughter? Celest told me Gracie’s biological father was dead. If I’d known, I would’ve been proactive in securing their safety in so many other ways. I was chasing a ghost the whole time, thinking that the potential threat was aimed at me. I’ve been looking in the wrong direction this whole time.
I did everything I could to keep them safe, and then one lapse in judgment from an employee has landed us here.
I don’t know who this man is or if his threat is empty. I have to assume he plans to follow through, and I will do whatever is necessary to get my family back. Family. I’ve waited so long to find someone to love and be loved by. I can’t lose that now.
I won’t.
As I round the corner into the living room, my heart lurches into my throat.
“Flex!” Celest’s left eye is swollen shut, and her lips are dripping blood. She’s got angry-looking marks on her arms and bruises already beginning to show.
“It’s okay, pet. It is going to be okay.”
Michael has her in a headlock, and the moment he clocks my gun, he presses his own to Celest’s temple.
“Whoa. Put the gun down, and we can talk about this.”
He tightens his grip around Celest’s neck, and I can see she’s struggling to breathe. “Who the fuck do you think you’re talking to? This is none of your goddamn business. I came here for her. ” He licks the tears off her face, and I see bloody-fucking-murderous rage.
“I’m going to tell you this once, and I’m going to be pretty fucking clear about it. She’s mine. So, if you don’t put the gun down, I’m going to do whatever is necessary to ensure her safety and our daughter’s.”
All I’ve wanted for months is to tell Celest I’m so in love with her I want to make her mine in every way possible. I want to marry her. I’ve been waiting for the right moment to propose and tell her I desperately want to be Gracie’s daddy. The reasons I’ve been bullshitting myself with now seem like the dumbest excuses in the world.
“You can play daddy all you want, but I’m the one who fathered that little bastard.”
Celest lets out a strangled cry, and I see the moment she resigns herself to not getting out of here alive.
“Your DNA contribution is duly noted,” I growl through gritted teeth.
“Oh.” He laughs. “You actually think this whore is worth dying for.” He lets out a maniacal cackle. “Her cunt has seen more traffic than Times Square.”
“Shut your fucking mouth.” I take a step forward, but he presses the barrel of the gun further into Celest’s temple.
“Come one step closer, and you can watch me blow her brains out before I grab the sprog and take her home with me. I have some rich motherfuckers ready to pay top dollar for the girl.”
Celest cries out. “Get Gracie out of here, Flex. I’m a lost cause. Please, get Gracie to safety.”
“Fuck me, you’re even more pathetic than when you were my little crack whore. Did you tell him about all the times you wrapped your lips around my cock while some other guy fucked your cunt? That you let guy after guy after guy fuck you until you were so full of cum it was coming out of that overused pussy of yours. Not the picture of motherhood she’s painting herself to be now. ”
“I swear to God, if you hurt her, there won’t be anywhere on the planet you can hide from me. I don’t care about Celest’s past. I’m her future, and that doesn’t include you.”
“I’m her future,” he parrots back at me. “Has she even told you her real name?”
“I don’t care what she calls herself. I love her, so get your motherfucking hands off her before I murder you where you stand.” I don’t meet her gaze, unwilling to take my eyes off the gun trained at her head.
“I’m so sorry, Flex. I wanted to tell you so many times, but I was too afraid.”
“That’s enough chit-chat, Helena. I’m curious, will your tombstone say Helena or Celest?”
“Let her fucking go, or I will take you the fuck out.” My hands are steady, wrapped around the handle of my gun.”
“Oh look, your big bad boyfriend thinks he can shoot me without killing you in the process. Is this the first time you’ve held a gun, macho man? You wouldn’t last a day in my neighborhood.”
“Lower. Your. Gun.”
“Or what? You’ll really take a bullet for this bitch?”
“Try me, tough guy. I’ll fucking die to protect her, and I’ll sure as shit take you with me on the road to hell.”
“She’s a whore. ”
Celest is crying uncontrollably, and every fiber of my being wants to comfort her. I don’t care what her name is. I love her. She’s mine.
“Call her that one more time and see what happens.”
“I’m done with her anyway. Say goodbye, Helena. Just know that I’m going to take your spawn, and there’ll be nothing your boyfriend can do about it.” My vision turns red. I’ve never felt such all-consuming rage in my life.
He waves the gun around as he enjoys the sound of his own voice. I know better than to take your eye off your target.
“Celest, remember when I told you about the emerald I found for Gracie?”
“Yes, Master.” Her eyes find mine. I’m praying she understands what I’m telling her. I offer her safeword as reassurance. I will never let this piece of shit hurt my family. I need her to know Gracie is okay so she can calm her breathing enough to give me a clean shot.
“It’s safe and sound. I gave it to your mom.”
“What are you two talking about?”
“None of your fucking business. You will have to pry my woman and my daughter out of my cold, dead hands, you sorry sack of shit.” He takes aim at me, and I don’t even care as long as the gun isn’t pointing at Celest.
“If you insist.”
Two gunshots ring out as Celest screams my name. He gets off a round before I can dodge it. As I drop to the wooden floor, the wind is knocked out of me, and agonizing pain radiates from the gunshot wound in my thigh. The warmth of my blood seeps into my jeans, and every move I make is agony, but I need to get to Celest. She’s shaking so much her legs buckle as she drops to her knees, her face splattered in blood, strangled cries ripping through this shell of a house.
I need to get to Celest. My thigh burns as I crawl toward her, knowing I can’t stand. I’m losing blood fast, but I need to check her over. “Are you hurt? Talk to me.”
“I…”
I drag myself the last few feet. “Let me look at you. Are you okay?” I cup her face in my hands, needing to feel her warmth and know she’s safe. I failed her, and now she needs to live with this memory for the rest of her life.
“You…” she chokes out, “… killed him. For me.”
My lips crash down on hers as I pull her into my lap. The pain is excruciating, but I need her more than my next breath. When my head starts to spin, I know I’m losing too much blood. “I would do anything for you, pet. You and Gracie are everything to me.”
“I love you, Flex.” Her voice trembles, her hands shaking uncontrollably as she cups my face. “I can’t believe he’s gone. You saved me. I thought I was going to die. I thought I was never going to see you again. ”
“I’m sorry, pet. I dropped the ball. It shouldn’t have come to this.”
“Flex…” She sounds far away as my vision starts to blur.
“You’re safe now, pet.”
“Oh my God, you’re bleeding.” It all happened so quickly she didn’t register my injuries.
“But you and Gracie can live your lives without fear. That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.” I slump against the wall, trying to prop myself up. “My job is done.” I know I’m going into shock. If I lose much more blood, they’ll be taking me out of here in a body bag. I survived multiple tours of active duty—gotten out of much worse situations—and this drug lord piece of shit is going to end me.
“Your job isn’t done. Do you hear me? You don’t get to give up now, Flex Navarro.”
“I need you to call 9-1-1 for me, pet. I asked your mom to call the police, but I’m going to need an ambulance. My cell is in my left pocket. Then slip my belt off.”
“What?” She grabs the phone out of my pocket and dials. If they take longer than five minutes, I’ll bleed out before they get here.
“Don’t get excited, pet. The belt isn’t for that delicious ass of yours. You need to make a tourniquet and tighten it above the gunshot.”
Tears fall from her cheeks as she wrestles off my belt. “How can you make jokes at a time like this?”
“Because I love to see you smile, pet. It might be the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” My eyes flutter shut, and I know it’s bad. “I can’t bear to see you cry.” I muster whatever strength I have left, reaching up to wipe her tears. “Don’t cry over me, pet.”
“ Stop! Stop saying goodbye to me.” She’s not tightening the tourniquet enough.
“You need to really pull the belt hard.”
“I…”
“Do it. That’s an order from your Master,” and the only shot in hell I have of surviving.
“I’m so sorry. ”
“ Do it! ” She yanks on it, and I roar with searing pain, unable to hold it in. I don’t want her last memory of me to be me crying like a baby. I’m her Dom. I’m supposed to protect her for the rest of her life. She and Gracie.
“I need to apply pressure. It’s going to hurt, Flex.”
I take a deep breath and steel myself for the pain, but the moment she presses down on the wound, I feel like I’m about to throw up. My extremities are getting cold, the slow tendrils of death spreading throughout my body, beckoning me to give myself over to the darkness creeping its way into my vision. The walls are closing in. “Celest, make sure Gracie knows I wanted to stay. I pinky promised her I’d be back. She called me Daddy. Best moment of my life.” It’s getting harder to draw breath. “Promise you’ll tell her I wanted to be her daddy.”
“You tell her yourself. We’re going to get through this.”
“I’m sorry, pet.” I always thought if I died young, it would be fighting for my country. When I left, I assumed I’d die an old man in my bed with a wife who had lived through so many adventures with me. It wasn’t supposed to end this way.
I close my eyes and take shallow breaths as I prepare for the inevitable.
“No. Flex. Stay with me. Please.” The urgency in her voice is the only thing tethering me to this life. It breaks my heart to know she’ll be left alone. I wanted to be her forever like she was mine. I just didn’t realize my forever was going to be so soon.
“What is your name, pet? Your real one.” I can barely get the words out.
“Helena Maxwell.” Her sobs become distant, and all I want is to comfort her, but I can’t move. Or speak.
I want so badly to kiss her one last time. To tell her I wanted to marry her. That she is my soul mate, but nothing happens.
They say your life flashes before your eyes when you’re about to die, but it’s not mine I see. It’s two people who I’ve had nightmares about for years and what I imagine their last moments to be. The driving force for everything I do. And everything I haven’t done in this life.
And my world goes silent.