40
Lost in the Dark
Amanda
An hour after I got into the room, a metal sheet slid up to cover the window from the outside. Just like Tera said they would. I take it as my cue to get in bed and pretend to sleep with Jakob in bed with me. I curl on my side with nothing but my thoughts for company. It isn’t fun.
A subtle beeping startles me awake. I must have fallen asleep. I turn the alarm off, grateful I set it up just in case. The window is clear now. Tera got the metal shutters off. If that’s done, then she also has the cameras on a loop and the alarms and electric fence shut down. Which means I’m on time for an escape.
I roll out of bed with a wince and grab the bottle of painkillers. I’ll need them if I plan to get through tonight. I look at my torn-up sneakers and then at the shoes Jake bought me. Fuck it. I put on the black and purple pair with a smirk.
A vibration in my hand brings my attention to a text.
My #1 Fan: Ride on the way and gate unlocked. Let me know you make it home safe ok?
Tera is beyond anything I could imagine. No wonder she’s South’s best friend. I hope I’m not getting her in trouble with her boyfriends. They hate me enough and I’d like to actually sit down with her at some point. Minus the angry stares.
None of this is safe. Then again, I’ve kept her away and only involved her in things that she won’t get shot at for.
I send back a saluting emoji. I get one with hearts in different designs in return. It’s so hard for me to imagine her with the utter assholes I’ve met.
The window doesn’t make a sound when I open it. I don’t fall out, which is the real miracle of the day. There’s no one around for the casual stroll to the front gate. Even though it takes a ridiculous amount of walking. The house couldn’t possibly be less than a mile away from the damn gate. They’re all too rich for that. I rant to Tera about it and get back laughing emojis and the gate opening like magic for me.
I stare at it for a second, getting serious. The amount of things she’s done for me, an absolute stranger, is humbling.
Me: You are amazing. Thank you for all of this. I owe you a beverage of your choice whenever you want it. I wouldn’t have made it this far without you.
Maybe I can convince Shade to start up a college fund for her baby.
I’m halfway down the street before she responds. It’s a crying emoji, and I wince. Pregnancy hormones. I forgot. Shit.
If her boyfriends didn’t like me before, they definitely won’t now.
A car is waiting, and I start to hurry so they don’t leave me stranded.
A prickle of unease attacks my spine, and I twist, spinning Jakob at the ready.
I don’t have to scan for the culprit. Jake is practically whistling as he walks a good distance behind me. He even waves, playing on his phone with his other hand.
“Where are we going?” He calls casually, making me wince. I scan the area as if anyone would be within earshot of us.
“You’re turning around and strolling your happy ass right back,” I hiss angrily. I point the baton at him and then behind him like he needs directions.
“Sure.” He nods like he’s agreeing and then knocks the baton and my arm aside to get into my personal space. He’s so close so fast I only have time to start rearing back from him before his hand is clenched over my butt, and I’m being yanked into him. My softness yields to the hard strength of his body without protest. Stupid body.
“Jake,” I start angrily as my heart begins to hammer. He must feel it because his smile gets more malicious.
“Amanda,” he practically purrs back. “Where you go, I go. I do remember telling you that.”
I try to glare, but I end up pouting. My arms drop to my sides. I can’t even pretend to struggle against his tight hold. But I do have one demand. If he doesn’t listen, then this minor truce is over.
“Do not try to stop me,” my voice goes flat as our eyes meet and hold.
“ Stop you?” His eyes widen in surprise. “I’m here to hold your purse and cheer you on. Let’s go.”
He ushers me into the car while I flounder in confusion. This isn’t how I expected things to go.
Do I want him to coddle me and treat me like a damsel? Maybe a tiny bit. Am I excited that he’s supporting my destructive phase? Maybe a lot . I should have been paying more attention to him from the beginning.
He raises a brow as I continue to stare at him. “He’s asking where we’re going. Zone out during the drive.”
I snap out of it and give the guy the address I memorized. Jake’s eyes narrow as his head tilts.
“Who are we visiting again?” He leans over to whisper in my ear. His fingers skip along the baton until his hand settles over mine. My pulse throbs at the contact, even though I’m pretty sure he’s just trying to keep me from hitting him with it.
He’s already in the car with me. If I don’t say anything, he’ll know anyway. There’s no point in keeping quiet about it.
“Karter Jakolski,” I whisper back darkly. Just the thought of the scumbag makes my lip curl in a sneer.
Jake gently nuzzles behind my ear, and I tense up in surprise. I must have zoned out again. I didn’t notice how close he’s gotten.
It feels good. My body is happy about this. My brain is confused, and my heart is saying excuse me? There’s a war inside me and I can’t decide if I should move away, sit back and enjoy it, or hit him.
“The more we cuddle up, the less he’ll pay attention.” His breath is hot against my neck, and knee weakening.
“Bullshit,” I grit out through gnashing teeth. My eyes dart to the rearview mirror just as the driver looks back at the road. “This is a free peepshow. Lay off before we have a wreck.”
The chuckle he breathes over my ear almost melts me into the seat.
“I’m escorting a war to a man’s doorstep, meine Seele . One teensy, weensy kiss won’t destroy your resolve.”
“I was thinking the escort should be to the window,” I mutter as his body slides closer still, pressing mine into the door so I can’t escape him. I could if I really wanted to. We both know it. My arousal at his pushy seduction is embarrassing.
“Wherever you like.” His hand cradles my cheek to turn my face toward his.
His eyes are a dark blue with lighter striations that distract. I think that’s how he can pull off looking so friendly all the time. No one is paying attention to the darker undertones.
He lightly nudges my nose with his, still playful despite everything else. It’s real and hopeful. As if a lot more weighs on my reaction than I can see.
“What do you get out of it,” I ask him, but my tone is flat. I don’t get it. What’s the obsession? I’m a dick on my best day lately, and it hasn’t been a good day in a while. I’m a sinking ship, and he’s hopping on board with a grin.
“You,” his lips soften as his eyes get darker. His head tilts the barest amount, and he presses his lips against mine. We haven’t closed our eyes, which makes it feel really weird.
He’s warm. I didn’t realize how cold I’d gotten. Like my frozen insides are working on chilling the rest of me.
I want to be warm again. Just for a second.
I close my eyes and dance my tongue across the seam of his lips. I feel it when he smiles, and then his tongue twines with mine in a rush that manages to surprise me. I’m crushed against the door in seconds, his hand cradling my head to protect it from the window.
His other hand has gone to my hip and squeezed tight. I can feel it over my skin as if I weren’t wearing anything. The angle is odd, but he’s taking as much advantage as he can.
His lips withdraw and press in again as if he’s imitating the slowest sex. He leaves long enough for me to take a breath and rushes back to thrust his tongue inside and play with mine.
I’m ready to melt into the door like putty. He might be playing, but he’s doing it to win without mercy.
That annoying doom feeling descends so quickly that I feel like I got slapped. My body tenses as the need to stop overwhelms the arousal.
“Stop the car,” I gasp out and put an arm between us. Jake gives me a dazed look and takes in my sudden panic.
“Amanda?” He sounds confused, his body tensing as well.
“ Stop ,” I snap my head to the driver. His eyes go wide in the rearview, and he pulls to the curb.
Jake eases away from me, and I scan around the outside of the windows. I can see the sign for the street Jakolski’s house is on and a few homes that have immaculate lawns. Why am I freaking out now? There’s nothing to see.
“Something is wrong,” I answer myself, even though I can’t see anything.
“Do I need to kick him out?” The driver sounds confused. Jake raises a brow at him with a wry expression.
I ignore the banter as Jake assures him the kiss is consensual and keep looking. The feeling has gone down a little, but it isn’t leaving, and it’s heavy. I absently wonder if I asked the guy to back up if it would go away.
A cloud passes over the moonlight, making me frown. There was no sign of clouds before. Then I realize it’s smoke.
“Is that a fire?” I point and glance at Jake.
He leans over me, and the driver rolls down his window. The acrid stench of a bonfire fills the car quickly.
“Oh shit,” the guy inches up until we can see the street clearly. That warning inside gets heavy enough that I grit my teeth.
There’s a house at the end of the cul-de-sac with flames flickering in every window. The fire has already consumed the shades covering them, revealing the utter destruction of the furniture inside.
Jake’s breath on my cheek pulls my attention back to him. He’s scowling at the sight as if his night just got ruined.
“There’s no helping that,” he sighs like he’s trying to let it go. “I’m calling the fire department now.”
A thump of doom hits me.
“ Drive ,” I demand with a snarl.
“I’m on parole and want nothing to do with this,” the driver lays on the gas, and the house disappears from view in a blur. The doom feeling stays behind with the fire. I don’t know what was left over waiting for me or why the thought of the fire department made me freak out, but I’m not questioning it.
Jake is explaining that we’re eyewitnesses to the driver’s innocence and for him to slow to the speed limit while my brain clicks over.
I have three guesses about whose house that was. I didn’t get a chance to look at street numbers, but I have a feeling I already know.
Someone set fire to Jakolski’s place. Possibly with him in it. My gloved hands twist over the baton in frustration. If they got to him, then Blake is awake and running his mouth. I need to check in with Shade again. He said South set up a camera in his room once he was out of surgery. Why didn’t he call me?
“Take us home,” Jake says calmly, and his arm wraps around my shoulder to pull me close. He’s watching me with furrowed brows, but I’m not paying attention, my eyes trained out the windshield but unseeing.
Someone is tying up loose ends. I’ll probably get served widow paperwork in the mail instead of a divorce decree. That leads the cops right to me. He had to have named me in the assault. That’s why the fire department was a no-go for me. Maybe they were already there and allowing the house to burn. I didn’t see anyone on their porches gawking.
We’re back at Gabriel’s ridiculous mansion before I can blink. The driver practically kicks us out and demands that we forget all about him before he squeals away from us. Every light is on, and the gates are wide open.
“I guess we’re in trouble,” I mutter blankly, my brain a million miles away.
“Inside, my imp,” Jake hurries me along the drive. It takes a while to get to the house, which gives me ample time to think. Jake is watching news reports on his phone. No one knows anything yet. Firefighters have arrived on the scene and are trying to keep the blaze away from the neighboring houses. The reporter says they suspect gasoline as an accelerant.
When we make it through the doors an enraged Mikael greets us. Before he has a chance to utter a word, Jake starts making demands.
“You have the lists of names? We need them.”
He pulls my hand and practically drags me to a sitting room where everyone else is. Mikael follows us with a heavy tread, demanding explanations. Ace is red-faced with rage as we come in.
“What the fuck do you two think you’re doin’?” He barks out as he paces. His fists are clenched tight enough they’re pale. This reaction is familiar. “You’re supposed to be stayin’ put, damn it!”
“Karter Jakolski was next. Who else did you plan on?” Jake asks, snatching up a stack of stapled pages from Cade.
“What the hell?” Cade snaps and tries to get them back.
Jake brings the pages to me. It’s a copy of my list of fraud victims. I flip through to get to the last few pages. I rip away the victims and toss those pages aside to focus on the fifteen names left. Jakowlski is on top. The next name down is Fullerton.
“Check Fullerton,” I tell him flatly, elbowing Jake away from me.
He makes a sound I assume is acceptance and pulls his phone up to start looking. I start memorizing.
Hughes, Farmer, Simmons, Owen, Crawford, Woodward, Riley, Flores, Lawrence, Miles, Tran, Cooper, Campbell, Wong, Robertson.
I repeat it to myself until I can close my eyes and feel confident that I don’t need the page anymore.
“What’s going on?” Mikael asks from beside the couch Cade is sitting on.
“We were going to visit Mr. Jakolski this evening. Sadly, someone set fire to his home before we got there,” Jake tells him in a pleasant voice.
“Who the hell is that?” Cade asks with a scowl.
“A lawyer,” Mikael mutters, reading over my shoulder.
I crumble it in my fist and underhand toss it to Jake.
“Them, too,” I pull out my phone to start looking people up.
“Cade, could you please grab my laptop?” Jake says absently. Cade doesn’t argue as he hurries away.
“You broke out to beat the shit out of someone?” Ace asks with a low laugh. “Is this the first lawyer you called, darlin’?”
It isn’t, but I don’t acknowledge his question.
“Fullerton is out,” Jake turns to me with a frown. “Murder/suicide. Her husband shot her and then himself.”
My fingers stop tapping, and my eyes roll up to meet his.
“When?” I ask in a grim voice I hardly recognize. Are they ahead of me or following the only two people Blake was involved with? I seriously doubt Mr. Fullerton shot anyone, much less the wife he worshiped.
“Around three,” Gabriel chimes in, his own phone in his hands.
I was here by then. With the amount of damage I did to Blake, he shouldn’t have been awake. He would need surgery, at the very least. Then again, knowing my luck, he was singing like a canary and has some bullshit regeneration power.
Cade rushes back in with Jake’s laptop and sets it up for him. It seems like a routine that has happened often enough they go around each other easily.
Gabriel clears his throat, and the phone lowers to his lap. I glance his way to see his tense expression focused on me.
“You’re a widow. Complications after surgery.”
I blink at him in a stupor. I had a vague thought that was next, but I didn’t really think about it. All those times I joked about offing him come back to haunt me. I don’t feel as bad about it as I think I should. But I’m not popping champagne and celebrating either.
I threw away a lead, and they took out the only two people I was sure had more information. I doubt everyone on this list deserves a visit, not that it will stop me. But Blake had so much more in him, and I didn’t get it .
“Oh.” It’s the only word I can come up with as I glance down at the floor.
“Are you ok?” Cade asks with a heavy dose of concern.
“Did he wake up?” My brows furrow. Who knows what he could have said and to who? They'll be looking for me everywhere. Including the house.
“It doesn’t say,” Gabriel’s eyes narrow on me.
“Fuck,” I let out a heavy breath and call Shade. I try to leave the room but, Mikael has taken up a position blocking the doorway. He crosses his arms over his chest like a bouncer who’s spotted my fake ID a mile away.
I hang up immediately, coming back to where I am and who I’m surrounded by. Mikael notes the action and begins to scowl.
My phone rings, and my teeth grit. Why is he calling me back? Doesn’t he realize if I hung up, it was for a damn reason? Then again, if I don’t pick up he might come in to check up on me.
Mikael takes a step toward me, and I step back, answering quickly. I shift the baton, so I’m gripping near the bulb end. I need to keep him at a distance. If I start screaming, Shade might come. After he makes out with South for a little while.
Mikael sees the move, a blatant warning, and his expression goes from stern to devastated.
I don’t give a shit.
“How’s captivity?” Shade asks blandly.
My mouth starts running before I can stop it. The old habit has a new flat tone.
“Did you know Blake died? Fullerton and Jakolski are out, too.”
“I just found out. His body was stiff enough that he died hours before it was reported. Congratulations on your loss,” he quips.
“Who visited him?” I demand as quietly as I can and start uselessly pacing.
“One doctor that wasn’t a real doctor. I think they’re cutting their losses, and they’ve called in a few professionals.”
“ Fuck ,” I grind out, my hand aching as I clench the baton. “Since he’s out of the picture they’ll be heading to the house for any records he kept there.”
“Unless they found something in Fullerton’s place. My money is on her-”
Ace snatches the phone out of my hand and puts it to his ear. “Who the fuck is this?”
He pauses and stiffens up, his eyes meeting my sneering glare. He steps back, lowers the phone to the cracked coffee table between the couches, and sets it on speaker. After a pause, Shade says, “Amanda?”
His voice has darkened into that deathly threat he had the first time I heard him speak.
“You’re on speaker,” I warn him flatly and back away from Ace, too. The move seems to hurt his feelings. He reaches for me, hesitates, then drops his hand. I realize I unconsciously brought the baton up, ready to swing. Ace swallows hard and takes several steps away.
“Nosy asshats,” Shade sighs in resignation.
“What do you know, Shade?” Gabriel asks in a frozen tone. I start to pace, my hands squeezing over the stick as I wait for Shade to throw me under the bus.
“Seems like you left somethin’ out when we saw you earlier,” Ace’s teeth grind as he watches me.
Shade ignores him to talk to me. “Amanda, you need to stay at Gabe’s place. They’re definitely looking for you now. With professionals in the mix, you’re no match.”
I spare the phone a dark look but don’t answer him.
“They blew the site. It’s a sinkhole they’re claiming is a natural collapse of an underground cavern,” he tells me with a grunt of frustration. “I watched the video. I heard the recording. We still have some leads, Amanda. Don’t drop the ball.”
I stop and stare at nothing. Blake said they could wipe everything out easily. That point has been made loud and clear. It would mean a lot more to me if I was planning on going to the cops. Good thing I know better. I wonder if Loser realized they would wipe him out, too.
“No cops. The video is worthless,” my voice shakes wildly as I digest new information.
Mikael catches me around the waist, startling me. He lifts me until my feet dangle in the air with an arm wrapped around both of my biceps. I start to spin the baton back to smack him in the head. Either end would do when he drops onto the couch next to Cade and pulls me into his lap. The abrupt move ruins the spin as my legs flail. I barely manage to catch it. The rubber tip bounces off my collar. I grunt at the pain and try to stand, using my weight to move him. He wraps the other arm around me to keep me still and clamped to his chest. One around my waist, the other above my breasts. Cade takes the opportunity to yank Jakob out of my hands and set it aside.
“Do they know anything?”
I scoff at Shade’s question.
“Am I dead?” I grit back, struggling to get away from Mikael.
“They aren’t going to touch you,” Shade tells me in a tone that dismisses my concerns.
I glance down at the arms holding me and mockingly mutter, “Sure they won’t.”
“Gabe, it’s bad. Worse than what you were looking for.”
Jake pauses and looks at the phone. Shade has everyone’s attention like he’s the big boss about to hand out orders.
I don’t want to be sitting here when he tells them everything. I look longingly at the open doorway. Mikael is an immovable object, keeping me safely fastened to him.
“We’re listening,” Cade says with narrowed eyes focused on me. His expression says this is my last chance to come clean.
I sneer back in mutiny. I’m not saying shit.
“Amanda,” Mikael mutters. It isn’t the demanding tone he normally uses when I’m doing something he doesn’t like; it’s more of a plea.
I lean forward to try and use my weight as leverage to break his grip. He pulls my back to his chest and nuzzles against my ear as if he has the right to do it. My shoulders hike up defensively as I try to twist away.
“Please, rakas ,” he whispers like he’s begging me to give in.
“Cards on the table,” Shade says coldly. “They’re running a drug and sex trafficking ring. Amanda found an inactive site buried under the golf course, some drugs, a dead body, and cages where people were being kept. We’re trying to locate any other sites that are in play and stonewall construction. If we have the account for the funds, we can lock everything up for a while.”
“And Blake had that information?” Cade asks quietly, his glare turning into horror as he watches my face pale. The description brings me right back to that torture room and the memory of that smell . Ace drops onto the couch next to Gabriel, wiping a hand over his mouth.
“Blake set it up somewhere. In Amanda’s name.”
I don’t look at anyone to take in reactions, my body freezing up as silence blooms around me. The news is another anchor that they can latch onto to kick me out for whoever finds and kills me. Mikael’s arms tighten around me and he takes a big breath.
“A play all along,” Jake mutters with narrowed eyes. “The purchases started six years ago. When did you get married?”
I stay stiff in Mikael’s arms. It’s one thing to think it, another to have someone ask if you’re still so fucking stupid you didn’t notice the last six years of your life were a lie. I was content. While people suffered in the background. My stomach rolls with nausea again.
“Amanda?” Jake asks with a dark expression.
“I repeat. Congratulations on your loss, Amanda. He’s no longer on the board. Move on .” Shade’s frosty death tone snaps everyone else back into action.
I can’t look at anyone as pain rolls through me. Rage follows very quickly to get locked inside to use later. It clears everything else out to make room for more questions.
I barely hear Shade rambling on as he fills them in.
Having one account in my name is stupid. There has to be more than that. It would take millions to build a place like that, not including any of the extras on offer. How would they get money into the accounts without red flags waving all over the place?
My brain churns with Shade as background noise. Something is rattling around in my brain, but I haven’t shaken it all the way loose.
“Amanda?” Gabriel’s cold voice snaps me to awareness.
I’m talking to Shade before I know it. “I can’t be the only one. That place was decked out. You can’t have that kind of money in an account without getting a lot of attention. With the way that place was set up, there has to be money funneling in from several different people, too. A membership fee, a donation, something yuppy fucking stupid like that.”
“Spreading the money would be wise,” Shade agrees. “But are they wise?”
“If they aren’t, then emptying that account will stop things. Or at least slow them down. I want to see who comes looking for their money.” My hands tighten into fists.
“If they don’t have another site built already,” Shade says gently. The thought of it makes me want to gag.
“The golf course was the earliest property they bought, right?” I protest desperately. “It wasn’t finished. The golf course wasn’t set up to keep it hidden. That means if they have any more, they won’t be ready for business yet.”
“And every cent counts,” Jake adds, catching my attention. He gives me a solemn smile.
“You need a full team on this,” Shade says as if he’s dreading the results of his statement.
“I’ve already called,” Jake says smugly. “A few friends should be here soon.”
The glares he gets don’t faze him in the least.
“Anyone I know?” Shade asks tensely.
“No,” Jake scoffs and goes back to his computer. “As if I’d reward South for keeping Amanda hidden from me.”
“Good,” Shade grumbles with a relieved sigh. “And watch your mouth.”
Jake flips the phone off and continues typing on his laptop.
I’m waiting for the other shoe to drop. One of them is going to latch onto the fact it’s all in my name. I’m surprised Mikael hasn’t shoved me to the floor yet.
“Amanda,” Gabriel’s cold voice brings my flat attention to him. He studies my pale face, and for a second, I see pain before he blanks out again. “You should get some sleep. You’re exhausted.”
I am. I’m basically running on fumes and wishing an energy drink would fall from the sky. I didn’t notice until he opened his fat mouth about it. I feel like I have a ton of things left to do and no time left to do them. I don’t want to walk away and give them room to plot a way to send me back to jail, either. I have no idea how to prove myself innocent in this. Videos can be faked, after all and they can get convinced easily. I’m sure Tera could come up with something, but this is beyond me.
When I don’t say anything, Shade pipes up. “Get some sleep, Amanda. I’m on this. I’ll keep you in the loop.”
Keep me in the loop. I’m relegated to the sidelines of my own life. As if I can trust any of the people around me to take care of this. I can’t knock Shade, though. Or South and Tera. That is a real team. Not whatever I’m currently staying with.
I’d ask if I could stay with him and South instead, but the knowledge of what will follow me tempers it quickly.
I should feel relieved. I should be celebrating the fact that I no longer have to deal with this. It’s what I’ve wanted from the beginning.
Instead I feel bitter as hell that they’re taking over while I’m sitting on the sidelines. I still have a lot of rage left in me. And that hollow feeling isn’t going away. I’m still not safe. I’ll have to do this another way. Bide my time. Be patient for once.
Jake’s eyes snap to mine and his lips quirk up in a knowing smile that makes me uneasy. He winks and gets back to what he was doing.
Huh. Maybe I won’t be alone in that after all.
I don’t have a chance to protest. Mikael bundles me up into a bridal carry and stands up with me in his arms. I stare at him in surprise as he walks out of the room with me. It’s nerve-wracking that he doesn’t seem winded over it. I’m not a lightweight.
The feeling of being hauled around by him is startling. It makes me feel delicate. Something I’ve never felt in my life, even when I was well-toned and a decent weight. He makes me feel safe. Like he’s a shield between me and anything that could come at me.
It’s a lie.
The thought hits me hard enough that the relaxed position I’ve taken stiffens up.
I’m not the damsel they want me to be. This kind of coddling is fake as hell.
“Put me down. I can get there on my own,” I tell him flatly.
“Would you actually go is the question,” Mikael answers me with a hesitant smirk.
“I’m not a complete idiot. I’m exhausted. Put me down. Now .”
He stops and looks down at me. His expression is half concerned and half wary. “No more sneaking out?”
I raise a brow. “You have my weapon, my phone, and a surveillance system. They have bullets, paranoia, and backers wondering what’s going on. I think I can manage to be smart enough not to bail out.”
His face drops into a scowl. “We won’t let anything happen to you.”
Yeah right.
I don’t answer him, keeping my flat stare steady as his brows sink lower.
“Amanda. I’m sorry. We let our paranoia take over. This life doesn’t lead to trust.”
He sounds honest, and he seems upset, but that doesn’t guarantee that it won’t happen again. The people I’m up against won’t have a problem with another staged theft. Or anything else I haven’t thought of yet that I can get blamed for.
“Ok.” It isn’t a you’re forgiven . It’s a yeah, I see you’re sorry and raise you a fuck around and find out .
He seems disappointed as he sets me down. I want to linger in his safety for a little bit longer, but I can’t. I walk away from him quickly and shut the door without looking back.