36. Chapter 36
thirty-six
CHAINS
“The bastard isn’t going to get away with this.” I white-knuckle the steering wheel as I swerve through traffic to get to Daisy. “If he lays one finger on her, I’m going to kill him.”
A car horn blares at me as I cut him off.
“What the hell was Bruce thinking? He’s not getting away with taking Daisy.
” Lincoln grips the handle above the passenger side door window.
He usually likes the thrill of fast driving, but I’m guessing I’m going too fast even for his comfort.
I don’t give a fuck if he’s going to piss his pants with fear.
Getting to Daisy as quickly as possible is all I care about.
“I won’t let him get away with it.” Once the security guard at the apartment told us about the abduction, seconds later, Natasha was on the phone telling me about the text message Bruce sent her.
He detailed where he wanted to meet and to come with enough cash for him to live in luxury for the rest of his life.
In a flash, I’d emptied the club’s safe and jumped in the car. Lincoln, Asher, and even Daisy’s father all piled in after me.
From the back seat, Jude clutches the headrest and leans forward. “We need to call the police.”
“When I’m through with him, there’ll be nothing left for the police.”
“How can you let something like this happen to my daughter?” he accuses. “I was right when I said you’re not good for her.”
“Don’t blame me for this sick bastard’s actions. I’m going to get her away from him.” Daisy better be unharmed, or Bruce will pay.
“I don’t trust that you can help her on your own. We need to call the police,” the pastor says again.
Asher says, “He’s right. The police need to lock the fucker up.”
“He said he’d hurt Daisy if we call the cops.”
“He’s too chicken shit to hurt her. Because he knows we’d kill him,” Asher states, like he wouldn’t even question it if I asked him to help.
I slap the steering wheel. I know they’re right, but I so badly want to put my hands on him and make him wish he’d never breathed the same air as Daisy. If I get the cops involved, I’ll lose my chance.
“Fine, get on it.”
Asher leans back, and a moment later, I hear him on the phone.
I drag a deep breath through my nose. It feels like it’s taking forever to get to her. I can’t let myself think about what he’s doing to her because if I do, fear slices through me, and I can’t function the way I need to.
Finally, we arrive at the location in Los Angeles National Forest.
A drive that should have taken at least forty minutes, I’ve done in twenty. I get out of the car, and everyone spills out after me.
The headlights of the car point straight at Bruce, leaning against the van, but as soon as he sees us, he stands straight. His eyes widen as he looks at Lincoln, Asher and Jude behind me.
“I told you not to bring anyone.” The pitch of his voice rises slightly.
Be scared, you motherfucker.
“You said no cops. You said nothing about anyone else.” I’m not going to tell him the police are on their way. I don’t want him to jump into the van and run.
I take a step forward. Bruce raises his arm and points a large hunting knife in my direction. “Stay where you are.”
My blood turns to ice and fear clutches at my throat. Not because I’m scared he’s going to use the knife on me. I can’t see Daisy. What the fuck has he done to her?
Not listening, I take another step closer. I’d like to see him try to slice me open. “Where’s Daisy?”
“Kade?” Daisy’s muffled voice comes from inside the van as she bangs against the door. “I’m in here.” There’s fear in her voice, which only makes me need to get to her faster. With the boys backing me up, we can disarm Bruce and have him eating dirt in a matter of seconds.
I make to rush forward as Bruce pulls the van’s door open. He latches onto Daisy’s wrist, drags her from the van and presses her to his side, the knife to her throat.
I skid to a stop.
“Come any closer, and I’ll give your girlfriend something to remember me by.”
Rage ripples under my skin, and my hands itch to wrap around his throat. It takes all my willpower to keep calm. I hold up my hands. “You want money? I’m here to give it to you.”
His gaze trails over me and then to the car I arrived in. “Where is it?”
Nodding toward the car, I say, “I have a bag of cash in the trunk.” It’s not enough to live the rest of his life in luxury. I’d need to go to the bank for that kind of cash, but he’ll be able to get the fuck out of town with it if the cops don’t catch him first.
“Get it and bring it to me,” he demands. Daisy’s eyes are round with fear. Her skin pale. All I want is to have her safe in my arms. So, I nod to Asher, and he leaves to get the bag. When he has it, he drops it at my feet.
“Open it,” Bruce demands. No one has ever demanded me to do anything before, but I’d crawl on my hands and knees if it meant getting Daisy safely away from him.
I squat, unzip the duffle and open it wide enough for him to see inside.
“Doesn’t look like much.” He screws up his nose, like he’s looking at loose change.
“There’s two hundred thousand dollars in there.”
For a second, his eyes widen, then he pulls a kind of ‘I’m not impressed’ expression. “I want more.”
“That’s all I had on me.”
“Get more.”
My hands curl into tight fists at my sides. Something hot and violent trembles through every muscle in my body. I’m going to kill this greedy fucker.
Another car pulls up, and Albert and Natasha burst out. Natasha runs to me, and the security guard stands with Lincoln and Asher. Jude hasn’t moved from beside the car.
“Bruce, you’re a pathetic dick. You need to rot in hell,” Natasha spits.
“What are you doing here?” I need to keep her safe from Bruce too.
“I’m helping you get Daisy away from that sick bastard,” she sneers at Bruce.
She’s no more than five feet two inches.
Skinny enough for a light breeze to knock her off her feet.
Though there’s a fierce expression on her face, like she can bring down the biggest and meanest son of a bitch.
“Let Daisy go, you asshole,” she yells at her foster father.
“Your sugar daddy needs to give me more money.”
“Sugar daddy? Eww, he’s too old for that.” She turns to me. “No offense.”
I give her a small smile. “None taken.”
“Take whatever money is in the bag and get lost. No one wants to see your ugly face anymore.”
I place a hand on Natasha’s shoulder. “I’ve got this.” I’m grateful for her support, but I need to keep the situation under control.
“But—”
“You’ve had to deal with him enough. Let me put this fucker in his place,” I interrupt. Having to take care of herself for years, it’s easy for her to think she’s all she’s got. Not anymore. We are her family now. “Seeing you thrive will fester in his gut.”
Nodding with a triumphant grin, she steps back and stands with the others.
“Do you want the cash or not?” I ask as if I’m bored.
“I said I want more.”
“There isn’t any.”
“Go to the bank.”
“I could do that. But they’re not open until the morning. What if a hiker wanders by and sees what’s happening here and alerts the police? Do you want to risk waiting around?”
His beady little eyes scan the area, and he shuffles nervously on his feet. “Fine. Give me the bag. If you make any sudden moves, I’ll cut this bitch.”
If he so much as nicks her, he’s a dead man.
Picking up the bag, I slowly take a couple of steps forward. “Take it and let Daisy go.”
“I thought Daisy would be worth more than a measly two hundred thousand.” He snickers, like he thinks he’s insulted her.
“You have no idea what Daisy means to me. A man like you only thinks about himself.”
He scoffs. “You’re just like me. Nothing means more to you than money.”
I take two more steps and glimpse in Daisy’s direction.
The fear is subsiding from her features, and she’s looking more pissed than scared.
“I’m nothing like you. I care about people.
Love them. Would give my life for them.” Something I never believed until I met Daisy, and she showed me what kind of man I truly am.
“I’ve changed my mind. Get more money. I want to see how much she’s really worth to you.” He sneers.
“Fine. To keep Daisy safe, you can have it all. I’ll drain my accounts. Give you the fucking deeds to my properties. You will be a rich son of a bitch. But that’s all you’ll ever be… a son of a miserable bitch. With no one who’d stand by you.”
His gaze flicks to the people who are standing behind me. People who will always have my back. No matter what.
Two more steps and I’m just over an arm’s length away. I glance at Daisy and give her a look telling her with my eyes what I want her to do. She gives me the slightest nod, like she can read my mind.
“Here, take this for now.” I toss the bag of money at Bruce, and, like I expected, he drops the arm holding the knife at Daisy’s throat to catch it. Daisy pushes him toward me. He stumbles, and I land my fist in his face. Satisfaction fills me at the sound of his nose cracking.
Bruce drops to his knees, moaning in pain with blood splattered on his face. I pull my arm back to punch him again. Daisy places a hand on my arm, stopping me. I turn to look at her. Shaking her head, she says, “I don’t want you doing something you’ll regret. He’s not worth it.”
Everything inside me wants to end this fucker, but she’s right. With the rage burning inside me, if I lose control, I won’t stop. He’s not worth losing everything I cherish.
I kick his back so he lands face-first in the dirt and dig my foot into his spine. “Don’t fucking try to move,” I warn.
“Get off me. You broke my nose,” he whines.
“You’re lucky that’s the only thing I broke.” I dig my heel a little harder.
And just like a Hollywood movie, two police cars come screeching to a stop next to us. Two officers from each vehicle step out with guns raised. Quickly taking in the situation, they spring into action. I take my foot off Bruce’s back and let them have him.