9. Ethan
Chapter 9
Ethan
E li came through with information about both Richard Sorenson and Vincent Torres. Word on the street is that Richard is in deep with Torres –Richard’s been laundering money for Torres through the bank, and he is under investigation for embezzlement and laundering money and is on the verge of losing his job, reputation, freedom, and possibly his life. But… I have no idea what any of that has to do with Jenny and me.
I’ve shared everything I know with Jenny. After Richard went after her yesterday in the parking lot of her school, I haven’t let her out of my sight for a second.
“Can you stop at the Bean & Bagel? I need a decent coffee.” Jenny asks from the passenger side of my truck.
“What’s wrong with my coffee?” I ask, offended. I’ve been making her coffee almost every morning and this is the first I’m hearing about it.
She laughs, “Awe… did I hurt your feelings?” she asks like I’m a child.
“Ah, yeah. You did.” I pout.
Jenny laughs, “Don’t be offended. All coffee is bad if you compare it to Kate’s coffee at the Bean & Bagel. Please?” she pleads.
I sigh heavily in mock protest, “Fine.” I pull into the packed parking lot and realize there’s not a spot open. “Are you sure you need this coffee?”
“Let me give you a bit of advice. Don’t ever come between a girl and her coffee,” she looks at me with her eyebrows raised.
“Noted.” I pull the truck against the building in the back. “I’ll wait here since there’s no parking.”
She smiles at me, “Great. Do you want anything?”
“Just you.” I put the truck in park and then I turn to give her a heated look.
That’s when the barrel of a gun is pointed at my head through my truck window.
“Awe. Isn’t that sweet.” Richard sneers. “Make a sound or move an inch and I’ll blow his head off.”
My mind is racing, calculating, trying to determine what my best move is to get Jenny out of this, but nothing’s coming. We’re hidden behind the building so no one can see us, and he’s got a gun to my head. I’m at the disadvantage sitting in my truck as Richard is standing just barely behind the window. Jenny is frozen in her place.
“What do you want, Richard?” Jenny’s voice is calm and soothing.
He shakes his head, “Too late for that now, babydoll.” Jenny tries to keep the grimace from her face when Richard calls her that, but I can tell immediately it’s a nickname she hates.
Richard cocks the revolver. “Get out of the truck, Jenny, and come around to me. Slowly, or I’ll blow his brains all over this pretty truck and you’ll never see Navy boy again.”
She looks at me and I can see the pure terror in her eyes immediately. “Do what he says, Jenny. It’s fine.”
She looks to me and then back to the gun. “Richard, we can talk about this. But let Ethan go, first. We’ll go in and have coffee and talk, I promise.”
Richard laughs, “She still has her coffee addiction, huh? Good to know some things never change. I’ll keep that in mind.” He pushes the barrel of the gun against the back of my head and I’m trying to figure out how the hell to reach around to grab it without it blowing off my head.
“I’m not going to tell you again, Jenny. Get out of the truck and come around to me. NOW!”
I watch as Jenny’s tears fall down her face, staining her cheeks as she opens the passenger side door and starts to climb out. “I love you.” She whispers to me.
I want to tell her I love her, too, but then, everything goes dark.
“Buddy, are you okay?” I can feel my arm being shaken.
My head is killing me, but everything comes flashing back to me in an instant as I open my eyes.
Jenny.
Looking around my truck, I don’t see her, but I do see her purse.
“Dude. Are you okay? You were passed out,” some guy says to me as I try to climb out of my truck. “You should wait for EMS. They should be here any minute. Have you been drinking?”
I grab the guy by his shoulders, “Did you see a woman get out of my truck and go with another guy?”
This guy looks confused and shakes his head. “No. I came out to my car and found you slumped over your steering wheel.”
“Fuck!” I yell, which does nothing for my head that’s pounding.
I grab my phone out of my back pocket and scroll through my contacts until I see the pound sign.
“West,” the voice comes over the speaker.
“He got her. He fucking got her.”
“They’ll be at your place in twenty.” Fitz hangs up as I make a last ditch effort to find Jenny by going inside of the café.
“Has anyone seen Jenny Dalton?” I call out, but no one answers me. Instead they just look at me like I’m crazy.
“I’m friends with Jenny,” a brunette woman from behind the counter says to me, “but she hasn’t been in here today.”
“Shit!” I thank her and run back to my truck.
I’m going to kill this fucker.