Lost in the Moment (A Savioe Family Novel) (39 page)

I stiffened at the mention of my aunt’s name. “Yes. Why do you ask?”

“My father just called me. He wanted me to let you know that she has been taken in and that Robert was still out there.” He scratched at his ear.

“Taken in? What do you mean?”

“Arrested.” He clarified.

Charles poked his head up and glanced over at Hunter. “For what?”

My blood pounded in my ears as my rancor rose. Could it be that they were finally going to get what was coming to them? Marie clasped my hand in hers as Hunter explained. “Murder.”

             
                                          *****

Marie

After Hunter dropped the murder bomb. Everyone at the table started asking questions about it. Not that it was anyone’s busines
s. Marcus politely told everyone to drop the subject and then proceeded to out Beau rejoining the team to Charles and Luke. We left the table then and headed back to school.

He
was quiet the rest of the day.
Well, more like somber.
I thought to myself as I threaded my fingers through his silently giving him my support. He looked across the interior of Grace at me, his lips twitching in a sad smile. I could almost feel his sorrow radiating out of him. I bit my lip and took a deep breath. “Did you want to talk about it?”

He shrugged pulling his hand away from mine clasping the steering wheel. “
Not much to say, pet. She’s locked up facing extradition and that fucking arsehole is on the run. It could be months before he gets caught.”

“He can’t go far. You told me yourself he has no money or a job. Sherriff Jackson could pick him up before the end of the day.” I shifted my body in the seat and faced him.

“Or he could end up like that bloke from Pulaski who killed his wife and evaded the cops for years before they caught up to him out west.” He sighed making the turn by the old greenhouse. “It wouldn’t take much for him to cross the border and disappear.”

I stared at the brake lights on Beau’s truck. “
You have to have faith, Marcus, that he’ll slip up in some way. People like him always do. They leave some breadcrumb for law enforcement to find. They can’t help it because deep down they want to get caught just so they can brag about their crime. Even the most vile out of them do that. They take some trophy, make one innocuous comment to a coworker or get drunk one night and confess it all to someone. Heck, if they didn’t my father would be out of a job.”

A glimmer of hope flashed in his eyes briefly before it was replaced with a cold resignation.
Doubt shone through in his melodic voice. “You really think that?”

“I know it. Desperate people do stupid things. They get sloppy. I’ve seen enough of those true crime shows that prove that. I’ve also heard my dad talk about it.” I leaned my arm against the door twirling a curl in between my fingers.

We pulled up to the gate waiting for Beau to enter the code before we drove up to the house. Beau parked in the garage followed by Luke. Marcus parked behind them. I grabbed my bag, left Grace and headed to the front door with the keys in my hand.

A small chill ran down my spine when I noticed that the door was cracked.
I dropped my bag by the steps and rushed back toward the guys. I grabbed Charles’s arm and yanked him with me when he tried to walk up the steps.

“Dammit Marie. Let go. That freaking hurts.” He jerked away from me rubbing his upper arm.

“Shuddup ya cooyon. Someone is in da house. Da door is standing open and I know I closed and locked it dis morning.” I hissed at him as I stopped by the vehicles.

Beau pushed away from his tailgate. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.” I pulled my hair back in a bun and secured it with the hair tie I had around my wrist. “The door was cracked when I got up the steps.”

Marcus sucked in a harsh breath and ran an agitated hand through his hair. Beau took charge. He looked over at Luke. “Dad’s plan number six.”

I squeezed my eyes shut as I tried to remember that one. Dad made us when we were younger run through different scenarios just in case something horrible happened. Everything from being lost in a store, kidnapping, to this. Number six meant that Charles called the cops, Beau and Luke slowly checked out the house room by room and I guarded the twins. Since they weren’t here, I assumed Marcus would be taking their place.

Charles dug his phone out of his pocket and dialed the police.
Beau’s hazel eyes settled on me. “Marie, you know what to do.”

I nodded and grabbed Marcus’s hand pulling him with me up the steps to Beau
’s room. I grabbed a hairpin out from behind my ear and made short work out of the lock before opening the door to his sanctuary. Once inside Marcus turned to look at me. “What’s number six?”

I rummaged through some of Beau’s clothes and found a pair of sweatpants. I stripped out of the skirt and pulled them on. “Charles calls the cops then goes to the gate to safely await them, Beau and Luke search the house and I guard the twins.”

His jaw clenched. “So I’m to be guarded? I could help them out.”

I glared at him
before turning my attention out the window toward the back of the house. “We know that. If that is who we all believe it is, he’s after you, which means we need to keep you safe.” My eyes scanned the back fence and noticed a broken tree branch. “Shit, that must be how he got past the gate.”

“I can take care of myself, pet.”

I rolled my eyes before I turned back around to him. “You don’t have to anymore. That’s what being a part of our family means. Let us take care of this for you.”

“So I’m a part of your family?” His eyebrow raised in question.

A small grin crept up my lips. “Of course. You were the moment my heart opened to you.” I quickly gave him a kiss before a noise from the garage caught my attention. I rushed back over to the window and saw Beau and Luke walk past the by the emptied pool toward the downed limb. My eyes widened in budding terror before I took a steading breath. I motioned for him to move into the closet.

He opened his mouth
to protest. I quickly placed a quick kiss on his lips before shoving him inside and locking the door. “Marie.” He growled out from behind the barrier.

“Shush it. Someone’s trying to get in here.” I hissed at him.

I picked up the baseball bat that was resting against the wall, clasped it over my shoulder and walked over to the door. The doorknob jiggled before it turned slightly. I leaned back against the sidewall as the door slowly opened blocking me from view. I stilled my movements as the dark figures walked in; Charles had his head down and slowly shuffled his feet. A paunchy man followed with a gun pointed at my brother’s back. His balding head gleamed in the dim light. His clothing was rumpled and stained. The smell of beer and stale sweat floated behind him almost making me gag.

I took a deep breath and slid behind them with the bat raised ready to strike.
He shoved Charles toward the bed aiming the gun at his head. “Where is he at, kid?”

My arms trembled, blood rushed in my ears.
Charles turned around rubbing the shoulder that collided with the bedpost and caught my eye. He very slowly nodded his head and grumbled out at the old man. “Who?”

“You know who. That sniveling English punk.” The
man snarled waving the gun in the air before directing it back at Charles.

“Oh, him.” Charles curled his nose up in mocked disgust.
He sat down on the edge of Beau’s bed and rolled his eyes. “He’s probably in Marie’s room trying to get in her pants.”

Marcus’s uncle took a step back and lowered the gun for a second. “You don’t like him?”

“Hell no! He might have everyone else in this house fooled but not me.” Charles stood up and dusted off his pants. “He’s been panting after my sister since October. All the while, he’s hooking up with her friends and anything else that moves. I wouldn’t be surprised if he tried to knock her up so dad would have to support them.”

My mouth dropped open in shock before I mouthed to him
“What the fuck?”

“Je suis couché. Il suffit de frapper déjà lui.”
Charles rolled his eyes walking over to the other side of the bed grabbing the bedpost. He looked down at the floor then up at the bat.

I nodded
my head. Of course he was lying. He’s just trying to stall the guy long enough for me to take him out. I reared the bat back and swung it down as hard as I could. It connected with the back of his baldhead. The gun dropped to the floor sliding under the bed. He followed it with a heavy thud. I dropped the bat and rushed over to Charles, who had ducked down on the other side of the bed.

“Are you okay?” I looked him over. Inspecting
every inch making sure he didn’t have any wounds.

“It took you freaking long enough. I’m fine.” He pushed me off him.

Marcus pounded on the closet door. I walked over there and unlocked it. He lifted his eyebrow disdainfully at me and walked out of the closet slowly keeping his gaze trained on his uncle. His movements were cautious. He looked up briefly at Charles. “Charles, grab some rope out of the garage.”

He nodded
at him before rushing out of the room. I bit my inner cheek. “Marcus? Baby, are you going to be alright?”

“
Why did you lock me in there?”

“Dad’s plan number six.” I rubbed my arm as I slightly shrugged.

“I’m really glad that bastard doesn’t know French. Otherwise he’d have shot Charles when he told you to hit him.” He mumbled keeping his gaze on the fat man. He pushed his boot against his side just as Charles entered the room with the binds.

“You know French?” He asked Marcus while he tossed me a zip tie. “Figure these would work a bit better.”

Marcus nodded absentmindedly answering the question, still staring at his uncle’s prone form. “French, Spanish and Italian. Mum wanted me to learn Mandarin but Father refused.”

After securing the jackass’s wrists with three of the plastic zip ties, I looked over at Marcus.
He seemed so small, defeated and scared. I walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his waist placing my head on his chest. “It’s over. I told you they always make stupid mistakes.”

His arm wound around my back as his lips pressed against the top of my head. “That you did, pet. That you did.”

                                                        *****

When Beau and Luke finally made their way to the garage the three of us had already dragged t
he jackass out to the driveway and secured him to a tree along the walkway. He was awake and struggling to break his bonds. The gun that had skidded under Beau’s bed was retrieved with a broom and a large storage bag. None of us wanted to touch it so we used the baggie to pick it up.

“So that’s him huh?” Beau leaned against the back of Grace his arms folded across his chest.

Marcus nodded slowly. “Yeah.”

“I thought he’d be bigger or at least more opposing looking.” Beau twisted his head to the side and glared at the struggling man.

Marcus snorted. “He always went after me when I was sleeping or eating. I never saw it coming.”

“Typical.” Beau sighed and saw the blue lights coming down the lane. “Charles
, they’re finally here.”

Charles nodded and ran down to the gate to let the police in.
He leaned in the window of the car speaking to the occupants before he pointed down to the tree where the ass was. I leaned against Marcus and sighed. “They are going to ask so many questions.”

Marcus groaned stiffening slightly. “They won’t be the only ones.”

I looked down the driveway and saw the van zip in. Dad pulled up to us and slammed it into park. Momma jumped out of the vehicle and rushed over to us. “Oh my god, is everyone okay? What happened?”

Marcus nodded to the tree. “Robert tried to attack us.”

                                                        *****

Drez

My blood still ran with fear as I looked over at my uncle
now in the backseat of a cop car. Apparently, I wasn’t able to take care of myself where he was concerned. When he walked in that room with a gun trained on Charles, I froze in utter dread. I was transported to the first night he had hit me. The feeling of the leather striking my flesh followed by his meaty fists, still lingered in the memory of my muscles. I was completely paralyzed by the sight of him.

I hugged Marie against me resting my forehead against the top of her he
ad and let out a ragged breath. “Thank you, luv.” I whispered to her before turning my attention to her mother. “Your kids are amazing. They didn’t flinch at the thought of an intruder. They just sprang into action like a well-oiled machine.”

She placed her hand on her chest as she sighed heavily. “
They are crazy. All of you should have just stayed outside the gate and waited for the cops when you noticed the door was ajar.”

Marie walked over to her and wrapped her arms around her. “I know, Momma. We weren’t thinking clearly. I’m sorry.”