Ricky snarled back. “Not my problem.”
Just what was his
problem
?
It was well known Steven held something over every man working for him. Sometimes it was a family member in trouble with the law, or an unpaid gambling debt. But most of the time, it had to do with the person’s immediate family. Their children or grandchildren. Amazing the lengths a person will go to protect their own. She knew all too well about that one. She’d do anything to protect her children.
Nicholas’ laughs and squeals of delight got louder and louder and her heart raced. She twisted her hands against her restraints again, harder this time, and the rope gave. It was so slight, she almost questioned it, but the mere idea gave her new hope. Silently, she maneuvered her wrists back and forth to find the weak point. Freeing her hands would up their chances a great deal.
Makayla scrutinized Ricky’s behavior out of the corner of her eye. The man was more than a little worried. It radiated all over his large overweight body. Ever since they’d left the convenience store, he’d been checking his pockets, rechecking the car and sending her accusing glances.
But the fact he didn’t come right out and accuse her of taking whatever he’d lost led her to believe he didn’t want Steven or her to know what it was.
She played with the idea of telling Steven or asking Ricky about it in his presence. But decided against it. The timing was still not right.
Besides, as long as Ricky’s mind remained preoccupied, she could work on getting her hands untied without being noticed. With every try, the ropes grew loser. She almost whimpered when she realized she could almost slip one hand out. Being patient had never been one of her strongest qualities, so this was more than frustrating. It was ruthless punishment.
“Mom! I’m all wet!” Nicholas ran through the front door, water dripping from his entire body, his feet slipping and sliding on the tiled floor like an ice skating routine gone bad. “Hurry. I need a towel.”
Makayla’s heart stopped. This would be the defining moment.
“Stop running before you fall, sweetheart,” she said.
Nicholas did as she asked and smiled up at Ricky. “That was fun!”
“Don’t you think you should take care of that?” She glared at Ricky whose complete attention was glued to her son now. “You wouldn’t want the boss to slip and fall now would you?” He only glanced in her direction for a brief second. The mention of Steven and the word fall sent Ricky flying down the hallway, curses trailing behind him.
Makayla blew out a sigh. The extra time she needed had been handed over on a silver platter.
With a quick jerk, she slipped her wrist free, then held the rope with her fingers to keep them together. No reason to tip her hand. She needed to make sure her son was out of danger.
“Here, boy,” Ricky said, hustling back down the narrow corridor. His steps were heavy, his breathing hard as tiny beads of sweat emerged on his brow.
He’d really let himself go since the last time she’d seen him. About thirty pounds of extra baggage around the middle if she had to guess, thinning blond hair, and sporting one heck of a bad attitude. The attitude worried her most. Push someone too far and it didn’t matter what was being held over their head. With his growing agitation, she wasn’t so sure he wouldn’t snap.
But the truth was, an out of shape goon was the best kind. “Wrap yourself up tight, honey. And use the other towel to wipe up the water on the floor. We don’t want anyone to get hurt.”
Nicholas did exactly as she asked without hesitation. No complaining or buts. This was not normal behavior for her son at all. Whatever had gotten into him, she hoped wouldn’t disappear anytime soon. His eager to please attitude was a God-send. “Come here, honey. Sit by me and let’s see if we can warm you up.”
Nicholas started toward her, shuffling his wet feet on top of the towel he stood on to wipe up water as he went. Steven walked through the door at that moment, assessed the situation and hurried over to grab him by the shoulders.
“Oh, we can do better than that, Mom.”
There was that word again. His tone sent chills down her spine.
“How about a nice big warm fluffy robe?” Steven added so much extra nice to his words, Makayla thought she’d throw up. But Nicholas didn’t acknowledge he’d said anything, didn’t appear interested. “You know, like in a fancy hotel?” Steven added.
Still no response and Makayla sensed the tension growing in Steven’s body language.
“You know, honey, like the one you wore at the hotel on our trip to Disney World.”
That’s all it took. Nicholas’ eyes sparked with excitement, his hands flying into the air like an airplane. “Oh, yeah! Let’s get one of those. Can I play Superman again?”
Steven’s jaw worked overtime. Her mentioning their family vacation wasn’t sitting well with him, that was clear. “Nice, Myka. You remember how to play the game well.”
She cringed inside. Yes. She’d learned all right. Never forgotten how these little incidents enraged Steven. He wanted things to go his way at all times. The scars from the whip he’d used to punish her for not backing up his discipline methods, or insisting Michael play with a stupid sling shot he’d bought him for his third birthday, still crawled in an ugly pattern across her lower back.
The depths of this man’s cruelty made her more determined to win this battle.
She would never go back. And she’d do whatever it took to make sure Nicholas didn’t fall prey to this lunatic.
Steven nudged Nicholas forward toward the stairs, but her son put on the brakes, his wet feet glued to the floor. “No, I want to stay here.”
Not the right response. Steven’s face turned beet red. “You will come with me.”
Nicholas held his ground and shook his head stubbornly.
“Wait, Steven. I’ll go with him.” Makayla feared she’d never see her son again if she let him out of her site now. She had to do something. She couldn’t let him leave with Steven in this mood. She needed a distraction. Fast.
“Did you find it, Ricky?” Her heart pounded in her ears. “Have you told Steven yet?” Ricky’s eyes shot a puzzled, wounded stare in her direction. This was not going to go down well. Oh, dear God. Had she made the right decision?
“Tell me what, Ricky?” Steven straightened his shoulders and drilled Ricky with a gaze powerful enough to melt metal.
Ricky swallowed so hard it made a sound all the way down. “What the hell have you done?” he said, lunging in her direction. But Steven stopped him with a cold, hard stare.
Just as she’d hoped. Ricky looked guilty of something. She had no idea what had been eating at him over the last few hours, but he played right into her hands. Her ploy to crack him working like a charm.
“Ricky, what’s she talking about?” Steven still held Nicholas by the shoulder, but Ricky had his full attention.
“Sir, I don’t know. Really. She’s just making trouble, like always.” His actions, along with his darting gaze, betrayed every word. More beads of sweat formed on his forehead and his tongue made a mad dash across his lips.
Guilty.
Makayla’s heart ached with her own guilt for all the innocent victims she’d played a part in destroying. They’d never broken the law or hurt anyone. Yet she’d had no choice. Just like now. This was all necessary to protect Nicholas. Whatever it took. No matter what. Steven would never hurt anyone again. Isn’t that what she’d said?
“I’m waiting Ricky. And you know very well I hate to wait.” Steven stepped off the last step, his right hand easing from the rail to rest by his side. The side where the gun was clipped to his hip.
Ricky backed up. Then glanced in her direction, swiping at the moisture now running down his cheek. “You’ve no idea what you’ve done, you little bi….” The raw hatred in his voice tore at her soul.
“I’ll deal with her later,” Steven said. “You on the other hand will tell me exactly what she’s talking about. Or do I need to remind you what will happen to your precious niece. What is she, about three years old now?”
Makayla’s breath caught just at the base of her throat. A child.
No
. Not another child.
“You leave her alone, and my sister too.” Ricky’s hands tightened into fists, his large chest sucking down air like a vacuum.
“Sure, buddy. You know I’m a man of my word.” Steven drew to his full height, releasing his hold on Nicholas’ shoulder.
If lightning really struck those who lied, they’d all be crispy fried at that last statement. Makayla knew time was running out. She needed to move. And now.
Catching Nicholas’ frightened gaze, she shifted her body just enough to show him her free hand. His eyes grew wide with understanding.
The two men faced each other as Ricky backed further toward the front door and at that moment she knew of only one outcome. Makayla inched herself along the wall closer to the stairs. A few more feet and she’d be able to reach Nicholas. After that she’d just make up the rest as she went.
“It’s just my cell, boss. No biggy. I lost it at the convenience store when we stopped.” He paused to fling a look at Makayla and she froze all movement. “I don’t know how. It was in my clip the entire time. Maybe Makayla took it.”
Steven laughed. “Makayla took your phone off your hip with her hands tied behind her back. Now that’s something I’d like to see firsthand.”
Only his cell phone? Why was that such an important detail, she thought to herself.
“She’s bad, man. I told you to forget her.”
Steven’s laugh turned eerie. He looked over at her, his eyes igniting with rage before turning all his fury on Ricky. “You never tell me what to do. No one does. I’m the boss here. Not you.”
The blast from Steven’s gun shook the glass in the windows and echoed through Makayla’s brain. Just before running to Nicholas, she watched Ricky’s eyes focus on her before he fell to the ground, blood seeping through his large fingers where he grasped his chest. “Why? Why did you do this?”
Her heart stopped. Shame washed over every inch of her body. If Ricky had helped her. If he’d tried to help her son. Tears threatened, but she held them back. She’d had no other option.
Taking two steps at a time, she bounded up the stairs, grabbing Nicholas by the hand and dragging him up with her.
“Mommy, he shot him. He shot Ricky.”
“I know. It’s okay, honey. Everything’s going to be okay.” She cleared the top of the stairs, a picture of Ricky’s distressed face plastered in her memory forever. Makayla knew something was wrong. Steven didn’t just shoot Ricky for his boldness or lake of respect, and certainly not merely because he’d lost his cell phone. He must have gotten bad news. His reinforcements must not be coming.
“Myka! Don’t make this any worse. Come here! And bring that boy.” Steven’s voice echoed off the walls. He was still standing at the bottom of the stairs, expecting her to do as she was told like old times sake. Not in this lifetime. Instead, she picked up speed. Searching, praying for a place to run and hide.
There had to be a room with a blasted phone in this place somewhere.
“All right then. If that’s the way you want it, I’ll come get you. But remember, you brought this on yourself.” Steven’s footsteps echoed off the stairs like a sledgehammer.
At the end of the long hallway, she shoved Nicholas inside a dark room and slammed the door behind them. Trembling fingers found and clicked the lock just as Steven’s body plowed into the door.
“Let me in! Myka, don’t be stupid. It really doesn’t become you.” He growled instead of spoke. Every barbed word pushed her back further into the past.
How many times had he told her that? She didn’t want to remember, couldn’t go back to that painful time in her life.
“Mommy, I’m scared.” Nicholas pulled at her arm in the dark.
“Let’s find a light. Can you find a light for Mommy?” She didn’t want to leave the door. Her mere one hundred and twenty pounds would do little to stop Steven, but she needed to buy as much time as possible.
With a soft click, bright light lit the room and she saw her son standing in the corner next to a bed with a proud smile on his little face. At first she was confused by what she saw. It didn’t make any sense. The room looked way too much like an operating room. It was completely sterile and included devices for patient monitoring, as well as diagnostic tools, and respiratory and cardiac support. Why would the owner of the house need a room like this? A sick loved one?
She glanced over the contents again and gulped down her next breath.
Oh, dear God
. What was Steven into now?
“See. I knew you could do it. Now, what about a phone, honey. Can you find a phone?”
Nicholas started shoving his hands down his wet pockets, tugging and twisting as he worked to retrieve an object. “No. Nicholas, look for a phone. We need to call the police.”
She started to panic. Steven had started ramming the door with his body. With each hit, the door gave a little more. Thank goodness the door was thicker than most. Probably due to what went on behind it.
“Nicholas Allen. Listen to me! Look for a phone.”
Makayla’s thoughts shattered into a thousand different pieces as she tried to stay on her feet. How would they survive?