A Captive Situation (Kings of New York)

He froze, his head turning to the side.

My heart began thudding in my chest. Why was he stopping? I wanted this too. He couldn’t leave, not like the last time. I opened my mouth, but his hand clamped over mine.

“Someone’s in the house.”

That’s all he needed to say and I froze up again. Fuck. I’d forgotten where we were.

Terror lined inside of me.

He was off the bed in the next instant, and tugged me after him. A strong arm banded around my back, catching me before my feet would’ve hit the ground hard. I was held up against his chest, his very strong and cement-like chest, as he said quietly in my ear, “We can’t make any sound.”

I nodded, just a slight tilt of my chin so he knew I understood.

He released me slowly and my feet touched the floor without making a sound. My knees were starting to shake and sweat ran down my spine as his words registered for a second time.

Someone was in the house. A creak sounded from the stairs followed by someone else saying, “Shhhh. She ain’t on these floors.”

That was definitely not anyone I knew.

My feet locked up. I was so scared of making a sound, if the floor would creak under my feet, but Jake muffled a curse and moved me in his arms. He did something with the bedding before carrying me into the closet.

Closing the door, he stopped it before it clicked, and just then another sound came from the hallway. They were on my floor.

Jake moved me around him, but I began shaking my head. I didn’t want to move away from him. I’d run from him and now I clung to him. The irony wasn’t lost on me. I’d made a mistake.

That mistake brought these people here, putting people I love in danger.

There was another scuffle sound from outside my door.

I fisted Jake’s shirt from behind, pressing my forehead to his back. His muscles were taut, bunched together. Sliding one arm back, he cupped my hip, giving me a slight squeeze. He removed it when my bedroom door opened.

Jake’s arm moved again, leaning forward to the closet door.

“She’s in the bed,” a guy said in such a quiet murmur.

I don’t know if I would’ve woken if I’d been in bed.

Three quiet pops were heard. I gasped, moving so my mouth was pressed against Jake’s back so no sound came from me. Those were the same sounds from the other shooter, the one who used a silencer.

“Fuck.” That same voice was savage, growling. Two heavy footsteps thudded on the floor. “She ain’t here.”

“What?” A second voice, also male. More footsteps.

They went to the bathroom. The light was turned on.

“Her bed’s still warm.” The first voice. “She was just here.”

“Check the closet.” That was a third voice.

More footsteps came our way.

Jake shoved me to the side and right before they would’ve opened it, he shot through it.

Bang! Bang!

He shoved open the door and at the same time, a body hit the floor.

“Fuck!” That was them.

All that happened at the same time.

Just as Jake was through the closet door, he turned, and two more gunshots went off.

Another deep thud was heard.

“Stay there,” Jake growled at me before stalking forward.

Another gunshot.

I closed my eyes, my whole body shaking.

He walked to the bathroom and there was a last gunshot.

How many shooters were there? Three?

There was a ringing in my ears and the edges of my vision clouded in, giving me tunnel vision. I couldn’t hear so well anymore. A deep, rhythmic pounding was overloading my hearing, but then Jake was in front of me, motioning for me to come to him. He was speaking, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying anymore. I was underwater, and he was trying to talk to me through the water.

I stepped out, my knees shaking.

“Shit,” Jake cursed, still muffled, and bent behind me. His arms swept me up, lifting me against his chest. He was carrying me like I was a baby, but he didn’t turn around so I could see the rest of the room. He kept me tucked against him, lifting me so I was folded down. I could only see him, only feel him, only smell him.

There were other voices.

Dogs were barking.

Jake said, gruffly, still muffled, “She’s in shock.”

My heartbeat pounded.

He moved through the room, stepping into the hallway. Other people were there. Fingers brushed at my forehead. Jake ignored them, taking me downstairs until he got to the main level. More footsteps joined us. More people.

He was speaking to someone else, asking a question. I couldn’t make it out anymore.

“—this way.”

Jake was following someone down a small hallway. A door opened. The room was dark, blissfully dark. He started to let me down, but I reached for him. “No!”

I heard the voice. A part of me knew it was from me, but that didn’t sound like me. That sounded animalistic.

Another part of my brain switched on so I was watching everything from a safe distance. I was outside of my body, witnessing as Jake soothed me, calming me down enough so he could place me on a couch. Graham was there, but he moved out when Oliver took his place. Aunt Bess was also beside me. They were talking to me. Bess was smoothing my hair from my forehead.

Jake was grim, his face like concrete with blood splattered over his neck and jawline. He was conversing with Graham. Aunt Clara was in the background, overhearing. All of them looked shaken, pale.

The dogs were barking in the background.

Graham was saying, “—no, you will not!”

I came back to my body abruptly, jerking upright. Oliver’s hand was on my shoulder. Aunt Bess was touching my foot, as if they were both trying to keep me grounded. Their eyes widened at my sudden change. I blinked once, reality slamming down on me, unwelcome, but it was what it was.

Jake was standing sideways, his face and body so tense, but he kept a firm hold on his gun, pressed to his side. “More could be coming here. I need to take her away so none of you are in danger. Sawyer would want that.”

Graham leaned in, hissing, “Maybe, but I’ve a feeling you’re the reason she had me driving north of the city to get her and why she was so terrified we were being followed—”

Aunt Clara barked, joining in, “Followed?”

Bess said, “Followed by who?”

Graham didn’t see I was cognizant again. No one did. They thought I was still in shock, except Jake, who holstered his gun. His eyes were trained on me, inspecting me. He ran his gaze down my body, darkening, before lifting to meet my eyes once more.

Graham’s arm swept in the air, cutting through it. “She wouldn’t tell me, but she asked me to pick her up in someone else’s car. She was scared of her own shadow when I got there. Who are you?”

“What?” Clara screeched. “Why is this the first we’re hearing about this? She’s my niece.”

“Mine too,” Bess huffed, her mouth twisting as she went back to patting my foot.

Oliver cursed under his breath, standing up. “I’m calling the police.”

“No police,” Jake ordered, his voice sharp, silencing everyone. Even the dogs stopped barking.

It lasted a second.

He asked me, quieting, “Are you okay?”

Oliver drew in air, blinking at me.

Bess, Clara, and Graham all fixed me with stares.

“Oh, baby.” Bess’s hand gripped my foot.

Clara started to push into the room.

Graham took a step forward.

All of them crowded around me.

Their concern and panic pounded at me from all sides, mixing with my own, but I forced it down. “I’m fine.” I cringed. That came out like a squeak.

Jake’s eyes narrowed, a dark emotion flashing there before it was banked. His jawline clenched and he came toward me, standing over me. I tilted back, still holding his gaze. He lifted a finger to touch under my chin, running along the length of my jawline before he moved it over my forehead, his mouth turning down at whatever he saw there. He tucked some hair behind my ear, tracing down the rest of my face before ending again under my chin. He tilted me back a little farther, his next words coming out softly, “You were only a person of interest, but an hour ago, a price was put on you too. You’re listed as a secondary bonus.”

All of my insides took a nosedive to the floor. That wasn’t good.

I whispered, “Did you find out who’s behind it?”

His eyes went dead, his mouth flattening. “I did. That’s why I left, to find out.”

That was good. That meant he could fix this.

“Sawyer, honey.” Bess’s voice dipped. She was fighting back tears. Her hand squeezed my foot. “Who is this man? What is going on?”

Oliver suddenly stood up. “We need to call the police. Those were gunshots. Our neighbors would’ve heard.”

I looked to Jake for those answers, seeing he was barely restraining himself. “They won’t know which fucking house it came from. Your curtains are drawn. No lights are visible. The police will send a squad car to drive through your neighborhood. They won’t find a disturbance unless you create one, and I already said no fucking police.”

“Fuck this,” Graham muttered, pulling out his phone.

Jake was across the room in the next second, ripping it away.noveldrama

“Hey!”

Jake ignored him, pulling his gun again.

Bess gasped, shrinking in next to me.

“Jake!” I snapped a reprimand.

He ignored me.

Blood drained from Graham’s face.

Oliver fell back against the wall, clutching his chest.

Clara’s eyes narrowed, getting that look she got before she was about to rip into whatever mess was ahead of her. It always reminded me of when a bull lowered his head before charging. Clara just needed to huff out some steam and the image would be complete.

“None of you know what the fuck you’re doing. You call the cops, that forces us to run. If we don’t, if we get taken in, we’re dead.” Jake didn’t raise his gun, but his hand gripped it tight. He swung his dark gaze over everyone, pinning everyone in place. “Do you hear me? No. Cops.”

“What do you mean?” Clara’s voice was low, but calm. Strong. She jutted out her chin. “You’re saying someone could get to my niece if she goes to a police station? What if they come here and question her?”

He fixed her with an impenetrable stare. “Same fucking thing. A case gets opened. That gives these killers more ways to get to her. This shit won’t get fixed by them, not in fucking time to save our asses. Mine and your girl’s.” He motioned to me with the gun.

Bess sagged farther into the couch.

I winced from the movement.

Seeing that, Jake cursed again, but shoved the gun back in his holster. He focused on me, anger and his tightly wound control on edge. “Are you going to run again?”

I swung my gaze up, starting to get pissed.

He ignored that look from me. “Cut it out. I have to ask. Are you in this with me or not? There’s a price on your head too, princess.”

“Don’t fucking call me that name.”

“Are you with me or not, Lunatic?”

I relaxed, a slight grin curling at my mouth.

Clara growled. “You don’t call her that either.”

He ignored her, only talking to me. “I’ve already explained to you what’s going on, so I’m going to step out and call in a crew to help with the cleanup. While I do that, educate your posse here. It’s up to you what you want to say, but just so you and me are copacetic, you will be leaving with me. These people will not say one word of this to anyone.” He raised an eyebrow. His next words were a warning. “They do, they will be dead within the week. We clear?”

Every word he said felt like a slap across my face.

He was right, but I didn’t like how it was delivered. “Crystal.”