Escape: A Stepbrother Romance Novella (6 page)

“Sammie…I…”

“It’s
okay, Brandon.  I know it was just a dream.”

“Did
you wake up sad?”

“Yeah,
but not because of the dream.”

“Ah,
honey.  I don’t want to make you sad.”

“Bran…I
just…I need…”  Sammie trails off and I’m impatient to know what she’s thinking
and feeling. 

“What
do you need?” I ask, the hairs prickling on my forearms.  I blame it on the
room’s cool air but in my heart I know what I’m hoping she’s gonna say.

“I
need you…” She says it so softly I press the phone tight to my ear. 

“Oh,
baby,” I say.  How easy would it be to say I need her too?  Four words that
feel so right in my heart but wrong to my head. 

“Do
you regret it?” she asks.  “Do you regret what happened?”

I
think about last night and the way I’d lost control, that driving pulsing need
I’d felt in my fingertips, lips and cock.

“We
shouldn’t have…” I say.  “It was all the feelings, we were confused.”

“I
don’t feel confused,” she says, and I blink, shocked.  “I can’t stop thinking
about you and the way it felt to be with you like that.”

“Oh
god,” I say as my cock twitches in my jeans. I don’t know what I’m doing. 

It’s
wrong.  I know this. But it feels anything but. 

 “I
wanted…” She trails off as I cup my erection, squeezing gently as everything
comes to life, feeling like I need to cover up the evidence of how much my body
wants her from the empty room, and from myself.

“What
did you want?”

“I
wanted you to stay…”

I
sigh loudly and hear her shuffling around in the background.  “I don’t know
what I’m doing,” I say, in a voice as quiet as hers.  I could have died tonight
and thinking about never seeing her again seems even more terrible than it had
before.

“Bran…I’m
here for you…whatever you need.”

“I
don’t know what I need,” I say but I don’t know if that’s true. I know I need
to get away.  I know I want Sammie in my life. I know I want to live
differently. I want to escape, but how can I when I know I’ve lived a life
that’s put me beyond the point of return?  I just have no idea how to get free
without fucking everything up in the process.

“You
know…you just have to figure it out.”

“Sammie…”

“Yeah,
Bran.”

“Tell
me a secret.”  It’s a game we used to play.  I never felt worried about sharing
with her because she never judged.  Sammie made it alright for me to just be
myself.

“Mmmm…”
She shuffles around again and her breathing gets louder, as though she’s turned
onto her side and pressed the phone closer.  “It’s been a long time. I have
lots of secrets now.”

“Tell
me one.  Help me forget what’s going on right now.”

“Well,
how about this?  After you left I used to sleep with a photo of you on my
pillow.”

I
exhale loudly.  I didn’t take a picture of Sammie with me.  I knew it would
have made things harder for me but for years I would think of her just before I
feel asleep. 

“Why
did you stop?”

“Who
says I did?” She laughs softly, keeping her voice low and mellow.  “I guess I
stopped when I realized that you wouldn’t look like the picture anymore. When
the boys in my school that were your age started to look like men I couldn’t imagine
you accurately anymore.”

“And
now you can.”

“Now
I can.” She sighs.  “Bran, we’re not gonna end up strangers again are we?”

“I
don’t want that, Sammie, but I just don’t know…”

“When
we were together it was like…I felt more in those few seconds than I ever have
with anyone before.”

I
groan, remembering the frantic feelings that had surged inside me and the
terrible stillness I forced onto myself.  The hand that’s on my cock squeezes
again.  “I know.”

“Tell
me a secret, Bran,” she says, seeming to understand my discomfort.

I
have too many to count and so many I could never share with my upstanding
stepsister.  “I…” I falter, wanting to tell her something so she understands
how much she means to me because I might not get another chance.  “I never
loved anyone the way I love you,” I say, and then, “I’ve got to go, Sammie,
okay?”

“Don’t,”
she whispers.

“I
have to…” I hang up before either of us can say anything else.  I hold my phone
against my chest and imagine her settling back down into her bed, hoping that
she’ll get back to sleep and not lie awake thinking too much. After a few
minutes I get up and take a shower, putting my boxers back on after and flopping
into bed myself. 

Some
days are just too fucked up to fathom.  It wasn’t my day to die but it’s closer
than I’ve ever come before. I remember a quote from a book I read as a
kid…Alice in Wonderland, I think it was.  Alice asks the rabbit ‘how long is forever,’
and he replies, ‘sometimes just a second.’  Tonight, that could have been my
reality and now time seems more precious than it ever did before.  I need to
find a way to make whatever time I have left count but I won’t put Sammie at
risk, no matter how much I might want her.

Chapter 9

Samantha

I hardly slept
after Brandon cut our call short.  When I did my dreams were surreal and they
left me feeling strange the next day.   I was up and out of my apartment
quickly, wanting to get to the office so I could arrange more surveillance on
Brandon.  There was something very wrong about last night.  He sounded bad. 
He’d been too in need of company or comfort when only hours earlier he’d been
so determined that we weren’t going to be in contact. I wonder what happened to
him to make him break his conviction.  What changed his mind?

Maybe
it was just a one-time thing.

I
hope it wasn’t with a fierceness that makes me tremble.

John,
the P.I., is busy with another case but he has a friend called Dirk who takes
the job.  I arrange three days surveillance with a review at 7pm each day so we
can decide what to do next.  If they can identify Brandon’s known associates I
might be able to cross check their records for criminal convictions and get an
idea of what’s really going on.  I feel better too, knowing someone will have
eyes on Brandon.  It’s like a layer of protection and makes me feel less
helpless about his situation.

I
have a full workload but by lunchtime I’m feeling lightheaded and in need of a
break.  I take the elevator down to my favorite deli and sit at the counter
sipping an iced tea while I wait for them to prepare my sandwich.  The TV is on
in the corner and something about an earthquake overseas comes on.  I’m
straining to see the details when a man takes a seat on my right. 

“Terrible
isn’t it,” he says, reaching across to get the packets of sugar that are in
front of me.

I
look over at him.  He’s in his forties, dressed a little casual for this part
of town, but he smiles widely with friendly eyes that crinkle at the side.

“Yeah,
where is that?” I ask.

“Nepal,”
he says.  “Those poor countries always seem to suffer the worst luck.”

“Yeah,”
I say and reach to stir my drink absentmindedly with the straw.  I go back to
watching the TV, seeing the estimated casualties and sighing at the terrible
loss.  The man at my side orders an espresso and sips it carefully.

Adriano,
the owner of the deli, hands me my sandwich and I take a bite.  It’s delicious
and I eat it slowly, still feeling light headed from rushing about.  The man at
my side keeps talking, telling me about the places he’s visited in Southeast
Asia and how beautiful they are.  It’s interesting because I’ve never been to
that part of the world and would love to travel more. 

When
I’m getting to the end of my sandwich I start to feel strange. It’s weird
because I really love the taste of mozzarella and tomato with a basil dressing
but the last few bits seem off, almost metallic.  I place it down on my plate
and take a big drink of iced tea, trying to wash my mouth clean.  I glance back
at the TV but I can’t seem to focus on the screen and I’m suddenly really hot.

I
don’t feel good.  I must say it out loud because the man next to me puts his
arm around my shoulder protectively and says I must need some fresh air.  He
offers to help me back to my office.  I feel an arm putting pressure on my
back.  Then I’m on my feet and walking toward the door.  The air outside is
muggy.  I feel like I’m underwater.  The man has his arm tightly around me
now. 

“It’s
okay.  I’ll take care of you,” he says.  That sounds good because I don’t know
where I am…I can’t seem to figure out how to take care of myself.

A
car horn hoots but it sounds muffled.

My
feet feel like they’re dragging.

The
traffic next to us blurs. 

Chapter 10

Brandon

I leave the hotel
wearing my dirty clothes from the day before and go straight to Adam’s place. 
It’s early and he’s still in his night shorts with bed hair and a sleep-creased
cheek. I’m surprised he hasn’t got a woman with him.  His appetites don’t seem
to wane with age.

“You’re
early,” he says holding the door open and looking over my shoulder to check
there are no unwanted followers outside.  His gun is in his hand just in case.

“I
need to borrow some clothes,” I say. 

Adam
looks me over. “You haven’t been home yet?”

“Nah,
I stayed at Red’s last night.”

“That
place is a shithole,” he grunts.

I
nod. 

His
house isn’t anything impressive.  He likes to stay low-key which is, I suppose,
how he’s managed to evade police interest for so long.  His off-shore accounts
must be pretty healthy because he’s still riding his old Harley and I don’t see
him splashing the cash around, other than on pretty clothes for whatever woman
he has hanging around. 

Adam
goes into his bedroom which is at the back of the house and I walk into the
kitchen, noting how clean and tidy it is.  For a lifetime bachelor, Adam knows
how to look after himself.  I take a carton of juice from the fridge and poor
myself a glass.  He has some protein bars in the cupboard and I take two,
wolfing them down.  Adam returns with a black t-shirt and some clean boxers and
socks.  It all feels very domesticated, and I get a flash of our first few days
together, and his basic attempts to care for me as a twelve year old.

I
go to the bathroom and change, chucking my dirty clothes into his washing
basket. He pays Jared’s mom to come in once a week to sort out the big jobs. 

When
I get back to the kitchen Adam’s sipping from a mug of coffee, leaning against
the counter.

“Tell
me exactly what happened,” he says, so I do.  Every little detail I can
remember.  He says nothing and when I’m done, he nods.

“It
was definitely those fuckers from the north,” he says.  “They’re operating up
there but they obviously think it’s time to expand.  Fuckers think they can
come in and piss all over me,” he growls.

“So
what are you going to do?” I ask.

“We
need to do the deal with Leon today. He’s spooked so I’ve arranged a different
point for exchange.” I nod.  “And then we’re gonna take these sons of bitches
down a peg or two.”

“I
should fucking hope so.  When’s the drop?” I ask.

“Connor
has the details.  Go and pick him up, then drive around a bit.  Go get a coffee
or something.  The drop is in four hours.”

“Okay,”
I say.  It’s the same bullshit, just a different day, except it doesn’t feel
that way.  I don’t feel so flippant about letting time slip through my
fingers.  I’ve got to find a way out of this, before my future ends up nothing
but a second.

Chapter 11

Samantha

I can’t move but my
shoulder is hurting.  I can’t open my eyes.  I feel a soft comforter under my
bare legs.  I will my fingers to move but they feel disconnected from my body. 

I
can hear voices but I can’t make out what they’re saying.

My
breathing sounds so loud in my head and my stomach is sick.  I feel my body
heave and taste bitter bile. 

My
mouth is wiped roughly by some kind of cloth.  It doesn’t smell good. 

Everything
goes dark.

Chapter 12

Brandon

Connor is in a foul
mood.  He’s not usually the most talkative of people but today he’s practically
vibrating with anger.

“I
can’t fucking believe it,” he says about Tom when I pick him up.

“I
know,” I say, not really feeling the same.  There are a lot of snakes in this
game.  In a way, I’m surprised it hasn’t happened before now.  I look across at
Connor wondering what I don’t know about him.  Has he been talking to our
rivals, working out a better deal for himself?

Am
I in danger again? 

Stupid
thought because I’m always in danger.  I’m Adam Ford’s son.  It’s why I carry
the fucking gun.

We
do as Adam asked.  Driving out of town, then taking another road in on a loop,
listening to an old rock radio station to fill the tense silence.  We find a
coffee shop we’ve never been into before and I order a black coffee while
Connor orders a mocha-whippy-chocolate something or other that makes me want to
laugh.  He still has devil-furious eyes so I don’t bother.  It’s not really the
time for jesting, whatever his choice of beverage. 

When
it’s time, Connor directs me to where Leon will be waiting.  The exchange is
tenser than usual which isn’t surprising.  No one likes standing around on the
street holding illegal substances or large sums of cash.  I get that.  It’s
only our years of mutually agreeable business dealings that has kept this
meeting in play.

We
get back in the car and I drop Connor off to where he’s left his ride.  We head
in opposite directions, him to sort out the distribution channels, me to
Jackson’s so I can report back to Adam. 

When
I arrive I know something is off immediately.  Adam is more pensive than usual
and when I tell him about the drop he seems distracted.  In the end, I ask him
what the fuck is wrong with him.

He
says nothing but brings his closed fist from where it’s resting next to his leg
up onto the table in front of me.  He opens it and there’s a thin silver chain
inside, and for a moment I stare at it, wondering why Adam is handing me a
piece of women’s jewelry.  Then I lean in closer, catching sight of the small
‘S’ charm and the silver angel’s wing tucked into the crease by his thumb and I
know.

“Where
the fuck did you get that?” I ask, bracing one hand against the table and
snatching the warm chain from his sweaty palm. 

“It
was left on the bar in an envelope addressed to me.  You know who it belongs
to?”

His
eyes are narrowed suspiciously and I swallow, barely controlling my rage with
deep breaths.  Someone has Sammie.  It’s what I feared the most and why I kept
telling her to just leave me be.  Why the fuck didn’t she listen?

“It’s
Samantha’s necklace.  My stepsister.” 

Adam
sits back, still sizing me up.  He’s wondering how all of this fits together.

“But
you haven’t seen her for years.  Why would they think they could use her as
leverage?”

“Who
the fuck has her, Adam?” I’m so damn angry I can’t breathe. 

“The
same fuckers who shot at you last night.  Now answer my goddamned question.”

“The
lawyer you hired for me, the first one.  It was Samantha.  They must have seen
us together and think she’s my girl or something.”

“Well,
they got that wrong, didn’t they.”  He sounds relieved and I don’t understand.

“What
are you talking about?”

“Well. 
She’s your ex-stepsister and you haven’t seen her for fifteen years.  We just
tell them we don’t give a fuck that they’re holding her.  They’ll probably just
release her.  No point in risking a murder charge for the sake of this shit.”

“What
the fuck…”  I’m so furious I ball my fists.  I never expect much from my
scumbag father but this is low even for him.  “You tell me where she is right
the fuck now or I won’t be responsible for what I do.”

“You
know what they are asking for?” he says, eyes narrowed again, leaning forward
like he might go for me at any second.  His biceps are bunched and ready for
assault but I don’t give a damn.  I’d kill him before I stand by and let anyone
even ruffle a hair on Sammie’s head.

“Whatever
it is, we are going to give it to them, do you understand?” I say through
gritted teeth.

“Understand
this, boy,” he says, spit flying from his mouth and landing on the table in
front of me.  “I decide what we do…not you and not any other punk-ass
motherfucker who thinks he can threaten me.”

“She’s
innocent in all this, Adam.  I’m not gonna stand by and let them hurt her…”

“You
don’t get a choice in this, Brandon.” 

I
slam my fists down on the table so hard the bottles of beer bounce and
overturn, spilling foaming dregs across the wooden surface.

“I’m
only going to say this once more,” I growl.  “I am not going to leave her in
the hands of those men, Adam.  There is nothing here that is worth more to me
than her, do you understand? Whatever it takes, I will do it to get her back,
with or without you.  So tell me where the fuck she is before I have to do
something both of us are gonna regret.”

“You’d
stand against me for a cunt who’s practically a stranger?” he asks, looking
genuinely baffled, and I understand, once and for all, that he is incapable of
caring about anything but himself and his money.  And I know now, that whatever
happens next, I have to get away from him because he would sacrifice anything
to protect what he loves most, and that includes me.

“She’s
not a stranger.  She’s my sister.”

“And
I’m your father.  Doesn’t count for shit though does it?”

“Don’t
make this about anything other than finding Sammie and getting her back. It’s
fucking pathetic.  If you don’t want to get involved then leave it to me.  I’ll
go and do this myself.”

“And
what do you think that would look like?  That I send in one man to do the job
of a crew.  I’m not a pussy, Brandon.”

“You
know you’ve got to do this, because if you don’t they’ll think you’re scared.”

We
glare at each other in a bar that has now gone quiet as everyone looks across,
waiting for our argument to turn physical. 

“I’m
gonna get her back,” I say as quietly and menacingly as I can, my mind filled
with the terror that Sammie is likely to be dealing with right at this moment,
and I slide out of the booth until I’m standing with my fists resting on the
table.  I look down at the man who’s supposed to be my father. Blood means
nothing to him, loyalty means nothing. If I told him I was leaving he wouldn’t
care because I’m his son and he was losing me.  He’d care because of the
inconvenience, how it would look to our rivals and the danger that I might pose
to him as a civilian who knows too much about his precious business.

Adam
doesn’t stop glaring at me with his narrowed eyes but I know his brain will be
searching through all the available options for the one that has him coming out
the best.  I don’t expect it, but he nods.  He leans in closer, talking in a
whisper. “Had someone on them since last night.  They think they’re clever but
they’ve got no idea what they’re doing.  All muscle and no brain.  They have a
safe-house where they congregate and I think that’s where they will have taken
her.”

“So
let’s get over there.”

“You
don’t know what they want in exchange though do you?”

“What
is it?  Tell me?”

“They
want territory and contacts…they want us out of our deal with Leon so they can
take over.”

“Leon
won’t deal with people like that.  He values his life too much.”

“You’re
right.  But they’re not going to listen to that if it comes from us.”

“So
we agree to it all and get her back.”

“If
we go in there, they’re gonna try and kill us.  This isn’t an exchange based on
some old-fashioned gentlemen’s agreement.  This is a set up between villains.” 
He laughs then, as though he’s enjoying the game.  Adam was made for this kind
of life.  I was not.

“So
what the fuck are we going to do?”

“We’re
going to distract them.  They’re greedy and stupid and they don’t have the
brains to work out shit.  They proved that last night.  That’s got to be one of
the worst ambushes in the history of man.”

“They
nearly killed me,” I growl.

“They
should have succeeded but they didn’t.  Leave this to me, okay.”

Adam
pulls out his phone and slides out of the booth, heading to the backroom for
some privacy.  I go to follow but he waves me away so I go to the bar and order
a whisky.  I know I shouldn’t because I need to be clear headed but my hands
are shaking and my mind is already spinning. The alcohol might just take the
edge off.  The liquid burns on the way down but feels nice and warm when it
hits my stomach.  Adam comes back rubbing his stubbly chin and pushing his
phone into his jeans pocket. 

“Here’s
what’s going to happen,” he says, as though he expects no disagreements from
me.  “I’ve told them we’ll meet them to discuss terms in three hours. Jared is
already staking out their lair.  He’s good at being discreet and he’ll call you
to let you know what’s happening.  I’m going to need to take Connor and most of
the boys with me because I intend to deliver a very tough message.  If you want
to go and get the girl then you make sure there aren’t too many of them left in
that wasp’s nest and you do what you need to do.”

“Okay,”
I say, exhaling now that I know I have the green light to go and find Sammie. 
“You give me the address of the place now and I’ll go up there and join Jared.”

“That
isn’t what I said, is it?”

“You
want me to sit around here while Sammie is there?  I want to get as close as I
can.”

“You
see, that’s why I’m telling you not to go.  You’re going to get down there and
you won’t be able to wait until that house empties out.”

“I’ll
wait,” I hiss, hating that he’s treating me like a kid.

“Yeah,
you will.  Right here.”  He turns back to the booth and collects his things. 
When he walks by me towards the door I grab him by the arm. 

“This
is it for me, Adam,” I say.  “I’m going to find her and then I’m out.  And I’m
not coming back.”

Adam’s
eyes scan over me and his poker face gives nothing away.  “You think you can
just walk away?”

“I
do,” I say with as much conviction as I can find, when inside all I can think
is that this isn’t going to work.  He’s never going to let me go.

“And
why would I let you do that?” he asks.

“This
time it’s not about you letting me do anything, Adam.  This time it’s about me
telling you that I’m deciding. I won’t do this anymore…any of it. I’m done.
I’ll never speak any of what I know but I’m going.  For good.”

We
stare at each other, eye to eye, man to man, and I’m convinced he’s going to start
threatening but he doesn’t.  Instead he shrugs his shoulders.  “Jared will be
in touch,” he says, and I can’t believe he’s letting me go so easily.  All the
years I worried about what he would do.  All the years I wasted.  He slaps me
once on the shoulder, a pathetic gesture to mark the end of our business and
personal relationship, and turns to walk away and I shake my head.  I should be
baffled but in my heart I know. Adam will only try to control those who are
prepared to be controlled.  It’s taken me standing up to him like a man for him
to accept me as one.  And that’s it.

I’m
left in Jackson’s with no option but to wait. I slip Sammie’s necklace into my
pocket and rest my face in my hand.  No one bothers me for conversation,
probably because they heard my argument with Adam and can see how anxious I am. 
The next hour is the longest of my life as I stare at my phone, willing Jared
to call.  When he does I almost drop the damn thing with all my fumbling to
answer. 

“Brandon,”
he whispers.

“Yeah,
where the fuck are you?  What’s going on?”

“I’m
gonna message you the address.  They’re starting to leave.  I’ve been here
counting all day.  If I’m correct, there’s only two of them left in the
building.

“And
you’re sure Sammie’s in there?”

“No,”
he says flatly and my heart falls in my chest.  “But they pulled up in a truck
and unloaded something…there’s a pretty good chance.”

“I’m
on my way.” I hang up and run out of the bar, sprinting to my truck.  By the time
I’m belted in, the phone vibrates with the address.  I know the area…it’s in a
pretty shitty neighborhood but I wasn’t expecting a mansion. I tap it into the
Sat Nav to find the exact road and then I’m off.

During
the whole journey my leg is jumping and my hands are sweating.  I have to wipe
them on my jeans to keep a good grip on the steering wheel.  In the traffic I’m
cursing and leaning forward in my seat, driving too close. I just need to get
to her.  I need to know she’s safe.

When
I get near, all my reflexes seem to slow.  I know I have to be careful now. If
I put a foot wrong I could put her in even greater danger.  I pull over down
the road, switch off my lights and wait in the truck for exactly two minutes. 
I have a baseball cap in my glove box which I pull out to wear.  I don’t want
to be recognized before I need to be and with the bill pulled down low my entire
face is in shadow.  I open the door, palm my gun and step onto the sidewalk,
shutting the truck as quietly as I can.  I slip the gun into the back of my
jeans and loosely cover it with my shirt, then I make my way up the road,
sticking as closely to the buildings on my right as possible.  I hear the noise
of a car pulling up and turn to see a dark truck at least a hundred feet behind
me.  I don’t think anything of it because this area is relatively residential. 
Probably just someone coming home for the day.  I go to the place Jared has
said he’s waiting and observing, a thin walkway between two houses on the
opposite side of where Sammie might be held.  I peer around the corner and find
Jared in the shadows, dressed in a similar way to me.