Unexpected Chance (11 page)

“It’s been under surveillance since the night at the bar. And your house is under surveillance, too,” Max says, like it’s not something that I should have been aware of.

“What the fuck, man?” I clip.

“I told you that I had it covered. Don’t go to her house, come straight here,” he says, and hangs up.

I don’t waste any time. I get in my car and drive straight to Max’s PI firm. When I get there, Adrian and Kyle are already there. Jax and Asher walk in the door a minute after I do. The worry in the pit of my stomach ignites into flames. Max walks out of his office with Levi, holding a gun in his hand. His eyes come to me as he puts it in his shoulder harness, holstering it. I take one look at his face and I see it. Something bad has happened. I don’t even think, I lunge across the room toward Max. He gave me his word, his promise, that Reno was gone. How could I be so stupid to blindly put the safety of the woman I love into the hands of another man? I should have never let her go by herself. I should have gone with her. What was I doing that was so important that I couldn’t take her? I was sleeping like a fucking loser, that’s what I was doing. Jax and Asher each grab an arm and pull me back.

“What the fuck is going on?” I shout.

“I fucked up, man,” Max says.

“You fucked up? Tell me what the hell is going on. Where is Savvy?” I bark, fighting to get out of Jax and Asher’s hold.

“We had a software switch over tonight. It was only down for forty-five minutes. It was supposed to be seamless. The live feeds were never supposed to go down during the switch over. I don’t know how this happened. We’re pulling up the backup footage now,” Max says.

“Why the fuck did you call me here? I should have gone to her house,” I yell. “Show me the surveillance footage now, or I’m out of here!” I roar.

“It’s probably that car of hers, this could be nothing,” Max says, holding up his hands.

“Calm your shit, and we’ll let you go,” Jax says.

“I’m calm,” I say, ripping my arms out of their grasp.

I follow Max into his video surveillance room while dialing Savvy’s cell. Again, there’s no answer. The rest of the men also pile in the small room. He has several screens set up with different vantage points. I don’t even know where most of these places are. They must be ongoing cases he has.

“Here, I’ve got it,” Levi says, pointing to the monitor in front.

I look at the monitor. It’s from across the street from Savvy’s condo. It’s from a high vantage point, maybe from a telephone pole or something. Then I see Ruby pull up to the curb. Savvy gets out of her car, then walks around to the back and opens the trunk. She waves at someone walking down the street. She walks to the curb, then stops and talks to a woman walking a dog. She pets the dog, waves bye to the woman, and then goes into her house. She comes back about five minutes later with an arm load of bags.

I should have gone with her.

She turns around to go back into the house again, and then there it is. The brown Chevy drives slowly down the street, then out of view. Savvy walks out again and places more things in her trunk.

I should have gone with her.

A man comes into view and walks up to the car behind Savvy’s. She doesn’t even see him. He crouches down and makes his way to the front of the car behind her. As she puts the last bag in the trunk, the man walks up behind her, grabs her around the waist, and then they struggle. My heart sinks. My world stops. Why isn’t anyone around to help her? She turns around in his arms and screams. There’s no sound from the surveillance footage, but in my head I can hear her gut wrenching, terrified scream as if she’s standing in front of me. Why doesn’t anyone else hear her?

The man reaches behind his back and pulls out a gun from his jeans. He puts it to her head, she instantly stops struggling. Her face is filled with terror. Still, there’s no sound, but I can read her lips saying, alright. She puts her hands up like she’s surrendering, repeating the word, alright.

“She’s doing everything right, man,” Levi says.

That doesn’t help. I didn’t do everything right. I should have gone with her.

The man walks her around to the passenger side, opens the door and tries to put her in. Savvy starts to struggle again. He lifts his gun high in the air, then hits her in the side of her head with the butt of the gun. Blood runs down her cheek and her body goes limp in his arms. He knocked her out cold with one hit. The brown car comes into view again as the man drags Savvy to the back of her car. He tosses her in her tiny trunk like a piece of luggage, then closes the trunk over her. He walks over to the passenger side, takes Savvy’s purse out of the seat, then throws it in the trashcan on the sidewalk. The man walks over to the Chevy and rests his hands on the passenger door. He has a conversation with the driver, then he gets in Savvy’s car and takes off. The man in the Chevy pulls behind Savvy’s car and follows them.

“Wait, back that up about ten seconds,” Max says. Levi backs it up, Max says, “Stop, right there!”

“What is it? What do you see?” Adrian asks.

Max points to the license plate on the brown Chevy. “We’ve been looking at the wrong person. This doesn’t have anything to do with Reno. Those are the two men I hunted down in Texas and arrested for burning down Deuces bar,” he says. Max sits down at a computer and starts typing. “Fuck!” he shouts, banging on the table, sending keyboards rattling.

“What the fuck is going on? You better start talking,” I say.

“Len Jarvis and Ray Young were released from prison three months ago on a technicality. They should have been brought to Washington for their crimes here. Why wasn’t I told about this?” Max roars. “All of you go home and stay with your women and kids, no one is safe until I catch these two motherfuckers,” he continues. “These two are out for revenge and anyone connected to me is at risk. Chase, go to the hospital, get Chloe and bring her back here. Do not, I repeat, do not let her out of your fucking sight!”

“No way! These fuckups have one of our own; you’re not doing this by yourself. Willow and the kids are still at Wellington Corp. for a party. I’ll call my driver and have him take Willow and the kids to my mother’s,” Asher says.

“I’ll go home and get Shay and the kids and bring them back here,” Adrian says.

“Can you have your driver bring Amelia and Noah, too? Noah is in daycare in the building with your kids. I’ll call her and tell her what’s going on and that your driver can take them directly to Samantha’s. Tell him that they are not to talk to anyone or go anywhere in between,” Kyle says to Asher.

“Ava is at Wellington Corp., too. They’re all there. They all got together and threw her assistant, Reagan, a bridal shower after hours,” Jax says.

“Stop! Everyone. No one is safe, not even at Samantha’s house. Asher, call your driver, tell them to get everyone that’s at Wellington Corp. Then instruct him to go pick up Samantha at her house, Chloe from the hospital, and Shay and the kids from her house. Pick up Quinn and the girls from Jax’s house, too. Tell him to bring them all back here. Do not tell any of them what’s going on. The less they know the better. Does your driver carry a weapon?” Max asks.

“Always,” Asher replies.

“Make sure he knows exactly what’s at stake here. I want him to have eyeballs in every direction. I don’t care if he’s your driver or not, if he fucks up I’ll kill him myself. He’s got my wife and our family in his protection,” Max warns.

“Fuck man! When the women find out what’s going on, that it’s one of our own in trouble and we’re not telling them, they’re all going to go ballistic,” Asher says.

“I’ll take that risk,” Max says, getting up. Asher gets on the phone and instructs his driver. Max sits back down and says, “Pull up the rest of the footage and tap into the traffic cams. Follow the path of Savvy’s car. I want to know where they’re going. Damn it! We can’t even track her cell phone; they threw it in the trash. Someone get on the phone and tell Gary what’s going on,” Max says, throwing his own cell phone at the monitors. “No one leaves this building, that means you, too, Aiden. You will all follow my rules and we do this my way. Anyone tries something, I’ll shoot you in the knee caps and ask questions later,” he says.

Max, Levi, and Chase are still tracking Savvy’s car through traffic cameras. I nervously pace back and forth between the reception waiting area and the surveillance room. I feel like I just need to be out there doing something. Anything is better than pacing the carpet.

Twenty minutes later, Asher’s driver, Simon, walks in with all the women and kids.

“Samantha, why don’t you take the kids back in the safe room and put on a movie,” Willow says. Samantha takes all the kids except for little Sammy, who is sleeping in Shay’s arms. “Aiden, what the hell is going on? Why were we all brought here?” Willow asks, once the kids are out of the room.

I don’t want them to worry. I don’t want to alarm them, but the look on my face must give it away.

“Where’s Savvy?” Amelia asks, looking around the room.

Max walks into the room along with Asher, Kyle, Adrian, and Jax. All their wives rush into their men’s arms. What I wouldn’t give to have Savvy in my arms right now.

“Max, what’s going on? Where’s Savvy?” Chloe asks.

“I need you all to stay here. Stay in the safe room until you hear differently from me or one of my men. We’ve got it under control. Simon, I want you stationed outside the front door. No one except me or my men are allowed in or out. Do you understand?”

Simon nods his head and exits the building.

“You’re keeping me here? Over my fucking dead body. Whatever it is you’re planning, I’m coming with you,” I tell Max.

“No, you stay here. If I have to knock you out, or shoot off your knee caps, I will. No one except me or my men are leaving this office. The rest of you stay here and protect our women and kids,” Max says.

“Asher and I were with you, we helped you rescue Chloe and Amelia. I can help you. I’m coming with you,” I demand.

“This is different. You all have families to protect here,” Max yells, pointing in the direction of the safe room.

“My life, my family, is out there somewhere. She’s probably scared out of her fucking mind. I sure as fuck am going to be there when we find her. You have family here, too. This isn’t different,” I yell.

“This is different! It’s my fucking job and you’re going to stay here to protect my wife and the rest of your family. I’ll bring Savvy back to you, I promise,” Max says, lowering his voice.

“You’ve promised to keep Savvy safe twice now and you’ve failed both times,” I remind him.

Chapter 7

Chloe

The men are out in reception cussing and shouting at each other, having a pissing contest about who’s going to rescue Savvy. I look out the door at the tense situation and get a brilliant idea.

“Willow, cover for me. I’m going to go spy on the surveillance room and see what I can figure out,” I say, calling her over to the door.

“Go,” she whispers, looking out the door.

I sneak down the hallway and listen outside the surveillance room. Levi and Chase are watching several monitors of street camera footage. They’re tracking movement on Savvy’s VW Rabbit. The monitor on the left is on a continuous loop playing footage outside of Savvy’s condo. I watch in horror as she’s grabbed, knocked unconscious, shoved in her own trunk and carjacked.

The other monitors are still tracking her carjackers movements. Her car pulls into an old abandoned warehouse, then rolling doors are closed behind her car and a brown vehicle as well. I know exactly where this building is. It’s downtown in a rundown warehouse district.

I quietly go back to the safe room and call a powwow with the women, while Samantha keeps the children entertained.

“What’s going on? Where’s Savvy?” Willow whispers.

“Savvy needs our help. Someone carjacked her outside her condo, I saw the whole thing. Max has it all on surveillance,” I tell them. They all gasp and huddle a bit closer.

“Max has my condo under surveillance?” Ava asks.

“Levi and Chase are getting the last of their intel right now. The men are still arguing about who’s going or not going. Max will probably be calling in reinforcements, but it will take them time to get here. I don’t think we should wait. I think we should go rescue her ourselves,” I tell them.

“I think we should let Max handle it,” Quinn says.

“I’m not going to sit around and wait for them to get men here and make their plan, while Savvy is being held by two men doing God knows what to her. The longer they have with her, the worse this is going to be,” I tell them.

“Oh my God, that’s a brilliant idea,” Shay says.

“Wait, how do we know where she is?” Ava asks.

“I know exactly where she is,” I tell them all.

“The men are not going to be happy with us at all,” Willow says with a devilish smile.

“Willow, I’m sorry, but I think you should sit this one out and stay here with the kids and help Samantha. Plus, we need you here to distract the men. They can’t find out that we’re gone,” I tell her cautiously.

“You’re out of your mind! I don’t want to miss all the fun?” Willow whines.

“Honey, you’re pregnant,” Amelia reminds her.

“So! Pregnant women can go on rescue missions and be a badass,” she pouts.

“You’ll do more by staying here. Trust me. Once they find out what we’ve done, the shit, also known as Max and our husbands will hit the fan. We need you here to slow them down,” I tell her. “Besides, Asher will kill me if you come,” I finish.

“Shit, you don’t think Max isn’t going to kill you when he finds out what you’re up to,” Willow says.

“I can handle Max, and I can handle myself, too. Max has been taking me to the shooting range. I know how to handle myself and a gun. We need to do this right now,” I tell them.

“One gun and a couple of women isn’t enough to head up a rescue mission,” Quinn says.

“Sure it is. But, Quinn, I need you to stay here with Willow and help her. Samantha can handle all the kids. You two stay back and handle the men. Ava, Shay, Amelia, and I will go to the warehouse and get Savvy back.