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“Let her go,” he demanded.
Fredricks giggled.
“Oh, we will have a good time, Montgomery. After we play with her for a while,” he mused.
I fought back the urge to scream, to gag, to flail and fight.
“Take me instead,” Calvin told them.
“You’re no fun. Montgomerys are always so stoic. This one we can flay alive and she even likes it, look at all those scars where she did it to herself. Not like she won’t be having fun, too. Besides, everyone wants a taste of this little muffin. They got to see her at the club, but none of us ever got to test drive the goods. It’s due time she put out and pay back some of what Cavelli has done for her.”
He grabbed my hair and yanked my head back, exposing my neck. My garbled scream cut through the cloth of the gag. Fredricks held the razor to my carotid artery. I heard a gun cock and I was sure it’s Calvin’s.
Fredricks released my gag and I shouted as fast as I could, “Calvin, don’t shoot. We’ll never make it out of here alive. Just let them do what they want, it’s the only choice—”
But all too soon, a gun was jammed in my mouth and it shut me up.
I prayed for Adele, that Fox and Charlie would love her as much as I did, that they’d raise her to be strong and independent and to listen to her heart.
Then gunfire seemed to erupt from every corner of the slaughterhouse hell hole. I leaned as far as I could until the chair tipped and I was on the floor while bullets seemed to skim the air just above me, I curled into myself and prayed some more.
The silence reigned and I smelled the match like scent of gunpowder as it overwhelmed the air around me. Then the sweet smell of blood and death crept in and sent me spiraling into a panic.
Seconds later, the blindfold was ripped from my face, and I blinked into the dim light to see Calvin, his impassioned green eyes searched mine in desperation. He cut my binds with a pocketknife and I threw my arms around him as soon as they’re free.
“Ellison, you’re safe,” he said. I nodded my head to let him know I understood, then fell into his embrace and sobbed. He held me and smoothed my hair back, reassuring me that it’s okay.
“They could have killed you,” I told him.
“Wouldn’t have mattered, I’m dead without you anyway,” he said.
“How the hell did you get all four of them?” I asked him bewildered.
“I had some help. A sharp-shooter named Fox arrived a few minutes after I did. He brought with him almost the entire South Vale police department, called in a favor since he had some familial connections with the retired police chief.”
“My dad’s here?” I asked Calvin incredulously.
He nodded in response as he waved over an EMT to look at my arm.
“Adele?” I asked him, suddenly frantic to see my daughter.
“With Charlie. They’re both fine.”
“They kidnapped me from my classroom. I’m gonna lose my job.” I felt my face fall even more. “Oh Jesus, Calvin, did you shoot anybody? Will they send you back to jail?”
I didn’t think I could take it all over again—the loss, the trial and sentencing—the fear of being completely cut off again.
“I fired a single round at the ceiling to signal the snipers. I didn’t break the law, El. You know I’d never do that.”
“Yeah, right,” I said before I buried my face in his chest.
Calvin helped me to stand and soon my dad and Fox were hugging me, concern dominated their expressions.
“I’m fine. Only a scratch on my arm, nothing that won’t heal in a heartbeat,” I told them.
My father shook Calvin’s hand and it nearly brought tears to my eyes. To see my father show respect to the man I loved was something I thought I’d never see again. Their relationship was over once dad found out about Adele. He never let go of the idea that Calvin wronged me. To see them shake hands made me feel like our future as a family was still possible.
It was four o’clock in the morning before we got discharge papers at the emergency room. We’d spent hours at the police station giving statements, while my dad basked in the glory of being high-fived by all of his old friends. They didn’t get Cavelli, but they got some of his men and that was reason enough for celebration. The outfit had evaded South Vale and Desolation police for years.
I climbed onto Cal’s bike and wrapped my arms around him with the plan to never let go. Fox followed behind us on the way to Charlie’s house.
When we pulled into her driveway, the sun was beginning to rise. Both Charlie and Adele ran out to meet us and I pulled my daughter into my arms with an abundance of gratitude. Calvin wrapped his arms around both of us and we stood together in a family hug.
