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I called Lindsey and got her on board with what was going on. I didn’t tell her about the kidnapping; just that Dallas had been out of town and would be returning tomorrow. I told her the party was just something to lift her spirits and let her know that we cared about her. Lindsey was easy to convince and claimed to have a bunch of dishes she had wanted to make and promised to bring them. I also called Brooklyn. Word had spread about Luke and Ronnie was planning a trip over anyways, so it worked out. Everything was in place and ready. All I needed was my Luke and Dallas, and I prayed like hell that they would make it back.
Dallas
We were now in the living room of the small cabin. Frankie had suggested that we go inside, but I didn’t hear him when he spoke. I was too busy trying to process what he had told me. I sat on the old couch, looking across from me into the eyes of Luke who only offered me a tight smile. He was sitting on a loveseat, with one of Charlie’s goons on either side of him. They stood with their hands at their sides and not clasped in front of them like they normally did. Something was about to happen and I could tell by their stance that whatever it was, might require physical restraint of Luke. Frankie’s hands had been tied behind his back and he now sat on his knees, in the middle of the floor. Charlie was in another room on the phone and when he walked in, I felt him rather than saw him. Just his presence demanded my attention. I looked to him and the warm expression he usually wore was now replaced with the cold, heartless one that I had seen from him that first time I saw him. He walked across the room, and my eyes followed.
“You know, Frankie, I thought about letting you live until Dallas shared with me what you did to her.” I felt Luke’s eyes on me and as much as I wanted to, I couldn’t look at him. “Since she told me, I have thought of a million ways to kill you. You stole money from me, but from her, you took so much more. When I asked her if she would kill to see Luke again, her answer was that she had already given her life for the ones she loved. She asked me, was that ultimate sacrifice not enough? You see, I do not believe that giving your life for someone is that great of a forfeit. It is when you take a life that you have truly done something that makes a difference. That is something you have to live with for the rest of your life. It can be good, and it can be bad. Soldiers, for instance, take the lives of men every day to protect our country. When they go to sleep at night, they think about what they have done and it should give them a sense of pride. Just knowing that there is one less man out there looking to hurt their families and fellow Americans should be worth everything they sacrificed for it. In some instances, you take a life by accident, or because you have no other choice. You wake up every day, wondering what you could have done differently. If you give your own life, your worries are over. It is the living who makes the sacrifices, not the dead.” He reached into the back of his pants, and produced a small revolver. “Come here, Dallas.”
Luke stood before I could and was immediately pushed back down on the couch. Each goon kept a firm hand on both of his shoulders. I swallowed hard and looked at him. He was visibly shaken about something, but I didn’t know what. Charlie wouldn’t hurt me. Would he?
“Dallas.” I heard Charlie say, and I knew that if I didn’t go to him, Luke might suffer for it. I stood, wiping my sweaty palms on my skirt and walked towards him. “Are you scared, Dallas?”
“Yes,” I whispered, my body trembling in fear. Frankie was the only one that was supposed to die today, yet he had not uttered a word.
“Don’t be scared, love. You are a soldier.” His eyes narrowed as he looked at me. When he spoke, it was low and menacing. “Now, you take this gun, and you kill the man that ruined your life. You kill the man that took the life of your mother. This is your chance to make the world a better place, Dallas. If you want to make the ultimate sacrifice for Maddie, now you have that chance.” I stared at the gun that he had placed in my hand without me knowing. His hypnotizing words had me in such a trance that I hadn’t even felt its weight until now. Charlie straightened in front of me and nodded his head. I turned to see Luke staring at me with a look I couldn’t decipher.
