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“This is really stupid, Mia. Probably the dumbest thing we’ve ever done and that includes the time we got wasted on Trulys, put on my old roller blades and shoved Papa Walt’s leaf blower between my legs thinking it would make me go faster. Second-degree burns on your inner thighs are nothing compared to this.”
I sat frozen in Liz’s passenger seat, agreeing with every word she said but knowing I wouldn’t change my mind. My phone was gripped tight in my hand, Liz’s charging cord plugged into the back so it didn’t die. I’d shared my location with Adam five minutes ago and with any luck he was already out of Little Falls and on the highway.
The plan had formed quickly, the timing of it all being the hardest part. I’d wiggled out of the bathroom window and made my way through the woods and around the house until I got to the main road. Liz had been waiting for me and I’d jumped into her car, giving her directions as we went. For the first ten minutes I’d kept my eyes glued to the mirror, certain that Adam would pop up behind us and stop me.
Even though I’d been told to come alone, I wasn’t an idiot. Thirty minutes into the drive I’d let Adam know where I was. My phone had immediately started ringing just as I knew it would. I didn’t answer it, there was no point. I wasn’t stopping and it wouldn’t ease his worry for me to tell him that. He’d come for me just like he did earlier today, I knew it.
Every so often I’d give Liz another direction and when we pulled onto the street of the address I’d been sent, she parked against the curb and shut off the engine.
“You shouldn’t do this. We should wait here until your boyfriend and the rest of the commandos get here. Then they can knock down the door with their big muscles, grab Miles and we all go get some pie.” Liz was already reaching for her keys in the ignition.
I grabbed her hand to stop her. “What would you do if it were Shania, George or Garth?” Liz was a huge country music fan. She’d had it blasting throughout the delivery room each time she’d given birth and her children’s names reflected that.
“I’ll come with you.” Her face fell and her lip wobbled. She would, I’d offer the same for her if our roles were reversed. She was an amazing friend, but I wouldn’t let her put herself in anymore danger than I already had.
“I need you to stay here and wait for the commandos. I’ll be back before you know it with Miles and we’ll go get that pie.” I put on my best fake waitress smile and gave her a hug. Then I jumped out of the car and duck walked behind the others that were parallel parked in front of us toward the house.
It was big and historic looking. The townhome was more than likely a part of this neighborhood since it was created. Which meant it probably cost a fortune. I hated it. The sight made me angry, really fucking angry that while I was clipping coupons and buying groceries with food stamps, this asshole was living large in the city.
He had everything that Miles and I could only dream of. Yet, as I glared across the street, my palms pressed against a car that was worth more than everything I owned times five, I realized that we were richer than Drake Avery ever would be.
I had more than he ever could. I had Miles and Adam and together we had laughter, movie nights and pancakes on a Tuesday. We had a life thathecould only dream of. We had love.
That reminder filled me with courage and I ran across the street, trying to see in the crack between the curtains where warm light spilled into the night. The door above me flew open with a bang and I jumped back onto the sidewalk.
“Mia, you’re right on time. Why don’t you come inside and join us?” His eyes searched the street as he craned his neck left and right. Satisfied I’d come alone, he stepped backward, gesturing me inside like this was a visit between old friends.
I climbed the steps cautiously, waiting for him to grab me or reach behind him and pull out a gun. When he didn’t, I realized there was no point, I was already here, he had my son and that was the only weapon he needed.
He shut the door, locking it behind me while I scanned the rooms surrounding the entryway, but there was no sign of Miles. From the outside, it looked like there were three stories, he could be hidden anywhere. If he was even here at all.
Trying to appear more confident than I was, I turned to get a look at Drake Avery. My first thought was that he looked old. When Angie had described him, she’d used words like mature and sophisticated. All I saw was a man with thinning hair, a gut that he was sucking in and a mean face. He wore his wealth like a suit of armor. His sweatshirt had a designer label splashed across the front, his left wrist was circled by a shiny watch and even his tennis shoes looked like they cost a fortune. I guess it was as good an outfit as any for kidnapping.
“Where’s my son?” I demanded and his mask of false pleasantness fell.
“You meanmyson,” he spit. “The one you stole from me?”
I clenched my fists so that he couldn’t see them shaking. He didn’t care about Miles, he didn’t love him. Drake Avery saw his son as a possession that had been stolen from him and this was his way of pitching a fit. We could fight semantics all night, but he knew where Miles was and I didn’t. Most importantly, I needed to stall for time.
“How’d you find us?” I asked, hoping that he was the kind of man that loved to hear himself talk and thought he was smarter than everyone else in the room. If I could keep him distracted, Adam would have time to catch up. When he smiled and puffed out his chest, I knew I’d been right.
“Money and the right contacts, mostly money. I reached out to a few associates, called in some favors and poof I had lackeys to do my bidding. You were supposed to be delivered to me first of course but there was a bit of a mix up and the wrong window was broken.”
Adam hadn’t been able to come up with a reason of why they’d bothered to break the windows of Falls Security. All it had done was alert them that something was wrong, giving them time to get to me and Gemma.
“There isn’t a thing in this world you can’t buy if you have enough money. Of course, you don’t have experience with that. You and Angelica growing up the way you did.” He tilted his head to the side and his mouth formed an exaggerated pout.
“I was shocked that she hadn’t whored herself out before I met her. She was so quick to get on her back for me, all it took was a flash of my wallet.” His leer was disgusting and I shook with rage at the way he described her.
“Liar,” I hissed through my teeth. Angie wasn’t anything like he described. She’d been a dreamer. All our lives she’d wanted one thing, a family. A husband who adored her and a million babies to love and spoil. We were going to live next to each other so that our kids could be as close as we were.
She was no fool, she was raised in the same system I was. It would’ve taken more than a flash of cash to win her over. More than likely, he’d lied, manipulated and promised her the world. Then, when she was head over heels with stars in her eyes, he slammed the door to her cage, locking her inside.
He wasn’t fazed by my accusation. “You think so? Let’s ask her, shall we? Oh wait, that’s right. My dear wife was murdered. Still unsolved after all these years, such a pity.”
I took a step forward, ready to shred his face like I’d done to the asshole this morning. The asshole that I was certain he’d sent after me so that we were distracted while he took Miles.
He held up a finger. “Now, Mia, you wouldn’t want Miles to hear us fighting, would you? He was quite surprised to find out he’d been lied to all these years and he had a father after all. It would be a pity for him to find out you also lied about being his mother. He’s very young and that asthma of his is very serious.”
