Page 32 of Brick (Chosen Few #5)

According to the GPS, they had forty fucking minutes ahead of them. He couldn’t let his mind venture to what Keetan might be doing with Natalie at the state park. They certainly weren’t sightseeing. He fisted his hands on his lap. The minutes dragged.

We’re too late.

Sickening worry burned his esophagus. He massaged the center of his chest, needing some kind of relief from the disturbing reality that Natalie might not be alive when they found her.

“She’s going to be okay,” Taschen said, his voice thick with confidence. A confidence Brick didn’t share.

He shook his head. If he allowed himself to think the worst, he wouldn’t be able to put one foot in front of the other. “I swear to god, if he touched her...”

“All this might be a scare tactic.”

Brick scoffed. “You don’t believe that.”

“Taking Bray was.”

“Yeah, but what would he have done with Bray if we hadn’t found him? Probably sold him to the highest bidder.” Just the thought of sweet Bray enduring that kind of horrific fate made Brick’s blood pressure shoot through the roof.

Taschen flicked a worried glance at him. “You good? Need some epinephrine for that heart attack it looks like you’re having?”

“No, I don’t fucking need epinephrine.” He removed his hand from his chest. “I need Keetan at the end of my gun.”

“We’re working on it. I think we should call the cops soon. With Keetan being an officer and all, we kind of need to play this close to the rules.”

Brick balled his hands. A lot of things would happen when he found Keetan. Playing close to the rules wasn’t one of them.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Taschen continued.

“And I don’t blame you for plotting a bullet hole in every one of that bastard’s organs.

However, you’re a dad now.” He cleared his throat.

“That little guy is something. Cute as hell. Makes me even more eager for Sephie to have our baby. My point is that Bray deserves to have you in his life. Your actions today will dictate that little man’s future. That’s not something you want to miss.”

Some of Brick’s fury ebbed away. Goddammit, Taschen was probably the least-wise person he knew and here he was, not giving the worst advice.

“I appreciate that,” he said, weighing each word.

“I want to be there for him.” He dragged his fingers through his hair, needing to keep his hands busy.

“It’s wild to think how quickly that kid became important to me. ”

Taschen swatted his shoulder. “Guess you were bred for fatherhood. Looks good on you. Now I’m gonna do the right thing here and call the police department—if you don’t kill me for it.”

Brick snorted. “Be my guest. At least we’ve got a head start. That’ll give me some alone time with that motherfucker.”

Taschen smirked. “Exactly.” He made the call and asked to be connected to the chief.

Brick steered his attention out the window, tuning out the exchange between Taschen and Arnie. He couldn’t think about that right now. Needing some reassurance, he picked up his device and called Ghost.

He answered on the third ring. “What’s up?”

Brick massaged his temple. “Nothing’s changed.” He kept his voice low so as not to interrupt Taschen. “We’re about forty minutes out from the location you sent. It hasn’t moved?”

“Nope. I’ve got the tab open and just checked it.”

“All right, good.” Hell, was it good? What if Keetan had found the phone on Natalie and left it somewhere, then taken her somewhere else? They’d never find her.

“You losing your shit?” Ghost’s normally surly voice actually held a hint of compassion.

“Wouldn’t you be?”

Ghost snorted. “Probably not, but that’s because I’m not going to do anything stupid and fall for a chick.”

“Either way, the mother of my child’s in danger.”

“That’s a good-enough reason to lose your shit, but you know you’ve fallen for her, too. Fucking pathetic.” A note of humor clung to Ghost’s words.

If Brick weren’t in such a piss-poor mood, he’d have laughed. Pathetic or not, he needed Natalie back. Taschen disconnected, drawing Brick’s attention. “I’ve gotta go. We’ll keep you posted.”

Ghost hung up and Brick dropped his phone in the cup holder. “What’d Arnie say?”

Taschen’s mouth tensed. “He sounded surprised we’d found Keetan, but that’s not shocking. Obviously he’s unaware of Backcountry’s resources.”

Brick grunted.

“He also told me not to chase Keetan and to allow the police to do their job.”

“If they’d done their job properly, he’d be caught by now,” Brick snapped. Fuck he hated that he’d been unable to get to Natalie. That Keetan had gotten his slimy hands on her and that all Brick had been able to do was watch with a dozen guns trained on his head.

“Not much longer now,” Taschen said reassuringly.

Brick stifled a curse. Thirty-three minutes was damn long enough.

***

Natalie sprinted across the beach, her breathing broken and ragged. Her legs burned as she tried to stay upright on the sand. If she could make it back to the forest, she’d have a shot at losing Keetan.

“You fucking bitch!”

Her skin puckered. His voice was close.

She didn’t slow. Didn’t falter. The trees were within reach, waiting to absorb her body into their branches.

Keetan’s rough hand caught her arm and tore her backward. She fell to the ground, but he jerked her upright. She tilted back her head to stare him in his cold, dead eyes. Sand speckled his sweaty cheeks and red marks streaked his skin.

He pulled back his hand and slapped her face. The force of the hit sent her reeling, but with his hand still on her arm she didn’t go far. A sharp cry fell from her lips and pain spread across her mouth. Blood touched her tongue.

Slowly, she met his gaze again. Fury bubbled beneath her skin. “I can’t wait for him to kill you,” she whispered.

Keetan’s eyes narrowed with indignation. “You mean your boyfriend? I outsmarted him. If he’s still alive, he’s going to know I’ve taken everything from him.” His mouth twisted. “Almost everything.”

Icy cold fear crawled up her legs. “You’ll be dead before you get to Bray.”

“Maybe. I don’t even want to kill the kid. I’d rather him cry himself to sleep, calling for his mommy.”

“You bastard!” She lunged at him, throwing her fist into his jaw.

Keetan staggered back an inch. His eyes filled with rage but he said nothing. He yanked her arm and began pulling her back across the beach.

Her feet slipped and slid. Tears burned her eyes.

She’d been so close. Still, Keetan didn’t know Brick was alive, and the fact that he’d survived gave her hope—not so much for herself, but for their son.

She’d have peace knowing Bray would grow up with his father.

Of course Brick would be looking for her now, but Keetan had taken her more than an hour from Detroit.

Even if Brick had located her phone, he’d still be too far behind.

Keetan hauled her onto the dock. The sun-bleached wood creaked under their feet. Water lapped the posts, and the rancid scent of fish and algae reached her nostrils. As they approached the boat, Keetan dug into his pocket while keeping his hand tight on her arm.

He pulled out a set of keys, dropped his bag in the boat, and pushed her to the edge of the dock. “You try anything and I’ll bash your fucking skull in right here.”

She gulped. Getting in the boat meant it’d be harder for Brick to find her.

Keetan certainly isn’t the romantic type , she thought, in a desperate attempt to find humor in dire circumstances. Surely whatever he had planned would end with her at the bottom of the lake.

“Get in.” He shoved her forward, almost sending her off the dock.

She gasped and seized the edge of the watercraft for support. “One second, for god’s sake,” she snapped. She couldn’t do much but follow his orders. At least not until she had a plan and a weapon. She could stall, though.

She deliberately wobbled her legs as she hung on to the edge of the boat, pushing it further from the dock. “Uh, I can’t.”

Keetan huffed with impatience, leaned forward, and pulled the boat back to line up with the dock. “Quit fucking around.”

Natalie glanced toward the shore. The trees swayed beyond the deserted beach. Keetan’s forceful hand on her shoulder sent her pitching forward, halfway into the boat.

“Get your ass in there before someone comes.”

She swung her legs over the teetering edge and landed on one of the gray seats.

Keetan unwound the rope from a post, tossed it inside, and then climbed in.

He seized her wrist and stretched her arm toward the railing.

After removing a set of handcuffs from his pocket, he slapped them on her, securing her to the side of the boat.

“No life jacket?” she said, with contempt.

He smirked. “You won’t need one.”

You might.

She bit back the threat. As much as she wanted to turn the tables and see him floating face down, she needed the means to attack. Keetan climbed into the captain’s chair and fired up the motor.

He sat with his back to her and steered the boat away from the dock. Tucked into the back of his pants was a handgun, too damn far away or her to grab. She glanced toward shore again and searched desperately for any sign of Brick. Only sand, water, and trees stared back at her.

She was on her own. Which meant if she ever wanted to see her son and Brick again, she had to outfight a madman. The sky was brilliant with pink and orange streaks. She hadn’t been on a boat in years, but she’d always wanted to take Bray out. She’d do whatever it took to see him again.

Keetan threw a glare over his shoulder, then returned his attention to the water. She shuffled forward and, with her free hand, reached for the canvas bag he’d thrown in the boat. She pulled open the zipper.

Inside she found rope, weights, and a large folded-up plastic bag. Just frickin’ dandy. A bag to wrap her body and weights to sink it. She kept an eye on Keetan as she reached for one of the weights. The five-pound metal plate could do some damage.

She quickly lifted her hip and slid it beneath her bottom, then closed the zipper and pushed the bag away with her foot.

Keetan swiveled in his chair to check on her again. His eyes narrowed with suspicion, and his gaze moved to the bag that was now out of her reach. Her stomach bunched and cold sweat dotted her brow. He met her gaze again.

She gave him the finger. “Bastard,” she mouthed, over the roar of the motor.

His mouth firmed and he shook his head before looking at the water again. Her shoulders relaxed a little, but a lump of anxiety formed in her throat.

She didn’t have much choice about when to attack.

When he stopped and uncuffed her—that would be her window of opportunity.

She judged the distance to the captain’s chair.

About five or six feet. Even if she stood and stretched, she wouldn’t be able to hit him in the back of the head.

Besides, doing that right now would mean he’d be unconscious and she’d be unable to steer the boat.

No, the only option was to grab the weight when she stood up and then clock the shit out of him.

The wind whipped her hair and made her sweater flap. Nausea bounced in her belly. She often got seasick. The threat of her looming fate certainly didn’t help. A pang seized her chest. She would’ve taken Bray on a boat just to see his little face light up, even if it meant she’d be green.

The sun dipped below the horizon and dusk drenched the sky in shades of purple and indigo. She glanced around at the lake. It was still and serene.

Secluded.

People probably fished out here, but with it being mid-September, fewer anglers would come out this far at this time of day. Her body would wash up eventually, but if that didn’t happen before winter, it could be months before Brick, Ellie, and Bray found out what had happened to her.

She stifled a cry and brought her untethered arm around her waist. Bringing her attention to the back of Keetan’s head, she felt fresh hate consume her.

She couldn’t die without a fight. She’d take Keetan down with her.

His body shifted and he cut the motor. The boat rocked, caught in the waves it’d made only moments before. He stood and walked toward her.

She gulped, not taking her eyes off him. Her senses were caught in a tug-of-war between dread and adrenaline. The nausea sloshing in her stomach turned to fire and inched up to her tongue.

Don’t puke now. That’ll just make him hit you.

His mouth spread into an evil, taunting smile. “Not so mouthy now, are you?”

Her heart pounded ferociously in her chest. The raging thump , thump , thump was surely loud enough to damage her eardrums. But the last thing she wanted was for him to see her terror.

She compressed her lips and narrowed her eyes. “Just get this over with, Keetan. The sooner you kill me, the sooner you’ll go to jail.”

He laughed, the sound brittle and not the least bit afraid. He moved his hand behind his back and pulled out his weapon.

Paralysis hit her like a speeding train.

He brought the mouth of the gun to her cheek and caressed her jaw just inches from where he’d struck her earlier. “It’s really too bad you’re such a slut. I always enjoyed fucking you, even though I saw the disgust on your face.” The corner of his mouth twitched, and then his expression fell blank.

Adrenaline overtook the dread. In one swift movement, she leaned away, grabbed the weight beneath her hip, and leapt to her feet. Keetan stumbled, and his eyes flew open with surprise.

Wham!

The metal weight connected with his skull. A painful shockwave bolted up her arm. A gash opened on the side of Keetan’s head. Blood rushed out.

He caught the edge of the boat. She let out a scream and swung again, but he seized her wrist, his gaze wild and furious.

She screamed at the top of her lungs, the wailing cry of battle and defeat.