Page 40 of Risk (Gods #3)

T here’s still been no sign of Gary for three weeks now. You’d think it would have relaxed Kaden, but it hasn’t.

I mentioned to Kaden one day that maybe Gary had taken his no as an answer, but Kaden assured me that the last thing Gary would do was take no as an answer.

And his parting words had been, “I’ll be seeing you.”

But maybe he’s thought it over and decided to give up, realizing he’s not going to get any money from Kaden.

But Kaden thinks differently. He is positive Gary will be back.

So, the overprotectiveness is still there. It hasn’t lessened, and it’s starting to grate on me.

We’re back at the doctor’s office for an ultrasound. Because I’m having twins, I have to have regular scans to ensure the babies are growing properly.

Kaden is sitting in the waiting room, as I needed to pee after the scan. All I do nowadays is pee, as my babies think my bladder is a play toy.

I flush and wash my hands. Then unlock the door and step out into the sterile hall.

The first thing I see is Gary standing across from me. Leaning against the wall.

The next thing I see is the gun in his hand, hidden inside his open jacket. Pointing at me.

“Don’t make a sound,” he says with a smile on his face that could almost be construed as pleasant if I didn’t know all about the man and what he’s capable of.

Clearly, there were some things I wasn’t aware he was capable of. Like pointing a gun at a pregnant woman.

But I guess when you beat your own wife and the mother of your son to death, nothing is off the table.

My eyes do a quick scan and find an empty hallway.

Don’t panic.

My hands instinctively go to my bump to protect my babies.

Gary’s eyes follow the motion. “Don’t worry. I won’t hurt you as long as you do what I say. I want you to start walking out of here, toward the back exit.” He gestures with his hand.

I unglue my feet from the floor, and with a quick last look in the direction of where I know Kaden is waiting for me, I force myself to do as he said.

I could scream, make a noise, but I don’t know whether the threat of the gun is real or not, and I don’t want to test the theory and have him shoot me.

I need to not panic. Use the training I’ve had on psychology to get myself free of the situation or at least keep myself safe until Kaden finds me.

I feel Gary move up close behind me, his arm wrapping around my back, and when he gets a firm hold of me, I feel his gun pushing into my side. I try not to show my fear on my face that a gun is pointed right at my babies.

To anyone looking, we appear to be a couple walking together. Not me being held at gunpoint by my babies’ biological grandfather.

“Took me a fucking long time to get an opportunity to get you on your lonesome. My fucking son has been hovering everywhere you’ve been.”

He’s been following me for weeks. He’s using me to get the money from Kaden.

“We’re gonna go out through this door.” He nudges me in the direction of the back exit of the doctor’s office. “You’re gonna get in my car, and if you try and do anything stupid, like make a run for it, I will shoot you.”

Panic runs through my blood. Because I don’t doubt a word he’s saying.

“You hear me, girl?” He reinforces his words with a harsh tone.

“Yes.”

We go out through the door, into the bright light of the day, and it feels so wrong that something like this is happening to me on such a beautiful day.

He yanks open the car door. Then holds his hand out. “Cell phone.”

Reluctantly, I take it from my pocket and give it to him. He drops it on the floor and then crushes it under his booted foot.

“Get in.” He gestures with the gun.

I comply, getting into the car as quickly as I can with my big pregnant bump. He slams the door shut. In the seconds it takes him to round the car, I contemplate if I could get out of this car, through the door, and back into the doctor’s office without him shooting me.

But I know I won’t.

I wouldn’t move as quickly as I would need to, to get away in this situation, and I won’t put the lives of my children at risk. Even if it means going with an unstable murderer who has a gun pointed at me.

When he gets in the car, it’s in drive, and we’re moving before I even get a chance to put my seat belt on.

I quickly click it on and position it around my bump.

He’s holding the gun in his right hand, pointed haphazardly at me, as he steers the wheel.

It’s a long, tense, quiet moment before I ask in a whispered voice, “Where are you taking me?”

“You don’t need to know, girl.”

That does nothing to ease my worries.

But I know, by now, Kaden is wondering where I am.

I can imagine him outside the restroom door. Knocking on it. Calling out my name.

Tears spring to my eyes as I think of the panic he’s going to feel the moment he realizes I’m not there.

Gary presses the screen on his dash. Taps the Phone app and then selects a number to call. I immediately know it’s Kaden’s.

“Not a fucking word from you, girl.” Gary waves the gun in my direction.

“Yes,” Kaden answers, his voice sounding stressed. He already knows I’m gone.

“It’s your father.” Gary sounds smug when he says the words.

“Where the fuck is she?” Kaden snaps on the phone.

“She’s with me, and she’s fine. And she’ll stay fine if you bring me the money I fucking deserve.”

“You sick motherfucker.”

“You don’t speak to me like that, you ungrateful little bastard!” Gary yells at him. His face is red and mottled with anger.

My hands curl around the edge of the car seat, gripping on tight to keep the panic contained inside of me. Freaking out now isn’t going to do me any good. I have to remain calm for the sake of the babies.

“I want to know if she’s okay,” Kaden rages, but I can hear the fear in his voice.

“You get to command nothing, boy. You’re gonna do as I say, and you’re gonna bring me five hundred thousand dollars. I want it in hundreds, nothing smaller. And you’re gonna bring it to me by five p.m.”

“That’s only two and a half hours. I can’t lay my hands on that type of cash in such a short amount of time.”

“Bullshit, boy! I know you’ve got the fucking money, and you’re gonna do whatever you need to do to get it, or I’m gonna put a bullet in your pretty little girl’s head. And then one in her stomach for good measure.”

A bead of sweat runs down the back of my nape.

I’m going to be okay. My babies are going to be okay. Kaden will get the money and bring it to him, and we’ll all get to go home safely.

“I will fucking kill you if you even lay a finger on her,” Kaden sneers.

“You’ll do nothing. Just like you didn’t when I killed your bitch of a mother.

Now, you get that fucking money. The clock is ticking, boy.

And if you call the pigs and I get a hint of them anywhere, looking for me, I’ll kill her, and you’ll never catch a scent of me again.

Until I come and put a bullet in your head when you least expect it. ”

“You’re gonna die a painful death one day, old man, and I’m gonna stand there, smiling, while it fucking happens.”

“Bring me the fucking money!” he snaps. “I’ll message you the meeting spot. And no fucking tricks—you hear me?”

“Just let me hear her voice, please.”

Gary’s angry, bloodshot eyes snap my way. Then, he nods.

I moisten my dry mouth and lips with my tongue. “Kaden.”

“Missy.” He exhales a breath. “I’m gonna come get you soon, baby. I promise.”

“I know. I’m okay. Don’t worry.”

“I love you,” he tells me.

It’s the first time he’s ever said it to me. Not exactly the way I wanted to hear it, but it seeps inside my chest, and my heart locks the words up tight inside me.

“I love you,” I tell him.

“Touching. Now, go get my fucking money and stop wasting my fucking time.” Gary presses the End Call button.

Kaden is gone, and I’m left alone with a madman who is pointing a gun at me.