Page 37

Jax

T hank God for the GPS tracker in the car. I can only assume that Emma had the wherewithal to turn it on, but that doesn’t mean she’s safe, not by a long shot. If she hasn’t called or texted, that means she can’t. I’ve never driven faster. The second we got the ping we raced out to our bikes and rode like the wind.

I’m still terrified we won’t get there in time.

All this time we’ve been looking in the wrong place. Kane may have been following Max and Emma, but only because he knew something they didn’t. Adam is still alive. He wants his family back and will go to any lengths to get her. With Kane’s info, we’re now in no doubt that the person who killed Jessica and took Max must be Adam.

He’s dangerous and unhinged. If Emma rejects him, who knows what he’ll do?

She will reject him, won’t she?

I shake the thought away, pushing the accelerator and watching the speedometer tick over a hundred mph. She doesn’t love him anymore. He treated his family like garbage, and she’s finally realized she deserves better. Emma won’t take him back, especially not after everything he’s done. He’s a killer.

Tires squeal as we roar into the abandoned parking lot under the abandoned shopping mall. Emma’s car is here, but there’s no sign of her.

“We’ll split up and search a floor each. Signal on the walkie if you see them. Bess, you take the first floor, I’ll take the second, Ty you take the third, and Jax take the fourth,” Mason instructs.

“Got it,” we agree before racing off to our respective floors.

I race up the stairs, not wanting there to be any chance of Adam seeing the elevator going up and getting spooked. Gun drawn, I check each vacant store.

“Nothing on my floor so far,” Bess says through the walkie.

“Same here,” Mason adds.

“I’ve got eyes on Emma and Adam, third floor by the fountain,” Ty confirms.

“Is she okay?” I ask, my knuckles white as I clutch the walkie tightly.

My heart might bust out of my chest as the seconds drag on endlessly.

“Yes, she’s unharmed. Should I go in?”

“Are they alone?” Mason asks.

At the same time, I say, “Is Max there?”

“I can’t see anyone else. Max isn’t here,” Ty confirms.

“Alright. Hold tight, don’t engage unless Emma’s in danger. We’ll regroup and take him on together once we’ve confirmed no one else is here,” Mason instructs.

“Find Max,” Ty grunts, no doubt frustrated to be so close to Emma and unable to rescue her.

I reach the open central point, and the urge to peer over, look down, and try to see Emma is overwhelming. The relief I feel when I see Emma is quickly overwhelmed by concern. She’s terrified. Adam is gesticulating wildly as he boasts that he killed Jessica and his own mother.

“Don’t you see Emma? We belong together, I’d do anything for you. I’ve killed for you!” he shouts, his voice echoing around the empty building.

“Don’t say that. Don’t say you did those awful things because of me,” Emma replies, shaking her head in horror.

“But I did!” he wheedles, “Do you know that lying bitch Jessica tried to make me believe that you’d shacked up with three bikers? She even made our son join in her lies—you really should be disciplining the boy more. Once we’re together again I’ll make sure the boy learns some respect, a few blows from my belt should teach him not to lie. We can’t have him believing his mother is a filthy whore, can we?”

Emma looks stricken at the thought of this monster going anywhere near Max. My fists clench just thinking of it, too. I realize then that Max wasn’t playing make-believe either. He really had been seeing his father. If only we’d listened, but the idea seemed too far-fetched.

“You wouldn’t do that, would you? Spread your legs for some of your brother’s filthy biker scum friends. You wouldn’t desecrate the memory of your beloved husband by associating with that piece of shit brother of yours,” he snarls through gritted teeth as he gets up in her face.

“Don’t talk about my brother like that. He’s in a coma. He might die,” Emma says, a sob escaping.

“He is? That’s good. I was worried he would be a problem and get in the way of our reunion,” Adam replies happily.

Emma looks at him as if he’s insane, by the sounds of it, the man has lost his marbles. I'll never know how he ever managed to trick Emma into marrying him. By the baffled look on her face, I assume she’s wondering the same.

She takes a deep breath, holding herself back from replying how she wants to. “Alright, well, if we’re going to Mexico, we need Max to come with us. Where is he?”

Smart girl.

Adam eyes her suspiciously before pulling a phone out of his pocket and making a call. “Tweaker, bring the boy down here,” he barks before hanging up.

“Kid, quit messing around, you better come out now, your daddy wants to see you,” I hear the frantic whispers of a man not too far from me.

Shit. Adam has at least one other person helping him.

Worried that this accomplice will see me, I quickly dart into an abandoned store and hide behind some old display stands where I can still see. I quickly and quietly relay the information to the others. “Be warned, Adam’s got at least one accomplice.”

I hold my breath and wait. With the element of surprise on my side I can jump the man and rescue Max before they go downstairs. Soon, a man with an appearance in line with his moniker Tweaker, ambles into my view. Tall and painfully skinny, the man has wild eyes and the unkempt appearance of a long-term drug user. However, there’s no sign of Max.

“Fucking little shit,” he mutters under his breath scratching his head as he looks around.

So, Max managed to get away, good for him, I think with a small smile. Although I’m still worried about where he might now be. The world’s a dangerous place for a six-year-old.

“Tweaker, hurry the fuck up!” Adam bellows.

“Aw shit,” the man mutters to himself before reluctantly heading toward the stationary escalators and trudging down them.

Again, I quickly relay the information to the others before moving closer to hear better. Ty confirms that he too is watching and listening in while Bess and Mason continue to search their floors.

“Where is the boy?” Adam asks through gritted teeth.

“I er… well… Maybe Cindy has him?” Tweaker offers hopefully.

“Well did you ask her?” Adam says exasperatedly. “Where is she?”

Tweaker scratches his head, pondering the simple question. “I umm… she was on the first floor with Trev,” he says with a nod. “Patrolling,” he adds, pleased with himself for the blatant lie.

“Fuck! Stupid fucking meth heads. She’s getting high somewhere, isn’t she?” Adam explodes.

“We just had a little pick me up, nothing major. We only turned our backs for a minute before the kid disappeared on us,” he wheedles.

With a sigh and a shake of his head, Adam pulls out a gun from his waistband and without flinching points it at Tweaker’s head and pulls the trigger before the man even registered what was happening. The sound of the shot rings out deafeningly loud into the silence of the space. At point-blank range, the man’s head explodes like a ripe melon splattering Emma in the face, and she screams in horror.

“Must I do everything myself?” Adam says almost casually, like a parent might about a slovenly child.

“Guys, Adam just shot his accomplice. We need to move on him now!” I hiss into the walkie.

“Bess, there are two more accomplices on your floor, a man and a woman. We need to take them down. They may have Max,” Ty relays.

“Bess, I’ll come help you. Ty, Jax, you handle Adam,” Mason says. I know it must kill him to relinquish control of the situation like this but he’s the closest to Bess, it’s the only way that makes sense.

As I’m heading toward the emergency exit stairs, planning to circle around to come at them from behind, I hear a small voice.

“Jax?”

“Max!” I reply in surprise as I see his little face peeking out from his hiding place.

Now confident it’s me, the boy comes running out, launching himself into my arms and I hold him tightly as he sobs. The rush of love I feel toward this child knocks me off my feet. If this is what being a father feels like, then I’m all in. I don’t care if he’s not mine biologically, I’ll love him with every ounce of my being until the day I die.

“Shh, it’s okay, you’re okay, it’s safe now,” I soothe.

“Daddy is being scary and mean, I want my mommy!” he sobs.

“I know little man, but you gotta be quiet for me, I need you to be a brave boy for just a little longer. You’re doing such a good job.”

“Okay,” he gulps, bravely trying to hold back his tears.

“Guys, I’ve got Max. He’s safe.”

Emma and Adam walk into our view down below and, spotting his mother, Max is unable to hold back his excitement. “Mommy!” he cries.

Immediately Emma’s attention snaps skyward and the look of sheer relief in her eyes when she sees her son with me is palpable. Unfortunately, she’s not the only one to see us. Adam’s face contorts into a twisted mask of wrath as he sees the love in Emma’s eyes.

“Who the fuck is that?” he yells, roughly grabbing Emma’s hair.

“Let her go!” I shout, pulling out my gun.

“Mommy!” Max cries.

“Max, I need you to trust me. Go back to your hiding spot and don’t come out until I tell you it’s safe. I promise I’ll help your mommy,” I quickly tell him, praying with all my soul that I can keep that promise.

He only hesitates for a moment before nodding and scampering off, his trust in me bolsters my confidence. I turn my attention back to Adam who’s screaming incoherently at Emma, calling her a whore. I’m trying to get a clear shot, but Emma is in the way. Adam ignores me, again yelling at Emma demanding to know who I am.

“My name is Jax. Leave her alone. Let’s settle this, man to man.”

“Did you fuck him you whore?” Adam snarls, yanking her head back roughly.

My brave lioness finally snaps, reasoning with him and pretending didn’t work, now she’s pissed as hell and fighting for her son. She kicks and tries to fight but she still can’t get away and despite my best efforts, I cannot get a clear shot without risking harming Emma. I can only assume Ty is trying to find a way to stop him while he’s distracted by me.

“Yes I did, and he was the best I’ve ever had,” Emma spits at him.

Adam lets out a wounded howl. “Do you love him?” he demands, pointing the gun at her head.

“Yes!” Emma cries out her eyes locking with mine. “I love you, Jax. I love Mason and Ty too. Please tell them if…” she sobs unable to finish her sentence. “Look after my baby.”

“I love you too,” I reply, meaning it with every fiber of my being.

Never have I felt more helpless than this. Watching the woman I love in harm's way and not being able to do a damn thing about it. There isn’t time for me to reach her and I can’t get a clear shot, I could just as easily be the one to kill her if I try. Adam roars with rage as he realizes that Emma loves not just another man but three, the final blow to his already shattered psyche.

The shot rings out its death knell.