Page 73 of Waiting For A Girl Like You (Haven House #4)
“ D id I ever tell you what that body of water is called?” Michael pointed to the deep, almost black lake in the distance. “They call that Hoot Owl Hollow. Isn’t that silly?”
Walking with her mother in the chilly early morning air, Madison flapped her arms. “Hoot. Hoot.”
Jamison’s foot slipped on the wet leaves scattered across the ground, and she held on to Emily as they followed behind Michael, Claudia, and Madison. Her legs ached, her head throbbed, and she hadn’t slept. Not really. Not with Michael beside her.
He never touched her. Not once. Rolling to his side, he dozed on and off, waking a handful of times throughout the night with gasping breaths and clenched fists. In the gray morning light, stripped of adrenaline, Jamison could see the weariness now, as if Michael were pushing himself to function.
Claudia looked just as bad as Michael, but for another reason. Her high cheekbones were more sunken than usual, and her tall frame was noticeably thinner. She clutched Madison’s hand tightly, fighting tears while they walked.
“Is Claudia okay?” Jamison whispered to Emily.
With a slight tremor, whether from fear or the drugs, Emily’s head slowly turned to give her a deadpan stare. “What do you think?”
At daybreak, Michael had risen and ordered Jamison to do the same. “We’re going to get some fresh air,” he explained after strapping more weapons than she could count across his chest. “Go grab one of Cecilia’s coats from the closet and get two more. We’re taking Emily and Claudia with us.”
She had done as he requested but asked, “Aren’t you worried I’ll tell someone what you’re up to? That this is all fake?”
“Why do you think they’ll allow you to live if you ruin my plans?”
“But are you going to let me live?”
Michael had chuckled. “I told you, that depends on how fast you can run.”
They left his room to head to the one holding her cousins, and found Jessica and Krystal curled up asleep on the bed with Damon. Claudia and Emily were on the floor, their hands bound and mouths gagged.
“Did they leave him alone?” Michael whispered.
The sisters nodded, indicating that Damon had been safe through the night. Michael had then snapped his fingers at the two Zanmi women, and they bolted awake with a start.
“I’m taking Claudia to see Madison,” Michael told them once Jessica and Krystal scrambled off the bed. “Feed Damon, but no meds today.”
Even with it being the crack of dawn, the statement had elicited excitement from the Zanmi women. They hopped about squealing, and when they left the room to get Damon some food, Jamison risked another question. “Why are they so excited?”
“Damon is heavily sedated, and he can’t perform as they would like,” Michael told her as he untied Emily and Claudia. “It’ll take about twelve hours, but he should be fairly conscious and able to function slightly by this afternoon.”
He then proceeded to lecture Emily and Claudia on how they had to behave.
Once they agreed, the four of them headed down the quiet hallway, stopping next at the room holding Michael’s sister and nephew.
The door opened without a sound, and Kristina, along with her son, emerged to walk downstairs with them.
The house was completely silent, a total contrast from the night before. They didn’t take the main stairs to the lower level, but rather a back staircase that brought them directly to the kitchen exit, where Bruce waited with Madison.
The moment Claudia saw her daughter, she choked on a sob but carefully held it together when Michael pressed a finger to his lips. “ There are enough people up and moving about on the grounds, but we don’t need anyone else joining us. Got me?”
They departed the house then, with Michael speaking quietly to his nephew while the rest of the group trailed behind. Claudia remained engaged with Madison, listening as her daughter jabbered endlessly about the pretty fall colors on the trees.
Jamison stayed close to Emily, with Bruce and Kristina functioning as their shadows.
Emmett Watson caught sight of them when they left the house and started to follow.
That was when Jamison latched onto Emily’s arm, refusing to let her cousin near the disgusting man.
Michael eventually shooed him off and told Claudia to have Madison run ahead and get some exercise.
Madison was a curious child. With a sweet face, and an even sweeter disposition, she was comfortable with Michael, darting back and forth between him and her mother.
Jamison felt awful that she wasn’t sure exactly how old Madi was.
She knew that the girl was younger than Harper but maybe only a few months older than Theo.
Not too far in the distance, the fencing broke at the drop off. Jamison didn’t know what was on the other side. It could have been more land, or the edge of the lake, or even a road that led to civilization.
Bruce drifted closer as they walked. “Still planning that beach wedding?”
Stunned, Jamison gaped at him. “Do you mean if I survive Camp Psycho, will I still get married on a beach?”
Keeping Michael’s sister close, Bruce shrugged. “Same thing.”
Eyeballing Michael’s right-hand man as he tucked Kristina at his side, Jamison scoffed at them. “Looks like you two are the ones who need a beach wedding.”
“Yeah. That does sound kind of nice.” Bruce squeezed Kristina closer. “What do you think?”
Kristina’s lips transformed into a genuine smile. “I think that does sound nice.”
“Don’t you have two kids?” Emily asked, her question full of snarky sarcasm. “Or are you just going to abandon that second one to run off into the sunset with Bruce?”
“My son is waiting for us.” Kristina’s smile fell. “Not that it’s any of your concern. ”
“You’re right. It’s not,” Emily shot back, leaning across Jamison and Bruce to hiss in Kristina’s face.
“But you see, we’re being held against our will and your business just became my business due to that fact, so unless you don’t want to hear my very loud opinions on the matter, tell your boyfriend here to stop making fucking filler talk and leave us alone. ”
Bruce chuckled. “Emily, you’re like this little black kitten I had when I was a kid. It was adorable but had a crazy, mean bite. Its cuteness was all a disguise.”
Emily didn’t find his observation at all funny. “Call me cute again and see what happens.”
Up ahead, Kristina’s son fell back from Michael’s steady trek forward. Wiping his face, the kid rejoined his mother. “Your turn,” he said solemnly. “He’s ready.”
Kristina’s expression went blank. She quickened her pace and caught up to her brother.
They walked side by side through the trees, with Kristina resting her head briefly on Michael’s shoulder.
It made for a lovely image. A handsome brother and beautiful sister taking an early morning stroll through the autumn foliage.
Jamison had an uneasy feeling as she watched them. The blanket of leaves on the ground grew thicker the further they walked, as did the forest. Soon, they could hardly see the house and were winding their way down a worn path, closer and closer to the water.
“What’s that about?” Jamison asked Bruce, nodding at Michael and Kristina talking.
Bruce stared at the back of Michael’s head. “Goodbyes aren’t easy.”
With her mind unhindered from the drugs, she recalled the conversation between them about Liam.
At first, she had been terrified, but now, she realized how ludicrous of a plan it was to think that Liam would already be here, ready to rush in.
If anyone on this earth was calm, level-headed, and able to get them out of this mess, it was Liam.
He would have a plan and wouldn’t rush headfirst into this without a care for safety.
“You can’t seriously think Liam has made it here already.” She shook her head at the ridiculous notion. “I know he’ll come. I know he’ll save us and make you all pay, but—”
“Sinclair. ”
The sound of Liam’s voice struck her like lightning. Liam hadn’t shouted or made any type of noise other than speaking Michael’s name. He had simply slipped silently out from behind a tree with his focus and gun trained on his target.
Everyone except Madi came to an immediate stop, but before Jamison could shout her relief at seeing him, she felt the unmistakable press of a gun to her temple.
“Next time, have a little faith in your man,” Bruce whispered, steadily holding a gun to her head. “He’s the kind that always comes through.”
Michael already had his gun in hand and half poised in Madison’s direction as she skipped ahead, singing Ring Around The Rosie . “Cohen.”
Ready to make a run for her daughter, Claudia moved to go after her, but Bruce’s sharp order had her stopping. “Let her go, Mama Bear. If our friend here plays it cool, then Madi is safe.”
Scrunched on one side of her body, Emily vibrated with hope while on the other side, Bruce firmly held Jamison by the arm.
Liam wouldn’t look at her, too focused on Michael. “Let them go.”
“You know that’s not going to happen,” Michael replied, his tone far too relaxed for the situation. “Is your car parked on the lane around back?”
Liam kept his gun steady. “It is.”
“Keys in it?”
“They are.”
Michael spread his free hand wide in a welcoming gesture. “Then please come in so we can talk. You have a lot to hear, and I have a lot to say.”
Shocking her, Liam clicked the safety on, lowered his weapon, and took cautious steps forward. “Where’s Taylor?”
“All in good time.” Michael took Liam’s gun, his knives, and even his wallet, tossing them aside like they were nothing. “First, we walk.”
“Have a good life, Jamison Fairweather,” Bruce murmured as he released his hold. Resting a hand on Colton’s back, he guided the boy ahead, the two of them following Kristina, who was already in motion.
But before leaving them all behind, Bruce paused and gave Michael one last nod. “An honor, brother. ”