Chapter 22

Juniper paced behind Magnus, who sat at his bank of monitors. She’d joined Rocco and Kestrel, keeping track of as many cameras as possible. All of them were worried there might be more explosions if the one they’d witnessed several minutes ago didn’t pan out for whoever had lit the fuse.

It was obvious that whoever had set off that first explosion was hoping it would gain them entrance into the tunnel system.

“We’re here,” came Caesar’s voice through the speaker system.

Mangus had ditched his own comm unit and switched to the speaker system so everyone in the basement could hear the communications and know what was happening.

Caesar continued, “It looks like the explosion worked, and since no one is around, I’m guessing whoever it was entered the cave.”

“Shit,” Phoenix grumbled. “We have to go in through the conference room and get the money. We don’t have another choice. We can’t just leave it there for the bad guys to discover.” He looked toward Juniper.

Juniper nodded. “I’ll go with you, of course.”

“Fuck no,” Magnus bit out, jumping to his feet.

Juniper understood his concern, and she wasn’t surprised by his outburst, but there were no other options. She had to go with Phoenix to retrieve the money. She was the only one who knew exactly where it was. Time was of the essence.

Juniper set her palms on Magnus’s chest and met his gaze. “Daddy, you know this is the best option. We’ll be gone ten minutes tops. I promise.”

Surprising not only her but everyone in the room—based on the collective gasps—Magnus whipped off his ballcap and tossed it on the floor. He grabbed Juniper around the waist and tipped her head back.

She had trouble breathing. His look was so intense, and she knew the reason he’d ditched the hat was so that she wouldn’t miss a single nuance in his expression or eyes.

He set his forehead against hers, holding her gaze. “I love you.”

“I love you, too, Daddy.”

He kissed her hard and released her. “Don’t let anything happen to my Little girl,” he told Phoenix.

“Never,” Phoenix promised.

“Go.” Magnus pointed toward the door.

Juniper gave him one last look and a smile before she took off at a run with Phoenix.

“Go with them,” she heard him say. He must have been speaking to Kestrel because, moments later, the helicopter expert was at their side.

Juniper’s adrenaline was pumping hard as she jogged next to the two men. They used the stairs to go up the one flight to the first floor. When they stepped out into the lobby, they slowed their paces.

Luckily, no guests were milling around in the lobby. It was getting late. Most guests would be in bed.

Beelining for the conference room, Juniper glanced around constantly. When they arrived, Kestrel pulled a section of the taped plastic covering the door away and held it back for Juniper to climb through.

While the men came through behind her, she hurried over to the windowsill, pushed the lever for the entrance, and scampered toward it.

“Let me go down first, Little girl,” Phoenix stated. He quickly climbed down the crude steps. “Okay. Coast is clear,” he whispered up toward Juniper and Kestrel.

Juniper took a fortifying breath and hurried down the steps, followed by Kestrel a second later. She was relieved to see that both men had flashlights. They were also both armed, she noticed. She wasn’t sure how many weapons they were carrying, but the most obvious ones were tucked into their jeans” waistbands.

“Lead the way, Juniper,” Phoenix encouraged.

Juniper hurried down the pathway, making turns in all the right places, reminding herself it would have taken any of the men far too long to reach the money without her guidance. There were too many turns in the tunnels. She knew these pathways better than anyone except perhaps Sammi.

She tried not to think about where Sammi might be or what kind of trouble she was in. It hurt too much. Sammi had been so much fun to hang with. Juniper hated to think anything might happen to her.

“There.” Juniper stopped and pointed toward the little cove where she’d found the money earlier.

Kestrel got down on his hands and knees and reached into the hidey hole. He crawled deeper and reached farther. “Are you sure, Juniper? I don’t feel anything back here.”

Juniper gasped and spun around to look closer at her surroundings. Had she made a mistake? No. Definitely not. “I’m positive.”

Kestrel backed up and came to his feet, wiping his palms on his jeans. “There’s nothing back there now.”

“Shit,” Phoenix muttered.

Suddenly, a piercing scream filled the tunnel, echoing down the corridor. “Help. Someone, please help me!”

Juniper stiffened, and then her blood ran cold. Sammi… She hadn’t seen her friend in twenty years but remembered her voice. She turned in the direction of the screams and started running.

“Juniper, no!” Phoenix growled. “It’s too dangerous. Go back with Kestrel. I’ll follow the voice.”

Juniper ignored him and kept running. She was fast and knew exactly where to turn and when to duck. She knew these tunnels. She was well aware the men were on her heels, but she didn’t stop.

“Help!” the voice called out again. It was louder.

Recognizing the direction it came from, Juniper took a sharp right turn. After studying the schematics for this tunnel system yesterday, she was more oriented. They were heading in the direction of the ocean, probably the spot where Caesar had discovered one of the cave entrances earlier.

Nothing made sense. There was no way the bad guys could have gotten to the money from the cave entrance they’d created in this short amount of time, and why would they now be heading toward the ocean?

Juniper was close enough to hear Sammi whimpering by the time Phoenix grabbed her around the waist and covered her mouth. “Shhh,” he murmured in her ear. “Slow down, Little girl,” he insisted. “Let Kestrel and me handle this.”

Juniper nodded as she tried to control her heart rate. She’d taken off with no plan. She didn’t have a weapon and wouldn’t know how to use one if she did. She silently promised herself she would take self-defense lessons as soon as this was over. Maybe one of the Daddies would help her.

“Help,” the voice shouted again. So close.

Juniper lurched forward on instinct, but Phoenix held her back. “Juniper…” he warned in a low voice.

She drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. She needed to listen to him. “I’ll be good. I promise.”

“Well, well, well…” The new voice was masculine and accompanied by a bright light shining toward Juniper and the men she now considered her family. “Look who it is, Edmund.”

Juniper squinted in the direction of the bright light, but there was no way to make out the figure in front of her.

“Let me go!” came the female voice again, and then, “Juniper?”

Juniper winced. Sammi could see her easily. Juniper was at a disadvantage. She could barely distinguish the struggling figure just a few yards before her.

“Were you looking for the money?” came another male voice before a sardonic cackling. “You’re too late. It’s mine now.”

“Let Sammi go,” Juniper shouted.

Phoenix spoke next. “She’s right. You got what you wanted. Let the woman go.”

“I don’t think so, asshole. In fact, I believe we’ll take that pretty little thing you’re holding on to as well. Edmund and I were going to share this morsel, but it will be more fun if we have two cunts to fuck. Maybe we can even pass them back and forth.” He laughed again.

His laughter was like scratching on a chalkboard. It grated on Juniper’s nerves.

“Let go of the woman,” Kestrel demanded, holding up his gun. “Now, or I’ll shoot that smirk right off your face, asshole.”

Juniper had no idea how Kestrel intended to shoot at anything or anyone with that damn bright light shining in their direction. She couldn’t make out more than shadows.

Suddenly, Kestrel rushed forward. A moment later, Juniper watched as he did a graceful roundhouse, swinging his leg high in the air.

“What the fuck!” shouted the man Juniper assumed was Eric.

A gun went off.

Juniper screamed and dropped down low to the floor. Wasn’t that what people did in the movies when there was shooting? From this angle, she could finally see better, and she discovered that Sammi was also down on the ground on all fours.

Juniper made eye contact with her childhood friend, noticing the sheer terror in her gaze.

Air whooshed over Juniper’s head, and she glanced up to see Phoenix leap over her. A second later, the sound of flesh on flesh made her wince. She could see clearer, too, probably because it appeared Phoenix had punched one of the men in the nose. The guy was staggering backward, holding his face. He was waving a gun erratically with one hand and had a huge bag slung over his shoulder—one of the money bags.

Juniper looked around and noticed a second bag several yards away against the wall near the man who was holding his wrist. He must be Eric. He was closer to Sammi, and he’d had his gun kicked out of his hand.

“Mother fucker,” he shouted. “Shoot them, Edmund.”

Juniper watched in horror as Edmund lifted his gun, aiming it at Kestrel.

A shot rang out, making Juniper scream. She wasn’t alone. Sammi screamed at the same time. They were both still screaming when a new voice filtered into Juniper’s mind. Magnus? Where was he?

Juniper didn’t have time to fully register that thought because money was flying all over the tunnel. It was making it difficult to make out where anyone was located.

“No!” Someone screamed. “You fucking asshole. That’s my brother’s goddamn money.” Eric. He even dropped to his knees, trying to gather up the bills raining down all around him.

“Leave it, Eric,” Edmund shouted. “We’ve got the other bag. Let’s go.” Edmund grabbed the second bag from against the wall, turned, and ran deeper into the tunnel.

Eric scrambled to get to his feet to take off after his brother, but he didn’t make it two steps before someone shot him in the leg. The guy dropped back to his knees, howling in pain. He rolled onto his back and grabbed his shin, crying from the agony.

Kestrel turned back toward Juniper and then glanced behind her.

She finally jerked her gaze around to find Magnus at her back. He nodded toward Kestrel. “I’ve got this. Go after Edmund.”

Juniper crawled toward Sammi, who was still on her hands and knees, appearing to be in shock. Out of her peripheral vision, she watched Phoenix pick up Eric’s weapon. While he and Magnus hurried toward the injured man, Juniper scrambled toward her friend.

When she reached her, she threw her arms around her and pulled her into an embrace. “It’s over. You’re safe,” she told her as the two rocked on their knees, hugging each other close.

“My parents…” Sammi cried out. “They’re taped to dining room chairs in their own home.”

Juniper smoothed a hand down her friend’s hair. “The police have already been sent to them. They’re safe now.”

“Oh, God…” Sammi broke down and cried as if now that she knew her parents were no longer in danger, she could finally let go.