24. Ayla

Chapter 24

Ayla

I followed Vincent downstairs, and he went straight to the living room. Linda’s cake was on the coffee table, wrapped in clear wrap and tied with a red ribbon. My stomach growled, and all I wanted to do was ravish it, but I ignored the starving pains.

Vincent sat down on the singular brown leather seat opposite the couch and motioned for me to sit. I did as he suggested, but I couldn’t stop peering out the front windows to see if anyone was there. All I could see was a long driveway and trees all around us. There were no other houses or a road in sight. I did remember hearing Linda saying to Vincent that this was the Hamricks’ house. The only thing I knew about this place was that it was just outside of Magnolia Grove. Vincent wasn’t lying when he said that to me in the park yesterday. It was probably the only thing he hadn’t lied about.

“Tell me about Declan Parker,” Vincent ordered.

My attention snapped to him and I scoffed. “What do you mean?”

Vincent leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. The way his dark eyes bore into mine made my blood run cold. “He works for the FBI. I want to know what he does for them.”

“I have no clue.”

Of course, that was a lie.

“Don’t lie to me,” he growled. “He’s part of a secret government group where they target people like me. I want to know who’s on that list.”

“How do you even know about that?” I asked.

His head cocked to the side, his expression one of shock. “Ah, so he actually told you what he is. He must really trust you. It’s hard to find a woman like that where I’m from.”

“That’s not shocking.”

He huffed. “Enough with the snide comments, Ayla. Tell me what you know.”

Frustrated, I threw my arms in the air. “How the hell am I supposed to know? Declan resigned from the FBI right after your brother killed his. And it’s not like he talks to me about the FBI stuff. I don’t know that much about what he did or what he’s done.”

Vincent’s gaze narrowed as if he was trying to figure out if I was being truthful or not.

“So, you don’t know how he tracks us?” he questioned.

I shook my head. “Not at all.”

His jaw muscles clenched. “Those men are like ghosts. I want to know their secrets.”

“Good luck with that,” I snapped. “Why don’t you ask Declan when he gets here.”

Vincent chuckled menacingly. “I’ll be too busy killing him, love. I was hoping you’d be a little more useful.”

“Sorry to disappoint you.”

“Yeah, I can tell,” he said, smirking as he sat back in the chair. “How long do you think it’ll be before he finds you? I’m shocked it’s taking this long. For a man who supposedly loves you, he should’ve been here hours ago. I know I would’ve if the situation were turned.”

I stared at him as if he’d lost his mind. “Do you even love anyone other than yourself?”

His gaze darkened. “I loved my brother and that fuckhead Parker took him away from me. ”

There were so many things to say, but I didn’t want to rile him up even more. The violent tension in the room was already choking me. I averted my gaze from his and tried to calm my breathing. I didn’t want to be scared of him, but I was. I’d be a fool not to be.

He waved a hand for me to go, his voice a deep growl. “You can go now. It shouldn’t be too much longer.”

I took my leave and rushed upstairs, wanting to be as far away from him as possible. When I got to the bedroom, I shut the door and went right to the dresser to pull out the tied blankets from underneath. I had to get out of there.

I dragged the blankets to the furthest window and pulled back the curtains. Before I could even lift the window, I heard a tiny creak from the bedroom door. My fingers halted on the windowsill as I glanced over my shoulder at the door. There was a shadow through the crack at the bottom; someone was standing out there. My whole body froze and the breath left my lungs, especially when I watched the doorknob slowly turn.

So many horrific scenarios ran through my mind. Was it Vincent wanting to catch me in the act of trying to escape? Or was he coming in to do something nefarious? Whatever his plan was, I was going to jump out the window. I’d already made up my mind. Even if I broke my leg in the jump, I’d push through it and run as fast as I could. And if I didn’t get out the window fast enough, I’d fight like hell for my life. Vincent wouldn’t get out unscathed.

I lifted the window the rest of the way just as the door shifted open. With one leg swung over the ledge, I sat on the sill and prepared to jump out. Vincent would have to rush downstairs and out the door to get outside. It’d give a few minutes head start. He might be tall and strong, but I was short and fast.

I took in a deep breath and exhaled quickly. I was about to jump when someone other than Vincent snuck into my room. It was Linda, dressed in her favorite floral shirt and green pants, holding a cast-iron frying pan. My mouth dropped in shock, and I climbed back inside, shutting the window quickly.

She held a finger to her lips and gently closed the door. A sense of relief washed through me that she was here, but it didn’t last long. She set the pan on the bed and threw her arms around me.

“How the hell did you get in here?” I asked, hugging her tight.

Linda squeezed me back and didn’t let go. “I’m good friends with the Hamricks. Jeff has a habit of locking himself out of the house, and he always keeps that one large basement window unlocked so he can get in. It’s a good thing it’s low to the ground because I wouldn’t have been able to climb in otherwise. My joints aren’t as flexible as they used to be.”

I let her go and grabbed her shoulders. “Is Declan close by?”

She frowned. “I don’t know. I stopped by your house this morning and he was there with a guy named Ian. Declan told me it was too dangerous to get involved. I told him about this house, so hopefully, they’re checking up on it.” She cupped my cheeks just like my grandmother used to do when I was a little girl. “When I heard you were in trouble, I couldn’t just sit by and do nothing.”

I nodded over at the cast-iron pan. “Is that your weapon of choice?”

She shrugged. “Hey, it was all I could find in the time I had. Plus, I had to be quiet with Mr. Scary Pants downstairs in the living room.” She grabbed the pan off the bed and smiled at it. “Besides, when Sipsey used her pan on Frank in Fried Green Tomatoes , it was game over.”

I leaned against the door to see if I could hear Vincent downstairs. There was no sound, so I had no clue where he was.

“Well, let’s hope that if you have to use it, you’re just as successful as Sipsey,” I said.

Linda held up the pan and flexed her arm muscles. “There may be a lot of flab hiding what’s underneath, but I promise you, I’m as strong as an ox.”

I peered over at the tied blankets, but Linda wouldn’t be able to climb out the window. If she fell, she’d break a lot more than just her legs. But if she was able to find me so quickly, I had to believe that Declan and Ian weren’t too far behind. If that was the case, then what were we supposed to do? Should I wait for them? Or go with my original plan and try to escape?

Keeping my voice quiet, I hurried over to the tied blankets and shoved them back under the dresser. “Well, Linda, you got in here undetected. Do you have a plan on getting out?”

Linda held the pan protectively in her grasp and nodded. “We’re going to sneak downstairs and get out through the basement window I came in through. Then, we’re going to get the hell away from here. My car is just a little ways down the road, hidden behind some bushes. I parked and walked here.”

It all sounded so simple. If she was able to make it in undetected, surely we could make it out, right? The problem was that it wasn’t just me anymore. If we were to get caught, I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if Linda was hurt in the crossfire.

I moved over to the bed and sat down, unsure of what to do. Linda joined me and bumped me with her shoulder. “You don’t have to worry about me, Ayla. I’m a strong and capable old lady.”

“That’s for damn sure,” I said, smiling at her.

Her smile faded and she turned serious. “I heard the conversation between you and Vincent. Is all of that true about Declan and the secret FBI stuff?” When I nodded, her eyes bugged out of her head. “That is crazy. Who would’ve thought there’d be so much excitement in our little town?”

“This is not exciting,” I hissed low. “It’s dangerous. Vincent Deluca is part of the mafia and a killer. He won’t think twice about getting rid of us.”

She squeezed my hand. “Then, I say we get out of here. Your window plan could’ve worked, but mine will be better. Less chance of breaking something.”

“What if we get caught? ”

We both knew what would happen if we did. Linda sighed but then lifted her head and smiled. “We won’t. Now, let’s go. Luckily, the old floorboards in this house don’t squeak.”

It was now or never.

I stared at the bedroom door, trying not to second-guess myself. When I opened it, my heart pounded so hard against my sternum that I thought it’d burst out. The whole house was quiet. I tiptoed to the stairs and slowly made my way down. Linda was as quiet as a mouse behind me, still holding her cast-iron frying pan.

Once at the bottom of the stairs, I glanced back at Linda, who pointed toward the hallway leading to the kitchen. Luckily, a wall hid the stairwell from the living room, so I had to assume that was where Vincent was.

I walked down the hallway and past a bathroom on my way to the kitchen. When I turned around to ask Linda for guidance, she was nowhere to be found. But then, Vincent’s hulking frame turned the corner, and he spotted me.

“Where do you think you’re going?” he demanded, marching toward me.

“I was thirsty,” I said quickly, waving a hand at the refrigerator. “Surely, you don’t want me to die of dehydration, do you?”

I was lightheaded from all the adrenaline as I made my way to the kitchen cabinets. I opened them until I found the one with cups. I grabbed one out and filled it up with water, downing it within seconds. It wasn’t enough, so I filled another cup and drank it, as well.

Vincent stood in the hallway doorway, blocking my way to the stairwell. Linda was still nowhere in sight, but I was thankful he didn’t know she was there.

Vincent huffed with impatience. “Looks like I’m going to have to make sure you stay in your room.” He pulled out a handful of zip ties from his back pocket, and when his suit jacket moved to the side, I could see his gun holster. He had two on him. “Let’s go,” he growled.

I didn’t know what to do. If I ran, all he’d have to do was fire a gun and I’d be down. Plus, I still didn’t know where Linda was. I couldn’t leave her.

With a heavy sigh, I glared at him and set my cup in the sink. “Fine.”

However, before I could take a step toward him, the room echoed with the loudest clang of metal hitting something hard. Vincent’s legs folded underneath him and he went down like a rag doll, his body limp as he hit the floor. Blood oozed out of the gash on the back of his head and onto the white marble floor. Standing with the pan still raised in the air was Linda, who looked frozen in shock with her mouth gaping wide open.

I was stunned and couldn’t move, either.

Vincent did not move, but I was too afraid to walk past him to get to Linda. I’d seen a million scary movies in my time, and I could just imagine him grabbing my leg when I tried to pass.

“Is he dead?” Linda asked, still with a death grip on the pan.

I couldn’t see his chest moving, but that didn’t mean anything.

“I don’t know,” I said in all honesty. “It doesn’t look like he’s breathing. Do you happen to have your cell phone nearby?”

She nodded quickly, never once taking her eyes off Vincent. “In my pocket.”

“Why don’t you lower the pan and pull it out. We need to call the police.”

Linda slowly let out a breath and set the pan on the floor. “I can’t believe I hit him over the head. I don’t know where all my strength came from. It was the weirdest thing I ever felt. ”

Her fingers shook as she tried to push the buttons on her phone. She only had one number pressed when a loud boom vibrated the entire house. Linda grabbed her chest and I shrieked as footsteps pounded against the floor.

“Ayla!”

The sound of Declan’s voice sent a surge of relief through me. With guns drawn, both he and who I assumed was Ian charged around the corner. He took one look at Vincent on the floor and jumped over him to get to me, taking me in his arms.

“Fuck, I’m so glad you’re okay.”

I buried my face in his chest and couldn’t stop the tears from burning my cheeks. “I’m fine. He didn’t hurt me. I think Linda’s okay, too, but she may be in shock.”

He released me from his grip but kept an arm protectively around my waist. Ian bent down next to Vincent and checked for a pulse. He had dark hair and looked to be in his midthirties, with tattoos down his arms.

The second he met Declan’s gaze, I knew the verdict. Vincent was dead.

Ian stood and Linda fanned a hand over her face. “Oh, my God, did I kill him?”

I looked up at Declan and he lifted his brows as if he was silently asking if I wanted to be the one to tell her. He let me go and I walked over to Linda, looping my arm with hers so I could lead her away from the kitchen.

“Did I kill him?” she asked again as we walked out of the house.

Once we were away from Vincent’s body and out in the fresh air, I faced her and nodded. “You took some good pointers from Sipsey,” I said, trying to lighten the mood. “Maybe that could be your new nickname. The good thing is that you saved my life, Linda. All of this is over because of you.”

Tears formed in her eyes and she broke out in one of the brightest smiles I’d ever seen. “Yeah?”

I nodded again. “Yeah. You’re a hero.”

Declan hurried outside and Linda charged toward him, throwing her arms around him. “I’m a hero. I saved Ayla’s life.”

He smiled at me over the top of her head. “Yes, you are,” he said to her. “I should’ve let you help us from the start.”

Linda let him go and smacked his arm. “You’re damn right, you should have. Maybe next time you’ll listen to me.”

Declan shook his head and he stared right at me. “ There won’t be a next time. This was my last mission.”

Ian stuck his head out the front door and yelled at Declan. “The cleaning crew is on their way. I got this if you want to get them home.”

Linda blew out a sigh and started down the driveway. “He doesn’t have to say that twice. I’m out of here.”

Declan held me close as we made our way down the street toward Linda’s abandoned car in the bushes. Declan’s was right behind it. We stopped in front of Linda’s car but there were so many unanswered questions.

“What happens now?” I asked Declan.

He glanced back and forth from me to Linda. “This has to stay between us. Word can’t get out about this. As far as anyone is concerned, you were sick at home,” he said to me. Then to Linda, he added, “And you were at home baking a cake.”

“But I killed someone,” Linda replied.

He shrugged. “It’ll be our secret. If you hadn’t killed him, it would’ve been me doing it.”

Linda nodded. “He was a bad man anyway. He deserved it.”

Declan placed a hand soothingly on her shoulder. “Yes, he was. You saved a lot of people tonight, Linda. I wouldn’t worry about what you did. Again, you’re a hero.”

She lifted her head triumphantly in the air. “Yes, I am. I think I’m going to go home and bake a cake to celebrate.”

My stomach growled. “And I’ll be right over to eat it.”

Linda hopped in her car and drove away while Declan and I stood at his. Everything had happened so fast that it was hard to process it all. Declan held me so tight in his arms and I welcomed it.

“I love you, Ayla. I was so afraid I’d never see you again.”

I breathed him in. “I’m here. It’s over now. That’s all that matters.”

With Vincent gone and Declan’s mission fulfilled, I knew it would be the first step to Declan’s true healing. He would finally be able to move on.

Closing my eyes, I squeezed him as hard as I could. “I love you, too. Now let’s get away from here. I don’t ever want to see this place again.”

Declan kissed the top of my head. “I’m good with that.”