Chapter 10

10

REED

W ith nothing but my track pants and a gun, I pursue the men who kidnapped my woman. They don’t make it hard for me, driving slow enough so I’d catch up but fast enough to reach their destination before I could do anything about it.

This was always a possibility, I reasoned while I drove. Blinded by the desire to have Valerie at my side, I never considered Alfonso’s call a threat.

Those delusions died the moment I saw Valerie get abducted. It’s a cold reminder of the harsh realities of life. That no matter how far you run, the past will always come back to haunt you. Unfortunately for me, the past was only a week ago, and Alfonso Cipriani is still mighty angry about what I did to him.

I’m standing outside a warehouse on the docks. I’m not two miles from the boat I have all my riches stashed on. If Valerie had not entered my life like a hurricane and shaken the foundations of my belief, I’d have run to it now. Taken to the waters and disappeared from this cursed land. There’s no running now, not until I know she’s safe.

Even if it means I won’t be walking out of here myself.

“Hands where I can see them,” a voice comes from behind.

I do as it instructs, raising my hands but keeping my gun firm in my grip. Turning my head over my shoulder, I don’t see one of Cipriani’s suited men but Valerie’s father. He has a gun to my back and a mean look in his eye. As much as I hate to admit it, I deserve that hateful glare. “Reed Murphy, you are under arrest for th?—”

“Shoot me if you must, officer, but I’m not going with you,” I say. “Not now, at least. Your daughter is inside this warehouse, and I’m going to get her out.”

“What did you just say?” he snarls like an enraged mutt.

“When she was leaving the church, I saw them take her. I’m going to get her out. Let me do this, and I’ll let you take me in,” I say.

I want my words to be a lie, but they aren’t. Valerie’s safety is the only thing I care about now. The moment I saw her, when I claimed her as mine, I stopped living for myself. She became my sole focus, my reason to live. If that means going to jail, so be it. Even now, as I face the law and my poor decisions, I don’t want to run. Without her by my side, there’s no reason to go on.

“Let me—the police—handle this.” Fear bites at his words. The anger and frustration are washed away by pure concern for Valerie’s safety.

“With all due respect, officer, these animals will eat you alive. You’re a small-town cop with little understanding of how real criminals work. Stand back and let a professional take care of this,” I say. I’m oddly calm for a man facing death on all fronts. “I’ll get her out, and then you can do whatever you’re going to do.”

“Okay, fine. But please, bring her back to me,” he says.

With a nod, I drop my arms and step inside the warehouse.