Bound by Love's Gravity (28 page)

“Shut up, Sarah,” Sam growled.

Sarah stood her ground. “No, Sam. I won’t.”

“My kitten has become a tiger,” Gavin remarked without taking his eyes off Sam. “I can’t wait till you scratch my back with those claws.”

Standing across from Gavin with his hands in the air, Sam snarled, “I’ll kill you, you bastard.”

Gavin gave a demonic chuckle. “You can try, but the only two dying today are you and Adam. I have much better uses for Sarah and Deke.”

Sam’s eyes flared a second before he abruptly launched himself at Gavin. But he wasn’t fast enough, and Gavin had his knife embedded in Sam’s side a heartbeat later. He twisted the knife then pulled it out. “That should keep you for a while, Sammy Boy.”

“No!” Sarah screamed, rushing toward her friend, only to be stopped by Gavin’s hand slamming into her rapidly rising chest. “Sam!”

But Sam didn’t respond. He was too busy clutching his side and stumbling backwards. Then he was slumping to the ground, mere feet from her, and writhing in unmistakable pain. He was breathing harshly, his respirations sounding heavy and loud in the silent aftermath of Gavin’s attack. The blood from his wound was soaking through his cream-colored sweater, and his face was growing ashen before her very eyes.

Oh God. No.
“Sam!” Sarah yelled again as she fought against Gavin’s hold with every ounce of strength inside her. But it was to no avail. Gavin didn’t even acknowledge her. Instead, he grinned at Sam as though he had no care in the world. “I think I’ll leave you here to bleed. I can finish the job later when I have more time to play with you.”

Looking around, Gavin frowned. “You know? I could use this to my advantage.” He glanced at Sarah. “Get your phone. I need you to make a very important call to Adam.”

* * * *

Back at The Edge, Adam’s knees weakened as he gawked at Ansley. “She what?” he nearly screamed. His eyes darted across the massive desk to Deke, who’d paled. His ghost-white partner appeared to go cold, the frigidity in his aura so chilling that Adam shivered from his spot on the office’s sofa.

Evidently catching the severity of her revelation, Ansley paused. Her body stiffened and her brash facial expression faltered. For the first time in all the years he’d known her, she kept her smart mouth shut. But her hesitation didn’t last long before she was her old snarky self.

“She left with Sam Carrington,” Ansley said, smirking, as she tossed her long blonde locks over her shoulder. “You two must have sucked in the sack.”

“Ansley,” Deke growled. “Shut the fuck up.”

Attempting to keep his head, Adam pretended his partner was invisible. “Where are they going?” he asked Ansley.

Eyeing him, she shrugged. “His text didn’t say anything other than she was upset and wanted to leave.”

In confusion, Adam demanded, “Why in the hell was she upset? Did someone do something to her?”

Ansley rolled her catlike eyes. “I don’t know. Okay? If I did, I would be with her eating chocolate and trashing whoever upset her.”

Adam sucked in a steadying breath before turning to Deke. “I’m going to Sarah’s apartment.” He stood to his full height swiftly. “If I haul ass, I might get there before she does.” Rubbing his head with a weary hand, he sighed. “We better pray I do. If not, she’s going to see the mess her intruder left behind.”

Ansley crossed her arms over chest, tapping her toe in overly dramatic impatience. “Intruder? Mess? What are you talking about?”

Deke pushed himself out of his chair. “Yes, Ansley, a mess. Someone broke into her apartment and destroyed it. Now we have to get to her before she walks in and finds one of the places she feels safe in shambles.”

Ansley swayed. “I–I didn’t know,” she stuttered. “I–I wouldn’t have waited to tell you if I had.”

Dismissing Ansley’s comment, Deke snapped, “How long?”

“Twenty minutes.”

Deke nodded curtly then marched for the door, barking on his way out, “Let’s go.”

Adam wasn’t in the mood to argue. He merely followed behind Deke. But they only made it into the hall before the office phone rang.

“Get that, Ansley,” Deke demanded without slowing

Hot on his heels, Adam added, “We’re unavailable until…I don’t know when.”

Either Ansley didn’t listen or she hadn’t heard him because she leaned out of the office and yelled, “It’s Reed. He says it’s urgent.”

Deke swore but stopped.

Adam didn’t. He kept going. There was nothing and no one who could keep him from Sarah. “I’m leaving—with or without you.”

“Adam,” Deke growled. “We have to take this call. Reed might have found something.”

Flipping Deke the bird over his shoulder, Adam snarled, “I don’t
have
to do anything and neither do you. You’re choosing to, and I’m choosing not to.”

As Adam rounded the corner and jogged down the stairs, he heard the drone of people’s voices coming from each floor, and he heard the sound of his breathing. However, he didn’t hear anyone’s footsteps, other than his own.

Cursing, he sped up. “I’m coming, sweet pea.”

Feeling more powerless than he ever had before, Deke watched Adam disappear around the corner of the hallway. Unconsciously, he took one step in that direction before immediately stopping himself. He couldn’t go after Adam any more than he could Sarah right now. This call was too important, and it couldn’t wait, not a minute or even a second. Her tears, however, could.

Once he’d heard his private investigator out, Deke would follow her into the pits of hell just to hold her and kiss each droplet of moisture away. But not until after she was out of danger.

Sighing, he pivoted on his heel and returned to his office. As he stalked for the phone, Ansley jumped out of his way, holding the receiver as far from herself as possible like a zookeeper dangling fresh meat in front of a ravenous carnivore. “Here,” she said then tossed it at him.

Reflexively, he caught the receiver then put it to his ear and barked, “What?”

Without preamble, Reed blurted out, “It’s Bradford Radcliffe. He’s Gavin.”

Deke shook his head as though that action alone would clear his muddled mind. “BR?”

“I don’t know how I missed it.” Reed sighed wearily. “But he’s the one.”

Still in shock, Deke’s legs gave way and he fell into his chair. “How?” he croaked.

“Now that I know, it’s disgustingly obvious. Think about it, Deke. BR was seen around Serenity numerous times when Sarah was dating the mysterious Gavin. Then, after the attack, he became a permanent fixture at the club. His visits tripled, man.
Tripled
.”

Thinking back, BR’s presence had changed last year. He’d always been an active member so no one had thought much of his increased appearances until he’d been spotted lurking in places he shouldn’t have been. Deke had reprimanded him for going into the restricted areas without staff members present. Of course, BR had apologized profusely. And that had been the end of it. Since then, he’d been on his best behavior—to their knowledge.

“Fuck,” Deke growled.

“It gets worse.”

Deke groaned. “Is that possible?”

“Yeah.”

“Great.”

“I’m with you on that one,” Reed retorted. “BR’s aunt lives in Sarah’s building.”

Deke knew that. After all, he and Adam owned the building. “I’m assuming you have a point to this.”

“His aunt is dead.”

A chill ran down his spine. “Dead,” he repeated dumbly.

“Graveyard dead,” Reed replied.

“Explain,” Deke snapped. “No wait. Let me call Adam first.”

Adam.
“Oh fuck. He’s on his way to Sarah’s.”
Sarah.
“Shit, I think Sarah is, too.” Vaulting out of his seat, he growled into the phone. “I’ll call you back.” He didn’t waste time hanging up. He threw the phone down then took off at a dead run.

Tearing down the hall, Deke sprinted at top speed. His legs worked well, eating up the distance at an amazing speed, considering they shook so badly he feared his next step would be his last. By the time he hit the stairs, he was praying he could just get to his car before he collapsed. By some miracle, he made it.

With a curse, Deke hauled his ass into the front seat of his car then turned the engine and took off. His tires squealed, and he flew backward. But he didn’t care. He was too busy fumbling with his cell phone in suddenly feeble hands.

When he finally managed to get a grip on the insipid thing, he realized he needed to warn Adam, to tell him what was going on. But at the same time, he didn’t know all the details. He needed to know everything he could before calling Adam.

Conference call.
Grateful for three-way calling, he got Reed on the line then added an irate-sounding Adam. “This had better be good,” his partner snarled. “I don’t have time to deal with a bunch of bullshit.”

“Adam, it’s Reed. I’m at Sarah’s apartment building. I just found Bradford Radcliffe’s aunt. She’s dead.”

“What?” Adam asked. His voice possessed an exorbitant amount of impatience as reality clearly didn’t connect.

“BR is Gavin,” Deke explained.

“Wait, what?” Adam asked, sounding way too distracted for Deke’s peace of mind. “I didn’t hear… Shit. Isn’t that…Sarah’s car up there?”

Panic shredded Deke. “Where? What’s going on?”

“Hold on. I’m pulling over,” Adam replied, still sounding sidetracked.

“Adam,” he gritted out. “Where are you? Where’s Sarah?” When he didn’t get an answer, he screamed, “Adam!” Still, there was no response. All that Deke heard was a rustling followed by a car door shutting. Then there was nothing again.

“Adam,” Deke tried a second time. “Please answer me.” He hated how pitiful he sounded, but he couldn’t help it. He was dying.

“Shut up,” Reed growled. “I’m trying to hear something that’ll help us.”

Clamping his jaw shut, Deke went silent. He attempted to make out anything he could. However, it didn’t work. And in the end, he was frustrated, afraid, furious, and fucking clueless.

* * * *

In a hurry to get to Sarah, Adam shoved his phone in his pocket without shutting it off. Then he jumped out of the car in a rush, leaving the engine running. “Sarah,” he hollered as he strode down to the passenger side of the car then skirted around the corner by the front bumper. “Where are you, sweet pea? Are you okay?”

Each word he uttered sounded more panicked than the last. When he finished his last question, he sounded outright terrified. But that was probably because Sarah was nowhere in sight. No one was.

Then out of nowhere, he heard it—a voice, a man’s voice. “Sam?” he asked.

“Adam,” Sam whispered, his voice sounding off in the distance, the volume so soft it was barely discernible. “Over here. Follow blood. Front of car.”

Blood? Oh God no.
Skidding all the way around the front, his eyes fell to the ground. Just as Sam had said, there was a trail of blood leading to the front wheel on the driver’s side. And by it lay Sam. Seeing his friend collapsed on the ground made him sick. But the fact that Sarah was gone made him sicker. “Sarah? Where’s Sarah?”

“Gone. Help her. Not safe.” Tears glistened in Sam’s agonized eyes. “I tried. But BR got h—” Before he could finish, Sam passed out, his entire body slackening.

Fuck.
What did he do now?
My phone.
But he never got to his cell. Something hitting him in the back of the head kept him from doing anything, except crumpling on the ground as his consciousness slipped away.

* * * *

In the front seat of Gavin’s Cadillac Escalade, Sarah leaned to the side. Futilely, she craned her neck to see around the evergreen tree Gavin had hidden his SUV behind. But it was no use. His position blinded her to the road and its activities. Just like her location would be shielded from anyone on the other side.
Stupid tree.

Giving up, Sarah deflated. She collapsed back in the leather seat, shaking like a leaf. God, she wanted to know what was going on out there. No, what she wanted was to go help Sam. But she knew if she got out of the SUV right now, Gavin would retaliate. And it wouldn’t be against her. He would probably wind up hurting Sam further or, even worse, he would go ahead and kill him. No, she couldn’t risk it. She had to stay put for the time being.

Bile crept up into Sarah’s throat as reality set in and the realization of what she’d done only minutes ago hit her. She’d made the call Gavin had ordered her to. Like the spineless jellyfish he had always accused her of being, she’d listened to his demands and complied.
Sort of.
What the lunatic didn’t realize was that rather than calling Adam and luring him out here like Gavin had commanded her to, she’d called for reinforcements. Using a special code, she’d alerted Hale that something was seriously wrong before she’d recited the message Gavin had fed her.

Big Dog
was her safe phrase with Hale. Several months back, Hale had overheard her muttering about him, using that exact name instead of his own. He’d teased her endlessly. Until one day, she’d told him she was going to start calling him
Big Dog,
just
to annoy him. He’d responded with a smart-aleck comment about how she’d better not utter the name
Big Dog
where he could hear her again unless she was using it as a safe phrase. Well, she had—today. She just hoped he caught on before it was too late.