Indebted (29 page)

Luke sounds shocked when he responds. “Reeeeaally? I thought you’d want this info ASAP, but you have your priorities. We’ll wait for your call, then.”

He hangs up, and I immediately turn my attention to what I was doing before.

It’s funny when people are watching us watch it.

So, if I draw my attention away from what I feel isn’t useful, this should be easy. I cut out the “It’s funny when” part, and everything falls into place.

People are watching us watch it.

Who the hell is watching us, and why would Aaron know about them and not me? We always have people scrutinizing us, but this is obviously someone else. I trust Aaron, and if he’s telling me I need to be careful, I’m going to.

I get this odd feeling now running all over my skin—almost as if all eyes are on me. It sounds ridiculous, but I have chills at the thought of what this could mean. These aren’t the usual suspects here. I realize that. My gut instincts take over, and my body is moving before I even know it.

I grab a duffle bag out of the closet and rummage through it. Decisively, I pull out the item I’m looking for—a bug detector. I turn it on and am thankful it’s charged still. This is something I used to use on a regular basis but have been lax about it since Aaron has been around. My head hasn’t been in the game, and now it may have nearly cost everyone I care about their lives. I’m beyond pissed at myself.

When I run the device over myself, nothing goes off. Then I go over the penthouse one room at a time. I find a few bugs around each of the main living spaces, which infuriates me to no end. I feel violated not only on a safety level, but on a quite personal one. Aaron and I have been intimate in most of these rooms, not just sexually; we’ve shared bits and pieces of our lives and pasts. To think some bastards have listened to that makes me want to bust something.

Feeling helpless, I impulsively run the device over both my phones. I’m sure there’s little chance of these being bugged, since they rarely leave my side. To my surprise and dread, the detector lights up on both.

Only one thought runs through my head:
They know.

Panic courses through my body at an alarming rate and my activities over the past couple of months hit me like a ton of bricks.
Fuck! You have to get to Aaron now. Everything has to be moved forward. They’re going to be pissed. Damn it!

Opening my personal one, my chest tightens when I run across some silly photos taken on it of Aaron and I. It saddens me that I will have to lose the pictures, but I’m not able to trust what info is being watched. Right now, I have no computer or email to send them to, preferring to be away from all that when home. I’ll have to start fresh with everything. My only hope is to keep Aaron safe and create new memories.

With one last, longing glance at Aaron’s smiling face, I dump both devices in the trash on my way out the door. Knowing my destination is Pennsylvania, I’m aware of exactly what I need to do. I leave home, and to free myself of any last doubts, I go to the location I taught Aaron to stash some money to confirm it’s missing—and it is. A thrill that my assumptions are correct runs through me. After grabbing my own stash of cash, I head to the store to buy a cheap, untraceable cell. With all this finished, I sit in my car and dial Luke back.

He answers in a pissy tone. “Hello?”

“Hey, Luke, it’s Liam. I need your location.”

“Oh, sorry, boss. I didn’t recognize the number. We’re down on Eighth Street.”

“Yeah, I changed phones. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

“You got it, man.”

With a few calls, I have a flight taking an indirect trip to Punxsutawney in case I’m being followed, along with a car waiting for me when I land. My biggest phone call has yet to be made. I’ve been putting it off for as long as possible, but I know it’s finally time. After a couple of rings, he picks up.

“Hey, it’s me. Some shit went down and we are going to have to move things ahead.” He is not fuckin’ happy, like I thought. After a few minutes of ranting, he finally shuts up long enough for me to speak. “Look, it either goes down now or not at all. You wanted this, and I did as you asked. Now it’s your turn to follow through with your promises.”

I know I hold the cards this time, and I’m going to play them—and that’s exactly what I do. He hangs up after few more choice words for me that go in one ear and out the other. Now that that is settled, it’s time to find out exactly what Evan has to say.

Luke meets me at the entrance to an abandoned house in yet another crummy part of town. Luke looks spent as he lets me in. From Evan’s appearance, I can see why. The shit’s been beaten out of him and he is barely recognizable.

I look at Luke, feeling little remorse for Evan, and say, “So, what’s the word?”

“Well, it seems Evan here was approached by none other than our own Jeremy.”

This bit of news surprises me. I know the man has been obsessed with me, and now I assume hates me, but I would have never expected this. What does he hope to gain, and am I wrong about my earlier thoughts? Maybe this is a coincidence. A part of me is relieved, and another is worried about my prior phone call. Then again, it works out kinda nicely that I’ll be out of town when the shit hits the fan.

Focusing my thoughts back where they should be, I inquire, “Just what is it Jeremy promised Evan, and where the fuck is Aaron?”

That last question I ask to make everyone think I don’t know where Aaron is. I have a feeling I can trust Luke, but I’m not going to bet Aaron’s life on it.

I can hear Evan whimpering in the background, and I feel a slight tug at my conscience. He is, after all, a kid. A dumb as fuck one, but a kid nonetheless. Yes, I did work him over before, but I felt I had no choice. Thomas isn’t the type to ignore. The asshole isn’t joking when he says he has a talent with knives. Making it worse, is Evan didn’t even take Aaron. The guilt is there, but he and his gang did nearly kill Tristan, and for that the little fucker deserves everything he gets and more.

“Evan says Jeremy offered him money and the chance to get back at you if he grabbed Aaron for him.”

“Why would Jeremy want Aaron? He’s always been after me.”

Luke shrugs at this. “Maybe he thought it would be the best way to get to you.”

“True, Jeremy is too chicken shit to come after me directly. Did he say where he’s holding Aaron?”

Sighing heavily, Luke reluctantly answers. “That’s the thing, boss. He says he doesn’t have him. Nothing I’ve done to him has changed that result.”

Of course I know the little prick is speaking the truth, but I have to keep up the act a little longer before I can get out of here and go to Aaron. “If he doesn’t have him, who does?”

“You’re not going to believe this—Evan says he escaped.”

A little pride fills me at the thought of my boy getting the best of these bastards, and I try my best to hide it. “So, you’re telling me they overpowered Tristan and nearly killed him, but couldn’t handle a civilian?”

“I know. I didn’t quite believe it either. It makes no sense. I’m aware you and Tristan have been teachin’ him shit, but this seemed a little too unrealistic. After listening to Evan’s explanation, though, I can see it going down like he says. Aaron is smart, and they underestimated him. The more experienced men were with Tristan, and by the time they realized how smart Aaron is, it was too late. He was loose and they lost him.”

So things are starting to add up here. It still doesn’t account for Aaron sending that message about being watched. Although it could be he knew of Jeremy’s involvement in this. Then another thought occurs to me.

Turning to Evan and looking him in the eye, I question, “Why are you hiding if you don’t have Aaron?”

“I fucked up. Everyone is going to want me dead: Sam for doing this, Jeremy for not succeeding, and you for even going near your boyfriend.” Evan stops talking and starts sobbing. “I wanted to do right by my brother. I didn’t agree with what he did to Aaron, but being around all these bangers fucked up his head. When we were kids, he wouldn’t even kill a bug that got into the house. He’d scoop them up and let them outside. After the car accident that killed Mom and put Dad in his wheelchair, he changed. Dad became closed off and Adam became angry at the world. He joined this gang, I think, to have a place to belong and not feel so lost. I followed because I didn’t want to lose my brother. I was trying to do what he would have wanted me to do—get even with you. Jeremy told me it was the best way to honor his memory, and I fell for it. I’m so sorry. Please don’t kill me.”

A lump forms in my throat. I really feel bad for this kid. If anyone understands following orders and being stuck with your fate, it’s me. As I take him in, I can see myself at his age. I wasn’t much younger than him when my father inducted me into this life. Right then, I make the decision to let the boy go. I know vengeance should be on my mind, but I’ve had enough, and maybe he will be able to get out before he turns into me. I’m done with this whole scenario and ready to go to Pennsylvania. I instruct Luke to let Evan go. He glances my way, confused, and I can understand why.

My frustration comes out and I growl, “I’ve got my answers, and I think this kid has been through enough. He made a dumbass mistake and he got his ass beat for it. I’m sure Sam, once recovered, will be dealing with him anyway. I don’t have time for these games. He doesn’t have Aaron and doesn’t have a clue to where he is. I need to keep looking, not be worried about revenge.”

Holding his hands up in surrender, he concedes. “Hey, man, I get ya. I was just curious. I know Aaron is the most important thing right now, but you’re pissed, and that’s usually not good for whomever it’s directed at. You’re right, though. We need to make sure we find Aaron soon. Jeremy is still out there, and who knows what that bastard will do if he gets his hands on him.”

Fuck! You hadn’t even thought of that. What if Jeremy has followed him or gotten to him since that text? You gotta get the fuck outta here now!

Trying to be casual, I give directions to Luke. “I want you to keep trying to find Aaron. Turn over any of his haunts and keep watch for him at Chloe’s house. It’s an obvious place for him to go, and Jeremy will think of it too. I have to go and check on something. I will call you when I get the chance. Unless it’s important or you find Aaron, don’t call me.”

“Understood.”

The trip to the airport goes smoothly, as my body is on autopilot, with one destination in mind—Aaron. I’m careful to use everything I’ve learned over the years to be sure I’m not followed.

Right before I board the plane, I send a text to Aaron:
He saw his shadow.

With my phone now turned off, I settle back in the seat, and I can’t help but feel the weight of the situation leave me some. It looks like Aaron is okay. That call assured me that things are still going to take place, although now it’ll be on my time schedule. All the stress and sneaking around is going to be worth it. All the secrets I’ve kept from Tristan and Aaron. It’s unreal that it’s working. I’ve hoped but never dreamed it would go even better than planned. Even though Tristan is in the hospital, it lends itself to him being out of danger. Being somewhat out of crisis mode, my body soon relaxes, and I doze in the private chartered plane. The burden has taken a huge toll on me.

Soon the intercom wakes me to tell me we will be landing in a few minutes. I can barely wait as the plane taxies to a stop on the little no-name airstrip. Grabbing my bags, I anxiously leave and head straight to the car waiting for me. My cell is turned back on and I can’t wait to see my message from Aaron. No doubt he’s seen that I understood him and has sent me something by now.

Searching for it, my stomach drops. There’s no text or voice mail.

Well, shit! How do you find him in this shitty town now?

I
CAN
’
T
believe, in a few short hours, my life has gone from normal to complete insanity.

I knew getting involved with Lee was a huge risk. The beating I received already demonstrated that. For some reason, it never occurred to me I would end up running for my life and leaving a good friend on the ground. Besides having no way to go to Liam, the fact that I watched Tristan be butchered and fall on the floor dead was almost enough to make me go mad.

The guilt had been gnawing at me ever since. There was nothing I could do for him, and getting myself killed would make his death seem even more of a waste.

I couldn’t believe my luck. After I had all but given up and was being dragged toward my assailants, the chance to get away opened up like a gift from the heavens.

I decided to flip over and face whoever it was. That’s when I saw the man who’d been pulling me get distracted by the young guy asking a question—the bleach dude had already run off, trying to wash his eyes out. They were arguing over something, and the first thing that came to my mind was Liam’s talk about the sensitive areas.

The guy’s knee was right there. So instead of fighting him pulling me, I pushed forward in his direction with all the force I could muster, aiming both of my feet at the side of his knee. There was a resounding crunch and a scream. I had no idea how much damage I had done. The only thing that registered was the asshole let go. The younger one immediately focused on the bellowing jerk. I knew it was my only chance, and I took it.