Page 123 of A Captive Situation

That voice spoke, so emotionless behind me, “Take him to Presbyterian. Dump him in front of the ER, then wait for more orders.”

“Yes, boss.”

I hadn’t looked behind me. I’d only gotten a glimpse of some men in the warehouse before I saw Jake, and I hadn’t looked away from him. He was staring at me, his shoulders drooping in defeat. He’d had a plan.I saw it. There’d been something he was going to do, but the second he saw us, it changed. I watched it drain out of him.

I wished he would see that so many of the men were leaving. If we could do something, it would be now. EJ was safe, or would be safe. We could fight back.

Dammit. I had a bucket list. I was determined to go to the Aloha Festival in Hawaii. According to Google, it was famous. Him and me. We could still go.

We could do something, anything, and we could live. That’s what we did. We survived and then we did stupid things in bed together. I wanted to do that again. I wanted to be stupid with him.Let’s be stupid together, Jake.

I was silently pleading, but he shook his head, just slightly.

He was done.

All the hope left me. It’d been EJ. The sight of him stopped everything. Lane knew about his son. He would always know about his son.

He’d always be able to get to his son. That’s what Jake was thinking.

A swell of frustration and helplessness burst inside of me because we could kill him now. Then EJ would be safe.

I tried to look behind me. I wanted to see what this fucking monster looked like, but there was still one man behind me, and he growled, “Eyes front, bitch.” He used his gun to hit my face, sending me sprawling on the ground in front of him.

A savage growl erupted behind me. A body launched himself over me, and I heard fighting sounds. Grunts. Fists connecting.

Bang!“Enough. Stop this.” That was Lane. A body hit the ground at an angle, and my heart froze because was that Jake? Had he shot Jake? I knew by how hard that body hit and how that body wasn’t moving, they were dead. Whoever they were.

My jaw and cheek were throbbing from where the guy kicked me, and tears rushed to my eyes, but I held them back. I looked, rolling over a little bit to see who had been shot behind me.

I was staring into the dead eyes of someone I didn’t know. It wasn’t Jake.

Relief coursed through me, and a sob broke out.

I looked, searching. He was breathing hard, but he was still on his feet. We weren’t all the way gone. There was still hope. As long as one of us was standing, there was hope.

I didn’t want to die today.

So many stupid regrets flew through my mind. All of it was there in a flash. Stupid Beck. I didn’t love him. I didn’t think I ever had. Maybe I had. I must’ve at some point, but that died long ago. I hadn’t known. I didn’t care anymore. There was so much more in life. I wanted to do it all. Experience it all. Achieve it all. I had a bucket list of accomplishments I wanted to check off, but settling down in Bear Creek with Beck as my husband should’ve never been on that list. I was thankful for Manda now. I wanted to send them a gift basket, wish them well, and congratulate them on their coming baby.

I would never have to have kids with Beck. Thank you, Jesus.

I wanted those things with Jake.

I wanted to go whale watching with Jake.

Go to an elephant sanctuary.

See if zebras truly were mean or just misunderstood.

I wanted ahomewith Jake.

I wanted a career, whatever that would be. I wanted to find it, with Jake at my side.

I wantedall of itwith Jake.

I wanted to have kids with him. We still had time. I was only one year his cougar. I wanted to have sex all day and all night long. I wanted to do it for a week. A fuck week. Go to Tahiti and never leave the hotel room because of all the fucking yummy delicious sex.With Jake.

I wanted to see my family again. Hug my mom. Laugh with Graham. I even wanted to give Maude a hug. It wasn’t her fault she was so grouchy, I didn’t think. I wanted to find out either way, but I couldn’tdo any of that if we didn’t fight. I still wanted to get to the bottom of the family rift. I hadn’t mended it.

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