Page 29 of The Moments You Miss
Metal Doors
Cameron
Ispeed down 5th street, the downtown buildings morphing into a color-speckled blur as I make my way towards my storage unit. I’m certain that Zack will find something— hehasto. I’ve gotta make this right, explain everything to her, and I make the internal promise to myself to fix this no matter the cost. Even if it means she will hate me.
I had no choice back then, and I had no idea what she would become to me. I might have swore to myself to protect always all those years ago, but I never thought it would ever be more than keeping a watchful eye on her from a distance. I may have wanted to marry her from the moment I saw her at group, but it had been a boy’s pining dream. A little fantasy to escape into when my days were too dark to bear. I never thought it would turn into this.
Though, I suppose that our pasts are too similar and too interwoven for us to be around one another in any capacity and not fall into this fucked up web that I’ve made for us.
My knuckles are so white on the steering wheel, I start to think that the skin would rip. How did this get so far away from me? Why did wehaveto end up like this? Couldn’t we have been two normal kids with normal families that fell in love?
No.Normalhad never been in my fate, nor hers. My dad knew of her father, and her father alone, had taken her to his burial ground many times. I spent so much time reading into the man that was Richard Clarkson, part of me even wonders if she remembers anything from her childhood of who and what her father did.
My phone rings as I answer without even looking at the ID. “Leyla?!”
“It’s not Leyla, but I’ve got an idea of where she might be,” Zack’s dull voice echoes through the phone speaker.
“Where is she?” I frown, a bite to my voice, as I pull into the parking lot. Throwing the car in park, I run inside the abandoned storage lot.
“You’re not gonna like what I’m about to tell you. I need you to stop moving around and think about it for a sec. With your head, not your fucking cock.”
I freeze as I hear Zack’s words, holding my breath as I look to the door in front of me.
“Who is it, Z?” My voice shakes with fear and the adrenaline comes racing through me. I don’t make a single move knowing that my Leyla’s life hangs in the balance right now.
She’s not cut out for a life like this. Leyla is strong in her own right, but sheneeds me;I want to be the foundation she stands on and the tower that looks out to the horizon to protect her from all.And I need to get to her, to bring her back into the safety of my castle— where no one else will ever enter again.
I start to grow irritated not hearing words come out of his mouth. “Zachary!Who took my girl?!”I scream into the phone. I hear him take a breath, annoyance behind that single exhale.
“Simon Maher.” Zack’s voice shows a hint of fear, contrasting the irritation he had been showing up until this point. Probably because I should have fucking seen this coming a mile away, but I’ve had my head in the clouds ever since I started getting close to Leyla. “C, you there?”
He’s worried about me, I hear it in his voice clearly now. “I’ve tracked the car that took her to a warehouse probably ten minutes from your current location.” I go to interrupt him to ask him to send me the location, but I hear the smirk in his voice. “Already sent it to you, brother. Don’t get sloppy over this. You know who you are, and who you’re not. Make him fucking pay for what he’s done to her, got it? Don’t lose yourself over this. You aren’t your dad, think logically, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”
Although his last statement doesn’t really leave much room for things I could do, I nod though he can’t see me, a grin on my face as I enter my pin code into the lock.
“Oh, he’s not going to know what fucking hit him. He’s going to fucking regret ever touching what’s mine. She’s mine and he doesn’t get to hurt her like that.Not my girl,” I growl through gritted teeth.
“Be safe, Cameron. I’ve got eyes on you now, so you’re not alone. Give me the signal and I’ll send some of my guys out to you,” Zack says as a drone flies over where I’m standing and my eyes widen. I always knew that he was connected, but I really don’t know the depth of all that my best friend is truly into. Though, I feel it’s probably best that it’s kept that way—with me in the dark. I flip off the drone and Zack lets a soft chuckle escape, and I can’t help but let one out too. This is why he’s my best friend, keeping me grounded to the point of even being able to laugh at my darkest moment.
“I’m gonna take care of this. I’ll keep you in the know,” I say confidently as I end the call and focus on the task at hand. “I’m coming for you, Cherry.”
Leyla is ten minutes from me and the only thing I know for certain is that Simon, while fucking stupid, won’t kill her. If he’s still in love with her like I suspect him to be, he’ll only keep her tied up or locked away. It’s the only balm that I’ve got going for my fucked up little soul right now. The locks click open and the LEDs flick on in my unit.
I make quick work of grabbing everything I need to make sure that Simon Maher never touches my girl ever again. I shake the feeling off of blinding rage and focus back into what I’m doing.
“Knives, chain, taser, scalpel.” I pass my finger over the items in my kit that I’ve rolled open in front of me. I shrug and roll it back up, deciding on the fact I’m going to need it all. He’s going to die, one way or another.
After an hour of thorough prepping, I’ve got everything set and ready to go. I pull out my phone and pull up my text thread with Zack.
Zackasaurus Rex: Last seen location: .5 mi from Louis Storage Yard. His white Ranger left the location 15 minutes ago heading eastbound. Just the perp seemed to be leaving. Now’s your chance
Cameron: Got it. Keep birds on me. Heading there now. Keep watching for my signal if things go south
Zackasaurus Rex: Affirmative. Be safe
I put my phone away and put the car into gear, the tires squealing as I take off. I’m going to save her, bring her home to me, then I’m going to make Simon pay for taking what’s mine.
Chapter 24
