Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty

  “Alright,” said Alaric the next morning as he finished off the last of his coffee and Jonas and I finished eating. “I’m going out to pick up a few things from the store. For whatever reason, we aren’t being watched, and I have a feeling we ought to seize the moment while we still can and use it to our advantage.”

  “Agreed,” Jonas answered, pushing aside his now empty plate and focusing on his Starbucks. “We need to skip town as soon as possible.”

  “Are you up for that?” questioned Alaric carefully, “I know our little adventure took its toll on you, even if you don’t want to admit it. I’d hate for you to push yourself even more than you already have. Ana’s already going to kill me next time she sees me because I let you go with me in that condition.”

  “We can go, I’m fine,” he insisted. Alaric and I shared a look. We knew better than to believe him, but we didn’t press the matter because we knew as well as Jonas that we had to get out of LA as soon as we possibly could. We had no idea what was going to happen next now that my dad was out of the picture, but we figured things were only about to get worse now that Hayden would be roaming around unchecked.

  “Ok,” stated Alaric. “You two can work on getting yourselves ready while I’m gone then. Pack only what we can fit in the cars and what you can get together fairly quickly. We probably don’t have much longer before they regroup and come after us,” he instructed Jonas and me.

  “We’ll pull my Maserati up closer, make as few trips as possible, and do other things while we’re out there too. Hopefully that will help to avoid suspicion in the event that someone is watching us again,” decided Jonas before taking a drink from his cup.

  “Good plan,” Alaric approved. He stood up from the table. “I’ll try to be back here again quickly. With any luck, we can get out of here no later than 2p.m.”

  “Umm, Alaric, would you mind if I gave you a short list of a few things I need?” I inquired as Alaric was heading for the door. He turned back and nodded.

  “Of course,” he assured me, coming back over. “I can get anything you need.”

  While I wrote up a brief list of some necessities I’d been needing, some things longer than others, Alaric waited patiently for me to finish. When I was done, I handed him the list, wishing I could go and get the things I needed for myself rather than just sending Alaric with a list to get them.

  Alaric read over the list briefly, his eyebrows quirking up. When he’d read everything on the list, he folded it up and stuck it in his jeans pocket.

  “Right, self-checkout it is,” he teased.

  “Sorry, I’d just get them myself if I could,” I apologized with a slight blush.

  He shrugged. “No worries, it’s no big deal. Kara’s made me get worse, believe me. A few girly things and some make-up is hardly a big deal.” He smiled once again, and then bid us farewell, leaving Jonas and me staring at the door he closed behind himself.

  “Guess we better get packing,” I commented, turning to Jonas, who was still seated at the table, sipping at his coffee. At my words, he threw back his head, coffee cup and all, finished off the last of it, and rose to his feet.

  “I’ll go out and move the car,” he informed me as he took care of his dishes before going to the door. “I’ll be right back in a minute.”

  While he went out, I ran up to my bedroom to begin packing. As I surveyed my room, I bit my lip, wondering what all I should take with me. I only had a couple bags to hold things, and I was pretty sure that Mac and Ana had used all the boxes to get their things moved to Washington.

  I was still standing there when Jonas came back inside and upstairs. He went over to the room he was using and then came over to my room a few minutes later hefting a sizeable trunk and breathing heavily. He set it on the floor in the middle of my room and stood up straight.

  “You shouldn’t have been lifting that,” I scolded as I watched him put a hand to his side. Immediately, he removed his hand.

  “I’m fine. It’s been almost three weeks since I cracked my ribs. You all need to stop trying to baby me,” Jonas complained.

  “It’s only been barely two and a half weeks. Two and a half weeks of you irritating your injuries instead of taking it easy and giving them a chance to heal properly,” I pointed out. “When we finally do get to Seattle, Ana’s going to have us tie you down so you’ll be forced to rest.”

  “You can try I suppose,” he laughed, “but it won’t work. I can’t just lie around all day long. At least, not by myself anyway,” he added in a silky-smooth voice and one of his characteristic grins as he started stepping around the trunk.

  “Jonas, we need to pack or we’ll never get out of here,” I reminded him as I took a step back.

  “You’re right,” he agreed with a disappointed look etched onto his face and an almost mournful sigh. He motioned to the trunk. “I thought you could use that to help hold your things,” he explained to me. “I’m hoping that between that and your bags you can get everything.” I looked down at the old, navy blue trunk, then back up at Jonas with a grateful smile.

  “I’m sure I’ll be able to get everything,” I assured him. “Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome,” he replied with a smile of satisfaction replacing his previous expression. “I figured you’d need it since you only have a couple bags of your own.”

  “Oh, speaking of bags...I think you have a couple in my closet,” I told him, half hoping that he’d show me the contents of at least the one that had the picture in it. Instead, however, he frowned deeply and wordlessly retrieved them from my closet. As he was leaving, he paused in the doorway and, without turning to look at me, spoke.

  “You should get packing, Britt. We have a lot to get done if we’re going to get out of here by the time Alaric wants to leave,” he advised me before leaving my room, heading back to his own.

  I shook my head, puzzled by his sudden change just at my mentioning the bags. Absently, I wondered if he at all suspected that I’d been looking through them and was upset. I supposed I couldn’t blame him if that was what it was. I really hadn’t had any right to be looking in his personal things.

  I shook my head once again, this time in an attempt to clear my thoughts and focus on the task before me. Jonas was right. We still had quite a bit to do before we’d be going anywhere. Standing around thinking wasn’t going to make packing go any faster.

   <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

  “That must be Alaric,” Jonas surmised as we went downstairs some time later, on our way to get some lunch together. “I saw his car pull in before we started heading down.” When the knock sounded again, Jonas headed for the door rather than the kitchen.

  “He must have his hands full of things,” I thought aloud as I followed a few paces behind Jonas. I stopped a couple feet behind him as he opened the door.

  “Jonas,” greeted DeRuise pleasantly with a nod when the door opened to reveal him standing on the other side. In a flash, Jonas was slamming the door back closed, but DeRuise swiftly slipped his foot into the opening and pushed firmly on the door to prevent Jonas from closing the door on him.

  Reflexively, I’d backed off from the door and was now practically in the living room area. I stared with wide, horror-filled eyes as Jonas struggled in vain to keep DeRuise out. He still hadn’t gotten his full strength back yet, and I could tell it was hurting his torso to keep using his body to push against the door.

  I watched as Jonas reached behind himself in search of his guns. However, he soon realized with frightened panic that neither of his guns were on his person, and looked up at me with wide, wild eyes.

  I could tell two things as he looked at me with those desperate eyes. First, he was in pain. His ribs were taking the greatest extent of the force, and he wouldn’t last much longer. Second, his eyes told me to run, hide, to be anywhere other than where I was or where I could be easily found. However, as we stared at one another, I decided that rather than simply try to get away, I would run upstairs and retrieve my gun from my bedroom.

  Before I was even halfway up the stairs though, DeRuise pushed through. Jonas collapsed on the floor, holding his side that Ana had said he’d had a rib which had almost been broken. I watched helplessly at he sat leaning against the wall behind the door, panting and wincing in evident pain from his futile attempts.

  “Now, I don’t really recommend that method for greeting guests,” scolded DeRuise as he strolled heedlessly inside, ignoring Jonas’ distressed state. He looked up to where I stood, frozen in place on the steps. It was too late to get the gun now, of that I was certain.

  “We don’t greet our guests like that,” I shot back to my own surprise. Jonas was current incapable of saying it himself, so now it was my turn to take charge for once. DeRuise smiled, obviously amused by my response.

  “I’ve come to announce a week-long truce,” announced DeRuise to both Jonas’ and my shock.

  “What?” Jonas demanded, wincing as he slowly rose to his feet.

  “Your father deserves to be mourned properly,” explained DeRuise, directing his explanation towards me even though Jonas had been the one to ask. “Therefore, I’ve decided to declare a truce on both sides of this for exactly one week from yesterday. You may have noticed a lack of men watching you?”

  “We have,” admitted Jonas, edging his way around DeRuise to get between him and me.

  “It will remain that way until next Thursday,” he promised.

  When Jonas had reached the foot of the steps, I went down to his side and wrapped an arm around his waist while he wrapped his own arm protectively around me. DeRuise smiled at us faintly before holding out a slip of paper to me.

  “This is the time, date, and location of your father’s funeral, Britney,” he informed me. “The phone number is my own personal cell phone. Please, don’t hesitate to call for any reason. If you wish to attend, you are more than welcome and will be perfectly safe to do so.”

  “Exactly why should we believe that Terrence is going to keep your truce?” asked Jonas bluntly, having mostly recovered from the effort he’d put into trying to keep DeRuise out.

  “Because,” DeRuise replied grimly, “anyone who breaks it will answer to me, no exceptions. The only allowance I’ve made is that your brother will be shot at first sight if he shows up at the funeral. Seeing as that he was the shooter, I think that’s only fair, so I allowed Hayden Terrence that one stipulation.”

  “How do you know that I didn’t shoot him?”

  “Love’s a funny thing, Jonas. Not to mention you’re not a very violent young man either. You knew what he looked like, and, for Britney’s sake, you wouldn’t have killed him. Your brother however, having never met him, would have shot to kill because that’s who he is.”

  “Where is Alaric?” I asked suddenly, realizing that although Jonas had sounded certain that Alaric had returned; he hadn’t shown up yet.

  DeRuise waved a dismissive hand. “My men are detaining him outside. I wanted to speak to the two of you alone,” he replied.

  “Why?” Jonas demanded straight out, apparently interested only in getting to the point and not drawing things out any longer than necessary.

  “With Britney’s father gone, I’m in need of a replacement for him. I’m not particularly fond of young Terrence, and doubt that he’ll end up the victor in all of this anyway. Therefore, I have a rather simple offer for you. Take Lawrence Larkin’s place, and in return, I promise you that you’ll be well rewarded for your work, and Hayden and his family will never bother you ever again. And, of course, the two of you will be able to stay together,” he told Jonas, smiling fondly at us, more like some benevolent relative who was offering a gift, rather than the ex-boss, who was trying to bribe and manipulate Jonas, that he really was.

  At that moment, the door flew open and Alaric came barreling inside. Seeing DeRuise, he crouched considerably, every muscle in his body appearing taunt and ready to spring at the slightest provocation.

  “I hope you haven’t gone and killed my men,” commented DeRuise wryly as he observed Alaric’s defensive stance, which he’d moved to take up between Jonas and me, and DeRuise.

  “They’re alive, now get the hell out,” he ordered. Yet another amused smile lit DeRuise’s face, and I wondered if he was taking any of us seriously or if it was all a game to him.

  “Perhaps your brother here would also be interested in the arrangements that I offered to you.”

  “What offer?”

  “To take Larkin’s place working for him,” Jonas recounted, filling Alaric in, “which I’m afraid I have to turn down. We’ll take care of Hayden on our own, no worries.”

  “That goes for me too,” agreed Alaric. “I don’t take orders from anyone, and we’re perfectly capable of getting rid of Terrence on our own.”

  “Very well then,” sighed DeRuise, moving to the door. At the threshold he stopped. “However, you should be forewarned that I will offer my assistance to Hayden in that case; offering him the exact same offer as what I just offered you, only in reverse,” he said meaningfully. With that, he left.

  “I really don’t like that guy,” Alaric decided as soon as the door slammed closed. “He’s too full of himself. I mean, look how he just strolled in here acting as if no one could lay a finger on him. His whole attitude was screaming arrogance. And what did he mean by only in reverse?”

  Jonas lifted a brow and eyed his brother.

  “As opposed to your naturally extremely meek nature?” Jonas inquired, to which Alaric’s only answer was to glower back.

  “He meant that he would get you and Jonas out of Hayden’s way, and make sure Hayden gets me,” I related to Alaric.

  “Well, that’s not going to happen,” Alaric stated with determination. His attention was caught on something in my hand, and I remembered the slip of paper that DeRuise had given to me.

  “What’s that?” Alaric questioned.

  “It’s information about my father’s funeral,” I enlightened him, scanning the note hastily.

  “DeRuise announced a truce between Hayden and us for one week as of yesterday. He claims that if anyone breaks the truce then they’ll answer to him personally,” tacked on Jonas.

  I cleared my throat, knowing that Alaric wasn’t going to like this next part. However, we still had to tell him.

  “There’s only one exception. If you show up at the funeral, then they’re allowed to shoot you on sight.”

  “Excuse me?” Alaric exclaimed with an incredulous growl he added, “Well, then neither of you are going,” he decided, crossing his arms over his chest, his face set with determination. A look that normally, I’d have given in under, but couldn’t this time.

  “Alaric, I have to go,” I argued, “This is about my dad, nothing else. I want to be there.”

  “Don’t you get it Britt? It’s a trap! They figure if they keep me away then just Jonas and you will go. Jonas is still in pathetic shape-“

  “Hey!” Jonas interjected sharply.

  “Sorry,” Alaric said almost as if he truly meant it. “But it’s true. That place will be crawling with bad guys. It won’t matter if there’s really a truce or not. They can kill you and take Britt before DeRuise can do anything to stop them. Do you want that to happen?”

  “It’s not Jonas’ choice, it’s mine,” I asserted. “And I think I know one way to be assured of our safety.” I stepped away from Jonas and met the gazes of both brothers head on. “We’re going to go with DeRuise himself. If we’re with him, then no one, not even Hayden, will dare to touch us.”

  “You’re mad!” cried Alaric, clearly alarmed at my pronouncement.

  Jonas remained silent and thoughtful though. It appeared as if he were truly considering my plan. When he didn’t voice his own objections, Alaric turned on Jonas in complete disbelief.

  “You’re actually considering that? Don’t be an idiot Jonas,” he reprimanded, exasperatedly throwing his hands in the air. “He’s not on our side in this. In fact, he’s basically promised to be our enemy as soon as this little truce of his is over, which FYI, might not truly exist in the first place. This could all be one elaborate ruse to lure you out so that you can be grabbed without a fight.”

  “He’s protected Jonas thus far,” I reminded Alaric. “He may not be on our side, but he’s not really on Hayden’s right now either. I think the truce is for real.”

  “Britney, just stop and really think about this for a second,” Alaric reasoned, regaining his calm demeanor. “They could kill Jonas and who knows what Hayden will do to you at this point. Is going to the funeral of a man you’re only really connected to through blood worth that risk?” he demanded in a fierce tone, his eyes hard as he awaited my answer, thinking I’d see reason, or at least, his reason.

  My mind whipped back in time to a cold winter day, standing in a cemetery so many years ago. A strong wind sent my loose hair flying out around my face and tears streamed unchecked from my eyes. As I looked at the coffin only mere steps away from where I stood, my heart felt shattered in about half a million tiny pieces. I felt so sad and empty, like I’d lost a vital piece of my heart when I’d shattered, and had no way of regaining that missing part.

  I looked up at a man whom I felt I barely knew. He was staring down at the coffin before us as well. He stood there, appearing to be just as calm and collected as I had always known him to be, but I noticed that his eyes were unusually sad, and there was a slight dampness at the corners of them that looked completely foreign to the strong, serious face.

  He looked down at my tear-streaked cheeks and overflowing eyes. Patting my head gently, he heaved a heavy sigh that sounded as if it came from somewhere deep in his heart. As if he too, felt as if he had lost a piece of his heart as well.

  “Britney, I know I’ve never really been there for you like your mother was. Chances are that will probably never change either. But don’t ever doubt that I love you just as much as she did.” With that, he’d used one arm to very briefly hug me to his side, and then led me off to the car, leaving my mother behind.

  That was the first and only time I ever remembered him hugging me in my entire life. It had also been the one and only moment in my life when I’d truly felt as if he loved me. It hadn’t been nearly enough, but it was all I had, and I had to believe that deep down, my father really had cared about me.

  “It is,” I told Alaric resolutely, tears stinging at my eyes.

  “We’ll go,” Jonas hurriedly promised me. “I think you’re right. We’ll be fine with DeRuise. For some reason, he’s still standing on our side, at least for another week, even if it is only to attempt to force us into joining him.”

  “Fine then, go,” Alaric gave in, tired of attempting to talk any sense into us, seeing that our minds were obviously made up on the matter anyway. “But just remember, I warned you. It’s a bad idea, and you’ll probably end up regretting it in the end.”