Chris’s POVThe detectives exchanged a look, and then the dark-skinned guy nodded. “Yes, there will be a bail hearing. But until then, your family will remain in custody.”My father’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t argue further. We all knew that challenging the detectives at this point would only make matters worse. The curly-haired detective leaned forward, her expression serious. “We’ll be in touch regarding the bail hearing. For now, we have some more questions for you both.” Although Fallon had told me that I was safe and that a deal had been made for me, I was still nervous. I wanted to get out here, what if the detectives changed their minds about the deal? And so, the interrogation continued, each question feeling like another weight pressing down on me. I answered as best as I could, trying to keep my composure despite the turmoil churning within me. I followed the script that our family lawyer had told me. He sort of knew almost all the questions that they would ask, and t
Chris’s POVMy father froze his anger momentarily halted by the force of my outburst. His eyes narrowed, still filled with accusation and disbelief. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “Listen, okay? I made this deal after you guys were arrested, not before. Fallon had evidence against me, of course, she would, I’m not a saint. But she wanted to use me, she wanted me on her team,” I lied smoothly. “Hmm,” He beckoned me to continue. “She said the reason she did not have me arrested was because she wanted to show me that she had the power to leave me out of it; to have me free despite my play in all of this too. When you all were carried, that was when she offered the deal in exchange for my freedom.” “And you took it, just like that, not caring that your family was being carried to jail and framed?” He raised an eyebrow. I scoffed faintly. “Let’s face it, the family isn’t being framed, Dad.” He sighed, running his hand through his hair before replying, “Yeah, yeah, I k
Chris’s POVMeghan’s expression hardened, and she leaned forward, her eyes narrowing. “I don’t care about your family drama, Chris. I’m pregnant with your child, and I need to make arrangements for myself and the baby.”I ran my hand through my hair, frustration mounting. “Look, I understand that this is a difficult situation, but I need time to figure things out. I can’t just hand over a large sum of money to you and never have to see my child again. That would like like selling him or her to you.” And the very thought disgusted me. “This is not only your child, and I have made my decision. I need to leave with my boyfriend for Cyprus very soon,” She replied. “Like I said, if you can’t give me my money, then I would just have to ruin your life and marriage.” She shrugged, daringly smirking at me. And bingo, an idea popped into my head. It was not the brightest and most modest of ideas that I had but it would have to do. If she wanted to blackmail me, then I think I could do the sa
Linda’s POVIt was a new day, I was showering and the warm water felt like heaven. It cascaded over my body and I closed my eyes, enjoying the bliss. After the shower, I wrapped myself in a plush towel and stepped out into the cool air of the bathroom. The steam from the shower lingered in the air, creating a comforting atmosphere as I dried off and began to get ready for the day ahead. I knew that Chris was coming today, and he would be reaching by seven in the evening. I did not know if seven was considered evening or night, but either way, that was when he was supposed to land in China. I knew about what had happened to his family. It was all on the news and on talk shows. It was crazy. But I think I knew before the arrest even happened. I could remember that afternoon after Fallon had gotten the arrest warrant. It was the day I was set free. She had drawn another contract up but this one was to point out that I was now free from her. I did not have to kill anyone again. I did
Linda’s POVI quickened my pace, trying to shake off the unease that gripped me. Glancing around, I didn’t see anyone who stood out, but the sensation persisted, gnawing at the edges of my mind like a persistent itch. Was I just being paranoid? I would understand because the past couple of weeks had been a rollercoaster. With a nervous glance over my shoulder, I hastened my steps, the sound of my heels clicking against the pavement echoing in the empty corridor. The dim lighting added to the eerie atmosphere, casting long shadows that danced along the walls. As I approached the entrance to the parking lot, I fumbled for my keys, my heart pounding in my chest. Damn, I needed to stop doing this to myself. There was no one here. But I just could not help it. Just a few steps and I would be safe inside my car, away from whatever unseen presence was making my skin crawl. But before I could reach the door, a voice cut through the silence like a knife, freezing me in place. “Linda.” T
Linda’s POVMy heart sank at Kirby’s words, a cold knot of dread forming in the pit of my stomach. Whatever she had planned for me, certainly did not sound promising. I was so stupid, I was. I was stupid for thinking that everything was finally going to be okay now. I was stupid for thinking that I could be happy and start anew with my husband. Maybe I just didn’t deserve a simple or quiet life. Maybe chaos was all that was written in the cards for me. The car was going faster than I had ever driven a car and even if my hands and feet weren’t tied, there would be no way that I could jump out. So I just gave up and waited in fear and nervousness as to where this crazy lady was taking me. We were soon out of the city and heading towards the rural outskirts, where the landscape transformed from bustling streets to rolling hills and dense forests. It reminded me of when Fallon, Mitch, and I were going on the little road trip. But that was obviously not where we were headed right now.
Linda’s POVKirby untied me and studied me for a few seconds before she walked out of the room and closed the door, leaving me in the almost dark, cold, and smelly room. My heart thumped in my chest and I felt so queasy but maybe that was because of how badly the room was. I rubbed my hands and then my feet, feeling a bit better now that I was untied. But how in the world was I going to get out of this situation? I felt tired and wanted to sit down, but the only way to do that was by sitting on the floor which looked like there was puke spilled all over it. Or it would be the thin dirty mattress. I chose the mattress. I lowered myself onto the mattress, wincing as the musty odor filled my senses. I resisted the urge to vomit and tried to ignore the smell. The bed was uncomfortable and dirty, but at least it offered some semblance of relief from the hard, cold floor. As I sat there in the dim light, my mind raced with a million thoughts and fears. How long would Kirby keep me here?
Linda’s POVThe tension was thick in the air and my heart was thumping in my chest as fear danced in me. I waited with bated breath for what Kirby was about to do. For now, in these couple of seconds that felt like hours, she was just staring at me.“What kind of information did you help Fallon with?” She broke the silence as she led me out of the room, holding onto my arm tightly. I did not struggle against her pull, I did not want to make things worse for me. So I just followed where she was leading me, although it was hard for me because my feet and hands were tied.Again, I was contemplating whether I should tell her everything that I knew. It could make things worse for me, but again, withholding may do just the same.“I don’t know,” I told her the truth. “I told you, I’m not here for games, Linda,” She replied coldly, pushing me into a metal chair that sat in the middle of the empty space. “I swear, I don’t! I only helped her get what she wanted. And found out about the char
Linda’s POVWe managed to get out of the burning room, and I swear I think I got a few burns but the adrenaline drowned the pain out. We were headed out and had no idea where the exit was due to how much smoke and fire was assaulting us from almost everywhere.The pinching pain in my belly was growing and as much as I tried to brush it off, it was getting harder to do with each step that I took.Suddenly, the roof caved in and fell to the ground causing us to be separated by angry flames. I was stuck on the other side and Chris and the others were away from me.Fear filled me and I took a few careful steps away from the raging fire. “Help!” I exclaimed.“Keep calm, Linda. We will find a way to get to you, but for now, I would recommend that you keep moving.” He pointed towards the ceiling.When I looked up, I saw that the fire was eating it up, it could fall at any second. “Okay!” I said loudly, so I could be heard above all the commotion. When I turned around to start moving, I was
Linda’s POVI had never been so scared in my life, the room held a tension that I could not describe. It felt like a nightmare, a real one.It felt like I was hallucinating all of this, but deep down, I knew that I was not. This was real, and it was something that I could not escape from. “Please, think about the baby,” I begged Mr. Kingston, tears flowing from my eyes and snot running down my nose.“Did you think of the baby before you and your friends decided to f*ici up my life?” He asked, dark humor dancing in his eyes.“Light them up,” he said, walking away. In seconds he was out of the room. Kirby flashed me a sad look before her features hardened again. She then walked out, the doctor guy following her.I sniffled and then sobbed out even more. I was beginning to smell gasoline, the smell was overwhelming. Sh*t, they were going to burn us up. My vision got blurred for a few seconds before I blinked the tears away, making it clear again.The door opened and I saw Kirby and th
Linda’s POVThe call went through but after a few rings, there was no answer. My heart was thumping in my chest and more tears threatened to spill from my eyes due to fear.“You better hope she answers, we are on a tight schedule,” Kirby warned me in a hard tone. I was praying for that too. “Call her again, maybe her phone is on Do Not Disturb,” I tried to find an explanation.“Hmm,” She mumbled in response before deciding to make the call again. This time, Fallon answers on the third ring.I let out a breath that I did not know I was holding. Kirby brought the phone close to me and put it on speakerphone. “This better be important, because I’m very busy right now,” Fallon said, it sounded like she was on a busy street because I could hear the sound of cars and people being people in the background. “It is,” I replied. “Fallon, I need your help; Chris and I have been kidnapped. The like went quiet for a few seconds and then she broke the silence. “Linda?” “Yes, Fallon, please…hur
Linda’s POVBeing bound was not a nice experience, the ropes were so tight that every time I would try to move, they would pinch my skin.But I had made my decision, I wanted to come out of here alive. I wanted my baby to come out of here alive, so I was going to do everything I was told to do no matter how messed up it would be.Kirby and the guy who I thought was a doctor soon walked out of the room, leaving me with the guy who was not too far from me.I knew it was a man because of his build but I could not tell who he was. He was wearing old and ragged clothes and seemed to be unconscious because his head was bent over in a weak way.“Are you okay?” I asked, attempting to see if he was awake even though I felt he was not. There was no reply. So I sighed and then glanced around the room, looking to see if I could find a way of escape, but it seemed like the only way to get out here was through the door.There were two windows in the room but both of them had iron bars that did not
Linda’s POVThe car soon came to a stop, it had been a long ride. “Take her inside,” Kirby commanded and the Doctor did as he was asked. He opened the door and got down before gesturing that I do the same. I did not want to be hurt and did not want my baby to be hurt either so I did as he told me. I got down from the car and glanced around. It was now dark but the lights from on the property were impressively bright. Acres of land stretched from both sides that I looked at, and a huge stood not too far from me. It looked like a castle. It was stunning but it had a dark energy that caused my heart to skip a beat. I already knew who was behind this. I mean, I had my suspicions at first but they had now been confirmed. The thought of Chris entered my mind and I felt a heaviness that I could not ignore. Why did they have me tell him that I was on a street that we were miles away from? Had it been a way to get him alone so they could harm him? Oh my gosh, I did not know what I would do
Chris’s POVKidnapped? The word rang in my ear over and over, and I could barely hear a thing after she had said that. The car behind mine honked loudly and I was pulled out of my trance. “Clink Street? You said you’re being held at Clink Street?” I needed to make sure that I had heard her right. “Yes…” Her voice broke before a shudder followed shortly after. Then the call dropped. I tried to call but there was no answer. So I tried again; again and again. And with the cars honking behind me as I was parked at the traffic light, blocking their way, I knew that I had to put it all aside for only a few seconds. My mind raced as I tried to make sense of what had just happened. Lind, my wife, was kidnapped. The thought was incomprehensible, surreal. But I could not afford to dwell on it. I had to act, I had to act fast. With a deep breath, I refocused on the present. The light that was was still green, so I finally drove and ignored the road rage that I was getting as I pulled to the
Linda’s POVMy heart skipped a beat, a cold fear gripping me as I realized something was terribly wrong. Panic surged within me, but I tried to keep my voice steady. “What do you mean, you lied?” I demanded, my voice trembling despite my efforts to remain calm. Dr. Adam’s smile faded, replaced by a chilling expression that sent shivers down my spine. “You, Linda,” He said softly, his ice blue eyes locking onto mine with unsettling intensity, “You’re not going to another room as you already can tell, you’re going to a little place called ‘Pay Back’.” I immediately jumped out of the wheelchair and tried to run for my life but I fell to the hard ground. We were in the parking place, basement level. “Help!” I screamed at the top of my lungs but it was like there was not even a soul there. As I hit the ground, pain shot through my body, but fear propelled me to my feet again. Adrenaline surged through my veins as I fought to escape, but Dr. Adam was quick to react. He grabbed my arm lik
Linda’s POVI could barely speak, the pain overwhelming me as I doubled over on the bathroom floor. Every fiber of my being screamed with agony, and I feared for the safety of my unborn child. I already knew what it was, what was causing the pain. This was not my first rodeo, it was not the first time that it had happened. Aunt Maze and William rushed into the room, their expressions filled with alarm as they saw me writhing in pain. “What’s going on?” Aunt Maze exclaimed, her voice tinged with worry. I struggled to find the words amidst the agony that consumed me. “It’s the bullet…it’s moving and must be hitting one of my organs,” I managed to gasp out, tears stinging my eyes as another wave of pain washed over me. Fallon’s eyes widened with realization. “We need to get her to the hospital, now,” She said urgently, her voice plastered with panic. With her support, I managed to rise to my feet, the pain still stabbing at my abdomen with each step. Aunt Maze and William sprang int
Linda’s POVMy heart skipped a beat at the revelation, the gravity of the situation sinking in. The Kingstons had vanished without a trace, the police had no way of knowing where they were. I wanted to ask how that was even possible. But I already knew the answer to that. Power, money, and influence. They had found a way to disappear because of who they were. “What do you mean disappeared?” Chris demanded, his voice smeared with urgency. “How could a prison transport vehicle just f*cking disappear?” Sergeant Thompson’s tone remained solemn. “We are still trying to ascertain the details, but it appears to have been a deliberate act. We suspect foul play.” “Of course, there was,” I heard Fallon say under her breath before letting out a string of curses. The car we were in was more of a van and we could all fit in easily. My mind raced with so many possibilities, each one more terrifying than the last. Had all of this been orchestrated from the start? Was he planning revenge right n