Chasing Thunder Read online

  “She could get killed.”

  It was the worst thing he could have said. “That’s been her curse since she was four years old. You didn’t care then. Don’t pretend like you do now.” Snake let that sink in before he said, “Now arrest me. Or get the fuck out of my way.”

  Baby hovered in and out of consciousness under the heavy pain medication she had been administered. When Stuart and Katherine Rothchild entered her little section of the ER, a curtained-off cubicle that was easily one of the scariest places she had ever been in despite it all, she thought it might be a dream. Yet another nightmare to make an already upsetting situation all the more terrifying. But Katherine threw herself over the gurney where Baby lay, jostling her shoulder and making her cry out in pain. “Oh, honey,” Katherine crooned. “Thank God we found you.”

  Baby’s eyes widened as she watched Stuart approach behind his wife. “How did you find me?” she asked quietly.

  “Does it matter?” Katherine asked as she brushed Baby’s hair from her face. “Look at you,” she said as she took in how her daughter had changed herself so drastically from the person she used to be. “Did they make you do this?”

  Baby shook her head. “I wanted to do this.”

  Katherine patted her hand. “You were scared. But you don’t have to be frightened anymore. We’re here. And we’re going to take you home.”

  “I am home.”

  Katherine chuckled. “Don’t be silly. I know we had a fearsome quarrel before you left, but I’m still your mother. We’re still your parents.”

  “How long was I gone before you realized it, Mom?” Baby asked. “Did you have time to call the camera crew?”

  Katherine sighed. “Haley,” she started, but Baby cut her off.

  “Haley’s dead. I’m Baby now.”

  Stuart loomed over the gurney. “According to the law, you’re Haley. And you’re coming home.”

  She stared daggers into his soul. “That’s what you think. You can take me back to North Carolina, but nothing can make me stay.”

  Stuart nodded as he pulled up a metal and plastic chair. “You’re probably right about that. You left before. We can’t stop you from leaving again.”

  Her eyes narrowed as she waited.

  “But it would be a damn shame to put your new friends through all that trouble.”

  “What trouble?”

  “Hiding you. Taking care of you. Do you really want to see them thrown into jail for harboring a runaway? Or worse,” he added with that damnable gleam in his eye.

  She scoffed. “You can’t prove anything.”

  Stuart’s eyebrow arched. “You think not? How old is your pal, Snake? Grown man, keeping you hidden away, changing your appearance.” He glanced at her wrist tattoo. “Scarring your body with some kind of brand. Let me guess. He has the very same tattoo somewhere on his body, too.” Her eyes widened. “Meanwhile he ignores every news conference in which we begged for you to come forward for your own safety. Now you’re in a hospital with a gunshot wound.”

  Her eyes fell. What he was suggesting was diabolical, but it was right up his alley. She knew he could use his money and influence to taint a court trail and punish Snake for nothing more than being the kind of father figure Stuart Rothchild was incapable of being.

  He played his ace when he said, “Plus, there’s always Dr. Greensworth.”

  Her eyes snapped back to his. “I hate you.”

  He smiled. “I know. Kids always hate their parents, especially when they’re doing what needs to be done to protect them.”

  “You are not my parent,” she hissed.

  Katherine smoothed her hair. “Don’t say such upsetting things, Haley. Not now. Not when we were so lucky to find you before something horrible happened.”

  Baby stared aghast at her mother, who remained blissfully unaware.

  “You look absolutely parched, sweet pea. Let me go get you something to drink.”

  She left Stuart behind, who was quick to sidle up to the space on Baby’s gurney that Katherine vacated. She scooted as far away from him as she could get. If he touched her, she knew she’d come unglued.

  His eyes were cold and hard as he stared down at her. “You’ve put your mother and me through an awful lot these last couple of months, Haley. But I’m willing to let bygones be bygones. You come home. You keep your nose clean. And I’ll let you stay in contact with your little friends here.”

  “No, you won’t,” she said softly.

  He let that comment slide with a humorless smile. “But if you make this any harder, I guarantee you’ll never see any of these people ever again. All it takes is one phone call to Dr. Greensworth.”

  “And you’ll have me committed?”

  “That file has been a private family matter up until now,” he said in a soft voice that made her skin crawl. “But any further erratic behavior and you’re likely to prove his case.”

  “Tell me, Dad,” she said as she glared at him. “Isn’t having a kid locked up in the loony bin a liability when running for office?”

  He ran his hand along her bare arm. “What can I say? I did the best I could to provide you love and guidance. Mental illness is a sad, sad thing . . . for the patient as well as her family.”

  He moved away just as Katherine appeared through the curtain with a paper cup full of water. He resumed his seat in the chair and watched Katherine fuss over her, his threat hanging overhead like a swinging sword on the thinnest thread.

  29. IN THE AIR TONIGHT

  M.J. hung from an overhead beam, her hands bound in leather restraints that were attached to a big metal chain. She was naked and completely disarmed, nearly delirious from the beating Dominic’s flunkies had administered as they prepared her for her new master. She took every blow from the suede flogger without crying out in pain. She’d die before she gave anyone that pleasure. Her wrists, supporting her body weight, were bloody and raw.

  When Dominic entered, he wore black trousers and no shirt, and was barefoot. His black eyes glittered as he walked in a circle around his new prey, tapping a riding crop in his palm. He paused behind her, sneering at the tattoo covering her entire back. His lip curled as he delivered the first cutting blow with the crop, splitting the skin of her back open right across Joe’s image.

  She gasped in pain but bit back any screams. He wore a satisfied smile as he walked back around to face her. “Good girl,” he murmured, trailing the crop over the peaks of her breasts. “You were definitely worth the wait, Mojo.”

  She glared at him. She was determined not to break, even if it killed her. She wouldn’t give an inch. He’d have to take it by force.

  “I’m just curious. Did you have a plan beyond getting caught?” he asked. He circled back around, delivering another blow to her back.

  She caught the scream in her throat. “All I needed to do was keep you out of Slick,” she said with an effort.

  He chuckled as he faced her again. “Diversionary tactic. Your favorite. Thought you could rescue your precious ‘Baby,’ did you?” He tapped the crop in his hand. “Too bad you were too late. She was shot.”

  M.J. studied his face to see if he was lying. “But you don’t have her anymore,” she decided.

  “And neither,” he said, tapping her nipple for emphasis, “do you.”

  “I’m not out to possess anyone, Isbecky. That’s your gig, not mine.”

  He walked around to her back and delivered yet another blow, slicing her back open in another spot. This time she couldn’t hold back the yelp. “How right you are.” He walked back around to face her. “That is why you are the one dangling from the ceiling naked, and I’m the one holding the whip.”

  She could feel the blood drip down her back. She smiled. “It’s all a matter of perspective, sweetheart. The way I see it, you had to disarm me and string me up in order to get the upper hand. You know I’d wipe the floor with you otherwise.”

  “Broken and bleeding and you still have that mouth,” he said as
he stepped closer. “Your grandfather would be so proud.”

  “Broken?” she said, watching him step even closer. “You might want to take another look.” Her piercing eyes challenged him to move closer. She didn’t blink until he did. As soon as he was close enough, she lifted her knees, folding her body in half, until she could swing her legs around his neck in one fluid movement. Before she could twist his head right off his shoulders, he lifted her up and dropped her, cutting her wrists even more. She couldn’t stop the scream of pain if she wanted to.

  He was laughing as he watched her writhe. “Admit it, Mojo. Your little one-woman army is pathetic. The best you can do is some psychological game of three-card monte. But you are hopelessly outgunned and outclassed here, my dear. I have an empire. I’m a king.”

  Her head spun and she stared at him. “Fuck you, Your Majesty.”

  He let out a primitive yowl as he swung the crop across her chest, marking her torso with a bloody X. Before he could deliver more lashes, his phone rang in his pocket. He snarled at her as he answered, listening intently as he inspected his handwork on her body. “Fine. Prepare the jet.” He disconnected the call. “Your by-the-book daddy has issued a search warrant for all my properties,” he informed her as he replaced the crop in a velvet case. “He’ll learn once again that it’s too little, too late. In less than an hour we’ll be in international airspace.”

  Two masked guards entered the Magic Room. “Take her down, clean her up. I want her in the limo in ten minutes.”

  The nodded wordlessly, and Dominic exited the room.

  30. UPRISING

  The Rothchilds didn’t leave Baby’s side until she was moved into her private hospital room upstairs. Then, predictably, they stepped away to address the press through a PING-sponsored conference downstairs. Kid used that opportunity to slip inside her room while Mad Dog distracted the guard on her door.

  She brightened immediately when she saw his face. She held out her good arm and he rushed to her bedside, careful of her shoulder as he took her into an embrace. “Thank God you’re okay,” he whispered against her ear.

  “I am now,” she said as she hugged him as tight as she could with one arm.

  “I’m sorry about your parents,” he said as he perched on the side of her bed. “I didn’t want to tell them. But you know Snake.”

  She thought about Stuart’s threat and shuddered. “He was right. He had no choice. But they want to take me away.”

  He’d figured as much. “When?”

  She shrugged her good shoulder. “Whenever I am released, most likely.” Her eyes met his. “Where’s M.J.? Is she okay?”

  He shook his head. “I don’t know. It’s all such a clusterfuck right now.”

  She sighed as she took his hand in hers. “Everything got blown to hell with Wyndryder. I’m so sorry, Logan.”

  “It’s not your fault,” he was quick to assure, but she shook her head.

  “I trusted X even after you told me not to. I led them right to our door.”

  He brushed her hair from her face. “They’d have found us anyway. They always do. The curse of being a Wyndryder.” He traced her tattoo on her wrist. “But that means we can always find each other, too. So there’s that.” His eyes were dark and warm and sad as he stared down at her. He knew that their goodbye was imminent, and it broke his heart.

  Tears filled her eyes as she stared at him. “They tell me I can still have contact with you if I go willingly.”

  He pulled her close for a tender kiss. “You take me with you,” he said softly. “No matter where. No matter what.”

  She nodded and held him close. She wanted to tell him everything that she knew she was facing by going back to North Carolina, but she couldn’t burden him with that now. Her upcoming battle was hers alone to fight. “I’ll be back,” she promised. “I’ll be eighteen in a year and a half. Then I’ll come back. We’ll be together. And I can be a kickass Wyndryder for real.”

  He smiled. “You already are.” They kissed again. A knock at the door interrupted them. Mad Dog peeked in.

  “We gotta go, dude. Her parents are coming.” Before he could disappear, she waved him in. He walked to the hospital bed. “I’m glad you’re okay, Baby.”

  She smiled. “Thanks, Mad Dog. But I guess for the next year and a half, I’m plain old Haley.”

  Mad Dog kissed the top of her head. “You’ll always be Baby to me.”

  She gave him a side hug and a loud kiss on his cheek. “I love you guys,” she said. They nodded and made their quick departure before her parents could catch them.

  “You’re really going to let her go?”

  Kid shrugged. “What choice do I have? At least she’ll be safe.”

  Mad Dog nodded, and they headed down the stairwell, avoiding the Rothchilds as they made their way back to keep vigil by Baby’s bedside.

  As instructed, the uniformed and masked guards released M.J. from her wrist restraints, and she couldn’t hold back her sigh of relief as the cool air hit her raw skin. It renewed her just enough to throw a swing, but her new captors were strong, solid men, so the flailing of her limbs was a waste of effort. She ceased struggling when one withdrew a syringe filled with ominous liquid.

  “I’ll do it,” one guard said to the other. “Hold her down.” When his steely blue eyes met M.J.’s, she recognized them immediately. “Focus,” he said softly.

  She offered an almost imperceptible nod as the other guard strengthened his hold around her neck. She stepped one foot behind her captor, shifting her body weight to the side, and the blue-eyed guard jammed the syringe right in the other man’s jugular. He stumbled backward as the strong sedative immediately took hold, incapacitating him at once.

  Kelly pulled the mask from his face, revealing his triumphant smirk. “Fancy meeting you here.”

  She scowled at him. “Took you long enough.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said. He helped her disrobe the other guard so she could have something to wear. “You forget I took the back way.” He held up Baby’s drawing of the angel descending the hill. “It took a little longer than walking right in the front door.” He slipped her some of the weapons from the bag she had stashed just under the overlook at the back of Isbecky’s property. “Did he confess?”

  She shook her head. “Not yet. Surprise, surprise, your boss is fucking everything up again with a search warrant. Mr. Wonderful is trying to get us out of the country now.”

  Kelly nodded. “Are you okay?” he asked, watching the blood from her injuries seep through the fabric on her stolen clothing.

  “I’m fine,” she snapped. “We don’t have time to worry about that. Dominic is on his way out the door. If he leaves, we’ve lost him.”

  Kelly nodded. He looked back at the drugged guard. “What do we do with Sleeping Beauty here?”

  She glanced up at the bloody restraints with a smile.

  In his office, Dominic slipped his passport and a flash drive into the inside pocket of the tailored coat on his three-piece suit. He smoothed his dark hair in the mirror with a triumphant smile, then checked his watch. Everything was running right on schedule. Out of habit, he checked his video monitoring system. He let out an enraged growl when he spotted his naked guard hanging from the ceiling in the Magic Room.

  He grabbed his pistol from his desk and addressed the intercom. “Attention, men. These grounds have been infiltrated. Suspect is likely dressed as a guard. Check everyone. Bring me their heads, or surrender your own.”

  He brandished his weapon and stalked from the room, heading down the hall to his bedroom. His silk sheets were bloody; a beaten body had lain there. He scanned the room. “I know you’re here, Mojo,” he said. He checked the wardrobe, but it was empty. He walked into the bathroom. Discarded bloody black clothing led a path to the shower, which was fogging the air with a steady hot spray. He got closer to the mirror, where someone had left a message on the steamed glass.

  Checkmate.

  “What
do you think of my pitiful one-woman army now?” M.J. asked from the doorway. He spun around to face her. A smile slowly carved into his cheeks as he realized she was wearing a dress from his dresser, designed to fit his revolving door of playmates.

  “Clever,” he said, pointing the gun at her. “But we really don’t have time to play. So why don’t you be a good girl and get ready for our flight.”

  “I’m not going anywhere,” she announced. “And neither are you.”

  Kelly kicked the shower door open, knocking Dominic to the floor. When he looked up, Dominic snickered. “Officer Harris,” he said as he stood slowly to his feet. “I trust that you have a search warrant to be here in my home without my consent.”

  “I’m not here as a cop,” Kelly told him. “I’ve been on sabbatical since my partner was murdered. This here is a clear-cut case of B and E. You should really call the police to report me.”

  Dominic’s smile faded. “We’ll just have to settle this when I get back to the States. If I do,” he added. He turned to M.J., who hadn’t moved from the doorway, and pointed his gun back at her. “Now I must insist that you hurry, Mojo. We have a plane to catch.”

  Kelly aimed his weapon as well. “Don’t make me shoot you, Isbecky.”

  “Don’t make me shoot her,” Dominic said as he walked M.J. backwards into the bedroom.

  She smiled. “You won’t shoot me. I’m your trophy, remember? You don’t want to sully the goods before you put them on the shelf, right?”

  He laughed. “You forget . . . you’re not my type.”

  He fired the gun, and M.J. was knocked backwards. Before Kelly could react, another blast followed, folding Dominic Isbecky nearly in half with its force as it sent him stumbling backwards toward the large plate-glass window overlooking his pool. With a thunderous crash, he went sailing through the window to the concrete below.

  Snake dropped his gun to the floor and ran to where M.J. lay, her blood pooling around her. “M.J.? Baby?”

  She was groggy as she looked up at him. She’d lost a lot of blood even before she got shot. “Did you get stuck in traffic?” she muttered. “Jesus. Did you really have to let him shoot me first?”