Chapter 148 ONE STEP FORWARD, TWO STEPS BACK
LUCIEN’S POINT OF VIEW.
You know the moment just before a pressure cooker lets off the steam trapped inside it, or just before a kettle whistles, releasing all of its steam; that was exactly how I felt while we all watched Roxanne stumble over her words.
“Answer the damn question already!” Amara hissed, her hands flailing around her as she tried to grab a shaking Roxanne from where she stood cocooned by the police officer’s embrace. The entire family was here at Valerian’s house. My grandparents, aunt, Sloane’s parents, Ace, Amara, and even Amara’s parents all stood with bated breath.
For the first time in my life, I felt a true sense of dread. Every waking moment we spent counting stones with Roxanne meant Sloane slipped further away from my hands.
I wanted to fucking scream.
“I already told you I don’t know anything, damnit!” Roxanne hissed back. I had to give it to her; even though she would be going to jail, she hadn’t lost the damn condescending attitude.
“You will talk,” I said, my tone lowering dangerously as I walked slowly till I stopped in front of her. She and I both knew there was no way she knew nothing about where my father was. For the first time since I’ve known her, I saw a flash of fear in her eyes as the officers cuffed her.
“Miss Lemaire, you will be out bait for this mission.” The FBI chief said as he hooked her phone onto different wires.
“I certainly will not!” She snapped, and that was the moment I decided I had it. With a nod at Ace, he let go of Amara, and like a cat, she pounced.
“Ah, you bitch!” Roxanne hissed as soon as Amara’s fist connected with her jaw.
“I can let her go on till you fucking talk, and I assure you, these officers will turn a blind eye to this. You will get on the phone with Eldric, and you will keep engaging him in a conversation for as long as we need. Until we can get a pinpoint on his location, or else……..I wouldn’t advise anyone to fuck with me right now.” I released a low chuckle and went on my haunches before her. “If anything happens to Sloane, I swear on my mother's grave….you will never know what freedom means ever again.”
I could hear Sloane’s mom sobbing in the corner, coupled with Valerian’s soothing words as he embraced her. The atmosphere felt ripe with sorrow, and for some reason, my mind whispered to me that they were mourning Sloane…but I knew in my heart, she was alive.
Eldric wanted something more than her in his grasp… and he wanted it from me. I would give him everything; every fucking thing as long as it meant that I could get her back again….I can’t live without her, damnit.
The officers placed the phone in her hands, and we all watched as it rang for seconds that felt like they dragged on for hours, until finally, there was a click.
“What did I say about calling me?” My father’s voice came in with a hiss. I jerked instantly, fighting the urge to scream at him. But I held myself the fuck back; because Sloane’s life depended on it, I could bash his teeth in later.
“Eldric, have you finished the job?” Roxanne asked, her gaze on mine, and I swear, I could see the same malicious look in her eyes. Oh fuck, this might have been a mistake.
I glanced at the timer behind her…..fifteen seconds….just fifteen more and we would have a location.
“No…..there’s still phase two of the plan.” He replied, and I glanced at the timer again. Twenty seconds… just ten more. For some reason, it felt as though we’d made a mistake by giving Roxanne such power, because she could decide to hang up just before we’d get anything tangible.
Before I could signal a warning to her about trying anything funny, she looked at me with the same malicious look in her eye, and the next thing I knew, she threw the phone across the room with a crazed laugh.
“No!” We all jerked at the same time, but there was nothing to be done. The phone got shattered on impact. I glanced at the timer again, choosing to allow the hope that blossomed in my heart to fester….”No….. twenty-eight seconds.” I whispered in defeat….just two more seconds and Sloane would have been safer…..Now, I might never get a chance to save her.
“How’s that for safety?” she said with another maniacal laugh. “Too bad for Sloane, she’s gonna have to die now. I told you, Lucien, if I can't have you, no one else can.” She laughed again, the sound grating on my mind, and in that moment, my mind replayed the promise I made to Sloane a couple of weeks ago.
‘If things get out of hand, Lucien…. promise me you won’t lose control.”
“Things will never get out of control. I have everything covered; I swear it.” I’d replied, not knowing that shit would hit the fan later.
“Just promise me… you'll never give in to the darkness; no matter how bad it gets.” She’d said, while her arms were wrapped around me, and her right leg draped across my hip after we’d made love.
“I promise.” I’d whispered, but now….fuck it. What good is my promise if she can’t be here to be the light that would keep the darkness inside me at bay?
Before I knew it, my legs moved of their own accord, as did my hands, because I grabbed one of the officer’s guns and aimed it at her.
“Lucien, no!” I heard all of them scream, but I didn’t care anymore. If I wasn’t able to save Sloane, there was nothing worth fighting for.
Roxanne stared at me with even more fear replacing the malice in her eyes earlier; her body trembling in the small wooden chair we had her sit in, but before I could utter a word, an officer spoke;
“We have her location.”
I stared at him with a mix of fear, shock and relief in my blood….those words felt like they offered salvation in them….and I hoped to god he wasn’t telling a lie. No, that would be too cruel.
“What?” I whispered, but the sound was so low; I was not sure if he heard me.
He smiled sadly at me as he walked over to where I stood, the gun still in my grip. “Yes, Lucien…..we have Sloane’s exact location right now.” And in that moment, for the first time in my life, I broke down in tears in front of other people.
My shoulders shook as each sob pulled out of me. I dropped the gun and covered my face instead. The tears flowed freely and uncontrollably, but I didn’t care who was watching, because the mere thought of being able to save her made life living and being alive worth it again.
“But how is that possible? She threw the phone before we hit the thirty-second mark.” Sloane’s mom asked, and for the first time since we broke the news, she'd stepped away from behind the curtain ere she sobbed.
“We made sure to bring along a device that is capable of getting someone’s exact location in less than thirty seconds, ma’am.”
“That's a relief.” She gasped, even as more tears pooled from her eyes. For the first time since I’d learned about this, I was able to breathe. It felt like air had finally gotten into my lungs, and breathing was no longer a struggle.
“So, now what?” Ace asked.
“Now, we go get our girl,” I replied, but before we could take another step, my phone vibrated with an incoming call. I stared at the unknown number, and once again, tension pulled my veins taut, because I knew exactly who it would be.
With forced restraint, I swiped to the right and placed the phone on speaker;
“Hello, son.” His voice slithered in like a fucking snake.
“Hello, father.”