Chapter 262 262

Chapter 262 262
MAD

“Maybe you should answer that.”
I followed Nites’ advice. “Yeah?”
“Check your inbox. Tell me if this is the guy you want?” said the woman with an American accent and something else.
“Who’s this?”
“Confirm it and call me back.” The call ended, and a JPEG file arrived in my inbox.
I clicked it. My reaction must be written on my face, and shock stole all air from my lungs. 
My sister’s killer, the man who made my life hell, the accomplice to kidnapping Tara, the man who had been stalking me for months, and almost killed Tara just a few minutes ago.
“What is it?”
“A picture of Sawyer.” I gasped out when I could finally speak.
I dialed the number, and she picked up right away. “Where is he?”
“Tied to something he can’t escape,” the woman said almost confidently. Her voice laced with humor. 
Closing my eyes briefly, I drew a deep breath. The image she sent me was stuck in my head. Sawyer was still wet, looked pale, lying on his back. His hands were probably tied behind him. There was a stain of blood on his shirt. Just thinking of it was Tara’s made my blood boil.
“Is he alive?”
“Barely.”
“Can you keep him alive for an hour or two?”
“So, you haven’t decided what to do to him, Mr. Shanewood?” She sounded surprised. I realized that this woman might be the Hatchet Man.
“Oh, I do, months ago, but I have to inform someone first. He may need something from him.”
“Well, you have thirty minutes.”
“Give me—”
“I’d say your princess got him hard on the wrist. He was lucky she did not bite off his artery. If she cut it off, he might be floating in the bay, so to speak.” The woman chuckled. “He will die from sepsis anyway.” I heard a groan in the background, and it was definitely Sawyer, probably gagged or with duct tape on his mouth. 
Nites just parked the car. Damian approached, opening my door.
“I just arrived at the hospital. Let me call you in ten minutes.” I looked at Damian, who seemed more relaxed than I expected.
“Chop chop, lover boy.”
I hung up the call. “We got him.”
“What? Where? Is he alive?” Damian looked shocked and relieved.
“Yes. Do you want him alive?” The hospital was filled with security in all corners. We were escorted by two cops as we followed Damian to the elevator.
“Yeah. Where is he?”
“How’s she?” I swallowed hard. My chest tightened. My stomach twisted at the thought of her condition. 
“She just finished her chest X-ray, waiting for the report. Aside from being freaked out, traumatized, almost drowned, and nearly getting killed again, she’s okay. She swallowed a lot of water. They’re testing her blood and body waste.”
I nodded, trying to digest everything he said. The elevator door finally opened. My pace was getting weaker and weaker and slower and slower, like my feet melting into a puddle.
One of the security details assigned was guarding the door that opened to what was supposed to be Tara’s room. 
The first thing I heard was her irritated voice, telling someone. “I said I’m fine. You have everything you need. I don’t feel like vomiting or going to the toilet anytime soon. I need to go home, catch some sleep, and get married tomorrow.”
A surge of anger and pain cleared my hazy brain. Before Tara could see me, I stepped back and walked out. I went to Nites with a confused look on my face. 
“Give me the key.”
“What? That was fast. Where are you going?”
“I need some air.” Before he could ask further, I snatched the car key from his hand, walking away from Nites and Damian, sharing the same worry and confusion on his face. 
I made it down the hospital lobby without getting noticed. The entrance was crowded, press people began to arrive. The security was doubled. I kept my head down, making sure I would not get any attention.
I made it to the car and drove off. Then I dialed the number of the woman who had Sawyer.
“Send me your location. Don’t let him out of your sight.” Just a few seconds after hanging up the call, my phone alerted for the address. 
I entered it on the car GPS and headed in her direction. It was only ten minutes away. Sawyer hadn’t swam far before the woman found her.
My mind went back to the incident on the bridge. I almost lost Tara again. My jaw clenched as I tried hard not to break down to tears. The love of my life had suffered so much because of him. He was not going to get away this time. 
He’d put everyone I cared about in danger. He ruined my life, and he was almost successful in kidnapping Tara tonight and getting her killed.
My phone vibrated on the seat, Nites’s name blinked on the screen. He knew I was out of the hospital, but I needed to end this insanity tonight.
A few minutes later, I arrived at the marina and parked the car. Before I could dial the woman, I heard footsteps behind me.
“Mr. Shanewood.” I instantly recognized the voice from the phone calls. She didn’t look older than me, or maybe a year or two older, but she was tall, with blue eyes and wavy, long blond hair, fit, and attractive. She wore a black t-shirt, a leather jacket, and blue jeans. 
“Where is he?”
“Follow me.” She did not even introduce herself. Maybe it was better that way, that I knew nothing about her. I couldn’t help but wonder how she got into this line of work.
I followed her to the dock. “So, how did he get in here so fast?”
“He didn’t. He swam away from the scene. I’d been following his movements for days.”
I held her elbow, staring at her. “What do you mean by that?”
She looked at me. “He’s been in the country for two days. You don’t know?”
“Then why is he still alive?”
She rolled her eyes. “I didn’t say I found him right away. I found out how he got in here. Instead of following him, I watched your girl, the princess, because if I were to take out someone, that’s how I do it— watch from a distance, study the access and angles, the route, the security, and all that kind of shit. I didn’t have access to the palace. I could have, but I thought you and Rosenheim had everything covered. And don’t ever piss the princess off.” She smirked, looking down at my groin. “Especially if she—”
I groaned, glaring. “I got it.”
“She got him good. I thought he was gonna die. The asshole is a fighter. Do you wanna see him?”
“Yeah.” I frowned as I followed her. She was a pro. She knew what she was doing. 
“He’s in there.”
Before I stepped into the Beneteau yacht, I asked her. “How do I know you’re not working with him?”
She laughed, shaking her head. “Yet, you escaped from your bodyguard and came here alone. It means you trusted my information, and you know I’m here to do the job. You can call me Katie, and if I lay a hand on you, T will burn me alive.”
“T?”