Chapter 99 SOMETHING BRIGHTER

Chapter 99 SOMETHING BRIGHTER
Leah

When I opened my eyes again, I was in the backseat of a moving car.

My head throbbed as I tried to sit up, only to realise my hands were tied behind my back.

"Oh good," Freya said from the passenger seat as she turned to look at me. "Sleeping beauty is awake."

"Where is my son?" I demanded immediately.

"Safe. For now."

"The fuck do you mean for now!" I screamed, and that was when my gaze moved past her to the driver.

"Storm?" My voice came out confused, my mind struggling to make sense of it.

He was Aiden's right-hand man. So why the hell was he together with Freya?

I stared at the back of his head, waiting for him to say something. Anything, even though I knew there was only one explanation to it. But he didn't look back nor acknowledge me. 

He just kept driving down the empty road.

Freya chuckled beside him, her hand sliding over to rest on his arm.

"Oh, don't look so shocked," she said. "Storm had always been on my side, isn't that right?"

Storm didn't reply, and it only made her laugh loudly.

"Does Aiden know about this?" I asked calmy and noticed how his hands tightened slightly on the steering wheel.

Freya leaned back in her seat, looking almost bored. "You should really start worrying about more important things. Like which one of you gets to live."

A chill crawled down my spine.

"What are you talking about?"

Her smile turned wicked just as the car rolled to a stop in front of an uncompleted building standing alone in the middle of nowhere.

"Perfect place to die, don't you think?" She said cheerfully as she climbed out of the car.

A moment later, the back door was yanked open, and she grabbed my arm, dragging me out. 

My legs stumbled against the gravel as she shoved me toward Storm, who caught me.

He straightened me, then stepped aside, giving me space to walk.

When I refused to move, he said, "This isn't the time to act tough. You're only going to make it worse for yourself."

I still didn't move.

"Think of your son," he added.

I turned to him, ready to throw words at him for daring to mention my son when he was the reason why we were in this situation in the first place but held my tongue and started walking.

I don't know why, but my heart suddenly started pounding as we passed a large tank lying on the ground with two men standing beside it.

A cold, instinctive dread crawled through my chest as I glanced at it again.

"Is it ready?" Freya asked one of the men.

"Yes, ma."

"Good," she said. "When I give you the signal, you begin."

When we reached the third floor, he untied my hands and gestured to one of the dusty chairs in the empty room for me to sit on.

"You're helping her?" I asked, turning to face him.

"Sit down."

"Are you doing this," I pushed, my voice rising, "because you want to get rid of the annoying bitch your boss is obsessed with?"

His head snapped toward me and in one step, he closed the distance between us, his fingers jabbing toward my face and trembling with barely restrained fury.

"You think I'd go this far to get rid of you?" he bit out. "Don't kid yourself. You're not worth the effort."

My nails dug into my palm as I held his intimidating eyes.

"Then what is this?" I demanded. "Why lie to Aiden about Laura getting kidnapped just to lure me here?"

"I don't owe you any goddamn explanation," he said through clenched teeth.

When he turned to walk away I grabbed his arm. "I deserve a goddamn explanation Storm!"

"Maybe if you had listened and stayed away like I told you," he snapped, yanking his arm free. "You wouldn't be in this mess." 

"You only have yourself to blame."

A sharp laugh tore out of me.

"I have myself to blame?" I grabbed his shirt this time, fisting it. "Did you really have to drag my five year old son into this?!" I screamed.

"It was either yours or mine!" He screamed back, making me flinch. "She had a fucking knife to my daughter's throat!"

I froze watching his chest rise and fall as he dragged a hand through his hair.

"You and Aiden talk like you wouldn't have done the same thing," he said his voice cracking now. "Like you wouldn't choose your own child."

The anger drained from his face replaced by guilt as he whispered, "I had no choice."

I bit my inner cheeks.

"Aiden wouldn't have done this," I muttered, tears stinging my eyes. "He would have found another way. He would have gotten both of them back without—" my voice broke completely as I started to sob.

"Care to let me in on what you two are fighting about?" Freya's voice cut through the room.

Storm immediately forced my hands off him and shoved me back into the chair.

"It's nothing."

"It better be," she chuckled, her fingers grazing his chin as she passed.

She moved to the open window space, placing a cigarette between her lips. Storm followed, lighting it for her. Then she took a slow drag and then blew the smoke directly into his face.

"You're pathetic," she murmured, trailing her fingers up his chest. "Betraying your friend for a woman who doesn't give two flying shit about you."

She grabbed him suddenly and pulled him down into a kiss that stunned me.

Storm didn't resist or respond. He just stood there letting her do as she pleased.

I turned my face away, my eyes landing on the only exit blocked by two men.

"You understand why I had to take her, don't you?" I heard her say, "Be a good boy, and maybe Laura gets to see her daddy again."

My eyes snapped back to her. "You should be fucking ashamed of calling yourself a mother while using kids for your sick games."

She chuckled, "If it gets the job done, why not?"

My jaw clenched.

"Let the kids go," I said, my voice tight. "It's me you want."

She shook her head slowly. "Laura isn't in danger it's just your son and whether he lives or not depends entirely on who Aiden chooses to save first."

My fingers curled into fists.

"If he picks you..." she tilted her head, a cruel smile forming as she dragged her thumb across her neck. "Your son dies."

My stomach dropped so violently that I thought I might throw up.

"And you? You still die," she added with a laugh. 

I glared at her. 

"Then he better save our son first."

Her brow lifted slightly. "Do you think this was like last time you had a tracker on you? I'll make sure—"

Her phone rang, cutting her off. 

She glanced at the screen, blinked then slowly lifted her head to me, a disbelieving smile spreading across her face. "No fucking way. He really chose your brat," she said in awe as a laugh slipped past her lips. "I was so sure he'd pick you."

Relief slammed into me so hard it knocked the breath out of my lungs.

Roman was safe. Aiden saved him.

Tears spilt down my face as my chest tightened.

I didn't know how I would have lived with myself if he hadn't.

"Well, that was fast," she said into the phone, leaning against the wall. "I take it you killed Julian. Poor kid."

She went quiet, giving him time to speak, and then she laughed. 

"I was never going to make it easy for you, Aiden."

Another pause, then her smile widened.

"You'd better hurry," she purred. "The clock is ticking."

She ended the call, and then she laughed. At first, it was soft, and then it started getting louder until it tore out of her like something unhinged as she bent slightly, clutching her stomach.

I stared at her, my relief slowly turning into panic.

She dropped into a chair, still laughing, her shoulders shaking violently. After a while, she finally stopped, flicking tears from the corner of her eyes.

"Oh my God," she gasped. "I can imagine how pissed he is right now."

She sat up slowly, turning to the men standing guard. 

"Go get it." 

One of them nodded and left quickly.

Then to the other one, "Tell them to start in ten minutes."

He also left without a word.

My heart began to pound hard and fast as she stood and started walking toward me.

"Don't get relieved just yet, Leah."

She moved behind me, her hands settling on my shoulders. Then she leaned down to whisper, "Because Aiden didn't save him."