Chapter 79

*Jayden*

My phone was in my hand and I read the text again. A second text had arrived and it told me to come alone, not even with the driver.

The address was one of the abandoned warehouses at the city limits. It had been so long since I drove myself, but to keep Sierra safe I followed their instructions.

A thousand thoughts rushed through my head as to who kidnapped her and why. What was their motive?

This was the third red light and I was doing so deliberately. I may have been forced not to tell anyone but I sure as hell was going to leave a track. I had told Dave to drop me home and go back to the hospital. As soon as he had left I went to the garage and picked out my first car that I bought with my own money. It was a four door sedan, black with a gold stripe detail all around the car.

I cussed and wished I had taken Sierra's new number to confirm where she was. I had had the idea that it was all a hoax to get me but an image had been sent of her. She was wearing the same clothes that I had last seen her in.

I finally pulled up outside the compound and drove through the old opened gates. This place belonged to Nathan Sinclair. He had purchased it from the government but had it lying idle as a buffer zone to discourage any shanty towns from cropping up near Selspur.

I parked the car outside one of the old buildings and hooted thrice as instructed.

The phone buzzed and a message popped up. I was told to get out of the car and to enter the building in front of me.

I walked into the abandoned warehouse, feeling a chill in the air. The place is dark and silent, except for the occasional sound of dripping water or scurrying rats. The floor is covered with dust, debris, and broken glass. The walls are stained with graffiti and mold. The ceiling is cracked and leaking, letting in some faint rays of light.

I see rows of empty shelves, rusted machinery, and discarded barrels. The warehouse smells of decay and rot. I feel a sense of dread as I venture deeper into the warehouse, not knowing what I might find.

Up ahead there is a door that opens to reveal a brightly lit room. I approach warily and I see Sierra tied up against a pillar. I see her move and I let out a sigh of relief.

I enter the room and I feel a metal object on my forehead.

"Don't try anything funny," a voice said. I was patted down but I had nothing on me except my phone and the car keys.

"Who are you? What do you want?" I asked and I was roughly pushed against the wall.

"I did warn you not to try anything funny Mr. Grey," the voice said.

"Mark Daniels," I hissed, "No wonder we didn't find your body?"

"Jayden?" Sierra called out. She had opened her eyes and seen me. There was fear yet relief in her eyes. Her eyes fell on Mark and she looked first and then confused.

"Mark? Shouldn't you be dead?" she commented.

"Now that everyone is present we can begin," Olga's voice said to my right. I spun around and I saw Mark and Olga standing before me.

"What's the meaning of all this?" I asked

"Well Mr. Billionaire, you see we both need something from you."

"How much money do you want? " I asked.

Mark laughed heartily, "Yeah you could throw in some few millions to sweeten the deal but I am talking about something else."

He walked over to Sierra and untied her from the pole and dragged her over to me.

"You see Olga wants you," he said, "and I want Sierra, A win-win situation and we all walk out of here and go separate ways."

"Jayden, Olga is the one who injured Brian," Sierra spat- out."I was on my way to tell you when I passed out and found myself here."

"How did you?... Never mind, it looks like he finally woke up and spoke." Olga sighed and then turned towards me, "I never pushed him but I did allow him to stumble down the stairs."

"Why?" Sierra asked with pain in her voice.

"He had found out about my deeds and was planning to tell Jayden. Lorraine was on my neck wanting me to do a DNA test on the baby and the worst of it all was that Brian told me to my face that I will never replace you in either his or Jayden's heart."She shouted angrily.

"How long have you two been working together?" I asked her.

"Mark and I have known each since college," she said. "We met up here by chance and he helped me out many times. I also knew about him faking his death."

"You were the one who warned him all these times," I said. She nodded and said something about honor amongst thieves.

"So what now?" I asked.

"Well I will be going with my women and you have your crazy lady with you. Also I will be taking that money from you. Don't you want Sierra and I to live a luxurious life, maybe in the Caymans or Bahamas?" Mark said, lookingu at me. He held out a piece of paper and handed it to me.

So that's what he meant by those two islands. I could recognise the numbers as an offshore bank account.

"I will be waiting for my transfer before I leave this place."

"You know this will not end well," I told him.

"You are the one with the crazy woman. I am not crazy." Mark said.

"Unfortunately, I have a change of plans," Olga said. I looked up to see her holding a gun that was pointed at Sierra. Mark tried to take a step forward but he shouted:

"Stay there Mark or I will put a bullet through her head."

"Olga calm down!" I said fearfully put the gun down.

"Olga what are you doing?" Mark asked calmly. That was a sign I knew was dangerous. I had heard the same voice months back in my restaurant.

"I am sorry Mark, but she has caused me too many problems, I can't let her live anymore. I am not going to compete with her as long as she is alive."

"You don't have to do this," I said calmly, "I love Sierra nothing will change that."

"See Mark that is why she can't live."

"This was your plan all along wasn't it," Mark said. "If you do that then you will have to shoot me first."

"It is okay, you can go and be with our baby," Olga said and I saw tears flowing down her face.

"What baby?" Mark and I asked in unison. Sierra was still frozen in fear but she too had a curious look in her eyes.

Olga rubbed her stomach still crying, "The baby was yours Mark, not Jayden's. You are the one who made me pregnant, I was going to pass it off as Jayden's and it would have been successful but your stupidly made me lose my baby."

"What did I do?" Mark asked. Something about his voice made me think he really didn't know about anything.

"I was mugged when we met up. You should have escorted me and maybe all this wouldn't be happening." Olga wailed. "Why didn't you take me to the station? I wouldn't have lost my little girl."

Mark frowned, "Olga you said you were okay and didn't need me."

She continued crying but her gun was still trained on Sierra. Now it made sense why she tried to drug me for the second time. She hadn't been pregnant by then and wanted to seduce me.

Distract her

Did I hear properly? I took a sudden dash forward and Olga flinched, pointing her gun towards me. I heard the sound of a metal pipe to my left and took a step back. I stopped to see the crowbar that Mark had been holding reverberated to silence.

A shot rang out followed by a scream. My face turned white as I turned to Sierra. Mark was hugging her and then his knees gave way and he would have fallen if Sierra hadn't supported him. She gently lowered him to the ground and he coughed.

Blood pooled slowly below him.

"Sierra, I really loved you, forgive me for everything I did to you."

Olga laughed, "How pathetic can you be Mark? What did you try to get in-between the gun and Sierra?"

I heard a slight noise behind me. I was shocked to see Cynthia hiding behind a pile of dusty machines. She saw me and placed her fingers on her lips. She inched forward until she was a few paces behind a pillar where Mark and Sierra were.

Mark coughed, "I arranged for Lisa to die in an accident. Go to Hasting's you will find a body and car at the bottom. She killed my baby and I also killed her partner who cheated on me when you left. Please forgive me. I have always love-"

He went silent and his hand went limp.

I heard sirens approaching and I looked at Cynthia who was still hiding in the shadows. Good for her, I don't know but she had called the cops.

"YOU! You called the cops," she shouted angrily waving the gun.

I looked at Mark who was lying in a pool of blood, his life now ebbed away. Sierra was still holding his hand.

Olga pointed the gun at me and I took a step back.

"If I can't have you then nobody else will," she said and raised it pointing at my chest. All the blood left my body and I knew at the range even if she was a bad shot she would still not miss.

"No please Olga," Sierra screamed tears flowing down her face. I don't know if those tears are for me or for Mark.

Well if I was going down, then there was only one thing to do.

"Sierra Lane, I love you. Please look after Brian for me, I know you will be the best mother to him," I said looking at her. Tears had started flowing. She didn't know this but I had appointed Sierra as his guardian and I know my sister would take care of the rest. "Tell him I love him."

Even if the cops came it would be too late for me. It looks like I will be joining you Hildie.

I closed my eyes and I heard the crack of the bang followed by a painful scream. I expected to feel the hot searing pain but nothing.

"Sorry, Mr. Grey but I can't allow sierra and Brian to stay without you," a voice shouted.

I opened my eyes to see Cynthia standing over Olga who was lying on the ground the gun a few feet away from her.

"What did you do?" I asked amazed.

She chuckled, "I finally put my karate classes to use. I wasn't sure I would get to her unnoticed but thanks to you I did."

Sierra stood up and Cynthia went to her, hugging her tears flowing, "Thank you."

I approached Sierra and the two of them all hugged me. I was surprised that Cynthia was hugging me.

Another shot rang out behind us and Sierra let out a small scream.

We turned to see Lorraine standing a few feet away with a small handgun in her hand. It was pointed at Olga who dropped once more to her feet with her gun in her hand.

"Nice move Cynthia but next time apprehend the suspect and tie her or dispose of the gun," she said. "Is everyone okay?"

Before either of us could reply, there were the sounds of a helicopter in the air and we all looked up. It was a blue and silver helicopter with a very identifiable crest on it. It landed some paces away and out stepped Nathan Sinclair just as the first of the police cars and ambulance arrived.

Another black car drove up behind them and there was Frankie and my head of security.

The first officer looked at the situation and lowered his gun, holstering it. The paramedics rushed to Mark and Olga. As I had suspected Mark was already dead. Olga was placed in a stretcher and attended to.

"Don't worry I didn't kill her," Lorraine said. She had walked over to us and she took my hand. "But if she had killed you I would have tortured her slowly."

Nathan Sinclair arrived and he spoke to the senior police officer. I saw him nod respectfully and look to where Nathan Sinclair was pointing.

The officer came over and said, "I know you have been through a rough ordeal, Nathan Sinclair has said we will take your statements at his place."

Nathan waved at us and motioned for us to enter the big helicopter. He went and sat upfront with the pilot and the rest of us spread out in the helicopter seats. I sat next to Sierra and held her hand. She squeezed mine quickly and gave me a watery smile.