Savage Scheme (12 page)

Libby couldn’t believe it.
Max Savage
. She leaned against the closed door taking a deep breath to calm her emotions. Betrayal sliced through her, causing a sharp pain in her chest. Rearing back, she threw her fist into the metal stall wall in front of her, needing a different pain to take over the one currently stealing her breath. She knew exactly who Max Savage was and now she knew exactly who Nate was.

“A fucking lying asshole,” she hissed. Savage Security and they were after her. And it was just her luck that Mark stood at the door, acting as a bouncer. Was he in on it too? She hadn’t seen Mark in years, the last time being her escort to Canada when Randall orchestrated her escape from her father’s compound. She didn’t know much about him, learning only what she could in the five-hour trip they took together, but to Libby he came across as a lone wolf. He was a man who made up his own rules, working for no one but himself. 

Moving to the sink, she braced her hands on the counter and stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes glistened with tears she refused to shed.

She was familiar with the art of schooling her features, and the minute she’d laid eyes on Max, she’d ensured she had a genuine smile on her face, any knowledge of who he was blanketed by feigned ignorance. It was clear his arm had healed from her warning shot months ago. At the time she’d felt a twinge of guilt, now she wondered why. He had been watching her for a week and she was tired of it. He was more of an annoyance than an actual threat, but it was clear to her now there was an ulterior motive, a mission, and she would bet anything she was at the heart of it. Whatever information they thought she had on her father they were wrong. She’d made sure she made small talk with Nate and his brother after Max just happened to show up at the bar. She remained relaxed, ensuring she made it seem as if she was simply curious, spotting every marker Nate and his brother had put in place for her. A handful of misleading casual laid back demeanour of men - she was well versed with blending in but she also had a nose for sniffing out those that didn’t belong. The entire time she sat across from him, her head and her heart remained at war as Nate continued to touch her, to keep her close as if he wasn’t lying to her, hadn’t been lying to her from the beginning. She’d needed to get away. Away from him, away from whatever he was pulling her in to, because whatever it was, she wouldn’t be able to help him. She had none of the information he needed. She’d finally excused herself to the washroom, seeing the concern in his eyes and when he’d pulled her in for a kiss she’d stiffened. Swallowing the knot in her throat, she didn’t want to alert him to anything so she’d pressed her lips against his in a heated touch, knowing it would be the last time. Moving away from the table she’d been hoping there was a window in the bathroom. She would escape and disappear, the way she always had. She felt sick. No one had ever made her feel the way Nate did while they were together. She’d never been so open, so vulnerable with anyone in her life. He’d made her feel, for the first time in her life, that she was momentarily safe. That she didn’t have to run when she was with him. When she had been packing her bag to leave she found her movements slower than usual, trying to figure out how they could make it work without pulling him into her mess of a reality before he’d walked in on her and turned her world upside down. She’d actually thought he cared about her, that there was a possibility she held even a small part of his heart. But she didn’t. Because she was a stepping stone in his mission. And he was a liar. Pain had resolved to anger. She was no stranger to betrayal. She’d had a life full of it, but never once had she ever felt so affected by it. As she had walked toward the washroom, she’d felt whoever was watching the back of the bar step into the hallway without having to look behind her. She’d noted a door at the back of the restaurant, but with whatever pit bull Nate had watching her, that was no longer an option. Looking up at the sound of one of the stall doors opening, her eyes locked with a young woman. Her lack of confidence led Libby to believe she wasn’t a part of his team. Suddenly she remembered her throbbing fist, realizing why the woman looked nervous.

“Sorry about that,” she said, resigned.

“No problem. Men, huh?”

“Yeah.” She sighed. Suddenly she had an idea. “Can you do me a favour?” Pulling the pen and a discarded receipt she had in her purse she scrawled a quick note on the back of the paper. “Do you know Nate Savage?”

“Who doesn’t?” The woman sighed dreamily. “That man...”

Yea, yea - that man is also a fucking liar.

She snapped her fingers, pulling the woman out of whatever fantasy she’d drifted into thinking about Nate.

“Sorry,” the woman said sheepishly.

“Once you leave through that door I need you to walk up to his table and hand him this note. Got it?”

“Got it. But what are you going to do?”

The woman’s question made her realize for once, she had no idea. She needed to push aside her rioting emotions and put together a plan. Sighing in relief at the sight of the frosted pane, she smiled at the young woman who was now washing her hands. “I’m going to jump out that window and disappear.” Speaking in low tones she thanked the woman for her help before climbing onto the old radiator and slipping through the window. She didn’t dare look in the mirror again before she left. She didn’t want to see the haunted look she knew was there.

Landing with a thud, her heels in her hand, she pressed against the wall remaining in the shadows as she stared around the dark parking lot. Spotting Nate’s truck, she made sure to slink around the light of the street lamps. Knowing she wouldn’t be able to get anywhere in her dress, she would need to change into the extra clothes and boots she kept in her bag. Realizing Nate wouldn’t have left his truck unlocked she tried the handle anyways. Slipping the jacket off her shoulders, she wrapped it around her elbow before smashing through the passenger side window. The alarm pierced the air as glass shattered around her. She opened the door, grabbed her bag and ran toward the street behind the bar. After running for long moments, taking each connecting alleyway, she stopped when she was unable to see the bar through the concrete jungle of buildings, the eerie sound of Nate’s still screaming alarm echoing her departure. Finding the protection of a dumpster, she dropped her bag, quickly pulling on a pair of black pants and shed her dress for the black cotton of a long sleeved shirt. After changing her heels for leather boots, she strapped her knife to her thigh and placed her gun comfortably at the small of her back. She threw her bag over her shoulder and ran toward the next street, each one further away from the betrayal and the man who manipulated her heart into falling for his lies. Hastily wiping the tear that had escaped, she stopped, pressing a fist to her stomach as her breath hitched over the emotion she was desperately trying to keep at bay. Blowing out a rough breath, she straightened her shoulders and pulled her resolve around her. Even knowing she didn’t have a follow, she needed to keep moving. She needed to figure out an escape plan in a city she didn’t know. She wouldn’t be able to just jump on a train or a bus knowing Nate and his brothers would be looking for her. He may be a liar, but he was damn possessive and she was his shiny new toy he wasn’t ready to give up yet. There was a reason he wanted her to stay and it wasn’t because he held the same dreams she foolishly allowed herself to fantasize about. Right now, she was an integral part of his mission. She was James West’s daughter and she was stupid enough to believe that anyone would want the daughter of wanted criminal let alone Nate Savage. She was an enemy by association and he and his entire family broke down the walls she thought unbreakable and made her believe she wasn’t the description her heritage provided for her. She had a good head start but the alarm on Nate’s truck would have alerted them to her escape and she needed to cover her tracks. Starting forward, something behind her caught her attention. Looking back, a heavy arm collided with her chest throwing her to the ground. Her back hit the cement and she found herself staring at the dark sky desperately gasping for air. Instinctively moving her arm to grab her gun, a heavy boot pinned her down, forbidding the movement. A sneering smile appeared through the black stars in her vision.

“Hello, Libby.”

She clenched her jaw and let her head fall against the cement as his voice instilled a calm, simmering anger throbbing through her veins.

Carlos.

He reached down and pulled her to her feet, confiscating her gun. “I’m impressed. I’ll be happy to add it to my collection.” He grabbed her chin and forced her to look in his dead eyes. “Look at you, all grown up. Aren’t you happy to see me?” The hungry look in his eyes turned her stomach as this thumb caressed her bottom lip in a rough touch. 

Jerking away, a thousand thoughts raced through her mind. Carlos’ hold on her was strong. He was a big man, had a least six inches on Libby, but Randall was bigger. And he’d taught her how to take him down. She could get away. She knew Carlos wasn’t alone, he never travelled alone, but it was clear his goons hadn’t caught up with him yet. It was only a matter of moments and she had to act fast. And the bastard dared to take her gun. Turning her face back to his she moved to press against him, her lips only a breath away from his. Surprise turned anticipation widened his eyes. “Absolutely. Now I can finally do what I’ve always dreamed of Carlos.”

“And what’s that?” he asked his voice husky.

“Kill you.” She wrenched out of his hold at the same time her fingers grabbed her gun from his loose hold. Aiming at his chest, her finger squeezed the trigger. The loud retort was suddenly dulled as a heavy fist was thrown against her temple. Falling to the ground she distantly heard Carlos curse violently.

“You okay boss?”

“The bitch caught my shoulder. Fuck! Bind her hands and get her in the car. Now.”

She struggled to move her limbs, to fight back, but unconsciousness was creeping in and taking over her control. She felt her gun pried from her fingers, her refusal nothing more than a slur before she succumbed to complete darkness.

Nate frowned at the woman approaching their table, warning bells going off in his head. Libby should have been back by now. Slipping the piece of paper on the table, the woman shot him a look that was both reproving and sympathetic. Without needing to read the paper he grabbed her slender wrist with more force than intended. “Where is she?” he demanded.

“Gone,” the woman told him with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

Clenching his teeth it took everything in him to stop from shaking the woman. Knowing Libby wouldn’t have told her where she was going, it was clear they’d had some interaction. “Listen to me. This is very important. How did she leave?” The young woman stared at him, her indignation about whatever kind of asshole she thought he was, clear. “I don’t give a fuck about whatever girl code you think you’re upholding right now. How the fuck did she leave?”

“It’s best you answer the question, sweetheart,” Max interjected, calmly slipping his gun on the table.

Her eyes widened at the sight of the weapon. “She slipped out the window in the bathroom,” she confessed, worry and fear warring in her eyes.

“God damn it,” Nate all but yelled. Max flipped over the note and quickly read the scribbled note addressed to him:

Glad to see your
brother’s
arm healed nicely. I can’t promise to be so forgiving next time.

“She knows,” Max said then, still staring at the note in his hands. Nate plucked the piece of paper from his hands and scanned the short but telling note. He could almost feel her hurt through the words on the page. He needed to find her.

God, he felt sick. She jumped out of a bathroom window to get away from him. He needed to find her now or she would disappear into the night. Suddenly the sound of his car alarm pierced the air. Bolting from the table he ran toward the back of the bar and through the door knowing Max was right behind him.

“Fuck!” Nate cursed, standing amongst the shards of broken glass.

“Why’d she break your window?” Max asked, looking around the parking lot. Nate didn’t have to look, he knew she wasn’t there.

“To get her bag.”

“Her bag?”

“Her getaway bag.”

“You think she knew before tonight? She planned for this?”

“No. Libby’s running because she’s hurt. She would have left already if she knew. She has a getaway bag because that email scared her. She’s got all her weapons and anything she could need in that bag.” Max nodded his head in understanding.

“Tell me you put a tracker in her bag.”

“I did. But I wouldn’t be surprised if she found it and threw it away. Get Cam on the phone. I need to know where it is.”

“Already on it,” Max informed him, his phone already to his ear.

Running a hand through his hair, Nate felt his heartbeat in his temple pounding as panic started to thrum through his veins. He knew she thought everything was a lie, including everything they shared when it was probably the most real thing in his life. He had a sickening feeling she was gone. She was too good, she wouldn’t allow herself to be found if she didn’t want to be. He should have just been honest with her from the start. His chest felt tight knowing she was on the run. She could be anywhere and he had no idea where to start looking. He’d never felt so helpless in his life. And the guilt that followed was almost too much to bear. He knew she had no plan, no course of action. He was almost positive she didn’t know her way around the city, hell, he barely let her out of the house with the need to constantly be inside of her. She was running blind, and that was never a good thing. Nate turned as he heard Mark’s voice. He was speaking in low tones as Max explained the car alarm and shattered glass he continued to stand amongst. He was beginning to feel numb and what he needed to be doing was looking for clues Libby left, knowing there were none.

The two men came to stand in front of him, staring down at the remains of his window, the moon catching each shard. “You have to understand that everything that happens from here on out is going to happen because she wants it to happen. You’re not going to find her if she doesn’t want to be found. Believe me.” Mark's words were hard and unforgiving, almost as if he was speaking from experience.

“That’s where you’re wrong,” Nate promised, turning his back. He would find her. Because he had to. He’d lived in the cold for so long before Libby came into his life and he didn’t think he could go back there. He wanted her warmth, her smile, her light. And he wouldn’t stop until he had it back. Even if it was for just one more moment. He needed to make sure she was okay. He knew she was scared. The last thing he wanted was for her to be running and alone. He wanted her safe and in his arms. And when he found her he resolved to tanning her ass until she no longer believed everything he knew she was telling herself about him right now.  

“Cam, tell me you have something. Anything.” He hated feeling so helpless and he was praying his sister had a lead on Libby.

“The tracker you put on her is not too far from you. It hasn’t moved for more than five minutes so either she is lying in wait or she ditched it.”

“Tell me where.” Listening to the coordinates his sister gave him, he followed her instructions, weaving in and out of alleyways until he saw her bag lying haphazardly on the ground. Something wasn’t right. Libby would have never thrown away her bag, it was her safety net. Picking it up, he quickly looked through it, finding the dress she had worn along with her heels and a few changes of clothes. Catching his eye, he looked down at the pavement noticing the red stain. His stomach churned, realizing it was blood.

“Nate, we have to get back to the barn,” Max informed him.

“I’m not going anywhere until I find her,” he growled.

“Nate, get your ass back to the Barn now. We don’t have time for your girlfriend’s god damn temper tantrum!” Logan’s voice came over the speaker of Max’s phone. Nate was going to kill him. Before he could refute his brother’s statement, his sweet sister’s voice came over the line.

“Nate, come back to the Barn. Right now, we have no way to track her. She too good Nate, you’re not going to find her running the streets. We need to regroup and put together a plan. I promise you we will figure out a way to find her.” Taking a deep breath, he knew she was right. He wouldn’t find her hiding in some alleyway waiting to be rescued. He needed a plan and he needed his family’s help to put one together. He knew his first priority should have been the mission but somewhere along the way it had become a distance second, his wildcat taking the lead. Before Max could end the call, he heard Logan speaking to Cam.

“What the hell are you talking about? We don’t have time for you to put together anything, why would you be doing that?”

“Because he’s in love with her, you ass!” she hissed. Nate stilled at the same time Max did, his brother narrowing his eyes and finally nodding his head in understanding. Max ended the call before they could overhear any more of the conversation. Hell, there was no way his sister was right, was she? He’d vowed he would never succumb to the four letter word again. There were a lot of things he liked about Libby but love?

“Come on Romeo, let’s get back to the Barn and find your girl.” Max slung an arm around his shoulders, leading him back the way they came.

Nate shook his head at his broken window. She was going to pay for that, he’d make sure of it. Throwing her bag beside him, he scrubbed his hands over his face. Pushing his truck into gear, he followed his brother’s tail lights until they reached the Barn.