Rescuing Harlow by Aubree Valentine

Chapter 22

So, this is what it was like to be kidnapped and held captive.

Tied to a chair with her hands behind her back, Harlow watched the two men who had taken her pace back and forth across the room as they argued.

“Prez is going to kill you man. This isn’t the right woman. He didn’t say nothing about taking no pregnant chick,” Dumbass #1 waved his hands in the air. “This isn’t what we agreed on.”

“Relax. I think Prez is going to like this one even better,” Dumbass #2 walked over and brushed her cheek with the back of a knife.

Harlow shuddered.

“Fellas, I hate to break up this little staff meeting but do you have a bathroom a girl can use? Remember, pregnant. Bladder about to explode here.”

“No. What do you think this is? A 5-star resort?” Dumbass #2 snorted.

“Man, stop being a dick. Let the woman piss.”

“She can piss right there in that chair if she’s got to go that bad. I know how this works. We untie her and let her go to the bathroom, she does some crazy shit like trying to escape, gets herself hurt then Prez really will have our asses.”

The door swung wide open and hit the wall with a loud thud.

“Ah, Harlow Keller. Sure doesn’t look like Michelle Kaiser.”

“But this one’s better, Prez. A little two for one action. Best part, she’s shacked up with one of them Fed losers too. Oh, I bet they’re out there looking all over for her sweet ass,” Dumbass #2 grinned like a demented lunatic.

Prez reached behind him and pulled out his gun.

No. No. No. Please God. Do not let this asshole shoot me, Harlow prayed over and over in her head as she squeezed her eyes closed.

POP!

Harlow drew a deep breath. She was still breathing. Nothing hurt. Well unless you wanted to counter her arms that were starting to go numb from being pinned behind her or her back from being stuck in the rock-hard chair for so long.

When she opened her eyes, she saw Dumbass #2 laying on the ground in a pool of blood with a bullet between his eyes. She shuddered as her late lunch made a reappearance. There was a dead man laying mere feet away from her.

“Let that be a lesson to you. Blade. Mistakes always have consequences,” Prez said with a sneer. “Get rid of him.” He walked over to Harlow and untied her hands. “Bathroom is through there,” he pointed. “Door stays open, so we can keep eyes on you. Don’t do anything stupid. Handle your business, and you won’t end up like him. We clear?”

Harlow shook her head and made a beeline for the bathroom where she fell to her knees and puked some more.

Zane had to know she was missing by now and he’d come for her. She knew he would and if he had it his way, the entire FBI was probably behind him.

Yes, Zane would find her, and everything would be okay. This Prez guy hadn’t killed her, yet which meant she was more valuable alive. There was still hope.

A sharp cramp rippled through her stomach.

“Ouch,” she hissed, cradling her abdomen.

“Potty break is over, lady,” Blade warned. “Back out here.”

On shaky legs, Harlow pulled herself up. Another cramp rocked her core.

A bottle of water and what looked like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich waited for her on the table in the cover of the room.

“Prez wants you to eat and drink some water. Says it’s important to keep you hydrated.”

“I don’t get it. Why are you being so nice to me?”

Blade stared at her.

“What exactly does this Prez guy have planned?” she questioned.

The man looked around the room before locking eyes with her. What she saw in his eyes didn’t exactly give her the warm and fuzzies. “I need you to trust me. Can you do that?”

She let out a hollow laugh. “Trust the guy watched some asshole break into my house, threaten to kill my dog and my unborn child. Watched as he threw me into the back of the vehicle that you drove back to this place? You want me to trust you?”

Maybe she should learn to keep her mouth shut sometimes but between her anger about being kidnapped and the cramps she kept feeling; she wasn’t in a logical state of mind.

“Hear me out. We don’t have long to talk but help is on the way. I promise. I need you to trust me. Do exactly what I say, follow my lead and I’ll get you back to your fiancé in one piece,” Blade whispered.

“I’m supposed to believe that? You brought me here in the first place!”

“Please, keep your voice down. I can’t blow my cover,” the man pleaded.

Blow his cover…

Harlow’s mouth dropped open. His cover. This guy was one of the good guys.

“Starting to make sense now?” Blake whispered.

She nodded.

“Now, if you can. Try to eat and drink. I’m not sure exactly how long it will take for the cavalry to arrive.”

“B...B...Blade.” Harlow winced as another cramp hit her, this time much worse than before. “I think I might be in labor. If there’s any way you can get word out to the cavalry and let them know, because I’d really like to not have my baby here.”

“Shit. Shit. Shit. Yeah, the other dumbass really did not think this through. Fuck.” Blade didn’t have an available line out at the moment and Prez was upstairs doing God knows what as part of his evil revenge plan against Cruz Livingston for taking down his cousin’s MC years ago. The man was stupid. Who in their right mind thought going up against the FBI or one of their own was a good idea?

He had to have faith that the guys were on their way, and they’d get her out of here in time. Blade was not ready to deliver a baby today.

Noise from upstairs pulled Blade’s attention. Harlow let out a startled yelp and Blade put a finger to his lips, telling her to keep quiet.

“I have to leave you here and go check that out. This may be the good guys. Please, sit tight. They will come get you. I promise.”

Great now Harlow was going to be alone and possibly in labor. Sure. She’d just sit tight and wait for someone to come get her. Not like she had anything else to do.

Blade disappeared and the ruckus above her continued.

What if all that noise wasn’t the good guys? What if someone wasn’t actually coming to save her? She had to find a way out.

Harlow scanned the room again. Her escape wouldn’t be in there. There were no windows. The bathroom was out too, no windows in there. Like she could actually get her pregnant belly to fit through a window.

Suddenly Harlow felt a rush of liquid run down her legs. She was right. Those were not cramps after all. She was in labor.

Another round of contractions took hold. Ten times worse than the last.

Maybe she should be looking for supplies, something that she could use if she had to deliver this baby alone.

Harlow shuffled slowly back into the bathroom. Nothing but a stack of paper towels and hand soap. She would have to venture outside the room.

Slowly she opened the door and peeked her head out. Maybe this was a bad idea. Blade seemed so sure when he told her to stay put.

Loud footsteps echoed down what she imagined was a staircase and through the hallway. Harlow quickly backed up and shut the door as quietly as possible. She retreated to the bathroom and climbed inside of the dingy tub where she attempted to hide behind the equally disgusting shower curtain.

The footsteps drew closer and closer. Voices got louder until she heard one she’d recognize anywhere.

The door bounced open again and Zane called out for her.

“In here. I’m in here!”

He rounded the corner and found her standing there cradling her stomach and breathing through another contraction.

“It’s okay. Baby you’re okay. I’ve got you.” Zane lifted her into his arms.

“Zane. I think we need to get to a hospital,” she cried into his shoulder.

“There’s an ambulance waiting outside. Blade said you think you’re in labor.”

“My water broke. Contractions are getting worse. There’s no more thinking, I am in labor,” she said as Zane hustled through the building and house side with her in his arms like she didn’t weigh an ounce.