Remember Ramsey by Cynthia Eden

Chapter Twenty

Observation notes: The “research” is over. It’s been over for some time. I just used it as an excuse to keep coming back.

But neither of us will be coming back to the old bar much longer. A new life is waiting. Ramsey is working to tie up loose ends. He will tell his confidants, and then we will just…disappear.

I’m excited. And terrified.

I know I’ll love him in ten years. I’ll love him in twenty. I will love him always.

But will he feel the same? His life has been danger and adventure. Everything will change. Will he still love me in ten years when the excitement has faded? Will the life I offer be enough?

***

“Ramsey!” She shot out of the limo.

Jag immediately grabbed her. “No. No, no, no. You are not going in there. You stay here, you heard him!”

She struggled against his hold. “There is a fire! Ramsey is going in there alone!”

“The building’s fire alarm would have sent an instant alert to the fire department,” Edward said as he rubbed a hand over his face. “I don’t even need to call for help. I was…flustered. I forgot. I’m sure the firefighters are already on their way here.”

She looked up. She could see one of the windows opening on the top level of the building. The fourth floor.

“Help!” A woman’s head leaned out of the window. “The elevator shaft is filled with smoke, and the door to the stairwell is jammed! We can’t get out!”

Oh, God. No wonder Ramsey had run back inside. Whitney realized he must have seen the women up there.

But he needed help. “Jag, let me go!”

“I can’t, you heard him. I—”

“He needs help!” she snarled. “So do they!” Those trapped women. “Go after him. Jag, dammit, go!” Her furious stare shot to Edward. He was just standing there.

“I can’t leave you,” Jag rasped. “He’ll rip me apart.”

“And we can’t let him die!” She had to get out of his grip. “What if the smoke is too thick? What if he passes out? What if we lose Ramsey?”

Jag’s hold loosened.

The women weren’t in the window any longer. Where were they?

***

Ramsey covered his mouth with his shirt and ran up the stairwell as fast as he could. The fire seemed to be contained to the second floor—it hadn’t spread through the building. Not yet. On the second floor, he kicked the open stairwell door shut in an effort to contain the smoke, then he kept rushing up the stairs.

Hurry. Get the hell out of here. Hurry!

He reached the top floor and came to a jerking halt.

There was a chair jammed under the door on this level. If anyone had tried to open it from the other side, the chair would have stopped them. Those women—they’d been trapped. He jerked the chair out of the way and yanked the door open.

Screams reached him.

***

Whitney could hear screams over the fire.

Edward swore and took off running, heading for the building.

Jag’s grip eased even more on her. “You get in the limo and you lock the doors, got it?”

Yes, yes, she got it.

He let her go. Her breath heaved in and out. In the distance, she could hear sirens. Edward had been right. The firefighters were coming. Her fingers fluttered over her stomach.

It’s okay. Your dad is okay. We’re all going to be fine.

She understood an ambush attack could be waiting. She was going to get in the damn car.

Ramsey, get your ass back to me!

She turned for the vehicle.

And felt something slam into the back of her head.

***

Ramsey rushed out of the building and nearly ran straight into Jag. He shoved the other man back. “What the fuck?”

“You’re okay!”

Ramsey coughed. He reeked of smoke, and the three women he’d led out were gasping. He pushed them forward even as he saw a fire truck flying toward the scene.

Someone had set that fire, he was sure of it. And the bastard had done it because…he wants me.

“So glad you’re all right, man.” Jag clapped a hand on his back. “How about you promise me that you will never run into a burning building again? Can you do that? Seriously?”

Ramsey’s gaze darted around the area. “Where’s Whitney?”

“In the back of the limo. She’s safe and sound.”

He immediately began double-timing it for the limo. “Where’s that prick Edward?”

“He ran in after you. Didn’t you see him in the stairwell?”

What? “No.” And it wasn’t like he could have missed him.

“Fuck. Do you think he’s back in the fire?”

Ramsey stilled. He looked over his shoulder at the building. Unease pulsed through him. Something feels wrong. Instead of running back for the building…he ran for the limo. He wrenched on the door’s handle.

Locked.

“Open up, baby!” Ramsey yelled to Whitney.

She…didn’t.

“Whitney?”

Jag hurried toward him. “I told her to lock up. She’s just being safe.”

No, she wasn’t. Because this was him, and she’d always open the door for him.

Jag unlocked the door with the remote. “Don’t worry. I know she was getting inside—”

The interior of the limo was empty. No Whitney.

Ramsey spun around. “Whitney!” he bellowed.

Jag tried to peer around him. “She’s not in there?” Horror filled his voice. “I swear, she was getting in the back! She promised. That’s why I was coming after you. She was freaking out, worried that you would inhale too much smoke and pass out, and she got in the car and I came after you—”

“Did you see her get in the car?”

“I…” A shake of his head. “She was walking toward it.” Fear flashed on Jag’s face.

The fire truck’s siren shrieked louder.

“Where is Edward Wilson?” Ramsey’s mind was spinning. No, spiraling. Because he’d left Whitney. Left her side, and she was gone.

“I don’t know. I thought he ran after you.”

I didn’t see him in the stairwell.

The fire truck braked at the curb.

“Where the fuck is Whitney?” Ramsey roared.

***

“There has to be security footage.”

Ramsey glanced over at those words. The fire had been put out, but the firefighters were still running in and out of the building. They’d had to physically hold him back because he’d tried to get inside, too. He’d been terrified that Whitney was in there.

Burning.

But she hadn’t been. A search had been conducted on every floor in the office building. No sign of her.

He’d tried calling her phone, thinking that maybe she still had it on her, but the damn thing had rung from the back of the limo. Another very bad sign.

Jag and Darius had helped him search the nearby area. They’d turned up nothing.

Then the Trouble for Hire assholes had arrived. And he hadn’t even pretended not to be glad to see them.

“We can pull footage from every security camera in all the nearby buildings,” War was saying.

“And the street cams, too,” Jinx added.

War nodded. “We’ll check them and see what the hell happened. Whitney didn’t just disappear.”

No, he knew that. She’d had help. “The bastard who set the fire took her.” The fire had been a distraction. The trapped women? They’d been the bait to pull him away from Whitney.

“The guy would have needed to know the layout of this building.” Thoughtful, from War. “He would have needed to know those women were up there. He had to trap them while you were occupied—”

“The damn psychologist is missing. Edward Wilson.” When Ramsey got his hands on that jerk… “Jag thought he ran into the building to help, but he didn’t. He’s gone. Whitney’s gone…” Whitney! He fisted his hands. “Whitney said she saw him every Saturday. He knew her routine. He could have jammed the stairwell door on the top floor before she arrived. He could have set the fire to start with some kind of trigger—”

“Yeah, but why do all of that if he thought she was coming alone?” It was the first time Odin had spoken. He’d been quiet while Ramsey explained what the hell was happening. “I mean, did he have any idea that you’d be showing up with her?”

“If he’s the bastard who sent Axel after her, then yes, he knew. He would have known that I was sticking close to her.” So Edward’s whole response in the office had been an act. “He’s gone. Whitney’s gone. Pretty easy to connect those pieces.”

The limo sat there. Empty. Abandoned. No Whitney. “I shouldn’t have gone inside.” He should have stayed with her. Fuck. Fucking hell.

“Hey.” Jinx grabbed him. “I heard those women talking. You helped them. You saved—”

“I left her. Whitney matters to me more than any damn thing else, and I left her. Now she’s gone. My baby’s gone. And I—”

“We’re getting her back. You hear me? You will get her back. Just take a minute and think,” Jinx urged him. “Who would do this to you? Who would target her to get to you?”

“Everybody! She’s my weakness! My only damn one!” No, not totally true. As he stared into Jinx’s eyes, Ramsey knew that his words were a lie. Jinx was a weakness, too. The big brother he’d always tried to protect. He’d left Jinx’s life so that his brother could have a chance at a good future. One that didn’t include me.

“I didn’t give Whitney a chance,” Ramsey muttered. “I’m a selfish bastard, and I wanted her, and I took her.” But she was gone.

I will get her back.

He jerked from Jinx’s hold. Brought his phone to his ear. After the search of the nearby area had turned up jack, he’d sent Jag and Darius to start tearing through the town. To rip into every dark hole and all the hideouts that the worst of the freaking worst criminals used in that area. But now he wanted more.

Darius answered on the second ring. “Tell me you have her.”

He had to swallow twice. “Offer a bounty.”

“To get her back?”

“Yes.” He felt the other men staring at him.

“How much?” Darius asked quietly.

“Anything. Everything. You spread the word that I want her. I will pay whoever brings her back to me, and I will pay anything.”

Darius whistled. “Boss, you’re gonna start a war in this town. The people in our world will be ripping the place apart looking for her.”

Yes, they would. That was exactly what he wanted. “Spread the word.” Then he made another call.

“This had better not be another tech request call…” Cyrus began.

“I want you to access every single street cam or security video around this address.” He spat out the location.

“Dude, I am not your personal—”

“Cyrus.”

“What’s wrong?” No more humor. Just worry.

“Whitney is missing. I think someone took her. Find her for me.” He choked down the lump in his throat. “Please.”

“I will call you back in five minutes.”

Ramsey was starting to think more clearly. When he’d first found the empty limo, rage and fear had blasted through him. He’d been terrified that Whitney was in the burning building.

Five firefighters had to tackle me to stop me from going back in.

But she hadn’t been inside. And that meant…

Someone is going to die today. I will find the person who took her. He will die.

Ramsey lowered his phone. “I should have thought of the security footage instantly, but I wasn’t…quite in my right mind.”

The other men stared at him. Sympathy was on their faces. Dammit. He didn’t want sympathy or pity. He just wanted Whitney.

“I will need you to bring Imari in on this, too,” Ramsey directed. His voice sounded funny. Too flat. And his body felt icy. “The more people we have working it, the faster we can find Whitney.”

War and Odin shared a glance. “Imari?” War repeated.

“Don’t waste my time with BS. The minute Cyrus told me that she’d showed up at his door, I realized she was working with you. I already knew she’d left her previous position.”

“How did you know that?’ Jinx asked, voice soft.

Ramsey spared him a brief glance. “Did you really think you were the only one who ever did favors for the government?”

“What?”

“I knew when she left the government’s employ. I also knew she was staying in this area. And it didn’t take long to figure out where she’d turn for a new job.” He nodded. “Bring her in. She has useful connections with the cops, and we could use those in the hunt.” He started to say more, but stopped because…

Speaking of cops…

Behind Jinx, he could see Detective Melissa Wright striding determinedly toward him. Her face was set in tense lines, and her shoulders were stiff. “Ramsey!” she called.

He shook his head. “Not now, detective. I do not have time for you—”

She elbowed Jinx out of the way. “Oh, you’re going to make time for me.” Her breath huffed out. “Axel Porter is dead.”

“He didn’t kill him!” Jinx immediately declared. “I will testify before any court anywhere, anytime! Ramsey did not stab that guy in the chest.”

“Yes, settle down. I know he didn’t do it. Because before Axel took his last breath, he told me who did.”

Every muscle in Ramsey’s body tightened.

“Want to know who it was?” Melissa asked.

Was she fucking kidding?

But then she squinted around the area. “Heard on the radio that there was a fire. Everyone okay?”

“No,” Ramsey snarled. “Everyone is not fucking okay. Whitney is missing, and if you have something useful to say, tell me, now.”

Her stare jumped back to him. “I have something useful.” She wet her lips.

His phone began to ring.

“But you’re not going to like it,” she added.

***

Her head hurt. Whitney opened her eyes as the back of her head throbbed in pounding bursts. She tried to lift a hand to touch her head, but she felt something around her wrists.

Rope. Thick rope was tied around her wrists—wrists that had been pulled behind the chair she was sitting in.

What chair? Where am I?

Dazed, she shook her head and tried to focus on her surroundings.

A groan came from beside her. Whitney’s head immediately jerked to the left—sending more pain pulsing through her—and she saw Edward. He was tied up, too. But he had also had a gag in his mouth, and blood was pouring from his nose and a gash in his temple. His eyes were closed.

“You’re awake.”

Whitney stiffened at that voice. She didn’t want to look at the speaker. If she looked at the speaker, then she’d have to admit what was happening, and she didn’t want to do that. She wanted this to be just some nightmare. She wanted to close her eyes and wake up back in Ramsey’s bed.

“I didn’t want to hurt you, but I didn’t have a choice.”

There were always choices to be made in this world.

She still didn’t look at the speaker, but her gaze drifted around the bar. Ramsey’s bar. She was inside of Ramsey’s bar, tied up, and sitting in one of the chairs. The bar seemed cavernous without the usual patrons inside.

“I wish…” His voice turned ragged. “I wish you’d just stayed dead.”

Her lower lip trembled. Her head turned and she finally looked at the man who’d attacked her.

Jag stared back at her with glittering eyes. “Because now, I’m going to have to kill you myself.”