Forsaking All Others Page 21

  “Hudson?”

  He didn’t answer, but he glanced over at Evan as he rifled through one of the bags he had brought.

  “Remember long ago, when we hid in that closet. What did Papa make you promise?”

  Surprise filled his older brother’s face as Hudson slowly nodded his head with a sigh.

  “To always take care of you, because he couldn’t do it anymore.”

  Evan sighed, a familiar hum of pain washing over his body. Hudson had done just that, especially being only a child himself. Evan glanced up at him with a sad smile.

  “You did good, Hudson. You always have my back.”

  Hudson grunted as he zipped the bag closed. “Of course I do. You’re my brother. I always have your back. Just like I’ll have it now no matter what we get into in there.”

  At that, Evan stiffened, his anxiety returning. Before he had a chance to respond, Hudson placed his hand on his shoulder.

  “We will be close. We’ll keep her safe. I’ve got your back.”

  Evan regained his composure and nodded briefly as he rifled through Hudson’s duffel bag and shoved a Glock43 into his pocket. It was sleek and easily concealed. It would serve him well in case things didn’t go as planned.

  “And I’ve got yours, brother. Let’s finish this.”

  It was time to end this now. He would make sure that Devon’s reign of terror ended. Tonight.

  34

  Julianna entered the building slowly, her muscles taut, heart pounding, sweat already forming on her brow. From the looks of it, the place was abandoned.

  At least that’s what it looks like.

  She continued to walk cautiously, doing her best to minimize the sound of her footsteps as she made her way into the cold and barren building. The warehouse broke off into several hallways, and she quickly picked one, the need to keep moving weighing heavily on her.

  She came to a moderately sized room, which was empty except for a car parked in the center. Surely, Devon had to have parked it there. There was no one else around. Now nervous, she flattened her body against the wall, and held her breath, in fear he could spot her.

  She cautiously took one step back, further into the darkness and away from the car, as she entered another room situated adjacent to the room where she’d seen Devon’s parked car. This was tiny—she could touch the walls with both hands outstretched, dingy, musty. The air in the room was damp and dank, but she entered still, needing a place to gather her nerves. She’d decided that she would come and see Devon so that all of this would end but, to be honest, she wasn’t sure of what she would find. Devon had almost killed Jason and would’ve harmed Danicah if she hadn’t gotten away. For that reason alone, she couldn’t allow for him to get too close. Nervously, she reached for the gun strapped to her hip, only mildly reassured by its presence.

  It would have to come to her life or his.

  Suddenly nervous once again, she snuck out of the room and ducked into another room, which was larger, better ventilated, and farther away from the car. When she got inside, she crouched down and shook her head, unsure of what her next steps were. Would Devon be receptive to a conversation, or had he lured her here just to end her life? Was the other person still alive? Was there even another person? Her mind was racing as she pressed her back up against the wall with a sigh. She knew one thing: she was definitely in over her head.

  “Juliaaaaaanna.” Devon’s deep voice boomed in the space as he called out to her in a sing-song tone. Her stomach turned as she ducked down into the corner, her heart hammering in her chest. Beads of cold sweat formed on her brow as she held her breath, not yet ready to reveal herself to him.

  “Surely you have a greeting for your husband. I know you’re here.”

  His voice was ominous. She heard his heavy footsteps moving around outside—close, but still not close enough to find her. She released a slow breath as she forced her brain to function. She was already here, with him, and this needed to end. Tonight. She couldn’t allow Devon to cause one more ounce of stress in her body. He was trying to destroy her. He had hurt her family.

  I have to make him stop.

  With that, she closed her eyes tight. She could no longer rely on the fact he wouldn’t truly hurt her. She no longer knew who that man was, but he was far from the man she had married years ago. She reached back to touch the cold metal of the gun at her side and sent her eyes skyward. Lord knew she didn’t want to have to use it, but she would not hesitate if it meant saving her own life.

  She crouched down and crawled out of the safety of the room and into the hallway on her hands and knees, quickly, but cautiously darting into another long, dank, rectangular room. It was twice as long as it was wide, and she could make out several old rotted crates and boxes strewn about in the dim lighting. Darkness engulfed the portion of the room where a sharp corner existed.

  She sat with her back to the wall, her chest heaving and sprang up and back when she heard movement, but quickly stilled, her confusion getting the best of her. The sound she was hearing was from muffled cries.

  She tiptoed over to the source, squinting in the dim light of the space, and peered around the corner. Then she saw her. The woman was small, thin, with curly brown hair and olive skin. Tears were running down her face, and she was strapped to a table, all four limbs tied tightly to the table beneath her. Her face was reddening as she did her best to scream, to no avail. The woman tried to squirm but was held into place by her restraints. Although Julianna didn’t recognize her, she was sure that the woman had also fallen under Devon’s spell; he knew exactly how to lay on the charm to get exactly what he wanted. Julianna scanned the room, her anxiety on high alert as she ran over to the woman, placing a calming hand on her arm.

  “Hey, shhh.” Julianna placed a finger to her lips as the woman struggled harder at the sight of her, shaking her head frantically as she stared at the door. If that woman was in here, Devon put her there. And if she made too much noise, Devon would come straight for her. She kept a finger to her lips as she reached for the towel that was tied tight around the woman’s mouth. It came down after a few hard jerks. The woman inhaled sharply, gasping for air.

  “Help.”

  The word was soft, strained, as fresh tears rolled down the woman’s cheeks.

  “Did Devon do this to you?”

  Julianna kept her voice to a soft whisper as she glanced around the room, still on high alert. Her heart sank when the woman nodded.

  “He’s crazy.”

  That was all the woman said when Julianna heard heavy footsteps approaching the room. At first they passed, but they stopped and headed back toward the room they were both in. It was as if Julianna’s body had been dunked in ice as she froze. She gave the room a quick scan.

  He’s coming. I have to hide.

  “Don’t leave me!”

  The woman’s words were a strangled whisper as she too stared at the door, fear distorting her soft features. Julianna shook her head as she darted into the corner, behind a pile of old dilapidated boxes. She trembled as the door slowly opened and Devon stepped inside. All that she could see were his feet. He slowly made his way into the room.

  “Ah. Adela. You’re awake.”

  She watched him approach the woman, his voice deceptively gentle. His tone changed as he stopped in front of her.

  “What the fuck is this? Where is she?”

  His voice was steadily rising and his anger was palpable. He had noticed that Adela, as he had called her, no longer had the towel around her mouth.

  “Julianna! Julianna! Get your ass out here!”

  He paced the room, his footsteps thundering as he tossed boxes out of the way in search of her.

  “End this shit, Julianna. Come out.”

  His anger continued to mount as he threw more boxes out of the way. Julianna took a deep breath as she watched his footsteps approach her. A gust of air surrounded her as Devon angrily tossed the boxes behind which she was hiding. He stopped when he saw he
r, doing her best to hide in the corner.

  “There you are, you little bitch.”

  He jerked her up and out of the corner, wrenching her arm as he did so. His eyes were cold and blank as he pulled her across the room. Julianna kicked and fought back; she couldn’t allow him to take her out of there. It wouldn’t end well if he did.

  She continued to claw and scratch, reaching for anything in her immediate surroundings to throw at him. He swiftly brought his hand down across her face. She initially didn’t register the pain until her face stung. She reached up to cup her cheek, in disbelief. Rage bubbled in her gut as she drew her knee back and drove it into his gut. Hard.

  He cried out and gripped his abdomen as he fell to the floor, cursing. She ran over to Adela and moved close to her ear. “I will come back for you. Trust me.”

  She ran from the room, noting movement out the corner of her eye. Devon picked himself up off the floor. He advanced on her as she fled, blindly running down the sparsely lit hall as she frantically searched for a place to go. Her unsure legs tripped over a box she hadn’t seen and she fell to the floor as Devon grabbed her from behind. He reached for the gun strapped to her hip as he laughed.

  “Look who has grown a backbone. Did Evan give that to you?”

  He nearly spat as he said Evan’s name.

  He straddled her, trying to pin her arms above her head. She raised her knee again, dodging his open palm coming down towards her face, and felt her knee connect with his abdomen. It was only then she noticed the dark red blood staining his side.

  He cried out in pain. His grip loosened only briefly and his hand closed around her throat. She clawed at his hands, but his grip continued to tighten. A sinister grin spread across his face.

  “If I can’t have you, no one will.”

  Devon’s face was mere inches from hers. A thick sheen of sweat glistened on his brow, but it was his eyes—cold, detached, bland—that would haunt her.

  He continued to grin, pleased with himself, as he increased the pressure of his hands around her throat. Suddenly, he let go of her throat, and dragged her by her hair further back into the warehouse. She coughed and gasped for air, her body drained from the fight.

  “Devon. Stop this.”

  He stopped in front of the room where Adela was and flung the door open.

  He yanked Julianna up to her feet and clung to her as he dragged her inside. He leaned heavily on the doorjamb, in obvious pain, but cursed when he stepped inside. Julianna focused in the dim room, searching for a way out. The space on the table where Adela had been was now empty.

  Annoyed, Devon threw Julianna to the floor as searched the room, his rage nearly palpable, filling the room, as his search turned up empty.

  Julianna smiled.

  They were here.

  She remained silent as she stared up at Devon, trying to gauge the best chance for her exit as she slowly pulled herself up to a sitting position. She had to find a way out. He continued with his back to her, still in search of Adela. She then decided that it was time for her to run. She forced herself to her feet, her body screaming, as she leaped for the door. However, Devon spun around and darted over to her, blocking her path with an irritated sigh.

  “Julianna, you really think I would let you leave that easily? Tell me you’re not that stupid.”

  She glanced around the room, searching for another exit. Then she heard the click. It was if time stood still as she turned to find Devon with a gun pointing at her.

  He kept it trained on her face, his head tilting from side to side. He was sweating and panting, eyes emotionless as he grinned. She no longer recognized any part of the man who stood before her. Maybe he truly was gone, or maybe he was just showing her who he truly was.

  Her gaze went to the dark red patch on the side of his gray shirt.

  “Your bitch of a sister did that. Trust…she will pay for it.” His grin widened. “Tell me, how is Jason? I heard the son of a bitch lived. Pity.”

  Julianna stiffened and remained silent, eyes trained on the gun aimed at her face.

  “Devon, when did it come to this? You’re really going to risk it all to end my life? What about your goals?”

  Instead of being swayed, he scoffed. The sound was low and hollow, bursting forth from his lips with immense effort. The gun didn’t waver. He continued to keep it pointed toward her.

  “Shut up.”

  “Please. Don’t do this. That girl, Adela, is still alive, so am I, and so is Jason. It’s so much worse with a dead body. Just let me go.”

  “Shut. Up.”

  He moved closer, cocking the gun. Beads of sweat formed on Julianna’s brow, her anxiety flooding through her veins.

  She reached for the gun strapped to her hip.

  “You’ll be dead before you can even get the thing to work.”

  He took another step forward as she trembled, weighing her options. She was definitely a novice with a gun. However, she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of ending her life.

  He continued to advance on her again when she heard something whiz past her right ear. She couldn’t see it, but she saw Devon grab his shoulder and drop to the ground. She then ran, her legs clumsily stumbling along as she tried to make her way through the convoluted halls in search of the exit. As she ran, she was dragged into a room. She kicked and screamed only to be steadied by a gentle voice.

  “Julianna.”

  Evan.

  He raised a finger to his lips as he pulled her to his side, gun raised. “You okay?”

  Although she nodded, Evan’s deep blue eyes immediately focused on her right cheek, which was now swelling. He clenched his jaw as he tenderly touched the spot before he returned his gaze toward the door.

  “That lady is safe. Hudson has her.”

  She nodded slowly as the muscles in Evan’s body tensed. He crept out of the room, the epitome of concentration as he made his way down the hall. Julianna was right behind him.

  “Stay close.”

  Julianna nodded her head as he took one step, and then two, cautiously down the hallway. A dark form darted from one room to the other. He responded by firing two rapid shots in its direction. Two shots rang out in their direction as he pulled Julianna down to the ground beside him.

  “Juliaaaaanna.”

  Evan remained still, his head slightly lifted as he did his best to pinpoint Devon’s location.

  “Julianna, how did we come to this? I gave you everything you wanted, but all I got was grief. I tried to level with you. You still left. Now, you have this…barbarian over here trying to kill me.”

  Evan signaled for them to move closer.

  “Did you ever ask him about his past? About the people he has killed? How is he less of a monster than me?”

  Evan pulled them down again as two more shots rang out from a few feet away from them, rapidly followed by three shots from another direction.

  Hudson. Although she couldn’t see him, she knew he was there.

  Evan crouched down in front of her, taking her face in his hands.

  “The first chance you get, Julianna, I want you to run.”

  “I want to do it. Evan, I need to.”

  He shook his head.

  “But—”

  His tone hardened. “That wasn’t a request.”

  He pulled her to him and kissed her, hard, before he released her with a nod of his head. She continued to sit and watch him cautiously make his way down the hall.

  Soon she saw Adela, who was crouching low, trembling in fear. She was staring blankly down the hall, mumbling to herself when Julianna made her way over to her, impatiently tugging on her arm as she headed toward what she hoped was the exit.

  “He told me to run. Then he left. The man with the blue eyes. I can’t. I’m too scared.”

  Evan. Hudson. Please stay safe.

  She tugged on Adela’s arm until the woman finally began to move, snapped out of her spell.

  Julianna held fast to her hand a
s they made a beeline for a door on the far corner of the warehouse when the weight of Adela’s hand suddenly increased, dragging her back. Adela’s hand let go of hers, and she froze. She looked back to see a flash of red form on Adela’s forehead as she lurched forward, a fleeting expression of fear in her eyes before they went lifeless.

  “That bullet was actually meant for you, Julianna.”

  Devon emerged from the shadows, gun raised. Julianna lifted her hands in the air. He’d ended this woman’s life, and now he had her in his crosshairs.

  In a flash, Evan emerged from the darkness with his gun trained on the back of Devon’s head. The tension in the room choked the air from it.

  Devon laughed, leaning heavily to one side. A film of sweat that covered his brow. His breathing was labored. The gun shook in his hand.

  “Drop the gun.” Evan’s voice was clipped.

  He kept his gun trained on Devon, his scowl deepening.

  Devon chuckled, the sound strained and painful as he forced himself to stand up straight. “I have to give it to this man, Julianna. His aim is damn near perfect.”

  “It won’t be until I put a bullet between your eyes.”

  “So what do I have to lose? Really?”

  Evan refused to respond but took yet another step forward as Devon raised the gun once again.

  “All I ever wanted was to settle down. Find a wife. Have children. It was a good move at my age, and you just couldn’t see that, Julianna.”