Page 2 of Unchained

The line goes dead right as another clap of thunder strikes. My nerves are completely shot. And now that convict’s face is haunting my thoughts. I think it’s time for a happy rom-com to clear the storm of this crazy day.

CHAPTER 2

Trevor

Ilook at the time on my phone again. Another ten minutes have passed. My jaw clenches tighter as I stare toward her back door, struggling to see past the heavy rain blurring the windshield. Making it worse is the fog forming on the glass from my heavy breaths. Every minute that ticks by is another minute lost. If they don’t come soon, the cops will be lining the street looking for me. If they haven’t already, soon they’ll figure out that I’ve been in contact with my sister. Fuck. My grip clenches the steering wheel tighter, trying to fight back the urge to storm inside and get her.

Finally, the back porch light goes out and I see two figures rushing toward me, covered under a black blanket. I start the engine, flashing my dimmers once to give my sister a reference point. When we’d come up with this plan, I had no idea it’d be raining like a motherfucker. On the bright side of that storm, the rain is coming down so heavy no one should’ve heard my sister and nephew sneaking out of the house. And Rodriguez will attribute his surveillance cameras shorting out due to the weather.

Shayla and Kai quickly climb in the back, staying down on the floorboard like I instructed. As soon as the door is shut, I pull out slowly, driving right out of the fancy neighborhood and making sure I stay the speed limit. We’re going to ditch the car as soon as we get far enough away because I’m positive one of the neighbor’s cameras will have picked up my vehicle. And when Rodriguez finds his wife missing in the morning, he’s going to be tearing up the block looking for clues as to which direction she went. He’s another one that I’m buying time with. Talk about two huge forces after my ass.

“It’s okay, Kai. Everything’s going to be okay now.” My sister’s soft voice comes from the back, and it’s so damn good to hear. I can’t wait until I can wrap her in my arms and give her a hug. But first, I need to get them to safety.

“You two okay?” I ask, winding through the roads, trying to navigate through the heavy rain. Thankfully, with how hard it’s coming down, no one will be stopping us. The entire state is on the hunt for me. Cops are out driving through the streets, looking for the escaped convict, but I doubt they’re too many road traps out checking inside vehicles. With all the lightning, they’d call it a safety hazard.

“Yes,” Shayla answers. “Took him a while to fall asleep. He was in a mood tonight.”

My hands clench the wheel tighter. I can only guess what my sister means by that. All I can say is Rodriguez is going to pay for the hell he’s put my sister through. He’s going to pay for the six years he stole from my life, too. But first, I have to make sure my family is out of his reach and hidden where he can never find them. Then I’ll be coming back to exact my revenge.

“How you doing, Kai?”

My nephew doesn’t answer me, but I understand. At his age, I’m sure he’s scared shitless. The kid was awoken in the middle of the night, had to sneak out of his house so his monster of a stepfather didn’t wake, and now he’s hiding in the back of an escaped convict’s vehicle, driving in a fucking monsoon and leaving all of his things behind.

“He’s okay,” my sister answers for him. “We’re going to be safe now,” she assures him again. “Everything’s going to be okay, kiddo. I promise.”

Damn straight it is. Whatever I have to do to protect them, I will. One thing I know is for certain, it will be over my dead body before I let Rodriguez lay another finger on either of them. Just thinking about what they endured makes me want to turn the fucking car around and shoot the bastard in his sleep. Problem is that the fucker has an army at his fingertips that will shoot my ass before I even make it out the door. Then Shayla and Kai will be next. Because if there’s one thing I know about those fuckers, they will never leave loose ends.

We drive in heavy silence for nearly an hour. The lights of the city are getting closer. I start looking for places to hide, winding through neighborhoods, taking every off-the-beaten path I can, searching for someplace where no one will think to look for us. When I spot a run-down house on the outskirts of town that looks like it’s been abandoned for years, I do a second pass up and down the road, deciding it’s the perfect place to hide out for a few days. Now, I just need to find a place to park the car without it setting off any flags.

About a mile up the road, we come across an apartment complex. The parking lot is big enough that the car should be okay for a few days. I drive through, looking for a visitor spot. When I spot one open in the back of the lot, I take it. The people that reside here shouldn’t suspect anything other than the fact that someone in this complex has a guest staying with them. If the cops do find the vehicle, they’ll go door to door first, making sure it doesn’t belong to anyone who lives in the complex.

“Come on, you two. We’re gonna need to make a run for it. Put the blanket over your head, kiddo. It’s time to pretend that you’re Superman, flying through the city with your cape on your back.” I meet my sister’s eyes through the rearview mirror. “The place we’re heading is about a mile and a half up the road.” And here’s crossing my fingers that when we get there, I won’t find that it has an alarm system. I doubt the owner would bother with protecting a place that looks like it should be condemned, but you never know.

We climb out and I lead the way, shuffling us as quick as we can through the torrential rain. Another saving grace in this shit weather is that no one is out on the streets, and no cameras will be picking up anything other than blurry droplets and possibly a person trying to run and get out of the bad weather. I look toward Kai, hating the fact that he’s having to face this shit at his age. He should be in front of his computer playing video games or watching cartoons, not having to run for his life. But if I didn’t get them out of there, Rodriguez was going to doom his stepson to a life worse than the hell he’s already been living in, and my sister was going to be buried ten feet under.

Finally, we come upon the abandoned home. “Wait here,” I tell them, leaving them tucked behind the shed while I make sure the coast is clear. I scan the windows and door, not seeing any security wiring or any signs or stickers saying the place is protected by a local company. When I get to the back door, I have a clear answer. The place isn’t secured, nor is it locked. The back door is wide open.

I step inside, calling out, “Hello! Anyone here? My car broke down and I was wondering if I could use your phone. When nothing but echoing silence meets my ears, I breathe a sigh of relief. This place is perfect for lying low for a few days. Not a person in the state will even have this house on their radar. And I highly doubt the owner will be coming by anytime soon. It looks completely abandoned by the condition it’s in.

“Come on, Shay. Coast is clear.” I lead them in the back, using the light from my phone to scope the place out. What little furniture was left behind looks like something out of the 1800s. The entire place looks like a relic of the past with its carved wooden railings and big, gawdy curtains hanging from the tall windows. I shine the light around the room, seeing that at least it isn’t filled with trash or rodents. It’s surprisingly clean considering the condition of the exterior.

“Stay put. I’m going to go check upstairs.”

I head up the old rickety staircase and scan from room to room, making sure we’re the only occupants. This place has definitely seen better days. It’s a shame because the bones are good. Nowadays, homes are made out of pressed board instead of real wood. That’s why in spite of this place looking like a horror house from the outside, it’s in pretty good shape inside. It will definitely make do for us while I get things sorted out. Diego told me it would take him a few days to get us papers, so until I get word from him, we’ll be staying put.

Satisfied the coast is completely clear, I make my way back downstairs. We’re going to keep close to the door just in case we need to make a run for it. Not that I expect anyone to come knocking on the front door, but we need to be on alert.

“All good.” I tip my chin toward Shay. “And don’t worry, Kai. I didn’t find any ghosts,” I tease, but he still doesn’t say anything. I’m guessing he’s exhausted and still in shock from being yanked from his bed and thrown into this mess. I kneel down before him, using my sleeve to wipe the water off his face, not that the soaked material does much to help. I can’t believe it’s been six years since I last saw him. He was just a tiny little rugrat when I went inside. The cutest kid I’ve ever seen. His giggle still plays in my mind whenever I need a pick-me-up.

He’s definitely grown over these last six years, taking after his uncle’s genes. I was always a big kid for my age. Tall and strong, with a cockiness that got me into trouble as a teenager. Unfortunately, I don’t see the same strength in Kai’s eyes, but I’m determined to change that. I’m determined to erase all the fears that Rodriguez instilled. All the doubts and insecurities. I’m going to undo it all. I’m going to show my nephew that he’s worthy of love and that the world isn’t full of only monsters.

“Missed you, kiddo.”

His eyes stay trained on the ground; he’s obviously uncomfortable. I get it. I’m not real comfortable with all the mushy gushy stuff either, but I’m hoping he and I will both come around to it.

“I promise you, Kai, you’re safe now. I’m going to take care of you and your mom. We’re going to go away and start fresh. And once we’re settled, we’ll start chasing all those baseball dreams you have, okay?” The kid used to tell me he wanted to grow up and play on a major league team. Shay says he still asks for signed baseballs for every holiday and collects all the cards of his favorite players. All the special things he had to leave behind. But one day, I’ll replace every last one of them.

His head doesn’t raise from the ground, but I get that it’s going to take time. Not just for me to earn his trust, because I’m practically a stranger, but it’s going to take time for him to stop being afraid. And I don’t think that’s going to happen until we’re far away and no longer running from the forces chasing us. Until then, I’ll keep working to chip away at that protective shell he’s got and see if I can’t get a smile out of him. Or even just a word.