of you to the bar. I’m going in first.”
“Sam?”
“I want to pick up my car at the garage first.”
“What if his men are watching the garage?”
“I want my car. I don’t carewho’swatching. You two can pull up
right behind it, but I want my car.”
“All right, we won’t argue with you,” Luke said, as he came into
the room. “Are you ready?”
“Let’s do this,” she said, as the three of them headed out of the
building.
Sam got in her car and watched as Parker and Luke pulled away. She kept staring at the door that led to the penthouse. “No time like the present,” she said. She got out of the car and grabbed her bag. She put her nine-millimeter in her back waistband. She slowly headed towards the stairs.
Parker slammed on the breaks and turned the car around. He sped down the aisle of cars and stopped. He jumped out of the car and grabbed her arm. “Oh,no, you don’t!”
“What?”
“I thought you trusted me,” he said.
“I do. I’m sorry. I just want it over with.”
“It will be, not this way, not yet. We have to get over to the bar.” “Oh, all right,” she said.
“Get in!” Luke demanded.
“I’ll take my car.”
“Not a chance,” Luke said, as he lovingly pushed her in the back
seat.
She sat in the back and crossed her arms. “I wasn’t going to…” “Bull and you know it,” Luke said. “We knew you’d try
something like that. What were you thinking?”
“Just that I can’t wait until he’s dead!”
“Well,you’renot going to kill him,” Parker said.
“Don’t try to stop me,” she said, as he pulled out of the garage. “Oh, I’m going to do it,notyou. I have a plan now,” he sped
down the road towards the Razor’s Edge.
“Parker?”
“Sam, just shush right now! Damn you!”
“I’m … I’m sorry. I didn’t…”
“Sam, I love you but what you just did, reallypissedme off.
You’re not allowedto do this crap on your own. You need us and we need you. Do you hear me?” he yelled.
“Allowed? Youdon’town me!”
“I didn’t mean that. You can’t go off half-cocked without backup.”
“You’re right. I’m sorry. It was stupid,” she said, as he pulled across the street from the bar. “Now, what?”
He handed her a cellphone. “Call Jack.”
“And say what?”
“Tell him you’re giving yourself up to him. I don’t know, whatever he says or wants, just go along with it.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Just watch and learn, babe,” he grinned.
“OK,” she dialed Jack’s number and waited for him to answer.
“This is Jack,” he said coldly.
“It’s Sam. I hear you’ve been looking for me.”
“Where thehellhave you been?”
“I needed some time to think about what happened between us. I was just caught off-guard.”
“No woman of mine leaves unless I say so. Do you hear me?” he yelled.
“I know. So, are you going to kill me?”
“Of course not. You’re of more use to me alive than dead. I want you. Sam, you’re a fighter and I like that. I promise, if you come back to me willingly, we can play your game, too.”
“Promise?”
“Yes. I was wrong to do what I did. Iamsorry. I just wanted to remember loving you. It wasn’ttoohard, was it?” he asked, as his voice softened.
“Um, no, of course not. I just like participating. That’s all. I’m not used to ropes, just handcuffs.”
“Oh, you like thecuffs, huh?”
“Yes, Jack, can we start over?”
“Yeah,Allure, we can.”
“Where are you? I’d like to meet you.”
“I’m at your place. I’ve been waiting here for you.” “I’ll be there soon,” she said.
“Good. I have a surprise for you,” he said, as he hung up. Sam stared at the phone. “I think I’m going to be sick.” “What’d he say?” Luke asked.
“That he was sorry and the next time, he’ll have sex my way. He doesn’twant me dead. He wants a play toy.”
“We’ll get him,” Parker said. “OK, when I give the signal, jam the cell signals,” he said, as he got out of the car.
Sam and Luke watched as Parker approached the door. He put his thumb up and Luke pressed the button to jam the signals.
Sam looked at Luke. “I have to get Jackalone.”
“I thought you were going to let Parker take care of him,” he said.
“No. I have to do it. I have to confront him on my own. If I don’t, it’llneverbe over for me.”
“How do we do that?” Luke asked.
“I’m not sure, but if I have to sneak away to do it, I will,” she leaned back in the car seat.
“Don’t worry. I’ll let you do this. I know there’s more to it, isn’t there?”
“Yes, please, Luke, trust me,” she cried.
“I do, sweetie. I do.”
Parker walked in and sat down at the bar. Steve walked over to him and shook his head. “We heard you were dead,” he said.
“Where’d you get that?”
“That broad you used to come in with. Sam, I think,” he said, as he handed Parker a beer.
“Nah, I killed that broad this morning. She was just trying to get into Jack’s pants. She thought she’d have an easy way in if I was dead. Dumb bitch. So, whereisJack?”
“Not here. I think he’s waiting for her. You want me to call him?”
“No, that’s all right. Are the guys around?”
“In the back,” Steve said.
Parker guzzled down his beer and looked around the room. He slowly reached into his pocket and pressed a bar of C-4 against the bar. He looked into Steve’s eyes. “When Jack does come back, tell him that I’m not dead and that I’m looking for him,” he stood up.
“Of course. I’ll see you later,” he said.
Parker slowly walked out of the bar. As he walked closer to the car, he counted to three on his fingers and Luke hit the button. Parker’s body was thrown forward as the bar exploded into shards of metal, glass, and wood.
Luke ran out of the car and helped Parker. “Are you all right?”
“Yeah, I’m fine. Are the others done?”
“Doing it now,” Luke pushed another button and the apartment building behind the bar imploded. “Let’s get out of here.”
Sam got behind the wheel and squealed down the street. “What now?”
“Your plan,” Parker said.
“Oh, so,nowit’s my plan?” she asked.
“I’m sorry about before. Damn, my back is burning,”
Luke turned around. “You’ve got something in your back. Hold on. Sam, pull over.”
Sam and Luke got in the back with Parker. “A piece of wood is in your back. You have to get to the hospital.”
“Fine. Take me. It’s killing me,” he moaned.
“Luke, take him to the hospital. I’ll handle Jack on my own.”
“No, you can’t,” Parker winced.
“I’m doing it. Don’t worry. I won’t kill him yet. I’ll save him for you,” she said. “Just go,” she grabbed her bag and ran down the street before they could stop her.
“I’ll take myself. Go after her,” Parker said.
“I can’t leave you like this. I’ll call Drew on the way to the hospital,” he said, as he got in the front seat and drove away.