Give Me Love by Kate McCarthy
He stepped back with a smile to view his handiwork. “Now, maybe I might be ready for you to die, but first, you have chores to deal with.”
I eyed him warily and he reached over to yank out my gag. I wanted to rub at my jaw, but the most I could manage was to suck in a few deep breaths.
“Nice digs, wanker,” I spat out. “Save your whole pathetic life to afford this little palace?”
“Mouthy little piece, aren’t you? I knew you would be. It’s not only Evie I’ve been watching, but you too. You’re a real bossy little bitch. I hate bossy bitches, but that’s okay because you’ll be dead soon anyway.”
“Why are you doing this, Jimmy?”
He laughed as he tucked the gun into the back of his pants, moving to the window to look up and down the street. He turned back to me and folded his arms.
“Come on, Mac, I can call you Mac, can’t I?”
“Oh be my guest, please,” I said sarcastically.
“Your brother Jared obviously. He killed my brother Joe. So it’s only fair that you should die. I’m sure you can see that. You know, I was originally only going to kill the little songbird but, you see,” he sighed before continuing, “my brother Joe was a hell of a man, worth more than the two of you combined. So I decided it was in my best interests to kill the both of you, out of fairness of course. The only trouble with that plan was I could never get Evie alone. You on the other hand, well, they must not care much for you if they left you to fend for yourself. I realised that all I needed to do was get to you, and then Evie would come. It’s that simple really.”
I forced myself to adopt a casual attitude but inside I panicked. Evie was like my sister. Of course she would come the stupid bitch. God, I would kill her myself if she did.
I snorted. “Evie isn’t going to come. She’s not stupid, unlike you, asshole.”
“Oh, but you’re very much mistaken, Mac. She will, with you as bait. All I need to do is get her on the phone and tell her where you are. She’ll come running like the good little friend she is, and then I’ll have the both of you. I’m going to be generous, though, and let you know that I’ve decided to let Jared live. Hell...” he spread his arms wide “...I’ll let all your brothers live. Do you know why I’d do that for you?”
“No, but I’m sure you’re going to tell me.”
He smiled at me in mock sympathy. “Because then they’ll get to live without the two of you. Can you imagine that? I wonder what will happen to them knowing that you both died and it was all their fault.”
I closed my eyes as my heart sank. The goddamn fucker was right. I couldn’t imagine how my brothers would deal with Evie and I gone. I didn’t think Jared would survive it.
“So, tell me, Mac, because I’m really interested to hear, what do you think of my plan? It’s good, right?”
I took a few deep breaths before I opened my eyes and shrugged. “I think your plan is kinda lame really. I mean, sure, they’re my brothers, but life will go on, won’t it? They’re strong and capable, quite unlike you, so they’ll deal with it and move on with their lives. Can’t say you’ve managed to do the same, but hey, you can’t win them all can you, Jimmy?”
His face fell. What did he think I was going to say? That he was some kind of evil criminal mastermind genius? Fucktard.
“Well,” he said with a smirk, “I hope you’re comfortable, Mac, because it’s a long night ahead of you. I think we might just give young Evie a call in the morning. You know, let your brothers freak out and search all night long for you. That will be fun, I think. Then, early in the morning while they’re still out chasing their tails after not having slept for days, Evie will be left all on her lonesome. We’ll give her a call then, see if she feels like stopping by for a cup of coffee. Whadda you say, Mac?”
I pressed my lips together and glared.
He chuckled and checked my ties to make sure they were secure before leaving the room.
Chapter Twenty-Five
Evie
I grinned and clapped my hands high thanking the audience for the thunderous ovation. Unfortunately, revelling in the sensation was entirely impossible thanks to my current state of emotional retardedness.
Damn you, Jared. I should be furious at the conclusions you jumped to, but how could I when I would have done exactly the same were the situation reversed? It looked pretty damning, and despite outside sources informing me of Jared’s feelings, love was the last thing I was rolling in when he took off this morning.
With a last wave at the crowd, I hit the side of the stage and was immediately smothered in my brother’s arms. He lifted me off my feet and spun me around as laughter bubbled out.
“My famous little sister,” he murmured close to my ear.
“Not quite, but we’re on our way.” I grinned as he set me on my feet, teetering a little in the skyscrapers Tim insisted I wear.
“Where’s Mac?” I’d seen her disappear just before our last song and it looked like she hadn’t returned.
Coby frowned as he glanced around. “Not sure. She’ll be about somewhere.”
Travis was on the phone, so Coby followed me back to the dressing room where Cooper was handing out beers. In light of last night, I opted for a water before shouting at the boys to listen up. “I have some housekeeping issues to discuss. As we now have two weeks off, we need to re-charge properly, which means no partying.”
Frog groaned and flung his beer top at me as protests rendered the air.
Jake in turned threw his at Frog. “This is serious shit, Frog.”
I ignored the whining and continued. “Come on. If I can do it so can you. Also, the rumour mill informs me that dinner at our place tonight, before the after party, is being catered for by none other than Mr. Chow himself.” Coby gave me a wink, and I held up my beer in salute, unwilling to visualise the lengths he would have gone to in order to arrange that particular feat. “So here’s to Jamieson. You might all be riding my coattails like a bunch of rockstar wannabes...” I laughed and had to speak louder over the shouts “....but I love you all like brothers. Now hurry up and drink your beer before I start hugging you all as though you actually deserved it.”
They cheered loudly. “To Jamieson.”
When I stood up to face the mirror and began wiping the heavy makeup off my face, exhausted and ready for nothing more than bed, Travis stuck his head in the door, frowning as his eyes scanned the room. “Where’s Mac?”
“We don’t know,” I answered. “She’s not out there?”
He shook his head. “When I got off the phone, one of the roadies was asking me where she was because they’re doing the pack up, and they need her.”
“Have you tried her phone?” Henry interrupted. “She mentioned a few industry bigwigs were stopping by tonight, so maybe she’s caught up schmoozing.”
I picked up my phone and tried ringing her but there was no answer. Mac always answered her phone. She was as dependable as chocolate was in fixing a shitty day.
Travis opened the door wider and moved into the room.
“When did you last see her?” Coby asked.
Travis paused for a moment and rubbed his chin. “Right before the last song. She mentioned something about picking up an unscheduled delivery for Jamieson. I can’t remember her returning.”
My body began channelling vibes, really bad ones―ones that set off a churning in my stomach that wouldn’t be ignored. By the look on Travis and Coby’s face, I was not alone. Meaningful glances were exchanged before the two left the room. Finished wiping my face, I stood up to follow.
Jake, sitting to my left on the couch, snagged my wrist. “Sit down,” he growled. “You aren’t supposed to be going anywhere without either of those two.” He pushed me back down at the same time he stood up. “I’ll go.”
When Coby, Travis, and Jake eventually returned, all expectant eyes turned their way. If they were worried, they weren’t showing it.
“There are thousands of people out there,” Travis mut
“Well can’t you track her phone?” I asked.
“We did. It says she’s here,” Coby answered. “We’ve organised your car. You’re all coming home with me. Casey’s on his way and Jake and Travis will stay here until we make sure she’s safe.”
“Fuck that. I’m staying. I’m not leaving without Mac.” I folded my arms for emphasise. I might not have the tracking abilities of an undercover FBI agent, and frankly, Agent Provocateur was the only type of agent that meant anything in my book, but I wasn’t leaving without Mac.
“For God’s sake, Evie,” Coby shouted out angrily, “can you just for once do what I ask of you? Do you think they can focus properly on looking for Mac if they have to worry about you bumbling around out there as well? How is that gonna help Mac?”
I hated that Coby was right, apart from the bumbling part of course. I didn’t bumble. Pressing my lips together, I began getting all our things together.
Coby visibly calmed down at what I liked to think was my Stepford Wife impersonation, and soon after, we all piled into the limousine that would take us home.
Coby was shutting the door when Travis jogged out. “Wait!” he panted, grabbing the car door and leaning in to speak to me. “Just got hold of Jared.”
My heart stuttered. I could literally feel it skipping beats. “You did? Did you tell—”
“I haven’t told him anything yet,” he interrupted, impatience to get back to badassery type things laced his voice. “He’s on his way here. I’ll talk to him, okay?”
Later that night, I pushed Mr. Chow’s around on my plate because it tasted as appealing as a mouthful of soggy broccoli. It was food wastage at its most heinous, but at that moment, my care factor was buried well below the rocky layer of the earth’s crust. I looked around the silent table to see Henry, Frog, and Cooper looking as sick as I felt. Coby was in the back office of our duplex, not even pretending to eat as his focus alternated between the computer and his phone. I gave up and shoved my plate to the centre of the table with frustration.
When my phone starting to ring and showed Jake’s name displayed on the surface, I snatched it up like a life preserver and answered breathlessly.
“Evie,” Jake responded. Nothing in his voice indicated happy rainbows and pots of gold.
To save repeating the entire conversation, I hit speaker and sat the phone in the middle of the table. “What?”
We heard muffled swearing. “It doesn’t look good. The last time Mac was sighted she was headed down to George’s gate to collect a delivery, and there’s no indication she returned.” He paused and we all heard him suck in a breath. “George has been found dead. Shot.”
“Chook?” Henry grabbed my shaking hands in his own. I could see him holding them through my blurred vision; I just couldn’t feel them. I closed my eyes.
Really? Were we all that stupid thinking I was the only ball in play? If Jimmy had Mac then I’d… I’d what? Somehow perform the miracle of finding him like no one else had managed to do? Damn it all to the great fucking fiery infernos of hell.
I abandoned the phone, the table, and the faces of worry and slipped quietly up the stairs to my bed. The urge to bust out and rain vengeance upon the man warred with the knowledge that doing so would take vital focus away from the search. I wanted to go all Rambo on the situation, strap bullet belts across my chest and line war paint across my cheeks. My only consolation was that Mac’s attitude was never say die. If she was trapped in the slippery man’s clutches, I could only hope it was after a good eye gouging and a few stabs with the nearest blunt object.
“Jake says that Travis spoke to Jared.”
I blinked my eyes open. Henry stood by the bed. His bright blue eyes were lifeless and reddened, and I wondered if this nightmare would ever end for us.
“Yeah?” I offered half-heartedly. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear any more. I’d already been laid out like Wile E. Coyote. Steamrollered to a pathetic pancake on the floor as Road Runner casually beep beeped on by.
He sank onto the bed beside me until he was on his back, folding his hands behind his head to stare at the ceiling. “Apparently, Jared didn’t say much in reply, but Jake says the two holes he punched in the wall was answer enough.”
I wished I was strong enough to hole punch a wall a two because I felt the need for a bit of redecoration myself.
When I didn’t respond, Henry continued. “Put yourself in his shoes for a minute, Chook. His little sister appears to be in the clutches of the man whose brother he shot dead. Because Jimmy spent so much of his time focused on getting you six feet under, the fact that Mac was on his radar was never an assumption. Months later, Jimmy still can’t be found, and now this has happened to make them all look like a bunch of bumbling fools who couldn’t find their own ass in the dark. Not only that, the bastard drugged you right under everyone’s nose, and after abandoning you and pretty much saying you were the crap on the soles of his shoes, it comes to light that Matt, of all people, was the one who kept you safe. As if that’s not enough, he hasn’t slept for two days straight, and is likely existing on the power of anger alone.”
Henry’s summary was enlightening, but I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do with it, apart from the fleeting thought that “You’re the crap on the soles of my shoes” might make a good song. “What’s your point, Henry?”
“My point is that I’m not sure Jared’s going to be able to forgive himself. You need to know this because you’re the one who’s going to help him do it.”
I sighed and rolled over to face Henry. He rolled to face me, and I brushed at the choppy blond hair on his head. “How did you ever become such a retarded relationship bastard, Henry?”
For a brief moment, a cheeky glint lit his eyes, and he gave a mock shudder. “Because living with the two of you is enough to put any sane male off relationships for life.”
I used the hand that was brushing at his hair to shove his head. “Maybe those tight outfits you’ve been wearing mean something after all. You’re turning twinkie on us.”
“I wish. Men are such simple creatures. We just want sex. Lots of it. The end.”
“And the retarded relationship bastard returns,” I said dryly with an eye roll.
He snickered until horror filled his gaze.
I reached down to squeeze his hand in understanding. Mac was out there and we were lying here being shitty friends by making jokes, but to be honest, sometimes it was the only way to help the mind cope.
We must have dozed off into a deep sleep after that because when I woke up, Henry and I were still holding hands and the light of dawn was beginning to creep into the room. My first instinct was panic, and I swung my legs out of bed and crept down the stairs to find my phone when I heard it ringing.
I picked it up off the table where it was left last night and answered with a soft whisper, tiptoeing through the kitchen and out to the back deck so I wouldn't wake anyone.
“Hello, Evie.”
Oh fuck. “Jimmy?”
My legs wobbled and I sank into the deck chair before I ass planted on the floor.
“Twice in two days. I enjoy speaking with you,” His creepy voice ran through my body like ice water. “I won’t keep you for long. I just wanted to let you know that I have something of yours.”
Red hot rage boiled through me and the urge to throw and break things had my fingers curling into fists. Maybe Jared and I weren’t so different after all. “You fucking bastard. Where is she?”
“Relax, Evie,” he crooned. “I’m about to tell you.”
My heart thumped in my chest as I asked the question that almost had me hyperventilating. “Is she…. is she alive?”
“Of course she is. You don’t think I’d kill her, do you? Anyway, she wants to see you, so we thought we’d invite you over for coffee.”
He rattled off the address, and I struggled to memorise it as the relief thundered through me. Finally. After so long in trying to f
“Wait, I want to talk to her. I’m not going anywhere until I know she’s okay.”
There was crackling silence and then Mac’s bossy voice came on the line. “Evie?”
“Mac, oh, Mac, are you okay?”
“Shut up and listen to me,” she ordered. “Don’t come here, Evie. He’s just going to kill the both of us. Don’t you come here.”
I frowned into the phone, feeling sick.
“Do you hear me?” she shouted impatiently.
“Yes, I hear you, Mac.”
“Good. This is not a goddamn rescue mission, so you leave Polly alone, okay? I know you, so don’t do it. Do you hear me, Evie?” She was screaming into the phone now. “Don’t you come for me, you―”
I heard Jimmy growl. “That’s enough.”
“Goddammit,” Mac wailed in the background and my hands trembled violently when I heard a loud crack and then silence.
Jimmy came back on the line, all sense of sinister calm gone. “Get your fucking ass here now, bitch, or I’ll kill her. If you tell anyone, ring anyone, I’ll kill the both of you. I have a gun pointed at her head right now, and if I see anyone but you, I won’t hesitate to put a bullet in her brain. I’ll know if you tell anyone because her useless as fuck brothers will be over here like flies on shit, and it’ll only take one second to make the shot. Play it smart. I’m giving you half an hour.” Then he hung up.
I took deep breaths until an odd calm settled over me. It was almost like drifting at sea, no one around for miles, just the gentle lap of the ocean my only company.
Relieved to find Henry still under a deep sleep, I got dressed in the wardrobe, sliding my legs into an old worn pair of jeans and pulling a white fitted singlet top over my head. Remembering that Coby always told me my long hair could easily be used as a weapon against me, I reached up and plaited it into a quick braid before rolling it into a knot at the nape of my neck. Finished, I slid my phone into my pocket, picked up my shoes, and crept quietly into Mac’s room, a single key fisted tightly in my palm.