Lost in Distraction

Chapter Twenty



Shortly after 7 p.m. Brax gets up and orders some takeout for us. I get out of bed and curl up on the couch with a blanket. He had to pop out to pick it up so we have locked the building up to help me feel safe while he is gone. After the package and the text message, I’m frightened and don’t want to be left alone, but Brax felt that I should stay home on the couch, especially after fainting earlier.

Despite the events in my past I’ve never felt scared about anything in my life, until now.

Alone, yes.

Sad, yes.

But never scared. There has never been a reason to be wary of anything, but right now I’m scared shitless. It seems there is a man out there that wants to hurt me. He knows where I live and somehow knows my cell number. The biggest fear I have is that Brax will get hurt, or leave, or decide that I’m too much of a burden. I’m trying not to be needy, to appear independent and strong, but the last few weeks have worn me down.

The only good thing has been that the creepy guy in the black Honda hasn’t been back. Maybe by confronting him and seeing him—by looking directly into his cold grey eyes—he has gotten the message that I won’t back down.

I hear my phone beep, jumping me out of my thoughts. I grab it and see a text.

Unknown: It’s Shay. Let me in, darlin’.

Elle: Only cause it’s you.

I push the door release button by my front door and lie back down. A few moments later I hear Shay come in, sighing when he sees me curled up on the couch. He sits down on the edge beside me and I sit up and hug him. I can’t stop the tears from falling all over again. He wraps his arms around me and holds me tight.

Brax told me that Shay knows about the package and the text messages. He wanted to tell Shay in case he could help us in some way. I don’t know how he’d be able to help us, but right now I’m so freaked out about someone wanting to kill me that I honestly don’t care who knows. He murmurs in my hair about being safe and how they won’t let anyone hurt me ever again. Sometimes he reminds me so much of Brax.

“You okay, sunshine?”

“Yeah, I’m alright,” I reply with a small smile. “I’m glad you’re back, though. Brax was going insane.”

He cracks up laughing. “Brax can be like a controlling parent sometimes. He must know where I am at all times.” We both start laughing at that. Brax is overprotective, but I’ve always found it endearing.

“What happened to your eye?” I ask, noticing Shay has a blackened eye.

“I got lippy with someone and this was their way of replying,” he says with a chuckle.

I get off the couch and start walking towards the kitchen. “I’ll get you an ice pack for it.”

“Thanks. When’s Brax getting back? I’m starving,” he says, making himself comfortable on the couch.

“Do you ever stop eating, Shay?” I ask with a grin, as Brax walks in with two bags full of food.

“Oh, Brax, you know your way into my heart. A man bearing food is just what I always wanted,” Shay says, holding his hands to his heart in jest. Brax just grins at him as he puts the food down on the counter. I pull out three plates and soon enough, we’re all sitting in the living room, watching some mindless reality show about strangers put into a house to live together. I catch a couple of weird looks being exchanged between Brax and Shay, but figure it’s just their way of communicating.

About an hour later, the day’s events take their toll and I start feeling really tired.

“I’m going to head to bed, babe, see you in there,” I say, bending down to give Brax a kiss. “Bye, Shay. Thanks for coming over,” I say, roughing up his hair with my hand as I walk past, earning a chuckle.

I walk into our bedroom and take my clothes off. I get changed into my tank top and pajama shorts before pulling back the covers and settling into bed. As soon as my head hits the pillow I’m out for the count, dreaming of dance floors, showers, and photo booths.



I know it is safe to talk when I check on Elle and find her sound asleep. Stressful days will do that to you.

“Okay, man. Any idea what the hell is going on?” I ask Shay as I walk back into the living room.

“I’ve been thinking about that ever since you called me. We can narrow it down to three people, Evans, Brimstone, and the guy in the Black Honda. Evans was busy with me in Boston, although it’s not totally implausible. He has enough minions to do his dirty work if required.”

“Yeah, and he wants us to be his new ones, remember?” I add, seeing Shay shake his head in disgust.

“He may be your father, bro, but that’ll never happen,” he says strongly.

“You don’t need to tell me that. I escaped him before, I’ll escape him again.”

I promised myself when I joined the Army that I would never stoop so low as to work for Evans. Having a criminal mastermind and corrupt cop as a father is not something I’d wish on anyone. We share blood, but that is the only thing similar between Michael Evans and myself. Oh, and a half-brother down in Charlotte that I haven’t spoken to in over eight years.

“Well, we know Brimstone is pissed off that Elle won’t sell Brightlight to him and that was always the number one reason she was in danger to begin with. Her decision could’ve been the catalyst for him to step up his game.”

“And as for the Black Honda guy, I’ve haven’t seen anything suspicious for a while, but he is the unknown entity. We know nothing about him, we can’t even ID him,” he recalls, “So I think we need to focus on Brimstone at this point. I called Lamar in LA and he is checking into Brimstone. I want to know everything there is to know, especially to see if any info was missing from the file Gibbons gave us.”

“Good point. It’ll be interested to see if he’s met with anyone of interest. I’m sure if he’s planning something, he would’ve slipped up somewhere,” I add, seeing Shay nod in agreement.

“But like Evans, Brimstone doesn’t do his own grunt work. I’ll have to get Lamar to try and get one of his underlings to flip on him. It’ll give us a far better position that where we are now.”

I ponder that option. “That would seal it for us, but I don’t see that happening any time soon. I don’t know what to do about Elle, though. I can’t be with her all the time and keep up with my classes and work the case.”

“I’ll cover her when you can’t, you know that. She’s like a sister to me now, I won’t let anything happen to her,” Shay says emphatically.

“I feel so bad that I left you at the bar alone, man. I lost focus. She was all I was thinking about last night.” I’m frowning now, I haven’t been able to let go of the guilt all afternoon. I’m disappointed in myself, Shay should never have been left there alone. Then there is the fact that Evans is my problem, not Shays.

“B, it’s okay. We agreed that you had the night off. God knows you guys needed it, especially after what’s been happening around here. I probably didn’t need to see what went on before you went into the booth, but oh well. Lucky your girl’s hot, aye?” he replies with a cheeky grin.

I know he’s ribbing me, but damn if he doesn’t know the right buttons to push.

“Pervert!”

“You know it!” he laughs.

“I talked to the boss this afternoon.”

“Gibbons?” he asks with a weird look on his face. I haven’t told him about my suspicions yet.

I frown. “Nope, the big boss. He’s not too happy that your GPS wasn’t tagged leaving the state. Nor was he happy that I dropped the ball and wasn’t with you.”

“It’s not your fault, Brax. I’m a grown man and I said you had the night off. It was me that sent you home in that cab, remember?” he says, getting agitated. “But as for the GPS, I was wondering the same thing. They knocked me out and moved me in my own car. It should’ve been flagged straight away.”

“Yeah, I told the boss I should’ve been called. As soon as I realized you were missing, I checked your GPS straight away. It didn’t take me long to work it out.”

I can tell Shay doesn’t like the conclusion he is drawing. “Who was on last night, B?”

“Gibbons.”

The name of the one person we never thought we’d ever have to doubt. I can see that he’s just as disturbed about this as I am. HQ is supposed to have our back.

“Shit,” Shay says when he realizes what that means.



“Hey, boss. What’s up?” I ask as he walks into the control room.

“You tell me, Gibbons. Shay was kidnapped last night, his car taken out of state with him in it, and somehow it wasn’t tagged?” he says, getting angrier the more he talks.

“Oh, shit. Is he okay?” I ask, trying to keep my face as blank as possible.

“He’s fine. Brax tracked him as soon as he realized he was missing and Evans let him go unscathed. It seems Evans just wanted to send a little message to Brax.”

“I’m glad he’s okay. Not sure why the GPS didn’t get picked up, but I’ll follow up with Leo. He was on with me last night,” I explain, desperately thinking of ways to get out of this.

“It’s on you, Gibbons. Fix it,” he says sternly before turning around and storming back into his office. Damn Brax, bringing heat down on me again. Maybe Harry is right. It’s time Brax learns a lesson in respect.

“I’m taking my break,” I say to George, the newbie working the control room with me, as I rise to my feet and grab my burner phone. I walk outside and put the phone to my ear, dialing the number I have now memorized.

“Hello?”

“It’s me. We need to start things moving along. I’m getting heat at work,” I explain.

“Okay, well do it then,” he states grumpily.

“I need to know our deal is still on the table.” I’m getting eager now. This deal will set me up for life. No more working for the grumpy a*shole anymore.

“Yup, the deal is set in stone, my friend,” he replies.

“Okay, so we’re pulling Brax out?” I ask.

“Sooner the better. Then I can move in and talk her round.”

“Ha ha. Yeah, change her mind. I didn’t think you’d be talking to her? Thought actions speak louder than words in your business?” I say as he hangs up in my ear.

I go back inside to start making preparations. I need to work on getting Brax and Shay out of there without suspicion, giving them no choice. It’s going to take some time, but I can’t afford to have them questioning me, especially when I’m so close to getting what I so desperately need.

We need to get Elle alone.