The ride to the warehouse district was a stunned one, with Dad's truth bomb lingering heavily on our minds. Mine was racing in a panicked state of flurry, trying to figure out what this exactly meant for me and for the gang if Ramsey was alive after all these years. Did he still want revenge for what my parents did to him? Would he try to come after me again, finish me off instead of letting me live?
Did Eli know his father was possibly alive? Did he know anything about what the others were planning to do since they didn't leave town?
Each question that flashed in my mind made my stomach churn with an acid aftertaste. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the truth.... Or what that meant for Eli and me, if there was even an "us" to mean something to.
Taylor parked the SUV a few meters away from the checkpoint Uncle Leo had set up, the same one my mother used twenty-something years ago. A chill involuntarily shot down my spine as my boots met the dirt, kicking up a small cloud of dust.
"You don't have to go in, you know." Dad said quietly as he stood next to me, both of us staring at the old warehouse.
"I know." I gave him a weak smile. "But I also know what Dr. Hamilton would say right now. I should face my biggest fear and fight back."
"I'm so proud of you, Bug." Dad kissed the top of my head and we waited for Uncle Leo's next command.
"Let's move." Uncle Leo motioned the men forward with two fingers, nodding to Dad and Alpo. They shifted so that Lucy and I were behind them as we slowly stalked toward the building, everyone on high alert.
As we entered the eerily dark hallway, an involuntary shiver burst down my spine, lining my arms with goosebumps. Hazy flashbacks flipped through my mind, like someone was channel surfing too fast to see what was actually playing on the screen. Lucy glanced at me when she heard the sharp intake of breath, her eyes shifting to the men in front of us.
"You okay, Ava?"
"All good." I nodded briefly.
"I got you."
"I know."
Uncle Leo stopped just outside the large double doors at the end of the hallway, his shoulders hunched as he held a finger to his lips. Nobody dared to move, all of our ears straining to hear sound from the other side. The door creaked as it swung open on its own, causing each man to jump slightly, guns cautiously drawn.
"I see you got my note." A voice boomed from inside the poorly lit room, laughter lining the venomous tone. "Come on in, old friends!"
"No fucking way," Alpo muttered under his breath. "We all saw Jade shoot him... he was dead!"
"We're about to find out what happened," Dad replied back, sharing a grim look with Uncle Leo.
Silently, the three men stepped forward through the doorway, the rest of the men following in groups of three before fanning out on either side of us. Taking a deep breath, I squared my shoulders back and lifted my chin, strutting in on an air of pseudo-confidence.
"Hello again, Paul." A second voice spoke as I reached my father, and I mentally recoiled in terror. Felix emerged from the shadows a few feet away, his face twisted in some dark grin that gave off predatory vibes.
"We have got to stop meeting like this, Felix," Dad said sarcastically. "Otherwise, I might be inclined to think you have a crush on me."
"You wish." Felix chuckled, his eyes landing on me. "Well, well, well. You voluntarily brought the princess this time around. Consider me surprised."
"Watch yourself." Dad growled protectively.
"Should I say 'welcome back', Princess? Or 'welcome home'?" Felix continued to taunt, ignoring the death glares Dad was sending his way.
"That's enough, Felix." The ghost voice called out above us, and we looked up to see its owner towering over the room on the catwalk. He smirked as he noticed the color drain from my face before throwing his arms up away from his body. "Yes, it's really me... Ta-da!"
"How is that possible?" Uncle Leo called out, not taking the direction of his gun off of Felix's chest. "Jade shot you in this very room, we all watched the light drain from your eyes!"
"Ah, straight to business, then... some things never change, eh Leo?" Ramsey tsked. "You're right, Jade did shoot me and leave me for dead. However..."
His voice trailed off dramatically as he waved his hand towards the handful of men who stepped out from the shadows behind Felix.
"You foolishly left some of my men behind alive. And Felix here, he saved my life."
"So, what. You've been hiding for the last twenty-three years, pretending to be dead?" Alpo spoke up, his eyebrows furrowing together. "That seems like a long time to remain a secret, especially for you."
"It was necessary." Ramsey shrugged. "I had to stay under the radar and whenever I needed something taken care of, I just had Felix take over."
"But that still doesn't answer the question." I interrupted, earning raised eyebrows from the room. Ramsey inclined his head towards me, silently acknowledging me to continue. "Why did you remain in hiding for so long? Why wait twenty-three years?"
"Because I had to make sure the timing was right. That he was ready to inherit the family business." Ramsey grinned devilishly. "I'm sure you've met my son, Elijah, by now. Although I hear he goes by Eli."
"We already knew he was your son, if that was your big 'truth bomb' or whatever." Lucy chimed in, slightly stepping in between us like a human shield, her eyes narrowing at the mention of Eli. "Your sister-in-law made sure he was protected the night you kidnapped Jade."
"Ah, yes. Mary." Ramsey sighed dramatically. "Always sticking her nose in places it doesn't belong, I'm afraid. Of course, that little problem has been solved. I wouldn't worry about any more gossip from the cat lady."
"No..." Alpo whispered as Ramsey's words sank in. The three older men all shared a grimace, their fingers tightening around their weapons.
"What's your point?" Dad spoke up, his gaze hardening under the lights.
"The point, dear Paul, is that now I'm free to retire into a life of wealth and crime somewhere on a beach with a cold drink in my hand and no more worries about the Carmichael gang. Because now that my son has learned the ropes from Felix - and has your daughter wrapped around his finger... nice touch, if I must say - I can finally finish the one thing keeping me from my new life. And that's killing all of you."
Ramsey motioned to Felix and the other men and in the blink of an eye, they lunged forward. Quickly thinking, Dad and Alpo took out the closest men at the kneecaps before helping Aiden and a few of our men fight off a group. Lucy and I pressed our backs to one another and took in the sight of men slowly circling us, trying to gauge out their moves. Relying on each other's body language, we silently counted to three before the first guy attacked, Lucy throwing her elbow into his ribcage before using the butt of her gun to knock him out.
"Where's your boyfriend now?" Felix taunted as he appeared in front of me, his eyes full of hatred.
"He's not my boyfriend." I hissed, preparing myself.
"Too bad for him." Felix tsked. "But more fun for me."
He lunged for my throat, brandishing a pocket knife in one hand as the other clawed at bare skin. I managed to duck just in time, his fingers grasping air as I elbowed him in the shoulder blade, knocking the knife to the ground. He growled at the contact and spun around, fist flying towards my cheek. The taste of blood assaulted my mouth as I sputtered, making eye contact as I spit to the side.
"Now you've done it." I growled under my breath.
Taking a deep breath, I shifted into position like Jerry and Dad had taught me during practice, beckoning Felix forward with my head. He rushed at me and I jabbed him in the ribs before bringing my knee into his stomach. Felix doubled over in pain, groaning as he stumbled backward. Taking advantage of him being distracted, I roundhouse kicked his face, knocking him unconscious as he slumped against a wooden crate nearby.
Panting heavily, I landed one more solid punch to his jaw before surveying the room around me. In all the chaos, Ramsey had gotten away, leaving his men behind to fight us off. Now, each man was on the floor, the lights knocked out of them for the time being.
"Good to see you unharmed."
Eli emerged from the shadows and grimaced, his eyes surveying the warehouse floor littered with unconscious bodies. His gaze darkened at the sight of Felix slumped against a wooden crate, a vision I had to look away from as my stomach protested with the threat of acid.
"Let's give them a minute..." Lucy said quietly, ushering my brother out of the room. Dad and Alpo shared a narrowing look before they followed, Dad glancing over his shoulder to make sure I was okay before disappearing from sight.
"Unharmed?!?" I glared at Eli in disbelief, motioning to the unconscious men around us. "You knew them, even when we were kids. You knew what they did to innocent people, my family... my own mother! What they would gladly do to me, if they were given the chance. Which is crystal clear, since they came awfully close to killing me a few moments ago... and let's not mention the trauma I'm still working through in therapy! So, tell me again - do you really think I stand here unharmed? Especially by these morons?"
I scoffed at him, spinning around to leave; I must have moved too quickly because my heel caught on a crack in the concrete and I stumbled, landing firmly on my butt with a hard thud! Instant pain shot through my body and I yelped as I sat on the ground, fuming with disbelief and embarrassment.
"Do you need a hand?" Eli towered over me, a small light of amusement hiding in his eyes while the rest of his face held a look of concern. His hand hesitantly outstretched towards me and I swatted it away.
"Does it look like I need your help?" I huffed, mentally scolding myself for acting like a child throwing a tantrum as the cold cement under my butt seeped through my jeans.
"Do you really want me to answer that or would you like to maintain plausible deniability for later?"
Eli raised an eyebrow questioningly, his right hand still within grabbing distance. I sighed and took it, letting Eli help me to my feet. He wrapped his left hand around my elbow as he made certain I was steady, the close proximity allowing his cologne to fill the space between us. Breathing slowly, I let the scent fill my nostrils and take refuge inside my lungs before I blew air out of my mouth in a shaky outtake.
"This doesn't change anything," I mumbled under my breath, stepping away from him before I did something stupid. Again. "You knew all along who I was, ever since I spilled tea on you at the Bluebird Café. And you kept it a secret from me."
"That's not true..."
"The worst part about all of this is that you made me believe you really cared about me!" My voice cracked as I choked back the emotions threatening to spill over, like a dam cracking under pressure. "But you never did... I guess blondes really are your type."
"Ava, I can explain all of that. Please..." Eli started to protest, but I shook my head, cutting him off.
"I don't want to hear it, Eli. You're still a Ramsey. You're the heir to the rival gang of my family. Nothing you say or do is going to make that go away!"
I wiped my sweating palms onto my jeans and left Eli standing in the middle of the warehouse speechless, telling myself not to look back; I knew if I did, I would rush back to him and throw my arms around his neck. Instead, I walked away with tears slipping against my heated skin, each step sending my heart into a million tiny pieces over and over again.