Feathers and Thorne Series Books 1 - 3: The Complete Collection

Chapter Fifty-Two

Isabella

I’m not sure when Sam got to my apartment or how I even got here, but I feel comfortable and pain-free in the middle of a movie playing on my television. Sam drinks from a bottle of pink wine, and I sit back with a warm mug of hot chocolate, wanting wine, but something tells me the lingering painkillers in my bloodstream wouldn’t appreciate that mixture.

She bats my hand away whenever I reach for the wine bottle anyway. “No, no,” she snickers, pushing me a bottle of water instead. “You should try that instead.”

“Not the desired effect I want,” I sigh, taking the water begrudgingly. “I’ll take it just because you suggested it.”

There’s a light knock on the door, and Sam hurries to answer it, grabbing a large stack of pizza boxes and plastic bags full of to-go containers. My mouth waters instantly, practically starving after not eating anything but that breakfast Carter made this morning after our heated sexual moment in the kitchen.

He wore me out enough. Tristan’s berating against me didn’t help.

She cocks her head at a figure in the hall but comes back over with the food, kneeling beside me on the blankets where, at some point tonight, she made a mat for us to lay out comfortably for the movie.

“There’s a man in the hallway,” she mutters. “He is just standing there… watching the door.”

My brow furrows, and I get up, looking through the peephole of the door to spot a familiar face. I hurry up to open the door, seeing Paul in the hallway with his eyes pacing back and forth down the length of the building.

“Hey, Paul,” I gasp, a little confused by his presence. “What are you doing out here?”

“Carter sent me, Bella,” he replies with a kind grin. “He just wanted to make sure you were unbothered tonight by any unwanted company.”

I admire his attempt to dance around the truth. “You’re here to protect me from more trouble?”

He nods sheepishly. “Guess I should have lied better. Don’t tell Carter that, though, please.”

“Of course not. Why don’t you just come inside, Paul? We have food and stuff to drink. I’m sure you can just as easily keep an eye on things from the inside of the apartment.”

After a moment of thought, he caves, following me into the apartment, where I formally introduce him to Sam. They shake hands, and he sits down on the couch, popping open a bottle of wine that Sam offers. I want to ask how she managed to pay for all this pizza, food, and wine, but it’s rude to ask about things like that.

I just hope she didn’t spend too much money on our simple movie night.

“What are you watching?” Paul hums.

“Something about a ghost,” Sam replies, peeling a slice of pizza out of the box. “It’s not very good. You can see where the animation cuts out of the picture. It’s an old movie, so we shouldn’t expect much.”

“I like scary movies,” Paul mumbles between gulps of wine. “What about you, Isabella?”

“My parents and I would always watch documentaries on the weekends. That’s really the only type of movie I’m used to.” I sulk slightly, recalling the memories I’ve had with my father. “Hey, can I ask you something, Paul?”

His eyes flicker to Sam for a moment, but he nods, standing from his spot on the couch. “Sure. Let’s talk in the kitchen instead.”

Sam hardly seems offended by our need to create distance, and I follow him to the furthest wall in my apartment, sitting at the table where Carter and I had our fun this morning. Of course, I don’t mention any of that to Paul, who rests his elbows right where my head was laid back while his cousin fingered a number of orgasms out of my needy body.

“What’s up, Bella?” he hums.

“Do you know if someone is watching my father? Carter said he would see if Jacob’s threats were real, but…” I brush my fingertips across my face, feeling the fresh marks still struggling to heal there. “I just know Jacob has carried out everything else he swore to do. I’m worried about my dad.”

“Understandable,” he gusts. “And yes, I think he has Logan on it, but I’m not sure. I know he does have someone looking after him at all hours. Don’t worry about it, Bella. Carter can cover all his bases.”

“I hope so,” I groan. “Where did he go tonight?”

He hesitates, and I can read it on his face already. “If he went to Tristan’s apartment, then I’m going over there.” I stand from my seat and head out of the kitchen, but even in this narrow space, Paul beats me and stops me from making it back to the living room. “Move, please. I want to make sure they’re not killing each other, Paul.”

He shrugs, his eyes light and carefree. “If they do, then that’s their choice, Bella. You can’t leave this apartment, though.”

“He is being dramatic with this damn guard on shift, Paul. I’m perfectly safe—”

A loud knock rings out on the door, making all three of us jump. Sam makes it over to the kitchen, standing beside me while Paul already has his gun out. I eye the metal pistol in pure fear, watching on in helplessness while Paul creeps closer to the door.

He looks through the peephole. A gunshot is fired.

Sam and I whimper in shock while Paul falls to the floor. There’s movement through the new little hole in my door, and we both watch as an eye comes into view. Sam shoves me further into the kitchen, opening the fire escape and climbing out on the rigid structure first.

I’m not afraid of much, but being this high over the city petrifies me, the stairs outside so uneasy and creaking under her steps that I gasp, jumping back into the apartment just as the door is kicked down. I don’t look for the familiarity of the man in the doorway.

I stare down the edge of his gun and feel weightless and numb.

Sam reaches back into the kitchen and grabs me, bringing me outside while I can hear at least two shots ring out in response. We both charge down the steps, Sam behind me a few paces while we dodge the sounds of metal bullets ricocheting off the stairs.

The ladder is still about six feet off the ground, and I hesitate, not wanting to hit the cold concrete below. Sam comes up behind me, looking down at the drop with the same petrified notion as I do. If we fall, we could both break our legs.

If we stay here, we will get shot.

“We have to try,” she mutters.

I shake my head, tears in my eyes. “I don’t think this is a good—”

A bullet slaps the bar beside both of our heads, and I find myself flying before I can make up my mind. I land on my side, feeling the air sucked out of my lungs while Sam falls beside me seconds later. I hiccup a cry, crawling to stand, trying to see if I have any horrible wounds from my body smacking against the hard concrete.

“Fuck,” I pant, scanning Sam for injuries as well while the stairs rattle with the hefty weight of the man who shot through my door. “Sam… hey, Sam, we have to run now…”

I shake her shoulder hard, her eyes still shut and her body unresponsive to my touch. She’s still breathing, but I can see the bloody scratches on her temple where she most definitely hit her head on the drop. I see the man coming closer, and I know he’s here for me, not her.

I brush her hair back and apologize to her profusely, taking off down the alley and going straight for the crowd of people on the sidewalk ahead. Before I make it there, a large, black truck comes to a skidding halt by the curb, the windows tinted so dark that there’s no way it’s legal—or up to anything good.

The driver’s door pops open, and William Lacey jumps from the seat, a pistol boldly in his fist already.

My breath hitches, my stomach turns, and I prepare to get shot right here on the sidewalk of Manhattan.

“Get in the truck, girl,” he growls. “I won’t hesitate to put a bullet in your chest.”

I take a step back, weighing my options carefully. “Why? Where will you take me? I’ve done nothing wrong, William. Carter paid off everything I owed Jacob and—”

“GET IN THE TRUCK!”

I flinch, taking another few steps back like I’m faced with a grizzly bear on a secluded trail, even though the sidewalk is filled with people who look the other way. No one gets involved because, frankly, they’re probably just as scared as I am.

“Shoot me,” I pant, the words barely coming from my quivering lips. “I’m not getting in the truck with you, William. I know what will happen.”

He cracks a short, stubby grin. “Smart girl.”

Before he can say anything else, I turn and rush off down the sidewalk. I don’t hear him shoot, and I make sure to weave in and out of the crowd, unsure where else to go but Carter’s penthouse. It’s the closest place I can find, anyway.

The doorman gives me a weird look when I come to a halt outside, my chest pained and my lungs tight. I need to catch my breath so I can explain what happened, but I only pant, falling to the ground on the steps in exasperation.

“I will call Mr. Blackthorne to let him know you’re here,” the kind doorman hums, recognizing me. “Come inside. It’s getting cold. You don’t look so well, either.”

I attempt to stand, only collapsing back to the concrete steps seconds later. “I… I can’t get up.”

“I’ll help.”

I shiver at the voice behind me, so smooth and cruel. I don’t turn around, only looking to the doorman for some kind of help, but he takes the offer to help me as innocent and leaves me be. I glance over my shoulder, seeing Donovan Phillips on the sidewalk, hands in his pockets, as he conveniently stands over me.

I sit back on the step, making sure that if he dares to grab me and steal me away like William just tried, I won’t make it easy on him.

“Relax,” he hums, taking a seat beside me. “I don’t kill the innocent, remember?”

“You also said I wasn’t that innocent, Donovan.”

“True.” He folds his hands in front of him, his knees hiked up while he sits on the stairs with me, both of us waiting for Carter, who most certainly will not like to see him out here with me. “But I don’t want to kill you, Isabella. I am actually trying to make things right with the Blackthorne family.”

“Then why did you have someone shoot through my apartment door?” I gasp.

His brow furrows, and he cocks his head in genuine confusion. “What are you talking about?”

“Don’t play stupid, Donovan. One of William Lacey’s guys just attacked me in the apartment and killed Carter’s cousin. My neighbor tried to escape with me, but she hit the ground off the fire escape and passed out. I kept running, and William Lacey tried to take me. Said he would shoot me.”

He shakes his head, his lips parted slightly. “I didn’t have anything to do with that. I just came by to speak to Carter and saw you out here, Bella. If the Lacey family is after you now, then—”

His eyes flick up, and we both go silent and still as another familiar face waltzes down the sidewalk.

“You need to crawl into that damn lobby and hide,” Donovan purrs. “Right fucking now, or you’re dead.”

Even on weak legs, with so little energy, I find the strength to limp into the lobby, headed right for the elevator, so I can barricade myself into Carter’s apartment. I don’t know if it will be enough to stop Jacob Lacey from getting to me once and for all.