Locked( Book 1)

Chapter 36

No. No way was I cutting into anyone's skin. That's downright gross. And the only one equipped to do it is Chloe and Derek. Jake looks up, and he doesn't say anything. Derek steps up next to me. Riley looks around the room. She had just talked to one of Lee's men; he HAD been stalking us for a while. And that was a terrifying thought. We were targeted. He knew Derek would kidnap us, and he knew Derek had morals.

"So we have to cut it out," Derek said. Riley shrugs.

"Yep, but just the first two layers. After that, the tracers wouldn't work," she said. Jake relaxed a little. But he was still tense.

"I'll do it; I don't want him killing anyone," he said. Derek nods and looks at Chloe.

"Can we do this here?" He asks. She sighs.

"Yeah, I still have some sedatives, and I have some medical supplies in the cabinet upstairs," she said. She and Riley run upstairs quickly.  Noah moved next to me. And while Derek noticed, he knew Noah loved Chloe.

"So, how are you doing," he asks. I sigh, but I know he's just worried about me.

"I'm okay. I could be better, but I'm fine. Are you okay," I asked. He nods.

"I'm marrying the love of my love, we recruited another asset, and when all of this is over, Chloe and I are moving out of your house," he said. I turned my head to him, mostly in happiness and surprise.

"Really? Not that I won't miss you both, I will, but really?" He chuckles and nods.

"We talked about it last night; we've decided it's time for us to find a nice little home so we can settle down and eventually have kids," he said. That last part was a pain in my stomach. That's something I probably wouldn't get to do. It hurt to think that, but if Derek never wanted to do
We probably wouldn't get married or have children, if anything, or even make us official.

"Anyway, I wanted to thank you for taking care of us, and I know we are still in hiding, but this has taught me so much," he said, nudging me. I laugh. Chloe and Riley run back down, carrying supplies.

"Okay, we probably need to start right away." Jake nods, and Chloe guides him to the kitchen. He lies on the island face down on a pillow. And relaxes.

Chloe gives him the sedative as he struggles to stay awake. Derek is lending a hand by making sure he stays still. But then he looks over at Dani. And motions for her to come over. She runs around, and he leaves where she's left standing. He comes over to me and motions me to follow him. I do.

The next few seconds are a blur, and we are in his room. He turns his lights on. And he grabs me by the hands. His face tells me this is going to be very serious and sincere. Since it was the most vulnerable, I've seen him.

"Addison, I am so sorry I yelled at you; I know you're so much smarter than I give you credit for, but I have something to tell you," he said. I nod.

"Addison, I love you, and I guess I have since the very first time I saw you, and I want you to know something: when we do catch up to Lee, I want you safe; if I tell you to run, you run, but for now, I want you to stay, stay with me," he says. I nod, giving him a very long hug. He grasps my head.

"You're more than just the love of my life; you're my universe, Addison. I want to put a label on us," he says. I step back. He nods, smiling.

"So we are a couple?" I asked. He nods.

"My girlfriend, the beautiful and amazing Addison, makes me a lucky man," he said. I smile, knowing he means what he says.

We spent the next few minutes hugging each other. We didn't want to let go. And I knew why he didn't. He was afraid. The trackers would have notified Lee that Jake was stuck in one place too long. But he had a family, and we weren't about to let him get killed or held hostage. And we wanted to be sure his family would be safe, too.

After we left the room, Chloe and Wesley met us in the kitchen. They were finished with Jake, who was still asleep at the moment. Riley and Matthew were standing next to Noah. Dani watched Jake to ensure he didn't roll off the island. But Noah caught my eye, and he nodded at me. Knowing what he meant, everything went smoothly, and they removed the tracker. And that he was there if I needed him. He had become a great friend to me.

Derek and Chloe moved to the side to discuss everything. And I moved closer to Riley and the other boys. Wesley joined Chloe and Derek. I could see Derek nodding to them and talking with them. So, I decided to start my conversation.

"So, it went well," I asked. Noah nods.

"Yep, it went great, but Dani said something about, once he was awake, he needed to retrieve the other trackers placed around the area," he said. I looked at Dani. She didn't look at me, but I knew she meant well; it was just that Jake had just had a piece of skin taken off.

"So, no time to rest, just find and disarm them?"

"Pretty much. She said the moment he's awake and can stand, he should find them and turn them off. She's going with him, and Wesley too; she still doesn't trust him," Noah says. I nod. Riley sighs.

"She also said she was in the military, which we all know is a lie; they don't discharge someone her age; she's young and capable," she said. That needed to be clarified. Did she tell us she was in the military? If she did, I couldn't remember it. My memory was getting worse, but maybe she said Riley that.

"That is strange. I knew she had training, but to be released from the military at her age is very strange," Noah said. I nod my head.

"Maybe she's CIA working undercover or something," Matthew said. We all looked at him because he was wild. Why would the CIA send an agent to us? The FBI was hunting us down. They'd need to turn around that quickly. Unless they got wind of someone being kin to the fugitive wanted.

"You're saying they planted her here, and she turned against her own once she got here?" I asked.

"Seems like maybe; I've never seen someone so eager to get right back at it. She wouldn't give the poor guy a chance to breathe, and she's certainly not military. They've sent many troops overseas this year. She would've been with them; she's hiding something," Riley said. She agreed with Matthew. Noah came to me, getting down in my ear.

"Meet me in the kitchen at midnight tonight," he said. I nod. Riley and Matthew looked at us.

"It's nothing. He was agreeing with me; I didn't want to be too loud," I said. They nod. I am unsure if they believe me, but they let it go.

Dani was hiding something. Since she got here, she has been. She might have loved Wesley, but she wasn't honest with him. Derek may have been her brother, but she was lying to him, too. Maybe she was trying to protect us, but she was lying all the same. And I didn't take highly to a liar. We would get the truth one way or another.

I walk over to Derek, Chloe, and Wesley. They are still chatting. Nothing important now, but to Derek, it was. He smiles when he sees me. I grin and look at Wesley. He sees my expression and decides I'm not okay.

"What's wrong, Addison," he asked. Derek looked down at me, and his face dropped.

"I heard Dani wants Jake to disarm those trackers as soon as he wakes up," I said. Wesley and Chloe nod.

"Yeah, she said the sooner he disarms them, the safer we will be," he said. He doesn't even see what she's doing. She's afraid they'll find her. The feds were working with Lee. And she was part of the group. So I did the only thing I could. The sun would soon be up, and she wasn't getting him alone.

"Well, then, I'm going with her."