The Chase by Amber Riel (books to read for self improvement TXT) 📖

“They will if they know that we need to leave.”  I had done my job enough to know what I could do compared to what I couldn’t do.  I found the waiter and motioned for him.

          “Yes?” he asked.

          “Look we’re in trouble and we need to leave.  There’s this man here who’s kind of odd in a horrifying way and I need to get these two out of here as soon as possible so please can you give us bags for our food so we can leave.  It’s an emergency.”

          The boy nodded and left.  It wasn’t long later when he returned, carrying the containers for us to fill with food.

          “Thank you.”  I took the containers and without taking time to separate the food, I just stuffed it into the them because we had to leave.  Once I had finished, we left as soon as we could.

The Threat

          I sat in Sam and Lainie’s room as we finished off our meals.  My eyes kept looking out of the window, watching for that strange man from the restaurant.  I didn’t want to leave the girls alone, knowing that man could be out there, waiting.  “I’m probably going to stay in here with you tonight,” I told Sam as I kept my eyes watching out of the window.

          “We’ll be fine,” Sam replied.

          I raised an eyebrow as I locked eyes with Sam’s beautiful dark brown eyes.  “That guy could have followed us back here…. Are you really that stupid?”

          “I’m not stupid,” she shot back.  “I just think that you’ll probably get better sleep tonight if you were in your room…. I don’t think that you’ll get any sleep in here.  Besides, I can defend us if needed to.”

          I continued to stare at Sam with a raised brow.  “I won’t get any sleep, knowing that guy is out there.  I have to protect you and Lainie at all costs…. I’m not going to leave you two alone knowing that guy could break in here and do things….”  I decided to stop myself for Lainie’s sake.  I knew Sam would understand what I meant but Lainie didn’t need to hear any words that a young child shouldn’t know or hear.

          “Look we both know what could happen but we have to risk it,” Sam replied.  She had no idea how arrogant her words made her sound.  It was obvious to me that she had no clue how dangerous the situation was.

          “Risk it?” I shook my head at the thought.  “You have no idea what I have to deal with…. If something happens to you or Lainie, how am I supposed to tell Ron?”

          She turned her gaze toward the table.  Her expression told me that she knew I was right.  She kept her mouth closed for a few moments.

          “How would I be able to tell Ron that I listened to you because you wanted to risk it?  I wouldn’t be able to do…. I wouldn’t be able to look him in the eye if something happened.”

          Sam sighed.  “I understand that but come on do you really want to deal with me for the night?”

          I looked away; I couldn’t tell her the feelings I was starting to get for her and how that would be a reason for me to stay.  “I just don’t want anything to happen to Lainie….” I let the sentence trail off because I wasn’t ready to tell her yet.

          Sam looked at me.  “Please just this time?”

          I took a deep breath and turned my eyes back toward Sam.  “Alright…. Just this time but if anything happens, your accountable…. Got it?”

          She nodded.

 

          I sat on the bed.  The horrible thoughts surfing through my mind as I thought about what would happen.  I looked out of the window and pulled out my phone and checked for any miss calls or messages.  I was checking to see if Annie or Ron had left me any messages as I played with the phone.  Nothing, I thought as I sighed.  I climbed off of the bed and over to the window.  I noticed Sam still had a dim light on from the refection of the window reflecting on the paved road.  At least the girls are safe as of right now.

 

          I watched as the dim light vanished off of the paved ground and not long later I noticed a dark finger of a man appear out of the depths and walk over toward the girls’ room.  I felt my heart drop as the finger disappeared.

          “Oh no,” I whispered as I sank back in the down so the man didn’t see me.  Damn, Sam…. This is what I was trying to tell you about.  Lord, please keep the girls safe.

 

          I sunk out of my room and quickly over to my car.  I unlocked the passenger side and opened up the dash board, pulling out a small black pistol and a pair of handcuffs.  I didn’t know if I was going to have to use the gun but the handcuffs were a sure thing.  I placed the gun into my back pocket, hiding it under my shirt and placed the handcuffs in my front right pocket.  Time to go in.

 

          “Get off of her,” I demanded as I stepped foot in the doorway.  My fear grew as I noticed the man was onto of Sam and the scene ticked me off even more.

          I heard the man mutter something to Sam but his words were hushed and hard to understand.

          The anger inside of me grew as I ran over to the bed.  “I said, ‘Get off of her,’” I told him as I knocked him off of Sam and we fought rolling onto the ground.  “Sam, get Lainie and go into the main office.”

          “But---”

          “No buts,” I replied as my fist sucked punched the man’s jaw.

          I didn’t see Sam but I had a feeling she with Lainie as I continued to punch the man.  When I lifted my fist for another punch, I had recognized him from the park and the airport.  “You,” I spoke in a harsh tone.

          “Your girlfriend’s pretty cute…. I would like to have her for myself.”  He laughed evilly.

          That had ticked me off even more, knowing the evil thoughts running through the man’s mind.

          “I don’t ever want to hear you disrespect her like that again,” I replied as I punched his stomach.

          “Disrespect…. What kind of man are you?”

          “A real man…. Unlike you…. You’re just a scared little boy,” I told him as I placed the handcuffs around his wrists and stood up.

          I pulled out my phone and called George.  “Hey, I have this guy who just tried to have his way with Annie’s sister here under arrest.”

          “Okay, I’ll send guys out…. Don’t worry we can find your location.”

          “Good.”

 

          I waited in the hotel room until a few other members from George’s crew walked in.  “Hey, Louis,” a woman said as she walked.

          “Heather,” I replied.  “Why weren’t you at Ron’s the other day for the security?”

          She closed her eyes, the regret was there.  “If I had known…”

          “If you had known…. You and the crew should---”

          “I know and I feel horrible already…. Don’t blame me…. Now go and make sure that Annie’s sister and Lainie are fine.”  Heather was like a sister to me and the tone she was using reminded me of Carmen when she didn’t want to talk about her mistakes.

          “Okay.”  I stood up and placed a hand over my lip.  The blood was still wet and dripping from my bottom lip.

          “I’ll come back for your girlfriend,” the evil man laughed as another co-worker pulled him to his feet.

          “And I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen….”

          “Girlfriend?” Heather asked with a smile.

          “It’s just how he talks,” I replied.  “He noticed Sam with me a few times and thinks that we’re together…. Look I need to go.”

          “Of course and, Louis, I hope that she helps you to move on from Christy…. It’s about time.”

          I shook my head and left the room as soon as possible.

 

          I worked my way into the main hall of the hotel.  I knew I was covered with bruises and sweat from the fight.  I even tasted my own blood flowing from my lip and into my mouth.  I walked over to Sam and held out my hand.  “Key?” I asked.

          She reached into her pocket of her sweat pants and pulled out the key and handed them to me.  Her eyes looked away from me, feeling guilty.

          I took the key and worked my way over to the desk where the inn keeper stood.  “We’re going to check out.”

          “Okay.”  Any questions he may have had he kept to himself and just took both keys.  “Do you want your money back, sir?”

          I shook my head, tiredly.  “No keep it….” I managed to get out as I tried to keep the little breath I had left.  “Look can we take the back way trouble seemed to follow us tonight and I believe that going out the front would be a bad idea…. I’m leaving my car behind do you know of any car dealerships around here?”

          “Yea…. Let me write down the address for you but you’ll have to wait till morning cause they’re closed now….”

          I nodded.  “We just need to leave as soon as possible.

          “There’s another hotel a few miles away from here…. I could drive you three there and even pay for you three to stay there seeing that your stay here wasn’t exactly the best stay here.”

          I thought about it for a moment but quickly shook my head against it.  “No I don’t think staying at any hotels would be the best choice to do right now.”

          “Okay well have a safe trip wherever you’re going then.”

          I nodded and then turned my attention toward Lainie and Sam.  I eyed Sam with anger but I was even angrier at myself than her.  I walked over to them and picked Lainie up than lightly touched Sam’s shoulder.  “Are you okay, Sam?  Did he hurt you?  Did he touch any places that a man shouldn’t touch without permission?”

          “No…. He was going to try when you came in.”

          “Good…. Now come on.  Thanks to you,” I spoke rudely with anger, “we can’t stay at any hotels for a while.”

 

          Sam followed behind as I carried Lainie out into the street, staying on the side walk.  I was worn out and angry.  I couldn’t believe what would have happened and it would have been my fault.  “I can’t believe I listened to you,” I finally spoke.  “I had a feeling something like this would happen but I let you convince me otherwise.”  I knew that Sam didn’t deserve all of the guilt but it just felt easier.

          She didn’t respond as a few cars drive past us.

          “Do you realize the danger you put Lainie into tonight?”

          She continued