After Forever & Ever

Chapter 149

Hardin-Present

I fucked up by leaving and leaving Tessa and Emery. But I need to just clear my fucking head then I can calmly talk to Tessa and...I guess Vance. But right now....I just need to drive and I know Vance is still following me...so I somehow have to lose him. I decide to hop on the 405 and he's still tailing me when I see lights come on from behind....fuck. I'm so fucked. Vance pulls over and I'm waiting for them to speed past him and come after me....but they stop. They stop and have him pulled over.....fuck. I keep driving and get off at the next exit. Which puts me in Beverly Hills...

I stop at the nearest gas station and I am able to grab a burner phone. I call Tessa. She answers almost instantly...

"Hello." She says into the phone.

"Tess it's me." I say back to her.

"Hardin are you okay?" She asks me.

"Yea I'm fine?" I reply confused.

"Adler came to the house looking for you and I overheard him talking and I don't know Hardin I get this feeling he is working with someone to get you to London." Tessa tells me.

"What do you mean?" I question.

"I don't know he told someone not to worry and that you would be in London and that the plan will still happen." Tessa tells me which sends me into absolute panic.

"Tessa we need to leave tonight. Me, you and Emery. Get whatever stuff of hers she needs together and whatever you can fit in a suitcase and meet me at the Hilton hotel in a half hour." I tell her.

"Hardin I'm scared." She says to me.

"It will be okay we just have to get out of LA." I tell her. Which I don't know exactly what plan Adler is trying to accomplish....But him being here making sure I make it to London obviously means he needed me there for some reason and I'm pretty positive it's not to testify....

"Call this phone back when you are here and I'll meet you out front." I tell her.

"Okay." She agrees and hangs up.

I check into the hotel using cash and I go up to the room...
This is all too fucking much...and all I know is we have to get out of here. I call a guy I met from rehab who I remember makes passports...he agrees to meet here and luckily he was only 15 minutes away. While I'm waiting for him...The phone rings and it's Tessa. "Hey I'm here" she says.

"Okay I'll be right down." I tell her.

As soon as I see her she rushes into my arms. After a long embrace. I get Emery out of the car and get out her suitcase, we take the elevator upstairs. I put the key card in and hold the door open to my room to let them in and as I'm closing the door. Adler is standing in front of me with a gun pressed to Tessa's head.

"Hardin." She says softly to me as I am holding Emery in my arms.

"Adler please just let her go, I don't know why you are doing this but let her go. You want me and not her anyways." I plead with him.

"Don't you fucking get it Hardin I don't have a choice. I don't want to do this....They have my family. So I give them you and i get my family back." He says to me still keeping the gun pressed to Tessa's head.

"I'll go with you just let her go." I tell him.

"Hardin no." Tessa yells.

"Let her go and I'll do whatever you want." I tell him.

He walks Tessa towards me. "Put your daughter down" he tells me.

I listen and set Emery back in her carrier.

He looks at Tessa and grabs handcuffs out of his pocket. "Put these on him." He says as he placed the handcuffs into Tessa's hand.

"No." She quickly replies.

"Tessa I'll be fine, just do what he says." I tell her and hold my hands out.

"Hardin no." She says to me.

"It's okay." I whisper to her.

She has tears in her eyes and she puts one cuff on my wrist and goes to put the other one on and he stops her. "No....behind his back." He tells her.

"Really?" I question.

"Just turn the fuck around Hardin." He says and I listen.

She grabs my other wrist and puts the other cuff on. "I'm so sorry" she whispers to me.

Once they are on I back away. "Okay now let them go." I tell Adler.

He pushes Tessa away and aims the gun towards me.

"Leave before I change my mind." He says to Tessa.

"What are you going to do to him?" Tessa asks.

"I said leave." Adler says raising his voice.

"Tess, go!" I yell at her.

She picks up Emery and walks over to me and grabs my face and just kisses me. And I get this overwhelming feeling like it might be our last....and I feel like she may feel it too. Tears are rushing down her face. After she pulls away I lean down and gently kiss Emery on the head. I give Tessa another kiss then I whisper "I love you, now go."

She reluctantly complies and leaves the hotel room.

Adler is pacing around the room, and so I have a seat on the edge of the bed.

"So what's the plan Adler?" I ask him.

"Just shut the fuck up." He replies.

I listen and just sit there wondering what the fucks going to happen next...

He gets on his phone....

"Yea I have him." He says into the phone.

"What time will the plane be ready?" He asks.

"So what am I supposed to do in the mean time?" He questions.

"Okay, okay." He says and hangs up.

I really don't know what the actual plan is....but I can only assume it's to get me to London and I would be in exchange for his family. And again I can only assume Reed is going to kill me because of Dean but I'm sure not before torturing the fuck out of me since that's what he does....

How do I convince Adler we need to work together and that this isn't the only way to get his family back....I could help him. Or try to. I don't know.....all I know is I don't want to fucking die...and if this plan goes how I think it will then my fate is sealed....