Caught in the Middle

Chapter 2

I was screaming, "Mason!  Mace!"  They were taking my brother away and I didn't know why.  I didn't know a lot of things and all I could do was sit there and cry as they took my brother away.  I was 10 years old and Mace was 13 when our parents died.  Well it was more my mom died and his dad died, since we were step siblings, but I still didn't understand at the time why they were taking Mace away and separating us.  I later found out that our parents had died in a car accident.  I was put into a foster home on the outskirts of Kansas.  I never knew what happened to Mace or where he ended up, but I always thought about him.  

I was laying in bed at my foster home deeply asleep when the sound of a door opening woke me.  I lay very still pretending to be asleep hoping he would go away.  I knew who it was without having to turn around to see for myself.  My foster dad walked over to the bed, I could hear his heavy breathing as he brought his face close to mine.  I could smell his putrid breath as he came closer.  His hand snaked up and ripped the covers off of me causing me to scream.

******

I awoke with a start rubbing my eyes, thank god it was just a dream.  I looked around the room and noticed that I was in the living room where Jacks had left me.  I glanced at the clock and my heart plummeted when I noticed that it had been over two hours.  Where was Jacks?  Was he already here, waiting for me to wake up?

"Well looky who's awake?"  A voice boomed and I jumped startled to see the man who had given Jacks the package to deliver.

"Where's Jacks?" I asked warily.

The man laughed, "Well I would like to know the same thing, since it's in your best interest that he comes back."

I shook my head, "Something must have happened to him."

"You know what I think?" He asked me his voice dropping, "I think he looked what was in my package and he ran off leaving you.  What I had in that package was much more valuable than 50 grand."

I shook my head, "Jacks wouldn't leave me." 

The man tilted his head, "Not even for a million dollars?"  The man looked amused.

I thought about it, would Jacks leave me here for a million dollars?

I shook my head, he wouldn't do that.

The man laughed again, "Do you know what happens when he doesn't come back?"

I turned my head slowly to look at him my pulse spiking.

"Well let's just hope you don't have to find out."  The man finishes.

The time flies by quickly and with every hour that passes the more anxious I become.  Jackson and I had been through so much together for him to just abandon me.  Every time our drunk foster father would try to do something to me Jacks was always there pulling him off of me.  I would have been raped, beaten, or worse if it wouldn't have been for Jacks.  Could Jacks really leave me for a million dollars, just like that? 

After Jacks had been gone for six hours the front door of the house opened and I jumped up smiling.  Only the guy who came through the door wasn't Jacks. 

He was tall and had shaggy dark brown hair that hid his eyes.  He was very built, but not enough to come out as brute or stocky, but you could tell he had an eight pack going on under that black shirt of his. 

"Mac!"  The guy yelled through the house never taking his eyes off of me.  So that was the man's name.

Mac came through the living room, "Gavin?  What are you doing here?"  He asked surprised.

"Where is the money Mac?  You were supposed to deliver it two hours ago." Gavin said his voice cold making me shiver.

Mac looked uncomfortable then glanced at me, "I had a delivery boy leave with the package six hours ago but he never showed back up."

If looks could kill Mac would have been killed right there on the spot, then he turned his attention to me, "Who is that?"  He asked Mac.

"The boys girlfriend, I kept her for... insurance purposes." 

Gavin looked at Mac with a look of disgust on his face, "Why would you need her for insurance purposes Mac?  Unless you knew the boy wouldn't come back so you could have your way with her."  He stated making my heart race.

Mac glanced between us his cheeks turning red, "I... I didn't..." 

"You better get that package Mac."  Gavin said cutting him off, then he turned and looked at me, "You.  Come on, you're coming with me."

He turned to walk out the door and when I didn't follow he looked back at me a smirk on his face, "Of course, you don't have to, you can stay here with Mac."

I glanced at Mac who had a hopeful look on his face.  I shook my head and hurried after him.  Once we were outside Gavin called someone on his phone and I stood there not really knowing if I could go or if I had to stay with him.

"Has the package been delivered yet."  He said into the phone.

I could hear an exasperated voice on the other end but Gavin cut them off, "I don't care if you have to look for the rest of your life, find it!!!"  He screamed making me flinch.  He shut the phone a little harder than he should have and spun around to face me.

"What's your name?" He asked his voice hard.

"Um... Julia."  I said softly.

He nodded, "Well Julia, you are coming with me.  You are going to help me find your boyfriend."

"He's not my boyfriend."  I said before I could stop myself and I blushed.

"He could be a fuck buddy for all I care, I really don't give a shit."  He said his voice hard.  "Now, I have to keep an eye on you so I have to take you to my house.  However, my roommates don't know about my... extracurricular activities."  He said glancing back at the house, "So if you know what's good for you, you will keep your mouth shut.  If you can do that then I'll consider letting you go.  If you slip up, I'll kill you."  His voice had gone cold making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

"Are we clear?" He asked swiping the hair out of his face to reveal icy blue eyes.

I nodded not able to say anything, I was just told that if I slipped up I was going to be killed, I was scared shitless.

He looked at me for a moment longer and motioned for me to follow him to his car which was a newer model mustang.  I slipped in the passenger seat and we drove silently to Gavin's house.  I wondered that once I got there if I could just slip out unnoticed or once Gavin went to sleep.  Obviously he wouldn't tie me up since he didn't want his buddies knowing what he really did.  I relaxed back in my seat my thoughts wandering to Jacks hoping he was alright.