rescued me. I love it how you took care of everything. I love you, Sam.”
Sam threw a happy smile Derek’s way but continued what he was doing, making sure the two men were secure, but not in any danger of dying, checking their clothes weren’t strangling them and that their hands had circulation.
“I love you too, baby. And after we’re married, I’m going to spend the next fifty-plus years proving it to you.”
“Married?” Derek screeched. “Did you just say married?”
“Yes.” Sam stood upright and stretched. “I was going to do the romantic proposal and all that, but I’m beat. I’ve been up all night without sleep. I can’t be bothered trying to pretend that if you don’t say you’ll marry me that I’ll be devastated. I just need you as mine. We’ll be together all the time then, and I’ll get to pick up sugared doughnuts and bring them to you at work.”
“Ugh.” Derek retched slightly and had to turn away. “Oh, God. Sorry. Don’t mention doughnuts to me for at least a month. They force-fed them to me by giving me twelve in a packet and not taking them away. I was hungry. I don’t think I can look at doughnuts in the same way ever again.”
Sam laughed and grabbed Derek’s hand. “Come on then. I left your parents upstairs guarding the other prisoners. They’ll be happy to see you, too.”
Derek’s eyes went wide. “My parents?”
“Of course,” Sam said. “They were one of the first I called, looking for you. Your father has been particularly painful, though—lots of threats and swearing at unhelpful police. They’ve been helping me the whole time. About an hour ago I got a phone call from Teresa who owns a dress store on my route, and she told me bozo had been in, trying to get money out of her. We raced over to the store and spotted bozo coming out of the bakery. He was pissed and didn’t see us. So your parents followed him. Bozo would’ve known my face, but he wasn’t suspicious at all about a couple of your parents’ age. No brains.”
“My mother?” Derek gasped in horror.
“Yes,” Sam replied cheerfully. “They told me which house he went into, and then I turned up and beat them all up. It was fun. Well,” he clarified, “at the time I was so blisteringly angry it wasn’t fun. I now know what my fight instructors have been telling me I’m missing—that burning need to end the happiness of my opponent. After, when I was tying their hands with zip-ties—that was the bit that was fun. Hey, I think that’s my motorbike.”
“Oh, fuck!” Derek cried and raced for the stairs. “You left my mother alone with helpless prisoners who kidnapped her son?” The moment Derek wrenched open the door at the top of the stairs, he heard the cries.
“Ahh!”
It sounded like Joe’s voice and he was in pain.
“He moved!” screamed Peggy. “I saw him. He moved.”
“Ahh!” Joe’s scream came again. Derek ran faster. He flew around the corner and was confronted by an amazing scene.
Four of the gang were on their stomachs, desperately trying to wiggle away from Peggy Carson who was standing in the middle of the room, resplendent in pink trousers and a fussy, floral pink blouse, reaching down to zap the helpless prisoners. Frederick was trying to intervene, dancing around and inserting himself between the hapless victims and the irate Peggy.
“Peggy, love. Please. He can’t get away.”
Zap.
“Ahh!”
“He moved again!”
“He didn’t. And even if he did, he won’t get far.”
Zap.
“Ahh!”
This time it was Leah who got it.
“Peggy!”
“She was thinking about moving!”
“Mom? Dad?”
They spun around at the sound of his voice, then rushed at him as the united pair they had always been. “Derek!”
He was smothered in kisses, hugs, and questions about his wellbeing. He did his best to answer them, Sam joining in with explanations, only stopping when Joe yelled again.
“Ahh!”
The three men whirled to find Peggy zapping him with her hands again. “I told you not to move! How dare you kidnap my son?”
Zap.
“Ahh!”
Sighing, Sam said, “I guess we’d better call the police. I wonder if they’ll be interested this time?”
“No,” Derek replied and took the phone from Sam’s hand. “We need something more than the police. Besides, we need to rescue Joe from my mother. You shouldn’t have involved her, Sam. People are going to get hurt now.”
Zap.
“Ahh!” This time it was Byron who got zapped. “Fuck, lady. Stop that.” Zap. “Ahh!”
Derek didn’t know Sylvie’s number off the top of