Taken: An Everyday Heroes World Novel (The Everyday Heroes World)

by M. A. Lee

I heard footsteps and spotted Ryan coming into the small room where Marcus had me.

  “This one is stubborn,” Ryan admonished, turning his eyes up at me.

  “Well, we will break that,” Marcus sneered as he pulled a chair up next to me.

  Now that I was alert, I realized I was in a small room. There was a wooden table with a few chairs scattered around. A filing cabinet sat in the corner, but other than that, the room was desolate.

  I could hear sounds outside of the room echoing, but none of them sounded familiar. I gulped down the bile rising in my throat as I attempted to keep my emotions hidden.

  Marcus sat painfully close to me and I turned my head so I was not looking directly at him. He leaned forward, his hot breath on my cheek.

  “Ally, let me give you a quick introduction to your new job title. Here, you will assist my clients and colleagues with whatever needs they may have,” he said, his evil smile spreading over his face.

  “I know exactly what needs you are referring to,” I snorted.

  Marcus thought he was so clever and cunning, but he was nothing more than a thug.

  He laughed and was almost intrigued by my sass.

  “Ryan was right, you will be fun to break. We will get to that later.” He dismissed before continuing. “Anyway, I run a very lucrative business here. I moved my operation from Michigan to California to get my products in more hands. We have trucks that go down to Mexico to get the drugs and then we package them here before shipping out to our clients,” he said, pride filling his voice.

  “Sounds like you have it all figured out. So, why add human trafficking and prostitution to the list?” I asked, narrowing my gaze on him.

  “Oh, you make it sound so distasteful,” he mocked me. “The men I work with like young girls like yourself. You will help entice them to continue to work with me by showing them a good time.”

  My palms were sweating and my legs trembled as they remained tied to the legs of the chair. It took everything inside of me not to break down in front of him.

  If I could only get that on a recording…

  I remembered my phone and tried to move to see if I could still feel it in my pocket. Sensing what I was doing, Marcus placed his hand on my knee and a shiver raced down my spine.

  “No need looking for your phone. We have already destroyed that. Sorry, but your boyfriend can’t save you now.” Marcus laughed.

  He stood and began to head toward the door. Before he exited the room, he turned and smiled at me one last time. “I look forward to getting to know you better, Ally.” He hissed my name like the snake he was.

  Ryan offered me one last glare before he followed behind Marcus, leaving me alone.

  ****

  I must have fallen asleep, because when I woke sometime later, my neck throbbed and the room was much darker now, almost black.

  I felt disoriented as I moved my hands in the tight rope tied around me. A tremor caused me to jump as I felt myself panicking.

  I had no idea where I was and by the time anyone realized I was gone, who knew what Marcus would have done to me.

  I didn’t know how long I had been here. Hours? Days?

  Tears spilled from my eyes and my chest tightened as I struggled to catch my breath. I was living a nightmare right now and I never got to say goodbye to the ones I loved.

  Just as I felt a sob escape from my lips, a loud bang erupted throughout the building.

  Screams and cursing ensued as chaos built outside of the room. I couldn’t see anything, but the sounds alone were terrifying.

  I didn’t know what was worse; hearing the war or seeing it.

  Another bang rattled the building and the ground below me shook. My chair wobbled and I feared it might topple over, spilling me onto the hard concrete floor.

  Trembling, I strained to hear what fright lurked just outside this room.

  The shouts grew louder as a gunshot pierced through my ears.

  A blood-curdling scream erupted from me as I suspected that I might be included in the battle.

  More footsteps thundered outside and the screams and blasts rang out so loudly, I was concerned that I might lose my hearing.

  Suddenly, a man wearing a black vest and mask raced into the room. He was brandishing a large rifle that looked like something a soldier would take to war.

  I cringed, closing my eyes as I waited for him to shoot me. This was it; this was how it all ended. I sent a silent prayer that I didn’t feel any pain.

  But, nothing came.

  A pair of hands grabbed my face and forced me to look up. Tears spilled from my eyes and then, everything stopped.

  The man before me ripped off his helmet and mask and I found myself staring into the eyes of Todd.

  At first, I worried that I was already dead.

  “Todd?” I asked, unsure if what I was seeing was real.

  “Oh, Ally,” he cried out, throwing his massive arms around me. His hand traced my face and I winced in pain as he touched the spot where Ryan hit me. Todd seethed with fury and I saw the threat of murder behind his eyes as he looked at my bruised face.

  His manly scent filled my senses and that familiar, comforting feeling of being in his arms blanketed me. It was real. Todd had come to save me.

  I heard more gunshots and blasts outside the room and I tried to peek around him.

  “Hey, focus on me,” Todd said, his voice loud. “Are you alright? Are you hurt?” he asked, running his hands over my body. There was a gentle tenderness about him that had me staring at him like he was a stranger.

  Shaking my head, my lips trembled as I struggled to speak. “No, I’m not hurt. What is happening out there?” I asked, terror reigning over me.

  “I have to get you out of here. The task force is out there, apprehending Marcus and his team,” he rushed out.

  Carter appeared in the doorway, his own weapon held close to his chest. “Hey, take her out the back door. We have Marcus in custody, but we are searching the building for anymore suspects,” Carter said into the room.

  Relief flooded me as I heard that Marcus was in custody. We weren’t out of danger yet, but right then, I felt a huge relief.

  Todd went to work untying me and helping me up.

  My legs were weak and I almost collapsed as I struggled to stand. Realizing my pain, Todd lifted me in his strong arms and held me close to his chest. “I’ve got you now and I swear, I will never let you go,” he said, his words holding so much meaning and promise.

  I wrapped my arms around his neck and buried my face into his chest. I didn’t want to look around. I wanted my memory of this moment to be of just Todd and me.

  Todd began to run as he carried me. I never looked up and it wasn’t until we were outside, far from the warehouse, that he finally sets me down.

  An ambulance had arrived and I was sitting in the back. Todd held my hand as he screamed for the medics to look over me.

  I tried to tell him that I really was fine, but he refused to listen.

  “Todd,” I finally managed to say. “I just have a bruise. I will be okay.”

  Shaking his head, Todd clenched his mouth shut tightly. “Ally, your face is bruised. You were in that warehouse for hours. I will have the medics look over you. No argument.”

  I realized I couldn’t argue with him. As much as I wanted to reach out and kiss him, I didn’t. I might be in love with Todd, but he clearly doesn’t share the same feelings. He made that much clear the other night. I knew in my mind that he was here because this was his job. He saved people. He was a real life hero.

  As Todd held my hands, I was examined by the medics and questioned by Grant, the only officer Todd would allow to talk to me.

  In my heart, I could only pretend that this was all because he cared. But, even I didn’t believe my own lies.

  “Todd, it’s okay. I know you probably need to get back to your team. I can handle this,” I said. I willed myself not to break in front of him right now.

  Todd looked a
t me with inclination. “Ally, I am not going anywhere,” he growled out.

  The medic looked up from placing a swab on my cheek. It was clear she could tell that we were in the middle of a very complicated situation.

  “I am going to go check to see if there are any other wounded victims,” she said quickly, leaving us alone.

  Sighing, I felt my tears threatening to pour again. I swear, by the time all of this was over, I should be all out of tears.

  “Todd, you really don’t have to do this. Your job is done now. You can go back to work. I will be out of your hair soon.”

  Grabbing both of my hands now, Todd forced me to look at him. “Ally, you need to understand something. Everything I said was a lie. Being with me only brought trouble to your life. All I ever wanted to do was to keep you safe and I failed. But now, I know that I can’t do this anymore. I can’t pretend like I don’t love you. Like you aren’t my entire fucking world,” he said, tears filling his eyes.

  I was in shock. I had waited so long to hear those words from him and now that he was finally saying them, I wasn’t sure if I was even hearing him correctly. I just sat there, frozen, unsure of what to do next.

  “I just need a little time to show you that I’m worth it,” Todd said, sensing my unease. “I was broken when I met you. Spending my time with women I didn’t care about and pouring myself into my job, only to piss off my parents. I was deemed a screw-up from the moment I was born. But with you, I felt like I could be someone better.”

  It broke my heart to see him so weak and vulnerable. I leaned over and made sure he was looking at me.

  “Todd, you are worth it. You have always been worth it. Don’t you see? This is why I fought so long for us. While you hated yourself, I loved everything about you. The good, bad, and broken. I loved it all. You don’t need time to show me that you are worth it. To me, you have always been worth it,” I said, tears filling my eyes.

  Leaning in, I kissed him with such fervent passion, it took my breath away. If it took the rest of my life, I would prove to Todd that he was always worth it. I may have been taken today, he had taken my heart and healed it.

  Chapter 27

  Todd

  When the medics insisted that Ally be taken to the hospital for dehydration, I refused to leave her side. Even though that stubborn beauty put up a fight, none of us were having any of it.

  I sat with her in the ambulance on the way to the ER.

  I stood by her bed as they gave her IVs and checked her for any more serious injuries. She had a nasty cut to her cheek which required stitches.

  And, I sat by her side as Grant and the rest of my team questioned her about every moment of her kidnapping.

  There were moments that I thought I would go into a full-on rage. I wanted to kill Ryan for hitting Ally and causing that beautiful face any pain. I wanted to fucking murder Marcus for the vile plans he had in store for my girl.

  And, I would have done those things, too, if it hadn’t been for Ally. I needed to be with her. I needed to be there for her.

  With her was where I was meant to be and as I pledged to her, I would never leave her side again.

  After getting another dose of pain medicine, Ally drifted off into a peaceful sleep. It was then that the guys sat down and talked to me. Not as police officers and detectives, but as friends. As my family. They informed me that Tommy was apprehended after our bust. Everyone was in custody and as soon as Ryan was arrested, he began ratting out Marcus. They were all going to go away for a very long time.

  Patting me on the back, Carter was the first to speak up. “How are you doing, Todd?” he asked, concern dripping from his tired eyes.

  I glanced around at my friends who had been with me since I received the call from Ally. They had worked tirelessly to help me save Ally. I would never be able to thank them enough, but I would surely try.

  Running a hand through my unruly hair, I sighed. “I’m okay. I just can’t believe how everything went down,” I admitted.

  To be honest, I had been in several shoot outs and had taken down hard criminals. But with Marcus, it was personal.

  “How is Ally?” Ace asked.

  “She is scared, but is putting on a brave face,” I said, smiling as I looked over at my sleeping angel.

  “I just don’t know what I would have done if we hadn’t gotten there in time,” I said, dread filling my heart.

  “Well, we did. She’s a smart girl,” Parker chimed in.

  I nodded as I couldn’t take my eyes off of Ally.

  “Todd, we have known you for years. Can I offer a piece of advice?” Jamie asked.

  I just looked at him, unsure of what he was about to say. He just continued on anyway. “Ally loves you and I know as well as everyone else around the two of you, that you love her, too. Don’t let your past and fears stop you from being happy. You almost lost her once, don’t risk it again,” he said.

  I was blown away by his words. Jamie wasn’t usually the sentimental type. Hell, he wasn’t really the relationship type. We were all broken in our own ways. However, we were human. Love could happen to anyone, I was quickly learning. Even rugged, broken men like us.

  ****

  Later that night, the guys left and it was just me and Ally alone. She had to spend the night at the hospital and I had already told the hospital staff that I wasn’t going anywhere. They didn’t even bother to argue with me.

  Waking, Ally spotted me sitting in the chair beside her bed.

  “What are you still doing here?” she asked, glancing at the clock on the wall. “It’s late.”

  I stood and moved closer to her. Taking her tiny hand in mine, I looked deep into her eyes. “I told you, Ally. I’m not going anywhere. I promise I will love and protect you for the rest of my life.”

  Tears filled her eyes and I took my hand and wiped them away. Her face had been through enough, she didn’t need tears falling anymore.

  “Do you really mean that?” she cried out.

  “More than anything. I need you,” I admitted, my voice breaking as emotion tore through me.

  “You are the only one that I need,” she cried. “But, is it enough? If you get scared again, are you going to just push me away?”

  “Ally, where is this coming from? Earlier, you seemed understanding,” I said.

  Confusion raced through my mind. How had everything changed?

  “Your pride won’t let you back down,” she said. She refused to look at me and it killed me to know that I had caused her that pain. “I gave you my heart and your demons tore it away. If I am going to be with you and allow you to have my heart again, I need to know that you won’t run away again. I had time today to think, to really think about things.”

  Shaking my head, I grabbed her hands and forced her to look at me. I had never been as honest in my life as I was about to be right now. I didn’t like to be vulnerable, but there I was about to shed light into the deepest corners of my heart and mind. And, I was doing it to prove to Ally that she meant the world to me.

  “I see shadows sometimes and I swear, I feel you. Like your soul haunts me,” I said.

  Ally’s eyes grew wide like what I had said was the most bizarre thing she had ever heard.

  “Todd, my heart can’t take the back and forth,” she cried.

  Pulling her to me, I felt like I was being shot all over again. True pain was seeing someone you loved fall apart because of you.

  “Ever since you left, I haven’t been the same. It was like a piece of myself went missing. I became broken without you. I thought I could live life like I had always been doing, but that wasn’t living. Being with you is true living. I haven’t slept knowing that you weren’t in my house or in my arms. Like I told you earlier, I only pushed you away because I didn’t want you to get hurt. But I realized, you were hurting anyway. Without me with you, Marcus was able to take you. I will never let you go again.”

  “What if someday you decide you don’t want to be around me?” she
asked, her voice breaking.

  Again, I felt like my heart was being shattered into a million pieces. “It won’t ever happen again. Don’t you see, I can’t live without you. I need you now and forever,” I pleaded.

  If it took the rest of my life, I would show Ally how much she meant to me. I had been a fool to try and push her away. I was in more danger without her around. Because when she wasn’t with me, my mind was roaming to her.

  “What do we do now?” Ally asked, inching her way closer to me.

  I could see her walls crumbling and I felt my own tension ease.

  “We start over. We fall in love and never let the other go again,” I offered.

  Smiling, Ally closed the space between us as she jumped into my lap and wrapped her arms around my neck.

  I inhaled her scent to memory as I never wanted to forget anything about her again.

  When Ally was taken, so was my heart. Today and forever more, Ally would be my world. It had taken me losing her to realize that I needed her.

  Epilogue

  5 Years Later

  Ally

  “If I have to get up one more time, I am going to scream,” I whined.

  I was seated on the couch and the phone had rang again. I had left it in the kitchen the last time I had gotten up to get a snack. Now, I was seated comfortably on the couch and my pregnant self didn’t think she could get up again.

  Todd smirked as he stood and kissed me on the forehead, before retreating to the kitchen to get my phone.

  He truly was the best husband and I have no idea what I would do without him.

  When Marcus and Ryan had kidnapped me five years ago, my entire world changed. Right after that, Todd and I started out. We dated and it was only six months after that, he proposed.

  We were married in a small beach ceremony with just our friends and extended family members.

  To me, it was perfect.

  I finished my degree and now worked as a counselor at a local juvenile home. I helped kids who had experienced loss or trauma.

  Now, we were preparing for our little boy who would be making his appearance any day now.