by Sherri Hayes
Stephan nodded several times. “I understand. I’ll do what I can here but see what you can do on your end. Quickly.”
He disconnected the call, and then punched in more numbers. “Where are you?” There was a pause and Stephan nodded. “I need you to come back and get Brianna.” Another pause. “She recognized someone. Yes. No. He was with a woman. Thanks.”
Before I knew it, he’d disconnected the second call and we were on the move. Stephan marched us over to the front desk. As we approached the woman, Stephan positioned me behind him as if to protect me from any fall out.
“Is there a manager on duty? Security?”
The woman took in the two of us—Stephan dressed in a tux and me in my ball gown. We still had our masks on. “Is there a problem, sir?”
“Yes. The man who just got in the elevator with the young woman. I have reason to believe he’s going to hurt her.”
“Sir, I don’t—”
“I’ve already contacted law enforcement. He’s on his way, but I don’t want this woman to suffer before he gets here. So, I ask again, is there a manager or security on duty?”
All the color drained from the woman’s face when she realized Stephan was serious. She picked up the phone. “There’s a man out here that needs to talk to you. He believes one of our guests may be in danger. Yes. Okay. Thanks.” She hung up the phone. “He’ll be right up.”
It felt like forever before a man dressed in a security uniform walked into the lobby from an adjoining hallway. He took in our clothes the same way the woman at the front desk had. “What seems to be the problem, folks?”
Stephan held tight to my hand as he told the security guard the situation. I could tell from the look on the man’s face that he didn’t believe us. Apparently, Stephan could see the skepticism, too. He reached behind his head and removed his mask. “Do you know who I am?” he asked the security guard.
The man visibly suppressed a sigh. He’d obviously thought Stephan was going to try and push his weight around, but I knew what was coming. This wasn’t about using his wealth to get his way. This was about getting the man to understand that this wasn’t random and to take our claims seriously. “No, sir. I’m sorry. I do not.”
“I’m Stephan Coleman and this is Brianna Reeves. We were in the news a lot a few years ago. You might remember the trial where a young woman had been held against her will for ten months.”
The man’s brow furrowed, and then he narrowed his eyes. “Are you saying—”
“That Brianna was the young woman? Yes.” He gave the man all of two seconds to process that. “And one of the men who tortured her is upstairs in one of your rooms with another young woman.”
He only hesitated for a moment before he asked, “Are you sure?”
Stephan didn’t hesitate. “Brianna recognized him when we were getting off the elevator. I’ve already called Agent Marco, the lead investigator on the case. He’s on his way, but I don’t want something to happen to the woman the man was with while we wait.”
A flash of realization crossed the security guard's face as he took in the way I was clinging to Stephan. “You’re positive it was him, ma’am? The man who hurt you?”
I didn’t bother to correct him that the man had only been one of many. It wasn’t important right now. “Yes. I’m sure.”
After another moment’s contemplation, the man marched over to the front desk. The woman behind it had lost even more of her color having listened to our conversation. She brought up the information in her computer, printed off a sheet, and handed it to the security guard. “Do you want me to call the police?” she asked.
The security guard glanced back at us for a moment before returning his attention to the woman at the desk. “Not yet but keep your radio close.”
Stephan
We followed the security guard over to the bank of elevators. Brianna still clung to my hand and I was debating whether to leave her in the lobby when she squeezed my hand, drawing my attention.
I looked down, meeting her gaze. “I need to make sure she’s safe.”
My gut tightened and churned with the thought of her coming face to face with one of the men who’d tortured her.
“Please.” Her voice was barely louder than a whisper, but I didn’t need to hear the words. I could see it in her eyes. She needed to make sure this woman was okay.
Sighing, I brought her hand up to my mouth and brushed my lips against the back of it. “You stay close and do not take your mask off.”
She nodded.
The elevator doors opened, and we followed the security guard inside. For a moment, he acted as if he were going to ask us to wait in the lobby, but the look I sent him conveyed that we weren’t going anywhere.
He squared his shoulders and punched the top floor. A suite. Of course.
The ride up felt like it took forever. Not many things in my life made me anxious, but knowing I’d see one of the men who’d hurt Brianna in a matter of minutes had me wrestling with a mixture of rage and nervous energy.
Finally, the elevator dinged, and the doors opened. We stepped out into a long hallway and the security guard made a right. “There are only two suites on this floor,” he said. Once we reached the door, he turned to look at us. “No heroics, okay? Stay here while I make sure the lady is all right.”
The muscles in my jaw ached from clenching my teeth as the security guard knocked on the door, announced himself, and waited. It took several minutes for the door to open . . . too long.
Brianna’s nails dug into my hand as the man’s face came into view. He’d removed his shirt and was currently scowling at the security guard in front of him. “Sorry to bother you, sir, but I was needing to speak with the lady who accompanied you to your room.”
The man’s gaze fell on Brianna and me. I did my best to keep my face neutral, although given the deep V in the man’s brow, I’m not sure I accomplished it. “Is there a problem?” he asked.
To the security guard’s credit, he didn’t give anything away. “May I speak with the lady? It should only take a few minutes.”
“She’s not . . . presentable at the moment.” His eyes went to Brianna and I knew in that moment that he knew who she was. Or at least he suspected. Every instinct in my body wanted to throw her over my shoulder and get her as far away from him as possible, but I resisted. Brianna wanted . . . needed . . . to make sure the young woman was okay, to save her from the same fate she had endured.
“I can wait for a minute while the lady gets herself presentable. It’s no trouble.” The security guard smiled. It was friendly enough, but I could tell alarm bells were going off in his head. Good.
"Unless you can tell me what this is about, you’re not talking to anyone but me,” the man stated, crossing his arms.
The security guard stood his ground. “I’m sorry, sir. I’m not able to disclose that information. If you can get the lady for me, I can conduct my business and you can get on with your evening.”
Without warning, the man uncrossed his arms and reached for the door. A loud thump sounded as the security guard’s hand connected with the door, but it wasn’t enough to stop the door from closing.
The security guard reached for his radio. “Marcy?”
A crackle came through the handheld radio. “Everything okay up there, Jessie?”
“No. Call Trever. I’m going to need back up.” Then he pulled a keycard from his pocket and looked at us. “I don’t want to wait for Trever. If the woman really is in danger . . .”
He didn’t have to complete the sentence. I turned to Brianna. “You wait here.”
Brianna nodded and I stepped forward, releasing her hand, ready to back him up.
Jessie shoved the keycard into the slot and waited for the green light. He didn’t waste any time opening the door and charging inside.
No matter how much I prepared myself for what I might see, what we found had me leaping into action before I knew what I was doing. The woman was tied to a wooden
chair. Half her clothes had been cut and blood was already dripping onto a piece of plastic that was lying on the floor beneath her. She was crying, her makeup streaking down her face.
The man who’d done this to her lunged at Jessie, a knife in his hand. Luckily, Jessie saw it and got out of the way. I moved in to try and grab the knife, but he shifted his weight at the last second and twisted out of my grasp. By the time I got my footing again, he was darting out the door.
Brianna.
I raced out of the room, my heart pumping with pure fear.
Rage surged through me when I reached the hall and saw the man with his hand around Brianna’s throat. Her eyes were wide, looking more terrified than I’d seen her in years.
He saw me coming. “Stop, or I’ll gut her like a fish.”
It was then I saw the knife pressing against her abdomen. I forced myself to remain where I was even though every fiber of my being wanted to kill him.
His lips curled up into a smile. “That’s right. You care about this little whore, don’t you?”
Brianna sucked in a loud breath when he pressed the knife against her stomach.
He turned his focus to her. “I thought it was you when I saw you downstairs. I remembered your eyes . . . how they used to shimmer with tears when I ran my knife down your throat. Ah, I did love seeing your fear. It was so potent I could almost smell it.” He leaned in, his face almost touching hers. “I can smell it now.”
I was contemplating my options when Jessie joined us in the hallway. He took in the scene, skidding to a stop inches from the door. “Let her go. The police are on their way.”
“Ah, now. That’s where I think you have this backward. I’m the one in control here.” He tightened his hold on Brianna’s neck, pressing her collar into her neck so hard I was sure it would leave an imprint. “We’re going to take a little trip,” he said to Brianna. Then to Jessie and me he said, “And the two of you are going to stay where you are . . . or she dies. Do you understand?”
“We understand,” Jessie said.
I remained silent. There was no way I was letting him walk out of here with Brianna.
She closed her eyes, and I began to worry that she was slipping back into the state I found her in almost five years ago. The one that allowed her to disconnect herself from the pain and survive.
Then he changed his grip on her neck to drag her toward the elevator and her entire body went limp.
Panic took over and I no longer cared about anything else besides making sure Brianna was safe from him. The weight of her body caused the man to stumble and I pounced. In the back of my mind, I registered the sound of fabric ripping, but that was all secondary once I got my hands on him. He was struggling to hold onto the knife, but then Jessie was there, and between the two of us, we managed to get it away from him.
I landed several punches to his face once he was on the ground. The bastard wasn’t going anywhere. Not after what he’d done to Brianna and surely would have done to her again had he been able to leave with her.
The man eventually stopped struggling, and as much as I would have liked to continue beating him, Brianna was my priority. I looked at Jessie. “You got him?”
He nodded. “I’ve got him.” And to my surprise, he rolled the man over and secured his hands with zip ties. “He’ll keep until the police get here.”
With the man secured and Jessie watching over him, I turned to Brianna.
Except she wasn’t there.
“Brianna?”
“In here.” Her voice, soft and scratchy, came from inside the hotel room.
I ran into the room as fast as my feet could take me and found Brianna on her knees in front of the young woman. Comforting her, even though her own hands were shaking.
“She’s hurt,” Brianna choked out.
“An ambulance is on its way.” I didn’t know that for certain, but since Jessie had called for the police, I assumed he’d asked for EMS as well, given he’d seen the cuts to the woman’s clothes and body.
I knelt in front of Brianna and placed a finger under her chin, making her look at me. “Are you hurt?”
“My throat hurts. And my side.”
Glancing down, I saw the side of her dress had been slashed and blood was soaking the fabric. I released her chin and inspected the cut. There were three horizontal cuts, not deep, and one longer vertical one that was about six inches in length. That was deeper, but still nothing a few stitches wouldn’t fix. She’d been lucky.
Chapter 25
Brianna
I was still shaking. It had been hours since the police had come and taken the man away. Reginald Wilks. I’d never known his name before today.
Stephan came up behind me as I stared out the window of the condo. It had started snowing, a white blanket covering the streets below. I shivered, and it had nothing to do with the cold.
Wrapping his arms around me, Stephan pulled my back against his chest, resting his chin on the top of my head. He was careful not to put pressure on my side. After the paramedics checked me over to make sure my cut wasn’t life threatening, he’d taken me to the hospital to get stitches.
I hadn’t wanted to go. I’d wanted to stay with Mel. She couldn’t stop crying, even after the police had left and the paramedics had patched her up. Although she’d had cuts all over her chest, none of them were deep. She’d heal. At least, physically. I knew better than most about the emotional fallout from something like that.
“Do you think she’ll be okay?”
“Agent Marco said he was going to get her someplace safe for the night. That’s what she needs right now. Tomorrow, we’ll check on her.”
I met his gaze in the glass. “I want to help her. I know . . .” The words got stuck in my throat.
His lips brushed against the top of my head. “How are you doing?”
“My throat still hurts. It feels like I swallowed sandpaper.” I’d been choked before and the lasting sensation of your throat being raw didn’t go away for days.
“What about your side?” he asked.
“It hurts, but not as much as my throat.” That was most likely due to the shot they’d given to numb the area before stitching me up.
Then he turned me in his arms and ran his finger under my collar. I knew what he was doing. He was tracing the red line my collar had made on my skin, imprinting its details into my flesh. “I wanted to kill him,” he whispered.
I met his gaze and could see the pain in his eyes. Stephan had seen the aftermath of what had happened to me. This was the first time he’d witnessed it firsthand in real time and what he’d seen was only a small taste of what I’d gone through in the past.
Resting my head on his chest, I circled my arms around his waist and did my best to comfort him.
We stood there for several minutes, holding each other, and I let his warmth seep into my body. When Reginald Wilks stormed out of the hotel room and noticed me, I knew what was coming. A flashback of the last time I’d seen him had paralyzed me as he took hold of my throat and dug the cool metal of my collar into my neck.
But it was the feel of my collar that had kept me from completely falling into the dark abyss of my mind. I clung to the pain, the sights and sounds around me, grabbing onto anything that would keep me in the here and now.
I’m not sure I would have won the battle if not for Stephan. When he appeared, I knew he wouldn’t let me be taken again. When Wilks had pressed his knife against me, I’d felt the tip knick my skin. The urge to cry out was almost overwhelming, but I forced myself to stay quiet. I could do it. I had done it in the past.
When he said he was going to take me with him, I knew I had to do something. I had to help Stephan.
Closing my eyes, I tried to push down the fear enough to do something. Anything.
We’d spent hours going over self-defense moves, but none of them had involved what I should do if someone had a knife. They’d always been more of what to do if someone tried to grab me off the street.
>
Then, as clear as day, I heard Stephan’s voice in my head tell me that when all else failed, make yourself as heavy as possible. Become a dead weight. Make them work for it.
So that’s what I did. The moment he changed his hold on me, I let my body go.
The knife sliced through my dress and down my side. Tears pricked my eyes as I fell to the floor.
Once I was free of Wilks, I knew I had to get away. Put distance between you and your attacker. That’s what Stephan had said.
But I couldn’t leave the young woman. She was hurt and I knew she had to be terrified.
I crawled on my hands and knees, not caring about my dress, into the hotel room. It was big, almost as big as the first floor of Stephan’s condo. Once inside, I found my way over to the woman. She was sobbing uncontrollably. “Help me. Please.”
My hands shook as I untied her. I expected her to try and leave the moment she was free, but it was almost as if she didn’t realize the ropes weren’t holding her to the chair anymore. She just sat there. Crying.
Stephan tilted my chin up, bringing me back to the present . . . to us standing alone in his condo, shrouded in darkness except for a single light in the kitchen. “Are you ready for bed?”
I nodded.
He laced his fingers with mine, made sure the door was locked, and turned out the light in the kitchen. Stephan didn’t leave my side as we got ready for bed. The only time he let me out of his sight was for each of us to use the toilet, and even then, he waited right outside the door and made me do the same while he took care of business.
I couldn’t blame him. I didn’t. I wanted to be near him as much as he needed to know I was close . . . safe. Tonight had brought home the reality that some of the men who’d hurt me were still out there. Still hurting others.
Stephan removed my clothes and pulled back the covers so I could climb into the bed. Less than a minute later, he joined me.
As soon as his head hit the pillow, he reached for me. He tucked me into his side, caressing my hair and pressing his lips to my forehead. “You’re still shaking.”