Pulling onto my street, I can’t keep the smile off my face. Caden agreed to meet me to help with the paperwork, so I’m home earlier than I’d planned. Now I get to spend the rest of the day with my girls, and I couldn’t be happier.
As I turn into my driveway, the hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I slam the vehicle into Park.
The front door is wide open.
Heart pounding, I fly from the truck and rush up the front steps, not caring if I should be calling the police or not disturbing anything.
Fuck that. My girls are inside.
“Emmy!” I scream as I cross the threshold. I take in the sight before me and it feels like my heart has been ripped from my chest.
The recliner is flipped over. The plant she brought here the other day is smashed on the floor, lamp on its side, entry table broken into pieces. But that’s not the worst.
There’s blood smeared on the floor.
“Em! Baby!” I rush through every room in the house, tears burning my eyes, my stomach in knots. Please God, don’t let me find her dead. Jesus fucking Christ.“Lily!”
As I’m racing up the stairs, I hear a faint sound. Stopping halfway up, I hold my breath as I listen, trying to find where it’s coming from. Slowly, I take the final step and walk as quiet as I can. I search Lily’s bedroom, but it’s empty and doesn’t look touched.
“Lily!”
Then I hear it again; it sounds like it’s coming from my bedroom. Stepping inside, I look around and hear it again: a loud thump, the unmistakable sound of something hitting a wall or a solid object. My vision falls to my closet and I see the desk chair shoved against it.
One of the legs snaps off as I yank it from its position and rip the door open, almost falling to the ground when I find Lily cowering in the corner, tears falling down her cheeks.
“Daddy!” She hurls herself into my arms and I fall back onto my butt, cradling her into me, holding her tighter than I ever have.
“Oh, thank you, God. Sweetheart, what happened? Where’s Emmy?”
Lily is screaming and crying, and I know what I need to do. Holding my daughter, I pull my phone from my pocket and dial the three numbers, tears stinging my eyes.
“911, what is your emergency?”
Clearing my throat, I speak above the emotion threatening to drown me.
“I think my girlfriend’s been taken. Please send someone. Please.”
“What is your address, sir?”
Rattling it off, I stand with Lily still curled against me, her tiny body shivering with her sobs. Gently I carry her back downstairs, eyes avoiding the red stain on the floor. Stepping onto the front porch, I sit at the top of the stairs and give the dispatcher as much information as I can. I’ve just hung the phone up, sirens wailing in the background, when Lily sits up on my lap.
Framing her little face with my hands, I press a kiss to her forehead.
“Daddy?”
“Yeah, Lil?”
“I want my mommy back.”
The burning in my eyes intensifies, and I do nothing to stop the few tears from escaping. Fear like I’ve never felt before is coursing through my body, and Lily just called Emmy her mom. What should be the happiest moment of my life is the worst.
Hugging her little body to me, I bury my face in her soft hair and let out a shaky breath.
“Me too, baby. Me too.”
“Mr. Jackson, we’re going to need you to come down to the station.”
“Levi. Please just call me Levi.” Facing the detective in front of me, I shove my hands in my front pockets and rock back and forth on my heels.
“Levi, we need you to come to the station. Is that gonna be a problem?”
“No, but I don’t understand why. You know I’m not involved, and you already have the case pending in the attempted kidnapping of my daughter a month ago. I don’t understand why you’re so fucking worried about asking me the same goddamn questions when you should be out there trying to find the fucking woman I love.”
“Levi—”
“No. You know I have nothing to do with this. You didn’t want to listen when someone tried to take Lily. Told us there wasn’t enough evidence, that you couldn’t do anything more. Well, clearly you should’ve taken it fucking seriously. That’s her blood in my house! She could be lying cold in a ditch somewhere and you’re….”
Breaking off, I have to scrub my hands over my face and take a deep breath. I know I need to keep my head on straight, but I’m struggling. Lily was taken into the ambulance to be checked over, and thank the Lord there was nothing physically wrong with her. She fell asleep about twenty minutes ago on the stretcher in the ambulance, and that’s where she still is.
“You can check the security cameras. Just do something, please. You need to find Emmy, and you need to find her before I lose her.”
“Son, please trust me when I tell you that she is our main priority and we are doing everything in our power to find her.” He pulls his phone from his pocket and checks something, then turns to me with a look of determination on his face. “We have something.”
Turning, he strides across the street back to my house, and I rush after him. Bypassing all the techs swabbing and searching the living room, he runs up the stairs with me on his heels. We don’t stop till we get to my office, where two lab techs and another analyst stand around my desk.
“Mr. Jackson, how long have you had this security system in place?”
“Only a few weeks. After an attempt was made on Lily, I felt we needed more security, and my brother Caden helped me find a company to install.”
“Well thank fuck you did.”
One of the techs clicks around on the screen and I see a clip pop up. Emmy is sitting on the couch with Lily, some book on her lap. I fight to bite back the lump in my throat and focus on the task at hand. As if in slow motion, we watch as Emmy goes to answer the door, and that’s when everything goes wrong. The camera angle is over just enough that we can’t see exactly what happens, but Emmy comes racing past the camera, grabbing Lily as she goes.
“That must be when Ms. Reese took your daughter up to your bedroom.”
Nodding, I turn back to the monitor. Two men with black ski masks swarm into my living room, and then they’re off screen as well. Chasing after Emmy, no doubt. There is no movement for several minutes and then Emmy is back on screen, running toward the front door. In horror, I watch as one of the guys catches her, grabbing her by the hair. When she fights against him, he slaps her across the face, but she doesn’t stop. Only when he grabs her by the hair and slams her face against the wall does she stop, body dropping to the floor, unmoving.
Fuck, baby. No.
The other guy enters the room and picks Emmy’s body up, slinging her limp body over his shoulder. Blood is seeping through her blonde hair, and I know that’s where the stain downstairs is from. She could already be dead. Emmy isn’t big, and taking a blow like that to the head could’ve killed her. Did I just watch her die?
Turning around, I race to the bathroom and in seconds I’m losing the entire contents of my stomach into the open toilet. My body shakes with each heave, and tears are coursing down my cheeks. How the hell can this be happening to us?
Does it not matter how much Lily and I need her? How much we love her?
How my entire soul will die right along with her if she’s forever taken from us?
My house is a crime scene and I don’t want Lily here any longer. She hasn’t stopped crying, clutching her bunny and refusing to leave my side. Loading her into my truck, I let the detective know that I’ll be at my parents’ house. I have a million phone calls to make, and I’m hanging on by a thread here.
During the drive, I call my mom and manage to keep it under control when I tell her we’re on our way. Her cheery voice and excitement have me fighting tears. Pulling in, I see my brother’s truck there, and I thank God that he’s here too.
Climbing down, I see they’re sitting on the deck, Cade waving t
o us. Going to Lily’s door, I pull her out and she wraps herself around me, tears falling down my neck.
Slowly, I make my way to the porch, and I know Mom can tell something is wrong. Rushing down the steps, she makes it to us in only a few steps and reaches up to cup my face.
“Levi? Honey, what’s wrong.”
Still holding Lily, I drop to my knees in front of her, the tears finally falling. Mom cradles me to her and I grab her with my free arm, tucking my face into her neck as I bawl.
There is commotion around us as Dad and Cade come barreling toward us. My brother pulls Lily from me, who clings to her uncle, crying loudly. I use my mom as a crutch, holding her with both arms. She rubs circles on my back, holding the back of my head with her other hand.
“Momma,” I whisper, lifting my wet face from her shoulder.
“Levi, you’re scaring us, son. What happened? Where’s Emerson?” Dad asks, kneeling next to us, gripping my shoulder.
Just hearing her name has me fighting to break down again, so I shake my head, wiping the tears from my face.
“She’s gone, Dad. I don’t know. After Cade and I left work, I went home and the door was open. She locked Lily in a closet and there was blood and she’s gone. They fucking took her, right from my house. They hurt her.”
Mom takes my face in her hands and looks me in the eyes, tears falling down her cheeks. “Breathe, Levi. You need to calm down and breathe.”
Doing as she says, in moments I feel better, but I’m still trembling. Standing up, I take a deep breath, letting it out shakily.
“Dude,” Cade begins, coming over to hug me hard. Slapping his back, I pull away, finding Lily standing next to him, holding his waist tightly.
“Baby, come here,” I whisper, holding a hand out to her. She runs to me and jumps in my arms. Holding her on my hip, I turn to my parents. “Can we come in? I need to get in touch with Callie and Elliott. Fuck. I told the cops we’d be here, so I’m sure they’ll be coming by soon.”
“Let’s go inside. I’ll get you something to eat,” Mom says, walking us inside.
But I’m not hungry. I’m sick to my stomach with worry.
18
EMERSON
Slowly blinking my eyes open, the first thing that registers is pain. My entire body hurts, but my head feels like it’s full of lead. I can barely hold it up.
When my vision finally stops blurring, I’m able to take in my surroundings. I’m in a basement, or so it looks. It’s dark, with no windows and only one bare lamp in the corner, barely throwing off any light. Scanning the room, I note a large bucket in the corner, and I’m tied to a sparse metal bed, covered in a dirty mattress.
Looking down my body, I see that my clothes have been removed, and I’m only in my bra and panties. There is dried blood smeared across my thigh and I immediately start crying, trying to figure out how to get myself out of this.
Crying softly, I conjure up images of Levi in my head. Those blue eyes that give away every emotion. His beautiful smile that always makes me feel loved. His strong arms that always hold me tight. And just Levi himself. The most genuine, humble, and beautiful person who has ever come into my life, besides his sweet little girl. Lily, the one I consider my own child. The little darling I wanted to adopt so I could be her mommy. And now she’s never gonna know either her real mother or the one who loved her like one should. Levi will be on his own again.
Why is this happening to us?
With that thought, I begin to sob, not caring how loud I’m being. My head throbs with each cry, though the pain in my heart overtakes the pain in my body. I have no idea how long I lose it for, but I’m startled by a loud bang and the sound of a door opening. Trying to get myself under control, I close my eyes and wait for whatever is about to happen.
“Wakey, wakey, you whorey little bitch,” a deep voice taunts and my body shakes, waiting for a blow that never comes.
Turning my head, I’m met with the evilest pair of green eyes I have ever seen. I’ve never seen him before, and I hope to God I never do again. The man has a nasty snarl on his face and when I don’t respond, he reaches out to slap me, causing tears to slip from my eyes.
With a sinister laugh, he reaches down to untie me, my wrists and ankles sore from the tight rope that was around them. Grabbing me by the hair on the back of my head, he pulls me from the bed and yanks me with him. His face is only inches from mine, and I’m forced to stare directly at him.
“Time for some fun,” he whispers, lips curling into a horrifying smile.
“What do you want? I don’t have any money. Why are you doing this?” I cry, trying to stop him. I’m so scared, and I have no idea what this man is capable of. But considering I’ve been stolen, beaten, and God only knows what else, he’s certainly capable of vile things.
“What do I want? I wanted that sweet little girl who belongs to your sweetie, but you were the next best thing.”
“Leave Lily alone! You try to touch even one hair on her head—”
His fist makes contact with the side of my head and my vision grows dark, but I fight to the surface. The smile is gone from his face and he’s pissed. Really pissed.
“You listen to me, you fucking cunt. You are mine. I fucking own your filthy ass now. Fucking Dana screwed this entire plan to hell, and she’ll fucking pay for that. But you, my dear? You’re mine to do with as I so please, and it just so happens that my boys haven’t had a chance to, how shall we say it, release the tension. That’s where you come in.”
I’m hazy but I have to push through it.
“Dana? Lily’s mother? What does she have to do with this?”
“Oh, you stupid fucking clueless girl. Dana is the reason for all of this. Lily was supposed to be mine, but you got in the way last time. We decided you were a good enough second place. You understand?”
“Please, you can let me go. I won’t tell anyone, I promise. No, please!”
Dragging me by the hair, he hauls me up the stairs I didn’t notice before and I kick the entire way up. My body is crying out with each step, but I can’t let him do this. I have no idea why Dana would want this man to have her daughter, and I can only pray that she screwed up enough for the police to catch her.
Once we reach the landing, he shoves me hard across the floor and I go sprawling into the living room. Looking around, I see at least three other men. There are drugs and empty bottles of booze everywhere, and one of the guys glances to me after snorting a line of some white substance. Crawling backward, my back meets the wall and my teeth chatter. Please, no.
“Well, fuck. Mark, my man, what do we have here?” The guy closest to me takes a swig of his beer, then stands to come crouch in front of me. I can smell the alcohol on his breath, and his pupils are completely blown. High on cocaine, no doubt.
“This is Emerson, our new pet.”
“Please,” I mumble, holding my hands up in front of my face.
The man grabs my arms and pulls me to my knees. More tears fall when he starts unbuckling his pants, rubbing himself through the material of his jeans. Scrunching my eyes shut, I let my mind go to Levi. I was just with him hours ago—happy, in love, and safe. What the fuck is going on?
I hear some of the men start hooting and hollering, and I begin to cry. At this point, I start praying for death, because anything would be better than being passed around as their personal sex slave or whatever they have planned for me.
I won’t survive it.
The sound of a zipper interrupts my thoughts, and my eyes pop open in fear. He frees himself and I fight the urge to vomit when he grabs my face. But before he can try to force himself into my mouth, I raise my right arm and punch him as hard as I can, right where it counts. A loud curse flies from his mouth and he drops to the floor, clutching himself as he howls.
“Fuck you,” I grit out. But I know it was the wrong move when Mark comes over and backhands me across the face. Spitting out blood, I try to stand up but he kicks me in the side, pain stabbing
through my stomach.
“Stupid bitch.”
I have no idea how many blows rain down, how many kicks. When one of them collides with my face, I’m thrown back into the darkness, and this time I welcome it. That way I won’t have any memories of them, won’t have to remember what they did.
I need it to swallow me whole and not let me out until I’m safe.
With Levi.
Waking slowly, I find myself back on the bed in the basement, only this time I’m not tied down. I try to roll over but the pain lancing through my back stops me, tears springing to my eyes. My skin is covered in bruises, and God only knows what my face looks like. One of my eyes is swollen shut, and I can taste blood in my mouth. Lying in the dingy room, I allow myself to mourn what was my life.
Clearly I’m not getting out of here alive. And if I do, I may as well die.
Levi.
Lily.
My family.
I’ve lost everything. My only saving grace is that Lily is safe with her daddy, where she should be. I pray that one day they find a way to move on without me. It hurts, imagining Levi with another woman, but he deserves to be loved and cared for. Lily needs a mother.
“I’m so sorry, Levi. So sorry,” I cry, dispensing of all my fears. “I thought I was doing the right thing. I wanted to keep Lily safe. I miss you so much, Levi. I’m so scared. I don’t want to die. It’s just not fair. I want to be home with you. I want to feel your arms around me, telling me everything is okay.”
Covering my face with my battered hands, I cry louder, not feeling the pain anywhere else but my chest. “Please tell Lily I love her. I was ready to be her mommy forever. I wanted your last name, wanted forever with you. It’s not fair! I love you, Levi Jackson. You were the only thing in life that I wanted, and now I’ve lost it. Please don’t forget me.”
My whispers break off as I start to fall asleep again, the pounding in my head growing too strong to fight the darkness. I welcome it; it’s the only place I feel safe.
Then There Was You: A Single Parent Collection Page 165