Love Heals

by Dixie Lynn Dwyer

  “And we love you,” Aleck said. They hugged her and kissed her before they headed back downstairs, and she prepared to leave for the office.

  Maya was heading back to her house when she noticed the car following her. She didn’t recognize it. She wasn’t sure if she should head home or not and then as a precaution, she made the turn and looped around to go back to work. When her phone rang, and she saw it was Charlie she answered it with Bluetooth.

  “Hey, Maya. I’m just checking in. Didn’t know if you were still going to come by with those pictures of the scarves and things to sell at the fundraising event next month.”

  “Yeah, I can do that. Actually, I was heading home, and then I saw this car I don’t recognize. Not sure if it was following me. Maybe not, it made the other turn. Jesus, I’m a nervous wreck. Nash keeps doing drive-bys and his brother Alex, the state trooper, too.”

  “Well they’re worried about you, and obviously they don’t want anyone else to watch over you. I’d say they like you Maya and are going to make a move.”

  “Make a move? Oh God.”

  Charlie chuckled as she made the turn onto the side street before her office.

  “I’m going to stop by my house really quick to grab those pictures. Will it be okay to come by in ten minutes or so?” Maya asked Charlie.

  “Definitely. I have a client in thirty, so we should be good.”

  “Great, see you shortly.”

  Charlie pulled her car into the back parking lot and then got her keys out and reached for her bag. She walked through the front entryway and then into the office. Estella wasn’t at her desk. “Estella, I’m here,” she said and then headed to her office. As she passed by the front desk, she heard what sounded like a moan and looked down to see Estella on the floor. She was tied up, her mouth taped closed, and she was bleeding from her lips. Her eyes widened as Charlie bent down and reached back for her phone.

  “Not so fast bitch.” The strike to her head knocked her over onto the rug. When her eyes landed on Lucas, she knew she was in trouble. She saw her phone on the rug, and while holding Lucas’s gaze, she pushed it with her foot toward Estella. Her head was pounding, and tears filled her eyes.

  “What the hell are you doing? Who are you?” She pretended not to know.

  “Don’t try that shit with me. You know damn well who I am. You took my woman and my kid and that dick sheriff you’re fucking needs to learn a lesson about who’s in charge. See how he feels when I take you with me, and he loses his little fuck toy. Let’s go.” He gripped her by her arm and yanked her up. The room spun, but she wouldn’t let him take her. She swung her fist at his face and hit his nose that appeared to already be broken. He roared and struck her across the mouth. He shoved her against the desk and struck her several times until she could barely focus.

  Lucas threw her over his shoulder, his hand on her ass and headed out to the side of the building. He shoved her into the van as her head spun and her vision blurred. He cuffed her to some kind of pole in the back then closed the door got into the driver’s side and took off out of the parking lot.

  Please, Estella. Make the call. Call for help, please.

  Maya got out of her car and hurried to the front door of her home. She would make it quick, get inside, get the photos then head to Charlie’s office. She was looking forward to the fair next month and selling the scarves and other items she made on the side. Maybe she would make enough money to buy that new crafting machine she wanted. She would be able to do so much more with that machine. As her cell phone rang, she brought it to her ear as she went into her bedroom and reached for the folder of pictures. “Hi, Nash. I’m home but heading out again. I need to go by Charlie’s office to show her some pictures.” As he reprimanded her for not telling him where she was so he could follow her home, she heard the noise. “Oh God, Nash,” she whispered into the phone.

  “Who is there?” he asked.

  “Someone is in the house.” As the footsteps got closer, she could hear Nash telling her he was on his way and there stood Hurley and Pace Jones. She screamed out and yelled at them. “What are you doing in my house? What do you want?” she screamed and lay the phone onto the floor.

  “To party, baby. You sure are pretty. Damn, look at that body,” Hurley said, and she glanced toward the dresser where she had another gun. Could she get there in time? She wasn’t sure, but she had no choice but to jump across the bed. Hurley dove on top of her, ripped her top and grabbed her by her skirt. She kicked at him and could have sworn she heard sirens and then Pace Jones ran from the room and down the back hallway. Hurley pulled her down the bed, and she swung at his face, his chest as she screamed at the top of her lungs. He swung back, hitting her in the face as he ripped her skirt, pressed between her legs and held her wrists above her head. He cupped her breast and said filthy things to her, and she screamed at the top of her lungs, remembering the night she had been attacked and raped over two years ago.

  She just kept screaming and screaming and then felt his hands on her, him undoing his pants when suddenly Nash and Jeb came barreling into the room. Nash pulled Hurley by his head and neck and yanked him back. He and Jeb punched him as the sheriff and others came into the room. She cried and closed her eyes, pulled her legs up against her chest and sobbed until she heard Jeb’s voice. Felt his hands on her, and then he gently lifted her into his arms and hugged her. She wrapped her arms around his neck as Jeb caressed her hair.

  “You’re okay, baby. You’re okay. We got him. He’s handcuffed and out of here. You’re safe.”

  She was shivering and shaking. Her words mumbled. “P-Pace.”

  “He was here, too?” Titus asked. She nodded.

  “Ran,” she said, and Nash narrowed his eyes as more police arrived, and then their radios went off.

  “911 call from Charlie’s office. No word on what it is. Prime, Seren, and Montana are closest and on their way,” Faris told him. “Oh shit, Lucas. Could Lucas be going after Charlie?” he said and then hurried from the room.

  “Son of a bitch, he’ll kill her for helping Adele and Cody. He’ll kill her,” Maya said, and Nash held her close.

  “It will be okay. The sheriff and the others will make sure of that.” Nash caressed her cheek. “We should get you to the hospital.” She shook her head, and more tears fell. Jeb clenched her chin.

  “We’re here to protect you and take care of you, Maya. Trust us.” Jeb said, and she closed her eyes and tried to calm her breathing.

  “I’ll be fine. I’m worried about Charlie and Estella. If Lucas takes Charlie, he’ll hurt her worse than he hurt Adele.”

  “Son of a bitch! What the fuck is going on, Titus?” Sheriff Kane McCabe asked as he arrived on scene at Charlie’s office. Titus’s brothers just pulled up, and Corey came from the dojo as soon as he heard about the 911 call.

  “It’s a fucking mess. We’re looking at the surveillance tapes now to get a make of the vehicle Lucas took Charlie in.

  “Is Estella hurt badly?” Kane asked.

  “She’s shaken up and gave us a lot of information. Charlie is hurt. Lucas struck her with something, and when she tried to resist going with him, he beat her up,” Titus said through clenched teeth. As they watched the video outside, it appeared she was badly hurt. Her lips were bleeding, her eye swollen, and she wasn’t giving much of a fight.

  “Get that license plate. We’ll find that van. Put an APB out on that immediately,” Titus ordered. He looked around at everyone there. They were all upset, and the other deputies were filling them in on the incident at Maya’s.

  “Do you think he sent those other bozos there as a distraction to make all of you head out of town?” Kane asked.

  “Very well could have. Pace is missing, but we have Hurley in custody. He’s pretty beaten up after Jeb and Nash stopped him from hurting Maya further. Maybe we can get something from him?” Fox said.

  “Let’s do it. Time isn’t on our side with a man like Lucas. He’s lost it, and he isn’t
even trying to find Adele and his son. He’s looking for revenge against me. Let’s go,” Titus said.

  “I don’t fucking like this. It’s been hours. Where the fuck can they be?” Corey asked as they gathered around the meeting room at the department. The state police were involved, the Texas Rangers, and it was an all-out hunt for Lucas.

  “Did you hear from Fox, Chase, Alex, and Mavis yet?” Rhett Perkins asked. Everyone in town was gathered, some were out looking for the van, others trying to do what they could to help find Charlie. Titus’s cell phone went off.

  “Hello?”

  “Cortlan. That’s where he took her,” Fox told him and then explained how they found out. How witnesses saw the van flying through town and up toward the log cabins in the woods. Some older couple heard about the missing woman and the black van, and even though they didn’t see the license plate, they saw the direction it was headed.

  “We’ll meet you at the checkpoint in Cortlan.” Titus explained the situation. “We need to be extra careful here. You know the drill. Let’s organize teams as we make our way to Cortlan as quickly as possible. Then we come up with a strategic plan,” Titus said, and they all headed out.

  Charlie stared at Lucas. This was the second time he snorted a line of cocaine. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand and stared at her like he wanted to really hurt her. This wasn’t good at all. He wasn’t even focused and wouldn’t be able to have a rational conversation where she could try to convince him to not hurt her more. As it was, her head was throbbing, her eye so swollen she could hardly see out of it and her lip and cheek cut and swollen, too. It could be worse. He could try to sexually assault her. He suddenly stood up and paced.

  “Those fucking pussies fucked up. I know they did. Hurley won’t talk, not even to your boyfriend the sheriff,” he said to her.

  “They left you high and dry to take the fall for everything, huh?” she asked. He stomped toward her.

  “No one leaves me high and dry. They probably fucked that cute little cunt Maya then slit her throat. Those two are a lot dirtier than you or anyone else even know.”

  She felt sick and worried about Maya and hoped what he said wasn’t true. Hopefully, Titus and her brother were able to get to Maya in time. That was probably why she didn’t hear any sirens when she was taken. All the police probably headed into Cherry Hill and the other end of town. They planned it this way. He walked over to her, then squatted down, licked his lip she busted as she fought him trying to stop him from taking her. She paid the price and right now she was feeling pretty bad.

  “So what’s your plan?” she asked him. He reached out and stroked her bare thigh. Her skirt was raised up and her blouse ripped open. He licked his lips. He reached out and ran a thumb along her breast. She tried turning away but the bindings on her wrists were attached to the wall behind her, and she couldn’t even reach forward much.

  “Thought we would get better acquainted.” He continued to thumb her nipple.

  “Don’t touch me,” she said to him, shivering as he chuckled.

  “Oh, I’m going to be doing a lot more than that, and if Pace and Hurley get here, they’ll join me. By the time that dick sheriff of yours finds you, he won’t want to even look at you, never mind touch you or keep you.” He pushed her skirt up to her waist, and whistled low as he eyed over her thighs and panties.

  “Is that what you do? Force yourself onto women? Losers do that. Men who don’t have what it takes to provide for a woman and keep her happy and content,” she said to him. He pulled back and punched her, hard in the cheek. Her head went back and hit the wall, stunning her.

  “You have to learn to shut up and mind your own damn business. Because of you, my woman and my kid aren’t with me.”

  “Not because of me, asshole, but because of you,” she said, and he growled at her.

  “You think you’re so tough? We’ll see how tough you are when I skin you alive, bitch.” He pulled the large knife from his boot and brought it to her neck. He smirked as he trailed it along her skin, then down her chest. It was so damn sharp the material of her shirt parted as the blade sliced through it. She was shaking and knew he was capable of slicing her up, probably of skinning her alive considering he was a soldier.

  “I think you lost perspective of civilian life and military life. People don’t do things like that to other people in civilian life,” she whispered.

  He gripped her chin and cheeks hard. “You don’t think so? You don’t think that sheriff of yours killed before? You think he’s sane? Won’t lose his shit one night and take it out on you because he forgets where he is?” he asked her.

  “Is that what happened to you with Adele and Cody?” she asked. He shoved her face hard and then put the knife back into the boot. She glanced down and saw the gun on his waist. If she got enough room, she could pull it, but could she get her fingers around the trigger with these cuffs on? If she failed, he would cut her up and kill her.

  “Adele is a pain in the ass. She’s supposed to serve me not give me lip. She can’t keep that fucking baby quiet either. I should have killed them both and been done with it.” He smiled wickedly. He was perspiring now, and his eyes looked funny. The drugs were kicking in big time.

  “That’s your baby though. You’re his daddy.” He squinted and just stared at her.

  “Is that what you do? Tell men they have to love their women, their kid, and pretend things are okay when they aren’t?” He raised his voice at her. He straddled her waist again and was hurting her thighs. He was a big man. She held his gaze and tried to test the distance between his waist and the gun and the bindings on her wrists.

  “No, I try to help them deal with the problems, the issues in the relationship that make the person feel inadequate and unloved.” He stared at her.

  “You want to be my therapist, Charlie?” he asked and slid his palm up along her thigh under her skirt.

  “You need one, Lucas?” she asked and eased her fingers closer, slowly. The more he leaned closer, the better of a grip she could get.

  “You ever fuck your clients?” he asked and lowered his mouth to her neck and licked her skin. She tightened up.

  “No,” she said, and then he paused. She heard a creak, like someone was on the wood porch outside. He started to pull back.

  “Wait,” she said, and he looked down at her. She licked her split lip. “I bet you never considered therapy, or even just letting someone hold you and hug you and not want a thing in return,” she said to him. She hadn’t expected him to grip her face between his hands and stare at her mouth.

  “You want to hug me?”

  “Maybe that’s what you need,” she said, and her fingertips touched the butt of the gun. He pressed his mouth to hers, and she grabbed the gun. He lifted up, and she pulled the trigger with it still in his pants, and he roared. As he jumped up, she screamed, and he yanked her down lower, grabbed for her neck and squeezed. He was yelling out in pain, and she was losing her breath when the door burst open, and someone tackled him to the ground. She fell to the floor the rest of the way. Couldn’t breathe, felt herself losing consciousness.

  “Charlie!” Titus called her name and lowered down to the floor. She gasped for breath. He stroked her chin. “Ambulance. Get the paramedics, now. He was choking her, and she can’t breathe.” Her eyes widened, and fear gripped her insides. She saw Titus, Corey, Aleck, and Mavis then her brothers Kane, Culter, Chase, and Fox before darkness before she lost focus.

  The next thing she felt was her body bump something soft underneath it and then hands caressing her as she felt like she was rolling on something. Her body banged again, then doors closed, and a siren hummed in the distance. Something went over her face, things were beeping, people were saying her name, and then she lost consciousness.

  Epilogue

  Titus ran his hands over his face and leaned forward in the chair. He was exhausted. They all were as they remained by Charlie’s side as she recovered from her injuries. She had a br
uised trachea, a concussion, and the doctors had feared for the worse when she started spitting up blood. The damage to her throat was determined to be dangerous and involved specialized treatment for healing. The hope was that other injuries didn’t occur and the most she would have would be a hoarse voice, some aches and pains that would eventually wear off, and, the body would repair itself back to normal. Lucas was a big man, and as she shot him and he tightened his hold on her throat, he could have crushed her esophagus and injured her spinal cord, as well. They had made it in the nick of time.