by A. K. Evans
“Maria,” I called.
She rolled, moaned again, and blinked her eyes several times.
“Are you okay?” I asked.
“Sienna?” she said, slightly groggy.
“Yes. Maria, I can’t move in this chair. Can you sit up and scoot this way?” I asked.
Slowly, she managed to get herself to sitting upright. Her hands were still bound behind her back.
“Are you alright?” I asked again.
She glanced over at me and offered a small smile. “I think so. What are we going to do?”
Shaking my head, I said, “My phone is in my purse, but it’s across the room somewhere. I saw them toss it there when they brought me in.”
Her eyes widened. “I have my phone,” she declared. “It’s in my back pocket.”
The next thing I knew, Maria was leaning to one side and attempting to get her phone out of her back pocket. It wasn’t easy considering her hands were bound, but she eventually managed it. Then she began scooting herself backward until she made it close to me.
Shifting to her knees with her back to me, she held the phone in her hands right where mine was zip tied to the chair and said, “The code is zero one two five.”
Using my finger, I punched in the code. “Done.”
“Call 911.”
I made the call, switched the phone to speaker, and listened to it ring.
“911, what is your emergency?” the operator asked.
“I need help,” I started. “I was kidnapped a few hours ago, and… a friend followed me here. We’re both unable to get away.”
“Do you know where you are?” the operator pressed.
“There’s an abandoned warehouse on a dirt road just off of Franklin Street, right at the edge of Steel Ridge,” Maria said.
I was so glad she knew where we were.
“Is anyone hurt?” she questioned us.
“I hit my head on the concrete floor when I tried to help Sienna,” Maria answered. “We’re both bound at our wrists and ankles.”
I decided to jump in and add, “I’m almost thirty-five weeks pregnant. When I was kidnapped, my boyfriend showed up and tried to stop them, but he was shot.”
“Where were you taken from?” she asked.
I gave her the details of the kidnapping, explaining not only where it happened but who had taken me.
“Now are those men still there?” she queried.
“We’re alone inside the warehouse, but we don’t know where they are,” I told her.
“Alright, well, just hang tight. We have units on the way. I’m going to stay on the phone with you until they get there,” she said.
Even though it was just Maria and me right now in the warehouse, I had to admit it felt good to have this connection to the authorities. Knowing that help was on the way made me feel so much better. Because even if Adrian and Dorian returned, the police wouldn’t be far behind. And I could get out of here. I could make sure that Roscoe was okay.
Although I knew that the police were on their way to help us, it felt like time was ticking by slowly. The 911 operator continued to ask us questions to keep us talking and calm. She’d ask us specifics about our names or the location while peppering in questions to discreetly confirm that we were still alone.
Eventually, and much to my relief, the operator said, “Okay, I have confirmation that units have arrived. It’s still just the two of you in the warehouse, correct?”
“Yes.”
Barely a moment later, the door opened. An officer peeked his head around the corner, scanned the warehouse, and found us. He signaled to someone outside the door, and what I saw next had me feeling a bit tense.
While several police officers walked through the door, there were a couple of guys wearing normal street clothes. Both of them had their eyes pinned on me as they moved right toward me. One had a look that was far more intense than the other.
I grew anxious, wondering if perhaps the guy who’d hired Adrian and Dorian to do this to me had police on his payroll.
Officers made their way behind the men, and they came toward us, too. But one of the two guys in street clothes didn’t even glance to Maria at the side. His only focus was on me.
As they approached, that guy pulled a knife out of his pocket. I immediately tensed as my eyes went wide.
“You’re safe, Sienna,” he said. “I’m friends with Roscoe.”
Relief swept through me as the man came to a stop in front of me. “Is he okay?” I asked.
He nodded and crouched in front of me to cut the ties from around my ankles. “Yes. He’s got a wounded shoulder, but he’s going to be fine,” he shared. “He wanted to come, but we wanted him to get treated, so I gave him my personal promise that I’d bring you back to him. I’m Nixon Scott, by the way. Killian is my brother.”
“Thank you,” I rasped. It was all I could manage as I tried to take in all that he’d just shared.
“Banks, give a call back to Harper and tell Royce to let Roscoe know we’ve got her,” Nixon instructed.
I belatedly realized he was talking to the other man who’d entered, wearing street clothes.
“Got it,” the man I now knew was called Banks replied. He pulled out his phone and walked off in the opposite direction.
After freeing my feet, Nixon moved to my wrists. While he did that, I listened to the officers who were working to free Maria.
“We were told that Sienna was taken from in front of the coffee shop,” they said. “Where did these guys pick you up?”
“I followed them here,” she said. “I saw what happened and followed behind the van. I tried to save Sienna when I got here, but they ended up tackling me to the ground. I knocked my head on the concrete floor and passed out. When I woke up, it was just the two of us here and my wrists and ankles were bound.”
“Sienna, were you awake? Did you see this happen?” Nixon asked.
I nodded. “Yes.”
“And these two guys just left afterward?” he pressed.
“Yeah. I don’t know for sure how long it’s been, but they might have walked out about twenty minutes before we called for help.”
An officer stepped closer and asked, “Did you recognize either of the men? Could you provide descriptions of them?”
“I’ve never seen them before today, but I know their names are Adrian and Dorian. Or, at least, that’s what they referred to each other as,” I answered. “They looked like they could be brothers.”
He was jotting something down as he asked, “And what about their physical appearance?”
“Brody?” Nixon called.
“Yeah?” the officer replied, looking at him.
“Can we get these women out of here and back to Harper before we continue with the questioning?” he asked. “Despite Banks calling, I’m sure Roscoe is crawling out of his skin right now to see her.”
The officer nodded and closed up his notepad. “Sure.”
“Excuse me?” I interrupted.
“Yes?”
“Before we leave, would it be alright if I used that bathroom over there?” I asked, pointing toward the back corner of the warehouse. “My bladder feels about ready to explode.”
Both men glanced down at my belly, but it was Nixon who urged, “Go ahead, sweetheart. I’ll wait right here for you.”
With that, I didn’t say another word and took off. I desperately needed to relieve myself.
I did what I had to do as quickly as I could because I wanted nothing more than to get back to wherever Nixon was planning on taking me so I could see Roscoe. Because even though I felt relief knowing that I was now safe, I knew I wouldn’t truly feel great until I was back with the man I loved.
After finishing in the bathroom, I opened the door and walked out. When I looked to where I last saw Nixon standing, I realized he wasn’t alone.
I stopped moving, locked eyes on him, and a sob escaped.
Roscoe was standing there, his shirt still covered in blood. It w
as clear to see that someone had dressed the bullet wound, which left me feeling utterly amazed.
Roscoe had been shot protecting me. Didn’t he belong in a hospital or something?
Not wanting to wait another moment to be in his arms, I began moving again. He took a few steps in my direction, but mostly, he waited for me to get to him.
The moment I was close enough to touch, he reached out for me, hauled me up against his body, and buried his face in my neck. One of my arms went over his uninjured shoulder, while the other slipped around his waist.
“I’m so sorry, Sienna,” he lamented, his voice sounding tortured.
“It wasn’t your fault,” I insisted. “I’m just glad to see you’re okay. How are you even here right now?”
Pulling his face back from my neck so he could look at me, he answered, “Killian’s cousin, Roscoe, owns a private investigation and security firm. I went there after you were taken so I could get him to locate you. The police showed up after Nixon called them, and when they got word about this call, we had a feeling it was you. After I let the paramedics take care of my shoulder, which was just a graze, I all but demanded that Royce bring me to you.”
“I was so scared for you,” I confessed.
His arm tightened around me. “I’m okay. Are you hurt? Do you feel alright?” he asked.
Nodding, I confirmed, “I’m okay. It was scary, but I’m mostly just tired now.”
Roscoe’s eyes roamed over me as though he were trying to assess me and confirm that I was unharmed.
“I still want you to go to the hospital,” he said. “Just as a precaution to have both you and the baby checked out.”
I wanted that too, so I agreed, “Okay. And were you checked out?”
“Paramedics,” he explained.
“I want your shoulder checked out at the hospital as well,” I demanded.
A smile formed on his face. “Whatever you want, baby girl,” he replied quietly.
At that, Roscoe and I turned back toward everyone else. We moved in that direction and when we stopped in front of them, my eyes went to Maria.
“Thank you for doing what you did,” I said. “I’m not sure what would have happened to me or this baby if you didn’t follow them here.”
She offered a small smile and replied, “You’re welcome.” Her eyes slid to Roscoe. “I hope your shoulder is okay.”
He nodded. “I’ll be fine. Thank you, Maria, for what you did for Sienna today. I owe you a debt of gratitude.”
Her face lit up as she shrugged. “I’m sure anyone would have done the same thing,” she reasoned. “I’m just glad I was walking out of the nail salon a couple of doors down from where it all happened. I guess I was just in the right place at the right time.”
“You weren’t hurt, were you?” he questioned her.
She touched her head. “I’ll probably have a headache for a day or two, but other than that, I’m alright.”
“I want to get Sienna to the hospital so we can check on the baby, but I want you to know that I not only owe you my gratitude, but I also owe you an apology. I wasn’t nice the last time I saw you, and you didn’t deserve that.”
Something changed in her face as I started to wonder what he was talking about. Did something happen the night he left me at his place when I thought he went to hook up with her?
I couldn’t bring myself to ask while everyone else was around, and it wasn’t like I could because Maria replied quietly, “It’s okay.”
“It’s not. And I want to talk to you about it, but right now I need to make sure the baby is okay.”
She nodded. “I understand.”
Roscoe looked back at me. “Ready?”
“Yeah.”
He turned his attention to the man he’d arrived with and said, “Royce, this is Sienna. Sienna, this is Royce.”
“Pleasure to meet you.”
“You too,” I replied.
“Can you take us back to Harper Security so I can grab my car and get Sienna to the hospital?” Roscoe asked him.
“I’ll take you both to the hospital and have Killian and Magnolia meet you there with your car,” he suggested. He jerked his head toward the exit and added, “Why don’t the two of you head out to my truck? I’ll be right there.”
I didn’t need to be asked twice.
After I thanked Nixon once again, I walked beside Roscoe and out to Royce’s truck. Once we were inside, I slid my arms around Roscoe’s waist and buried my face in his chest.
“I love you,” I told him.
He gave my shoulder a squeeze. “I love you, too.”
For the first time since everything happened hours ago, I finally felt safe.
Twenty-five
Roscoe
“I should have you out of here in a few minutes.”
That came from the nurse who had just finished patching up my shoulder.
Just as the nurse stepped back from me and began cleaning up all her supplies, a phone rang. Killian slipped his hand into his pocket, pulled his out, and said, “I’ll be right outside.”
Sienna raised her hand as she shifted the food in her mouth to one side, forcing her cheek to puff out, and said to the nurse, “Take your time. I’m all good now thanks to Killian and Magnolia.”
I wanted to laugh. After everything that had happened today, I was so relieved to see that she seemed to be coping with it all okay.
Killian and Magnolia had arrived at the hospital with the keys to my car, just as Royce had promised. When they got here, which was after an ultrasound had been done and confirmed that everything was okay with the baby, Sienna had mentioned how hungry she was. And since she insisted on me having my shoulder checked out again, it was going to be too long for her to wait to eat something.
Our friends ran out and grabbed her some food.
Seeing Sienna happy and relaxed, and knowing that our baby was okay, I should have felt relief.
To some extent, I guess I did.
But even if I knew that Sienna was perfectly safe right now, I wasn’t exactly convinced that we were completely out of the woods. Something told me this wasn’t a random kidnapping. Someone wanted to take her, and I had a feeling I was the reason for it.
It could have been a kidnap and ransom case—someone looking for a quick payday that believed they’d be able to get money out of me. If that’s what it was, I guess they were smart. Because there was no amount of money I would have refused to pay in order to get her back safely.
It might not have been about money, though. Just like Killian had experienced with Magnolia late last year, I knew it was entirely possible that someone might want something that had nothing to do with scoring some quick cash. And that was a far scarier reality to accept.
Despite my fears that this wasn’t over for us just yet, I refused to show it. I didn’t want Sienna to have to worry about anything more than she might have already been. My job was to protect her, and I had every intention of doing just that.
I managed to get my shirt pulled over my head just as Killian walked back in. “Hey, Roscoe, can we talk outside a minute?” he asked.
My brows knit together in confusion, and I could feel the tension immediately radiating off Sienna.
“Sure,” I answered. Looking over at where Sienna and Magnolia were seated, I said, “I’ll be right back.”
The worry was written all over Sienna’s face. Maybe she wasn’t coping as well as I thought.
One thing at a time.
I’d talk to Killian, get discharge papers, and get her home. Then we could talk about whatever was on her mind before we went down to the police station tomorrow so she could give an official statement.
Once I’d stepped outside the room, I looked at Killian and asked, “What’s going on?”
“Royce just called me,” he said.
“And?”
Killian sighed. “He urged me to convince you to go to the station.”
Nodding, I insisted, “I am. I already tol
d him that Sienna and I would go down tomorrow. He let one of the officers know before we left the warehouse earlier.”
Shaking his head, my best friend explained, “Royce thinks it’s imperative that you go down there tonight.”
Now, I was growing alarmed. “Why? Did something happen?”
“I don’t know,” he replied with a shrug of his shoulders. “He didn’t give me any specifics, but I’m guessing there’s a good reason. He wouldn’t insist upon it after all that you both went through today if it wasn’t important.”
“You think they found those guys?” I asked.
“Maybe. Unless the person responsible for all of this showed up at that warehouse after you left,” he reasoned.
The last thing I wanted to do was drag Sienna to the station right now, but if whoever was behind this was caught, it might actually help to ease her mind. And while I couldn’t be certain there wouldn’t be any lingering anxiety or bad memories haunting her from all of this, I had to believe that knowing the person responsible was no longer a threat would help steer her in the right direction.
“Okay. I’ll take her there as soon as we leave here,” I told him.
“You know if there’s anything Mags or I can do for you, we will,” he said. “I’m really glad you’re both okay.”
“Yeah. Thanks, man.”
Ten minutes later, Sienna and I were back in the car and heading toward the police station.
“Is everything okay?” she asked about two minutes after we’d pulled out of the hospital parking lot.
“Yeah. Why do you ask?”
“Killian wanted to speak to you privately. I couldn’t help but feel like it had something to do with all this, especially considering we’re heading to the police station right now,” she noted.
I reached across the center console to take her hand in mind and provide her with some comfort. It didn’t matter that my left shoulder felt rather uncomfortable holding onto the steering wheel. I’d push through that pain to give Sienna whatever reassurance she needed.
“Royce called him and told him to have us go down to the station tonight, but he didn’t explain why,” I started. Her fingers tightened in mine just as I continued, “I’d like to think it’s protocol, but I have a feeling they have information for us. It could be a good thing.”