by Kennedy Fox
“Oh my God,” I hiss quietly.
A rush of second-guessing soars through me, wondering if we’re going about this all wrong and should call for help and let SWAT take his ass out instead, but then I hear an ear-piercing scream come from inside.
“Goddammit. We should call the police for backup.” I’m jumpy and unsure. I can’t believe this is happening right now.
“Keep it together, Holt. We’re doing this. No backing down now,” Liam tells me, then jerks his head at me as if he needs confirmation I’m good to go.
I take several deep breaths before nodding in return. Whatever happens, I’ll know we did what we had to in order to get her out safely.
“By the photo, it looks like they’re in the kitchen, so I think if we go in through the side door in the garage, he won’t notice. Kilan mentioned that door doesn’t lock, and not too long ago, the garage door was stuck up so asked me to watch the place,” Liam explains. “He was supposed to get someone out here to fix it, but apparently didn’t.”
I glare. “That’s exactly how that bastard got in.”
As if he already figured it out, he frowns. “I know. I think that’s where we should enter, though,” Liam suggests, and I agree.
“We have the element of surprise on our side, so when we barge in, you two need to take him down right away. I’ll grab Sophie and get her the fuck out of there,” I tell Liam and Hunter.
Hunter speaks up. “If Liam goes in first with his gun, I can go in behind and throw something across the room to distract him. Then you come in after and grab her.” We nod in agreement. There are three of us and only one of him. He might be armed, but Liam is just as dangerous with his weapon. “Be careful, okay? Lennon will murder us if we get hurt,” Hunter adds.
Liam smirks. “We’ll let you handle her since you’re good at it.”
“Shut the hell up,” Hunter snaps.
“Alright, so you two go in first, and I’ll focus on getting Sophie,” I confirm. We cross the yard toward the garage and keep to the side of the house. I can hear Sophie’s cries from inside, and I’m tempted to say fuck it all and rush in there by myself, but I know how life-threatening this whole plan is. One wrong move could mean it ends badly for us.
Liam slips inside the garage, and Hunter and I follow him. He grabs the doorknob and turns and looks at me.
“You love her.” It’s not a question.
There’s not a doubtful bone in my body when I answer. “Yeah, I do.”
He grins. “Then all you need to worry about is getting her out of here. Let Hunter and me handle him. Got it?”
I swallow and nod. Liam holds his gun out in front of him after giving his backup one to Hunter, then they both enter. My adrenaline spikes as realization hits—this is about to end, and I’ll get my sweet Sophie back.
Once inside the entry, I can hear Dalton’s laughter as he threatens to kill her and then kill me. No fucking way in hell is that happening.
Liam quietly walks down the hall that leads to the kitchen and living room with Hunter behind him. I trust them both with my life, but right now, I’m anxious as fuck that something is going to go horribly wrong.
As we walk farther into the house, I make sure to stay behind them, and the discussion in the kitchen becomes louder.
“I’ll do anything you want if you just leave everyone alone,” Sophie pleads, which means he took the gag out of her mouth. Thank God. Though it was probably because he gets off on hearing her beg.
He releases a rumbling laugh. “You’ll do anything I want anyway.”
I clench my jaw and try to calm the rage that soars through me. My heart pounds hard in my chest as I prepare for the most important mission of my life. I suck in deep breaths, trying to remain calm and assess the situation as Liam and Hunter cut through the dining room. Standing in the hallway, I keep my back against the wall and peek around the corner into the kitchen and see the police scanner on the counter as he points a knife directly in her face.
“Your pleas are boring me,” Dalton tells her, unamused, dropping the knife and picking up a gun. “About as much as your boyfriend does.”
“Shut up,” she spits back but winces as if speaking hurts.
He points it at Sophie, giving her an eerie grin. “Just once click. That’s all it would take to end you right now. Isn’t this fun?”
He twirls it around his finger before placing it against Sophie’s head. My body stiffens, and I nearly lose my strength as I wait for Hunter to make a fucking move. Seeing a gun pointed at her makes me want to wrap my hands around Dalton’s throat until he takes his last fucking breath. I almost can’t take it anymore, and my hands ball into fists, trying to keep from making any noise.
“Please,” she whispers, completely defeated. “Please, Dalton.”
Before he can respond, the dildo sculpture crashes to the floor, shattering into a million pieces. Dalton turns on his heels and points the gun toward the dining room. He shouts, demanding to know who’s there.
Seconds later, a round exits the silencer, then blood splatters on Sophie’s face and body. She wails as she struggles against the chair. Liam shot Dalton in the shoulder, purposely not killing him. He stumbles back, drops the gun, and the metal crashes against the tile floor. I don’t allow another second to be wasted before I rush into the kitchen and slam my body into Dalton. We both fall to the ground, and I kick the gun out of his reach. Liam comes and stands over Dalton, keeping the weapon pointed at his head, but the sick fuck isn’t scared or threatened. In fact, he must have a fucking death wish. Dalton struggles against me, and when I push myself off him, Liam shoots again, putting a bullet in his thigh as Hunter struggles to hold him down.
“I’m going to fucking kill you. I’m going to fucking kill you all,” Dalton warns, wailing from the pain.
“Shut the fuck up,” Liam spits, kneeling and leaning closer to him. “I should put a bullet between your eyes right now.” He taps the barrel of his pistol to his forehead. “But I like seeing you suffer the way you made her. So I might not call an ambulance for a while…let you bleed out a little…just for fun,” he mocks the way he taunted Sophie.
Seeing that Liam and Hunter have it under control, I run over to Sophie and cup her beaten and swollen face in my hands. “I’ve got you, baby. It’s gonna be okay,” I tell her, trying to soothe both of us. She’s crying hysterically, pulling against the duct tape that asshole wrapped around her wrists and ankles.
“I’m so fucking sorry.” It kills me to see her like this. My Sophie looks so damn broken. “I’m getting you out, baby,” I say, grabbing a knife from the counter and cutting her free from the chair. I do an assessment and see the dried blood on her arm from the earlier cut. That asshole’s blood spewed on her face and hair, making both of us cringe. I immediately wrap one arm around her back and one under her legs, lifting her out of the chair.
“Get her out of here,” Liam shouts when Dalton tries to pull himself up. He’s clearly not going down without a fight. Fucking moron.
“Hunter, do me a favor and deck him in the face for me before you call 911,” I say, walking with Sophie in my arms when I see him pull out his cell. I’d do it myself, but getting her out of here is more important.
“Not a fucking problem.” He grins, sliding his phone back into his pocket.
Then I hug Sophie to my chest and walk us the fuck out of there.
Chapter Five
Mason
As soon as we’re back at the house, I carry Sophie’s lifeless body upstairs as she clings to me. My thoughts are so scattered, I can’t sort through them.
Once we’re upstairs in the bathroom, I gently set her down on the countertop. She’s so broken and defeated, and it takes every ounce of willpower I have left to keep my emotions inside. The last thing I want to do is fall apart in front of her when she’s already shattered. Studying her body, I analyze what he did to her. Her dress is torn to shit, blood is splattered all over her, and her face is red and swollen. Thank fuck he didn’t
touch her fingers and toes or, worse, slice her throat. That asshole got off on other people’s fear.
“Do you want me to take you to the hospital?” I cautiously ask her. “You might have some broken ribs. They won’t be able to do much for it, but they could give you some good pain meds.”
She shakes her head. I know her well enough that arguing right now won’t help, and I wouldn’t win anyway. If she needs meds, I can find some for her some another way. “Okay, baby.”
I turn on the shower so the water can warm up. All I want to do is wash that piece of shit off her, but I know she’s hurting.
She’ll have two shiners by morning. I can already see the red marks around her neck, making me wish I could’ve shot that fucking bastard myself for touching her.
“Can you lift your arms, baby?” I ask softly, grabbing the hem of what’s left of her dress. With her eyes closed, she slowly raises them. She winces but doesn’t stop until I can fully remove it. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart. Fuck, I’m so sorry.” I carefully cup her cheeks. “I’ll be super careful.”
Sophie keeps her gaze to the floor, staying silent. I know she’s emotionally exhausted, and I can’t even imagine what she’s thinking, if anything at all. I wrap my arms around her and unstrap her bra, then gently slide it off. That motherfucker’s marks are on her arms.
Next, I slide her panties down her legs and toss them aside. Steam fills the room, so I strip off my clothes, and after I test the water, I lift Sophie and walk us to the shower.
Once we’re inside, I set her down, close the curtain, and position us under the stream.
I brush my fingers through her strands and massage shampoo into her scalp, scrubbing out the blood and tangles. She keeps her eyes shut as I rinse her hair, but moans quietly at my touch. Sophie reaches for me and tightly grips my biceps, pulling me closer. “I’m not letting you go, baby. Never again.”
Her body tenses as I gently wrap my arm around her shoulders, and I know she’s about to break down. I want her to feel safe with me and give her the space to release whatever she’s feeling. Cupping her face, I softly press my lips to hers before pulling back and resting my head against hers. Our breathing is the only sound that can be heard over the heavy stream.
“I love you, Sophie. I love you so goddamn much.” I hope by now she knows I’d do anything for her.
She pulls back slightly, out of the water, and blinks up at me for the first time since I carried her from that house.
“I almost missed the chance to tell you, so I’m taking the opportunity now. Soph, I’m in love with you,” I tell her honestly. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” I murmur.
Sophie stares at me with tears in her eyes, and I don’t know if they’re from my confession or the whole situation. Either way, I wipe my thumbs over her cheeks, then pull her back into my chest. When she manages to wrap her arms around my waist, I feel her entire body shake as cries echo into the air. I hate hearing her sobs, but I know it’s what she needs to process and get through this. As terrible as it all was, I have to believe we’ll get through this.
After a while, I grab her loofah and lather her body wash on it. Slowly, I rub over her skin, cleaning more blood off her face and neck. I want his memory off her. Sophie stands silently as I scrub over each arm, her chest and stomach, down each leg, and between her thighs. Then she turns around and allows me to repeat the process. I reposition her under the water so she’s facing me and watch as it all rinses away.
“I was so scared I’d never see you again,” she finally says after her breathing steadies. “I knew you’d come looking for me, but I was certain Dalton would shoot you before you’d even get to me.”
“I’m sure that was his plan,” I tell her honestly. “But we had a better one.”
“He’s a monster,” she says quietly. “I’m a fool for not seeing it.”
“Listen to me,” I demand, cupping her jaw. “You’re the sweetest, kindest, most trusting person I know. That doesn’t make you a fool, and thinking otherwise isn’t going to help you in this situation.”
“I should’ve listened to you,” she states weakly, tears falling again.
“I can’t say I didn’t wish you did, too. But I didn’t know who he was either, not until today. I thought he was after a relationship, but neither of us could’ve seen this coming.”
“I fell for it so easily. His lies, his story, everything.” She sounds so defeated.
“That’s because you choose to see the best in everyone, baby. Don’t let him make you second-guess who you are, you hear me? You’re compassionate, and he used that to his advantage. He’s a piece of shit who’s going to prison for a long ass time. I’ll make sure of it,” I promise.
Bringing her closer, I kiss away the tears along her cheeks before bringing my mouth to hers for a tender kiss. I wish I could take all the pain away and pretend none of this happened. Losing Sophie would end me for good.
“He killed her,” Sophie mutters after a while. “That’s my fault.”
Blinking, I pull back slightly to study her expression. “Who?”
Her eyes widen, and she looks at me. “Dacia,” she chokes out, the tears taking over again.
Shock pulses through me as I try to wrap my head around what she just said. “How do you know?”
“He told me. She was getting in his way of having me all to himself. I’m the reason Dacia’s dead,” she says with a shaky voice.
Closing my eyes, I inhale a deep breath, trying to control myself. I’d love to get him in a ring and punch his fucking lights out. He’s a suspect in the murder his wife only five months ago, and now he’s killed another innocent woman. I have no doubt he would’ve killed me or Sophie, or both.
“No, sweetheart. Dalton is the reason she’s dead,” I say, trying to reassure her, though I know it won’t help. Nothing anyone could’ve said would have changed how I felt about Emma’s death, and I know it’ll feel the same for Sophie. “I know you feel guilty, but you couldn’t have known what his plans were or how he was going to hurt her or you. That fucker is gonna wish Liam killed him because now he’s going to prison for two murders and attempted murder on top of kidnapping. He’s never going to be able to touch you again.”
I cradle her in my arms, needing her as close as possible. The what-ifs haunted me, threatening to break down my barrier of strength. I need to be strong for her so she can get through this, knowing it won’t be easy either way.
What if we hadn’t gotten there on time?
What if we hadn’t found her?
What if he’d shot her?
What if he’d shot Liam, Hunter, or myself?
The what-ifs are what will suffocate and choke me for a long ass time.
“The police will be waiting for our statements,” I tell her after a few minutes. “If you’re not ready, I’ll tell them to come back. They can wait.”
And they can. I’ve worked dozens of cases throughout my internship where witness statements weren’t collected for days or sometimes even weeks. They won’t push her as long as I demand they back off.
“I want to tell them everything,” she says. “Make sure they find Dacia’s body, make sure he goes to prison, make sure I don’t forget any detail that’ll keep him away from me. I’ll testify against him and do whatever it takes.” Her lips tremble, and that’s when my own dam breaks. Hearing how strong she wants to be to get justice for her friend and herself has my vision blurring with tears. Fuck, I hate that bastard for doing this to my girl and wouldn’t blink if he magically died on the way to the ER.
“Whatever you want to do, baby. I’ll be here with you. I’m not going any-fucking-where.”
Sophie tries to wrap her arms around my neck, but winces before she can reach high enough. I grab her hands and hold them to my chest instead as I lean down and rest my forehead against hers. “I know. I know.” She brings our lips together for a deep, tender kiss, and it’s exactly what I needed to feel her strength. “Will you say it again, Ma
son?”
Blinking, I study her face, wondering what it is she wants to hear. Then I see the way she pulls in her bottom lip and looks at me, and I know.
Lifting the corners of my mouth, I flash a small smile. “I love you, Sophie. So. Goddamn. Much.”
Then she gives me the softest, sincerest look as she repeats those very words to me. “I love you too, Mason.” If two people’s hearts could beat to the same rhythm, at the same pace, in the same melody, it’d be ours.
I fight back a goofy smile, but hearing her say that to me is a moment I want to stamp into my memory forever. She’s changed everything for me, and there’s no way I’d go back to the shell of a man I was before she sparked life back into my soul.
Once we’re out of the shower, I help her dry off before wrapping the towel around her body. After I finish drying myself, I carry her to my bed. She could walk, but I know it’s painful for her. I quickly put on shorts and a T-shirt before heading downstairs to her room and grabbing the comfiest clothes I can find, then head back to my room and help her get dressed.
Checking my messages, I read the ones from Liam. Dalton’s been taken to the hospital, Hunter went home to Lennon after he gave his brief statement, and he and the cops are now waiting for us in the living room. I take Sophie’s hand and kiss her knuckles.
“You sure you’re okay to do this?”
Sophie nods without hesitation. “I’m sure. I wanna get it over with for now.” She knows this won’t be the last time she has to talk about it.
Leading us downstairs, I try to mentally prepare myself for what is likely going to take a couple of hours. They’ll make sure my story matches Liam’s and Hunter’s and ask Sophie about every detail she can recall. I don’t want to relive this because it feels like déjà vu. The fact that my name is going to be involved again means it’s only a matter of time before my father comes barreling through my door.
“Miss Corrigan, I’m Officer Fisher, and this is Officer Gaunt. He’s going to observe while I take notes.”