by Sherri Hayes
To my great surprise, he appeared shocked at my words and lowered his gaze to Brianna. I watched his expression morph into what looked like genuine concern. Either he was a good actor, or he was bad at reading people. I had a hard time believing the latter, considering he was a cop. Being able to read a person was part of the job description, wasn’t it? Then again, I wasn’t all that convinced he was a good cop.
I pulled my attention away from him and focused once again on the woman in my arms. Brianna was still clutching my shirt, but her grip wasn’t as tight as it had been. She had her face pressed against my neck. I could feel every exhale and knew her breathing had slowed. I caressed her cheek several times before tilting her chin up so she was looking at me. Her eyes were so full of trust, and it continued to amaze me how far she’d come in such a short amount of time. She was so strong.
“I need to go talk to your father again, Brianna.”
She shook her head, her eyes pleading with me.
I cupped her face with my hands. “You’ll be fine. I’ll be right over there if you need me. He won’t hurt you,” I whispered.
She didn’t want me to leave—that was plain to see on her face—but she nodded and relaxed her fingers. I leaned closer, caressing my lips against her temple and trailing them down to her ear. “Good girl.”
Standing up, I sat her back down in my chair. I made sure she was okay before walking back across the room to where Reeves was sitting. His hostility was back, but he appeared to be trying to rein it in for Brianna’s sake. I appreciated the effort, but it was too little, too late.
This time when he spoke, it was with less volume and not quite as aggressive. “You’ve brainwashed her,” he accused.
I cocked my head to the side, observing him. Reeves still thought he was running the show. I shook my head and ignored his accusation. What he thought of me was irrelevant.
“Tell me how you know Ian Pierce.”
At the sound of his name, Brianna whimpered. I glanced over to check on her. She was once again huddled into a ball, her knees pulled up tight to her chest. I sighed and turned back to Reeves. The sooner we got this over with, the sooner I could give her the comfort she required from me.
“Who is Ian Pierce?”
Jonathan Reeves appeared confused with my current line of questioning. I wondered if he really didn’t know, or was playing dumb for some ulterior motive.
“He’s a friend of your benefactor, Dumas. You mean to tell me that you have no idea who he is?”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I’ve never heard of him. Why would I? Who is he, and what does he have to do with Anna?”
I leaned back against the table casually. It was still taking effort not to pummel Brianna’s father, but he didn’t need to know that. If he knew how angry I was, he might be able to use that against me, and I wasn’t willing to let that happen.
“For a cop, you have a lot of questions and not very many answers.”
“I don’t know what you want from me,” he spat, getting frustrated. “I’ve been looking for my daughter for the last year. I don’t know who this Ian Pierce is. I’ve never heard of the man before today. All I want to do is get my daughter and take her home where she belongs.” His agitation peaked, and he pulled at the ropes.
I pushed myself away from the table and stalked toward him. He sat up straight, or at least as much as he was able, at my approach. His eyes were wary, no doubt wondering what my reaction would be to his declaration. I leaned down so that my face was directly in front of his. I didn’t want there to be a single miscommunication about what I was going to say. “That is never going to happen.”
He was quiet for several minutes. He seemed to be carefully considering his next words. I walked back over to my previous position against the dining room table and waited.
“You can’t keep her here. I won’t let you. She’s a young girl with her whole life in front of her. I won’t let you take that away from her.”
I laughed. “You think I’m forcing Brianna to stay here with me?”
That confused look was back, but it was soon replaced with determination. “Of course you are. Look at her. She’s absolutely terrified. I don’t know how, but you’ve obviously convinced her to be dependent on you and only you. What did you do to her? What sick game are you playing?”
The more I listened to him, the more I began to believe his assertion that he had no clue about Ian Pierce or Brianna’s time with him. I only wished his assumption that Brianna had been with me the last year were correct. I would have loved to have met the girl who didn’t second-guess herself at every turn. The girl who didn’t have nightmares about being tortured and raped.
I sighed and walked back over to Brianna. Extending my hand, I offered it to her. She glanced up at me, unsure.
“Come.”
She slid her small fingers through my hand and unfolded herself from the chair. I wrapped my arm around her waist to steady her. She clung to me.
With my free hand, I touched the side of her face. “I want you to keep your eyes on me at all times, do you understand? No matter what happens, no matter what’s said, you are to look at me and only me.” She pressed her lips together and nodded. “Good girl.”
Slowly, we walked back toward her father. His eyes were intense, watching every move, every step. I held tight to her, one arm firmly around her waist, the other still holding her hand. She did exactly as I asked.
I brought her over to stand near the table where I’d been previously. Once we reached our destination, I pulled her body closer to me. I could feel the tension in her muscles. This was going to be difficult for her, but it couldn’t be helped. This would have to be dealt with sooner or later. She locked her gaze with mine. I smiled, letting her know I was pleased.
“Brianna is here because she chooses to be, and she will be here until she chooses not to be. You seem to be under the impression that Brianna’s fear is something I cultivated. I assure you, I did not. Her anxiety is a product of what you did to her. You have no idea what the last year has been like for her, and you may never know. In my opinion, you don’t deserve to know.”
“She’s my daughter. Of course I deserve to know.”
“If you want to help Brianna, then tell me what you know. That is what’s best for her right now.” I never broke my gaze with Brianna as I spoke to her father, and neither did she with me. Every time Reeves spoke, her fingers dug into my flesh. I held on tight, giving her the lifeline she needed.
“Then what?”
“Then . . .” I paused, turning my focus away from Brianna for the first time. “You leave. You leave and you never come back.”
“I won’t just leave her. How will I know . . . how will I know she’s safe?”
I looked down at Brianna. Her beautiful blue eyes stared back at me, and I felt that all-too-familiar tug in my chest. “If Brianna ever wishes to contact you, I won’t stop her, but it will be her choice, not yours. If you really care for her as you claim you do, then you will allow her to do this on her terms. I will not let you bully your way back into her life.”
His silence told me he didn’t like what I’d said, but I meant every word. I firmly believed that Brianna would be much better off without her father in her life, but given everything that had already been taken from her, I wouldn’t deny her if it was something she desired. At this point, however, I was confident it was not something Brianna wanted. It might never be. That was a fact he was going to have to accept.
Brianna
I didn’t like this. I didn’t like being so close to John. He was tied up, and I knew Stephan wouldn’t let him hurt me, but I wanted him to go away. I’d listened to everything he’d said. I didn’t want to hear any more.
Focusing on Stephan, I tried to block out everything else, but it was impossible. I heard John tell Stephan about the day the car came to pick me up, the day I met . . . Ian. Just thinking his name made my heart pound in my chest. It was almost painful. I held on to
the one person who made me feel safe as I tried to remember where I was and that Stephan was here with me. My fingers held tight to his shirt, grabbing for anything that would anchor me to him.
He responded by rubbing his hand up and down my back, trying to soothe me. It helped. Air entered and exited my lungs a little easier with every pass of his hand. I wanted this to be over. I wanted it to be just him and me.
Stephan’s chest vibrated as a low sound rumbled in his throat. “And you didn’t think to file a missing person’s report when she never showed up to dinner?”
John was speaking again. He was saying something about not knowing for sure, hoping he was wrong, and then feeling guilty. Tears pricked my eyes as I realized that his guilt over what he thought might have happened to me had overridden the need for him to file a report. I had no idea if such a report would have saved me from everything I went through, but if no one knew I was missing, that I had been taken, how could I have ever been found? I suddenly felt cold, empty. I shuddered with the knowledge that if Stephan hadn’t bought me, I most likely would have been there, or with someone else like Ian, for the rest of my life, however long that may have been.
Stephan pulled away suddenly, catching me off guard. I almost lost my balance, since I’d been leaning into him. He steadied me. “Stay right here, Brianna.”
He walked to stand behind John and pulled out his cell phone. By the way he was holding himself, I could tell he was very upset. I wanted him back in front of me, holding me, touching me. He was too far away.
I stayed where I was, as he had instructed, keeping my focus on him and trying to ignore John. I could tell my father was watching me, but I was trying my hardest not to pay any attention to him.
“I could use some assistance. Mr. Reeves is ready to leave,” Stephan said to whomever he was speaking.
Stephan pocketed his phone and then knelt down to check the restraints. He didn’t untie them, but he did slip his finger inside each of the loops to check them. John twisted in his seat, trying to look at what Stephan was doing, but I didn’t think he could see much.
I was so wrapped up in watching Stephan’s hands that the knock on the door startled me. Stephan stood and went to get the door. Tom and another man I didn’t know were standing on the other side. As they entered the room, I instinctively took a step back, then stopped myself. Stephan ordered me to stay where I was, and I would obey.
Tom and the other man walked directly to John and stood on either side of him. Stephan knelt behind the dining room chair again, this time untying the ropes. As soon as he was free, John massaged his wrists. From where I stood, I could see the red marks where the ropes had bit into his skin.
I’d been in ropes a few times. Ian preferred cuffs and chains, but some of his friends liked to use rope. I knew from experience that pulling against the bindings caused marks and sometimes pain.
It also didn’t get you free.
Stephan removed the ropes from John’s ankles. He leaned back and stood as soon as John’s feet were clear of the rope. Before John could reach down and see the damage, Tom and the other man each took hold of one of his arms, pulling him to his feet. John began to resist.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you. I still owe you for earlier, and I’d love for an excuse to pay you back,” said the man I didn’t know. There was a devilish smile on his face. John paled slightly.
The two men practically carried John to the door. He looked back at me as they left. There was sadness in his eyes, all the anger from before gone. For a moment, I was reminded of the man from my childhood. The man who’d taken me to the park and pushed me on the swing as high as it would go until I was squealing at the top of my lungs. The man I didn’t know anymore.
The door shut, removing John from my view. Stephan crossed the room and pulled me into his embrace. I let out a sigh of relief. He was home. We were alone. I circled my arms around his waist and rested my head against his chest.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
I nodded, letting the warmth and comfort I’d been seeking seep into me.
For the longest time, we stood there, holding each other. I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feel of him, the smell of him. Every now and then his lips would brush against my hair, my temple, and I’d relax a little more. Being in his arms was the one thing that felt right.
I could have stayed there all night, but all too soon, he pulled back. He placed a hand on each side of my face and brushed his lips against mine, giving me the gentlest of kisses. “It’s dinnertime. I’m going to order us a pizza. We can watch a movie while we eat.”
I nodded. He stepped back, and I felt empty and cold when he walked across the room toward the phone. As much as I hated to admit it to myself, I was disappointed. Pizza meant we would be spending the evening on the couch. All I wanted was to spend the rest of the evening curled up with Stephan in his chair. I didn’t care about the movie, and I wasn’t all that hungry. I just wanted him.
Chapter 4
Brianna
He had me select a movie from his collection for us to watch. I took my time, but he was patient with me. In the past, I had stayed away from the romantic comedies I’d used to favor. Action movies didn’t make me think of all the things I could no longer have. As I ran my fingers over the titles, I realized that might not be the case now. I wasn’t sure what one would call my relationship with Stephan, but I knew that I cared for him. I loved seeing him smile, happy. I wanted to do everything in my power to see him look like that as often as possible.
I continued to argue with myself, unsure of what I should select. There was no right or wrong answer, I knew that. He wouldn’t get upset with my choice no matter what it was. I just needed to pick one. The problem was, without his touch to calm me, I was beginning to feel numb. What did it matter what movie I picked?
The telephone rang in the background, and I heard Stephan answer it. The pizza was here, and I still hadn’t chosen. Pressing my lips together, I closed my eyes, trying to concentrate. I could do this. Looking back at the rows of movies, one I had barely noticed before stood out, almost calling to me. It was a movie I hadn’t seen in a long time, one that brought back a lot of memories.
Stephan wrapped his arms around my waist, making me realize I’d been standing there much longer than what I had thought. I leaned into him, letting my eyes drift closed. Feeling began to return, and the numbness started to fade. He hugged me closer, trailing his nose down my hairline to my neck and placing a kiss there. I sighed.
“You seem to be thinking very hard about something. Tell me.”
“I was thinking . . . I was thinking about my dad.” My words came out not much louder than a whisper, but I knew he’d heard me when his body tensed.
“What about him?”
Even though his tone didn’t show any agitation, his body couldn’t hide his reaction to the mention of my father. I hated that I’d upset him, but I knew better than to lie.
“I miss . . . I miss the way he used to be. When I would visit him, we would watch movies sometimes. We were always trying to find ones we’d both like.”
He didn’t respond right away. Instead, he reached out to touch the movies, his fingers grazing over the ones directly in front of us. “You found one you used to watch with your father.”
I nodded.
“Which one? Show me.”
I lifted my arm toward the bookcase where the movies were lined up in neat rows. When I came to the movie in question, I indicated that it was the one and quickly dropped my arm. Unfortunately, Stephan reached for my arm and guided my hand back to the bookcase. Together, we pulled it off the shelf.
“Is this the one?”
“Yes.”
He turned me around to face him and tilted my chin up. “Your father likes baseball.”
I nodded.
I couldn’t remember how old I’d been the first time John and I watched A League of Their Own. The movie hadn’t been new, but it had looked interesting eno
ugh to both of us that he’d rented it from the local video store. We’d liked it so much that he’d bought a copy of his own. It had become sort of a tradition, and we’d watched it together almost every time I came to visit. I hadn’t seen it years. Not since before my mom had died.
He released my chin and stepped around me to put the movie into the player. Once he turned everything on, he reached for my hands and led me over to the couch. To my surprise, he already had everything laid out and ready. The pizza sat on the coffee table along with plates and two glasses of water. I’d been lost in my head again and hadn’t been paying attention. He would be so disappointed in me.
We sat down, and I lowered my head, placing my hands in my lap.
“What’s wrong, Brianna?” He brushed my hair away from my face so I couldn’t hide.
“I wasn’t paying attention.”
He was quiet. I had no idea how he would react. It wasn’t the first time I’d gotten lost in my thoughts. Every time he caught me, he stressed the importance of paying attention to my surroundings. He’d even taken away my books once.
“You think you deserve to be punished?”
“I don’t know,” I whispered.
Stephan leaned back and pulled me into his arms. I rested my head on his chest and began playing with the buttons on his shirt.
“Thank you for telling me.”
When he didn’t add anything else, I felt I should say something. “You’re welcome.”
He chuckled.
I looked up into his face. He stared down at me with amusement.
“You had a very stressful day, sweetheart. Although I do wish you would pay more attention to what is going on around you at all times, I do understand that it’s not always going to be possible. Life is not black and white. There have to be exceptions.”
“You’re not . . . disappointed?”
“With you not paying attention? No. Not at all.” As soon as he finished speaking, he kissed me. The kisses began with his lips barely touching my forehead, and slowly, as he worked his way down to my mouth, he increased the pressure. With every kiss, my heart rate accelerated, and I felt that now-familiar heat in my belly. Thoughts of my father and everything that had happened that day faded into the back of my mind.