Marriage of Convenience: The Raven Brothers - Book 1

by Kaylee, Katy

I had to get out some way, somehow. “Glen I need to use the restroom.”

  He growled, but uncuffed me and dragged me to a tiny dirty bathroom. He shoved me in and shut the door. “Hurry up.”

  I looked around for something I could use to help me get free or use to protect myself, but there was nothing. I used the toilet and decided my best option was to try and make a run for it.

  I opened the door, but before he could get my hand, I shoved him, and rushed past him toward the front door.

  “God dammit!” he roared and launched after me. He caught my hair and yanked hard, causing me to fall back. He grabbed me, his arm coming around and his fist catching me in the jaw. Pain burst through my face as my head jerked around and I fell.

  I lay on the floor, crying and trying to protect myself, I curled into a ball. He tugged me up and dragged me to the bed. He punched me again in the belly, and my heart cried out for my baby. He latched the cuff onto the headboard.

  “You fucking ungrateful bitch.” He finally seethed. He left and then came back with another glass. “Drink.”

  “No, Glen, Please.”

  “Drink or I’ll kill you right now.”

  I believed him so I drank the medicine. I was in pain, emotionally and physically. I’d endure it to protect my baby, but that didn’t mean I didn’t wish for oblivion.

  I had a vague sense that days had passed. While the room was dark, the shade on the window would become lighter during the day. I wondered if Chase was looking for me and what he’d do when he found me. He’d take care of me because of the baby, but would he still want me around?

  I’d given up trying to fight Glen and prayed that Chase would find me. But even though I did as Glen asked, he still made me drink the medicine. I was terrified of what it was doing to the baby.

  On what I think was the third day, Glen entered the room, and I knew something bad was going to happen. It was clear that he wasn’t only mad, he was drunk. My best bet was to pretend I was saved from my sins.

  “Glen a miracle happened.” I said as he stalked toward me.

  “I’ll make a miracle happen.”

  “You’re right. I was lost, tempted by the devil. But I see the light now.”

  He uncuffed me and dragged me up. He’d fed me, but with all the medicine I felt weak and loopy.

  “You’re a fucking liar.”

  “No. No… you’ve saved me.”

  I blocked the first blow, but I couldn’t get away from the others. They came and came, even as I fell to the floor and tried to get away. I ended up curled up on the floor, certain he was going to kill me. Finally, he staggered back.

  “I’m sorry Sara.” He sank to the floor. “You shouldn’t make me so mad.”

  All I could do was cry. When he reached for me, I flinched and tried to get away.

  “Your punishment is done.” He lifted me and put me in the bed, redoing my handcuff.

  I lay in the dark, losing hope. He didn’t give me medicine, but sleep overtook me anyway.

  I was awakened the next morning by excruciating pain in my belly. Immediately, my hand went to my stomach.

  “No, please no.” It was then that I felt the moisture between my legs. “No.” I’d never felt such pain in my heart. I was certain my cry of grief could be heard around the world.

  “What the fuck is wrong with you?” His eyes narrowed when he saw the blood. “It’s your time of the month. Good. That means in a few weeks I can plant my seed in you and you’ll be mine.”

  He took me from the bed, and shoved me in the shower. “Get cleaned up.” He’d left me a pair of sweats and t-shirt to wear. There were even some sanitary napkins.

  “Glen, I need to go to a doctor.”

  “Don’t play tricks. I know all about a woman’s cycle.”

  I couldn’t know what he’d do if I told him I thought I was miscarrying. “Something’s wrong. This is more than usual.”

  “You’ll be fine.” He led me back to the room.

  I finally decided that I had no choice. “I think I’m miscarrying.”

  He stopped and looked at me. Slowly I saw the rage build and realized that he was probably going to kill me.

  “You let him plant his seed?”

  “He’s my husband.”

  His hand struck me. “He’s the devil. God is expelling the demon.” He hit me again. I saw the moment that something snapped, and I knew he wasn’t going to stop. I fought as hard as I could, but in the end, he was too big and strong. The last thing I remembered was his foot propelling toward my head.

  29

  Chase

  I was going fucking mad. Five days Sara had been missing and neither Hunter nor his former-FBI guy could find her. All I’d knew now from surveillance tapes around the park was that fuckhead Glen had gotten to her. When I found him, I was going to rip his head off.

  There was a partial plate of a minivan suspected of being used when Sara was taken, and it was likely Glen’s but he hadn’t been home. I decided he must be keeping her in the city, although Hunter wondered if he was making a run for Canada. Fortunately, he knew people who could watch the boarder.

  Up until now, we hadn’t involved the city police because there was concern that it would spook Glen into doing something crazy. He hadn’t been in touch to ask for money, which proved that Sara wasn’t in on it. That and the frightened look on her face on the surveillance tape as Glen hurried her away from the park.

  Over the last few days, we’d learned that Glen had been obsessed with Sara when she left. He’d been controlling during their relationship, but according to his friends, had gone off the rocker when she left, and talked about getting her back “no matter what.” It was the “no matter what” that concerned me. If he loved her, he wouldn’t hurt her, but I knew enough about human behavior to know that people often hurt the ones they loved. Sometimes they killed them.

  “We’ll find her, Chase. I promise,” Hunter said as I paced my terrace trying to get fresh air as if that would bring answers.

  “If he hurt her—”

  “Don’t go there.” He put his hand on my shoulder. Inside, Kade and Ash did what they could to help.

  “Chase.” My father said as he came onto the terrace. I’d only just called and told him.

  “Son, I’m sorry.” He embraced me and while the man in me wanted to be strong and push him away, the fear and pain had me holding on.

  “There must be a way to track that van.” I said as I stood back.

  “I know the police have been looking for the van, but if he’d dumped it or has in a garage somewhere not being used, they may not see it. I know a lot of people who own property in the city. I’ve called in all my favors asking if they can have their security check their buildings’ parking.”

  “Thank you, dad.”

  “Of course. We all want Sara home safe.”

  At this point, only Hunter knew about the baby. I still had hope that we’d find her and we could tell the family together. But I was beginning to lose hope.

  The minutes and hours ticked by. I felt like my life was going to end at any minute.

  “Chase, we got something,” Hunter said from the doorway.

  I whirled around and rushed into the house. “What?”

  “Your dad’s contact has a minivan with the same partial in a garage. He insists it’s not one of his tenants, but there is an abandoned building nearby,” Jones said.

  “Let’s go.” I headed toward the door.

  “You should let the police deal with this,” Ash said.

  My tone was lethal. “I’m going to kill that mother fucker.”

  “Let him go,” Hunter said. “I’ll watch him.”

  We rushed from my place and through the traffic to a sketchy part of the city.

  “The police are coming,” Hunter said. “You stay here and let us look around.”

  “The police won’t go in if it’s private property unless they have a good idea she’s there,” Jones said.

 
“I’m going.” They’d have to kill me to keep me from that building.

  We walked in and took the stairs up to the first floor where there were several doors to apartments. “I’ll check these,” Hunter said, while Jones tried the others.

  “This building must be condemned. These are all apartments, but they look like they’ve been sitting empty,” Hunter said.

  “All clear here,” Jones said.

  Not waiting for them to catch up to me, I headed to the next floor. The hairs on my neck stood on end as I reached the top of the landing.

  I worked the handle to the first door I came to and walked in. I scanned the area. I saw a cereal box and several bottles of liquid sleep medicine on a table. This place wasn’t empty.

  “Sara?” I rushed through the small living area and to a small hall. There were three doors. One was a bathroom. I opened the other door, and it was a messy bed, but no Sara. My heart beat a million miles a minute as I opened the third.

  “Oh fuck, Sara!” I rushed to the bed where she lay motionless. “Sara, baby, wake up.” I roared in anger as I reached her and saw the bruises on her face and arms.

  “Oh Christ. I’ll call for medical help,” Hunter said.

  “Let me look at her,” Jones said. “I have some medical training.”

  I didn’t want to leave her side, but gave him access. “Tell me she’s okay.”

  “She’s breathing,” Jones said.

  “What the fuck are you doing in here?”

  I whirled around to the voice. Glen.

  “I’m going to kill you, you fucking bastard.” I rushed across the room, grabbing him and slamming him into a wall. “What did you do to her?” I pulled him away from the wall and slammed into him again.

  “She’s mine.”

  Rage flowed through my blood like hot lava. I cranked my hand back and launched into his face. Blood sprayed out, hitting me, but I didn’t give a fuck. I’d be covered in his blood before I was done. I let my hate and anger flow, deflecting his weak attempts to fight back. Even when he went to the ground, I pummeled him.

  “Chase! That’s enough,” Hunter said. He put his hand on my shoulder but I pushed it off.

  “He’s not dead yet.”

  “He’s out.” Hunter tried again to stop me.

  In my periphery I heard a commotion and voices, and all of a sudden, I was yanked back. I fought the restraint. “I’m going to fucking kill you,” I yelled at the motionless man.

  Soon I was prone on the floor with a knee in my back and my arms pulled back.

  “Chase!” Hunter yelled. “Settle down man.”

  If he was in front of me, who was on me? I felt plastic ties on my wrists and realized I was being detained the police.

  “That’s his wife who this man kidnapped,” I heard Jones say.

  Another group of people came in. They knelt by Glen.

  “No,” I yelled from the floor. “Help Sara. Hunter make them help Sara.”

  The police hoisted me up. “You’re under arrest.”

  “He’s not the perpetrator,” Jones said. “He is.”

  “We’re taking them both in.”

  “Get her to a hospital, Hunter. And call my lawyer,” I called out as the police pulled me away.

  “Done.”

  The last thing I wanted was to go to jail, but at least I knew Sara would be helped. I knew if Glen died, I’d be in trouble, but it would be fucking worth it.

  Tom showed up within minutes of my arrival, but not before the police told me that they’d seen me assault and threaten Glen, and that my money wouldn’t save me.

  “How’s my wife?” Was all I bothered to ask.

  “She’s in the hospital,” one officer said.

  “If she dies, you better arrest the man that hurt her or I’ll find a way to,” I said.

  “You shouldn’t be threatening to kill people to the police,” the officer said.

  I shrugged. “I don’t care about me.”

  When Tom walked, he told me to shut up. Then he turned to the two cops in the room with us. “Mr. Raven was protecting his wife. Surely you won’t arrest him for that.”

  “He may have killed him. You can’t take the law in your own hands.”

  Tom rolled his eyes. “The man had kidnapped and assaulted his wife. You’ll have a media nightmare if you arrest a man for wanting to kill the man who did that. She was missing for nearly a week. Did you see her? She’s battered and bruised from head to toe and quite possibly drugged.”

  My heart ached to know she was okay. “She’s pregnant.”

  “You won’t find a jury in the world that would convict him for beating the shit out of the man who kidnapped and beat his pregnant wife.” Tom emphasized the word pregnant.

  There was a rap on the door and a woman poked her head in. “The father sent two friends.” She looked at me. “The police commissioner and the mayor.”

  Just then a man who wasn’t either the commissioner or the mayor walked in.

  “Ah someone from the district attorney’s office,” Tom said. “Tell me you’re here to tell your boys to let my client go.”

  “Yes,” the district attorney lawyer said.

  “We saw him—” One of the cops started.

  “You saw him defending his wife.” The district attorney’s office lawyer nodded toward Tom. “He can go.”

  I was up and out of my seat so fast it fell back. I rushed from the police station and hailed a cab, all the way praying that Sara and my child were fine.

  30

  Sara

  I woke wondering what new drug Glen had given me. But as I opened my eyes; the room seemed brighter. Smelled cleaner.

  “There you are, honey. Tell me how you’re feeling?” A middle-aged woman with sympathetic eyes wearing a pink shirt looked down on me.

  “Where am I?” Had I died?

  “You’re in the hospital. You’re going to be fine.”

  Immediately my hand went to my belly. “My baby.”

  The woman, who I realized now was a nurse, put her hand over mine. “I’m sorry. You miscarried. You expelled everything, so we didn’t need to do any procedures there.”

  I looked around the room but no one was there. Not even Chase. I couldn’t blame him for not coming. I was more trouble than I was worth. When he learned about the baby, he’d want to be rid of me for sure. Maybe he already knew, and that’s why he wasn’t there. No one was here. I was alone.

  I started to cry and tried to turn over but there was a tube in my arm.

  “You’re on fluids,” she said. “I’m going to ask the social worker to come in. You can talk to her.”

  “Can you call my parents?” It was time for me to give in. I was too tired to fight against it anymore.

  “Sure honey.”

  I told her the number, but wasn’t sure they’d even come.

  “We’re going to keep you in her a little longer, then we’ll move you to your own room. You rest for now.”

  Not having anything better to do, I let her give me something for pain that made me sleepy. When I woke again, I was in a new room.

  “Sara?”

  “Mom.” She stood next to the bed. I looked to the end of the bed where my dad stood. They both had disapproving expressions. “You came.”

  “You’re our child, of course we came,” my mom said.

  “I hope you’ve learned your lesson. Living in the devil's temptation just brings ruination,” my father said.

  “What sort of bullshit is that to tell a young woman just terrorized by a crazy religious zealot?”

  I looked up and saw Chase’s father walk in. “Mr. Raven?” Was he there to tell me Chase was done with me? I’d expected his lawyer, Mr. Lister.

  “I beg your pardon,” my father said. “This doesn’t concern you.”

  “The hell it doesn’t.” Mr. Raven’s eyes narrowed studying my parents. “Who are you?”

  “We’re Sara’s parents.”

  His eyes grew wide. “
Do you condone that young man beating your child?”

  “He was trying to save her. She has to pay for her sins.”

  It broke me to know my parents had known Glen was going to kidnap me. Did they know he was willing to hurt me? That he’d harmed their grandchild?

  “You wanted me to marry him. He did this to me.”

  “Good lord you wanted that man to marry your daughter?” Mr. Raven’s voice was incredulous.

  “He’s a good Christian boy,” my father said.

  “He beat your daughter up. What the hell kind of Bible are you reading?”

  “Sir, can you please leave us? We need to care for Sara,” my mother said.

  “No, I will not.” I’d gotten the feeling that the Raven family wasn’t close, but now I realized that despite their differences, they were loyal and would have each other’s back.

  “We’ll have you removed,” my father said.

  “You can try,” Mr. Raven straightened. He was an imposing man, not just in size but in the way he exuded power.

  Just then the door flung open and Chase came rushing in. “Sara! Oh God, Sara.”

  My mother jumped out of the way as he reached my bed.

  “You alright?” His gaze scanned my face and arms, then came back up. “Are you in pain?”

  I shook my head in confusion. “You’re here.”

  “Yes, I’m sorry it took so long.” His hand gently stroked my cheek.

  “He was nearly arrested,” Hunter said as he walked in the room. “Fortunately, it wouldn’t be for murder. The fuckhead will live.”

  “I beg your pardon. None of you have the right to be here, I demand that you leave,” my father looked from Chase to Hunter and back to Chase. Chase moved, turning his body toward my parents as if he was ready to protect me.

  “How is she?” Ash said as he looked in through the doorway. He walked in with Kade following. They were all there.

  Finally, my brain filtered back to Hunter’s words. “Arrested?”

  “He beat the shit out of Glen. Safe to say he won’t hurt you again,” Hunter said.

  “Stop!” my father yelled. “All of you out. Only Sara’s family is allowed.”

  Chase straightened looking even more imposing than his father. “We are Sara’s family.”