Suddenly the bed dipped and I whirled around to look into the face of the man that just broke my heart. What was he doing here? Hadn’t he said enough already?
“What do you want? You want to break me some more?”
His face showed pain, like he was almost in physical pain as his head dropped. He looked back up at me and a tear trickled down his face.
“Please tell me I’m enough for you,” he whispered.
“You’re my everything Henry. Even now as you broke my heart, I still love you with each and every piece. I’m not sure I could ever stop.”
“Will you please stop seeing him?” His eyes pleaded just as much as his voice did. “I can’t live without you.”
“I’m not seeing him. There has only been you. We were having lunch to work out the details of a surprise party for you.” I said cupping his face tenderly.
“Really?” He breathed.
“Yes, really. You are all I wa…” his mouth smashing on mine stopped the sentence from coming out of my mouth.
Shaking the thoughts of Henry out of my head, I turned to find Rocco staring at me.
“What?” I snapped.
“Where do you want her to go?”
“The shelter below the garage. Where do you think I want her? In the basement you imbecile! Do make sure to lock the door, will you!”
I watched as Rocco roughly grabbed Colleen out by her hair and threw her over his shoulder. See Rocco still forgets that I see all, I watch as his hand glides in between her legs and inches upwards. Hmm, interesting… Rocco has the hots for a girl. Here I thought he was gay. Well, I think Rocco can have some fun with her if he does the one last thing I ask…
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
~CARSON~
Shit! I was amped up from the fight. I knocked it out of the park that fight. I decided going into the fight that I was going to go out in a blaze of glory and I broke a record for the most hits landed without being hit. After talking to Colleen and her telling me that she was meeting Tommy for lunch, I was on edge. The best way for me to work out my frustrations is usually a bag, well today I decided to use my opponent.
We danced around each other for a few minutes before he finally went on the attack. That is when my fun began. I dodged and hit, dodged and hit…until he was too stunned to fight back properly. Then and only then did I go on the attack. Hit after hit, he had to suffer all my frustrations until the final blow where I knocked him on the ass and he didn’t get back up from the ground.
When my hand was raised in the air and my name announced as the reigning Champion, I couldn’t hold back my smile…my pride. This was all I knew, the fighting, the adrenaline… I would miss this, but I had a feeling that I was going to have an all new adrenaline rush with Colleen and the baby. My smile grew at the thought of my little family.
“Carson Williams, how does it feel to hold the record for longest reigning champ and most hits landed without being hit?”
“It feels great,” I laughed.
“What are your plans after today?”
“I’m going to go home to my girlfriend and start a whole new journey. Today was my last fight.”
“You’re quitting?” The guy asked shocked.
“I am. Finally, I have found something worth more than the rush from fighting. So, I plan on enjoying it. I will be taking up the trainer slot at Kicking It Gym. So not totally walking away, but stepping out of the ring.”
“You have a girlfriend? She must be something special to walk away from all this life.” Says another reporter.
“No, I’m not walking away from life… I’m walking to it. I love her with all I am. This was actually a decision made easier by her. She supports me no matter what I want to do. She actually tried to talk me out of it, but this is what I want to do and she supports me as I do her.” I smiled. My heart swells at just thinking about the life I was headed to once I walked out of here.
“Many say that Tommy Jerkins will be the next to step up to the title.”
“He just might,” I said and then started thinking about everything Colleen told me on the phone about Tommy.
“The word is that you and Tommy are enemies.”
I laugh, “No, we are not enemies. We are both passionate about the sport and really get into it when we are in the zone. I have no problems with Tommy and I hope that he does step up and take the title from here on out. He has the ability to do it.” I said and meant it.
Honestly, I had no idea where the animosity between us had come from other than his comments and always having to be in everyone’s business. We really never talked outside the gym and my girl enjoyed a lunch with him while I wasn’t there. I will have to thank him for that. It broke my heart driving away from her and seeing her face in my rear view mirror. She was laughing in her text after her lunch so that means more to me than anything. I will have to thank Tommy for making her forget for a moment that we weren’t together. Lord knows I haven’t. I miss her so much and haven’t really slept a wink, but I had important business to deal with before I take off tonight. I’m not even waiting until tomorrow.
Jumping into my truck I drove over to the store I saw it in. Once I was inside I would go directly to the counter that held it. There it would be; the perfect one. I have never found a more perfect one for her than that one. Just the thought of being able to ask her, when I have never wanted to do this before, it was time. For a few weeks now I have been going over and over if it was too soon. Not for me, but for her. I didn’t want to scare her away.
When arrived in the store the doorbells jingled my entrance. The salesman looked up and smiled greeting me warmly. He had an accent that made his speech somewhat hard to understand. It didn’t matter though, because in this store I knew exactly what I wanted. Walking right up to the case that it was in, I stared at it in wonder. It was Colleen in ring form. Nerves and all I couldn’t wait to ask her to be mine always.
“Can I help you, Sir?”
“Yes, I’d like this ring right here,” I said, pointing to the ring I wanted.
“What a fine choice, Sir. This is one of our newer arrivals. It’s called ‘Belle’ part of the ‘a couper le souffle’ series. It is our French series. The names mean…”
“I know Beautiful and the Breathtaking series.”
“You’re absolutely correct, Sir. There are three princess cut diamonds on the top here set on a platinum band with two smaller diamonds on either side in the band itself. Are you looking at the engagement ring or the wedding set?”
“You know what? The whole set please,” I said without hesitation.
“Sir, maybe you should learn the price. The engagement ring itself is twelve thousand dollars. For the whole set, including the wedding bands for both parties, is seventy-five thousand dollars.”
“Fine, what sizes are the bands?”
“What… oh, uh, they are lady’s seven and men’s ten.” He said somewhat stunned.
“Perfect. Ring me up, please,” I said with a huge smile on my face. “Where is a good place to get a ton of flowers?”
The salesman stared at me a minute before finally moving over to the register. “What’s the name?”
“Carson Williams.”
“Oh, wow! I just watched your fight! You are amazing. No wonder you are walking away,” he smiled and winked.
After a little more small talk, I walked out with not only an engagement ring, but our whole set. The smile was permanently stuck on my face. I would get home late tonight and set everything up before waking her up gently… Tonight was going to be perfect!
** ** ** ** ** ** **
Tonight was a nightmare!
I arrived home at about one this morning. It took four trips to get all the stuff inside. My first trip to the room was with the flowers. I had almost had all the flowers set out on every available service and turned to sprinkle pedals on the bed when I noticed that she was not in the bed. Running out of the room, I checked every bedroom and the rest of the house. She
was nowhere in the house. I started screaming her name thinking maybe I just missed her and she’d come running out from somewhere and all this panic was for nothing. But she never ran out or called for me.
Where the hell was she?
Sprinting to my truck, I grabbed my phone and called Kayla. The phone rang and rang and rang, but she never answered. After several more calls, she finally picked up the phone.
“Damn Curry, do you not have a clock near you? It’s too early, call me at a normal hour. Lo…”
I cut her off before she could hang up.
“Kay, please tell me she’s there?”
“Who’s here?” She asked groggily.
“Colleen, damn it!” I yelled.
“No, calm down. I haven’t talked to her since Friday. She had talked about doing a girls night tonight, but she never got back to me. So, I just figured she changed her mind.”
“She’s gone…she’s missing…Oh God…” I breathed panic starting to take over me.
“How do you know?”
“Because I’m standing in my fucking house right now and she’s not in it!” I yelled at my empty house more than at Kayla.
“We’re on our way.” She said and hung up.
I began pacing from my living room to the kitchen and back again. I tried calling Colleen several times and she never answered nor did I hear it ring. Running my hands through my hair, I tried to think of where she might have gone. I called her cell phone again and it went to voicemail. My heart slowed a bit when I thought she might answer, but she didn’t. I left her a message telling her how worried I was and to call me as soon as she got this. I also told her how much I loved her and hoped she was okay.
Guilt ran through me, I should have taken her with me. Why didn’t I take her with me? She wasn’t safe here and I knew that, but I still left her behind. Fuck! Grabbing my phone again, I made the one phone call I was afraid to make, but I knew it had to be done.
“What happened?” He answered on the first ring.
“She’s gone. I don’t know who has her. I just got home and the house is empty,” I choked, trying hard to keep the tears and panic at bay.
“DAMN IT! Why was she left alone?” Geno roared.
“I had a fight… Oh my God…” a sob escaped.
“I’m on my way back. We’ll find her Carson.” He said a little softer this time.
Just as I hung up the phone the buzzer to my gate went off. Looking, I saw Kayla’s car. Buzzing her in, I walked into the living room and sunk down on the couch with my head in my hands. Trying desperately to control myself, but I was beginning to slip. How was I going to save her when I had no clue where to start? Anger didn’t even make its way into my system. Now all I felt was fear and sadness. Those are two feelings I have never experienced before. Here I sit with my girl and my unborn child in danger and I had no idea how I was going to save them.
I felt the couch dip, looked up and was shocked to find not just Kayla and Jason here, but my parents and my sisters. There wasn’t even anything in me to protest the fact that again, it was a family reunion when I was down.
“How are you doing?” Kayla asks softly.
“How am I doing? How am I doing? Seriously Kay?” Guilt immediately hit me when her face broke from concern to sadness. “I’m sorry Kay,” I said as I stood and began pacing the room.
No one was talking. Everyone was just watching me and that was pissing me off. Yes, anger…anger was good. I could work with anger. Anger was a familiar emotion to me. By the time the sun had come up, everyone including Nate was there minus Jack.
“CJ, you know we need to know her last whereabouts. When was the last time you talked to her?” Nate asked the minute he walked in the door.
“Finally someone that is going to give a fuck about my girlfriend missing!” I roared. “Last time I talked to her was about eleven or so in the morning. Though I got a text from her letting me know she was headed home.”
“Headed home from where?” Nate pushed taking notes.
“Uh, she was having lunch with Tommy. She said the lunch was great and that she was headed home.”
My gate buzzer echoed throughout the quiet house. My dad made his way over and let whoever it was through. I stared back at my shocked family. They were all thinking the same thing that I have been over and over again since she told me, but when I got the text from her telling me she was fine and headed home I put it out of my mind.
Jackson flew into the house and straight to me. “What’s going on?”
He was just as worried as I was only he had a reason to be more worried about it than the others. He knew the whole truth. I think it was time to tell my family about the baby and why this was so damn worse than they think. Looking at Jackson with a questioning look, he gave me a pleading look in return. It was time; I just wish I was telling them so they could be as happy as we were when we found out.
Just as I was about to open my mouth, Nate came in the room. “Why are there roses and rose petals all over the room?”
I hung my head. “I was going to propose this morning, but she wasn’t here.”
“Oh my God! Curry, you propose to a girl?” Mary said with disbelief.
“Yeah me! The loose cannon was going to propose to the one girl that I can’t live without. What is wrong with that?” I hissed.
“Nothing, just shocked is all,” Mary said sadly. “I’m happy for you.”
“Look, we are getting off topic here! We need to find her and we need find her now! This is so much worse than you guys realize.”
“Honey, we know that you love her so we know how bad it is.”
“No you don’t!... No you don’t.” I said sadly. Looking at Jackson, who gave me a slight nod, “She’s pregnant. We are going to be parents. We were going to tell everyone when I got back from my final fight, but now she’s missing. I should have fucking taken her with me.”
Before I could stop it a tear rolled down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away. There was no way I was going to break down. Not now. She needs me to be strong… They need me to be strong. Again the house was silent and everyone stared at me, when my phone ringing broke the silence. Ignoring it, I started pacing again. I was trying to think, but my phone wouldn’t quit ringing. When I pulled out my phone, I stared at the number in disbelief before I finally answered it.
“Angel?”
Everyone’s heads shot in my direction.
“Carson,” she sobbed.
“Oh baby, I have been so worried. Where are you?”
“I-I don’t know. Wendi took me from outside the gym. I’m in a dark room, no windows with one door.” She choked her voice shaking in fear.
“It’s okay baby. We’re coming for you,” my voice shaking just as much as hers.
“Carson?”
“Yeah, Angel. I’m here.”
“Our…our baby…” she choked out before starting to cry.
The breath left my lungs and tears filled my eyes. No words would form in my head or come out of my mouth. My world stopped. Was she going to tell me that our baby was already hurt? I couldn’t handle that is she did.
“Carson, are you there? Carson?”
“I’m here, Angel. I’m here. I love you so much. I’ll save you…both of you. Do you hear me?” I said, choking back my own emotions.
“Please. I’m so scared. I…”
The line went dead and I crumbled to the floor.
CHAPTER THIRTY
~COLLEEN~
I woke up in a room that was too dark to even see my hand in front of my face. Shifting to a seated position, my hand knocked over something. I reached out and found what felt like a lamp. Turning it on for a quick second just so I can look at my surroundings, then I shut it off again. There were no means of escape and only this lamp and bed in the room, which tells me that they mean to have me here for a while. A shudder runs through me at that thought. It was when I pulled my arms around myself that I felt my phone. I nearly screamed in delight until t
he thought of having no idea where I’m at occurred to me. Deciding I needed to call Carson just so he knows I’m alive, I dialed his number.
Talking to Carson killed me. Just his voice alone brought tears to my eyes, never mind the visual my mind created. My heart ached for him. Unconsciously my hand went to my stomach, silently I prayed he’d make it to wherever I am before anything happened to me, but more importantly our baby. Any doubts about him wanting to be a father were erased when I heard the anguish in his voice as he said ‘I’ll save you…both of you.’
It was as I was pleading that I heard movement outside the room. Hanging up the phone without another word, I put the phone back and braced myself for whatever may come through that door. The door opened and I held my breath. In walked a very large man. He could probably make any of those muscled up wrestlers look small. His eyes, even in the darkness of the room to the light outside the door, were dark and he had an eerie smile on his face. It was a smile that made my stomach knot and my heart race all at once. I had to make an extra effort not to shudder under his stare.
“You’re awake,” his deep voice filled my body with panic.
“No shit, Sherlock,” I hissed surprised by the strength in my voice because I didn’t feel that strong at the moment.
His smile dropped and he stared at me. For a moment, I thought I might have stunned him and that he himself was scared, but I was very much mistaken. In just a few strides, he was in front of me lifting me from the floor by my throat and slamming me against the wall. The breath left my lungs from the force of hitting the wall. My hands immediately flew to his hand as I tried to get his grip to break from my throat.
“I have your number, you little whore. Once Wendi gets done with you…you’re mine. Remember that as you run your pretty little delectable, mouth off to me,” he hissed as he ran his hand down my chest.
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