Baby Mine: A Hudson Family Series- Book Two- Lucas and Sara

by Chontelle Brison

  “Pfft, you think I would hurt an old man Sara?” He asked feigning like he was insulted.

  Sara’s blood boiled. “Gee, I don’t know Travis since you like to hurt unconscious women, I’m not sure feeble, old men would be that much of a stretch.” The words tumbled out of her mouth before she could stop them. She knew better than to antagonize an attacker, Synclair how told her to only use that as a distraction if help was coming. Otherwise, it just made the attacker all the more dangerous.

  Instead of yelling, she heard Travis laugh. She wasn’t sure what scared her more, the fact that he was amused or the fact that she didn’t hear any background noise. Her father never would have given Travis his phone willingly, and if he had her dad, then he also had Logan, and that just brought her to whole new level of clusterfuck.

  “I like this new you Sara, it’s feisty, quite the turn on.” He told her.

  “Yeah well, I’ll grab my bat and we can go for round two.” She prodded, hoping he would give something away.

  She heard his exaggerated sigh, “I do want round two Sara, we do need to talk.” His voice was low.

  This is what Sara had dreaded, “We have nothing to talk about Travis, I filed the police report that you raped me, but you got caught all on your own when that girl woke up while you were assaulting her. I just want my son to have a normal life Travis, and it doesn’t include you.” She told him.

  “Oh but I think it does, Sara since possession is nine-tenths of the law and right now I have possession of our son.” His smug tone returned.

  Sara felt hot tears stream down her face. He had just confirmed her worst fear. Travis had Logan and God only knew what he had done to her father, or what Logan had witnessed already. Snap out it, this bastard doesn’t get to win, he doesn’t get to take anything else for you, especially you son!

  Her mental pep talk now complete, Sara calmed down and focused on the only important thing, Logan, and her father.

  “Cut the crap Travis, this is your sick show, so what are the rules? And if you’ve hurt my father or my son, I will kill you with my bare hands.” She told him meaning every word.

  “Stop, your dad is okay, I gave him a shot of sleeping meds, he’s napping on the floor of your apartment as we speak.” He told her as if the conversation was annoying him.

  “And Logan?” She shouted.

  “Hi, mama.” Sara’s knees buckled as she knelt on the floor in relief.

  “Baby, are you okay, don’t be scared, I’m going to come and take you home okay?” She kept her voice as calm as possible.

  “It’s okay, Travis is a friend of Lucas’s, we’re having shakes and burgers, but I’ll eat still my dinner mama.” He promised her.

  Sara shook with rage but forced herself to control it. As long as Logan was safe, then she could breathe. “Okay, baby, I love you.” She choked out through her tears.

  “Aww, that’s sweet.” Travis’s voice was back on the line.

  “Enough Travis, what do you want?” She demanded feeling hr grip on whatever control she had left begin to slip.

  “The same thing I have always wanted, but you were always to wrapped up in Lucas to see. A family Sara, a family with you and my son, if you want to see your son again Sara, you’re going to do exactly as I say.” His voice was cold.

  “Fine Travis, whatever you say.” She replied trying to figure out how to save her son and herself without endangering anyone else.

  **********

  Lucas slammed the door to the Sheriff’s station and stomped down the steps to his truck. It wasn’t Sheriff Jones’s fault, but he still felt frustrated. Sara options were to file a restraining order, see a judge, then if the judge approved it, Travis would have to be served the papers. The only trouble with that was the sitting judge was Lee Cabot, a long-time friend of the Donaldson family. That being the situation meant that Sara’s restraining order would be denied and both she and Logan would be legally vulnerable.

  Shutting the door to his truck harder than he needed to, he dialed Reece’s number.

  “You at the Donaldson Ranch yet?” He asked still seething from his talk with Sherrif Jones.

  “Yeah, no trace of Travis or Michael, I’m going to head over to the clinic and check in, I’ve already left a few messages for Michael that it’s urgent that I talk to him as soon as possible," Came Reece’s disappointed tone. Apparently, they weren’t getting very far today.

  “I’ll call Dalt and see what he’s got.” He said his goodbyes and promptly hit Dalton’s number.

  “Hey bro, I have the GPS tracker, as soon we spot Travis, I’ll attach it his car. Also, Matt got me the info we needed, it’s downloading to my tablet and printer now, as soon as it’s done we’ll know any hidey hole the bastard could duck into.”

  The fact that Dalton was making process made Lucas feel somewhat better. After all, the man was a trained SEAL, if anyone could flush out a rat, it would be Dalton.

  “What’s next Dalt? It’s too quiet, and Travis seems to have disappeared.” Lucas said anxiously.

  “I’m going to stop at Sara and Synclair’s job site and make sure the permits for demolition got approved, then I’m going to go back to the ranch and load up my truck with some stuff from my bunker.”

  Lucas tensed, “You bunker? Jesus, Dalt, you think we need your bunker stuff?” Lucas knew precisely what was in that bunker. He had helped Dalton built it when he and Matt had come back from their tour abroad. While Matt wanted to move on from his time in the service, Dalt still loved acquiring weaponry. His bunker held military equipment, explosives, and other weapons that he couldn’t even imagine how to use.

  “This is Sara and Logan, nothing will hurt them, not on my watch.” Lucas heard the steely resolve in his brother's voice. Shit, Dalt had gone SEAL on him, that usually meant someone ended up bloody. Actually, he was looking forward to that person being Travis.

  **********

  Sara knew, there was no way to avoid Synclair and Rachel. She had to walk through the kitchen to get her purse, which had her keys. Travis had informed her where to meet him and had made sure she understood that if anyone came with her, he’d shoot Logan, her and whoever rode to her rescue.

  Part of her desperately wanted to call Lucas, or even tell Synclair but she knew that would merely put them in harm’s way.

  No, she had to go and figure out a way to outsmart Travis, once she was sure Logan was okay. Then there was her dad, she had texted the widow down the road to please check on him, and told her where the extra key was. She could only hope that Travis hadn’t been lying, and her father was just passed out in her apartment.

  “Hey woman, my cinnamon rolls will be ready in a bit,” Synclair told her as she closed the oven door.

  Sara forced a smile, she hated lying to her friend, but she knew no other way to protect her.

  “They smell wonderful, I’m just going to go pick up Logan.”

  It wasn’t an absolute lie, her intention was to get Logan, only she was going to wrestle him away from a raping, psychopath and not her elderly father.

  Synclair must have caught something in her voice because she was suddenly staring at Sara in an odd way. Feeling like in any moment Synclair would figure out something was wrong, Sara forced her feet to move through the kitchen.

  “Wait,” Synclair shouted just as Sara reached for her purse. Sara spun around slowly, powerless to stop her hands from trembling.

  Synclair, still eyeing her suspiciously walked over to where she was standing and put her hands on her shoulders.

  “I realize this is a lot Sara, but you’re not alone, we’re not just business associates, we’re friends, no, actually more like sisters.” Sara almost cried when Synclair pulled her in for a quick hug.

  “My spidey senses inform me somethings up Sara, you can tell me,” Synclair told her while practically squeezing the life out of her.

  Sara couldn’t stop the tears that slipped down her cheeks. She desperately wanted to tell Synclair, ask her to
help to get Logan back. However, this was her problem, she had allowed Travis to take advantage of her, and now he had her son. Sara pulled back and smiled sadly at her friend, her sister. There was no way she would risk Synclair or the baby, no way at all.

  “Syn, you are the best person I know, If Reece doesn’t cherish you forever then he doesn’t deserve you, you’re going to be an excellent mom, trust me you’re a natural.” Sara rubbed the tears from her face and forced a smile she didn’t feel.

  Before Synclair could ask anything else, Sara pulled away, snagged her purse, and walked out the door, uncertain if she would ever walk back through that door again.

  **********

  Synclair stood in the kitchen, her instincts were screaming that Sara wasn’t telling her something. Something didn’t add up. Sara had just spoken to her like she feared they would see each other again. Could it just be pregnancy hormones making her overly emotional? No, damn it! Something is off, something is way, way wrong. Wasn’t Sara’s dad supposed to drop off Logan? Why the change of plans?

  “Shit! Rachel!” She bellowed. She grabbed her Mustang keys and walked to the front door pausing to grab the bat she kept to one side of it. Hey, you can never have too many bats.

  “Wha-what’s wrong, is it the baby? Oh god, is it coming now, eww, I don’t think I can handle seeing the birth.” Rachel cried as she ran into the room.

  Synclair grabbed her shoulders and gave her a slight shake. “No, the baby is fine, still where he belongs but somethings up with Sara. I’m going to head over to her apartment and check things out.”

  Rachel shook her head, her eyes widened with panic. “No, no way, we call the guys, Reece will freak if something happens to you.”

  “Rach, I don’t even know if there is an issue, I could be overreacting, I don’t want to sound the alarm if I'm just paranoid, if I discover something is going on, I’ll call Reece I swear,” Synclair assured her.

  It wasn’t a total lie if something was wrong she was going to call Reece and then proceed to beat whatever the problem was to death with her handy bat. There was only one thing that she could think of that would make Sara bolt like that, her past. Sara had raced out of here like her past was chasing her and to Synclair, that meant one thing, Travis Donaldson.

  **********

  Sara pulled up to the shabby looking structure. It looked like a cross between a wood barn and a warehouse. It had a large wooden door with a cut chain dangling from it as if someone had cut off a lock to gain entry.

  She peered down at her phone nervously, just as she feared, no cell signal. Not only was she in the middle of nowhere but even if she wanted to call for help she couldn’t, she was completely on her own.

  She had followed Travis’s directions but didn’t see his car anywhere. Trying to control her shaking, she stepped out from the security of her car and approached the large barn door. The door produced a loud groaning noise as she pulled it open and stepped through the dark threshold.

  Her element of surprise gone, Sara squared her shoulders and took a few steps into what definitely appeared to be an outbuilding with horse stalls. She glanced up and saw that the roof appeared to be missing in some places letting an enormous amount of sun through to light up the otherwise dingy looking space. It looked like the barn had, at least, three floors and there were some smaller windows, most of them broken, that lined the top levels.

  What Sara didn’t see was any sign of Travis or Logan. Confused, she looked down at the directions he had given her. There was no doubt this was the place. Was he toying with her? Was he even meeting her here or was this some sick joke? She had tried calling her father on the apartment landline, knowing her father would never not answer her calls. However, when the answering machine greeted her, she knew her father was in trouble.

  Fear began to give way to irritation and Sara shouted, “Come out you coward!” She felt he had to be here, perhaps loving the fact that her fear was so palpable.

  “Couldn’t wait to see me again?” Came a familiar voice from behind her.

  Sara whirled around to see Travis shutting the door she had just stepped through. Her stomach rolled as she watched him chain and then padlock her only visible escape route. Calm, Sara, calm. Find Logan and then outsmart the pompous bastard. She tried to listen to her inner voice, but it was difficult considering the way Travis was openly leering at her.

  “I want my son.” She demanded.

  Travis walked toward her. He had dropped weight over the years, and his sandy blonde hair was showing specks of gray. His once broad shoulder seemed narrow and small in his black t-shirt, and his jeans seemed a size or two, too large for him.

  The Travis walking toward her was not the man she knew over four years ago, this Travis was a shadow of the person who hurt her. However, now he seemed more feral, more dangerous, and he looked at her as if she was prey he was hunting. Prison hadn’t rehabilitated Travis, it had made him meaner and even more crazy if that was even possible.

  Sara fought to hold her ground, if she started backing up now, he would use her fear against her and she and Logan would lose this game that Travis was playing.

  “You're not afraid of me are you, Sara?” He asked stepping so close that her hand itched to smack him.

  Sara smirked when she noticed the bruises on his cheek and arms. She had definitely gotten in some good swings when he had shown up at her apartment.

  “I’m not afraid of you Travis, I am afraid for you, when Lucas finds out you kidnapped my son, he’ll rip you limb from limb.” She told him, her voice shaking with anger.

  “Aww, so sweet, you were always sweet Sara, you tasted like the most delicious honey, I wonder if you still taste the same.”

  Unable to control herself, her arm swung out in a closed fist and connected with Travis’s stunned face.

  “Don’t you ever talk to me like that again, I want my son, NOW Travis.” She all but shouted.

  Still rubbing his cheek, Travis pointed to one of the stalls and Sara took off running toward it.

  She came around the corner of the stall and there lying on an old mattress was Logan. He looked unharmed, but his eyes were closed like he was sleeping. Sara dropped to her knees and shook her son, shouting for him to wake up. Panicked she pressed her ear to his heart and let out a relieved sob when she heard his strong heartbeat. She felt her heart start to beat again as she observed the slow rise and fall of his little chest. Sleeping, Logan was sleeping.

  Sara filled with rage when she realized there was no way that Logan should be able to nap through all this yelling.

  “What the hell did you do to my child?” She demanded, making sure she kept herself between Travis and Logan. If he wanted to harm Logan he was going to have to come through her first.

  Travis shrugged, “He talks non-stop, no matter what, the kid would not shut up, so I put some Nyquil in his chocolate milk.”

  Sara felt her control slip, “You drugged and raped me, you drugged my father and now my child, are you noticing a pattern here you cowardly son of a bitch?” She made to slap him but this time, he caught her hand.

  “Calm down, you wanted me, they all did, you were just too scared to admit your feelings, all women are, it’s how you’re made.”

  Sara tried to pull her hand out of his crushing grip, but he was too strong.

  “You're wrong Travis.” She spat at him, all the hurt and anger from what he had done rising to the surface. “I didn’t want you, ever! You repulsed me then, just like you repulsed those other women that you had to drug just so you could have sex with them. Cause that’s the only way women have sex with you, isn’t it Travis, you have to knock them out because awake they’d rather die than have your filthy, hands all over them!” She raged.

  Sara didn’t have time to acknowledge the fist before it hit her temple. As she faded into darkness, she whispered love for Lucas and her apology to Logan, she had indeed failed them both.

  **********

  Synclair dragged her fi
ve-month pregnant butt out of her Mustang. All the while grumbling about how she never remembered it being so difficult to climb out of it before Reece had knocked her up.

  She all but ran to Sara’s door and began banging. The door flew open, but it wasn’t Sara or her father that greeted her. It was the old widow woman down the street that Sara’s dad had been seeing, Ms. Daley. One look at the woman’s tear-stained face told Synclair everything she needed to know.

  “Come in, please, I can’t get him to wake up, I’ve called an ambulance.” The older woman cried dragging Synclair to a body on the floor.

  Wayne Wilmington was lying on his back, one hand over his chest and the other on his side. Synclair knelt down next to him and felt for a pulse, she was greeted by a steady heartbeat. Relieved she watched his chest to make sure he was breathing okay. Once she was satisfied that he wasn’t in immediate danger, she looked for signs of a needle mark. She turned his head gently and found what she was looking for.

  After living with a mother that used drugs daily, she knew exactly what a needle track looked like. While grabbing a pillow from the sofa for his head, she noticed a small vial that had been under the pillow she had just moved. Palming the vial she read the label.

  Pulling her phone out of her pocket she made the call she had been dreading. Reece was going to be pissed that Sara was gone, but he was going to be more pissed when she told him that she was going after her.

  Synclair cursed when she got his voicemail. Damn, he was probably in the field with some sick animal. She should wait. She should sit here with Mr. Wilmington and wait for the ambulance. She should in no way put herself and her unborn child in danger. She was going to be a mature, responsible adult.

  Her good intentions began to waiver as she kneeled next to Sara’s father. The widow on one side holding his hand while Synclair looked around the room at all the pictures of Logan and Sara. She felt like she was being chastised from all directions. No matter where she looked, there was Sara, her friend, her partner and all around good person, smiling back at her, trusting her to be there for her. Then there was Logan, that sweet, happy little boy that loved her chocolate chip pancakes with extra maple syrup.