Then, she worked on freeing her other hand, and her ankles. Her skin was left a flaring red, but it hardly mattered. She was just glad to be free. She glanced at Adrien, then slipped out the other side.
Next, she went around looking for her clothes, hoping he hadn’t destroyed them. She didn’t find them dropped around the room, so she stepped out into the hall. They were strewn all over, the hallway and into the living room and she pulled them on quickly. She didn’t find her underwear, but she hardly cared, as she pulled on her pants.
She’d just found her shoes and was going to put them on, when she heard a door slam behind her. She whirled around, to see Adrien stumbling out of the room. There was a bump on his forehead where she’d knocked his head, and he’d put on a pair of jeans.
“C-Camila,” he grumbled. “… The fuck are you?”
She tripped trying to stand up, only one shoe on, then fell back on her ass. Adrien didn’t have anything in his hands, but just like before, she was so scared she crawled back away from him.
“Why are you moving away?” he asked, his voice a little wobbly. “I’m not going to punish you anymore, Camila. Just come here…”
Like hell I believe you!
She could only shout in her mind, because her voice was stuck in her throat. He was still a ways away from her, and she could have gotten up to run. She had no idea if she could get away from him, but she felt she had a chance.
Still, she didn’t try, and Adrien lurched forward. Camila’s back hit the couch, and she let out a scream.
Before Adrien could reach her, though, they heard noise from outside. The sounds of several sirens blaring and cars skidding up the driveway came in from outside. Eyes wide, breath catching in her throat, Camila looked to the door in total disbelief.
The police… actually came… they found me…
She couldn’t even feel glad, because right at that moment, Adrien grabbed her arm and hissed, “Shut the fuck up!”
* * *
Samuel
Half a dozen police cars were roaring up the road to the farmhouse. Samuel was in the second one to reach the scene. The police had been searching the area around the field where the trucker had been and spreading themselves thin, since they didn’t know exactly where Camila was. They were lucky, though. The man, Big Mike, who had made the call woke up in the hospital finally and told the officer who was with him about his elderly neighbor who lived about a mile and a half away in the direction Camila had come from.
He knew Camila had to be at the house. His only worry was it had been too long since Adrien shot the man and they might have fled the area. He prayed they were still at the house, and that Camila was okay.
If Adrien is in there, and he’s hurt her, I swear I will kill him, Samuel vowed to himself as he reached behind him and felt for the Glock.
* * *
Adrien
Inside, Adrien was slowly starting to panic. Even feverish, he knew what was happening. Or rather, the adrenaline suddenly surging through his body brought him a moment of clarity. He had Camila by the arm, and knew he was about to be caught.
“Fuck!” he screamed.
It was enough to startle Camila, who shrunk back from him, but he could hardly pay her any attention right then.
I thought I’d have time, dammit!
He was looking around, his thoughts rushing around in his head.
Camila was no help, she just watched him, a look of terror on her black and blue face.
Adrien looked back at her, once again making her shrink back from him. He glared at her. He knew he couldn’t take her with him in this case. With the police coming up the front, he wouldn’t make it if he had to drag her with him, and he knew she wouldn’t just go along with him anymore.
He wanted to curse the police, curse his brother, and Camila, but it wouldn’t do him a damn bit of good.
After wasting precious seconds debating with himself, he made a decision.
There was no way he could let himself get caught here. If he got caught, then that would be the end. He could always plan an escape from prison again, but he doubted it would be easier the second time around.
I absolutely have to stay free.
But there’s no way I’m leaving her here.
She would be nothing but baggage, but he knew even if he couldn’t escape, he could at least use her as a hostage. And if he couldn’t do that, he’d have to find some way to kill her before they took her.
I am not going to let my brother win. So if I don’t get to have Camila, neither does he.
He grabbed her by the hair and started to drag her down the hallway, determined to get away.
“Let go of me!” she screeched, struggling against him.
He just clenched his hand harder in her hair, until he felt some strands come loose in his hand, and she screamed again, louder. She gripped his hand in her hair and attempted to scratch as she struggled.
Adrien moved to the back door, hoping to escape out the back way with her before the cops surrounded the place. He opened the door, and came face to face with his scowling twin brother.
Chapter Fourteen
Samuel
As soon as the police car pulled up to the farmhouse, Samuel checked the Glock and jumped out. He rushed around the house, looking for a back door. On his way there, he heard a woman screaming. He knew with every fiber in his being, it was her.
He grit his teeth. That has to be Camila!
What was Adrien doing to her!
Someone called him from behind, but he didn’t care. He didn’t pull out his gun or anything, he didn’t want the cops shooting him by mistake. Since he had ridden with the police, he hadn't dared let them know he carried his own protection, but he would pull it out and use it, if he had to. With any luck, Adrien wasn’t armed and he wouldn’t need to shoot him to rescue Camila. But, there was no way he was going to sit back and wait for someone else to save Camila when he was right there.
Just as he made it to the back door, it opened, and there stood his brother.
Samuel was actually startled for a moment. He hadn't actually expected that his brother would try to run out the back, it had just been a thought.
Next, he was surprised by how Adrien looked. He was a total mess, his hair had grown a little out of its crew cut and it was disheveled. His face was red and sweaty, eyes glazed, and he was panting. Honestly, he looked sick. Really sick.
It didn’t stop his next action, though.
They had both frozen when Adrien opened the door and they caught sight of each other, but then Samuel’s gaze drifted, and he saw Camila. In Adrien’s hand, he was holding onto her long, blonde hair, and she had her hands on his, trying to get him to let go. He couldn’t see her face, but even with them just standing there, he could hear whimpering coming from her. Her clothes were disheveled and messy, and she only had one shoe on.
Camila.
Samuel saw red, and he jumped on his brother, fist swinging. It connected with Adrien’s jaw, causing him to fly back, and Samuel heard the woman let out another shriek as she was released, tumbling to the floor. He couldn’t look at her just then, not yet. Instead, he followed his brother down to the ground to punch him again.
“S-Samuel—” His brother called his name, but he ignored it.
Samuel wasn’t even really seeing Adrien anymore, just throwing punch after punch. He only cared that each one connected. Only when the body beneath his stopped moving, did he stop throwing punches.
He paused for a long moment. He was panting lightly for each breath, and he tried to clear his mind. He didn’t just come here to beat up his twin, after all.
Camila.
He turned his head in her direction, and saw her. She was watching him, expression frozen in a stunned look. She was a mess, her face bruised and she looked a bit pale. He thought she was skinnier than the last time he saw her. But it was undeniably her.
“Camila…” His voice came out in a whisper, and he got up to go to her.
Her eyes stayed on him as he grew closer, but she didn’t move. He didn’t want to scare her, and he was sure that she was scared, but he couldn’t wait anymore. He practically threw himself to his knees in front of her, arms reaching to gather her into his chest.
“Camila.”
His eyes stung like he might cry, and he squeezed them tight and just held her close, vowing not to let her go ever again.
* * *
Camila
Camila was still in a stunned state, but when Samuel hugged her and called her name, she woke up with a gasp. Strong arms were around her, holding her gently. Her eyes itched and she closed them as she took in another gasp and clung back.
“Samuel…”
She did start crying, tears leaking from her eyes. She sniffled, then choked a little as her throat tightened, and finally gave in and started sobbing.
Finally, he’d found her.
She was overcome with relief.
Samuel started to pull away, only for Camila to whimper and clutch at him, she didn’t want to let him go, not yet. She’d just gotten him back. He was stronger though, and he pulled back anyway. “Let me look at you, sweetheart.”
Camila allowed him to move back a bit so he could see her face, but the moment he got a real good look at her, he froze, his fingers brushing against a metallic collar.
He tensed and looked at her face again. “What the fuck…” He glanced over at his brother, passed out on the floor, blood trickling from his nose and mouth and said, “I’m gonna fucking kill him.”
Camila threw herself into his arms and clung to him even more, her whimpers growing louder as she shuddered. She couldn’t believe he was there, and that it was over. She was afraid to believe it. Afraid that if she let go, he’d disappear and it would all be a dream and she’d be back tied in that bed, naked.
“Shh,” Samuel murmured, patting her hair. “I’m not leaving you, okay, sweetheart? I’m going to pick you up. We need to go outside. Okay, love?”
Camila was still for a second, then nodded. She buried her face into his neck, and clung to him, not wanting to let go.
She caught sight of Adrien getting up and retreating, stumbling further into the house out the corner of her eye, but didn’t pay him much attention as Samuel stood up, carrying her in his arms. She wrapped her legs around his hips as he stepped out of the house, just in time for the police to start swarming inside.
All she felt was relief that it was finally over. She was safe.
* * *
Samuel
Samuel didn’t spare a glance back as he walked around the outside of the house to the front. He was thankful that they’d had the forethought to have an ambulance on stand-by, so when they reached this farmhouse, the ambulance had come with them. It was parked behind the police cruisers.
Some of the cops were stationed outside, guns drawn, instead of going inside the house, but he paid them no mind as he continued past them toward the ambulance.
“Over here!” Samuel called out to the EMT’s.
Alerted to the bundle in his arms, the paramedics prepared for them by opening the back of the ambulance. One of the medics moved to take Camila off his hands, but she just clutched harder at him, and he ignored them as he continued moving toward the back of the ambulance.
Camila felt so light in his arms, too light, so it was no trouble pulling himself up inside the back of the ambulance with her.
“Sir, you can’t—”
Samuel sent a glare at the idiot who was talking, and they shut up immediately.
There was a bed on wheels in the small space, and Samuel coaxed her until she sat down on it. Then, he shrugged off his coat and wrapped it around her, because her body was shivering, before bringing her back into his arms. She buried her face in his chest and continued to cry.
“Shh, sweetheart,” he murmured again. “You’re safe now, Camila. You’re safe, love.”
He gently rocked her as he rubbed soothing circles into her back, occasionally carding his fingers through her hair, being careful of it as he remembered the rough way Adrien had been handling her. He could feel his expression freeze over, and was glad that she wasn’t looking up at him, because he didn’t want to scare her with his expression. His words were as much for her, as they were for himself, but now that he had her in his arms, he really wanted to try another hand at beating up his brother.
Let’s just leave that part to the police.
Surely, they had him now, and with how weak he’d looked, they shouldn’t have a hard time catching him.
Only, Samuel had thought that too soon. Behind them, in the farmhouse, he started hearing gun fire. Just like what happened in front of the mansion back then, only it was a bit louder now.
Camila startled with the noise, and he just hugged her even closer and shushed her, like he could bury her in his chest and she would be safe there.
“It’s okay, sweetheart, don’t worry. Let the police handle this, okay?”
Her body trembled, but she nodded against him.
Samuel frowned in the direction Adrien was engaging in a shootout with the police. Maybe he shouldn’t have let go of him when he had him in his hands. Or maybe he should have shot him, instead of beat the shit out of him, but he hadn’t wanted to get shot himself and couldn’t have just ignored Camila to make sure Adrien stayed down. He should have had someone follow after him to take care of his brother while he got Camila, but the police tended to be cautious, and he’d been too impatient to care.
He comforted himself, though. Adrien had no way to escape this time, and once they had him back in prison, he wouldn’t be able to escape again, because they’d keep an eye on him this time, he’d make damn sure of it.
“Samuel?”
He looked down at Camila. She had calmed down to sniffling, and he could feel the wet patch on his chest where she’d cried on him. He ran his hand through her hair again, and she glanced up at him. Tears were still there in her eyes, but she looked like she had calmed down a little.
“Samuel, there was a man… last night…I think… he tried to help me, and…” She spoke haltingly, trying to get the words out, but he could see her expression crumple.
He figured she was worried about the man Adrien had shot, so he stroked her hair again and smiled in reassurance. “If that is what has you so upset, you don’t have to worry. He was wearing a bullet proof vest so he didn’t die, he just has a big bruise and a couple bruised ribs, but they took him to the hospital and he’s okay. He is the one who let us know where you were.”
“Thank goodness.” She nodded, wiping under her nose as she sniffled. “And what about Mom? A-and Bri? Was she okay after Adrien…?”
“Bri was a little hurt in the fall down the stairs, but she’s fine now. Both Bri and your mother are waiting at home to hear news about you. I’ll call and let them know in a little bit that we have you.”
Camila blinked a few times, then nodded again and fell back into his chest, her eyes sliding closed. The tremble in her body had gone down, and her breathing was starting to slow down as well. She was calming, and it left him feeling relieved.
He was going to have to leave her to get the collar off of her and for her to get checked out, but he wanted to make sure she was okay before then, or his heart wouldn’t calm down.
“I’m so glad you found me,” she whispered.
He huffed a silent laugh, holding her tighter. “Not as much as I am,” he reassured, closing his eyes and burying his face in her hair. “Now that I have you, I’m not letting you go again, you know that, right?”
Camila didn’t reply, but she did nod against his chest.
Samuel sighed. “Everything is all right, sweetheart. I’ll take care of you now.”
This time, he planned on doing a better job of it.
Chapter Fifteen
What the hell is going on over there?
Samuel glanced at the farmhouse in annoyance. It had been more than a minute, and he was stil
l hearing shots. Camila was jumping with each one, and he wanted to tell the paramedics to just drive them to a hospital for Camila to get checked out, but he couldn’t.
As much as he wanted her to feel secure, he wanted to see this thing end with his brother. If he didn’t see Adrien getting dragged away in cuffs, or… even his body, he’d be worried that this wouldn’t end. That he’d get away.
He didn’t want to call out to the cops around the area to ask what was going on, because he might startle Camila if he shouted. So, he just brought his coat up over her head and waited for the commotion to die down.
Before long, there was another commotion outside, with cops running around all over the place. His interest perked up, and he wondered if it was over, but they all seemed panicked more than anything.
Someone finally got close enough to the ambulance, though, and he called out to them.
“Hey!”
The cop shot him a glance.
“What’s going on?”
“There seems to be a problem inside the house, everyone is rushing out. I heard something about the place catching fire.”
“Fire?” he repeated, looking back to the house.
He couldn’t see fire anywhere, but sure enough, the gunshots had stopped. Samuel could feel Camila’s body had gone tense in his arms, and he rubbed her back to soothe her.
Then, the commotion outside got even louder. They weren’t just running around, they were shouting.
“… The fire…”
“…someone get Adrien Kane out…!”
“… The oil tanks—!”
Like that last voice was the cure, there was a huge explosion. Samuel ducked his head against Camila as he curved his body around hers. They were several feet away and inside the ambulance, but the doors were open, so he could even feel the heat from it and the ambulance shook from side to side, spilling equipment down on them with the shockwaves from the explosion.
Shattered Obsession: Book 3 of the Obsession Trilogy Page 9