Only moments later, he reappeared with one of the shopping bags, seemingly filled with things he’d gathered from the bathroom. “What’s going on?” she asked quietly. He’d yet to hurt her, but her fear of him had grown since discovering he wasn’t who she’d thought he was.
He took the last remaining items of clothing and tossed them on the bed beside her. She flinched slightly when his hand pointed to the clothes. She assumed he was telling her to get dressed, but his silence unnerved her. Why isn’t he speaking? I’ve heard his voice. Why is he wearing the sunglasses? I’ve seen his eyes.
“What’s going on?” she repeated, a bit more firmly. “Why won’t you talk to me?” He pointed again to the clothes before turning towards the door.
“I’m not doing anything until you talk to me. Why do I have to get dressed? Why are you packing my clothes?” Her words trailed off as it occurred to her. She was being moved.
“Where are we going?”
He again pointed to the clothes and turned his back instead of leaving the room.
“I’m not doing anything until you answer me. What’s going on?”
His breathing increased and she could see by the way he fisted his hands that he was becoming irritated.
“Why won’t you talk to me now?” She tried to stand, her frustration overtaking her modesty. She immediately regretted her move when the surge of pain radiated from deep inside, causing her to double over and drop to her knees.
He dived beside her in a flash. “Kelsey? Are you okay?” He wrapped one arm around her waist while trying to raise her shoulder with the other.
She raised her head and stared into her reflection in his glasses. When she moved her mouth to speak, she couldn’t find the words. Instead, she lifted her hand and pulled the glasses from his face, revealing his sexy green eyes. “Nick!”
“It’s me, baby,” he said, his voice laced with regret.
She dropped the glasses and tugged the ski mask off his head. “I don’t understand,” she whispered. “Why are you dressed like that?”
He brushed his fingers through his hair. “I’ll explain everything, Kelsey, I promise, but for now we have to get out of here.”
“Nick, I still can’t believe it’s you.” She was oblivious to anything but his face—his wonderful, handsome face. “I was hoping you’d find me.”
She cradled his cheek in her palm. “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry for the way I treated you in the hospital. I should have let you explain. I never should have yelled at you like that.” The flood of emotions from exhaustion as well as the events of the last few weeks hit her suddenly as she leaned against him and released everything in a torrent of tears and sobs.
“Kelsey, we have to get going.”
She nodded into his chest, finally feeling safe for the first time in so long. “Yes, yes. Get me out of here, please,” she whispered with a sniffle.
“Can you stand?”
“I think so,” she said, but as soon as she stood, the pain overtook her. She bent over, clutching her stomach.
“Kelsey!” He sat her down on the bed and she took a series of short, shallow breaths. “Baby, I’m sorry, but we have to get you dressed and get you out of here.”
She nodded and wiped a tear away, knowing she’d have to fight through her pain to get away from the prison where she’d been kept. She reached for the pants lying on the bed, but as soon as her hands were away from her body, the pain worsened.
“Do you need help?” he asked.
She hated feeling so helpless, but knowing they had little time she nodded her head.
Without hesitation, he reached for the back of her tank top. He looked into her eyes while lifting it over her head and down her arms so she wasn’t forced to raise them.
She was thankful it was Nick instead of someone else, but with the uncertainty of their relationship, she wasn’t sure how to feel about sitting in front of him half-naked. It was nothing he hadn’t seen before, but the situation was different now. She wanted that to change. “Can I have a bra?” she asked meekly.
He stood from his position, grabbed a bra from the gym bag, and hurried back. She was able to slide it up each arm, but when she tried to hook it behind her, another pain hit and she pressed her arm against the bed.
“Let me do that,” he whispered. Guiding her head to rest on his shoulder, he wrapped his strong arms around her and fastened the two hooks.
“Nick,” she whispered as she inhaled his masculine scent. “I missed you.”
“I missed you, too, Bright Eyes.”
He stroked her back and pulled away. “And as much as I’d like to stay like this, we really need to go.” He helped her with her shirt before pulling off her pyjama pants and replacing them with the jeans he’d laid on the bed earlier.
When she was finally dressed, he gathered her items and threw the bags over his shoulder. “Can you walk, baby?”
“I don’t know,” she whispered through her tears.
“Come here.” He wrapped one arm around her back and, with little effort, slid the other under her legs and lifted her up against his chest. “Hold onto me, Kelsey.”
“Gladly,” she said with a tender smile.
He leaned his head down and brushed his lips across hers, just barely grazing the softness of her mouth. “Let’s go, baby.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Anthony pulled up to the address he’d been given, glancing around before parking a few doors down to discreetly observe the house. Not having been in the area before, he was pleased his mole had given him such accurate information and his hopes of finding the Braden girl grew.
As expected, there were the usual signs of activity around an average-looking home. There was a car in the driveway, windows open, and laundry hanging from a clothesline on the side of the house. Any normal person wouldn’t look twice at the blue and white Cape Cod, but that was the point.
He sat back, binoculars in hand, to watch the goings-on in the neighbourhood. The house wouldn’t be empty for at least another hour, but with blueprints to assist him, he was confident this assignment would be a snap.
A small part of him almost felt sorry for Kelsey Braden—an innocent young girl thrown into big-boy games, but the sympathy waned each time he thought of the arrogant asshole she’d chosen to associate with. He hated Nick Jensen and wanted nothing more than to see him suffer. Unfortunately for Braden, hurting her would be an excellent way to make Jensen’s life hell.
Now all he had to do was wait.
* * * *
Faith had just plopped down on her couch when the loud knocking on the door began. “What the…?”
Forcing herself up, she begrudgingly walked to the door, expecting Krissy to be standing on the other side once again, pushing her method of help into her life. The Kapman family meant well, but Faith didn’t want to deal with anyone right now. The only way she felt she could cope was to just be alone.
Preparing for battle, Faith opened the door brusquely, startled to find not Krissy, but Ronald standing on the other side.
“Ronald? I’m sorry. I was expecting a different Kapman.”
“What?”
“Nothing… Sorry. Come in, please.”
“I hope I didn’t come at a bad time,” he said, making his way to the couch.
“Not at all. I actually just got home from visiting Bart. What’s going on?”
“You said to let you know if there was anything you could do.”
“Yes?”
“Well, there is something. We need your help.”
* * * *
Tim unlocked the door and stepped aside to allow Mike to enter the house. “Can I get you something to drink?”
Mike’d had enough of this cloak and dagger stuff and was ready to head back to work. “Oh, for the love of… Look, you’ve pulled me away from a very busy day with the guise of someone needing medical attention. Now you’re offering afternoon tea? If you don’t have an emergency, I’m out of here.”
> Before he’d a chance to walk out, a loud scuffling caught his attention. “A little help!” he heard a man’s voice call out.
Tim disappeared around the corner. A few seconds later, Mike was stunned to see him return with bags in hand, followed by another man cradling the curled up body of a young woman.
“You Mike Hinson?” the strange man huffed.
“Yes, what’s wrong with her?”
“That’s why you’re here. Follow me.” He started climbing the stairs.
“Mike?” Kelsey whispered softly.
“Kelsey?” His steps hurried once he heard her voice.
The stranger kicked open the door to the bedroom and gently laid an exhausted Kelsey on his bed. He stood to make room for Mike, but she clung to his hand. “Nick, don’t go. Please don’t leave me.”
He bent down, whispering near her face. “I’m not leaving you, Bright Eyes. I’m just gonna let the doc take a look at you, okay? I’m right here, baby.”
“Nick? You’re the guy Kelsey’s been seeing?” Mike asked, remembering Kelsey’s expression when she’d received the flowers he’d sent.
Nick stood to face him, never releasing the tight hold he had on Kelsey’s hand. “Yes. You’re the doctor that’s gonna work with her at the emergency clinic, right?”
“That’s me,” Mike said, turning his attention towards Kelsey. “What happened to her?”
“I don’t know, man. She’s having abdominal pains. They seem to come and go.” Nick bent down, close to her face. “Baby, I’m going to let Mike examine you, okay? I’m right here.” She nodded with a deep breath as she released his hand.
Mike sat on the edge of the bed with his stethoscope in his ears and began his preliminary examination.
“Hey, Nick!” Tim called from the bottom of the staircase.
“Go ahead,” Kelsey said. “I’ll be fine.”
Nick looked from the doorway to Kelsey and finally to Mike, his face clearly showing his concern. “Go on. I’ll take care of her,” Mike said with a nod.
“I’ll be right back, baby. I promise.” He kissed her forehead before rushing out of the room and down the steps.
“So tell me what’s going on here, kiddo,” Mike said as he listened to her breathing.
“Cysts. I think that’s what it is, anyway.”
Mike nodded. He was familiar with her history and knew she’d been through this since her teen years. He grabbed his penlight and checked her pupils. “Well, you should know, but just to make me feel better, I’m going to take a look, okay? When did this start?”
“Yesterday evening. The spells usually don’t last this long.”
“Do you take anything for these?”
“Well, Doctor Carter put me on birth control pills…” Her voice died off. “Oh, jeez. I can’t believe I didn’t think about it.”
“What?”
“I haven’t taken my pills lately. I didn’t have them when they…”
Mike nodded, not wanting her to have to explain her ordeal. “How long has it been?”
“Since the day before I was taken… The first time.”
“So that’s a couple weeks, right?” he asked as he continued his exam.
“Yes.”
“Have you had a period in that time?”
“No,” she said with a grunt. He’d apparently found a tender spot.
“Well, that’s not unusual. You have been under a good deal of stress lately from both the kidnapping and setting up the emergency clinic. A job, by the way, I’ll be very happy to give back to you.”
“I look forward to it,” she said with a slight smile.
“On a scale of one to ten, where would you rank your pain?”
“A few hours ago, I would have said an eight, but now it’s closer to a four. It’s not nearly as bad as it was.”
“Well, it looks like you’re probably right, Nurse Braden. I don’t see any reason to suspect anything else since you’ve dealt with this before.” He placed a small bottle of pills on the nightstand beside her. “Here’s something to help you with the pain.”
“Thanks, Mike.”
“How long has it been since you’ve had an ultrasound?”
“It’s been quite a while. Since I’ve been taking the pills, the cysts haven’t been bothering me. It’s probably been five years.”
“Okay. Well, you should definitely have one as soon as possible. And I’ll write you a prescription for your pills.”
Mike filled a hypodermic needle with a clear liquid.
“Thank God for morphine,” Kelsey whispered as the syringe pierced her skin.
“What’s going on, man?” Nick asked Tim when he reached the kitchen.
“I wanted to let you know, it’s going down tonight.”
“Tonight? Damn it.” He crossed his arms across his chest and groaned his displeasure. “I can’t leave her here unprotected, Tim.”
“I know. Don’t worry, bro. We’ve got it covered.”
“Damn, I wanted to be in on that.” It didn’t matter. Kelsey was his priority. “You sure you have enough people?”
“Yes. In fact, Ronald found a replacement for you.”
“Who?”
“Kapman’s wife, Faith.”
“Are you sure she can handle it? It didn’t sound like she’s been on the force too long. If something happens to her, Bart and Kelsey will never forgive me.”
“Ronald says she can handle it, and she seemed more than anxious.”
“Good. What about Anthony?”
“I don’t know, man. Last I heard he’d left Gianelli’s to find Kelsey. He hasn’t been seen since.”
“I don’t like him being out there, Tim. He’s out to get me.”
“You can handle yourself, Nick. You’re the best I’ve ever seen.”
“I’m not worried for me. I’m worried for Kelsey. He knows how I feel about her. I have no doubt he’d go after her to get to me. She can’t defend herself against him.”
“Then I suggest you stay close, huh, buddy?” Tim said with a sly smile.
“Oh, I intend to.”
“Excuse me, gentlemen,” Mike said as he entered.
“How is she, Doc?” Nick asked while Tim excused himself to take a call.
“She’s fine, Nick. Don’t worry. The pains are caused by ovarian cysts.”
“Oh, crap. I forgot about her pills. She told me she takes them to keep the cysts in check. Are they a problem? Are they gonna get worse?”
“No. She should be fine. But I do want her to get an ultrasound. We just want to make sure there isn’t something more going on.”
“Can that wait a few days? She’s still in danger and I want to keep her out of sight.”
“That’s fine, but don’t put it off too long. She said the pain has lessened, so I just gave her a little something to take the edge off. I’ll see myself out.”
“Hey, Doc. Thanks,” Nick said. “Wait a minute… You’re the guy from the picture.”
“What picture?”
Nick laughed at his mistake. “I saw a picture at Kelsey’s of her with three other people. I originally thought it was her family, but she was with you, Faith, and some other guy at Shindigs.” He also now realised why Faith had looked so familiar when they’d first met.
Mike joined in the laughter. “Oh, man. That was senior prom. Kelsey’s date backed out on her, so she asked me to go. I know the picture you mean.”
“Well, thanks again, Mike.”
“Any time, Nick. And, hey, take care of her, okay? She’s a special lady.”
“You don’t have to tell me that, dude. I know.”
Nick walked Mike out of the front door and watched as he drove away, making sure the doctor not only made it out okay, but hadn’t been followed.
“Nick?”
He turned to see a much more relaxed Kelsey standing at the bottom of the steps. “Hey, Bright Eyes. Feeling better?”
“Much, thank you. Thanks for calling Mike.”
�
��I’m glad it’s nothing serious, baby. You had me worried.”
“Hey, Nick, I’ve gotta get going…” Tim said as he walked in the room. “Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”
“No problem, Tim. You take care of yourself, okay? And call me as soon as everything is done,” Nick said as Kelsey looked intently at Tim.
“I will, bro. You stay safe here, okay?” The two hugged affectionately and Tim grabbed his bag.
Kelsey moved to stand in front of Tim, placing both of her hands on his arms and looking into his eyes.
Nick didn’t like the expression on her face. “Kelsey? What’s the matter?” he asked cautiously.
She continued to stare into Tim’s eyes. “Do I know you?”
“I…uh… I don’t think so.”
Hearing his voice must’ve helped her put it together. She gasped as she stepped back. “It’s you,” she barely whispered.
“Baby, listen,” Nick jumped in as soon as he realised she’d recognised Tim from her time in captivity.
“Don’t,” she said with a shaky voice. He could see the wheels turning in her head as she pieced together the puzzle. She turned to Nick and gave him the same look of fear. “Oh, my God! It was you. You were the one who took me!”
“Kelsey, please, listen to me, okay?” Nick begged as he reached for her.
“No!” She continued to step away. “Stay away from me!”
Nick sighed as she climbed up the stairs towards his bedroom and slammed the door.
“I’m sorry, man,” Tim said, patting Nick’s shoulder.
“Yeah, thanks, but the truth had to come out eventually. You take care of yourself tonight, okay?”
“You bet. We’ll see you later.”
Nick made a pass around his house, pulling shades and making sure all the windows and doors were locked and secured after had Tim left. He punched a code into his alarm system, securing the premises, before heading up the stairs to talk to her.
He’d dreaded this conversation since he’d made the decision to snatch her, but the time had come to tell all. She was going to be angry, and most likely obstinate, but he was determined to make her listen.
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