“Wow, you need to chill, have a joint,” Maddie says with a laugh. Damn, she is fucked up.
“Um, guys. Do you think she is stable? I mean do you think she’s alright up there?” I ask and point to my head. Luke lets out a bark like laugh that he tries to disguise a cough.
“You’re on drugs? What the hell?” Hailey says and as much as this is hurting us, I can’t imagine the pain Hails must feel watching her sister hit this new low.
“So fucking what? I’ll do whatever the fuck I want. I’m a grown ass woman!” Fuck, this is just what we need. Maddie shouting at everyone.
“Calm the fuck down, we’re leaving. We will discuss this when we get home.” Hailey says calmly trying to calm Maddie.
“Fuck discussing this! How about considering the fact that your boyfriend beats the ever loving shit out of you. Nice makeup there Hails, what is it today? A black eye to go with the bruise on your wrists?” I gasp and turn to face Hailey as she has tears streaming down her face.
“I’m done! I can’t deal with this shit anymore. I’m leaving and once I get home, your shit will be waiting for you on the lawn.” Hailey screams at her. Once she’s finished she turns and leaves the room. Scott follows her out. Fuck, she does not need him on her case right now.
“What the fuck happened to you?” Steven asks Maddie, making me jump as I forgot he was in the room. I was so focused on Maddie.
Maddie starts laughing again. “What happened to me? I lost everyone thanks to that fucking slut. She is a liar, if she’d been raped she would have told the cops, he would be in prison, and Connor wouldn’t have died. Are you happy with yourself? Your lies have cost an innocent man his life and David’s life could be ruined. Why would you lie?” I stand up and walk over to her, I feel someone grab my arms, but I’m so mad, I break free of their hold and slap that fucking bitch across her face.
“You deserved that you bitch. I can’t believe you. I told Winter that you wanted to talk. I encouraged her to let you come here. I actually hate you. You are dead to me.” Soph says and walks out of the room.
“I was raped, I don’t have to justify myself to you. But he threatened to hurt you the night he did it, I was so scared that he was going to hurt my best friend, a woman I would have died for. I blocked him out. I was so scared, I forgot his face. You think I’m lying? You think I like jumping anytime someone touches me? You think I like having to watch everyone tip toe around me, making sure they don’t say something that would cause me to freak out? You think I like being treated differently?” I’m shaking. My anger has bubbled to the surface.
I take a good look at her and it clicks in my head. The way she’s acting, extreme weight loss, dilated pupils, talkative, paranoia, nervousness, mood changes, and agitation. It all points to her drug use. When I was in Maui, there was a lady whose father had been sexually abusing her for years. She took solace in weed in the beginning and then turned to coke then heroin. She’s been clean for seven years now. She explained all the side effects those drugs had on her.
“I don’t really give a fuck what you’re like. You brought in on yourself. You’re a fucking slut and you deserved it. Everything is always about you.. I’ve had enough. Nope. Now it’s going to be all about me.” I want to slap the shit out of this fucking cunt.
“You’re a meth head, you’ve been using for a long time if your appearance has anything to go by. I honestly don’t care what you think of me. I don’t care what you do. Stay out of my life Maddie.” My phone starts ringing. I walk over to my handbag and pull it out. I see that it’s Sammy calling. I give Maddie one last look and then leave the room and answer the phone as I walk up the stairs to Soph’s old bedroom.
“Hey, you! How’s the little Princess?” He goes on to say Katelynn is sad and when I talk to her my heart breaks for her. I finally manage to cheer her up with a promise of shopping. I clam up when she asks me when it will be. I have no idea when I will be able to meet her. I don’t know where David is and I don’t know what he wants. I’m so fucking scared and there isn’t anything I can do except let this play out. He wants me and I hope that the cops can stop him. I hang up from Sammy and I feel a bit better but I’m dreading going back into the living room, I don’t want Maddie to be still here. I’ve listened to enough of the shit she said.
I hear talking in the living room as I reach the bottom step. I can hear Soph talking and I listen harder and hear Maddie. I sigh and make my way to the kitchen. I get a glass of water and I take a seat on the stool at the breakfast bar. I think over everything that Maddie said to me. I’m done with her. She doesn’t exist for me. I’m pulled from my thoughts when I hear the sliding door open. I look and see Scott coming through the door. He sees me and frowns.
“What are you doing in here?” He asks as he makes his way to the opposite side of the breakfast bar. I take one look at him and notice his eyes are red, almost as if he’s been crying.
“Fucking bitch is still here so I’m waiting in here till she leaves. Are you okay?” His eyes narrow at my question, but just like Luke did, he sighs and tells me what’s on his mind.
“She has fucking finger marks on her wrist. They’re fucking black and blue. Fuck, she wouldn’t look at me when I asked her if she had a black eye. She told me to mind my own business. What am I going to do?” He looks as though he wants to kill someone. He runs his hands through his hair, his head bowed.
“As what? Her friend? Lover? Work colleague?” His head snaps up and he stares at me with a look that has me looking away. He looks furious.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Scott. You have messed with that poor fucking girl's head for long enough. So, yes what are you asking as…?” He stands up and I think he’s leaving. I sigh, I didn’t mean to upset him, I just thought he needed to get a reality check. I watch as he walks to the cupboard and pulls out the bourbon. He comes back and sits down as he takes a mouthful straight from the bottle, he passes it to me and I take it and do the same. Fuck it, the day I’ve had so far, I need it.
“She’s too good for me, she deserves so much more than me.” I laugh. Such a Scott thing to say. “Why are you laughing?” He looks upset.
“This is so you. Everyone deserves better than you. What about you? Don’t you deserve goodness? A loving relationship? I swear to God if I hear you mention that Alex whore, I will knock you upside your head.” He looks so taken aback by what I said that I burst out laughing. He looks so shocked.
“Alex has nothing to do with this. Honestly, I dealt with all that shit two years ago.” I look at his eyes and see he really does mean that. He’s over what happened with the town bike.
“Then what the hell is your problem?” He doesn’t say anything just drinks more bourbon. “Look, whatever the reason, it’s bullshit. It’s an excuse so you can hide and protect yourself.” He narrows his eyes at me and goes to speak. I halt him by holding my hand up. “I don’t want to hear that crap Scott. Look, you deserve to be happy. You need to think long and hard about what you want from life. I do have something for you to think about. If Hailey was to get married and have kids, with a man that wasn’t you, how would you feel?”
“Gutted.” His answer is instantaneous.
“So, what are you going to do about it?” I ask and watch as his face transform from looking gutted to his usual charming self with a fucking wicked grin. I feel for the poor girl. “Scott, if what Maddie says is true, you’re going to have to let her heal first.” He nods and continues to drink.
The front door slams and Scott stands up. “Stay here and I’ll check to see if the wicked witch is gone yet.” I start laughing watching as he walks away. Before he even gets to the door Luke comes in.
“She’s gone. How you didn’t slap her more than once I don’t know. Fuck, I wanted to slap the bitch. She’s so high it’s a wonder she even knows where the hell she is.” He shakes his head and spots me holding the bourbon, he walks over to me and takes it out of my hands and drinks it.
> “How were things with Detective Yates?” I ask him as he takes a seat beside me.
“I ended up going to her house, she was wiped but we talked. I told her everything about Alex. She threw her shoe at me.” I burst out laughing, he looks so bewildered. “Why the hell are you laughing? Anyway, we’re good. I want to thank you.” He looks sheepish now. I get up and walk over to him. He’s staring at me intently, wondering what I’m going to do. I get to where he’s seated, and I throw my arms around his shoulders and hug him. “Fuck.” He says and he wraps his arms around me.
“You’re the best big brother ever. Well, the eldest. Because Scott’s pretty amazing too. Luke, I love you.” His arms convulse around me. I have never told any of them that before. They are my family; they should know that I love them.
“I love you too Wints.” He says gruffly. I pull back and see his eyes are watery. I release him and take the bourbon from him and start drinking it on my way back to my seat. “So, Maddie needs help, but at this point in time, I don’t think it’s us that can help her.” I nod and continue drinking. I seriously can’t wait to go home and be with Sam. It's twelve thirty in the afternoon and we’re already drinking. It’s just one of those days.
“Don’t hog the good stuff, pass that around.” I laugh at Scott’s dramatics and hand him the bottle. “You okay, Winter?”
“Yeah, just wish this day was over already,” I tell Scott as Luke’s phone starts ringing and I see his eyes light up.
“Babe, you okay?” Damn, the man has it bad. Whatever she’s saying it’s not good as his face falls and he stares at me, his eyes shut and his expression clears. Fuck I hate when they all do that. “Okay, I’ll see you in a while.” He says into the phone and hangs up. He sighs and looks down at his shoes. I wait for the news, knowing it’s going to be bad. He looks at me and I brace. “Detective Yates and Detective Jones will be here in a while. They want to talk to you about what they found in that asshole’s place when they searched it this morning.”
I nod. “How long do you think it will be until they will be here? I’m tired and just want to have a nap. Will I have time?” All I want to do is lie down and cry myself to sleep. Everything that has happened these last few days has finally caught up with me. I just want to cry and sleep.
“Be at least an hour probably longer. Go, go and get a nap. You look like a gust of wind could blow you over.” Luke tells me and I feel like it. I walk up to him and kiss his cheek.
“Thank you. I don’t know how I’m going to repay you.” I tell him honestly. He’s been here for me ever since he found out what happened to me. Pure loyalty. Something I have had since I was 5 years old, the day Sophia and her family came into my life.
He takes my face into his hands, one on each side of my face. It’s not painful, just pressure. I look into his eyes. “Don’t. Don’t say that shit. You don’t need to repay me for anything. You are my family. I would and will do anything to make sure you’re safe Winter.” He looks so angry, yet determined. His hands drop from my face but his eyes are still on me. “Go on and have a nap.” I go to walk away and he grabs my arm and pulls me into a hug. “We will always be here for you Winter. Don’t forget that. Anytime you need one of us, call.” With that he lets go of me and walks back to the breakfast bar and picks up the half empty Bourbon bottle.
As I walk towards the downstairs bedroom, I’m hoping if I nap down here I’d be able to hear if anyone comes to the house. It also has sliding doors that lead out to the garden, that even if I can’t sleep, I’ll be able to just reflect and have peace and quiet. My phone buzzes, I look and pull it out of my pocket and see it’s Sammy texting, asking how I am, I tell him I’m going for a nap and that I love him. He tells me he loves me too and my heart skips a beat and fills with warmth. I make it to the bedroom and lie on the bed. I think about Connor and the tears start to fall, I think of Ryder, I know that Nathan doesn’t blame me, but I blame myself. I think of Sammy and his love for me and mine for him. In all this mess, I have found my happy. Sammy is my happy place. I honestly didn’t think I would ever find one after what David did to me. I came to terms with being alone and simply existing. I was content with that life. I had my friends and family that was all I needed. Or so I thought until the day Sammy knocked on my door and made my body and heart stir like crazy. I fall asleep with a small smile on my face and tear tracks on my face.
I wake up struggling to breathe, I open my eyes and try to scream, I realize that there is a gloved hand covering my face, I look into the eyes that haunt my dreams. My heart thumps against my chest and I’m paralyzed. I can’t believe he’s gotten to me again.
“Don’t scream babe. You have had your fun, now it’s time for us to be together. You’re coming with me.” David says and I start struggling, trying to get him off me, trying to make noise so that Steven, Luke, Scott or Sophia can hear me. I raise my arms up and try to pry at the tight grip he has on my mouth. I feel a sharp object on my back. I struggle yet again, I think I finally managed to get him off me when I feel that sharp object piercing my skin and go into my back. I cry out, it feels as though I have been stabbed a thousand times, I know I have only been stabbed once but that is how bad the pain is. His hand tightened around my face and I struggle to breathe because this time his hand is covering my nose. I feel him pull whatever he stabbed me with out of my back and do it again, this time it is lower and I scream, but my scream is muffled by his gloved hand. He pulls me from the bed and I’m trying to remain standing, but the pain is immense.
“Listen to me babe. Keep quiet and you may just survive long enough to get to our house.” My eyes widen when he says survive long enough. He’s going to kill me. I try to move but I’m hit with a sharp pain that radiates from my back and takes my breath away. I know that I don’t have much time, I have to get help. I once again try and move, this time I manage to get his hand loosened from my mouth. I don’t have a chance to move again as he pulls my hair and moves so he has his front to my back. I flash back to what happened the last time he had me in this position we were in that alley and he raped me. I try my hardest to get him off me, but I stop as soon as I see him raise a bloody knife. He plunges it forward and into my stomach. My legs give way and I fall to the ground. David follows me to the ground keeping his hand tightly around my mouth. I put my hand to my stomach and I feel the blood flowing through my fingers. I start to feel lightheaded.
“It’s time to go babe.” He picks me up and I feel drained, I feel as though I’m floating and I know that he is carrying me out the sliding door and into the garden. Taking me away from my safety. Away from my family. I’m so scared. I know that this is going to be worse than the last time he had me at his mercy. This time he’s going to kill me. I can feel it in my bones.
Chapter Seventeen
SAM
My usual two-hour drive is done in just under an hour and fifteen. My heart is pounding and I’m fucking furious. I’m out of my truck and I race up the front steps, I don’t even knock and the fucking Officer at the door is useless and not even doing his job because he doesn’t even stop me. No wonder she’s gone if this is what we have to protect us. I make it into the house and I see Soph standing in the hall, she has her back to the sitting room and is staring ahead of her. Her face is pale and I turn and see what she is staring at. I feel the blood drain from my face, I see blood and a fucking hell of a lot of it. I don’t even notice my feet moving until I make it to the bedroom doorway and see my fucking worst nightmare come true. Blood everywhere, on the bed, the floor and I see a trail of it leading to the doors.
“Excuse me, Sir. You can’t be in here. How did you get into this house?” A short, stout officer asks me, he’s got to be 5’10 and likes his wife’s cooking if his gut and wedding ring is anything to go by.
“He’s fine Ernie. This is Sam Mitchell, he’s Winter’s boyfriend.” I turn at Steven’s voice and I see guilt and anguish written all over his face.
“Somebody, tell me what the fuck happen
ed and where the fuck is Winter?” I scream at them. The amount of blood in this room means someone is seriously injured, and I’m praying with all my heart to a God I haven’t spoken to since my dad died, that it’s not hers. Yet, I know deep down that it is, and I need to find her and fast.
“Mr. Mitchell. I’m Detective Yates. Please come with me and let the Officers collect the evidence.” I follow her to the sitting room as does Sophia. Once we get into the room I see Luke and Scott, both of them have the exact same expression on their faces. It’s the same one that’s on Steven’s. I don’t sit and neither does Soph. I see a movement to my left and see an older man come into the room. “This is my partner Detective Jones. Mr. Mitchell, Ms. Cortez has been kidnapped. We have already had the security cameras reviewed and had it confirmed. Ms. Cortex has been kidnapped by David Masters.” The Detective tells me.
I need to take a few deep breaths before I can speak, when I do it comes out in a deep growl. “So you know this asshole has her! Why the fuck are you standing here?”
“Watch it. I get that you are mad and scared! But do not talk to her like that again.” That comes from Luke, if it were under any other circumstance I’d give him shit. This must be his new lady, fuck she suits him.
“Somebody fucking tell me what the fuck happened to her!” I scream at them. I’ve had enough of them dodging that question.
“We don’t know what happened. We can only guess. We found a knife and it was covered in blood. Fuck, Sam, I think the bastard stabbed her.” Sophia says and I watch the tears slide down her face.
“Where did he take her?” I ask again. I hate fucking repeating myself and wasting motherfucking time. The time that could be used in getting Winter and bring her home.
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