by Mj Fields
Maddox looked at Brody, ���I���m going with him.���
���I know that, and so am I.���
���No Dad you need to stay with Emma and the girls. This is my fight, my soon to be wife and my child.���
���You are my child������
Maddox interrupted him, ���They need you.���
���This is not even up for discussion, Maddox. Go shower--- it���s going to be a long night. I���m going to go talk to Em.���
���Hey beautiful,��� Collin sat next to Tessa and patted his lap.
Tessa looked at him sadly, climbed on his lap, hugged him tightly and whispered, ���Collin.���
���We have a lead.���
���Tell me, where is she?���
���I���m waiting for details from Tomas. Zach will be here soon. His sister Claire was taken as well. They think the vehicle Claire was dragged into is three hours north of here.���
Tessa was crying and shook her head up and down, ���Okay.���
���I���m going to make sure our baby comes back to you, Tessa Abraham,��� Collin looked into her eyes, ���Do you understand?���
���You���re going?��� Tessa wiped her tears and then took his face in her hands.
���Yeah,��� Collin whispered.
���You���ll bring her home?��� Tessa stroked his cheek gently with her thumb.
���I will.���
���Okay, let me go.���
���No Tessa. I need to focus on one person, alright?��� Collin kissed her forehead, ���I���d like to shower and I���d like you to come with me.���
Tessa stood up and took his hand.
Collin turned on the water, and then turned the radio on to an instrumental station. Tessa shook her head and looked down.
���Are you going to make up words for me Tessa?��� Collin took the hem of her shirt and lifted it up over her head.
She shook her head no as she unbuttoned his shirt.
He pulled her bra straps over her shoulder and kissed down her arm as one hand slipped behind her and un-snapped her bra. ���Do you know how much I love you?��� Collin took her breast in his mouth and the other in his hand. He stepped back as she unbuttoned his pants, ���Just as much as I did the first time I saw you. You���ve given me so much more than I ever dared dream, more than I ever knew I even wanted. Two sons, a daughter, your heart, and your love.��� Collin pulled down her pants and lifted her up, placing her legs around his waist, ���I love you, beautiful,��� Collin kissed her and pushed into her harshly.
���Oh Collin,��� she cried into his neck.
���My God everything about you, Tessa,��� he growled into her hair.
���I love you,��� Tessa moaned.
���Tessa,��� he grabbed the back of her head and kissed her.
She grabbed him as he pushed her into the shower wall and moved slowly in and out of her.
���I love you, Collin, so much.���
���Tessa,��� he moved faster and harder until he came.
They held each other kissing slowly, softly, passionately.
���Hey beautiful,��� he cupped her chin as he saw tears falling down her face.
���You are beautiful,��� Tessa took a deep breath. ���You have given me so much Collin, more than I ever expected.���
���No more tears alright, we need to get our girl back,��� Collin stepped out of the shower and grabbed a towel and held it up for Tessa.
He gently toweled her hair and she wrapped her towel around him holding him against her.
Collin smiled down at her, ���I promise to bring her back.���
Tessa kissed his chest.
���Alright,��� he hugged her, ���Listen, I need your help.���
���Anything,��� Tessa looked back up at him.
���I need to be able to focus on getting her home. Maddox, Blake, and our boys are too���emotional. I can���t be worried about them too, Tessa.���
���What���re you asking?���
���Cover for me while I slip out of here. Zach will be here soon and Tomas should be waiting at the airport for me now. He and I have worked together for years. I know I can get her back to you beautiful, but I���m concerned that with the boys there������
���You���re sure, Collin?���
���A clear head, focused on Harper, and no one else, Tessa. I���m sure that���s what I need,��� Collin grabbed her shirt and pulled it over her head.
���Alright, but what do I������
���I���ll contact Zach as soon as we take off,��� Collin walked into the bedroom and grabbed a sweatshirt and black loose pants as Tessa grabbed a pair of yoga pants.
���If that���s what you need, of course,��� Tessa shook her head. ���Do you have everything you need?���
���Yes, Tomas has taken care of everything, as usual,��� Collin smiled, ���Look at me.��� Tessa looked up at him and he kissed her nose, ���Beautiful.���
Collin slipped out the back door and quickly walked to the end of the driveway. He opened the back door to the black car waiting for him.
���What the������
���So predictable,��� Brody rolled his eyes.
���You should������
���Listen, I understand not needing the entourage,��� Brody patted his back.
���Emma will be������
���Em knows and she also knew not to argue. Maddox is a fucking mess, we don���t want him to get hurt because he is worried about that dick, Drake,��� Brody smirked.
���His name is������
���Whatever,��� Brody mimicked London���s eye rolling.
���Fine. Update?��� Colin asked as they sped down the road towards the airstrip.
Tessa sat up and wiped her eyes when she heard a knock on the door. She stood and slowly walked towards the door.
���Tessa, I need to speak to Collin,��� Maddox looked past her.
���Come in and have a seat, Maddox,��� Tessa wiped her eyes again.
���Zach should be here any minute and I���d like to speak to Collin before he gets here.��� Maddox looked at Tessa, ���Please don���t cry. I know she is going to be alright.���
���I pray she is, Maddox, because if������
���No. No if���s and keep praying,��� Maddox looked around, ���Is he in here?���
���No he������
Emma walked into the room, ���Maddox, why don���t you get some rest before Zach gets here?���
���He should be here any minute and there is no way I would sleep,��� Maddox looked at Emma and then back at Tessa, ���Where is Dad?���
Emma looked up at him, ���Maddox now don���t������
���Please tell me that they���re here,��� his voice shook in anger.
���Maddox, Collin������
���She���s my heart, Tessa! I need to find her just as badly as he does,��� Maddox clenched his jaw and glared at Emma, ���Did he go, too?���
���No Maddox, Collin and Tomas������
���Yes, yes he did. You���re his heart, Maddox, and he������
���They had no right to leave me out of this! She is mine to protect a
nd love just as much as���fuck!��� Maddox stormed out of the room and down the stairs.
Emma ran after him, ���Collin knows what he���s doing, Maddox! Stop! He is her daughter ������
���And she is carrying MY child, Emma! I���m not a boy! I������
���You���re your father���s child Maddox, they���re doing this for both of you,��� Emma started to cry.
Maddox turned and looked at her, ���I have sat here for nearly twenty-four hours holding myself together. I won���t sit here any longer; someone is going to pay for what they have done to her���to all of you!���
���I know Maddox, I���m so sorry,��� Emma sobbed and Maddox hugged her tightly, ���I can���t lose you, Maddox.���
���You won���t,��� Maddox stepped back and looked around the room, ���If I don���t leave here, that fucker is going to pay with his life.���
���It���s not his fault, Maddox,��� Emma whispered.
Zach walked through the front door and looked around, ���You ready?���
���Yes,��� Maddox grabbed his jacket.
���We are going too,��� Matthew said pointing to his brother.
���No������
���Try and stop us,��� Matthew sneered.
���Fine, but Drake stay���s here!���
Maddox walked out the door and CJ and Matthew looked at Tessa.
���We���ll see you soon, Mom,��� CJ and Matthew each hugged her and followed him out.
They all piled into the car and Zach looked at Maddox, ���Clive is meeting us at the airstrip. Collin, Brody, and Tomas are in the air. We have two locations and they���re going to check out the area before we arrive, if they can get to them������
���Them?��� CJ looked confused.
���My sister is there as well,��� Zach said and continued, ���Maddox, having two teams is a good thing, get over it. We work together to bring them home.���
Maddox sat back and then looked out the window. Silence.
Collin looked at the laptop with the new information Tomas had just received.
Harrison Dunlop was a very wealthy playboy who owned several businesses worldwide. He was worth billions of dollars. His son, Atticus, was the typical son of a wealthy man. Photos of him with beautiful women always attached to his arm were all over the internet. His appetite for women, money, and power were apparent everywhere.
He clicked back to Harrison���s photos. He had dark hair with hues of gray throughout. He saw the resemblance in the eyes and stature. He read a couple of articles that talked about his businesses and charities he gave to. He was divorced from Blake���s mother over twenty years ago. She was much younger than he was and beautiful.
Brody looked over his shoulder at the photos, ���He looks like you.���
Collin nodded and then sat back, ���He���s dying of cancer.���
���I���m sorry.���
���I don���t know if I am. A man like him could have found a child if he wanted to.��� Collin let out a deep breath, ���A man like me could have found a father if I wanted to. But I didn���t and still don���t.���
���I understand.���
���My children are going to want to meet him,��� Collin rubbed his chin, ���I can���t tell them no.���
���I understand that as well.���
���I have fought all my life for everything I have. I have tried to protect them yet teach them to be humble, to care for others, to give more than they received. This is unreal; never in a million years would I have thought something like this could happen to them. Tessa, my God I love that woman. I would have been no different than Harrison Dunlop had I not found her, had fate not shoved her at me over and over again.��� Collin hung his head and took a deep breath, ���That woman has given me everything, and I���ll do whatever I have to in order to bring our daughter home to her. After Harper is safe I���m going to rip apart whoever is responsible with my bare hands.���
���Collin--- I understand that need as well, but what will your children learn from you when you are behind bars. If you kill Atticus���his father may feel the same way about him, as you and I feel about ours.���
Collin sat silently in thought for several minutes, ���You and Maddox will protect them.���
���Just as you have for my family.��� Brody looked at him, ���You���re like a brother to me, Collin. I trust you more than I have anyone in my life. You don���t even have to question what depths I���ll go to for you and your family.���
���Thank you,��� Collin sat back, ���I���m still going to rip that motherfucker apart.���
Brody chuckled, ���And I���ll swear it was self-defense. Just like you did for me with Bo.���
Collin smiled at him, ���I knew you would.���
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Lost
Their captor walked in behind them as Harper held Claire���s hand tightly.
���Did you get our clothes?��� Claire asked as he closed the door behind them.
He didn���t answer and Harper looked back. He opened the small wood burning stove and threw their clothes in. He opened the bag he carried and threw shirts at them and then sweat pants.
���Thank you,��� Harper said as she started to dress.
���Not so fast,��� his voice was dark and taunting.
He started walking towards them when his phone buzzed. He stopped and reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. He cleared his throat.
���Yes���now���no not yet���alright then���yes sir,��� he hung up the phone and shoved it in his pocket.
He looked at Claire and Harper, ���Get dressed, we���re leaving.���
Harper and Claire looked at each other as they threw the clothes on. Their captor took everything that was in the room and began throwing it in the stove.
Harper looked at Claire and whispered, ���If we leave, we die. I���m going to fight Claire, we are going to fight.���
���Harper, you���re bleeding and weak. I would love to think we could������
���If we leave, Claire, we die. I am not leaving here. If I die, I die here,��� Harper looked at her ring and took it off her finger and closed her eyes.
Harper walked quietly to the corner. A place that had already been cleaned out. She dropped the ring on the floor and kicked it towards the darkest part of the corner.
Claire walked up to the captor and tapped his shoulder and he jumped, turned around and grabbed her forcefully.
���I���m sorry, I didn���t mean to������
���What did you want?��� His tone was full of rage.
���I wanted to know where we were going, if there would be a warm shower, soft towels, maybe a bed?��� Claire gave him a seductive look.
Desire flashed in his eyes and then left as quickly as it came. Rage overtook him, ���NO!���
���But we were������
Their capture struck her hard across the face and she fell to the ground. She stood up slowly, ���I am so sorry, Master.���
���I am NOT YOUR MASTER!��� He pushed her away from him.
Harper gasped as she watched Claire���s head bounce of the side of the small wooden table and her body fell to the ground. She ran to her side and pulled her head to her lap.
She grabbed the towel on the floor and held it to her head and tried
to stop the bleeding.
���Get her up now! We have to move!��� The man was an animal, a soulless animal, Harper knew this the minute she saw his eyes.
���We can���t move her, we have to stop the bleeding!��� Harper screamed at him, ���You���re okay Claire, we���re going to be������
The capture grabbed Claire���s arm and tried to pull her up. Harper grabbed her tightly, ���NO!���
He grabbed Harper by the hair, yanked her back, and kicked her across the room. Harper fell to her side and yelled out in pain.
Claire opened her eyes as he grabbed her by the hair. She grabbed his hands and dug her nails into him and screamed. Harper stood and lunged at him, he swatted her across the face with the back of his hand and she fell. He grabbed both of them by the hair and the door opened.
A hood covered Harper���s head as she kicked and scratched at the man restraining her. His knee crashed into her stomach and she fell again. Unable to fight anymore her hands were bound with little resistance. It was dark and Harper was in pain, they dragged her out the door across the gravel driveway. She screamed out, as the sharp rocks cut into her body. She fought hard to free herself and felt her legs lift and then for a moment she was weightless. Her body fell into the metal below. Harper tried to sit up and was thrown back again when Claire was thrown against her.
They felt the rumble of the vehicle as it pulled down the long bumpy driveway. Harper felt Claire���s bound hands search for hers and they held hands tightly.
���I���m not done fighting Claire, we���re not done fighting. Rest now, Claire,��� Harper felt her hands relax and she held tightly to them.
���Claire, we are going to be alright,��� Harper tried to sooth her the same way she had soothed Harper, ���Shh, shh, shh.���
Harper tried to fight to stay awake, she felt the strength leaving her body and exhaustion take over, ���Please give me strength and please God��� help us survive.���
Her body slumped against Claire���s and darkness overcame her.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Darkest Hour
Brody and Collin jumped in the car. Tomas handed him a phone, ���You have a call.���