by Kaley Colter
“And what exactly are you planning to make her do to get your money back?” Nick asked, his voice a fearsome growl.
Marcus paused, evidently unwilling to answer the question.
“Answer the question, Marcus.”
But just as Marcus looked like he was about to open his mouth and blurt out a reply, Banyon tore himself from Nick’s hold and Marcus bolted up the stairs.
Banyon ran to grab a lamp from a side table and threw it at Nick’s head, but Nick raised his arm to block the object and the lamp simply hit his forearm and fell to the floor. Banyon looked around frantically for other potential weapons as Nick stalked towards him, pushing him back further and further down the hall until they were in the kitchen.
Shaking with fear, Banyon snatched a knife off the counter and charged towards his opponent, slashing the blade through the air in a wild frenzy. Nick remained still, and when Banyon was close enough to him, he swung his two-by-four and brought it down on Banyon’s arm in one powerful strike. Bone shattered, and Banyon fell to the floor, shrieking in pain and pawing at his broken arm until consciousness left him and he lay immobile on the floor.
Nick immediately turned around and headed upstairs. He knew Marcus would be hiding like a rat in one of the rooms, and when he climbed up the stairs, he kicked in door after door until he was at the end of the hallway and there was only one room left. He reached out to turn the doorknob. It was locked—Marcus’s one last pathetic attempt to keep him at bay.
With one powerful kick of his foot the door swung open. And when he saw what was inside, a powerful, deadly rage started coursing through his veins.
Marcus was holding Ellie up by her throat. She was bound and naked but for her panties. There was dried blood on her face and hair, and large, deep bruises on her stomach and ribs. And after looking closely at her face, Nick realized that she was barely conscious.
Nick’s face darkened with fury as he raised his eyes to Marcus’s face. This man had taken his woman, stripped her, tied her up, and beaten her. His Ellie. His most precious possession in the world. And there wasn’t a dark enough place in hell for him to rot.
Nick took a step forward.
“Drop the beam, or I’ll hurt her,” Marcus said shakily.
Nick tossed his two-by-four aside. He didn’t need it. And for what he was about to do to Marcus, he wanted to use his own hands.
Nick charged forward, making Marcus back himself and Ellie further and further into the wall.
“Don’t-don’t come any closer, Nick….I’m…I’m warning you. I’ll hurt her,” Marcus stammered.
But Nick knew that Marcus was too much of a coward to hurt Ellie in front of him. In fact, Marcus was too terrified to do much of anything at this point.
He backed Marcus into the corner of the room. Marcus was holding Ellie up with his good hand, the hand that Nick hadn’t mangled in his office when he had caught Marcus striking Ellie to the floor. Nick reached out, planning to force Marcus to release Ellie by breaking his wrist in his powerful grasp.
When Marcus saw Nick’s hand coming for his wrist, the way his eyes widened told Nick that he knew exactly what he was in for. And judging from the way he quickly jerked his hand away and dropped Ellie to the floor, it was an experience he was not willing to undergo again.
Marcus tried to dart past Nick and run out of the door, but Nick easily caught him by the back of his shirt and threw him to the ground. Marcus scrambled to his feet and, knowing that escape was out of the question, he balled his hand into a fist and swung at Nick’s head. With a look of invincible wrath written on his face, Nick caught Marcus’s fist in his hand and thrust his elbow into Marcus’s head. Marcus dropped to the floor, instantly unconscious.
With both of her captors incapacitated, Nick hurried over to Ellie and grabbed her into his lap, ripping her restraints apart before pulling off his T-shirt and wrapping it snugly around her body.
When he saw that she was starting to come to, he stroked her face to stimulate her senses and help her awaken. She was blinking her eyes, trying to get them to focus, and when they finally settled on Nick’s face, they filled to the brim with tears.
“Nick?” she whispered.
“Yes, baby, I’m here. You’re safe.”
Her bottom lip was trembling, and soon her whole body was shaking as she tried to bury herself deeper and deeper into Nick’s body. Nick pressed her head against him and wrapped his arms tightly around her as she sobbed uncontrollably into his chest.
“Hush now, baby,” he soothed, rocking her back and forth. “I’ve got you.” He picked her up gently in his arms, making sure to rest her head on his shoulder. “Let’s get out of here, baby. Let’s go home.”
Chapter 11
Nick pulled the covers snugly around Ellie’s body, rubbed her cheek with the back of his hand, and then collapsed heavily onto the sofa.
They were finally home, but it had been one hell of a night. He had taken Ellie straight to the hospital from Banyon’s house, calling the police on the way to let them deal with the two scumbags he had left injured and unconscious on the floor. Luckily for him, the ER hadn’t been busy and the doctors had taken a look at Ellie right away. But it had been unbelievably difficult to watch them whisk her away from him and forbid him to follow, and he had had to wait an agonizing three hours to hear from them that she would be okay.
He pressed his fingers to his throbbing temples. His brain was swarming with all of the different emotions that had hit him throughout the night. Fear, rage, relief…he was an outright mess, and no matter how hard he tried to process the events of the last few hours, he only ended up pushing himself deeper and deeper into emotional turmoil.
He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and looked up to see Colleen poking her head through the door. He tried to turn his lips into a smile at the sight of his friend, but there was no hiding his agitation.
“How is she?” Colleen asked, her brow furrowed with concern.
Nick ran his fingers through his hair anxiously. “She’s sleeping. The doctor told me that she’ll probably be out for a while. But she’s going to be okay, thank God for that.”
Colleen shuffled over to the sofa and sat down beside him. She remained silent for a moment before turning to face him. “You love her, don’t you?” she asked him quietly.
“I do, Colleen. I love her more than I can express, and I almost lost her. I’m never going to forgive myself for not getting there sooner.”
“What do you mean?”
Nick pressed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger and took in a shaky breath. “They had her drugged and tied up. They had stripped and beaten her. I…I don’t know how I’m ever going to get that image out of my head.”
Colleen put her arm around his shoulders and rubbed up and down his back. “Don’t do that, Nick. You did everything you could. And if it wasn’t for you, she’d still be there. They’d still have her.”
Nick sighed. “I know. But, Christ, it’s going to take me a long time to get over.”
“I know you probably don’t want to deal with this right now, but the police are downstairs and wanted to have a word with you before they leave. Will you go down and talk to them?”
Nick stood up wearily, rubbing his hand down his face. “Of course. Will you stay here and watch over her?”
“I won’t take my eyes off her,” Colleen replied, giving him a small smile.
Nick trotted down the stairs and headed towards the front door. A police officer was standing on the front porch, and when Nick looked to the end of the driveway, he saw a second officer sitting in a police vehicle and speaking into the car radio.
“Hi,” Nick said, extending his hand. “I’m Nick Richardson. My housekeeper told me you needed to speak with me.”
The officer took his hand in a firm handshake. “Hi, Nick. I’m Officer Tom Landon. I just wanted to let you know that we’re going to be back tomorrow to take a statement from Ellie. If you could give u
s a call when she’s able to talk, we’d really appreciate it.”
“Not a problem, officer.”
“I also wanted to tell you that we’ve looked through Ellie’s room and are taking a few items back with us to the station, so if she notices something missing, that’s why.”
“Items? What do you mean?”
“We just took a copy of a lease she signed and a few furniture receipts. We gather that’s what she spent the loan money on.”
Nick shook his head in confusion. “Lease? For an apartment?”
“Yep. According to the lease, she was set to move in at the beginning of next month.”
Nick shut his eyes hard as the facts clicked together in his head. Ellie had gone to get a loan because she hadn’t been able to get it out of her head that she was a burden on him. She had been so blinded by her insecurities, so damaged by the people in her life that had abused and neglected her that she just hadn’t understood that he wanted her with him in his home more than he had ever wanted anything in his life.
“We also wanted you to thank Colleen for her cooperation,” Officer Landon went on.
“Cooperation?”
“Yes, for her statement. She told us that Ellie had given her a sum of money to help pay for her dog’s surgery. We’re thinking that’s why she was short on her payment with Crete, but we’ll have to wait until Ellie’s awake until we can confirm all of our suspicions.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
So that’s how Ellie had gotten herself into trouble. She couldn’t keep herself from helping Colleen, even if that meant compromising her own safety. She really was the sweetest girl to grace this earth—but compassionate and kind-hearted though she may be, he would most certainly be lecturing her on the importance of ensuring her own wellbeing from this point on.
And, on that note, he would also have to have a very strong word with Colleen. Because it was very clear to him that Charlie’s first surgery hadn’t been enough, and that she was too ashamed to come to him for help a second time. Nick sighed. It looked like all of the women in his life had a hard time understanding that they meant a lot to him and that he wanted to help them whenever he could.
Nick shook himself out of his thoughts and back to the conversation at hand. “So what’s happened with Marcus and Banyon? They’ve been arrested, I hope?”
Officer Landon smiled. “Oh yes, they’ve been arrested, and they’re both scared shitless, which is good because it means they’re cooperating very nicely.”
“You mean, they’re confessing to everything?”
“Let’s just say they’re talking so much that we’re getting tired of hearing their voices. I’m guessing they think that if they confess and cooperate then they’ll get some sort of deal. Unfortunately for them, that is definitely not happening.”
Nick folded his arms over his chest and tensed. He wasn’t sure if he should ask this question, but it was weighing so heavily on his mind that he couldn’t help himself. “Well, in that case, I was hoping you could tell me something. They told me that they had planned a way to make Ellie earn the money back, but they wouldn’t tell me what.”
Officer Landon shifted on his legs, evidently finding the topic an uncomfortable one. “Uh, yes, they’ve told us. You sure you want to hear this?”
Nick took in a deep breath and nodded. “Ya, I’m sure.”
Officer Landon paused hesitantly. “They were…planning on prostituting her. They drugged her so she wouldn’t put up a fight.”
Nick gritted his teeth so hard that his jaw started to ache. Even though she was safe with him now, his skin went cold with dread at hearing their plan. His stomach turned at the thought of what would have happened if he had gotten to her any later, although his fear was nowhere near as powerful as the wrath coursing through him. He felt every muscle in his body stiffen with rage, and he knew without a doubt that if he had access to Banyon and Marcus right now, they would be dead men.
Officer Landon put a hand on Nick’s shoulder. “I’m so sorry for what’s happened, but I want you to know that Ellie was one of the lucky ones. For a lot of women, it’s too late by the time we get there. And I give you my word that my team and I will do everything in our power to bring these guys to justice. Take care, Nick.”
Nick stood watching, frozen, as Officer Landon made his way to his car and pulled out of the driveway. When he disappeared around a corner up the street and his taillights blinked out in the darkness, Nick forced himself to turn around, walk into the house, and close the door behind him.
He felt determination build up within him as he walked up the stairs. From now on, he would make sure that Ellie fully understood that she belonged to him, and he would never let her come to harm again.
Chapter 12
Ellie’s head hurt—a lot. She slowly opened her eyes, praying that whatever room she was in wasn’t too bright, and letting out a breath of relief when she was greeted with darkness.
She was in Nick’s room, wrapped up in several blankets and lying in the middle of his king-size bed. She craned her head to take a look at the clock on the nightstand. One o’clock. In the morning or afternoon? She glanced at the windows, and the way the sunlight was peeking out from behind the blinds told her that it was daylight.
She looked over to her side and saw that Nick had dragged a chair next to the bed. He was leaning back with his feet up and his eyes closed. When she shifted to get closer to him, however, he immediately opened his eyes and scooted his chair closer to the bed.
“Hi, sweetheart,” he said softly, leaning over her and stroking her hair. “How do you feel?”
Ellie’s tongue felt thick in her mouth. “I hurt,” she said, her voice hoarse.
Nick smiled tenderly down at her. “Well, I would imagine so. You’ve been through quite the ordeal, little missy. You probably don’t remember since you were drifting in and out, but I took you to the hospital and the doctor informed me you have a broken rib. He prescribed some painkillers and told me that it should heal in a few weeks.”
“Oh,” Ellie replied, grateful that that was the extent of her injuries. She pressed a hand to her forehead and grimaced as the throbbing in her skull worsened. “How come my head feels so bad?”
Nick tensed and firmed his jaw. “Those bastards drugged you with a heavy dose of valium so they could have an easier time controlling you when it came time for…” Nick trailed off, evidently unwilling to say the details of their plan out loud.
Ellie remembered suspecting that she was drugged. She wanted to ask Nick what had become of her captors, but the subject clearly upset him and she wasn’t sure if she should push him. “Ummm…I was wondering…” She paused, thinking that perhaps she should wait until later.
“What, sweetheart? What were you wondering?”
“I was wondering…what happened to Marcus and Banyon. Are they in jail?”
Nick’s face darkened. “They’ve both been arrested on charges of assault and false imprisonment. They’re going to be in jail for a very long time.”
Ellie let out a breath, relieved that they wouldn’t be able to get to her again. “That’s good news,” she said, giving him a small smile. But Nick’s face remained stern, making Ellie swallow nervously.
“Ellie, why did you go to Banyon for a loan?”
She looked away, filled with shame. “I…just felt so badly for living here. When I went to visit Marcus, he said some things to me, and I felt like a failure for having to rely on you for a roof over my head. I wanted to get my life together. I–I thought you’d be real proud of me if I managed to get a place of my own, so I went to Banyon to get a loan so I could rent an apartment. Marcus used to borrow money from him, and that’s how I knew him. Everything was going fine—I had enough money for my first payment, but then Colleen told me she couldn’t afford to pay for Charlie’s surgery, and I had to give her the money I had left because…well, she loves Charlie so much.” Ellie paused, blushing when she realized she was rambling. She looked up at
Nick timidly, but he was sitting there silently, waiting for her to continue. She swallowed, forcing herself to spit out the rest of the story. “Well, it turns out that Banyon told Marcus, and when I showed up to tell him I didn’t have enough money for the first payment, they…came up with a plan to make me get it back.”
Nick ran his fingers through his hair, and Ellie could tell that he was trying very hard not to lose his temper. “Damn it, Ellie, I should throw you over my knee and paddle your ass. There was never any reason for you to feel badly for living with me. I wanted you to live with me. I love you, Ellie. I’ve adored you since the minute you ran into me and fell in a pile on the floor. I want to spend every second of my time with you. I want you sitting beside me. I want you lying beside me in my bed at night. I want all of you, all the time, forever. Do you understand me?”
Ellie could feel her eyes filling with tears. “Yes,” she said quietly. “I understand.”
Nick leaned over the bed, kissing the tip of her nose and then brushing his lips over hers. “Will you marry me, Ellie?”
Ellie looked up into Nick’s eyes. She was so completely astonished at how much her life had changed these past few months that she had to question whether it was all real. Nick had come to her when she had needed him the most, and she would be forever grateful. He had given her the strength to finally move on from the heartbreaks of her past, and she felt a warm, comforting tranquility settle over her heart at the thought that all of the tragedy and hardship she had endured had meaning now. Every single painful experience she had suffered had been a stepping-stone on a journey that would ultimately lead to Nick. And for Ellie, that meant that it had all been worth it.
There wasn’t the slightest doubt in her mind that he was her home, in the deepest sense of the word. He wanted her to be his wife, his life partner, and she couldn’t be more proud to stand by this man’s side. She had never met anyone with such nobility of spirit, and she would be there to support him for the rest of her life, just as he had been there to support her.