When I’m done, I exit through the front entrance and lock the door. I double check it by pulling the handle twice to make sure it’s secured.
Making my way to the back lot, I pull my coat tighter to my body trying to block out the cool breeze that’s trying to breach the layers.
When I reach my car, I insert my key in the driver side door. I’ve been too lazy to change the battery in the clicker.
Before I can turn the key to unlock my door, I hear the most irritating voice, equivalent to nails on a chalkboard warning me to spin around. When I do, I’m face to face with Sophie Donovan. My hoe bag ex-roommate.
I guess I owe her one. If not for her being a slut and a shitty friend, Quinn and I wouldn’t be as close as we are now and I wouldn’t have found Nathan. So I suppose thanks are in order, but I wouldn’t hold my breath waiting for that.
“Long time no see Gia,” Sophie says.
“Not long enough. What is it that you want?” I ask, my patience already thin.
“I saw you perform tonight. Who knew plain Jane had so much talent,” she attempts to jab.
“Burn. Now if you’ll excuse me.” I turn to leave again just as she spews the craziest line of bull shit I’ve heard till date.
“You owe me Gia, and I’m here to collect it.”
“Excuse you,” I say unable to hold in my laughter. She has got to be kidding me.
“You screwed me out of rent money the month you left. I ended up getting evicted. I need money to find a new place, and you’re going to give it to me,” she demands.
“First of all, that was months ago, and you’re just now coming around with this? I don’t owe you shit bitch. Secondly, I’m pretty sure you were the one who screwed yourself out of my half of the rent when you fucked Sean. And lastly, you bragged all the time about how much money you make in that shit hole of a club, shaking your flat ass. This is not my problem, so you can go to hell. Call Sean to help you out. Have a nice life, Sophie.”
When I turn one final time, I feel a painful strike to the back of my head. The strike is so forceful I fall forward into my car.
Shaking, I reach up to touch the back of my head. When I pull my hand back in front of me, it’s covered in blood. My blood. The bitch hit me!
I try to lunge forward in an attempt to take her down, but I’m so dizzy I fall straight to the ground.
“If you won’t pay up, your rich and famous daddy will just have to,” Sophie says from above me. Her voice sounds so far away I barely register what she’s saying. My vision begins to fade in and out.
“Get her in the car,” I make out while straining to hear.
“You sure about this?” A familiar male voice questions.
“We’ve been through this! We need cash, and she’s our lottery ticket. Pick your basic ex up and get her ass in the car. Make sure you tie her hands and legs up, and I’ll handle the rest. Got it?”
“Yeah. I got it,” the voice I’m trying to place says. I can’t figure out where I know it from, and my vision is blurry at best. I try to fight passing out because I don’t know what they will do to me. I need to figure out who’s helping Sophie and where they’re taking me.
Suddenly, I’m being lifted off the ground. I’m cradled in familiar arms and a scent I knew well at one time fills my senses and realization washes over me.
Wait! Did she say ex?
I should have known. Stupid that I even had to question. I open my eyes. My vision momentarily coming in focus while I’m looking up at the face of my cheating ex.
Sean.
Chapter 25
Nathan
I’m starting to get worried. Gia was supposed to be here hours ago. I know we just made up but, I was sure we were back on track.
Did she change her mind? Is she having second thoughts about getting back together?
No. That can’t be it.
The club has long since closed so I know she’s not held up at work. Quinn says she’s not home either. I pull out my cell and dial her number for the twenty-seventh time. It goes straight to voice mail. Again.
“Gia. Baby, I’m starting to get nervous. Please call me and let me know you’re okay. Please. I’m really worried. Call me. Okay. I love you,” I say to her voicemail.
I hang up gripping the phone so tight my knuckles turn white. Something in my gut doesn’t feel right.
After another fifteen minutes with no word from her, I make up my mind to pass by Ralph’s on the off chance she’s still there. I grab my keys and jacket heading for the door. I don’t even bother locking up in case she gets here before I get back. I make a passing mental note to get her a key made so she can come and go as she pleases. Right now, I need to find her. Hopefully safe and sound.
Maybe she got a flat, and her cell died. Her car isn’t the newest. Maybe, she broke down.
A myriad of maybe’s flash through my mind as I barrel down the highway heading downtown.
Before I even turn into the club parking lot, I see a commotion that sends an unwelcomed chill up and down my spine. I notice right away that Gia’s car is still here. What shakes me to my core is the thick streaks of blood on the driver side door of her white Camry.
Red and blue lights flash, lighting up the entire street from the multiple police units. I stop my car in the middle of the street, throwing it in park. Not even bothering to shut it off when I jump out.
I search for her in the sea of police officers and nosy bystanders but I still don’t see her. My heart pounds profusely against my chest. I spot Jake, Gia’s boss whom I’ve never formally met, and make my way over to him. When I approach, he’s talking to an officer.
“What’s going on? Where’s Gia?” I interrupt.
“And you are?” The officer asks.
“Gia’s boyfriend. Please. What’s happening?” I ask again — this time, my voice cracks. I need to know she’s okay and from the looks of this scene, I don’t think she is.
Jake is the one to answer me finally. He looks guilt-stricken and hesitant, but he fills me in. “There was an attack. An attempted kidnapping apparently, a witness called the police and stopped them. She’s…She’s in the hospital.”
I don’t wait for any more details. I turn and hightail it back to my still running truck. My tires squeal as I point my truck in the direction of the hospital. My priority is to get to Gia. My next will be to end whoever tried to hurt her.
When I get to the hospital, I rush for the emergency room reception desk. “Gia or Georgia Davis? She was brought here a little bit ago.” I’m fumbling my words in a panic the closer I get to her. I don’t know how bad this is or what to expect.
“Give me one second. I’m going to take a look,” the receptionist says softly, taking in my frazzled state. “Here we are, Georgia Davis, was rushed to the neurology unit. That’s on the fourth floor.”
I don’t wait for her to say anything else. Running to the elevator, I push the up arrow and wait. As soon as the doors open, I jump in and ride it to the fourth floor.
I approach the nurse's station, about to ask what room Gia’s in. When I look to my right, my eyes fall on Kyle to my surprise. He’s sitting in the waiting area with his elbows on his knees with his hands gripping his head.
Bile rises in my throat when I take in the sight of him. He’s covered in blood. But who’s?
“Kyle,” my weak voice calls out. His head snaps up hearing his name. His eyes are red and filled with tears.
“Hey,” he says trying to straighten himself up.
“Gia?” I ask.
“She’s getting stitched up. Then they’ll run some tests,” he explains only leaving me with more questions.
“What tests? What happened to her, Kyle,” I ask more specifically, lowering myself to the hard plastic chair in front of him.
Running his hand over his face, he sighs out. “She stayed late after work. I’m not sure for what. I heard she was working there now, so I was going to t
ry and talk to her. It was getting late, so I knew that wasn’t going to happen tonight. I noticed everyone had left for the night, so I hung around to make sure she got to her car okay.
“I was parked way across the lot and must have dozed off. I woke up just when some girl hit her on the back of the head with a fucking tire iron. I immediately called 911 and ran over to help her.
“By the time I made it over to where they were, some guy was picking her up. They were going to take her. I freaked and rushed him. He dropped her. She was already passed out from the blow to her head, so she fell hard. I scuffled with the guy. He was big so I did my best to keep him there until the cops came. Thank God they got there quick. They arrested him. The girl tried to get away. Took off in a car, but they caught up to her, and she’s in custody so at least there’s that.”
I breathe out a sigh of relief thankful the culprits were apprehended. “Did they say who they were? The ones who attacked her I mean?”
“The guy wouldn’t talk at the scene, and the girl was caught down the road. I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough,” he says.
I nod in agreeance because he’s right, whether dude talks or not, they’ll run his prints and discover who he is so I’m not sure what the point of resisting it. He’ll have to talk eventually.
“How long has it been since an update?”
“About forty minutes. She was still out cold when they took her back. With her having a head injury and her being unconscious, they brought her up straight from the ambulance.”
“Thank you. I’m glad you were there. I don’t want to think about what would have happened if you weren’t,” I tell Kyle.
He just nods, and he hangs his head again, looking at the floor.
“I’m going to call Quinn and let her know what’s going on. She’ll kill me if she finds out some other way,” I say pulling out my phone from my pocket.
“Quinn?” Kyle asks lifting his head slightly.
“Oh um, Gia’s roommate.” He nods again, and I move to a corner to call Quinn.
When I hang up with her, my emotions get the best of me and tears breech my eyes. Why didn’t she tell me she was staying behind by herself? I would have come and waited with her. I can’t believe Jake let her close alone.
Half an hour later, Kyle and I aren’t the only ones waiting to see Gia. Quinn called Ayana and now the both of them along with Gia’s father and Keith who I now know as her cousin has joined us. Nobody speaks, as we listen to Kyle recant the night's events to the cops who have also shown up to take his statement since he rode with her in the ambulance.
I feel so helpless. I wish they would let us know how she’s doing. All I can do now is pray she’s alright and wait to see her.
Chapter 26
Gia
The sounds of whispered voices fill my ears as I start to stir. My eyes flutter open, but I quickly snap them shut, shielding them from the bright fluorescent lights.
I groan when I feel the excruciating pain at the back of my head and memories of Sophie and Sean flood my mind.
I open my mouth to talk, but my throat is completely dry.
I notice the dimming of the lights, so I slowly open my eyes again. When I do, there’s a nurse standing over me, checking the monitors I’m hooked up to. She realizes I’m awake when she looks down at me and offers a kind smile.
“Georgia? I’m Nurse Stephanie. Your throat is probably pretty dry. Your aide went to grab you some water and ice chips. You can nod your head yes or no to my questions okay?”
I nod my head yes, and she starts in with her line of questioning. When she’s done, I take a sip of water, and it soothes my throat slightly. Although it still feels scratchy, it feels a little better.
Nathan is the first to approach taking my hand in his. “You okay baby?” he asks with tears falling down his handsome face.
“I’m okay,” I tell him even though my tears begin to fall automatically. He reaches up to wipe them away.
“Hey, baby girl,” Noah says, being the next to speak up.
“Hey,” I say finally taking a survey around the room to see Quinn, Ayana, and Keith in addition to Nate and Noah.
“What happened?” Nathan asks quietly, and everyone else listens intently.
“Sophie,” I start but have to clear my throat. “Sophie and Sean.”
“Sean your ex?” Quinn asks stepping closer. I nod.
“And Sophie? That bitch. She better be glad her ass is locked up. I swear…” Quinn trails off shaking her head.
“They caught them?” I croak out.
“Yeah. Someone saw what was happening and stopped them before they could take you. We don’t know what all they were planning though,” Nathan informs me.
“Sophie tried to get money from me. When I dismissed her, she hit me in the back of the head. I heard her telling Sean that they were going to use me to get Noah to give them money.”
I look over to where he’s standing by the window. “I’m sorry,” I tell him.
“Stop that. You have nothing to be sorry for. But they will be,” he says coming to stand next to me.
“Do you need anything?” Ayana asks me.
“No, thank you though.”
“We’ll go get some coffees and bring them back here,” Keith says. Noah nods then he, Ayana and Quinn leave the room.
Nathan looks at me. He looks to be in anguish. He runs his hand across my forehead. “I thought I was going to lose you. If Kyle wasn’t there-”
“Kyle?” I cut him off. He did not just say, Kyle. Nate looks as though he’s not sure he should continue, but he does.
“Um, yeah. Kyle’s the one that saved you. He stopped Sean from making it to the vehicle they had waiting to put you in to take you to God knows where.”
I don’t respond. I just sit absorbing this information.
I’m relieved I didn’t end up kidnapped, but why did it have to be him that saved me? He’ll surely want something in return. I don’t want to owe him anything.
I don’t realize when the nurse comes back in on account of my heart monitor going wacko.
She’s talking to me, but I can’t hear her or anything else for that matter. Next thing I know, she’s putting something in my IV and everything goes black.
I spend the next two days in the hospital due to my concussion. The police came to get my statement when I was finally up to it. Sophie will get an assault charge on top of the attempted kidnapping along with Sean. I’m thankful to know they're both locked up and probably not getting out anytime soon. They still have to go to trial, but I plan to appear and testify against them. I’m not afraid of them. They’re both cowards.
Besides my family, I had a steady influx of visitors during my stay including Trish, Darryl, Jake, my bandmates, and a few of the waitresses from work.
Jake felt so guilty about letting me close alone that he gave me an extra two weeks off with pay even though I don’t need it. Other than some tenderness to the back of my head, I’m pretty well back to normal, and I’m released to go home. And as long as I rest and keep an eye on my stitches, watching for signs of infection, I should be able to attend my graduation this weekend as scheduled.
Thankfully, Kyle didn’t come by, but he did send some flowers and a get well card. I should thank him and I eventually will. Just not now.
Graduation was ridiculous. I couldn’t be happier about that. Noah went crazy overboard, inviting every family member I’d allow. He even made a damn sign that read ‘Way to go, Gia!’
Ayana was no better with her blow horn and cheering. It was quite insane for a night school graduation. Even still, I let Noah have his moment seeing as though we were both robbed of it.
Afterward, we all went to dinner. Noah rented out a small banquet room at a local restaurant. Quinn, her father, and stepmother joined us along with Darryl and Trish.
Quinn’s folks were a little star struck meeting Noah. I even overheard her father pla
yfully scold her for not telling him her roommate was the daughter of a famous music mogul. She just laughed. I’m sure she’ll fill him in later on the fact that I didn’t even know until recently.
I got to meet my beautiful, silver-haired grandmother, Patrice, for the first time too. I love her instantly. She’s quite up in age. Apparently, she had Noah and Camille later in life. I’m just glad I get a chance to have her in my life now.
“My word! If you don’t look like my Cammie!” was her immediate reaction upon laying eyes on me.
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