TRUE HERO: A Romantic Suspense Novel (True Hearts Series Book 1)

by Susan Owensby

  “Ms. Lane, I am so sorry. You can cover yourself back up. Both of you please sit back down and I will fill you in with what I know at this point,” Brent said with respect.

  Relieved, I turned around and we sat back down. A knock sounded at the door and Shane came in with a murderous look on his face. He walked right up to me, pulled me up to stand and then wrapped me in his arms, giving me one of the most unexpected, but loving embraces that I had ever had.

  He just held me for a minute and then said to me, “I’m sorry, Ally. For all of this. But know that I will stand by you, no matter what and I promise to protect both you and Sam. You are family. Let God have mercy on their souls, if anyone lays a hand on either of you.”

  Stunned, awed and grateful, I just nodded my head at him. I didn’t dare try to speak or I would certainly cry. These brothers. These magnificent human beings were willing to lay their own lives down for us. I had no idea what I did to deserve them, but I thanked God as I sat back down.

  “Sarah, I discovered some things that may frighten you.”

  I stopped Brent from continuing and said to him, “Please do not call me Sarah. That is who I used to be but she is not who I am today. That part of me will always be with me, but Ally is the woman I am today.

  “Understood. Your ex-husband, Thomas Lane was awarded a new trial almost two years ago. How he beat the charges that time confused the hell out of me. I thought it might have been because they no longer had you to testify and the new judge wouldn’t allow your original testimony to be used in the new trial. I had to call in a few favors. But I was informed that he turned CI, a confidential informant, working undercover. His police contact said he fell off the radar a while back and they have been unable to locate him,” Brent informed us with anger lacing his voice.

  The anxiety I had been holding at bay, started to bubble up from my chest and I started to hyperventilate.

  “Oh, my God! No! This can’t be happening. I have to get Sam. We have to leave now. He is coming for us. Probably watching us right now. Any one of these cops could be on his payroll, dammit!” I screamed for Sam and tried to get up to leave.

  Jonah grabbed me in his strong arms and yelled, “No! Ally listen to me right now, dammit! Breathe. Just breathe. No one will touch you again. Ever! I swear to you. No one will touch Sam. Ever! Do you hear me woman?”

  I did but the panic was too much and I started to struggle. My mind returned to another place and time. I knew Jonah was only trying to comfort and reassure me, but I was too far gone this time. All I could see was Tom, electric cord in hand lifted high to strike me. I screamed, lost in the memory of fear and pain. I was mentally gone.

  They scrambled, trying to calm me down. Someone was smart enough to get Frannie and bring her in. I might have even heard Frank, but I wasn’t sure. All I knew was that someone with smaller, softer arms was holding me and rocking me, whispering words of love and reassurance. I had no idea how long I was like that, but when I came around, I realized what I had done. Jonah had a red mark on his face. Shane was bleeding from several scratches on his neck and arms. Did I do that? I was shocked. Staring at them brought a whole new round of tears over what I had done. I hurt them? How could I have done that? Shame filled me to the core of my being.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Ally

  After my flashback, I needed some time to myself. Frannie had brought me some clothes to change into. I went to Sam first. My amazing boy hugged me and said, “Mom, don’t worry anymore ok? We have Frank and Jonah to protect us now. Remember Jonah was a SEAL and he moves as fast as The Flash. They got this, Mom. It will be ok.” He was so confident and sure of his statement that it made me smile and hug him tighter. My boy was not only brave, but smart. I needed to listen to him.

  As I walked to the bathroom, a strange feeling overcame me. I stopped in my tracks as I made my way down the hallway that Brent indicated housed the female officers’ locker room. I looked behind me at the busy office. So many people milling about, it had to be safe. It must just be my nerves. But I could not shake the feeling of dread. Something was coming, something big. Tom was smarter than they realized. I moved into the locker room so I could gather my composure and change clothes.

  Splashing water on my face several times helped to clear my mind enough to remember the phone I had taped to my thigh. Gently pulling the tape off my skin to get to the cell phone, I opened it and two little pieces of paper fell out landing on the floor in different directions. I had completely forgotten in the turmoil of sharing my story, that I written down the license plate number of that van and kept it with the phone as back up.

  Should I call the number on the other scrap of paper? I shivered recalling that Brent had told me what happened to the woman that helped abused people, my dear friend and lifesaver, Kathy, that helped us escape. I couldn’t tell them that I knew her because I had sworn an oath of secrecy. How the hell had Tom known about her and been able to find out who she was? I started crying for this beautiful woman that had meant so much to me. He had tortured her. Fucking tortured her, just like he did me. I knew what she went through all too well and I cried harder. It was my fault. If I had never contacted her, she would still be alive today. What should I do? Make another call and risk someone else’s life? Stay here and risk all the people that we had come to love so dearly?

  Grams, if you’re listening, please help us. What should I do? No matter what I choose, it puts people at risk. I’m scared and feel so lost right now. I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t. I don’t want to die. I couldn’t take it, if something happened to Sam. Grams? God? Please help us.

  I bowed my head and closed my eyes as I prayed with all my might. I had no idea how long I stood there, but when I heard his voice a chill, so deep it spread through my body from the inside out, overcame me. I knew it. Somehow, I had known he was here. I sensed him earlier, but thought it was just a remnant of my memories brought to the surface from sharing my secrets and my scars. Keeping my head bowed, I gripped the edge of the sink so hard that I felt one of my fingernails snap.

  “Hello wife. It’s nice to finally see you up close again. Don’t even think about making a sound or I will kill Jacob slowly in front of you and make you watch every single thing I do to him. Do you remember the things that I love to do? The things I like to use for my pleasure, wife? I have discovered some new items that I think Jacob would just love. What do you think? Should I practice on you first and show him what will happen to him next? That would be very entertaining to watch, now wouldn’t it, my dear?” The words were spoken from Satan himself.

  I knew what I had to do now. It was perfectly clear. There was only one way to keep everyone safe. Well, except for me. Frannie and Frank would take care of my baby, I knew that in my heart. I would give myself to him without a fight if I could keep him from hurting anyone else. I had to do this. There were no other choices now.

  Accepting my fate for what it would be, I turned slowly to look at Tom. He didn’t look anything like he did all those years ago. Time had not been kind to him. Dark circles marked the skin under his eyes. He clearly had lost weight. When he smiled at me, I knew why he looked so old and worn. Meth. I had seen too many pictures of people addicted to meth on television and in magazines not to recognize the rotting teeth. My God, he looked near death. Is this what true addiction looked like up close? He was more than frightening, as he walked closer to me. I did my best to stand tall and not move. The smallest thing could set him off at any second.

  “Well woman, what will it be? Will you come with me now without a fight or shall I take Jacob first and then I know you will be sure to follow?” He was clearly over the edge. The look in his eyes was pure evil. I couldn’t hold back my shudder and all that did was make him laugh with pleasure.

  “Tom, I will go with you quietly if you swear to me that you will leave Jacob alone and never come near him again. No mess, no fuss. I will walk out of here with you right now. Just leave my son alone,” I n
early begged him.

  “Oh, Sarah, so you do remember some of your manners, huh bitch? Ok, it’s a deal. I never wanted that little bastard in the first place. I don’t even believe he is mine. After all, you are a fucking whore. And let’s talk about the Navy guy you have been fucking, shall we? Oh, oh, oh. I see you didn’t think I knew about him, huh bitch?” He laughed and kept going, increasing the fear inside me. “I have had men watching you for months now, darling. I thought for sure that fucking storm was going to kill you and I was jealous. Fucking jealous that the storm would get that pleasure and not me. I was going to have my men save you, just so I would get to be the one to watch you die at my hands. But, oh no, that fucking pussy, had to show up and save you, huh? They had orders to kill him and bring you to me anyway, but then the ex-cop and old man showed up and that was just too many. It would have been too messy. So, I waited until the time was right. Now here I am to claim what is mine. Time is growing short and we need to go as soon as the distraction begins. When it does, you better fucking do everything I say or I will gut you right where you stand and let your son and the fucking SEAL find your worthless body.” Tom punctuated the sentence by pulling out a twelve-inch curved knife.

  He reached over and yanked the front of my dress down exposing me to his eyes. He stepped closer, grabbing one of my breasts in his free hand. He covered my mouth with his disgusting lips and lifted the knife to my other breast, making a long cut to the outer curve. The pain nearly caused me to collapse. I tried to scream, but he bit down hard on my tongue, making it bleed.

  “Go ahead scream and find out what else I will do. I dare you.”

  Whimpering quietly, I swallowed my scream feeling the blood running down my body. I was dead. My mistake was here and my fate had been sealed. Just then, there was an explosion that shook the building and chaos broke out. I could hear everyone rapidly heading for the front of the building. Tom grabbed my arm and started dragging me behind him. My ankle was not fully healed and the pain of being forced to run with him slowed him down. And it pissed him off so much that he turned and made a cut to my other breast right in front of an exit door that had a camera pointed at it. I heard my name coming from somewhere behind me. The sound reverberated through me. It was animalistic and then I knew who it was. Jonah.

  Whimpering, I glanced over my shoulder and saw him flying towards me with a murderous look on his face. Shane and Brent right behind him. Tom knew it was Jonah. Grabbing a gun from under his shirt, Tom aimed directly at Jonah. I screamed a warning that caused Tom’s aim to go wide but watched in horror as Jonah flew backwards. He had killed the man I loved right in front of me. My mind felt like it was shattering into a million tiny pieces and all I could do was stand there.

  Tom opened the door just as the brown van pulled up. I didn’t see anyone at the back of the station as we exited. A stringy haired guy grabbed me and pulled me into the van. Tom jumped in and they drove off like a bat of hell. Stringy-haired guy ogled my bare, bleeding breasts as if I was a feast for a starving man. He reached out and grabbed them with both hands, squeezing hard. I screamed in pain and all Tom did was laugh, before knocking me out with one punch to the face.

  When I came to I was dazed and confused. Where was I? I tried to move and pain shot through my arms and I couldn’t feel my hands. Pain was nothing new to me. Looking up, I saw that my wrists were tied to something. When I tried to move my feet, a new wave of adrenaline, fueled by panic took over and I looked down. My feet were touching nothing, just dangling in the air. I was hanging by my wrists from a ceiling in a dark room. I tried to scream then realized I had been gagged. I was going to die. Who was I kidding? I was already dead. Where was Jonah? No, wait, I saw Tom shoot him right in front of me. Was Jonah dead? I sobbed behind the putrid smelling gag in my mouth, nearly choking because I couldn’t seem to get enough air in through my nose. There would be no one who could save me from the devil. Fate was a wicked bitch playing with me. But I would be damned if I went down without a fight.

  Hearing a loud click that echoed in the room, I was blinded by a light aimed right at me. Blinking and trying to focus to see who was in the room with me, I attempted to turn my body without success. Then laughter filled the room.

  “Looky at what we caught today, boys! A nice big fat one, too. What shall we do with her first, I wonder?” The voice of Satan touched my ears. My nemesis. Dread washed over me as they all laughed again.

  “Well boss, I like ’um nice and plump. I want to take a turn at her and show her how a real man fucks. Not like that tiny dick from the lame Navy guy.” Was that stringy-haired guy or the driver? I couldn’t tell at this point.

  “All in good time men, all in good time. My wife needs a refresher in what happens when she disobeys me. Don’t you, bitch?” With that comment, I felt the first hit from a cord. This was not a new pain. This was all too familiar. You can handle this, Ally. Do not scream and give him the satisfaction.

  This time Tom did not just use my back as a whipping board. I was naked and he kept swinging and swinging, as he walked around my body striking me. Some lashes hurt more than others. I lost track of them at the number eight. I was counting them to help me keep my focus on not screaming. But I couldn’t help panting because of the damn gag. Hitting both sides of my body on fresh skin was something new for him. It meant that he no longer cared that other people would see his handiwork. Accepting my fate of death, I vowed one way or another I would take him to hell with me.

  One hit was so fierce landing on the wounds to my breasts, that I could no longer hold in the screams. I sweated profusely and new blood sprung from each hit. Then he walked up to me, stepping up on a ladder, he cut the rope that held me suspended in midair. He just let me fall about six feet straight down. I was not prepared, still lost in the last hit. When I hit, because I had been swinging back and forth, I landed on my left side. The cold hard cement welcomed me with its fury and I heard something break inside me. The pain at that point was so consuming that I couldn’t even begin to guess what it was. I just lay there welcoming the bitter cold of the floor into my body.

  “Can I have at her now, boss?” That was stringy-haired guy.

  I heard flesh meet flesh several times. “I fucking told you not yet. I will tell you when I am done with her. I want this to last as long as possible. Ask me again and I will fucking cut your throat right here in front of your dumb ass mute brother. You’re both useless. Get the fuck out of my sight now,” Tom demanded.

  My vision was blurry, but I could see Tom walking toward me. Stopping, he stood in front of me for a minute, staring. Then he lifted his booted foot and kicked me in the stomach. The pain radiated all the way through to my back. Stunned, I lay there. Lifting his foot again, he aimed for my head that time and when it connected a blinding light lit up behind my eye and I fell into oblivion.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Jonah

  When the explosion hit, we were all in the same room, Brent, Shane, Frank, Frannie, Sam and me. But no Ally. Frank held Sam who was frightened by the loud boom and the building shaking. The rest of us looked at each other and knew what this was. A distraction. Unstrapping my gun from my holster I wore under my leather jacket, I released the safety. Everyone else did the same thing.

  “Frank, Frannie, stay here and guard Sam. We are going after Ally,” I ordered them.

  “Frank is more than capable of protecting Sam,” Frannie said as she pulled her prized Glock from her purse and came to follow us. “And I guarantee you that I am a better shot than any one of you. Don’t even think of arguing with me, Jonah. That is my girl out there and I will not just sit on the sidelines when I know damn well, I can help.” Seeing the vengeance in Frannie’s eyes, I nodded in acceptance.

  We rushed out the door all going in the direction of the women’s locker room where Brent sent her to freshen up. But Frannie had her own plans. She veered away from us and headed toward the front of the building. Paying her no mind, I ran with all the strength I had
. As we turned the corner to the hall where the locker room was located, we all stopped dead in our tracks as we saw a man practically dragging Ally, who was fucking naked to the waist. Was that blood running down her breasts? What the fuck had he already done to her? I lost it and started after them. I had to get to her right then. That manic was going to kill her. I promised her I would not let her down any more than I already had.

  Her name bubbled from my lungs like a rupturing volcano. She turned slightly and our eyes connected. In her green orbs, I could see she had surrendered to him. Fuck no, no, no, no! She screamed my name suddenly. In the next instant, I was flat on my back, wondering what the hell just happened. Shane kept going after stumbling from my unexpected fall. “Go, Shane, go. Get her!” I roared. Telling Brent I was fine and to go also, I slowly sat up realizing I had taken a hit to my upper left shoulder. Mother fucker.

  I ripped open my shirt to assess the damage. Using my right hand, I felt the front and then the back. Through and through, a flesh hit. The bleeding was already slowing some. Testing my left arm and shoulder, I lifted and rotated it. I grimaced but had full control and movement. Thank God. Getting up hurt like a bitch, but I had dealt with worse. That was fucking nothing, man. Get your ass going and kill that son of a bitch!

  Shane came running back and said, “They got away in a van, but Brent’s on it. He is sending every available unit he has out right now.” He skidded to a stop by me, as I continued to flex and turn my injured shoulder. “They’ll find the fucker. Are you OK?” Shane asked, concern evident in his voice.