“So what if that was true? I don’t care. I’m his!”
“No!” roared Hilbert, reaching forward and grasping Amanda’s neck. “You’re only mine!”
“I wouldn’t be with you if my life depended on it.”
“What do I have that makes you so averse to dating me? Lots of women wish they were in your position.”
“Now that I see the real you, I struggle to think of a woman crazy enough to want to be with you.”
Hilbert looked away, trying to contain his anger.
“You betrayed me, Amanda. And you well know what happens when someone does that.”
Amanda’s eyes widened.
“What have you done?”
“Your reckless actions have forced me to take action. Now, your dear new boyfriend is going to pay.”
“Leave Nathan alone!” Amanda pleaded, struggling against her restraints. “Don’t harm him! Please!”
“It’s too late,” said Hilbert, clicking his tongue. “You should have thought about it earlier.”
Hilbert reached into his pocket, withdrawing a knife. Amanda’s expression turned fearful.
“I should kill you just for having let that fool touch you,” he said, grabbing Amanda by the collar of her blouse. Hilbert then pressed the blade of the knife against her neck.
“Let me go!”
“You’re damn lucky I love you too much.”
“Liar. You want to kill me? Why don’t you do it, then, and get this over with?”
“I can’t hurt the girl of my life.”
Amanda shook her head.
“Yes, you would. You slapped me. You’re threatening me with a knife. You sent men to kidnap me.”
“Wrong on that last count,” Hilbert said. “I’ve never sent anyone to do anything to you. I’ve told you that I took care of it. If you really must know, the person who sent those men to you is a woman named Rebecca.”
Amanda blinked, wondering if he was telling the truth.
A beep sounded just then. Hilbert checked his phone. His expression became alarmed. He looked behind him and nodded once. His lackey got off the car and walked away towards a black one parked close by.
“I’m not going to wait for you much longer, Amanda. Either you stop seeing Nathan Ferland, or he’ll pay. The NYPD seems to be getting involved in this. If you set them on my tail, I swear I’ll kill you and Nathan.”
With that, Hilbert left the car and walked away. He got into the black car nearby, and it drove out of sight.
Amanda tried to move her wrists to check how tight the bounds were.
The bastard should have at least untied me.
Amanda looked behind her. Kellan was still out.
Just then, the sound of another car reached Amanda’s ears. She tried to turn in her seat to look behind. Before she could look out the rear of the car, her door opened.
“Ms. Tilley?” a deep male voice asked.
“Yes,” Amanda said. Seconds later, she felt someone cut her bounds free. She brought her hands in front of her, rubbing her wrists. Then Amanda looked up at her savior.
“It’s me, Hayden,” the man said, reaching forward to take Amanda’s hand. “And this is Officer Dalton Velásquez of the NYPD.”
“How did you find me?” Amanda asked. Dalton took her hand and helped her out of the car.
“We stopped by your apartment to question you. No one was there, so we assumed you’d gone to school. Our car was driving past when Hayden noticed yours standing there suspiciously by itself.”
“That’s right,” Hayden added. “Can you tell us what happened?”
“I have no idea,” Amanda said, trying to sound convincing. “I woke up just right now, and noticed that I was restrained.”
“You didn’t see who took you?”
“No.”
Hayden looked skeptical.
“Amanda, please tell us the truth. We’re here to help you. It was him, right?”
“I don’t know who you’re talking about. They were wearing masks.”
“You don’t need to be so afraid of him anymore. The NYPD has taken interest in investigating this case.”
“Just listen to me,” Amanda said. “My bodyguard’s in the back seat, sedated.”
Dalton and Hayden both peered into the car and saw Kellan unconscious.
“We need to find Nathan. Now!”
“Nathan?” Dalton asked.
“Yes. I have a bad feeling. He’s in danger.”
Hayden exchanged glances with Dalton.
“Has someone threatened him?” asked Hayden.
“Just find him, please!”
“You go find Nathan. I’ll take Amanda to the hospital,” Dalton told Hayden.
“No, I don’t need to go to the hospital.”
“Okay, then he’ll take you home,” Hayden told her.
Amanda got back inside her car, buckling herself. Hayden walked towards his own one, revving the engine.
Dalton started Amanda’s car and drove her back to her apartment.
The first thing he felt was disorientation. Nathan felt as though someone were banging on his head with a jackhammer. He stirred, and realized he was in a recliner. Nathan opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings.
He was in a hospital room.
How the hell did I get here?
Nathan looked down, and saw tubes attached to his wrists and to machines beside him.
There were sounds of footsteps outside. Nathan looked at the door. Seconds later, it opened. A nurse came in, followed by Ashton, Claire, and Oswald.
“Guys!” Nathan said, surprised. “What are you doing here? What happened?”
“You were in a car accident, Mr. Ferland,” the nurse said, stopping at the front of the recliner. “Fortunately, your injuries weren’t severe. The doctor will be here shortly to explain more.”
“They looked at your ID, and then the police ran a search. They found your dad’s number and called him,” Ashton said. “He’s in Illinois, so he called me.”
“My dad knows I’m in here?”
“Yes,” Claire said. “You should talk to him as soon as you’re able to. Ashton says he’s really worried.”
“I can imagine.”
“I’ll leave you here for a few minutes,” the nurse said, starting to go. “I’ll have the doctor come check on you.”
The nurse left. Nathan’s friends stood beside him.
“So, how did you end up here, bro?” Ashton asked.
“I’ve got no idea,” said Nathan, thinking. “The last thing I remember is leaving Amanda’s apartment. I’d only just realized that I had to get to work.”
“You were at Amanda’s?” Claire asked.
“Yes.”
“Are you two finally together?”
“I think so, yeah,” Nathan admitted, and Ashton wolf-whistled. “Wait, where is she? Does Amanda even know I’m in here?”
“We haven’t seen her,” Ashton said.
Nathan frowned, thinking about it.
“You don’t remember anything?” Oswald asked.
“No. I don’t recall ever getting on the road. It must have been a nasty crash.”
“Thank God you’re all right,” Claire said. “We were so shocked when Ashton called us with the news. Oswald and I didn’t think about it. We just excused ourselves from class and came here.”
“Thank you all for being here,” Nathan told them. At that moment, the doctor entered. He was holding a thin, small laptop in his hands.
“Good morning, Mr. Ferland. I’m Dr. Eckhart.”
“What’s my condition, Doctor?” Nathan asked.
“You were lucky. You took a blow to the head, thankfully without a concussion. There’s blunt trauma to your left ribs. They are bruised, but one’s cracked.”
No wonder my side’s killing me.
“How long will I have to remain here?”
“You need to rest until your ribs heal. For now, you can’t exert yourself.”
“What about school, Doctor? I can’t afford to miss any classes.”
“I’m sorry, Mr. Ferland, but you have to stay here at least through the weekend. On Sunday, I’ll check you up and see whether you can go back to school next week.”
Nathan’s expression fell.
“I’ll be back later,” said the Doctor, nodding. He then left the room.
“How did my car fare?” Nathan asked.
“We don’t know,” Ashton replied. “But the cops say it sustained worse damage than you did. With luck, it’s not anything I can’t fix.”
“I guess I have to prepare to buy another car, then.”
“Don’t hold your breath, bro. I’ll find out where they took your car and see its condition. If it’s too far gone, I’ll tell you, and you can replace it.”
“Thanks.”
Ashton didn’t reply. At that moment, the door opened again. Kayla entered, looking anguished.
“Nathan, you’re awake,” she said, walking up next to him and grabbing his hand. “You’re okay. Thank God!”
“I texted her,” Claire explained to Nathan.
“I’m all right,” he told her, squeezing her hand. Kayla’s face was streaked with tears.
“Claire gave me the scare of my life. When I heard you were in a car crash, I thought the worst. I was so scared for you, Nathan.”
“Thankfully, the crash wasn’t catastrophic. I barely remember it.”
“You don’t remember anything?” Kayla asked.
“No. I’m having a hard time.”
“The doctor said that’s normal,” said Oswald.
“Okay, we’re leaving,” Claire said, taking Oswald’s arm. “Let’s go. Bye, Nathan. Take care.”
“Thanks, Claire.”
She and Oswald left together. Ashton decided to go with them.
“I’ll take a look at your car, okay? Get well, bro.”
“Thank you. See you later.”
Ashton nodded, and left. Nathan looked at Kayla.
“I’m sorry,” he said. Kayla frowned in confusion.
“For what?”
“For not being able to truly love you.”
More tears fell down Kayla’s face. She sobbed.
“No, I’m sorry for that underhanded stunt I pulled at the hotel. It was horrible, coming from me.”
“I don’t judge you. You were just…hurt.”
“I was,” Kayla admitted. “When you told me that you were in love with Amanda, pain blinded me. I couldn’t think rationally. When this guy came to me with a plan to win you back, I didn’t think twice.” Kayla paused, wiping part of her face. “I shouldn’t have tried to force you to be with me.”
“I have nothing to forgive you for, Kayla. I’ll always love you. I couldn’t ask for a bestest friend.”
Kayla smiled, closing her eyes. Nathan leaned up and kissed her on the forehead.
“You’re a magnificent woman, Kayla. I’m sure that, one day, you will find someone who will love you as much as you deserve.”
Kayla’s eyes glistened.
“Thanks.”
“No. Thank you for being here.”
“You can always count on me.”
Judith knocked on Amanda’s apartment door, getting jumpy. She was afraid something had happened to her friend. Kellan had called Judith to let her know about the incident that morning. As soon as it was her lunch hour, Judith drove to Amanda’s straight away.
“Who is it?” Kellan’s voice asked.
“It’s me, Judith.”
The door opened. Kellan looked at Judith. She noticed faint, dark shadows under his eyes.
Judith entered the room, and Kellan closed the door. Amanda was sitting on her sofa, holding a cup of coffee in her hands. Her expression looked distressed. Sitting next to her was a young man Judith didn’t know.
“Hi,” the man said, standing up. “You must be a friend of Amanda. I’m Dalton Velásquez, NYPD.”
Judith shook hands with Dalton.
“Amanda, are you all right?” Judith asked, rushing towards her friend. Amanda looked up.
“No. I feel terrible.”
Dalton spoke.
“He got to her.”
Judith froze, knowing who Dalton was talking about.
“Oh, no. My God, Amanda. What did he want?”
“He threatened Nathan,” Amanda said simply, ignoring Judith’s question. “Hayden just called an hour ago. Said Nathan was in the hospital.”
“Hayden?”
“Yes, he’s a private eye. He’s going to help us with this case,” Dalton said.
“And Nathan’s in the hospital? Is he okay?”
“No. Hayden told me he was in a car crash.”
Judith covered her mouth with her hands.
“Oh, my God.”
Amanda shook her head, closing her eyes. Tears started running down her cheeks.
“I gave in to my feelings! I should have known what Hilbert is capable of.”
“This was nothing that you did,” Dalton said, placing a hand on Amanda’s shoulder.
“Yes, I’m responsible! I should have known I was putting Nathan in danger, but I got the delusion that somehow, we could be happy together.”
“If this is anyone’s fault, it’s mine,” Kellan said. “I don’t deserve to call myself your bodyguard anymore. They’ve gotten past me twice. Once is bad enough.”
“Don’t torture yourself, Kellan. These people aren’t your everyday street crooks,” Dalton told him.
“Cheap thieves, hit men, what’s the difference? I was trained to defeat them all.”
“I don’t blame you, Kellan,” said Amanda. “This was my entire fault. I should have known better than to defy this man.”
“Amanda, I’m sorry, but if you want to help Nathan,” Dalton began, “you need to help us stop Hilbert.”
Dalton walked off and stood near the entrance to the kitchen. He sent a text to Hayden.
“Are you going to help us?” asked Judith.
“Yes,” said Amanda, her expression resolute. “But don’t say anything to Nathan. I must let go of him, for his own safety.”
“Amanda, you can’t sacrifice your happiness.”
“I have to. For now, at least. Promise me you won’t tell him anything.”
Judith exhaled.
“Okay. We’ll do this your way.”
“And don’t let Hilbert know I gave him away. He told me he’d kill Nathan if I set the police after him.”
“We won’t let it get to that,” Kellan assured Amanda.
Dalton turned towards both of them.
“Hayden is now looking into Melendez’s whereabouts.”
Amanda nodded. Judith gave her the cup of coffee back. The former drank just to do something. She was too tense to think straight.
Hayden had contacted Hilbert’s father, who’d claimed that his son couldn’t be reached. Allegedly, Hilbert was in a very important meeting. Hayden almost chuckled at the lame excuse. The senator was just covering his (and his son’s) back. By the time Hilbert could be tracked down, he was in Manhattan—in a meeting. When Hayden called the secretary, she told him Hilbert had been there all along.
On Friday, Nathan called his father once the doctor had cleared him to return to his apartment.
“Son! I’m so relieved you’re calling. Are you okay?”
“Yes, dad. I’ve only got a few broken bones.”
“Thank goodness you’re alive. When the police called to inform me you’d been in an accident, I about had a heart attack.”
“You all right?”
“Yeah, don’t worry about me, son. You should rest, so you can recover.”
“Thanks. How have you been doing, by the way? Have you moved to the new house?”
“Yes. I would have called you real soon if…well, if this hadn’t happened. Right now I’m setting up the workshop and sending announcements on the papers.”
“And online,” Nathan said.
“That too.”<
br />
“When did you move?”
“Just this Wednesday. It’s a nice house. I’m going to send you some photos.”
“Or have your assistant do it.”
Jeffrey wasn’t tech-savvy, so he had an assistant who dealt with that stuff.
“You caught me.”
Nathan chuckled.
“Son, I also wanted to ask you about something. A little birdie told me you’re dating a sweet young lady. Is that true?”
Nathan paused before replying, narrowing his eyes.
“Ashton told you, didn’t he?”
“He did. When am I meeting this lady?”
“I don’t know. We only just started dating, I think. It’s unofficial.”
“Oh, I see. What’s her name?”
“You know her. Amanda Tilley.”
“So you finally managed to conquer her heart?”
Nathan didn’t reply. He smiled.
“And Kayla? Do you two still talk?”
“Yes. We’re great friends now.”
“That’s good, but thread carefully, son. Ex-girlfriends can be unpredictable.”
“Not Kayla, dad. I assure you, we’re on good terms.”
“Glad to hear. If she’s not friendly to you, tell her she can talk to me.”
“Ha ha. I will.”
Jeffrey laughed.
“Okay, son. I’ll let you rest now.”
“Thanks, dad. Have a good day.”
“You too. Get well soon.”
“Bye,” said Nathan, and hung up. Just then, someone knocked on the front door. Nathan answered it and saw Ashton outside.
“Hey, bro,” he greeted. “You don’t look messed up at all. You’re lucky.”
“I know,” said Nathan, letting Ashton enter. “What’s up?”
“I’ve got bad news.”
Nathan’s expression became serious.
“Officer Velásquez and I checked your ride. You won’t guess what we found.”
Nathan stared, waiting for Ashton to answer.
“The brakes have been tampered with.”
“What? Someone cut my brake cables?”
“Yes. Your ‘accident’ was no accident. It was a murder attempt.”
Nathan gasped, shocked by the development.
“Who’d want to kill me?”
“Good question. Wouldn’t you have any idea?”
Nathan thought whether he should tell Ashton the truth. He probably could do without it, at least for the moment.
Dream Date Page 29