As she thought of them, she was able to pick up the faint scent of the ocean reminding her that she had to remain strong and not give up. She had to get back to the ones she loved. Loved? Was she saying that she loved Blake? Doesn’t matter, she thought quickly; He’s a much-needed distraction. No matter how she felt about him, she needed his memory to pull through this, and she was going to use it. If and when she got out of this, she would move on and put her emotional ties to Blake behind her.
***
Ember wasn’t sure what time it was when she woke up, but it was dark outside. She heard banging in the other room, and then her door swung open. Reece walked in with a sour look on his face. “If you need to pee, do it. You’re going to be chained to the bed for a while.”
Ember hurried into the restroom as fear pulsed through her veins. She took her time washing her hands and slowly walked back to the bed. He yanked her arm, pulling her over to him. He growled, “Get on the bed.” She recoiled at the thought of what he planned to do to her, and a tear escaped her eye. He sighed and pushed her onto the bed then took her wrist that wasn’t broken and raised it above her head. He handcuffed her to the headboard and stood up looking down at her. “I won’t lie and say I haven’t wanted you like this, but I don’t have time for that right now. I’ll be back soon.” She knew his threat was also a promise, and it made her cringe. Reaching the door, he turned to say, “I think you should know that I’ve decided you’re not going home. If I can’t have you, there’s no way in hell I’m letting anyone else have you.”
Ember watched him walk out, and as he locked the door from the other side, she began to panic. He’s going to kill me.
CHAPTER 26
She heard the front door open as Reece walked outside, and then everything began to happen so fast that she wasn’t sure exactly what was going on.
She could hear someone yelling something, and Reece started yelling back. She thought she heard the other voice say something about a gun; shots rang out and everything went quiet.
Ember lay back on the bed in shock, not certain what had just happened. Someone was shot, she was sure of that, but was it Reece or the man shouting at him. Then there were voices outside again, but this time, they weren’t yelling. She prayed they weren’t just another part of Reece’s dark world. She couldn’t keep from trembling.
The door to the cabin opened, and she could hear the movement of several people in the next room. If these people were out for revenge or retaliation on Reece, did they know about her? Would they let her go if they found her? Then she realized they probably wouldn’t let her go if she could identify them. She heard the doorknob rattle, and she tucked her face into the crook of her elbow. Maybe if she didn’t see their face, they would just leave and let her be.
The door flew open as someone on the other side kicked it in. The sound made Ember flinch, and she felt the hot tears roll onto her arm.
“Ember Tatum?” a firm but gentle voice asked.
Ember risked a glance in the direction of the door. She didn’t think Reece would have given her name to anyone who was at odds with him. She wasn’t sure if she should trust the voice until she saw it was a member of the SWAT team. He had a comforting smile as he walked over to the bed and reached down to uncuff her.
Looking at Ember carefully, he said, “You are Ember, right?" She nodded. "My name is Jeff; I’m the SWAT team commander. He didn’t hurt you did he?” She shook her head as he removed the cuff from her arm. “Okay. Let’s get you out of here.” He led her toward the back door to the cabin while the other members of the team continued looking through the house. Ember began to think she was not the only reason they were here for Reece.
Ember turned to follow him thinking it was strange they were going to the back door until it dawned on her; Reece was out there, and she wasn’t sure if he was alive or dead. She didn’t want to know right now, though. All she wanted was to get out of the dreadful cabin and back home. She would ask questions later.
Ember was surprised that Ridge was already at the station waiting for her when she got there. Jeff had told her that he was going to tear the station up if she hadn’t been found soon. He took her to an office off to the left side of the entrance. When he opened the door, Ember ran in, hoping to find Ridge, but ran into Blake’s arms instead. Hearing the door open, he had jumped up from the small sofa he had been waiting on and grabbed Ember as she ran in. His eyes were red and swollen, and his hair was all messed up like he had been running his hands through it again. He looked pitiful.
Jeff looked apologetically at Ember and said, “I’m sorry, I forgot to mention that Mr. O’Neil had come with your brother. I hope you don’t mind.” Ember caught the sly grin and wink he gave Blake as he started to leave. “I’ll be right back. I’m going to get you some water, Miss Tatum.”
“Ember, it’s just Ember please.”
Jeff nodded. “Ember.” Then he turned and shut the door behind him.
“Where’s Ridge?” Ember was surprised he wasn’t waiting for her, but she was more relieved than she thought at seeing Blake. Remember, he’s just a friend, she told herself, but she knew that he would never be just a friend to her. His memory alone had given her strength she didn’t know she had when Ember thought she wouldn’t make it.
“He just stepped out for a few minutes, to call your family and Jenna.” He sounded weary, and Ember wondered how long he had been up. His eyes filled with tears as he watched her, "Please tell me he didn't hurt you?"
She shook her head, "Not much," she whispered.
“Ember, I need to tell you something, something important.” He had a troubled look on his face. “I want to say this before anything else happens, and I don’t get a chance to.” He pulled her closer and took her cheek in his hand. She closed her eyes and leaned into his soft palm as he caressed her face with his thumb. “I lied.”
Ember’s eyes popped open, and she stared at him in confusion. “What? What do you mean?” Her voice was just a little above a whisper, afraid of what was going to come next.
“I didn’t actually lie to you I guess, but I didn’t tell you the truth, so it’s like I lied to you—but mostly I lied to myself.” He was rambling, and she was becoming even more confused.
“Blake?” He stopped talking and just stared at her for a moment and sighed.
“Sorry, I’m not good at this,” he said softly as he moved his hand away from her face and put it around her waist too, pulling her even closer. Touching his forehead to hers, he whispered, “I love you, Ember. I’ve been in love with you since you blew into the tower, and no matter how hard I tried to fight it, I can’t.”
Ember watched him, but as soon as he had admitted to fighting the feeling, she was terrified. She didn’t want him to fight it. “I’m so in love with you, Blake, and I don’t want you to fight it.”
He chuckled at the sound of panic in her voice. “Don’t worry. I don’t want to fight it either. I like how I feel when I’m with you.” He pulled back, still gazing into her emerald green eyes. “I know this is going to sound a little cliché, but you make me happy. I don’t want just to have memories of you and I having fun. I want to know that there's a future full of it.”
“What about Kaylen?” Ember glanced down and closed her eyes, waiting for it.
Blake kissed the top of her head. “You know she’s kind of cool when you get to know her. She’s just really short.” Ember looked up at him in shock.
Furrowing her brows, Ember tilted her head to the side, “You don’t like kids.” She sounded confused.
“Who said I don’t like kids?”
“I thought you did…I thought you never wanted kids. The lady at the tower, she told me you don't like them.” She was extremely confused at this new bit of information.
He shrugged. “I’ve never told anyone I don’t like kids. I’ve just never been with someone I would consider having any with, or even settle down with, for that matter. That’s part of the reason I never dated anyone w
ho had kids. Once children are involved, it’s a whole new ballgame. If things don’t work out, you take a chance on hurting someone a lot more impressionable. I’m actually a sucker for kids, and Kaylen, with those big green eyes just like yours, I was a goner the first time she looked at me.” His smile was genuine, and she knew he was telling the truth. “Jade has been at the apartment all day while we waited to hear something. She brought Kaylen up, and I got to spend some time with her. I called her and told her you were going to be coming home soon when they let us know you were on the way here. They’ll be there with your parents when we get back.” Ember didn’t know what to say.
There was a knock on the door, and Ridge, Jeff, and another older man entered. “Can we come in now? Thank goodness you’re back. Blake was insufferable.” Ridge walked over to Ember and pulled her away from Blake to give her a big squeeze. When he stepped back, she felt Blake reach back around her and pull her into him again, and Ridge shook his head and grinned.
“Jeff said you were tearing the station up, and you call Blake insufferable?” Ember grinned at him.
Jeff shrugged as both men turned to look at him. “I merely left out one small detail. I knew from listening to the two of you that Blake had some unfinished business to attend to, and I didn’t want Ember to know he was here until he was able to talk to her.” Ember looked at Blake who winked at her, and she blushed.
“This is the incident commander, Todd. Jeff was telling us about what happened.” Ridge’s expression turned serious as he said, “It’s over, Ember. Reece won’t be around to hurt you anymore.”
Relief flooded Ember, causing her knees to buckle. Before she knew it, Blake scooped her up into his arms and sat on the sofa with her on his lap. She tucked her face into the crook of his neck and inhaled his calming scent. She was surprised by her reaction to the news but then decided it was probably because of the release of pent-up fear, and her body was finally getting to relax. It felt good to have Blake hold her. She knew it was true, that everything was going to be okay now.
Jeff went through the information he could share with them on the case. It helped a lot that Ridge had started the missing person report as soon as he found out she was gone. The security guard Ridge had talked to had determined one of their own had helped Reece get into the complex. He had been given a passkey a few days earlier, and the guard had disabled the cameras in the apartment complex; then he disappeared. They were still in the process of looking for him.
The clerk at the gas station called in to report a suspicious situation and had the tag number of the SUV and video that proved it was Reece who had her.
As Jeff was talking about how the clerk had seen the rope burns on Ember's wrist, Blake looked at her wrist. She could see the anger flash in his eyes, but when he caught her watching him, his expression changed to one of love. He lifted her hand to his lips and began to give her small, tender kisses softly around her wrist like he was trying to kiss the pain away. She smiled at him and was surprised that his attention was making her feel better even if it didn’t take the physical pain away.
Jeff continued explaining that Eve was running an errand in Reece’s truck. They stopped her and brought her in for questioning. She gave up all the information they asked for, hoping it would help her to get a lesser sentence. Reece and Eve had been staying at the cabin her parents had left to her, and that’s where they had Ember. Reece was planning to call Ridge later that day and demand five million dollars for the return of Ember. Eve said that Reece was so infatuated with Ember, however, that he decided after getting the money he wasn’t going to let Ember go; he wasn't going to let anyone else have her, so he made other plans for her. Eve said she didn’t want to be a part of murder; she just wanted the money, and then they were supposed to flee to somewhere with a beach. When Reece changed the deal, she started having second thoughts about it.
At the admission that Ember’s life really was in peril, Ridge and Blake both had tears running down their cheeks and fury in their eyes. Blake held her so close she thought she was going to have trouble breathing, but she readjusted a little and sank back into him, not sure she wanted to hear any more.
Todd had talked Eve into calling Reece and telling him she was having trouble with the truck so that he would come outside the cabin without Ember. When he was far enough from the house that he couldn’t run back in, Jeff had let their presence be known. The SWAT team was waiting for him and gave him a chance to give up, but Reece had no intention of being taken alive. Reece said that they would never take him alive, and he pulled his gun, pointing it at the closest cop he could find. That was all it took.
Jeff then explained that they suspected Reece of being tied up in drug-trafficking and that the feds had been watching him for almost two years, but only because of this incident were they able to search his home and find more evidence of it. His greed and obsession with Ember had been his undoing.
Ember sighed. She wasn’t sure how she was supposed to feel about all this, but at the moment she just felt relief. For the past few weeks, she felt like she had been on a roller coaster of emotions, with it ending here. Reece couldn’t hurt her anymore. Kaylen was safe and happy. Blake loved her. And her parents let her back into the family closer than when she had left. Life was better than her wildest dreams.
Blake leaned down and whispered into her ear, “Let’s go home, baby.” Then he kissed her cheek.
EPILOGUE
The party at her parents’ house was in full swing. Blake, Ridge, Jenna, Jade and her family, Lance and Brooke were all there. It was a beautiful summer day, and the kids were having a blast in the pool, as well as some of the adults.
It had been over a year since Reece’s death, and Ember was happy to see Kaylen adjusting to life as if nothing drastic had happened. She supposed that since things ended this way, she should be glad that Kaylen had not been close to Reece. Ember didn’t miss him in the slightest, but she did feel bad for Kaylen having to grow up without a real father.
Blake was so good to both of them. She didn’t want to be ungrateful, and the more she thought about it, the more agitated she grew with herself for worrying about it. Blake had stepped up to the task of taking care of Kaylen as if she was his own, and Ember should be thankful for that. Ember never expected anything like that from him, but he always came through. The thought made Ember smile.
Walking up behind her and putting his arms around her, Blake said, “Hey, babe, what are you doing hiding in here?” She wasn’t sure if she would ever stop getting goosebumps when he touched her. She looked back at him over her shoulder, and he gave her a quick kiss before pulling back and looking at her curiously.
“I’m just getting a drink. I’m coming back outside.” She didn’t need to mention the part about Kaylen. She wasn’t about to put him on the spot with something like that.
“What are you thinking about?”
She sighed. How did he always know? She decided to share the other issue that had been weighing on her lately. “It’s nothing important. I’m just nervous about starting classes soon I guess. It’s a little overwhelming.” She twisted around to face him and smiled up at him.
“I told you that you don’t have to go to school if you don’t want to. Stay home with Kaylen, or go to school to be a nurse or take some writing classes.” He leaned down and pressed his cheek against hers as he whispered his words directly into her ear, “I want you to do whatever you want to do. Don’t do something because you feel like you have to do it, baby. You know you’re taken care of.”
She grinned and kissed his cheek. “I know that, and I appreciate it. I really do want to be a doctor, though. I’m just…I guess I’m afraid.”
He pulled back again, concerned. “Afraid of what?”
“That I’m not going to be a good one.” She blushed feeling a little embarrassed. She looked away from him.
Blake took her chin and tilted it up for her to look into his dark eyes. Once again she was swept away by the love she
had for this man. “You’re going to be the best damn doctor ever. You’re incredibly smart, and you have compassion. You really will be amazing at it. I know you will.” He said it so matter-of-factly that she had no choice but to believe him, and she smiled at him again, letting him kiss her breathlessly.
Stopping, he smirked at her. “Let’s go back outside before Ridge sends a search party after us.”
Ember giggled.
They stopped outside at the pool, and Ember noticed that Blake gave Ridge a nod when he thought Ember wasn’t looking. Little did he know that Ember was always looking. She blushed at the thought. He was beyond everything she had ever dreamed.
She was still secretly hoping that Ridge would ask Jenna out. They spent a little time together, but mostly when it was all of them in a group and only as friends. Jenna had grown to be Ember’s best friend, and she knew all about the crush Jenna had on Ridge, but shortly after Ember was healed and got a job he had started to travel more. He had to leave every few months, so he used that excuse to avoid starting a relationship with her. Jenna still went out with the girls from work, though, and Ember didn’t miss the fact Ridge’s jaw tensed when he overheard Jenna talking about the guys that hit on her.
Ember went to get Kaylen out of the pool and help her find her flip-flops, but as she started back toward Blake, she knew something was up. Everyone had silently gathered around the pool, and they were all watching her. She looked up at Blake curiously, but he just gave her his trademark smirk and shrugged. Glancing down toward Kaylen, he asked her, “Do you still have it, little one?”
Kaylen beamed as she let go of Ember’s hand and went over to a lounge chair where her tiny purse was. She grabbed it and walked as fast as she could to Blake. “I got it, Daddy,” she said. Opening it, she showed him something in it.
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