by Fall, Carly
“Did you leave me, Lucas? Or did someone take you, like they did me? How did you get away? Why didn’t you contact me?”
It would be best to talk when she’d be more coherent. “Gabby, let’s get you settled. We have plenty of time to talk tomorrow.”
“Who’s that man in the wheelchair, Joe? How did Garrett find me?”
Her thoughts seemed to be all over the place, reaffirming his suspicion she had been drugged.
“I promise I’ll answer all your questions, Gabby, but not now. You need to rest, honey. You need to heal.”
“Okay,” she whispered, seemingly resigned she wouldn’t be getting any answers tonight.
He met her gaze and had to smile. He stroked her hair as they sat there for a long time staring at each other. He could see the exhaustion taking over, and hoped she would rest peacefully, but he doubted it. She’d most likely wake with nightmares, which was understandable after what she’d been through.
“Am I staying here tonight?” she asked.
He nodded. “I have a bed made up for you.”
She studied him for a moment. “Is it the same bed you’ll be in?”
“Do you want it to be?”
She shook her head. “No.”
Her words hit like a proverbial kick to the groin that he’d have to man up and deal with. He nodded. “Then no, it’s your own bed.”
“Help me up, Lucas.”
He got to his feet and held her hand while placing his other hand on her waist. She gingerly stood, wincing.
After helping her out of the tub, he wrapped her in a beige towel. He pulled another one from the rack and dried the ends of her hair. She moved to look in the mirror, and he stepped in front of her.
“Don’t,” he pleaded. “Not yet, Gabby.”
She stared at him a moment. He couldn’t bear for her to see herself this way, to witness the damage that had been done to her beautiful face.
“Okay,” she said.
He led her out of the bathroom and sat her down on his bed. “This is my room,” he said as he rummaged through the drawers trying to find something clean for her to wear. Finally, he came up with the same sweats and sweatshirt he’d been given on his arrival. He helped her slide them on, and then led her to the bedroom next door.
Larger than his, it housed a king-sized bed draped in a purple and yellow patchwork quilt with yellow flannel sheets. He turned on the sideboard heater to low as she watched him.
Going to the bed, he pulled back the covers and motioned for her to get in. She slowly sat down and lifted her feet up, finally getting comfortable.
He went to the bathroom and found some Motrin, ran water into the glass, and brought both out to her. “Here, honey. Take these.”
She tried to sit up, without success.
Setting the water and pills down on the nightstand, he placed his hand behind her neck and helped her sit up. She sipped the water and took the pills, and he gently lay her head down again.
He settled down on the edge of the bed as she closed her eyes.
Words couldn’t describe the guilt and anger that raged within him. He wanted to know exactly what had happened and who was responsible, and he had a feeling Garrett, Joe, and Thomas had some answers, but he didn’t want to leave Gabby. When he emerged from this room, Joe, Thomas, and Garrett had better be sitting out in the living room, ready to talk.
A few moments later, a soft knock came at the door, and Gabby jumped.
“Shhh,” he whispered, lightly brushing strands of hair from her forehead. “You’re safe, baby.” He laid his hand on her shoulder and her body trembled. “It’s okay, honey,” he murmured. “It’s okay.”
She nodded, and he went to the door.
“Are you going to be here when I wake up?” she asked before he could open the door.
He turned and met her gaze. “I’ll be here, Gabby.”
She rolled over to her side. “I hope so, but I’m not holding my breath,” she mumbled. A few seconds later, her breathing evened out. He stared at her another moment before opening the door.
Garrett stood on the other side. Lucas glanced back at Gabby again, and then slipped out of the room.
“Someone better tell me what the fuck is going on,” he hissed.
Garrett nodded. “That’s the plan, man. Let’s go to the kitchen.”
Chapter 24
Lucas sat down at the kitchen table with Joe, Thomas, and Garrett. As he rubbed his face, he wished he had some rum. He trembled with rage and ached with guilt, and wanted something to help numb the emotions.
However, he also knew he needed to experience them, because his battered and broken wife in the other room deserved his suffering.
“What happened?” he finally asked, meeting Joe’s gaze.
“Thomas, please make Lucas some of that calming tea you give me sometimes. I believe he needs it.”
He rolled his eyes. “I don’t need any goddamn tea. I need answers!”
“I intend to give you the answers, and I highly suggest you have some of this tea, Lucas. It does wonders for stress and strain.”
He stared at the table as Thomas made the tea and then pushed the steaming mug in front of him. His nerves had wound up so tight, his sanity might snap in half.
“Drink some tea, Lucas,” Joe ordered.
Lucas eyed him for a moment, and judging by the hard look on the man’s face, he’d bet he wouldn’t get any answers until he drank the damn tea. Sighing, he picked up the mug, the hot liquid torching his mouth and throat. He set it down and looked at Joe. “I’ve drunk the tea, now tell me who did this to her. Is it some new boyfriend? How did you find her? Who is it? I’ll hunt them down and gut them for hurting her. I need—”
“We aren’t sure yet, Lucas,” Joe murmured.
“When will you know?” He took another sip of tea, feeling as though he were relaxing a little bit. The damn stuff actually worked.
“Let’s start at the beginning, Lucas,” Joe said as Thomas handed him a mug of his own. “When we agreed that it was an excellent idea for you to become my employee, one stipulation you had was that I watch over Gabby. I keep my promises, Lucas.”
“And?”
“And, Garrett was doing what you requested. Once he left here, he immediately flew to Portland and began his watch on Gabby until I could find someone to take over for him.”
Lucas turned to Garrett. “And what did you see? What happened? How did she end up like this?”
Garrett shrugged. “She went to yoga, had a girlfriend over, showed a couple of houses. Her life seemed pretty normal and really boring, and frankly, when she met this dude at a café, I thought she was over your sorry ass.”
“What dude?” Anger raced through him. A very small part of him grew happy with the thought that Gabby had moved on, but a much larger part wanted to break shit just thinking about it.
“It seemed simple enough. They met at a café, had lunch, talked for a couple of hours, and she took him to see a house.”
“What happened, then?”
“Well, they were in the house for quite a while, and I thought maybe they were getting busy in there as they’d had wine during lunch and Gabby had seemed a little out of it when she got out of the car.”
He banged his fist on the table, then propped his elbows up, laying his head in his hands. “And?”
His stomach clenched, his throat constricted. He needed to hear the rest, but he absolutely didn’t want to.
“Hey, man,” Garrett said, placing his hand on Lucas’s shoulder. “You wanted her to move on, remember? You left her.”
“I’m very fucking aware of that, Garrett. However, if you don’t tell me what happened next, I will hit you in the face.”
“There’s no need to resort to violence in this conversation,” Joe murmured. “Please, drink more tea.”
Lucas looked at him. “I don’t want anymore fucking tea,” he growled.
“Drink, Lucas. Please. It will help you.”
“Please continue, Garrett,” Joe murmured.
Garrett rubbed his hands over his face. “So there I was, sitting in the woods as this place was out in the middle of nowhere. Nice little white house with a wrap around porch, lots of trees —”
“I get it!” Lucas shouted, flooded by memories. A month before he’d left for Guatemala, he lay in bed with Gabby. They had just made love and talked about the house they wanted in the near future.
“It should be quiet and private, with lots of trees,” Gabby had murmured as she’d slowly traced her finger around his belly button. “A large yard for those kids we want to have, and I’ve always liked the big, wrap-around porches.”
“Man, I’m just trying to tell the story. Simmer down over there,” Garrett growled.
Lucas ground his teeth, trying to stay calm.
“They went inside, and were in there for quite a while. I was thinking that maybe… you know…they were, uh—”
“Well, obviously, they weren’t,” Joe interrupted, glancing over at Lucas. “Please continue, and just stick to the facts, Garrett.”
“After a bit, the guy came out and drove away, and I thought…well, when he didn’t come back, I went in.”
“And what did you find, Garrett?”
The man exhaled loudly. “Gabby was in the basement, tied to a chair, naked. She’d been beaten up pretty badly.”
Lucas slammed the table again and stood. “I’m going to kill whoever is responsible for this,” he hissed, his anger like nothing he’d ever felt. Every tendon and nerve in his body vibrated, his head feeling as if it may literally explode.
“Lucas,” Joe said, his voice soft. “Please, sit and drink more tea.”
He glared at the man, somehow soothed by his controlled and calmed gaze.
“To finish off Garrett’s story, he immediately released Gabby and got her out of there, then he called me. He took her to a doctor I know, and there is nothing broken, just a lot of bruises. He gave her a shot of pain relievers and anti-inflammatories. Once I was certain her health was stable, I arranged for a plane to bring her down here, and I called you to prepare the house. Garrett said she’s been in and out of consciousness the whole trip, but the doctor has assured me it’s drug-related and not because of injury.”
“Why didn’t you tell me when you called me earlier?” he growled.
“Because, I knew if I told you, your reaction would be one of anger and destruction, which is perfectly normal and understandable. I didn’t want you going off the rails, so to speak.”
Joe was correct, but it still pissed him off he hadn’t been told earlier, or at least given some type of warning of exactly who Joe would bring here. “Who was it? Who did this to her?”
“I am working on getting those answers, Lucas,” Joe said, wheeling himself away from the table. “When I have a name, I will let you know. Thomas, can you please give Lucas Gabby’s prescriptions?”
Thomas reached into his pocket and handed him two brown bottles.
“The instructions are on the front. The doctor assured me she will be much more comfortable if she takes the medication on a regular basis,” Joe said. “Let’s go, gentlemen.”
Garrett and Thomas stood up and followed Joe to the door. Lucas followed. “I want to know exactly who it is.”
Joe stopped at the front door and sighed. “I understand your need for revenge, Lucas, and with your training and skills, I realize that you will want to put them to good use while exacting your vengeance. I will get you a name, but at this time, I highly suggest you concentrate on that woman in the next room. She is going to need familiarity and comfort.”
Thomas opened the door and Joe rolled out. Garrett hung back for a moment. “Take care of her, man,” he said.
“Thanks for what you did.” Lucas nodded at him. “I owe you.”
Garrett smiled. “No, you don’t, Lucas. You know I always liked Gabby. I got her out of there for her, not you. If you had even half a brain in that pretty head of yours, you’d realize what a dumbass you were by leaving her.”
Lucas sighed and crossed his arms over his chest.
Garrett chuckled. “And knowing Gabby, she’s going to tear your hide to shreds once she’s feeling better. That’s payback enough for me.”
He shut the door and Lucas stood in the quiet night. He’d never thought he’d be this close to Gabby again. He strode down the hallway and looked in on her, placing her medication on the toilet tank so she’d see them in the morning. He glanced over at her; she slept soundly, her swollen, red, and purple face gleaming in the light.
Joe was right. He needed to concentrate on Gabby’s health now, both mentally and physically. Taking a deep breath, he tucked away the last of his rage. He wouldn’t let it go, because when the time came, the man who hurt his Gabby would feel his wrath and die a long, slow, painful death.
Chapter 25
The fist connected with her jaw, and the pain reverberated throughout her whole body. Just as she thought she might recover from it, another punch slammed into her ribs, taking her breath away. She struggled to inhale as the cool, damp air chilled her skin, causing goose bumps to crawl along her flesh. Tears rolled down her face as panic raced through her body. Gasping and coughing, certain she was going to die, she then caught a little of the dank air in her searing lungs, and her mouth tasted of wet dirt. The small breath gave her hope, and after a minute, she inhaled deeply. Suddenly, she felt him on her. Her anxiety swelled, causing her heart to thud and her mouth to go dry.
“Gabby,” he said, his ice-blue eyes glowing in the dark, his face morphing into hard, distorted demon-like features. His cheekbones became more pronounced, his nose grew, and his forehead expanded. She screamed as she tried to push him away.
“Gabby,” he hissed, a forked tongue protruding from his mouth.
“No!” she yelled.
“Gabby, wake up!”
She struggled against him as he held her. She didn’t want to step into consciousness, to see his features, to experience the full pain he inflicted on her.
“Gabby!” he yelled, and she woke with a start.
“Get off me!” she screamed, still seeing the shining blue eyes.
“Gabby, it’s Lucas! You need to calm down or you’re going to hurt yourself further!”
She looked around the room. She wasn’t in a bare basement, but in a warm, homey room. She took in the log cabin walls, the oak dresser to her left, the light shining from the bathroom to her right. She lay under a purple and yellow quilt, and the man lying partially on top of her and holding her wrists against her soft pillow was Lucas.
She gazed up into his grey eyes and tried to calm down. Although Lucas may have broken the promise he’d made to her many years ago, she still knew she was safe with him. He would never physically hurt her. Emotionally, well, that proved a different story.
“Honey, can you see me?” he whispered, easing his grip on her wrists.
She nodded.
“Okay. So you’re in the here and now, right? It’s just me and you, and you’re safe, right, baby?”
Tears stung her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. “Yes,” she whispered. “I see you, Lucas.”
He sighed and lifted his hands from her wrists. “You were screaming and thrashing around, and I was afraid you were going to hit your head on a bed stand or throw yourself off onto the floor,” he said in a low voice. “I didn’t want to restrain you, but I didn’t see another way to make sure you didn’t hurt yourself.”
As he lifted his body off hers, she realized she’d appreciated the weight on her once she knew who it belonged to.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
She studied his face, and noticed he looked thinner than when he disappeared six months ago. His tanned skin covered sunken cheeks and sharp cheekbones. His hair hung longer, yet, judging by the tan lines wh
ere his beard used to be, he’d recently shaved.
His chest didn’t seem as wide, and she could see traces of ribs in his torso. What had happened to him? Where had he been? Where did her stocky, muscular man go? He must have lost at least thirty pounds.
“Gabby, please answer me. Are you here with me? Do you see me?”
She nodded.
“Okay, good. I’m just across the hall if you need me, okay?”
“Okay,” she whispered, wanting him to stay with her so badly, but rejecting the idea as she remembered the pain of his disappearance. Perhaps he had been kidnapped as she had? Maybe he’d been held captive? But then, why had Jerrod been trying to get answers out of her on his whereabouts? Maybe Lucas had been taken by someone else? Certainly, he’d never allow himself to become so thin and out of shape. He’d never intentionally do that as he ate well and worked out religiously.
Obviously, something went on that she didn’t understand. What did Lucas get involved in?
A spark of optimism soared within her as her eyes shut of their own will. As she drifted off, she hoped her thoughts were correct and he hadn’t broken his promise made to her twelve years ago.
Chapter 26
Lucas didn’t sleep much after his four a.m. wake-up call of Gabby’s terrorizing screams. He’d run to her room to see her thrashing around on the bed, his heart breaking as he’d tried to still her so she didn’t hurt herself. He could only imagine what she dreamt about with the twisted look on her face and her anxious movements beneath the sheets.
When she finally woke, he became unsure if she actually comprehended where she was. He needed her to understand she was safe with him, that she could get the rest she so desperately needed in order to heal.
As she’d drifted back to sleep, he’d left her and gone to the living room. He’d made some of the tea Thomas had left, thrown a few more logs into the fire, and sat in front of the wide window, looking out into the snowy night. He’d pulled the throw blanket around his bare shoulders to ward off the chill.
The flakes on the ground glimmered under the moonlight, casting a bright sheen throughout the valley. It looked as though the pond may freeze over again, and he glanced at the majestic trees, their branches bowing with the heavy snow.