by Lee, Judith
As they drove he worried and feared that if Georgia had actually experienced a mental breakdown she wouldn’t have the capacity to fight and survive her captures. All he could hope for was that Sharon was as greedy as he knew her to be and that whoever was helping her didn’t use Georgia’s body. That might be the final straw to send his woman into mental oblivion.
***
She was beside herself and so happy. Not sense her parents had died had she ever felt this gleeful and her laughter kept erupting in the small truck interior. Luckily, Georgia had passed out and they hadn’t had to drug her. She looked over at Brad and he had a big smile on his face. Hopefully he was thinking about the money and not getting his hands on the sweet little Georgia. She was getting used to having hot sex with him and she wasn’t ready to share.
“We can’t damage the goods just yet. You’ll have to be satisfied with me. We need her to wake up and be coherent so she can talk to them when we demand the money. Right now, she just looks out of it. I’ll make it good for you when we get back to your ranch. I have a special sexual treat I have been saving for you.”
He looked at her with interest, and he cocked his eyebrow. She knew. He was as big of a pervert as some of the men she had had to deal with in the past and as long as she kept him sexually satisfied she wouldn’t need to stand by and watch little miss shithead get a taste of his cock.
Already she could imagine the money they were going to get. She and her son could fly to Mexico or the some island. If Brad wanted to come, it was fine, but she didn’t need him. She didn’t need any man. Hell she hated all men especially Justin Cooper, maybe not as much as she hated her father, but Justin was a close second. But he was going to pay big to get his precious little daughter back. She might even keep her alive and send her back scarred and not so pretty any more. That might be worse than the death she had been planning. Yes, worth the consideration. She knew before it was all over, she’d have to let Brad have his way with her. He had been a good sport and made most of this possible, but she planned to share her body at the same time he took the little princess. Sex with both of them would be fun and she knew she’d loved to hear Georgia screaming. She might even let Roy have a go at her. She’d already initiated him in sex. They’d found a young girl on a street in Chicago who was willing to be paid so she could eat and he’d had his first fuck. Of course, she had beaten the girl up and taken back the money she had paid for her services and kicked her out of the car. After all, who was she going to tell? The cops? I’ve been a bad girl selling my body for food and they fucked me and dropped me back on the street. This cracked Sharon up again.
“Hurry up Brad. We need to get to your place in Fort Collins before anyone follows this truck. Glad you were smart enough to change the plates after we got away from the hospital. Still couldn’t change the color of the truck so they could still be looking for us. I’m thinking it’s going to be a while before they discover her gone, but let’s don’t take any chances.”
***
Georgia woke up slowly. Her mind and body felt numb. She didn’t have anything to live for and she didn’t even want to open her eyes, to see who had grabbed her. Sharon, probably. She didn’t care.
Sharon must have been watching her for movement. Georgia could smell her sickening perfume as she came closer. Her arm was gripped tightly and Sharon’s fingers pinched her arm painfully. “Wake up you slut!”
Without opening her eyes, she whispered, “Go to hell Sharon. You can just go ahead and kill me. I don’t have any reason to live and I’m not going to cooperate with you, so get your gun and shoot my head off, or strangle me or whatever, I don’t care.” Her voice was so unemotional.
“You bitch. If you don’t talk to your father on the phone he won’t talk to me. I already tried. I grabbed your tits and made you cry out when you were unconscious, but he didn’t believe it was you and he hung up. I’ve been waiting two damn days for you to wake up.”
Georgia didn’t move. Didn’t open her eyes. She didn’t even raise her voice. “Fuck you Sharon.”
She felt the air before she felt Sharon slap her across the face. She wouldn’t give in or cry out. She was done. Done. If she had any saliva in her mouth, Georgia would have spit at her but she didn’t have the energy or the desire.
“Maybe if I let the frog kiss you and fuck you, you’d work with me. What do you say Brad?”
Georgia’s eyes flew open. However, the sunlight hurt her eyes, and she quickly closed them. Slowly she opened them enough to allow her eyes to get used to the light again and she was looking at the snake. Brad Smith was grinning like the cat that was about to pounce on a helpless bird.
“Why Brad? You can’t take one hit from little ole’ me or a cowboy who is the same size as you are? Haven’t you ever fought anyone and lost before? I thought you were a piece of crap, but I never pegged you for a coward.” That wiped the smirking grin off his face.
His hands wrapped around her neck and he squeezed. She closed her eyes and welcomed the end. She couldn’t stand the pain in her chest anymore. She had not only broken her own heart, but she had run like a coward again and she knew deep down she’d broken Dakota’s heart in the process. But she couldn’t stand by and watch someone else she loved die. She couldn’t. With no breaths going into her lungs they were shriveling like her soul. End it! She screamed in her mind.
Suddenly the hands were removed off her neck and her traitorous body sucked in air deep into her lungs. It wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted death. Tears rolled down her eyes; the hurt from her broken heart hurt throughout her whole body. She hadn’t even felt the pain of his hands.
She heard Brad being slapped. “Fuck you, Sharon, don’t slap me again. She deserved it.”
“I said fuck her, not kill her. We need her to talk to Justin, you idiot.”
“I’m not in the mood right now. Let’s you and me play that rope game again.”
“So you liked it, did you, pretty boy?” she chuckled. “Later. Roy, come over here.”
“Mom I’m not going to fuck her either…she tried to be nice to me when we lived there, even treated me with respect like I was her brother.” Roy got a slap, too.
“Between the two of you, I think you’re both a couple of pussies. If I had a cock it would already be jammed up her ass.”
Georgia took that moment to hurl what little food she had left in her stomach on herself. She’d rolled to her side and was gagging and dry-heaving the acid from her stomach. More pain. Was there no end to this pain? She opened her eyes, as Roy took a rag and was wiping her mouth. His eyes were filled with pain and sorrow. “Just talk to your dad so we can let you go. All she wants is more money. She’s been poor and broken for most of her life. Even as her kid, I can see how much she is hurting. I see the same hurt in your eyes right now, but it’s better to live a fuckin’ no worth life than being dead. Listen to her, please, Georgia.”
She tried to smile at the kid. It wasn’t his fault that he had such a messed up mother. She just didn’t want Sharon to take any more money from her father. She knew he’d be broken when he found out that they had killed her after they had made the money swap, but Georgia knew there would be no swap. She would be dead.
“I got an idea. Brad, come here.” Georgia looked at them as they talked in quiet voices by the door. He walked out the door and she heard the truck start up. Georgia was too tired to care what they were up to and she fell back into the safe spot in her mind where no one could hurt her.
She woke up with Sharon forcing her to drink water. Brad was holding her mouth open. After what she thought was a pint of water, they left her alone for a while.
Her body was betraying her again. She needed to pee. Couldn’t she just slip away? She tried not to squirm but Sharon and Brad noticed. They ran over to her and sat her on the toilet with both of them holding her. She couldn’t hold it anymore and started peeing. Sharon pushed something between her pee-stream and after a few seconds pulled it out gleefully.
/> Georgia was in too big of a stupor…she didn’t care what they did to her and her head fell lethargically to her chest.
“Damn, if I wasn’t right. She’s G-Damn pregnant. You hear me little miss Georgia you are pregnant with Dakota’s baby. Do you really want to kill his baby?”
Georgia’s head lifted slowly and her eyes looked at the pregnancy test that was positive. She bit her lip and cried. “I’ll talk to him. Don’t hurt me. Don’t hurt my baby.”
She couldn’t lose this baby, too.
Chapter Twenty-four
Dakota and Cody had been watching the video from the hospital over and over during the last two days. The first twenty times he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off Georgia. After several hours, the family had made him take a nap. He knew he needed some rest so he’d be able to go get Georgia when the time was right. He still had drugs in his body because of his surgery and he needed to get them out of his system and clear his head. The concussion made his head spin and throb with pain. It would go away too. He’d had his share of concussions over the years and even though this one had swollen his brain, he knew that pain would decrease, too, but the pain of losing Georgia forever would never go away. He had slept through the night while the FBI and police searched everywhere for the truck. They were trying to follow the truck on different street light cameras and had finally determined they had been heading toward Fort Collins. That was their best guess.
Because she had made the threat over the internet on the cell phone and she had crossed the state line, the FBI had entered into the search with a full regiment of manpower who were looking for her.
It was late in the second day and although he still felt pain everywhere, his brain was clearer and he could walk around the room without swaying. He decided to look at the video a few more times. There was something nagging him about the man who had grabbed Georgia.
His cell phone rang. And he jumped up so fast he almost dropped the phone. He looked at who was calling and back to the FBI. He took a breath before he answered, “What do you want Sharon? Whatever it is you can have it… just let us talk to Georgia. There will be no exchange of money until we see that she is alive and waiting for us before we drop the money off.”
“Put the intercom on and let Justin listen.”
“Talk bitch, or else!” Sharon yelled.
“Dakota, they’re going to kill our baby if you don’t do what they say. I know you probably don’t care about me anymore since I ran out on you, but please don’t let them kill this baby, too. The father would never forgive me if he knew I lost this baby, too.”
Dakota sunk into a chair and Justin sobbed, “Don’t hurt her,” Justin said. “What do you want? I’ll give you anything, hell even my ranch if that’s what you want? I won’t even press charges just give her back to us.”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have thrown me away like trash, Justin. People have been doing that to me my whole life. I’ll text you where to drop the money.” And she hung up.
Dakota looked at the FBI. “Did you find her?”
“She got off too quick but we do have the signal that pinged off the satellite closest to Fort Collins.
Dakota sat quietly with the shock of knowing Georgia was pregnant and she sounded scared. Why didn’t she understand that he already knew why she had left him? He’d never let her go. Please Georgia, look into your heart and feel my love. Fight for your life. I love you.
The text came in with the ridiculous amount Sharon was asking for and instructions for where the money was to be delivered. The FBI wouldn’t let anyone from the family go with them to make the swap and they promised they wouldn’t drop the money unless they saw Georgia and she was stillalive.
While they were gone, Dakota thought about what Georgia had said, “The father would never forgive me if I lost this baby, too.” That was a strange statement. What did she mean, the father? Her father is what he had thought at first as he’d heard her confused speech. He sat up and turned on the video again. “Cody, come here.” He ran the video again and he pointed at the man’s hat. “Look at the hat, Brad’s hat looks like that. Her message about the father would be upset, she was talking about Brad. He’s got her and he lives in Fort Collins.” Dakota stood up.
All the brothers and Justin stood up. They grabbed their hats and coats and headed out the door. They didn’t tell the few remaining police where they were going. This was family business and they were going to get Georgia back.
“Enter his address in the truck’s GPS,” Dakota ordered. He took the keys and Cody entered the address he’d looked up online. The rest of them climbed into the back seat.” It was dark and they knew in their gut that Sharon and Brad would never let her go. She would be able to identify them. When they pulled down the ranch road, they had their lights turned off and coasted as close to the house as they could. Brad’s truck was there, but the car that Sharon drove was gone.
They quietly walked the remaining distance to the house. The door was locked and they were about to bust in when Roy opened the door and held his finger to his lips. He whispered, “She’s in there. I don’t want to see Brad hurt her. She treated me better than my mom has ever treated me.”
The five of them, resembling cowboys of the past, marched into the room. They didn’t wear guns but they were ready to give one Brad Smith the whipping that he deserved. Dakota saw Brad crawling on top of Georgia who was naked and tied to the bed post. She was crying.
“Get your fucking hands off my woman, you asshole.” Even though Dakota’s arm was still in a sling the threat of his voice made Brad jump off her.
“How’d you find us?” he asked as he moved in the direction of his rifle.
“You dumb ass, the first baby she lost was yours. If you’d treated her better and been there for her maybe right now you’d have a son. Now she’s going to have all my children.”
Brad whipped his head back around to look at Georgia. Her father was there already covering her up and untying her. When he looked back, Matt had gotten the rifle and was pointing it at him.
Matt said, “Another man tried to kill Cody’s wife Tammy and if I’d had a gun on him, I would have been the first one to shoot him. You can bet I will not miss my turn to kill your ass. Stay away from her.”
Dakota, Cody, and Cameron walked toward him. Dakota hauled back and hit Brad flat out with his fist smashing his nose. His nose looked like it had disintegrated into pieces as he dropped stone cold to the ground.
As he walked over him to get to Georgia, he kicked him in the balls. Cody and Cameron grabbed some rope and tied him up. Cody called the FBI and told them they had Georgia and to arrest Sharon at the drop.
Georgia looked into Dakota’s eyes, and he took his good arm and pulled her to him tightly to him. “I love you. I’m never letting you go again. I’ll never put myself at risk with the bulls again, I promise. I was going to tell you that Denver was my last ride, after the rodeo, but I just wasn’t counting on the bull winning on my last time out. I love you, Georgia, I love you.” He looked into her eyes and saw that her eyes shown with a warm glow that came from deep in her heart. He kissed her with promise and a sense of urgency.
“We’re taking you to the hospital as soon as the FBI and the police get here. Are you okay, Georgia?” his hand ran over her face and down her neck stopping as he saw the bruises at her neck left by large hands. He kissed her before he turned to go back to Brad to kill him. Cody grabbed him. “He’s out. He won’t feel your fists if you or I beat him. We need to take care of Georgia now; we need to get her to the hospital. Think of your child. If you kill him you won’t see your child grow up. They’ll punish him in prison and no woman is ever going to want him when they see he doesn’t have a nose anymore. Go to your woman. She doesn’t need the stress of this when she is pregnant.”
Reluctantly, Dakota let go of his anger slowly, let out a breath and turned back to Georgia. As much as he wanted to pick her up and carry her out of there, he knew his injured shoulder
would not allow him to do it. He looked at Justin. “Can you carry her for me? We need to make sure she is okay.”
Justin was still shaking but he easily picked up his daughter in his arms. Dakota took ahold of her hand. She looked up into Dakota’s face and saw his Bandages over his neck, his sling, and the dark bruises on his forehead. He knew his eyes were still swollen and he probably looked tired to her but he had never felt happier. “Are you going to be alright?” she asked softly as she ran her fingers over his forehead.
“Georgia I am better now that I got you. I never would have healed without you. I’m a little weak and beat up but now the pain is started to subside. Honey, there was never a question to me that I would choose you over the damn bulls. That decision was already made. And now you’re going to have my baby?”
She looked at Dakota and then at her father, and she smiled for the first time. “Yes. I’m having your baby and I’m not going to lose this baby. I’ll do anything the doctors tell me to do to keep our baby.”
“You bet you will, starting with this,” he pulled her hand out and put the engagement ring back on her hand.
“When I left you at the hospital I was on my way to find a mental institution. My mind was crashing and I was afraid I was going to slip away if I didn’t get some help.”
“The fact that you knew you needed help should reassure you that you were already on your way to recover. I’ll get you help and I’ll go with you as many times as you need me, too, until you can cope with all this stress. I will do everything in my power to keep in good health, and be careful in my job, but we will live our lives to the fullest and we will love having all the children you want. Are you ready to go to the hospital now?”
“Yes,” tears rolled down her face. Her dad kissed her cheek and Dakota kissed her lips before they headed toward the door just as the FBI came into the room.
“We are taking Georgia to the hospital; you can get a statement from us there. I will tell you now I hit Brad once, well twice if you count the kick to his balls, but he was about to rape my fiancé. Now if you’ll excuse us.”