A Forever Masterpiece (The Masterpiece Trilogy Book 3)

by Nikki Lynn Barrett

  "Come on, Bec. Answer your phone." Hunter tried again. Maybe her battery died.

  Hunter noticed right away that the far side of the hospital property had no lights. It looked like it only affected parking garages, but it was eerie to see such darkness. In fact, all past that was dark as well- almost a few miles of darkness stretched across at least a few blocks. Half a mile, tops. He wondered if it had to do with the explosion. He still didn't know what happened. Right now, he needed to find Becca. Almost an hour passed since he last spoke to her. As Hunter parked, his phone rang. Becca's number registered. "Bec! There you are!"

  "Hunter ... stuck ... darkness ... elevator ..." Her voice broke up numerous times.

  "Bec? Hello? Did you say you're stuck in an elevator?" He stared off in the direction of the darkened parking buildings.

  "Parking ... explosion ... can't hear ..."

  Then the call dropped. He had enough to go on. Was she stuck in one of the elevators in the dark garage? Hunter ran inside the hospital, heading towards the front desk. "You guys have some power outages in the parking garages to the left here. I'm not sure, but I think my fiancée might be stuck in one of them. She just called me, but the reception was horrible."

  The woman behind the desk nodded, alarm flashing across her face, but she remained calm. "Some of the older parking garages have lost power, we think because of the explosion nearby. We haven't received anything from the emergency call buttons, but I'll have someone check the elevators out now."

  "Thank you. I'm not sure which one she's in." Hunter waited rather impatiently for someone to come by or give him some news.

  He decided not to wait around after five minutes. Hunter darted off, at the protests of the woman behind the desk. "I'm going to find her!" he called back.

  Halfway to the closest dark parking garage, some people caught up with him. "You need to be careful, sir," someone warned.

  "I understand that, but my fiancée is trapped in an elevator. It's cold, it's dark, and when she's traumatized, she loses the ability to talk. I don't know if she's alone. I just need to find her and know she's okay." Adrenaline pumped through him as they checked elevators on several parking garages. They called out a hello. Hunter called Becca's name and banged on each door that led to elevators. Nothing so far. Twenty five minutes later, they reached the last parking garage furthest away from the hospital. Darkness surrounded them, the only lights being from flashlights and Hunter's phone.

  She had to be here somewhere.

  They checked the first floor first, then the basement. Hunter spotted Becca's car immediately. "It's this one! She has to be here. There's her car."

  Stairs and an elevator entry were nearby. Hunter ran to it and banged on the door. "Bec? Can you hear me? Are you in there?" His heart raced, silently begging for an answer.

  "Don't try to force the door open yet!" one of the men yelled.

  "Hunter! I'm here!" Becca's voice sounded distant. At least she could still talk. "We're stuck between floors I think. The last floor we stopped at was two, but I'm not sure where we're at."

  "Someone's in there with you?" Relief slammed him, but he still wanted to hold her in his arms as soon as possible. He blew out a breath.

  "Yes!"

  "Let's move. I don't know if there's anyone from an emergency response team to spare since they're all working that fire nearby," one of the men said. Flashlight beams faded as they ran up the stairs, Hunter not far behind.

  "Bec, keep talking to me. We're trying to figure out which floors you're stuck between." He called out to her as they reached the second floor.

  "I-I hear you much clearer." And the same went for her. He could hear her much better.

  "Bang on the door from the inside, ma'am," one of the guys instructed.

  "Okay." A series of bangs followed.

  "She's stuck between one and two," Hunter noted.

  "Yep, I hear it. Ma'am? We're going to work on getting the doors open and you out. How many people are in there with you?"

  "There's two of us in here!" Becca called back.

  "Is anyone hurt?"

  "No. We're okay." The male voice made Hunter's insides squirm. He knew that voice.

  "We need to get her out of there now," he insisted. "I don't trust the person in there with her." Damn it, he should have kept the thought to himself.

  "What do you mean?" one of the guys asked.

  "Long story. Please. Get my fiancée out." His tone came out harsh.

  "Ma'am? Are you hurt? Is the man in there with you making any kind of threats?"

  Great. Way to go. Hunter should have shut up. Now if Jesse did have any plans to hurt her, he had his chance to do so right now.

  "I swear I'm not here to do anything to her!" Jesse called out. "Just get us out. Hunter, I'll explain everything. Just know Becca's safe. I would never harm her. I know you won't believe me, but you have my word."

  "I need to hear it from Becca!" Hunter called back.

  "I'm okay, I promise. It's cold and I fell earlier, so my knee is throbbing, but other than that, I'm fine. I just want out of here," she pleaded.

  "We'll get you out, angel." Hunter's mind raced. Jesse, in there with Becca. The faster these doors were open, the better off they'd be. Well, tonight he didn't plan on taking Jed's advice. He wanted answers, and he would find a way to make Jesse talk.

  "You need to stand back, sir. We're going to get to work. This could turn out to be a serious situation if the elevator car decides to shift or fall," one of the men advised Hunter. A light flashed in his face.

  "I understand. Please hurry." He took a few steps back and swallowed his fear as the men worked on getting the door open. He paced, ran a hand through his hair, and muttered under his breath. Scenarios he didn't like played in his mind.

  The time it took to even pry the door open was agonizing. Hunter wanted to push past everyone and reach for Becca right away, but he had to wait. Once the doors were safely propped open, they had to get them out. The bottom of the elevator shaft was less than halfway between floors. They didn't have a lot of space to get out easily. It might have been better to get them out from the floor above them, but they weren't going to spend any more time going up there when they had these doors open.

  "Please, let Becca come down first," Hunter begged, moving closer.

  "Ma'am? You're going to have to lie on the floor belly first and let your legs dangle over. We won't let you fall," one of the men said calmly.

  "O-okay." Becca's shaky voice came out softly.

  In the dim light, Hunter watched as she slowly dropped her legs. It was one hell of a creepy thought to see the open area beneath the elevator floor. He held his breath several times, fighting the urge to run past these men and get Becca down himself, but he knew staying back would be for the best.

  "It's shaking." Becca's legs dangled over.

  "It's okay. Just keep coming down. We won't let you fall," one of the men told her gently.

  "I'm holding your hands from up here. I'll help you lower yourself out," Jesse announced.

  "I'm right here, angel," Hunter called to her for assurance.

  The staff caught her and set her on the ground. Hunter rushed over and gathered Becca in his arms. "You're safe now," he whispered, pressing gentle kisses in her hair. It took less than forty five minutes to get the doors open and Becca out, but to Hunter it felt like an eternity.

  "Here's your purse, ma'am. Are you hurt anywhere?" One of the men handed the bag to her.

  "My knee, but it's not from the elevator stopping suddenly. I tripped earlier. I'm fine otherwise." Becca pulled away slightly, reaching for her purse. She wore a jacket Hunter didn't recognize as hers.

  "Let's get the other one out," one of the men said. "Do the same thing. Lower yourself out slowly."

  "How the hell did Jesse end up in the elevator with you?" Hunter whispered, moving Becca away. "He didn't hurt you, did he?"

  "I don't know. He said he had an appointment. Hunter, he said-"


  "We got him! Everyone's out!" The shouts cut into their conversation.

  Hunter and Becca thanked the men. As they closed the doors to avoid anyone else going in or out, they moved on after being assured everyone was okay and that they could get to their vehicles. Hunter then approached Jesse, desperate for answers. "What the hell is the meaning of this? Who are you?" he roared. "Why are you following us?"

  "I can explain everything! I already started to with Becca." Jesse flinched, as if expecting Hunter to hit him. Tempting, damn tempting, but since Becca was unharmed, he held back. "We might want to go somewhere other than this pitch black garage."

  "What, so you can run off again? I don't think so." Hunter held Becca close to him. Hell no. He wanted to find out something now.

  "There's a damn good possibility that Becca's my sister, okay?" Jesse shot back angrily. "Happy now? It's a long story, and I really don't think freezing my ass off out here is going to get you what you want to know."

  Chapter Nineteen

  Hunter didn't take the news very well. He was pretty angry at the deception and the secrecy, and he began to fire question after question at Jesse about the PTSD meetings, the incident in Vermont, and a few other things.

  "I'll give you my phone number. I'm not going to run. Hell, I'll get in the car with one of you two, and you can bring me back, if you want to. Let's go find somewhere quiet and warm to talk, and I'll tell you whatever you want to know. Okay?" Jesse flashed his phone light at them.

  Hunter grumbled, but took out his own phone and waited for Jesse to recite his number.

  "Just name somewhere close by. I'm not too familiar with the city yet."

  When Hunter suggested a place and gave him directions, Jesse nodded. "I'm there."

  Becca removed his jacket and tried to give it back to him. They'd be in the warm car soon.

  "Keep it until we get there," he insisted softly.

  She shrugged and slid it back on, relieved for the constant warmth.

  Fifteen minutes later, Hunter and Becca made it to the destination they'd given Jesse. They parked next to each other and waited. Becca spotted him in a truck pulling in. She wondered about the longer version of this story. Whether it was true or not, they'd find out eventually.

  "Are you ready for this?" Hunter asked quietly. "Your brother. I never even imagined that's who he could be. Whatever his story is, I'm not believing a damn thing until we have concrete proof. Why would he follow us for months and not say anything? It could be a ploy."

  Becca shivered and pulled the jacket tighter around her. "You aren't telling me anything I don't already know. I'm still in shock, so I haven't even processed this yet. It's bad enough I was stuck in an elevator with him. I- I thought this would be the end. What a weird night."

  "Yeah, when I heard his voice..." Hunter wrapped her up in his arms. "Scared the hell out of me. I'm glad this time that I acted on my impulse. I thought I was overreacting."

  Jesse walked up to them. "See? I'm here." He gestured to the building.

  "Good. Let's go inside, and you start from the beginning," Hunter snapped, taking Becca's hand.

  Drinks and dinner were ordered first. Jesse sat across from Hunter and Becca, very restless. He kept staring in awe at Becca. Finally, he pulled a small photo album from his wallet and slid it across the table. "I don't even know where to start. I didn't think I'd ever see you again." Before Becca took the pictures from him, their eyes met. Jesse's were tormented, much like the day she first saw him outside her apartment door. If this turns out to be true, no wonder he looked at me with such intensity. "There's baby photos of you in there. Some are with our mom, and a few with me."

  Becca tentatively opened up the plastic photo holder and gasped at the first picture. If she didn't know any better, she'd think she was staring at her own reflection. "That's her? Our- your mom?"

  "Yeah. As you can see, you resemble her so much."

  Hunter leaned over. "I can't deny the resemblance." His voice came out hoarse. "Why did you bring her to my parents? What happened?"

  Jesse glanced around the room, then leaned over the table. "My- our ... Dad happened," He whispered.

  Becca glanced up from the pictures to listen. Her heart pitter-pattered in a strange rhythm. The time had come to finally understand.

  He blew out a breath before continuing. "Things were decent until ... Well, let me tell you about him first. Dad was an outstanding police officer. His actions were questioned during what was supposed to be a routine stop, and he was put on paid suspension. We learned of his real ways after that. Everyone thought he was a damn good cop, but he was a dirty one. Apparently there was a group of them, and no one knew they were doing anything wrong. The person he'd pulled over was one of his own. Because he didn't follow the correct protocol, they found out about his abuse of power. It got ugly after that. Mom had just found out about being pregnant with you. Dad's behavior at home changed. He was angry, drunk, and abusive. It's like he became a completely different person. I guess it's because he always was. I don't know." Jesse quieted down when drinks were brought to the table. He grabbed his and drained half of it before continuing. "Our once stable home life changed drastically. Yelling, fighting, secrets. I protected Mom from him more than once when he went after her while carrying you. He made it clear he didn't want another child in the house. His behavior worsened, as did Mom's depression. Then, just before you were born, when I thought things couldn't get worse, they did." Jesse covered his mouth. Eyelids at half mast, he shuddered.

  Becca covered her mouth with her hands, staring wide-eyed at Jesse. Did she really want to hear any more? Hunter continued to sit quietly, but Becca could tell he was upset and stunned.

  Jesse lowered his head, then raised it again. "He hurt Mom. Almost ... he left her for dead. I called the police after he ran, and they arrested him. He apparently made friends with some cops who were still on his side, and they didn't believe a word I said. I would have figured since they knew about his power abuse, they'd do something about how he acted at home. Mom told her side of the story, but because of her depression, they said she made it up. It was my word against the other cops who altered the truth. You were born that night. After Mom got out of the hospital, she left Dad. Took all four of us. My father never knew you were born. Mom let him think you..." Once again, he looked away.

  That she never made it. Oh, God! "Four?" She had more siblings? If this was all true, that is. Jesse sure had a hard time talking about this, and with the ragged emotions he showed while struggling with this story, Becca guessed he was legit, or a very good actor.

  Jesse nodded. "Yes. You were the youngest. I'm the oldest, and there's a sister and brother in between. We don't talk much, if at all. I don't think either of them remember you, since you were less than two months old when I approached Hunter's parents."

  "Okay, so your mom left. Why did you bring Becca to my dad? How did you know my parents?" Hunter finally broke his silence. "Not saying I'm buying into this yet."

  "I'm getting to that." Jesse drank a little more, looking around. "Dad claimed he was trying to get clean, sober, and attempt a good life again. Mom stayed away, but he'd come by late at night, yelling and threatening. I struggled in school because of my fear of leaving the house and taking care of everyone. Your mom was my guidance counselor." Jesse pointed at Hunter.

  "A school counselor. That's right," Hunter whispered. "I always recalled it was something at a school."

  "She was a good woman. So patient. I wouldn't talk to her at first, but started to after a while. She didn't know everything. I took care of Becca. I woke up with her at night when Mom's depression and fear worsened. If Dad showed up at night, I would run to the furthest room with Becca and hide in the closet, hoping she'd stay quiet so the old bastard wouldn't find out about her. I took care of everyone. I had to make sure the kids were dressed and ready for school. I fed the baby, changed her, and many times I stayed home or skipped school because Mom couldn't get it
together. Your mom said I could go to her husband, your father, and talk to him if I needed to. They'd help. I think she had a feeling something was off, but there wasn't much she could do. I was afraid to tell her- I thought they'd break apart my family, and I'd hoped if Dad left us alone after a while, we'd all be okay again." Jesse clasped and unclasped his hands.

  "She knew of Dad and the situation, because she used to gently convince me to talk about him. I think by then the whole town was afraid to approach the family. One night, Mom woke me up crying and told me she needed me to do something for her. I was nine. She told me I had to get the baby somewhere safe, and that the rest of us had to go, too. I had a feeling it had to do with our father, but I wasn't a hundred percent sure." Jesse sucked in a breath. "I have a letter she wrote to you. I don't think she ever believed she'd see you again, but it was her way of trying to keep a piece of sanity. It hurt her to do this."

  "Why Becca and not everyone else?" Hunter asked.

  "Mom didn't want us all in one place. Becca had to go first, because no one but us knew she was alive. She wanted to get us as far away from our father and his crimes as possible, so she thought the safest thing to do was split us up. It didn't quite work out that way. We were split up, but not by Mom's doing. Becca was the only one who got away safely. Aside from your parents, no one else knew we had a baby sister." Jesse gripped the side of the table, his skin white as a ghost.

  Becca choked back a cry. So not only was she a replacement for a dead child, she'd become an unwanted secret. No, she couldn't go there. Her mother wanted her to be safe, as did her brother. She'd been wanted. Acid swirled in her gut. She covered her mouth with her hand, holding back the bile.

  "What the hell was she so afraid of?" Hunter pulled Becca closer to him, giving her comfort.

  "My father crossed someone. Their revenge? A threat to his family. And the man meant them, too. My father actually took part in one of those acts. I didn't learn about a lot of that until after he was arrested, years later. Not only a corrupted cop, but a murderer. Maybe that came after the suspension and everything else, I don't know for sure. Don't want to know, either."