by J. L. Mac
“FUCK YOU!” I screamed at the savage man. The muscular man muttered something under his breath and ripped another piece of utility tape from the roll and stuck it across my mouth.
“You try to take this off, I will make sure your death drags out for days. Now shut up,” He warned.
“Let’s go. You drive the bitch in that Caddy. We gotta torch it,” the bat wielding asshole declared, and I was once again slumped into the muscular man’s arms and shoved into the back of Ben’s SUV. The jerk with the Louisville slugger drove another vehicle ahead of us, and within twenty minutes, we were parked in a small opening in a field that was flanked heavily with trees. We were thoroughly hidden as far as I could see, and there was a pre-dug grave in front of the SUV lit up by the headlights that pierced the darkness. I managed to piece together that I had been with the men for a day and a half.
Must be Friday night.
I thought to myself. Both men stepped out of their vehicles and stood together talking in front of the cars and my makeshift grave. Impulse and adrenaline possessed me, and I saw my opportunity bright shining in front of me like a miracle from heavens. My eyes peered over the front seat and confirmed what I suspected.
Keys! He left the keye lnt ses.
My muscular chauffeur left the keys in the ignition and since I was no longer bound to a chair I decided to go for it. I ripped the tape from my mouth and leaped over the seats despite the pain in my leg, head, and face. I slid easily into the leather seat, leaned forward and turned the key with both hands. The engine roared to life, and I threw the shifter into reverse. The men noticed the movement through the windshield and immediately began scrambling to the doors. Thankfully the auto lock feature on Ben’s SUV engaged as I put the vehicle in gear. The doors were locked, and the men couldn’t open them. As I sped backward, the men pulled guns out and began shooting. I ducked behind the wheel, and for once, thanked God for my generally short stature. I was able to sink low enough in the seat to avoid the bullets that zipped through my escape vessel. I cut the wheel hard and searched for a way out of the field. I put the car in drive and tore out of there, flinging dirt and grass everywhere behind me. I looked for the men in my mirror, and sure enough, they were chasing me in the other vehicle.
Shit! Shit! Find help. Go to people. Find some people.
My eyes scanned my surroundings, and I recognized nothing in the dark. I drove with renewed determination, and the adrenaline pumping through me made my injuries nonexistent for the moment. The men gained on me quickly and rammed into the back of the SUV. I fought against the steering wheel with my bound wrists, to maintain control. The men kept shooting at me. Bullets rained down on Ben’s gorgeous Cadillac. The men kept at their efforts of setting me into a tail spin by ramming and nudging the Cadillac repeatedly. Each time I fought to keep control and prayed more fervently for a store, a gas station, a diner, anything.
“People. Please, let there be people,” I chanted to myself. I saw an illuminated marquee in the distance and kept my eyes directed at what I hoped would be my salvation.
“People. Please. People.” I rounded a corner entirely too fast and nearly crashed. I regained control and tore down the quiet street that I had turned onto. I knew I had to be somewhere outside of Dallas. We had only driven for about twenty minutes when we left the abandoned industrial district. I reminded
myself that I would come up on the city if I could just hold on a bit longer. I saw an intersection near the illuminated sign that towered high enough for drivers to see from far off. I pressed down harder on the gas and barreled into the parking lot like a maniac. Much to my relief, I saw big rig trucks parked neatly one beside the other next to what was clearly a truck stop-diner. I saw a state trooper’s car parked right in front of the diner doors, and without further hesitation, I squeezed my eyes closed, braced myself and floored it. I crashed into the rear, quarter of the State Trooper’s car. The trooper’s vehicle skid sideways and took out a handicapped parking sign in the process. I wanted to cause a scene, and, well, I made one. Troopers and truckers alike poured out of the diner. I swung the door open with my bound hands, and stumbled out of the Cadillac deliriously on my broken leg. My eyes instinctively turned to locate my captors. They were gone.
Gone.
<"19"> It was the last thought that tumbled through my tormented brain before everything went silent and dark.
Chapter 24
Staking a claim
“As I told you last night, she has what is a called a simple fracture, which basically means it was a clean break. Her leg will heal in about six to eight weeks.”
Who was that?
“As for the contusions to her face, we have cleaned them and treated them with topical antibiotic ointment. She has a hair line fracture in her sinus cavity, but there is nothing we need to do to treat it. It will heal naturally in a few weeks. The bruising will fade in about the same time. The thing we need to watch closely is the bleeding in her brain. Thus far there has been minimal swelling. It has not increased, but it hasn’t decreased either. She may wake up soon. So you may want to stay close.”
“I’m not going anywhere. Thank you, Dr. Graham.”
Ben! My Ben!
A phone rang causing me to cringe.
“Yeah?” Ben’s voice was impatient; strained. “No. She isn’t awake yet, but I just spoke with the doc and he says she may wake up, soon. How’s Cheyenne?”
Chey! Oh, God, Chey! Did they get Chey?
My brain jarred and awakened a bit from slumber as fear for my best friend’s safety ignited my awareness. “Ben.” I found my voice, but it sounded foreign to my own ears. I sounded like someone else entirely.
“Gotta go,” snapped into his phone. I pried my heavy eyes open only a fraction.
“Oh, Jesus, baby,” he breathed out. A sliver of light burned my weary eyes, and they reflexively watered.
“s’ bright,” I whispered and sealed my eyes closed again.
“Hold on a sec.” Ben closed the drapes, turned off the overhead lights, and left on the small nightlight above my bed. I could tell through my eyelids that the room darkened, and I reopened my eyes. Ben came back to my bed and sat beside me on the edge. His strong warm hands swept my hands into his and squeezed.
“Ben,” I croaked. Tears began spilling out of my sensitive eyes.
“Don’t cry baby. God, I’m so relieved to hear your voice.” He shook his head then raised one of my hands to his lips to place a soft kiss first on the back of my hand then on my bruised and raw wrist.
“I-I’m sorry,” I sputtered out and began sobbing. Ben carefully scooped my battered body into his strong arms and held me close to his chest and comforted me.
“Shhh. Shhh. Don’t cry. You’re okay. We’re okay. I’m here,” He said softly against my ear. His chocolate brown hair brushed against my cheek, and the scent of his skin filled my nose. Even in his presence, I longed for him as if he were not there with me. It was not enough to be in his arms. It could never be enough. I knew I would never get my fill of Benjamin Chase. I loved him. The stubble of his day old beard grazed over my face as he brought his lips down on mine. His lips were soft and drew mine in to the kiss as it deepened. We drank each other in for a long moment then he released me but remained lightly cupping my face.
“I was so scared that I’d never see you again. They…they were going to kill me. The grave-” Ben laid me back into the bed and stroked my hair from my forehead. His deep blue green eyes grew stormy.
“I know, baby. You don’t need to worry about them anymore. You’re safe. You’re things have been moved to my place. You live with me now and don’t you dare try to fight me on…” He held up his hand in preparation to argue with me about living with him. I cut him off before he could finish speaking.
“Thank you,” I said quietly. Ben stopped and stared at me. His stormy eyes cleared and softened.
“I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“I know,” I conceded.
“You don’t have to do it until you feel you can, but at some point you need to tell me everything from the beginning.” He spoke sternly and stood from my bed to pace the room. “I can hardly believe you put yourself into this situation. It was a monumentally careless and dangerous thing to do.” I sighed knowing all too well that he was right.
“I know,” I conceded to him again. Despite my aching body, I began telling Ben the entire story from beginning to end. He made no comments or interjections. He only listened attentively and nodded his head on occasion. He listened to my story objectively until I began telling him what happened to me in the warehouse. I held nothing back. I recounted everything including what I was thinking and feeling. The only thing I skipped was the many times I thought about how much I loved him. When I retold the parts with the baseball bat, the crippling blows to the face, and the rest of the physical assault Ben’s jaw clenched and the muscle there, ticked.
“When can I go home?” His expressӀ here, ion relaxed at my reference to ‘home’, and he leaned in to kiss me again.
“I’ll take you home as soon as the doctors discharge you.” I rolled out my bottom lip and pretended to pout like a willful, petulant child.
“Sorry, that won’t convince me to break my severely injured girlfriend out of the hospital before she is deemed fit for release.”
Girlfriend? He just staked his claim.
I beamed inwardly knowing that I wanted nothing more than for Ben to stake his claim on me as his girlfriend.
“Girlfriend?”
“Yes, that’s right. Girlfriend,” he said flatly then smiled a heart stopping boyish smile. I did my best to mirror his sweet smile even though I knew my face was anything but sweet at the moment. I moved on to the next person that was dominating my thoughts.
“I want to see Cheyenne,” I declared while Ben poured water into a plastic cup and placed it carefully in my hand.
“I already texted her and Tuck. He’s bringing her now.”
“Thank you.”
A half an hour or so later Cheyenne stormed into my room like her perky ass was on fire. The moment she saw me somewhat sitting up in my bed with my eyes open, she burst into tears, and a string of inaudible words tumbled from her trembling mouth. I cried too. She threw herself at me, and I was sure I was doing more comforting her than she was me. I scared my best friend. She shook as I hugged her to me and waited for her sobbing to subside.
“I’m sorry Chey.” She hiccupped and battled to compose herself. I braced myself for the lecture I was about to get. Tucker and Ben stood across the room and watched in silence as Cheyenne chastised me, cried, and chastised more. I only apologized repeatedly and nodded my head in agreement with my best friend’s tirade. I couldn’t imagine what I put her through, nor did I ever want to know for myself but at the same time, she had no idea what I endured and I was beginning to lose patience.
“I’ll never forgive you for making me think the worst. You acted so selfish, Kat!”
“Yeah, I did Chey. I was way fucking selfish for getting drugged, kidnapped, beaten, got my leg snapped in two when one of them swung for the fences and then personally saw my would-be grave...” Ben stepped forward.
“That’s enough. Both of you stop. Now isn’t the time.”
“I saidan"h of I was sorry,” I muttered. Cheyenne nodded but I could see that she didn’t let go of her anger.
Better buy some cheesecake and wine, I mused. “Oh one more thing before we leave. Your mom and dad are on their way here, so heads up.”
“Thank you.” She hugged me again, but I knew our discussion was far from over. Tucker wrapped his arms around her as he always did and guided her out of my room. The reunion with my parents went as I expected. I was a child again. My mom was her usual dramatic self. My father was his typical quiet and foreboding self. I begged my dad to drag my mom back home as soon as I was settled in at Ben’s house. Lord knows I was glad to see my mom, but I couldn’t survive her dramatics over every move I made.
Ben was already hovering over me and seeing to everything I could need or want. Thankfully, my dad agreed that I needed my space to heal and forget the whole experience.
The next day was Saturday, July 6th, 2013, day 45 since I began working at the firm. I was still in the hospital and feeling the full brunt of my injuries. I ached all over. My head was in a constant state of pain even though the doctors had been generous with the pain medications. As Ben promised, he never left me. Not even once, and I loved him even more for staying with me. I knew I was safe but still felt out of sorts and generally just edgy.
“When did you know something was wrong?” I asked.
“When you never showed at the airport. I called Trev, and he said no one had seen you, and I just knew something wasn’t right. I saw your earring laying in the driveway and it was like the world was ripped from beneath my feet.” He shook his head and there was no denying how haunted he looked while recounting the morning of my abduction. He sat beside me on my hospital bed and pure torment marred his handsome features. “I thought I lost you. I don’t-I mean I can’t…” His chin dimpled and quivered as he fought against his emotions.
My thumb brushed circles over the backside of one of his hands. I leaned towards him and brushed my knuckles against his jaw. “I am so sorry, baby. I would never want to hurt you.”
He swept my weak body into his and buried his face in my neck. “Never leave me again. You’ll destroy me if you do. Without you I’m a ghost of a man, Kathleen.”
He took a taxi from the airport and Trevor, Tucker, and Cheyenne were waiting for him at his home when he arrived. Ben was the one who found my hoop earring abandoned in the drive, alerting him that something had gone awry. Tucker and Cheyenne began combing the city. Trevor and Ben went to the office to see what they could find in my office. While Ben turned my office upside down he found the bouquet of roses with the threatening message in the card. He dumped every file I had and also discovered my falsely labeled file with all of the copies I had made of the photos and information about John Murray and incidentally, Janis too. That’s woo.y filhen Ben knew what I had done. They called the police who explained that a missing persons report could not yet be filed since forty-eight hours had not elapsed since I was last seen. Ben, being Ben, my take charge, bossy man called the press.
He pulled some strings and managed to get every news crew he could round up to come do a story on my mysterious disappearance. The story about the disappearance of the girlfriend of Dallas’ most eligible bachelor aired that evening on the six o’clock news, and Mrs. Kemp had watched in shock as my photo appeared on the television screen. She called the number for the tip line that Ben had established. The first person she spoke to connected her to Ben directly once she claimed to know who had me. She had relayed to him all the information she had and he began hunting for me with an even more narrowed list of suspects. Ben returned to the office after speaking with Mrs. Kemp personally and kept piecing together the mystery of my disappearance. Ben had kept both his and Trevor’s secretaries late to assist in the search and was lucky enough to catch Janis talking on the phone with one bat wielding, overweight kidnapper. She had been tipping them off about Ben stirring the pot and getting close to finding out who had taken me and where I was. Ben startled her once she saw him and she flew out of the building like a bat out of hell.
I remembered the call that the man had received on his phone. I assumed it had been Murray but apparently it had been Janis. The men left me for the rest of the night, and I assume they had gone to dig my grave ahead of time so that dumping me would be that much quicker; therefore making them less likely to get caught. I stopped Ben during his recap of what happened.
“You know what happened to Janis right?” He nodded.
“Yes. I saw everything you had in that file.”
“Yes, but you understand that she is fixated on you right? You look like her dead husband that’s why she hated me so mu
ch. She was jealous.”
“She’s gone now, but she should be tracked down.”
“Ya think?” I shouted. “The crazy bitch turned me over to Murray’s guys on a silver platter all because I’m with the man she is obsessed with!”
Ouch!
I held my head in my hands since my shouting did me no favors in the pain department. Ben dismissed my outburst and held close to him, and it was hard to tell who was comforting who.
By the time Ben had convinced the police that there was foul play involved and that Murray’s properties needed to be searched, I was in that warehouse getting my leg broken. Ben explained that the red tape he had to cut through consumed valuable time and he was close to finding Murray himself and holding a gun to his head until he made the call that would secure my release. When I escaped and crashed into the State Trooper’s cruiser, I collapsed and was unconscious until I heard Benil o his head talking to Dr. Graham about my injuries. As I lay in the hospital, the police were working on locating John Murray and his hired help who had allegedly fled the state in a hurry. The police were also looking into Janis’ involvement. She too was in the wind. It disappointed me that John Murray had thus far managed to evade the police but Ben assured me that he was going to be caught. I wanted to believe him. I spent five days in the hospital and was more than ready to get to my new home, Ben’s home.