by Kris Royce
Chapter 12
Tegan was up, showered, and dressed by seven o’clock the next morning. She had always been an early riser. She missed Ash so badly that it hurt.
Tina had taken her mind off Ash a little by taking her to the spa the day before to have everything polished, moisturized, and waxed again. Of course, she had taken her phone and texted Ash most of the day while she was being tended to. Ash texted her, and she kept them all so she could read them over and over. She kept getting these strange looks from everyone because she kept giggling like a schoolgirl, grinning and biting her lip at the texts he was sending her. Tina just rolled her eyes and shook her head, but the bitch couldn’t say anything because she was sitting right there next her doing the same shit with Marc.
That afternoon Brandie called telling her she was an instant success and she was sending over pictures and a link to the lingerie companies website so she could look herself. The company, Voluptuous Intimates, was more than pleased and wanted her to sign a contract to do more photos. They wanted her to be the face and body on their new ad campaign.
Tegan was in complete shock, but Tina was excited enough for both of them. Tegan wanted to tell Ash the news, but Tina talked her out of it.
For one Tina knew what a caveman Ash could be, and for another Tina knew Tegan needed this. She needed to know how beautiful she was and that she could make it on her own without her billionaire stalker boyfriend telling her that she couldn’t do it because he was a jealous ass. Tina wasn’t blind to the way Ash looked and acted around Tegan. She had never seen him like this with any other woman before.
Tegan had thought about spending the night at Ash’s to wait for him, but she didn’t want to appear clingy, so she grabbed few of her new clothes and came back to Tina’s. She itched to call Ash, but it was too early.
After taking a long shower and getting dressed in jeans she had put on a new pair of boots Ash had bought her. They were butter-soft black leather with a low heel, and she loved them.
She left Tina a note telling her she was running down to that little bakery a couple of blocks down and around the corner to grab some goodies for breakfast and then stopping at the little coffee shop and that she would be right back.
She had a craving for chocolate and knew she her period wasn’t too far off. She wondered if she should have mentioned to Ash that she was on the pill. He hadn’t used a condom any of the time they had been together, but she had no doubt he was clean. She had been taking the pill since she was sixteen to regulate her periods. She decided that if she had the chance, she would mention it. Just thinking about it made her blush.
She didn’t bother to take her purse. She just shoved some cash in her pocket and grabbed her light leather coat and her phone along with the keycard to let herself back in.
Tegan smiled at the doorman as she walked out. He was a really nice man who always made it a point to speak to her. She decided she would bring him back something good to snack on from the bakery.
Because it was so early the streets weren’t as busy, and the morning the air was cool and crisp. Thank God it was supposed to warm to the eighties today.
The few people she passed were surprised when she smiled and said good morning. It took them a second, but most spoke and returned her smile. She guessed that in a city this big, people just were not used to that. The people at the bakery were very nice, and the young man helping her flirted like crazy. She wasn’t used to that. She quickly paid for her things and told him to have a nice day as she walked out.
The strange feeling sweep over her the second the door closed behind her. She felt like she was being watched. Her phone rang in her pocket. A smile spread across her face when she saw it was Ash.
“Hey, cowboy.”
“Good morning, beautiful. I missed you.
“Oh, Ash, I missed you, too.”
“Are you ready to spend the day with me?”
“The question is, ‘Are you ready to spend the day with me?’”
“Without a doubt, kitten.”
“Mmm, these have got to be the best fruit tarts I have even eaten. If you were here I would share with you.”
“Oh yeah? Save me one. I will be there in a few minutes to get you, be ready.”
“You better hurry, or they may be gone. Marc can put away the food. Maybe I should go back and buy all they have.”
That second, Ash heard traffic in the background. Something in his gut tightened, and a sense of dread sweep over him.
“Tegan, where are you at?”
Ash was doing his best to keep the panic out of his voice. He was already running to his waiting car.
“Uh, I am just a couple of blocks down from Tina’s apartment. There is this wonderful little bakery…”
He heard her scream, and he yelled her name as he listened to her screaming. It ripped his heart out when she screamed for him. He felt as helpless as fuck, and there wasn’t a damned thing he could do. When the line went dead he told the driver to get him there as fast as possible. He called Tina and yelled at her to talk to Marc. He told Marc what had happened and where Tegan was at. When he hung up from Marc and called Max.
“Tell me you are there. Tell me you fucking have her,” he yelled at Max.
“No, boss. Shit. She must have slipped right past us. But we still have eyes on her stalker, and he is still there. Fuck.”
“A distraction. He was a fucking distraction. I want Marsh now. I want it done right fucking now,” Ash yelled.
“You got it, boss,” the voice on the other end told him.
Max knew just what Ash was talking about.
Chapter 13
Tegan was grinning as she talked to Ash and ate her tart. She was almost back to the corner when he asked her where she was. She frowned because there was something in his tone that bothered her. That very second a black van came down the street from behind her. She heard the screeching tires which made her turn and look. Tegan barely had time to jump out of the way as it came up on the sidewalk right beside her.
“What the fu—” she screamed when she almost tripped.
Another scream tore from her throat as the side door was thrown open and two men dressed in black grabbed her pulling her in the van.
“Ash, oh God, Ash. Aaaassshhh,” she screamed into her phone.
She dropped the phone and the bag as she fought them with everything she had, but they tossed her in the van on her stomach. They pinned her down, jerking her arms behind her back. One of them was holding the back of her neck so she couldn’t move her head. She yanked one of her arms free, threw an elbow, and then swung her fist with everything she had. She was stunned when her fist connected. She must have hit the guy holding her neck because the hand released her and she pushed up. The guy she had punched yelled. The next thing she knew, pain exploded on the side of her face before blackness claimed her.
* * * *
The next time Tegan became aware, she was tied to a bed in a darkened room with no windows, but there was a bathroom off to her right with a light on. At least she still had her clothes on. Her jaw hurt and she was scared, but otherwise, she was fine. She began to fight her restraints. No matter how hard she tried there was no way to get out.
Just then the door opened, and the bright light blinded her. The light hurt her eyes and made it hard to focus. She could make out a man and a woman arguing at the end of the bed.
She had never seen them before and didn’t know who they were. After a few seconds her eyes adjusted, and she could see a little better. The man was dark-headed, slim built, and greasy-looking. He was wearing a cheap gray suit that didn’t fit him well. The woman was young with dishwater-blonde hair cut in a bob. She was wearing a short denim skirt, an ugly orange sweater, and way too much makeup.
“You seriously want me to do that to her? What the fuck, Gene? You don’t pay me enough for this shit.” the woman was saying.
“Shut you’re fucking mouth, bitch, and do what you are told, or I will knock you
r teeth down your throat.”
“Fine, give me the fucking shit,” the woman said.
The man handed her something, and she came toward Tegan. The woman gazed at her with sympathy in her eyes before looking away. When Tegan saw the syringe in her hand she begged and pleaded, but the woman won’t even look at her. That’s when Tegan began to fight. Because her legs weren’t tied down she used them to kick and buck.
The man Gene called some more men in, and they held her down as the woman tied off her arm and then injected her with something. The strap was loosened, and they let her go and moved away. Whatever they gave her relaxed her whole body. There was a ringing in her ears. She was soon in a world of bliss, and everything was great. She was floating and felt wonderful.
“That’s right, beautiful. Feeling good now, huh?” someone said.
“She is fucking hot,” one of the other men said.
“We are to keep her like this until the boss says different,” another one said.
“Bitch is a fighter. She busted my fucking nose. I say we have a little fun with her now. With her doped up with that shit she will let us do whatever we want.”
“No, you dumb fuck. Marsh said he didn’t want her touched. If you want fucking paid, and you don’t want your ass kicked you will leave her the fuck alone. I will kill you if you don’t fucking listen to me. You will lucky if Marsh don’t kill you for hitting her,” Gene told whoever had been talking.
Tegan lost all sense of time. The drug kept her lethargic, and she slept a lot. Somewhere along the way they released her from the restraints but still kept her in the room, but at least she could move around now. The blonde woman stayed with her and helped her with the shower and going to the bathroom. She also brought her food and Tegan would eat a little, but she lived for the drug they gave her. The woman even brought her clean clothes, but she really didn’t notice or care. No one touched her except to give her the shot. Everything else was a blur for Tegan. With the drug in her system she couldn’t even remember her own name.
Her period came and went with the woman getting her what she needed and helping her. Tegan didn’t care about anything when she was on the drug.
All she knew was that she would hurt with pain unlike anything she had ever felt, and shakes would rack her body when they waited too long to give her the shot. She didn’t realize that it had been almost week since she had been taken, and as long as she was given her drug, she didn’t care.
She woke to find a man standing beside her bed, and the woman who was usually there was gone. Her mind was in a fog, but she still moved away from him. He jumped her, and she screamed and fought him, clawing his face. He cussed at her, and she felt him hitting her, but the pain didn’t register much. He ripped her clothes. Suddenly he was pulled away from her.
“You. Stupid. Motherfucker. I fucking warned you not to touch her.”
She heard someone yelling, and between each word she heard a fist connecting with skin. Then she heard a loud bang that left her ears ringing.
“Get his ass out of here. Trisha, see to her.”
“Fuck, boss. Did you have to kill him?”
“Shut the fuck up and get him out of here. Then clean up this mess,” Gene told his men.
The woman, Trisha, helped her to the bathroom and cleaned her up.
“Oh hell, honey. He messed you up good. The fuck. We got to get this bleeding to stop.”
“The shot,” Tegan asked in a hoarse voice.
“Yeah, honey, I will get you your shot. I will take care of you. Don’t you worry, okay?”
Trisha looked back, and then she went and shut the bathroom door.
“Listen, honey, I know who you are. Fuck, your face is all over the news and shit. I am gonna help you and get you outta here before this shit gets any worse. I know you don’t understand, but trust me, okay?” Trisha told as she washed the blood from Tegan’s face.
That was two days ago, but Tegan didn’t remember much. Right now Tegan was hurting, and she was yelling for them. Her pain wasn’t just from the beating she had taken from the man who had attacked her. The woman Trisha had left early this morning, and she had not come back to give her the shot.
In fact no one had even brought her food. She yelled, screamed, and begged for them to come to her, but no one did. Somewhere in the middle of her pain she remembered there was something, something important, that she was supposed to do, but it was a fleeting thought as she curled up in the corner and cried when the pain became too much.
She lost track of time as the pain ate at her insides. She never moved when the door was kicked in. She heard men speaking, but she didn’t bother to look. It hurt too much to move. She was trembling as someone wrapped her up in a blanket and picked her up.
Chapter 14
Ash was sitting in his dark apartment with a glass of Jack. He had not slept much or eaten hardly anything since Tegan was taken. The police had no leads, but Ash knew Marsh was somehow involved. If Marsh’s men had her, at least Marsh himself couldn’t touch her. Ever since Tegan had been taken Marsh had been in the hospital. He had been a victim of a brutal mugging that had broken both his legs and one arm thanks to Ash’s men.
Ash had called his godfather, who had sent his best men, and his grandfather had even sent some of his men to help find her. Ash had called in five of his youngest and brightest computer geniuses to work their magic. One of them had managed to hack into the cameras from the businesses in the surrounding area and found footage of the van.
One would think the police had found this shit but they hadn’t. Through the same method they were slowly tracking where the van had gone. Even now Ash had men covering the area and searching for anything and everything. His men had already searched every property that Marsh owned and even those he had an interest in.
Ash vowed to himself to find Tegan, and when he did he would never let her go. He should have put a tracking device planted on her instead of her phone.
He took a drink and shut his eyes. He could still hear her screaming, screaming his name. He could hear her struggling and cussing at the men who had taken her before her phone went dead.
Marc had found her phone on the sidewalk along with the bag from the bakery. The men who took her had been wearing all black so no one had got a description of them. There had been no tag on the van to track it. The fuckers had managed to fucking disappear without a trace.
Max had kept him from going to the hospital and beating the fuck of Marsh to get her location, but it hadn’t stopped him from going after her stalker. His men had picked him up and questioned him. He had known nothing. Ash had almost killed the man before his men pulled him off. They had dumped the stalker’s battered body outside a hospital. The man had lived. Ash had vowed that he would hunt down anyone who was involved no matter how long it took and end them.
When his phone rang he just stared at it. When she was taken, it was like they had taken something from inside of him, too. How could someone he had just met come to mean so much to him in such a short time? It didn’t matter how the fact was that she did. Tegan meant everything to him.
“What?” was all he said when he answered.
“Boss, we may have found her.”
Ash stood. He was almost afraid to hope as he listened to Max. They were at a property owned by Marsh in a roundabout way. He had managed to hide the fact by using another name. Ash’s hackers had tracked the van to this area. There were hundreds of buildings and warehouses, but they had been searching them one at a time. The hackers just uncovered the fact that this building belonged to Marsh.
Max told him they caught a woman coming out of the building just as they were going to go in. She told them that Tegan Ryann was being held there, but without her they would never find her. She wanted to make a deal, and she wanted protection. Max agreed to help her and she talked.
Max warned Ash it could be another tweaker spreading bullshit.
When Ash got off the phone he took a quick shower to clear h
is head and got dressed while waiting for Max to call him back. The wait was killing him. He paced back and forth rubbing the back of his neck. As soon as the phone rang he grabbed it.
“We found her.”
Ash’s knees gave out and he fell to the floor.
“Is she…”
“She’s alive, but, boss, I will warn you she’s in pretty bad shape. She needs medical attention, but we didn’t know what you wanted us to do.”
Ash got his shit together and told them where to take her. He wanted to keep this as quiet as possible so it did not turn into a media circus. He was on the move as soon as he hung up. He called a doctor he knew and trusted who would meet them at the hospital. Next he called the detectives working the case and told them she had been found and where. Then he called Tina and Marc. He told them Tegan had been found.
Tina had called earlier to tell him Tegan’s dad and mom had arrived finally after almost a fucking week. He told her that he was on his way to get them.
They reached the hospital at one in the morning, and Ash wanted to strangle Thomas Ryann by the time they got there. The man was a complete asshole, and Ash didn’t want him anywhere near Tegan. She didn’t need the shit he was spewing after everything else she had been through. How the prick could actually make it sound like any of this was Tegan’s fault was beyond him. Even Marc was glaring at the man.
Max and a few of his men met Ash inside the hospital and took him to the side. They explained the condition they had found Tegan in. She had been out of it, and they had kept her on drugs. They had locked her in the room and had stopped giving her the drugs. Someone had beaten her pretty fucking bad. She had clawed the door, trying to get out, until her fingers had bled.