“In here,” he snipped and gestured the hand with the gun toward an unlit hallway. Another bout of fear hit, more of my nerves frayed, and I felt the blood pound even harder in my ears. I did not want to be alone with him. Maybe that was the reason for my lack of fear while Paul was around. Maybe there was safety in numbers, and I had subconsciously believed Trent wouldn’t hit me with someone else watching. He never had in the past, so there was no reason to think that would have changed. It was a ridiculous reason at best, being that they were working alongside one another, but I needed to throw some kind of positive thought in. I could not allow myself to spiral out of control. Whatever Trent had in store, I needed to try to protect Faith.
BLAZING DOWN I-16, I rotated between blasting the radio, needing something to drown out the heavy negative thoughts, and turning the thing off completely. In the quiet, I could hang on to Blue and the memories of us together.
What was I thinking? How the fuck could I have walked away from her—not fight harder—especially when she was so vulnerable? When we knew someone was out there, possibly out there to get her, and now, the motherfucker had her.
“FFUUUCK!” I roared, slamming my palms against the steering wheel and staring at nothing but black asphalt as I tried to calm down. When music and silence failed, I prayed. “God, please, if you can hear me, I’m sorry, Lord.” I asked for forgiveness, and I pleaded with our higher power to please watch over her and keep her safe. I prayed for Him to please bring her back to me. Even if she refused to take me back. I just wanted her returned safely.
I kept in contact with Pete as I drove home. He had called in reinforcements and everything was in place. Apparently, because a child was involved, the FBI was on the hunt too. With all the officers out patrolling, it was surprising I wasn’t stopped for a traffic violation, especially as I went guns blazing into the sheriff’s station and just missed taking out Deputy Dickface.
Ready for a standoff, he reached for his gun before he noticed it was me. Motherfucker. I truly hated this guy with a fucking passion. Not wasting another minute, I jumped down from my truck and blew past him, not giving a shit if he was in my way or not.
Just as I passed, I swear I heard him mumble “loser”. Stopping dead in my tracks, I spun around, inches from grabbing the neck of his uniform and twisting it to choke him.
“STOP!” A low menacing voice ordered. I didn’t even have to look to know Pete stood a few feet away from us and would have my ass if I laid a fingertip to this prick.
Pete stalked closer to where we stood, and in a low, deep voice meant only for our ears, he snarled his warning. “Deputy, if you want to keep your job, I suggest you get the fuck out of here. NOW.” He paused until Aimes made a show of understanding. “And, Cy. Cool. The. Fuck. Down. Brother. We are doing everything we can. We are going to find her, and you landing behind bars for assault won’t help the situation.”
I hung my head. There was no need to stress my brother-in-law out any more than he already was.
“Let’s get inside,” Pete said, taking my arm and leading me away.
I took a seat in Pete’s office, and he came in after me and took the seat behind his desk. There was conflict in his eyes as he steepled his hands and let out an exasperated huff. I was definitely making this worse for him.
“If you ever pull something like that again, you can bet I will lock your ass up until you calm yourself the fuck down, we clear?”
I nodded once and smiled even though there was nothing pleasant about his question. “Crystal.”
“Good. Now, to the important matter at hand.”
“How does it look? Any leads?”
“Actually, hopeful.”
My heart thudded at the promising tone of his voice.
Exhaling a deep breath, I buried my head in my hands. “You gotta find her, Pete. Just find her, please.” I coughed, trying to hide the fact that a few tears fell, and I was choking up. I hated an audience.
“Hey, it’s gonna be okay. Trust me.”
I looked up, wondering how he could be so sure. Pete knew what he was talking about. He wouldn’t give up until he found her. So I gave him a trusting nod, and stood. I would leave the job to the professionals and stay out of Pete’s way. But the only way I would be able to do that would be to go somewhere I could be close to her. He knew to call if he needed me or heard anything.
THE LOCK ON the door clicked, and my breath caught. The second I saw his glazed-over eyes, I knew I was in worse trouble than I first thought.
“What, baby? You thought this was going to be a warm welcoming home party?” Trent locked the door and then swiped the side of his hand under his nose, inhaling a runny nose sound. “You know you never should’ve run from me, Nats. Your running gutted me, just like that special Valentine’s delivery that was left on your porch step.” He chuckled. “Best hundred bucks I have ever spent bribing those two fucking morons, but you’re going to have to be punished.” He took a few steps closer, and I kept my eyes trained on him and my emotions steeled.
“Did you miss me?” he asked, but he didn’t really want an answer from me. A snide smirk played at his lips, and he walked closer, stopping about two feet away. He was just close enough to reach out and tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. I cringed. Big mistake.
“What the fuck, Nat!” he shouted and cracked the back of his hand across my cheek, the force of the slap sending me to my knees.
“Get up,” he ordered. Not able to meet his gaze, I slowly stood with my arms limp at my sides and the taste of iron on my tongue. Trent pinched my jaw with one hand. “You gonna make me a happy man tonight, right?” When I didn’t answer, he yanked my chin so I was forced to look into his blue eyes, and I heard the faint sound of Faith crying.
“Where’s Faith?”
“Don’t worry about her. Our daughter’s being cared for. You know”—the sick slime had the nerve to drag his finger down between the middle of my breasts and then cup me, squeezing too hard—“maybe we should make our little girl into a big sister. What do you say?” Then he slammed his lips to mine, shoving his tongue into my mouth as his erection stabbed into my belly. Then shaking his head, laughing a humorless laugh, he took a step back.
I spat in his face. “Fuck you, Trent.”
He chuckled, but it was hollow and cold. Ticking his tongue and shaking his head, he grabbed me by the throat. “Why you gotta fight me? You know you’re mine.” Growling, he shoved my face to the side, and I left it there. I refused to look at him.
“Awww, did you think your prince was going to save you?”
I didn’t dare answer.
“How the fuck could you let him touch you, let alone fuck you? You’re mine! We made a baby together. You belong to me,” he growled.
I closed my eyes for a second. Cy’s smile filled my darkness.
“I watched you.” His voice became deathly quiet. “I saw the look in your eyes as he fucked you, then came in you—bare. The motherfucker didn’t even have a fucking condom on.”
I lunged for him, but that was a huge mistake. Trent wrapped his hand in my hair, ripped my top clear down the middle, and then latched on to my breast, biting hard enough to draw blood before he threw me across the room. The last thing I felt was the back of my head cracking against the wall. My body fell limp like a rag doll to the ground and the room went black.
When I woke up, I was disoriented. I tried to move my arms, but they were tied down. When I tried to move my head, I couldn’t. Had Trent tied me up? My heart started to beat out of control, but I made my body freeze when I felt movement . . . under me. Was I moving? I couldn’t for the life of me figure out what was happening. The last thing I remembered was pain as Trent bit me, then nothing. I tried to peel an eye open, and after a few times, I managed to.
As my sight adjusted, I focused on the two men in dark blue uniforms standing on either side of me. I was on a stretcher.
The EMT placed an oxygen mask over my face, which prevented me from sp
eaking and asking the questions my mind desperately needed answers to. I leaned up as far as my neck would allow, and with all the bright lights flashing, it reminded me of an episode straight out of Law and Order.
Faith.
I choked out her name, and when no one heard me, I tried to scream, but dizziness washed over me, and I fell back against the stretcher. My head throbbed, I attempted to lay my head on its side, but a neck brace made that impossible to do and that’s when I saw a black body bag being lifted into an ambulance. Who was in it? Did I want to know? No, I didn’t. I shifted my gaze again and saw Paul holding my little girl. I panicked, but it only lasted a second before confusion set in again. Pete, Cy’s brother-in-law was standing next him. Why wasn’t Paul being hauled off by his ass in handcuffs?
The throbbing increased and turned into painful zaps in my brain. I shifted my eyes upward, looking around and trying to make sense of anything in order to combat the fuzziness.
The men lifted the gurney into the ambulance, and I caught a glimpse of a familiar green truck that held so many memories. Was he here? My heart started to beat erratically, and the spike in blood pressure made me even dizzier. Spots danced and my consciousness faded again.
BEEP.
Beep.
Beep.
I stirred, squinting. The only thing I moved were my eyes, which shifted from left to right. I blinked and squeezed my eyelids tight a few times, hoping to relieve the sandpaper sensation in them, and it helped.
When I opened my eyes again, I squinted to adjust to the pale light filtering in from the hallway. The shades were drawn, but I could tell it was dark out. To my left was an empty hospital bed. Right next to mine, a heart monitor sat softly beeping, and beside that was an IV stand with a clear bag hanging from it. I followed the clear tube, which led from the machine to my arm.
If my head didn’t hurt, I’d probably giggle at the sight of my two favorite men in the entire world who looked so uncomfortable but were sound asleep. Spencer was at my side, and my Uncle Blair was asleep at the foot of my bed. A warm feeling spread through me. My family was with me, probably scared out of their minds but here for me anyway. As I lay there, some of the memories came crashing to the forefront, but they were foggy and disconnected.
My fingers found the remote, and I blindly pushed buttons.
Shortly after, a pretty woman in her early thirties who was dressed in stale lavender scrubs walked in quietly. I smiled a little and waited until she approached my bedside before speaking.
“Well, I’m glad to see you’re finally awake. I’m Shelby, your nurse. What can I get for you, sweetie?” She spoke in a soft voice while gently squeezing the top of my forearm.
“Water, please,” I whispered. My throat hurt so bad it felt like someone had dragged their nails up and down my esophagus.
“Sure thing. I’ll be right back.” Nurse Shelby walked out as quietly as she had entered, but that didn’t stop Spencer from rousing.
“Hey, baby girl. How are you feeling?” he asked groggily, gently squeezing my good hand.
“Okay,” I whispered. “Thirsty.”
Spencer nodded, and a tear fell from his eye. He tried to hide it, but it was useless. I shook my head, frowning at him. “Don’t. It’s okay. I’m okay.” My body tensed; I ached all over, and the thought of Faith rushed to mind. “Where’s Faith?” I asked with wide eyes.
Spencer’s brows pinched, confused. “Who’s Faith?”
“My daughter.” His confusion morphed to understanding.
Nurse Shelby walked in with a pitcher and a little white cup. She smiled her sweet smile to Spencer, poured me a cup of water, and then pulled a straw from the front pocket of her scrubs. Spencer took the cup and straw and held it to my lips so I could drink from it.
The coolness sliding down my throat felt like heaven, and despite their warning just to sip it, I drank the whole cup. The desperate slurping sound woke up Uncle Blair.
“How’s your pain, sweetie?” Shelby asked as she wrote in a little tablet.
“My head hurts and my body is achy, but besides that, I don’t think it’s too bad.”
Shelby nodded and held up the little white cup. “Well, you had quite the bump on your head and a CT confirmed a concussion. If you have any nausea, let me know, okay?
“Okay.”
“I brought you some pain meds for the headache. They should help with the other aches too.” She winked, tapped my arm, and left.
“Hey there, sweetheart. How are you feeling?” Uncle Blair asked a little sleepily as he sat up straight in his chair.
“Okay I guess. What happened?”
Spencer refilled my cup, and I swallowed the two white pills one by one. He shrugged. “Cy called Dad,”—he gestured his head toward his father—“said you were being transported to this hospital and that we should get here as soon as possible. He said that you were going to need us.” He choked. “That Trent— ”
The tears welled in my eyes and my throat thickened with emotion. Where was he? My body jerked as the tears involuntarily fell. Spencer came to my side and held me while Uncle Blair skated up to my bad side, patting my arm and shushing me gently, trying to calm me.
“Shh, kiddo, it’s going to be okay. Spence filled me in, and the doctor informed us you’re going to be okay. . . you’ll be fine. We’ll get through this, kiddo.”
Nurse Shelby must have given me something stronger than I expected, because the pain medicine wasted no time kicking in and sweeping me back to sleep.
A small variety of voices filled my hospital room as I woke. This time the sun shone through the window, offering me a ray of warmth and hope. Along with Spencer and Uncle Blair, Aunt Claudia and Addie were there.
“Hey there. It’s nice to see you awake.” Addie walked up, scooting Spencer out of the way. She leaned in and gently hugged me. “You had us worried sick. Are you all right?”
“I’m okay. A bit sore here and there, but for the most part, I’m okay.” I couldn’t hide the pain even if I tried. My memory flashed to that last night . . . two nights ago? I had no idea how long it had been. “Addie, what happened?”
Her lips turned up in a sad smile, and she covered my hand between both of hers. “How’s about we let the sheriff fill you in?” It hurt that nobody wanted to explain it to me. I wasn’t sure if it was too hard to repeat or if they had no idea what happened.
A strong knock at the door caught everyone’s attention. Standing in the doorway was Pete, and behind him, half-blocked by the doorway, was Paul.
“May we come in?” Pete asked. I nodded carefully, and he stepped forward. Paul followed and stood to the side of him. “Glad to see you’re awake. How are you feeling?”
“Okay, I guess.” I tried to look at Pete, but my eyes kept flicking to Paul. He didn’t look anything like he had when I met him in the club, or even when he was with Trent. Gone were the college-boy good looks, and in their place was a clean cut guy, oozing authority. But wasn’t he one of the bad guys? I thought he was Trent’s accomplice. Sensing my unease, Pete introduced him. “I know you must be wondering . . . this is Jack Williams, or as you might remember, Paul.”
My head shifted toward the man. “But I saw you. I saw you helping him. How . . .”
He smiled a small smile. “Pete called me. I won’t go into details, but let’s just say I work for him from time to time.
“Do you remember anything, Natalie?” Pete stepped in.
“I remember some, but it’s all really jumbled. Could you tell me where Faith is?”
Pete hung his head, but not before I caught the sadness flicker in his eyes. “She’s with CPS until we can notify her parents,” he stated delicately.
“Can I see her?”
“Nat . . .” Spencer stood. “Are you sure that’s such a good idea right now?”
Biting the side of my lip, I was unsure if I wanted to torment myself all over again. How would I ever get her out of my head now that I knew she was an actual human being?
My human being.
I shook my head and turned away. “Would you all mind if I had some time to myself? I’m feeling a bit tired.” I willed myself not to cry.
I knew Spencer would see right through it. I also knew he would make sure everyone left.
“That’s okay. You’ve had a long couple of days. When you’re up to it, I would like you to fill out a formal statement, though.” I made a noncommittal noise and was thankful Pete and Paul left it at that. Addie was hesitant at first, but agreed. Leaning in to hug me again, she whispered, “I love you, and I’m here. He’s waiting for you, too, Nat. Everything will work out the way it’s supposed to.”
There was no way I could respond to that. I bit the side of my cheek as my lip trembled, tears sliding down my face. Uncle Blair and Aunt Claudia tapped and squeezed my foot. “We’ll see you later, kiddo. Get some rest.”
They all walked out of my hospital room one by one, leaving just me and Spencer. “You want me out too?” He made a goofy face, and I giggled and flinched. I wasn’t sure how much my head could take.
“Please. You know I love you. I just need a little time to process this all.”
Spencer nodded, leaned in, and kissed my forehead. “Okay, baby girl. I’ll be back a little later. I’m sure Mom is going to be cooking up a storm. I’ll smuggle you some real food in.”
“Thank you, Spence.” I nodded very carefully again, closed my eyes, and faced the wall.
My heart ached for so many reasons, and I still hadn’t gotten the full picture of what happened.
AFTER SPENDING TWO days in the hospital under close observation for head trauma, Spencer brought me home. The physical injuries were nothing compared to the emotional ones, though.
The day after I had come home, Pete stopped by. He asked if I was able to give a statement and if he could explain to me what had happened. I agreed and relived one of the most traumatic and emotionally draining days of my life.
Waiting on Faith (She's Beautiful Series Book 2) Page 24