“Enough of this mushy stuff or we’re going to end up crying and you know what that means…puffy, red eyes.”
“We can’t have that in your wedding pictures, now can we.” Alex laughed.
Lacey walked into the church and saw Ryan standing there. He was absolutely gorgeous all decked out in his tux. She could see he looked nervous so she walked over to see if she could help calm him down.
“Nerves got you?”
“A bit. I’m also very excited.”
“I’m so happy things worked out for you.”
“Thank you for being a good friend.”
“My pleasure.”
“I hope you find someone you can share your life with.”
“I did once. I’m not sure…”
Ryan reached his hand over and placed it on Lacey’s cheek. “You are a kind, smart, beautiful woman and to be honest if it wasn’t for Faith, I would have gone for more than just kissing you that day.”
Lacey blushed. “Me too but things worked out the way they were supposed to.”
“Lacey, don’t you look pretty.”
Lacey turned around and Miguel was standing there. “Thank you.”
“I just told her the same thing.” Ryan smiled.
“Well, I had better go and take my seat.”
Ryan leaned over and gave Lacey a kiss on the cheek. “I’m not going to give up trying to find you someone to share your life with.”
Lacey smiled and shook her head as she walked inside the church.
“How are you doing?”
“I’ll be better once I see Faith.”
“Alex texted me about five minutes ago and said the limo just pulled up.”
“I can’t wait.”
Eden and Miles walked into the church with baby Cruz and sat down in the front row.
“I remember our wedding like it was yesterday.”
“It was almost yesterday.” Miles laughed.
“I can’t believe we have Cruz and now this new little one on its way.”
“I thank God for you all every day.”
“There’s my nephew.” Miguel picked up Cruz from his sister’s lap.
Eden stood up and kissed Miguel and then walked around him and hugged Ryan. “You look very handsome.” Eden smiled.
“Thanks.”
“Nervous?” Eden smiled.
“Yeah, a little. I just can’t seem to shake this feeling that something’s wrong.”
“Wrong?”
“I had terrible nightmares last night.”
“I’m sure it’s just nerves.” Eden hugged Ryan again. “In a few minutes Faith will walk down the aisle and you will feel like a million bucks.”
“I can’t wait to see her.” Ryan smiled at the thought of seeing Faith in her wedding dress.
“Ahh, now that’s the smile I like to see.”
“Thank you for always being my friend, even when things got crazy.”
“I should be thanking you. I was part of that crazy.” Eden winked.
Ryan hugged her.
Alex stood there watching Faith as she walked down the stairs. “You are by far the most beautiful bride that I have ever seen.”
“Alex, don’t make me cry.”
Alex hugged Faith. “Ready?”
“I’ve never been more ready.”
“I texted Miguel and told him the limo was here and we were on our way. He said your father will be waiting in the back of the church for you. Oh and he sent me a picture of him and Ryan and they look mighty fine.” Alex smiled.
The house phone rang. “I wonder who’s calling? I mean everyone we know should be at the church.”
“You go and grab it and I’m going to start out to the car.”
“Ok, I’ll be right out.”
The limo driver held the door open for Faith and helped her inside. “Thank you, Ramone.”
Once Faith was inside Ramone smiled at Faith and then closed the door. As he headed around the rear of the car he was struck from behind and fell to the ground.
Faith looked out the window and could see Alex waving her arms and picking up speed almost as if she was running, well running as fast as a pregnant woman can. She laughed thinking that Alex probably thought that they were leaving without her. She reached for the door handle and the doors locked. She tried the window and the window was locked. Faith remembered what that woman said about her friend at the florist and now seeing the look of horror on Alex’s face as she got closer, Faith started to pound on the window. “Let me out! LET ME OUT!”
Before Alex got to the limo it tore away from the curb. Alex rolled Ramone over and thankfully he just had a small gash on his head and was already regaining consciousness. “What happened?”
“You were hit from behind. I need to call the police. They took Faith.”
Miguel kept looking down at his watch wondering what was taking Alex and Faith so long to arrive at the church. Finally, he pulled his phone from his pocket to text her and saw that he had two missed calls from Alex.
“Dammit.”
“What’s the matter?”
“I had my phone on silent and I missed Alex’s calls.”
“Calls?”
“She probably wanted to tell me that she’s outside.”
“Or that Faith changed her mind?”
“Ryan, calm down.”
Miguel dialed Alex’s number and before he even heard it ring he could hear Alex hysterical. He immediately panicked that something had happened to her or the baby.
“ALEX! Alex, are you alright?”
“It’s Faith…she’s been taken. Someone hit Ramone and then drove off with her inside the limo.”
“OH MY GOD!” Miguel walked up onto the altar and into the back room. “Where are you now? Tell me exactly what happened?”
Ryan followed Miguel and was now pulling on his arm. “She’s not coming is she?”
“She’s running late.”
“Don’t fucking lie to me.”
Miguel pointed. “Shut the door.”
Ryan pushed the door shut. “What’s going on?”
“Faith was abducted.”
Ryan felt his world start to crumble. “No…”
“Ryan, Alex is going to tell me what happened and then we’re going to get Faith back.”
Ryan just stood there frozen. It was like his nightmare. Faith was calling out for him to help her but he couldn’t.
Dane couldn’t help but replay what he overheard Ryan telling Lacey. Why would Lacey need someone to share her life with unless she was divorcing her husband. It also made him extremely jealous to know that Ryan and Lacey had kissed. He didn’t have much time to dwell on that fact before Miguel leaned into the pew. “I need you outside, now.”
Dane got right up and followed Miguel, Miles and Ryan outside. “What’s up?”
“Faith’s been abducted.”
“Shit!”
“Faith went out to the limo and got in. The driver was knocked out and someone drove off with Faith inside. Alex saw the whole thing happen.”
“Did she get a make on the guy?”
“Yes.”
“We need to get over to the house. Have Craig go through the surveillance tapes from your property and I will call over to my friend at the State and have him start checking the cameras on the bridges, toll booths and highways.”
“I called PD and they sent over St. Paul and Donovan.” Miguel grabbed Ryan’s arm. “We will find her.”
Ryan was beyond words at this point. Faith’s father walked over. “Where’s Faith, is everything alright?”
Miles walked over. “Mr. Nichols, I’m sorry but Faith was kidnapped.”
“WHAT!”
Ryan nodded and then hugged Faith’s father. “Someone took her.”
Miguel looked at Miles and Dane and they looked as helpless as he felt. “Ryan, we’re going to go now. I will keep you posted.”
“I want to come with you.”
“Ryan, stay here with
Eden and your family. We got this.” Miles patted Ryan on the back.
Lacey walked outside to see what was going on. She took one look at Ryan and her heart broke. “Ryan.”
Ryan walked over and broke down in her arms. “It’s Faith…someone took her from me.”
Dane wanted to rip Lacey from Ryan’s arms. The surge of jealousy made him almost angry.
Miguel tapped Dane on the shoulder. “Let’s go.”
Dane turned away and followed Miguel and Miles out of the church.
Faith looked around the limo for anything she could use as a weapon. Her cell phone had no service, she tried calling, texting and emailing but nothing worked. She figured her captor had it blocked. All she could find was a corkscrew and a bottle opener.
The limo came to a halt and she waited in a panic not knowing what was outside the door. She looked frantically between the door on each side of her waiting for one to open so she could attack. Several minutes went by before she heard what she assumed was the driver’s door close. Then she heard the doors unlock. Faith raised her arm with the corkscrew in her hand ready to attack.
The door opened and a man leaned in and Faith jabbed him in the arm with the corkscrew. “YOU BITCH!” He yanked Faith from the car with such force that Faith fell to the ground. The man leaned down and grabbed her by her hair to pull her up. “If you want to survive then you had better behave.”
“Who are you and what do you want from me?” Faith protested as she was shoved along until they reached a door.
“My sister has been waiting a long time for this.” The man opened the door and pushed Faith inside.
“Well, well, hello, Faith. I told you that you’d be sorry.”
Faith looked up in shock.
Miguel ran through the house looking for Alex and started to panic when he couldn’t find her. He started to yell her name. “ALEX? ALEX?”
“She’s in here, Miguel.”
Miguel exhaled. He walked toward his study where Dane called out from. “Alex.”
Alex practically leapt into his arms. She was in tears. “I was in your command center with Craig when you came in.”
“I was afraid that they came back and got you too.”
“Migs, I’m going to go talk to St. Paul and Donovan.” Miles walked off.
Dane went to look through the surveillance footage with Craig.
“Maybe you should see if you can get some surveillance footage of the area around the dress store and the jewelers. I guess maybe it wasn’t a coincidence after all.”
“I think you’re right, someone didn’t want this wedding to take place.”
“Poor Ryan. I need to go be with my brother.”
“Alright but I’m getting two men to take you, Alex, and you will not go anywhere without them. Promise me?”
“I promise. I won’t do anything to put our baby in jeopardy.”
Miguel hugged her. “And I promise you, I’m going to find Faith.”
HOURS HAD PASSED BY and the church was empty. Ryan sat on the altar with Alex and Lacey. Eden finally went home because Cruz was so fussy.
“Ryan, maybe we should go back and wait at Alex’s house.”
“No, I can’t leave, Lacey, I promised Faith I’d be here. She was afraid that I would back out on her, did she tell you that, Sis?”
“We joked about it a few times but she knew how much…”
“You think she’s dead?”
“What? No.”
“Then why are you talking about her in the past tense?”
“I wasn’t. I was talking about something from the past. Miguel is going to find her and bring her back to us. I know it.”
Faith couldn’t believe this was happening. She tried to pull her arms free from the chair rungs they were tied to but so far she wasn’t having any success. She knew that she had made an enemy that day in court but she had no idea how sick Jean really was or she would have taken her threats at the time more seriously.
“So do you think you would have had your first toast by now or maybe your first dance?” Jean laughed in Faith’s face. “Maybe that fiancé of yours has already moved on. I heard he has quite a reputation of screwing a woman or two a night.”
Faith spit in Jean’s face and in return Jean smacked her across the face. “You bitch.”
“Fuck you, you two-bit drug addicted slut.”
Jean didn’t even reply she hit Faith so hard that she knocked her and the chair to the floor. Faith banged her head and passed out.
“Miguel, come here, I found something.”
Miguel walked over to the computer screen and Dane pointed. “You think that’s where she is?”
“I don’t know but the signal is coming from her phone.”
“But why now and not all along? I think that maybe someone tossed it there to throw us off track.”
“Maybe but I’m going to have PD look into it. St. Paul and Donovan said whatever we needed. They have Sawyer and Travis on standby.”
“Then send them.”
Miguel prayed that this wouldn’t be a dead end but instead a lead to finding Faith.
Ryan and Lacey were praying when both his and Alex’s phones started to go wild with notifications.
Alex looked down at her phone. “The messages are all from Faith.” Alex quickly scrolled to the last message.
Faith: Alex, no matter what happens, I love you. Please take care of Ryan.
“Mine are all from her too.” Ryan started reading.
Faith: Ryan, someone has me and I’m scared. Help me.
Faith: I don’t think my phone is working.
Faith: We got off the highway at exit five.
Faith: I hope that you get these messages and when you do you can help me.
Faith: Ryan, I don’t know what’s going to happen to me but I want you to know that no matter what, you are the only man that I have ever loved and will be until I take my last breath.
Faith: I love you, Ryan DiPietro, with all my heart. Promise me to move on if I don’t make it back to you.
Faith: The car stopped at a warehouse on Jackson Avenue and
“I have to call Miguel.”
“What did she say?” Alex looked up from her phone with tears in her eyes.
“She said they stopped at a warehouse on Jackson Avenue and didn’t finish the text. I have to tell Miguel.” Ryan dialed his phone.
“What’s up?”
“Alex and I just got a bunch of messages from Faith.”
“We just picked up her phone signal about five minutes ago. The police are on their way there now.”
“She said that she is at a warehouse on Jackson Avenue and then the text ended.”
“Jackson Avenue, are you sure?”
“Yes.”
“Ok, I’ll let the police know and I’ll get my men on it.”
“Where was her phone?”
“About five miles from Jackson Avenue. Someone must have tossed it there to throw us off track.”
“Please find her, Miguel.”
“I intend to.” Miguel hung up.
“What did Miguel say?”
“He said they’re going to find her.”
Alex held onto Ryan’s hand and prayed to God that Miguel would do just that.
Faith woke up after Jean poured cold water on her face. “Wake up.”
Faith looked up from the floor at Jean. “Why are you doing this? If you hate me so much why don’t you just kill me.”
“I don’t want you dead…yet.”
“Then what do you want?”
“Oh, let’s see. I want you to see what it is like to lose everything. You know just like you did to me. You took my children, my home, money and then you slept with my HUSBAND!”
“You did all of that to yourself. You’re the one that cheated and left your children alone while you chose to shoot up drugs. I only did my job.”
“Was your job to screw my husband too?”
“Zac and I had a relationship whic
h began AFTER your divorce.”
“I hate you! Did you hear me?”
Faith realized her hand was much looser than before. She kept wiggling it and was able to free it. She knew that if she had a minute alone that she could free herself. She tried to think of something, anything that she could say to get Jean to leave. “If I don’t get some water, I think I’m going to puke from the taste of blood in my mouth.”
“Puke. I never could handle puke. Ralph…Ralph! Where is that idiot?” Jean walked out to look for Ralph.
Faith quickly pulled her other hand free and then stood up. She managed to get over by the door before it swung open and Jean walked back in.
Faith pulled the bottle opener from her garter and started jabbing Jean with it. The two dropped to the floor and rolled back and forth throwing punches until Faith finally landed one that knocked Jean unconscious. Faith got up and picked up her crown, placed it on her head and walked out the door.
Ralph was on his way toward the door when he saw Faith. When Faith saw him running she turned and started running in the opposite direction. She ran until she got to a locked door. Then she did what any other woman would do…she took off her extremely expensive stilettos to use as weapons.
“I’m going to make you very sorry that you ever hurt my sister.”
Faith swung and Ralph grabbed her wrist. Faith tried to pull away but Ralph twisted her arm. Faith swung with her other arm and nailed Ralph in the head with the heel of her shoe. “Asshole!” Ralph staggered back and pulled a knife. He promised his sister that he wouldn’t kill Faith until she said he could but he wanted to hurt her. Ralph raised his arm and suddenly the sound of a gunshot rang out and he dropped to the floor.
Faith looked up and the police were standing there and then she saw Dane and Miles running toward her.
Miles grabbed her and hugged her. “Thank God you’re alright.”
“Can you bring me to Ryan? I’m getting married today.”
Miles smiled.
Dane grabbed Faith and hugged her. “I’ll let the PD handle this. Let’s get you to the church.”
Sex & Lies (Undercover Love Series Book 3) Page 15