He reached for two more bottles and repeated the process until every bottle of alcohol was emptied and sitting in his trash can instead of his cabinet. Leaning back against the counter, he looked at the picture again, and then pulled out his phone, this time dialing Brad’s number. He didn’t expect Brad to answer, but it was worth a shot. Hearing the voicemail, he ended the call and tried Kyleigh’s again.
Anger surged through him and he began pacing again, thinking of any idea that would help him find Kyleigh. The pain squeezing his heart from his mother’s death and now Kyleigh’s disappearance was almost too much to handle. He needed to do something, anything other than go to bed and give up. As he paced and paced, an idea popped in his head. It was obvious Brad had Kyleigh, and if he didn’t have her at his place, he had to own a house or some kind of building somewhere else. With Brad’s money, that wouldn’t surprise him. And if he did own any other property, there should be paperwork showing where it was. David grabbed his keys and shot out the door, ready to try his hand at breaking and entering.
Parking a couple of blocks down from Brad’s house, his car was unnoticeable sitting between two other empty cars in the nearly vacant subdivision. The majority of the houses were dark as its occupants slept, making it the perfect time to break into someone’s house unnoticed.
He got out of his car and quietly closed the door, and looking around for signs of movement, he began casually walking towards Brad’s house as if he lived here. The subdivision was quiet and the only sounds were his boots clicking against the pavement. As he reached Brad’s house, the place seemed as empty as earlier, and he quickly headed around back.
Coming to the back patio door, he pulled out his flat screwdriver and began to jimmy the brass lock. As he worked on the door, he peered through the window, praying Brad was actually gone, as it seemed. After several minutes, the door finally swung open and he quickly stepped inside, pulling the door closed behind him. The darkness and unfamiliarity of the place stung his eyes, and he stood there for a moment, letting his vision adjust to his new surroundings. After a few seconds, he realized he was standing in the kitchen, and he began stalking through the house, looking for anyone inside the home. His posture relaxed a little more as each room came up empty and he started looking for what he’d come for.
He’d come here to find information on Brad owning any other property so he quickly headed to his office. Time ticked quickly by as he searched through folders and files, and aggravation began to rise as each drawer held everything but what he was looking for. He needed to find a bill or deed or something that had an address to another place. As he shuffled through the last drawer, he finally pulled out a bank statement on a property other than the club or this house.
His eyes scanned over the document, finally finding what he was looking for. It was an address for a house in the rural area outside of the city limits. The name on the document wasn’t Brad’s, but the last name was the same. It could be a property his parents owned. Regardless, it was worth a shot to check it out.
With hands shaky from the adrenaline now soaring through his body, he pulled out a pen and jotted the address down in barely legible handwriting. He made sure to put everything back in its place before he slipped out through the back patio door. Jogging through the night towards his car, his legs couldn’t move fast enough. He was going to find her, he knew it.
Thirty minutes later, gravel dinged beneath his car as he sped down a small gravel road. A yellow sign that read Dead End seemed ominous in its finality. He eased off the gas pedal, not wanting to draw attention to himself in the early morning hour. As an old, white farmhouse came up on his right, he peered through the passenger window as he passed it, making sure to keep his speed consistent. There was a black BMW sitting out of place in the driveway and his gut told him he was right on track with his idea. The large trees that flanked each side were on the verge of falling onto the house and the fields provided him with very little camouflage.
Driving past the house, a million thoughts ran through his mind. He wondered if Kyleigh was in there and what was happening to her right now. And he wondered how this night was going to end.
The last thought troubled him the most, and his hands tightened around the steering wheel as he pulled over, parking his car in a cutoff that was hidden between some trees. He was about a half a mile from the house. It was far enough away not to draw attention and close enough that he could get back to his car quickly.
He grabbed his gun from under the seat, checked to make sure it was loaded, and opened the door to bring Kyleigh home safe. It was the first time in a long time that he was doing something this stressful sober.
He jogged down the deserted gravel road with a feeling that time was biting at his heels.
Chapter 28
Fighting Back
The only thing Kyleigh was thankful for tonight was the thin rope that bound her wrists behind her back. She knew if the rope had been any thicker, she’d never have had a chance of escaping. But here she was, running her wrists along the teeth of the saw, feeling little pieces of the rope began to unravel. Excitement and hope flooded her, and she quickened her pace, even though her arms begged her to stop and rest.
Minutes seemed to race by. The rain settled into a slow, steady rhythm and the lightning was now somewhere farther in the distance. The storm was dying down just in time for her to make her escape. Her throat was dry and her lungs were burning as she pushed herself. Not escaping tonight wasn’t an option. Her arms felt like Jell-O and just as she thought she couldn’t take it any longer, she felt the rope snap. She stopped and tried to pull her wrists free. For a moment they didn’t budge, and she didn’t think anything was going to happen, but suddenly the rope unraveled and her wrists broke apart. She drew them in to her stomach and began rubbing at the raw spots on her skin before looking towards the old window that housed her freedom.
Not wanting to waste any time, she sprang towards the window, ready to get out of Brad’s grasp once and for all. A terrible thought hit her like the slap of a hand. There was no way of staying out of Brad’s hold if he was still alive. He would always be in the shadows ready to make his next move when he could. The thought of killing him made her nauseous. She didn’t think she could willingly stay here with the intent to kill him, and that would only be a death sentence for herself. That wasn’t her. As bad as she wanted things to permanently end with him, she wasn’t a murderer. She’d just have to get to the police and hope they could handle things.
Just as she slid the rusted latches to the right and felt the rain begin to drench her hands, the lock on the door echoed in the silence as Brad snapped it open. Jerking her head back, fear tried to push her back down to the floor, but she shoved it away and launched herself out the window. As her upper body hung outside, rain began to slowly soak her, and she scrambled to pull the rest of her body out. She looked towards the ground and saw the distance was a little farther than she thought it would be. Scrambling to pull her body towards safety, the feeling of freedom was finally within arm’s reach. A thin layer of damp air coated her skin, frogs seemed to cheer her on as they loudly croaked in the distance, and the dark yard suddenly came alive as the moon shined a path of light below. But in a matter of seconds, it was quickly yanked away by a firm grip that landed on both of her calves, dragging her back through the window.
“Not so fast,” Brad hissed from behind her.
She began kicking with every ounce of strength she had in her. She wouldn’t die tonight, not without a fight. As Brad pulled her legs inside, every muscle in her body screamed as it raked across the window sill and then collided with the hardwood floor. She rested her head against the floor for a moment, groaning in agony and despair before she finally lifted her aching body up. She shoved her hair out of her face to find Brad standing inches from her, anger seething in his hard features.
“That was a close one, Kyleigh. I’m not sure how you managed that one, but I’d better make sure it doesn’t
happen again.”
Determination soared inside her body as she saw him lunge for her again. She veered to the right, barely making it out of his grasp as she headed towards the door. As her foot crossed the threshold, into the hall that would lead her towards the front door and into freedom, she felt his hands wrap around the back of her waist.
“No!” She couldn’t stop the scream if she wanted to. She felt out of control. She felt doomed. The weight of his body crashed into her, pushing her down on the floor. All the air in her lungs rushed out of her in one swift motion as Brad’s two hundred and twenty pounds fell on top of her. She thought she heard something crack and prayed it wasn’t anything serious that would prevent her from getting away.
“Dammit, Kyleigh!” he yelled.
She squirmed and writhed underneath his weight, doing everything she could to get free. She couldn’t believe this was happening. She was so close to escaping.
“Get off of me!” she screamed as she dug her nails into the hardwood floor and tried pulling herself forward. Faint scratches developing on the hardwood floor were remnants of her despair and the drops of tears landing next to them showed the extent of her fear. She felt his grip on her thighs loosening and she began throwing punches blindly at his face as she continued to try and get herself free. Her ribs screamed with every movement but she bit down on the pain and continued on. There was no time to stop and breathe.
Squirming, she finally wriggled a few more inches out of his grasp. With his hands now hooked around her ankles, she threw one more hit to the top of his head. Her hand burned from the contact and she yelped from the pain but she continued to keep wailing her fist into his head and face. When he let one hand go to shield himself from more of her punches, she yanked her free foot away and aimed for his face. She felt her foot make contact with something and she hoped it was his nose. Kicking one leg, she began crawling forward, her arms burning and his hands trying to snag her legs. But with each kick, she managed to put a little more distance between them.
As another kick hit him square on the jaw, and she felt the absence of his hands on her body, she scrambled to make a run for it. She was slow to get back on her feet, and a few steps down the hall she felt her body ignite with even more pain as he slammed her into the wall.
Her face connected with the dingy white wall and a muffled cry was shoved out of her mouth as his body held her against the wall. She was trapped again. The dampness trailing down her cheeks angered her and she wished her hands were free so she could wipe them away before Brad saw them. She didn’t want him to see her upset. The only thing she wanted him to see was her determination to stay alive. And the hate she felt for him.
A muffled yelp flew unwillingly from her throat as he roughly yanked her around by one arm. On aching legs, she stood before him, eyeing the room as she contemplated her next move. She wondered what his next move was. Would he rape her? Or worse, kill her? Or would he torture her for hours first to make her pay for her actions? She didn’t want to wait and find out.
Their heavy breathing was loud in the silent house, the rain now just a whisper in the night. His fingers, laced tightly around her wrist, felt like a ring of fire on her skin and her ribs ached from the fall. It was hard to breathe, and she was sure she’d broken a rib or two. Just as he reached out to grab her other wrist, she drew her hand back and slammed it against his bloody face. Bone gave way beneath her hand, and not wasting any time, she made another mad dash down the narrow hall.
Rounding a corner, her feet met with old, white linoleum as she headed into the kitchen, the front door now within her sight. In mere seconds she felt him on her heels, and her heart pounded erratically in her chest as the thought of being caught again tortured her mind. A glint of light to her left caught her eye. A knife set sat on the counter, an open invitation to do whatever she needed to do to stay alive, and she veered towards it, quickly pulling the long blade from its resting spot. There was no way she’d be able to outrun him. The thumping of his footsteps directly behind her alerted her body to move fast and she spun around with the knife aimed forward not thinking about the consequences. If she were honest with herself, a part of her wanted him to die tonight.
Without stopping, Brad came at her full force, his eyes trained on her face and not noticing the knife outstretched at waist level. She felt the blade slide into his flesh without hesitation, saw the realization of what had just happened flash in his dark eyes, and watched as he stumbled to the side. The last thing she saw was his body lying on the old floor.
She didn’t stick around to see if he would get up. Grasping the brass door knob with a shaky hand, she swung it open and was met with complete darkness. As she stepped out onto the front stoop, a loud noise erupted behind her. Suddenly, her face was sliding against wet grass, mud clinging to her cheek and clothes, and then darkness invaded her mind.
Chapter 29
Hope
At the sound of gunshot, David began running at full speed, his shoes threatening to slip against the wet grass. He ran through the open field, finally seeing the house in full view. The field seemed to stretch on forever as every horrible thought cascaded through his mind. Crossing the halfway mark through the field, he saw the front door standing open. The blast of the gun was a clear indication that something had taken a turn for the worse, he just prayed it was Brad and not Kyleigh. But as he got closer to the house, the small frame of a person lying motionless on the grass was the answer to his unwanted question.
“Kyleigh!” he yelled into the dead of night, hoping, praying for an answer. Nothing but silence echoed back.
He came upon her lifeless body and dropped to his knees. Rain began to saturate him but he felt nothing in the numb shell that housed what was left of his soul. Fear and hope were the only things he felt, and as he lightly touched her neck, the brief thumping against his finger brought him back to life.
The thought of Brad armed and lurking nearby tore his attention from Kyleigh for the moment. He stood and cautiously headed towards the house, his gun drawn and aimed in front of him. He would have no problem taking Brad down.
Pressing his body against the front door, he peered inside, seeing Brad lying in a pool of blood on the kitchen floor, a gun lying next to him and a knife protruding from his stomach. He quickly kicked the gun out of arms reach and knelt down, pressing his finger against his neck. There was no pulse and David felt a sense of satisfaction flood him. Brad was dead. Kyleigh was now free forever. It was a win-win for them both, because if he had come upon Brad alive right now, he’d be in prison for killing him.
Pulling out his phone, he dialed 911 and waited next to Kyleigh. He wanted to carry her inside and out of the rain, but he was afraid to move her, so instead he draped his jacket over her body. Her cold hand lay limply in his warm grasp but the light thumping in her wrist told him she was still alive. Her breathing was slow and ragged and he prayed the ambulance would get here fast.
He brushed her hair away from her face and then tilted his head towards the dreary sky and began to pray to a God he had almost forgotten about. He needed hope and he knew no one else could give it to him.
After what seemed like a lifetime, sirens finally echoed in the distance. He turned his gaze out towards the stretch of countryside to find the lights twinkling between the trees. He breathed a sigh of relief and squeezed Kyleigh’s hand. “They’re here, baby. You’re going to get help now.” He leaned down and pressed his lips to her clammy forehead and said, “I love you, Ky.”
Hands abruptly pushed him aside as EMTs began assessing Kyleigh’s wounds. An officer came up to him and began asking him questions. He watched as three officers headed inside the house while he answered everything that he could. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, and as he watched Kyleigh being lifted inside the ambulance, this moment in his life seemed surreal. It’s almost as if he expected to wake up from this and be lying on his floor, passed out drunk. He’d give anything for that scenario.
; ***
Hours later he was sitting next to Kyleigh’s hospital bed. She hadn’t been out of surgery long but they were able to get the bullet out of her lung which was good news. But she was now in critical care until they had her stabilized. Critical care was a word that terrified him. Her life was critical right now. Balancing on the edge of life and death.
He stared down at her, wishing she’d wake up soon so he could tell her how much he loved her. The night could have ended up so much worse than it did and he couldn’t be more grateful that it hadn’t. There was a light knock at the door and he turned around, seeing Paige, Tyler, and Brooke.
“Hey, guys, come on in,” he said.
Tears slid down Paige’s face as she took everything in. Tyler squeezed her shoulder as Paige grabbed Kyleigh’s hand and kissed it. “Hey, Kyleigh. I’m so glad you made it.” She stopped talking and buried her face in Tyler’s chest as sobs took over her voice.
Brooke gently brushed her hair back and kissed the top of her head. “Hey, girl, we’re so glad you’re okay. I’m so sorry about all this,” she said.
Their visit was quick; David was told by the nurse that visiting hours were short when someone was in critical care. An hour later, he sat alone in the cold room, taking in every detail of Kyleigh’s face. He had every groove, every imperfection, and every freckle memorized. He wasn’t sure he’d ever met a stronger woman than Kyleigh. As he sat there, admiring the woman he knew he’d be spending the rest of his life with, he heard another knock at the door. Turning around, he was met by an older woman whom he didn’t recognize. Her long gray hair was draped across each shoulder, and her red, tear stained eyes were cradled by tired bags. Her hand flew to her mouth as her eyes landed on Kyleigh.
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