by J. A. Owenby
Vaughn leaned down, his ear nearly pressed against my mouth. “Nurse Katy. Shooter. Tried to kill me.”
Vaughn pulled his phone out of his pocket, tapped the screen, then held it up to his ear. “Claire was attacked in the hospital. I don’t know if she’ll be okay or not, but it was a nurse. Call in whatever people you have to.”
Vaughn hung up, and seconds later, his phone buzzed. His furious gaze landed on the doctor. “Your nurse just tried to kill my girlfriend who is supposed to testify against Dillon Montgomery in a few weeks. Do you know him?” Vaughn’s nostrils flared, the muscles in his arms taught with tension.
“No.” Dr. Bolan backed up, fear evident on his face.
Vaughn backed him into a corner, growling. “You save her or I’ll sue you for every penny you and the hospital have, and that will be the nicest thing I do.”
Dr. Bolan nodded. “I need to test the drugs in the IV to know how to treat her.”
“You better hurry the fuck up, then.” Vaughn backed up, allowing the doctor to grab the bag and hurry out of the room.
“Hang on, babe.” He took my hand in his.
Nurses filed in, but Vaughn blocked them from getting anywhere close to me. “Out.”
He closed the door and hurried over to me. “Did you trust the nurse that gave you the CT scan?”
I nodded, too exhausted to speak.
Ten minutes later the door to my room burst open. Sutton stormed in, followed by a scared and furious Pierce.
“The cops are on the way,” Pierce said. “Did she get a good look at her?”
“Yes,” I said, my voice scratchy and hoarse.
“I’ll stay with her. You two aid the search.” Sutton pulled up a chair but didn’t sit down. “And where is the goddammed doctor?”
“Don’t let any nurse touch her. I’ll find Dr. Bolan.” Vaughn darted out the door.
“We’re in a lockdown, babe. Take care of her. I’m going to find an officer. I want one posted outside the door. Before I go …” Pierce hurried to my bed. “What did she look like, hon?” He took my hand in his.
“Dark hair. To shoulders. Navy scrubs.” I swallowed as the dizziness swept over me, and I broke into a cold sweat. “Fake name. Katy.”
Pierce swore. “The hospital will have pictures of all their staff. I’ll track it down.” He kissed my forehead. “Sutton, I’ll call in a few.”
“Tired.” I closed my eyes.
“Talk to me, Claire. Stay awake.” She stood, hovering over me.
“I got it!” Dr. Bolan said, running back into the room. “Step back, I need to give her something to counteract the meds.”
Sutton’s hand shot out and grabbed the needle from his hand. “I don’t trust anyone in this hospital right now, so don’t you dare come near her with that. Your nurse already did.”
“Mrs. Pierce …”
If I could have laughed, I would have. The poor guy was so rattled he couldn’t even remember Sutton’s first or last name. My gut instinct told me he had nothing to do with it.
“I understand, but if I don’t get this into her system now, your sister will die within the next five minutes. Please, let me do my job and save her.” His gaze pleaded with her.
Sutton stared at him, then stepped back. “Don’t leave this room until she’s better.”
If I could have shivered from the steel in Sutton’s tone, I would have. A sharp prick pinched my arm; the stinging told me help was on the way. I hoped.
My eyes fluttered open, zeroing in on the large window and night lights that lit up the Spokane night sky. I wiggled my fingers, then my toes.
“There she is.” Vaughn stood over me, smiling.
“Fuck.” I laughed at myself. “What the hell happened?”
I attempted to sit up, but Vaughn gently placed his hand on my shoulder. “Babe, take it easy.” He cleared his throat and tilted his head toward the hospital room door. “I hate to do this to you, but Franklin and the FBI are here.”
“Huh?” I looked around for the first time. Two guys I’d never met stood next to Franklin. Sutton and Pierce were also with them.
“Welcome back, Claire. I’m Agent Tanner and this is Detective Smith.” He nodded to the short stocky man that stood next to him. Agent Tanner towered over the other detective. Before he continued speaking, he swept his messy brown hair out of his line of vision. “We’d like to ask you a few questions about what happened with Nurse Stockholm.”
Seriously? That was her last name? As in Stockholm Syndrome?
“Claire, although it would help the case, you don’t have to answer any questions. If you’d like to speak with me first, then I can ask the agent and detective to give us a few minutes.”
I attempted to brush away the brain fog. “Franklin, is it safe for me to respond? I trust your judgment.” My throat burned, and I reached for the glass of water on the table next to me. I took a sip, allowing the liquid to seep into every nook and cranny of my exhausted being. I was alive. Even the little things I’d taken for granted meant so much to me now.
“Yeah. It’s okay, Claire.” Franklin approached me and took my hand. “I’m glad you’re all right. You gave us quite a scare. Gemma and Mac were beside themselves. They really love you.”
Tears pricked my eyes. “I love them, too. Please tell them I’m okay, and I will see them soon.”
Franklin nodded, then stepped back, allowing the Agent and Detective to do their job.
I rehashed the details for them to the best of my ability. The one thing I’d noticed about her was a dark birthmark on the left side of her neck. It wasn’t large, but it was obvious.
They allowed me breaks when I needed them. My brain was definitely not at its peak performance, but Dr. Bolan assured me I would feel normal in a few days.
When the doctor recommended I stay the night, Pierce put his foot down. Plus, he also had the financial means to take care of me at home, where I was constantly monitored. That choice was much more preferable than where I was. He had already placed a call to a longtime friend and gathered recommendations for my care. At this point, it was just precautionary.
I was still groggy, but I was on the upswing by the time we left the hospital that evening. Sutton drove Vaughn’s car home, and Pierce insisted Vaughn and I ride in his back seat so he could make sure we arrived home safely. We were still hyper alert while we waited to hear if they’d caught Katy or not.
Vaughn broke the safety laws as he held me in his lap while Pierce drove us home. He continued to plant kisses on my forehead while he carried on a conversation with Pierce. I was so grateful I’d not ripped apart their relationship.
“Vaughn, I’d never admit to this, but I would seriously consider hiring a hit on Dillon, Saul, and whoever this Katy woman is. Claire deserves a fucking break. So do you. And although I’ve had my share of ending lives while in the military, it’s not the route I normally take, but these bastards are trying my goddamn patience.” Pierce’s words carried a frigid tone. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that he would do what he had to in order to protect us.
Vaughn didn’t even hesitate. “I’m in, boss. It’s about protecting our family and all other families these sick fucks would cause harm to. You let me know when and where.”
Pierce didn’t reply, but I understood that he was capable of taking the law into his own hands. Most of the time, I wasn’t down with that, but we weren’t dealing with a normal situation. Little girls were being ripped away from their families, shipped overseas, and chained to a wall. They were beaten, raped, and broken. Their masters trained them to please men while they stripped away their soul. Why did those monsters deserve to live?
34
“Are you sure I can’t help?” Vaughn asked from the bathroom door.
I’d locked it on him. Some things I just didn’t need my boyfriend to see, like my chunky pink puke.
I flushed the commode and stood on shaky legs. “I’m okay. Give me a minute.” I held on to the wall, then the cool
granite counter for balance. After washing my face and brushing my teeth, I felt a little more human.
I unlocked the door and opened it, smoothing my black pencil skirt and white blouse. I’d opted not to add the jacket until I had to. “I’m fucking terrified.”
Vaughn pulled me into his warm embrace. My cheek rubbing up against his navy silk button-down shirt, I let the tears flow. Today was the day. I had to testify in court, look those sons of bitches in the eyes, and share the nightmare I’d endured.
“I’m not going to sugarcoat it, babe—it’s going to be hard. I can tell you we’ll all be there, but it won’t help as much as I wish it would. So …” He stepped away and brushed away my tears with the pads of his thumb. “You need something that fills your heart with hope. Gives you something to help you move through the pain of the memories, something that will anchor you when you’re scared.”
He cleared his throat, then dropped to his knees. He reached inside the jacket of his suit pocket and produced a little blue Tiffany’s box.
“From the moment I laid eyes on you, I knew you were the one. I can’t imagine a day without you by my side. I want to travel the world with you, make beautiful babies, see you smile, and hear your laugh every day of my life. Claire Forrester, would you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?”
My hands flew to my mouth, and I dropped to my knees as he opened the box. The one-carat diamond glistened in the sunlight that streamed in through the bedroom window.
“Yes. Yes.” Tears flowed down my cheeks while he slid the ring on my finger.
“I love you so much.” He kissed me gently. “You’re the fire that fuels my soul, the shield that protects my heart, and my reason for being.”
I whimpered against his mouth. “Thank you for loving me. Thank you for believing in me and never giving up on me.” I kissed him frantically, holding onto the beauty of this moment before I had to walk into a pit of evil.
I held my hand out and grinned. “It’s beautiful. You’re beautiful.” I bit my lower lip, admiring the gorgeous ring that graced my finger. “Pierce and Sutton are going to have a hissy fit.”
“No, I asked their permission before I proposed. Your parents, too. We have everyone’s blessing, babe.”
I threw my arms around his neck. “I’m so ready to start my life with you. Begin our forever.”
Vaughn rubbed my back, and we clung to each other, savoring this time together. “We have to go,” he whispered.
I pulled away from him, and he smoothed my hair from my face. “No matter what, we have each other. Whether it’s here in Spokane or Italy, I will always love and protect you.”
He stood, holding his hand out to me, then helped me to my feet.
Whoever said there was safety in numbers was full of shit. I felt better that Vaughn, Mac, Gemma, Sutton, Pierce, Zayne, Hendrix, Cade, Franklin, Janice, and my parents filled the front row of the courtroom. It sure as hell hadn’t stopped my heart from kicking into overdrive while I took the witness stand.
“Ms. Forrester, is it true that you participated in selling and moving illegal firearms?” The defense attorney, Maxwell Scott, asked.
“No,” I said into the microphone. “I witnessed it while at the MC club.” I glanced at the ring on my finger, then at Vaughn. I sat up ramrod straight and narrowed my focus on the lawyer who would attempt to tear me apart. Fuck him. Fuck Dillon, who stared holes into me, who was most likely wishing I would burst into flames and die on the spot.
“And while a part of the motorcycle gang—”
“I wasn’t a part of them. I dated a guy who was a member,” I interrupted.
Franklin tapped his chin, indicating I was giving too much information. I sucked in a deep breath in an attempt to calm my frayed nerves.
“Is it true that you stood and watched little children be sold into slavery?”
I jerked back. This son of a bitch might as well have slapped me.
“No.” My nostrils flared. He was trying to pin shit on me that I’d not had any part of. The second I had realized the kids were being sold, I went to the FBI.
“You’re telling me that you had no knowledge of this particular activity?”
I wanted to jump over the witness stand and pummel this fucker’s face with my fists. I hoped like hell he died a slow, painful death for trying to defend those sick assholes.
“Correct.” My pulse throbbed in my neck. I played with my engagement ring, reminding myself of the amazing future I would have with the man who had stolen my heart.
“And is it true that you planted evidence on a laptop at the club?”
“What?” I shook my head. I was going to lose my shit while under oath. “No. I never at any time planted evidence on any computer at the club or anywhere else.” Dammit. The cocksucker had rattled me, and I was rambling.
“Hm. What was on the files that you planted?” the attorney asked, approaching the witness stand.
“Objection! Leading the witness,” My attorney said.
Come a little closer, you stupid fuck.
“I’m not sure where you got your law degree, but I just answered your question. I didn’t plant anything.”
Vaughn attempted to control his chuckle behind his hand. Sutton, Gemma, Hendrix, Mac, Cade, my parents, Janice, and Franklin grinned. My people were here with me, supporting me with every answer I gave.
“Judge,” I faced him, staring him straight in the eyes. “Permission to speak freely?”
He pinned me with his serious gaze. “Permission granted, but make it brief.”
I straightened my shoulders and ran my fingertips over my new ring. “In the last fourteen months, I’ve been raped, beaten, abducted, and shot.” I gulped, hoping he wouldn’t shut my testimony down. My attention drifted to the twelve jurors. “After I’d been kidnapped to be sold as a sex slave overseas, I was returned to my family, courtesy of Pierce Westbrook, my sister, and the FBI. I hid from life for ten months at home with my parents in Portland. Coen Marshall”—I pointed at Coen—“broke into my house and told me my life was still in danger. In less than twenty-four hours, I moved in with my sister and brother-in-law, where I thought I would be safe. Three months ago, I was approached by Dillon Montgomery and Coen in a park where I was shot and died on the scene.” My head buzzed, my anxiety kicking into high gear. I located Vaughn. His mismatched eyes were full of pride, calming my galloping pulse.
“If you let these men go, I’ll never live a normal life free of the fear of being killed. A second attempt was made a few weeks ago while I visited my doctor at the hospital. This appointment was supposed to be routine, but I was poisoned by a nurse so that I couldn’t testify against Dillon Montgomery today in court.”
Several members of the jury whispered under their breaths.
“Order!” The judge slammed his gavel down. “Strike the last statement. The witness is speculating.”
I closed my eyes and cleared my mind. “If you allow these men to go free, you’d better keep a close eye on your daughters, nieces, and granddaughters. It’s a proven fact that they abduct girls as young as six to rape and sell. Take a look at the evidence. The FBI recovered encrypted files and deciphered them. They named children, places, and the men who bought these innocent children. Take that information and find those girls, bring them home.” My voice broke under the stress and emotion that was overwhelming me.
A large gasp came from one of the jurors.
“These men have seen your faces, and you can bet they already know who your families are. If you love your own girls, then protect them and their future and lock them up for good,” I continued. Tears slid down my cheeks while I went straight for their hearts and brought the horror of the Dark Circle Society into their homes with example after example of what those bastards were capable of.
My shoulders shook as I finally broke down from the terror I had lived through. I would do almost anything to make sure these men weren’t able to ever harm another human being again.
I peeked at the judge. “I’m finished if you’ll allow me to step down.” I knew this wasn’t normal for a witness to take over the testimony, but I was grateful he hadn’t stopped me.
“You’re dismissed,” he said, compassion thick in his words. “Jury you will disregard Ms. Forrester’s comments.”
I hurried down from the witness stand and made a beeline past Vaughn and straight out of the courtroom. No way would I stay for the rest. I couldn’t fucking breathe.
“Claire,” Vaughn came flying out of the door behind me. “You’re amazing.” He pulled me into his arms while I cried all over his expensive suit again. “I love you. I love you so much.”
I clung to him while my body trembled violently against him. “I can’t go back in there. Please don’t ask me to.”
“I’d never ask you to walk back in there. You’re done. It’s in the hands of the jury now.” He cupped my face and tilted my head up to meet his gaze. “While you were testifying … Babe, Katy is dead. The cops tracked her, and there was a shootout near Elk Chattaroy Road. She’s gone. You don’t have to testify again.”
“You’re sure?” I asked as I dug my fingers into his suit sleeves.
“Yeah. I’ll fill you in on the rest later, but it’s over. Now we wait for the jury to decide. If they let them go, you and I are out of here. Pierce and Sutton have it all planned for us. New identities, new careers, and new lives.”
I nodded, unable to articulate the words I wanted so desperately to say. I didn’t want to run anymore. I wanted to be near my family, including Mom, Dad, Sutton, Pierce, and my new friends. But I knew that no matter where I was, we’d find a way to communicate, and they would always be with me.
35
“The jury has been deliberating for two days now. It isn’t a good sign. We were hoping for a quick result, but the defense presented a strong case, causing enough reasonable doubt,” Franklin said.
Pierce had him on speakerphone in his office while we all huddled around, holding our breath as we listened to the update.