by Erin Osborne
Keira is the only one who knows my real name because we talk on a regular basis about the work she wants done. I felt weird talking to her under the business account without letting her know my real name. Especially when we occasionally talk about things not business-related. She’s becoming a friend even if she lives nowhere near me. I’m not sure where she’s from, but I don’t need to know.
Today, I’ve worked on a few covers for the premade section of my pages, and I’ve designed the next one for Keira. I’m just waiting on her approval or for her to tell me if there’s anything she wants changed. She’s on deadline right now, so I know it will be a while before I hear back from her. The rest of the day I plan on reading one of her books. She sent me the first one in her MC series and I can’t wait to dive into the world she’s created.
Walking to the living room, I set my iPad down on the table and make myself a quick lunch of a cheeseburger sub I got yesterday. I’ll end up finishing it for dinner tonight because the thing was a lot bigger than I anticipated. Turning on the oven, I wait for it to warm up so I can heat my sub. There’s fries I’ll put on the tray too and warm up my gravy to go with it.
It’s raining out and I feel as if a storm is about to blow through, so I walk through the house and make sure the doors and windows are closed and locked while grabbing the blanket from the end of my bed to cover up with on the couch. I pick out a movie to watch, or have playing in the background while I read and eat my lunch. Today is perfect for a lazy day, especially if we get thunderstorms. I don’t want to be on my computers working and have something happen to them.
By the time I’m done with my walkthrough and making sure I have drinks, snacks, and my blanket and a pillow, my food is ready to eat. I shut the ringer of my phone off and stick it in the pocket of my sweatpants before laying down on the couch. Turning on the movie, I take my first bite of my sub and moan at the taste of it. I love this sub and I’m going to have to go there on a regular basis for it. Yeah, I don’t care about what I eat— as long as the food tastes good, I’m going to eat it.
I relax back against the couch and eat my lunch while beginning the book. I’m reading on my iPad, and it’s not the same as holding an actual book in your hand, but that’s okay, I’ll get used to it.
Keira’s book sucks me in from the beginning and I can’t put it down. By the time the movie’s done playing, I’m almost finished. Hell, I don’t even remember finishing my lunch because I was that into the book. I’ve never had an author suck me in like that before. Going to the website her books are on, I buy the rest in the series and dive into the second one after taking a break to put a different movie on and go to the bathroom.
It looks like I know what I’ll be doing the rest of the day, getting submerged into Keira’s world and not coming back out until I’m done with the remaining four books out so far in the series.
It’s just after midnight and I’m finally crawling into bed. I’ve managed to read three of Keira’s books today. I’m not starting the next one because I know if I do, I’ll get sucked in and I won’t go to bed tonight. I don’t want to get on a fucked-up sleeping schedule, so I forced myself to put the iPad down, leave it in the living room, and now I’m crawling between my sheets.
The thunderstorm has hit and lightning flashes in my room every few seconds followed by loud claps of thunder. Rain is hitting the window so hard it sounds like hail is being thrown around. The wind is whipping through the trees and I can see the tree in the backyard bending with the force of it. This is the kind of weather I love falling asleep to. It reminds me of the torment and pain I’ve been through in the last year and how much strength it’s taken to overcome it so far.
It doesn’t take me long to fall asleep as I let the sounds and flashes of lightning fill the room. I’m lulled to sleep, a dreamless sleep.
Jolting awake, I hear the unmistakable sound of glass breaking somewhere in the house. There’s cursing and a loud thud as I lay frozen in my bed. Before I can make a move to hide, my door is flung open and a man wearing a mask is standing in the open doorway. He’s dripping water as he looks at me for a few seconds.
Trying to jump from my bed, I get tangled in the sheet and blankets. I end up flat on the floor next to my bed, leaving the man the perfect opportunity to get to me. He sits on my back, barely putting any of his weight on me. Visions of the night I was kidnapped surface, but I tamp them down and try to figure out a way out of this predicament I find myself in.
“Don’t move. I’m not gonna hurt you. Just need you to get out of town. If you do this willingly, you’ll survive. The second you come back to town, I’ll know and you won’t like the repercussions of your decision. You’re going to pack a bag of what you need, grab any money you have, and we’re going to walk out of here. Do you understand me?” the man asks, keeping his voice almost a whisper so I can’t recognize his voice.
I’m so scared, I don’t think to take in anything about the man as he lets me up, walks to turn on the light switch, and tells me to hurry up. I pack a large duffle bag of clothes, leaving my drawers and closet door open in my haste to do as he tells me to do. I’ve learned if I cooperate, I’ll be left alone. At least for a while. The only thing I have on me he doesn’t know about is my phone. As it hits my thigh, I realize it’s still in my pocket and on silent. Hopefully, I can get away with it so I can make a call if I’m left alone.
Grabbing my laptop, which he’s reluctant to let me do, I show him my work and let him know the authors I work for will alert someone if they can’t get their work on time. This is no regular kidnapping, not if he’s letting me take money and a bag full of my things.
When I’m done grabbing my essentials, including my purse from the living room and my iPad, he leads me outside to a dark colored sedan with blacked-out windows. No lights shine from anywhere on the street, so even if I yelled and caused a scene, no one would hear me. Or bother checking to see what’s going on. Yeah, there’s nosy neighbors, but when shit goes down, they all mind their own business and don’t offer to help anyone out. I’m not that neighbor, I’ll alert anyone to anything suspicious I see. You never know what’s going on and if you’re helping save a life.
“Get in the car and don’t think about trying anything stupid,” the man says, still keeping his voice low.
I do as he says and get in the car. He loads my duffle bag and computer bag into the trunk and then gets in the driver’s door. The first thing I notice is I won’t be able to open my door because there’s no handle on the inside of it. He starts the car and I sit back, waiting to see what’s going to happen next.
Yes, I’m scared about what’s going to happen to me, but I’ve already been through some horrible shit and this man doesn’t seem anything like the guys who took me before. So, I’m going to sit back and try to formulate a plan in case he does try to hurt me. I’ll be ready this time.
“You’re going to get on a bus and leave town. I don’t care where you go, but don’t come back here. Don’t tell anyone from here where you’re at either. Do you understand me?” he asks, heading out of town.
“Yes.”
Turning my head, I watch the scenery fly by as he gets on the highway and continues on to the closest bus station. We don’t talk and I don’t try to look at the man. I’ve already discovered nothing is visible on him. The only thing I know for sure is he’s taller than me, but not quite six foot tall. Other than that, he’s covered from head to toe in black and the mask covers his face. The parts that aren’t covered by the material seem to have black paint covering his skin tone.
This leads me to believe I have seen the man who took me from my home and is ordering me from town. I’m not sure where I’d see him considering I don’t really leave the house. If I do, I only go to a select few places. The store, diner, sub shop, a few boutiques on Main Street, and the clubhouse are the only places I go to in town. I know it’s no one from the club because they’re all built and at least six foot tall. This man has very little mu
scle tone based on the tight clothes he’s wearing.
After what seems like hours, but I’m sure is only an hour at the most, he slows the car to get off the highway. He drives through a small town and comes to a stop at the bus station. There’s a ton of activity going on already even though it’s still the middle of the night. I don’t even know what the hell time it is.
He gets out of the car and grabs my bags before walking around to let me out. I don’t try to run or anything else as he flashes a gun for the first time since breaking into my home and taking me. It’s the first time since this began that I feel fear. I’m not going to do anything to have him shooting at me. Not in a public place filled with innocent people.
“Remember, get far from town and don’t return. She’ll know if you show your face around again and you’ll pay. If she doesn’t come after you directly, she’ll go after your sister and niece and nephew. The woman knows everything about you, Hollie. Don’t make this worse on yourself,” he says, letting his voice come out naturally and I can almost recognize it.
“I won’t,” I answer, picking my bags up and heading toward the station.
“I don’t want to have to hurt you next time,” he says as I walk away.
Well, this isn’t how I saw my damn night going. I wanted to get some sleep, work in the morning, and then finish the books I’m reading. Instead, I’m going on a trip to destination unknown and I won’t be able to come back. Well, I guess I’ll have to get Raine to pack up my shit and send it to me once I know where I’m going.
Stopping at the counter of the station, I buy a ticket for a bus leaving in a few minutes. I’m so nervous, I don’t even know where the hell I’m going. The cashier tells me where the bus is as she hands my ticket to me. I turn around to see the guy leaning up against his car watching me. So, I take a deep breath and make my way to the bus. The man loading the bags takes my duffle bag while I keep my laptop bag and purse with me. I can lose the clothes and shit, just not my computer or money and cards.
Climbing on the bus, I choose a seat in the back of the nearly empty bus and wait to leave. I pull out my phone and debate texting my sister but think better of it. I’m going to have to wait if the man is to be believed and whoever is behind this knows my sister. There’s no way in hell I’m going to put her or the kids in jeopardy, even though I know Satan will protect them with his life.
So, I shut my phone off so no one can track me and then relax against the seat. The driver climbs aboard the bus as I look out the window and see the man still standing there. He’s not going to leave until the bus does to ensure I don’t get off the bus and find a way home. Or, he’s going to follow the bus out of town for a while to make sure I don’t get off at any stops along the way.
“Our final destination today is Steel Mills. We’ll have two stops along the way for food and bathroom breaks. Our arrival time is approximately two this afternoon,” the driver says over the loudspeaker before pulling the door shut and leaving the bus station.
I settle back into the seat and let my mind wander while the bus rolls along the highway and further away from my family. Thoughts of Raine and everything she’s done for me fill me and make my eyes well with tears. I know she went crazy when I was kidnapped the first time and didn’t rest until I was found. She associated with unsavory people and could’ve been hurt herself. So, I’ll make sure she knows I’m okay, I’ll just have to wait until I’m there to do it.
Capone also fills my mind. I want to be there for him when he gets the baby from NeNe, but I’m not sure it’s the best decision. Hell, at this point, maybe time away from him will help me. I won’t be consumed with thoughts of what he’s doing or who he’s with. I won’t have to worry about being hurt when he doesn’t stop by because he won’t know where I’m at.
There’s nothing I can do now except enjoy the bus ride. So, I pull out my iPad and get started on Keira’s next book. At least I have something to do for the journey. It’s not until I’m about halfway through the book that I realize not only who took me this morning but who’s behind it. Clay is the man who broke into my home and took me in the middle of the night. That’s why he kept trying to whisper. And NeNe is the reason I’m having to leave Willow Creek. That fucking bitch!
She’s that scared of my relationship with the club and Capone, that she’s resorted to having me kidnapped in the middle of the night. If it were anyone else but Clay, I’m sure I would’ve been hurt too. He wouldn’t hurt me because he likes me. I believe he still thinks we have a future and it’s not true in the least. I’ll have to see how this plays out now. Damn twatwaffle.
Chapter Nineteen
Capone
WE HAD A horrible storm last night and I want to check on Hollie. I’ve tried calling her all day and her phone just keeps going to voicemail. I’m starting to get worried, but I don’t want to just show up at her house. Again.
If she doesn’t answer soon, I’m going to go there and call Raine to see if she’s talked to her. For now, maybe she’s still sleeping. Or she’s busy working on whatever secret job she has. Hollie still hasn’t confided in me about that one and it hurts more than I thought it would. We went from telling one another everything to barely talking. When we do talk, we spend more time fighting and arguing it seems than anything else.
I’m standing outside enjoying the sun beating down and drying everything up after the rain. The air is fresh and smells of last night’s storm still. I’ve always loved the smell outside after a good rain or thunderstorm. It’s as if the storm washes all the bad away and gives everyone, and everything, in the world a fresh start. The same when we get snow in the wintertime.
Walking into the clubhouse, I see Raine sitting at a table with Satan and the kids. My resolve to give Hollie time flies out the window as I walk directly to their table. Raine and Satan look at me as I take a seat between them, worry etching my face.
“Either one of you heard from Hollie since last night?” I ask, not bothering with pleasantries.
“No. Why?” Raine cautiously asks.
“Can’t get a hold of her. Her phone keeps goin’ straight to voicemail. It’s not like her. Just wanted to check on her after the storm last night,” I answer.
Raine pulls her phone out and tries to call her sister. When she immediately hangs up, I know it’s doing the same thing for her. She looks at Satan and her face matches my own as worry and fear for Hollie fill us. I know exactly where Raine’s mind is at because mine is there too— something has happened to her or she’s been taken again.
After the hell Hollie went through a year or so ago, it’s a natural reaction to assume the worst. Hollie is not someone who’s going to go without talking to her sister. If she were going on a trip or something, she would have told her. And she’d never shut her phone off or ignore Raine’s calls. Not after the kidnapping. Hollie doesn’t have it in her to treat Raine, or anyone else, that way.
“Satan, you need to go see her. Make sure she’s okay,” Raine pleads with her husband.
Satan’s already out of his seat before she finishes speaking.
“You stay here. Don’t do anythin’ stupid, Raine. I’ll call as soon as I get to her house,” he says, leaning down and kissing her as I stand up with him. “If you’re goin’, you better wait outside. I don’t want to piss Hollie off if we wake her ass up.”
I nod my head and practically run outside with Satan at my heels. We straddle our bikes and leave the clubhouse as fast as we dare with the pavement and roads still damp. It’s not quite warm enough to soak up all the water. The last thing we need to do is get into an accident because we’re not being careful.
It feels like hours pass instead of less than ten minutes before we get to Hollie’s house. I pace the front of the house while Satan knocks on the door. When he doesn’t get an answer, I walk around the side of the house and see a broken window just past the garage. It leads to the laundry room just off the kitchen.
“Satan!” I yell out.
My President runs around the side of the house and immediately notices the window. He runs n to me and peers inside while I run back to the front door. I try the handle and it opens immediately. Hollie always locks the house up. Especially if she leaves.
Satan follows me inside the house and we run in opposite directions. He goes toward the laundry room while I head to her bedroom. The room is a mess. Her blankets are spread across the bed and look to be half on the floor. Drawers are left open with clothes hanging halfway out of them and the closet looks as though a tornado went through it. Hollie just moved her room around and it’s been spotless. She doesn’t like a mess.
I leave the room and open the door to her office. There’s papers on the floor and her laptop is gone. I pick up one of the papers and see a book cover on it. Is this what she’s been doing for work? Making these? Because it’s not her name on the cover of the book, it’s someone else’s name.
Before I can think on it too long, Satan is standing behind me. He’s looking over the paper in my hand.
“Yeah, she’s good. I heard Raine and her talkin’ about it one night, but I know she’s not ready for anyone to know she does this. Better than I thought she was at it since she’s just startin’ out,” he tells me.
“Enough about this. What did you find?” I ask him, my impatience soaring as I place the paper on the desk.
“Not much. There’s no fabric or anythin’ left in the window. Her truck is still here in the garage and everythin’ else looks untouched. What about you?” he asks.
“Her room is trashed. It looks like she packed somethings in a hurry and just vanished. Where would she go?” I ask, more to myself than him.