by J. L. Beck
I'm a second away from slamming the door in their faces when her mother starts talking. “Please, Hero,” she sniffles. “It’s about Elyse. She’s in trouble.”
“I know she is. The question is how do you fucking know?” I snarl, on the verge of coming unhinged.
This doesn't make sense. Is my dad asking them for ransom too?
“We know where she is.” Elyse’s dad hands me a piece of paper.
If they didn't have my full attention before, they have it now. I unfold it immediately and read the address scribbled on it. “This is where she is? You’re sure?” I don’t even care how they got this information, or how they found out about it. All I care about is finding her—now. The thought of her remaining in his hands a second longer has me dashing out the door.
I push Elyse’s mother out of the way and half knock over her dad. I couldn't care less, though. I have one thing on my mind.
I sprint to my car and climb into it. My tires squeal against the pavement as I haul ass out of the parking lot. I honk my horn and blow through every stop sign along the way. Staring at the address on the paper, I make certain I’m going the right way. Then I pull out my phone and call Damon.
I don’t have time for pleasantries, so I give him the address and tell him to meet me there. Not that I’m going to need help with the killing part. It's the cleaning up I’ll need Damon for.
I pull onto the street, searching for the house number. As soon as I spot it, I drive into the middle of the front lawn, cut the engine, and jump out of the car. I don’t knock or check if the door is open.
Being in a do things, asks questions later kind of mood, I run toward it and kick it open as I go. My foot lands a few inches away from the door knob and the wood around it gives way with a loud crack. Another kick at the same spot and the door swings open.
As soon as I step over the threshold, I know my father is here. The house is vacant, not a single belonging, and though I can’t explain how I know, I just do.
It’s dark now, and there is no light filtering into the house. I see a shadow moving to my left and follow it. My first concern is finding Elyse.
And then I see him—another shadow.
“You’ve always been a fucking coward. Hiding in the dark, only brave enough to fight people half your size. Why don’t you come out and be a man for once in your pathetic fucking life,” I say as I creep through the house, my feet agile, my body ready for a fight, hoping I can draw him out.
“Oh, that’s right. I forgot you can’t be a man. Never have been one. You are nothing more than a fucking loser who can’t keep a job or a woman. And you’ll never be anything besides a lo—” my words are cut off as a body slams into me. I stagger to the side, but stay on my feet.
“Who do you think you are talking to, boy?” he growls into my ear while swinging at me furiously.
He gets a couple good jabs in, but I barely feel those. I grab his fists and twist his arms until he grunts in pain, then I kick his legs out from under him. He falls to the floor with a hard thud, and a thunderous feeling encompasses me.
Grabbing a fistful of his hair with my left hand, I hold his head in place and pull my other hand back. I make a tight fist and slam into his jaw, hitting him over and over again.
Eventually, he stops struggling, and after a few punches, his body goes limp in my hold.
I snarl, angry he’s such a piece of shit, he couldn't even stay awake. My muscles are burning from excursion, air fills my lungs, but I don’t fully breathe. Every time I think of pulling away, I see Elyse and her beautiful face covered in blood and continue punching him until his face is completely unrecognizable. “How dare you fucking touch her!” I seethe into the nothingness. “You piece of shit!” I yell. I push onto my feet and start kicking him, wishing he’d wake the hell up so I could do it all over again.
Blood drips off my hands onto the floor—and I enjoy it. I enjoyed killing him, more than I enjoyed killing my stepfather. I smile, staring down at his pathetic body. I don’t even hear Damon come in, so when he appears from around the corner, I lunge at him. It takes me a moment to get my bearings as Damon’s words echo through my mind.
“Jesus fuck, Hero! We’ve got him. Go get Elyse.” He shoves in the opposite direction of my father's body.
It occurs to me I never asked him where she was.
I run out of the room and start searching through the entire house. “Elyse!” I call out her name, over and over again.
Dread creeps in, and I worry he may have killed her. I keep running from room to room, yelling her name. Then a door under the staircase catches my eye. Of course, the fucking basement.
I rip the door open so harshly, the old piece of shit comes off its hinges. I fly down the stairs and come to a sudden halt on the bottom step. I wish more than anything I could un-see what I’m seeing right now.
Her small fragile body sits in a wooden chair, her limbs tied with rope, her beautiful face swollen, bloodied, and beaten.
She doesn’t move, not even as I walk toward her. Her head remains hanging to the side and those beautiful blue eyes I love so much are firmly closed.
Staring at her there, I think she might be dead, and in that second, I know I won’t walk out of this house alive if it’s true. If she is dead, my life is over.
A low whimper is what makes me take another step forward. I kneel in front of her, afraid to touch her, afraid I may hurt her even more. “Elyse? Please, baby, can you hear me?”
She tries to open her eyes, but she’s too weak. “Hero?”
Her angel voice is low and raspy, but it’s the most beautiful sound I’ve heard in my entire life. I move behind her and retrieve my pocket knife, then start cutting through the rope. “I’m here, baby. I’m so sorry. I am so fucking sorry. I’m going to get you out of here, okay? Hang on. We’ll get you to a hospital. I'll make this right. I’ll never let you go again—never.”
The moment I free her from the restraints, she falls forward, her body too weak to even sit up on her own. I catch her and pull her into my chest. Overcome with emotions I don't understand, I begin to sob.
I hear footsteps behind me and shift to face whoever it is.
I'll kill them. All of them.
“She's okay, man. She's okay.” Damon’s voice fills the room.
My saddened gaze slips down over Elyse, taking in her broken features. “She's not okay…” My voice cracks as more tears slide down my cheeks. “She's not okay.” I dismiss Damon and start up the stairs. My eyes remain on Elyse, my ears listening to the dull thump of her heart.
“No one will ever hurt you again. No one,” I whisper, kissing her softly on her cheek.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Elyse
There’s a blinding light that tries to enter my eyes every time they flutter. Oh, how I wish the morning sunlight would just go away. I shift against the bed sheets. My body aches so badly. I halt my movements and try to open my eyes. It takes an immense amount of energy to get them open, but when I do, everything comes rushing back to me.
The basement. Hero’s father. The horrible things he did to me. My parents. A machine beside me beeps, getting louder and louder. I move my gaze toward it and realize I’m in a hospital.
Machines surround me, and needles poke into my arm. My wrist is no longer in a brace. It is in an actual cast now. I scan the room for someone and find Hero sitting on a chair beside me.
His eyes are closed, and his head is resting on his own shoulder. As if he senses me looking at him in his sleep, his eyes pop open and his dark gaze locks on mine. There’re bluish bags underneath his eyes, telling me he’s had a sleepless night or two. He sits up in his chair and reaches for my hand. My fingers inch toward him, but that little bit of movement is enough to cause me pain.
I wince, grinding my teeth together to hold back the anguish wanting to escape my lips.
“Baby, don’t move, okay?”
Hero’s voice sounds almost foreign. I’ve never heard him so
und so concerned and pained before. “I’m sorry, Elyse—so fucking sorry for all of this. If I’d just stayed. If I’d just told you no, and pushed back, you wouldn’t be here right now.”
I shake my head at him and try to talk. My mouth opens, but I can’t push out the words. Looking around, I search for something to drink.
Hero gets up and grabs a cup of water sitting on the little slide out table for me.
Holding it to my lips, I suck greedily from the straw. Cool water touches my cracked, dry lips, and I guzzle down the drink like it’s the best thing I’ve ever had.
When my throat finally feels somewhat normal, I try to talk again. “Hero—this is not your fault.” The words finally come out, but I have to take a little break in between. Even talking is hard labor. “Please—don’t blame yourself.”
My mind slowly drifts to the people responsible for my kidnapping.
My own parents.
I hate them. I never thought the day would come when I would feel that way, but it has.
“If I would have listened to you and stayed home, this wouldn't have happened. There are so many what ifs. You can’t claim full responsibility when it wasn’t all your fault.”
He shakes his head like he doesn't want to listen to anything I have to say.
Like always, I know how stubborn and set in his ways he can be. But I’m stubborn too, and there’s no way I’m letting him take the blame on this.
He lets out a heavy sigh. “Still, if I wouldn't have entered your life, you wouldn’t be in this hospital bed right now. If I stay out of your life from here on out, you’ll have a better future. I know it, and I’m sure you know it too, you just don’t want to admit it.”
His words shock me so much, I try to sit up. A sharp, radiating pain fills my body, reminding me of my injuries. “What are you saying, Hero?” I’m afraid to even ask.
“I’m saying I’m going to do the right thing and leave as soon as you’re better and out of here.”
His words hurt more than the current pain I’m feeling.
“Don’t worry, though. I can give you some money, so you don’t have to work while you’re in school. I always told you I’d take care of you, and I’ll help you out financially, but that has to be it. I can’t do the love, the touching and kissing. I can’t have you, Elyse. After this, I’ll stay out of your life.”
“I don’t want your money,” I growl, angry he even brought money into this conversation. I could be dirt poor and on the street, and I’d still choose him over anything else. “I want you.”
“I’m not good enough for you.” He holds his head in his hands, his fingers threading through his dark locks.
“Stop it!”
Hero’s head snaps up at my loud voice. I’m proud of myself, of how strong I sound. “Stop telling yourself you are not good enough. There is no one better for me than you! Don’t you get that? We belong together.”
Hero looks at me, and I can see the exact moment he starts believing it too, believes he is good enough for me.
He’s always thought the worst of himself, but I refuse to let him think that way anymore. He’s everything I want and need.
“I love you, Elyse, so fucking much. I love you so damn much, it hurts me. It fucking hurts me to think of losing you again. I cannot lose you again. I can’t.” He leans in to kiss me.
His lips are so gentle and soft, I want to deepen the kiss. A dark stubble covers Hero’s face. It’s the very first time I’ve noticed it since I woke up. “I love you too,” I tell him, nuzzling into his cheek. His touch makes me feel alive.
Our little moment is interrupted with a soft knock against the door. When neither of us say anything, the door opens, and a woman pops her head into the room. She smiles when she sees me looking at her. “You’re awake.” She is way too damn happy for someone like me. She opens the door the rest of the way, putting the door stop into place before walking inside.
I take in her light green scrubs and the stethoscope hanging around her neck. My eyes catch on her nametag. Dr. White. I watch her as she casually grabs a clipboard hanging from the bottom of my bed.
Her eyes go to whatever is written on the clipboard, then she starts talking, “Elyse, my name is Dr. White. I’ve been overseeing your care for the last five days.”
Five days! What the hell have I been doing for five days?
“It looks like you have been healing well. Are you in any pain right now?”
I blink, completely forgetting her previous question. “Wait, did you just say five days?” My gaze swings to Hero, and he shrugs, like he doesn’t have a clue why I’m upset. Five days is a long time to just be sleeping in a hospital bed, doing nothing.
“Yes.” She smiles at me like this is completely normal. “Don’t worry. You went through a very traumatic experience. Your body needed the rest, so we made the decision to put you into a medically induced coma to help you heal faster. You are doing well now and should be able to go home in a few days.”
I feel a little less tense hearing her say that, but going home…scares me.
“Now that you are up, we are going to run a few more tests and make sure everything is all right. We’ve also got you going home on some prescriptions.”
“Okay,” is all I can say. What else am I supposed to say? This entire thing is a mess. I just want to go home and crawl in bed with Hero.
What happened to Hero’s dad? My parents? How did Hero find me? After she leaves, I turn my attention back to Hero. “Hero, what happened to your father?” Just thinking about him makes my stomach churn, the contents threatening to come up. Watching Hero’s face fall at the mention of his dad lets me know he feels the same way.
“Don’t worry about it, baby. You never have to worry about him again. He’ll never hurt you or anyone else. He is gone.”
“Gone? Like in jail?” The thought of him going to jail doesn’t really sit well with me. It sounds more like a free ride for him than anything.
“No, Elyse. He’s dead,” he says the words without showing any emotion. “I killed him.”
To my utter surprise, my first thought is Hero might go back to prison. I’m not scared or shocked. Above all, I’m scared to lose Hero. “What about the police? Does anyone know?” I whisper, like someone might be listening from the corner of the room.
“Damon took care of it,” is all he offers.
I decide to leave it at that. I really don’t want to know any of the details. I’m just glad he is gone and Hero is safe. Maybe all can finally be right in the world again.
“Your parents stopped by to see you.”
My eyes go wide at his words.
“I didn’t let them in, though. I didn’t think you’d want them here, so I sent them away. I also may have threatened them.” He gives me a pant-melting smile that leaves me weak in the knees.
“Good, I never want to see them again. I never want to be in the same room with them again. I hate them. I truly do!” The image of my mother walking away from me, leaving me in that basement will haunt me forever.
“Did you know they were there? They came to get me. I begged them, Hero. I begged for her to stay, and she left—walked right up the stairs. She fucking left me there.” Emotions swirl out of control inside me. It’s like a raging wildfire is taking place and I have nowhere to escape from getting burnt.
Hero nods, and his jaw tightens. His emerald green eyes fill with a fury that matches my own. “Well, you don’t have to see them ever again. If that’s what you want, baby, I’ll make sure of it.”
I hold Hero’s hand in mine and thank god I’m here with him. That I can feel his touch, that he made it to me in time.
We sit in a comfortable silence for a long while.
The nurse comes in a short time later and takes me off some of the machines so I can start getting up and moving around. I’m still sore all over, but being able to walk around the halls and to the cafeteria is nice.
Even nicer is when Hero helps me into the shower. He
washes me from top to bottom, taking care of me better than any nurse ever could. By the time I’m done, I feel ten times better. I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror. Most of my injuries are purple and green partially healed bruises.
Hero presses kisses against the entire side of my face, telling me how perfect I am.
As promised, the doctor runs more tests on me, taking blood samples, urine samples. Like I haven't been poked with needles and ordered around enough already.
By the end of the day, I’m so tired of this hospital, I just want to go back to Hero’s place. I want to go home. After nagging the doctor and nurses all day, I’m told I can go home in the morning if all my bloodwork comes back normal.
When I’m too exhausted to keep my eyes open any longer, Hero folds open the recliner next to my bed and lies down on it.
“I can’t wait to sleep in bed next to you,” I mumble, my eyes heavy. Hero’s hand remains in mine, centering me, reminding me I’m not alone and never will be.
“Tomorrow, baby. Tomorrow,” he whispers, moving enough to press his lips against my forehead. “I love you, Elyse. I love you so much.”
His I love yous are like a lullaby lulling me into a restful sleep.
***
I’m woken in the morning by a soft knock I’m already familiar with. It’s Dr. White. As soon as I realize it’s her, I’m wide awake sitting straight up in bed, a smile lining my lips. “Please tell me you are here to let me know all my bloodwork is good and I can go home?”
Hero stirs beside me, probably from the excitement zinging through me.
“I did get your bloodwork back and you are very healthy and ready to go home.”
I sigh in relief at her words.
“But before I can release you, I need to talk to you about something I noticed when I was looking at your results.”
“What’s wrong?” Hero asks the question running through my head. He’s now sitting straight up, his eyes open wide, as he waits for her next words.
“Well, nothing is wrong...not really. It’s just that you are pregnant. Very early stages, but we were able to detect the hormone change in your blood already.”