by Scarlet West
“This is it,” Reid confirmed. “The Greenway Motel.”
“Oh.”
I swallowed hard. Got out of the car.
Together, Reid and I walked closer. We’d parked the car at the station, and I glanced round, making sure we could access it easily from where we were.
“Look, Hayley,” Reid whispered. “Cars. Is one of them his?”
“I don’t know,” I said. I felt like a complete idiot. Two cars were parked in the shadow of the motel parking-lot. One was white – a Toyota or a Honda. The other was something similar, in red. “It could be. The teacher saw a red car.”
“Yeah,” he said softly.
We looked at each other. It was a slim lead, but it was the biggest ray of hope we’d had so far. I looked up at him. He swallowed hard. I’d never seen his blue eyes so worried, not even when he talked about his lost troops.
“We can ask the manager if he has guests,” he said.
“We can tell him what’s going on, and ask him to tell the police,” I said swiftly.
He raised a brow, but nodded. “Yeah,” he said. “Good idea.”
We went in together.
“A room for the night?” A tired-looking man asked us from behind the desk.
“Are you the manager?” Reid asked politely.
“Listen, we’re looking for a man and a child,” I said, jumping ahead. Now that we were so close, I had to know if he knew.
“Hey. You fellers the FBI or something?” the man looked surprised. “I want to see some ID, first.”
I drew in a frustrated breath. Reid coughed.
“I’m Lieutenant Collingwood,” he said swiftly. “This is Hayley Jones. Her son went missing. We think his father has kidnapped him.”
“Oh.” The man’s brow shot up. “Well, there are a man and a kid here. Checked in this afternoon. They’re in room twenty-eight. Top floor, on the right. Can’t tell you more than that.”
“Thank you!” I whispered. I looked around at Reid. He nodded. His eyes were hesitant.
I was already turning away, heading for the stairs. Reid nodded to the man.
“Could you call the police, please?” He said.
The man shrugged. “Sure. But if you’re wrong and they’re called out for nothing, you can explain it to them.”
“I will,” Reid promised ominously. We ran for the stairs.
“Reid it’s them. I know it’s them. Your hearing the trains, the sighting of the teacher, the car, it has to be them. It all fits together.”
“It does seem that way,” Reid nodded.
We reached the third floor and looked around. When we got to the door, I hesitated. “Let me talk to him,” I said.
Reid nodded. “Good idea.”
I knocked on the door. We both stayed silent. I thought I heard something on the other side. Something scuffling, and then a footstep. I looked at Reid. He nodded back. I knocked again.
“Is that the housekeeper?” the clipped voice yelled back. “If it is, you can come back later.”
“It’s reception. You have an urgent call.”
“How the hell would I have a call?” the voice called back rudely. “I, oh, fine.” The door opened.
I found myself looking into Joel’s face.
He looked back at me. I saw his dark eyes widen and then narrow. He stepped back. “Hayley?” he said. “How the hell?”
I twisted around, sighting down the line of his gaze. He’d spotted Reid, in the hall, just behind me.
He looked at me, and his eyes held rank surprise before they settled down into their usual hooded contempt. “Oh,” he said. “That’s so typical. You’re a real slut, you know that?”
“What?” I said. I was horrified. “It’s been seven years, Joel!” I stared at him. How could he even think that he had some sort of claim on me? Affront was greater than my common sense.
“I’d watch that mouth if I were you,” a voice said from behind me. “Apologize.”
Joel’s eyes blazed. He rounded on Reid. “Who do you think you are?” he yelled.
Reid lunged forward and Joel stepped back. He was out of the doorway now, rounding on Reid. I stepped sideways and around him, into the room. Remembering the scuffling noise, I looked around swiftly. Where was Joshua?
Behind me, the men were fighting. I heard shouts and threats. Once, I heard a punch. My heart thudded in my chest. Joel was big – he’d played baseball in his college years and for all I knew, he still did. He was big, but I knew he was no match for Reid’s strength.
“Joshua?” I whispered. “Josh? It’s me. Where are you?”
I was starting to feel desperate. I ran to the bed, past the bathroom door. I threw open the wardrobe, knowing his predilection for hiding in wardrobes when things got scary. I didn’t see him.
“Josh!” I yelled. I was getting desperate. I looked under the bed, and patted the suitcase.
“Mommy?”
The whisper was a thread of sound, a ripple in the seething pool of noise. I heard it instantly.
“Josh!” I called. I ran. The sound came from the bathroom. I pushed open the door.
“Josh?” I looked round wildly, my eyes scanning over the small shower, the sink with the crack. They settled on the bathtub.
“Joshua!”
A small head of reddish dark hair appeared nervously. Eyes as brown as tea looked up at me over the rim.
“Mommy,” he whispered. “Mommy.”
I ran to him and climbed into the bath. I fell into it, clumsily. He crawled to me, small arms tightening around me. I held him like he was a life raft, breathing into his hair.
“Josh,” I whispered. “Josh. You’re safe. Thank Heavens! You’re alright.”
“Mommy,” he whispered. He was looking up at me. A tear tracked down his cheek, soundless. “Mommy. You’re here. You’re safe.”
“I’m safe.” I stared at him, my hands resting on his shoulders. “He said so,” he whispered, his wide eyes holding my own. “He said you were sick, in the hospital. That you were dying. That I had to go with him to see.”
“What?” I whispered. I felt my heart go hard. I bit my lip, trying to contain my fury. “No, I’m fine,” I whispered into his hair, as he leaned on my chest again, cheeks streaked with tears. “I’m fine. We’re going home together now.”
Josh looked up at me, eyes round, filled with raw terror. “What about him?” he whispered. “He’s not nice Mommy.”
“Reid’s here,” I said, stroking his hair. “Reid will sort that out. He can’t hurt us. Not anymore.”
“Good,” Josh whispered, and burrowed his head under my arm. “Reid is nice.”
“Yes,” I whispered, stroking his hair softly. “Reid is nice. And he won’t let anybody hurt you. Not ever again.”
As my son went quiet again, I heard the noises of the fighting. The shouts had ceased, and now I could only hear the hard, thick sound of punches, and a grunt or two. I heard other sounds, too – footsteps, people running. A distant siren and the sound of shouting – neither Reid nor Joel, but somebody else. I got out of the bath and closed the door and prayed that Reid was as strong as Joshua and I thought he was. That everything was going to be okay. That he would be safe.
34
Reid
I hit him in the face, hard. I could see he was bleeding freely now, a cut on his brow where a blow had split the skin. Seeing that felt good.
I grunted as he punched me in the stomach. I should have seen the blow coming, but I hadn’t. As it was, it was just a waste of his strength. I punched him again, harder this time. I felt something crack. I hoped it was a rib. He wheezed and coughed.
Good.
I narrowed my eyes, ready to hit him again. My left eye was swelling fast – thanks to a blow he’d landed, early on – and I knew I had relatively little time before it would be swollen closed. He would have an advantage then.
“You like whores, don’t you?” Joel said.
I saw red. I drew back a fist and punc
hed him again, hard. This time, I split his lip. He spat out blood and snarled at me.
I saw the blood and heard the words, thought about Hayley and the terror in her eyes. This man had tormented her for seven years! He’d made her run for her life, deprived her of safety and happiness. For seven years!
I snapped.
Howling with rage, I threw a punch at his head, and another at his chest. I was flailing with both fists now, landing blows I wasn’t aware of, wasn’t counting. I kicked and hit and fought and screamed.
“Hayley!” I yelled.
This man wasn’t a man anymore – he was a symbol. He was an oppressor, a bully. Like the men who’d hunted us in the mountains. Like the man who shot my boys. Only this time, this man was attacking Hayley, and her child. And I was not going to stop until there was nothing left.
“Hands up!” somebody shouted, as I drew back for another blow. “Everybody in here, freeze!”
I punched Joel again. He snarled and lashed out at me. His face was a mass of bruises now, one eye swollen shut, blood dripping from his forehead, his nose, his mouth. I saw the blood and saw how close I was to ending him and saw him move, still, to hit me.
I struck out again.
A gunshot exploded near my ear. I heard a bullet hit the ceiling and stick in the concrete. I whipped around and found myself looking at a tall police officer in a blue uniform.
“That was a warning shot, son,” he said grimly. “Leave the guy alone and stand back.”
I nodded and stood up.
“Hands up!” another officer yelled from the doorway. I met the sergeant’s eyes and he gave me a tired look, like he found the order as officious as I did. He shrugged. I lifted my hands.
“You, on the ground. Get up – if you can,” the sergeant said. He looked at me and back at Joel and I saw his brow rise fractionally. He looked shocked. “I was protecting my girl,” I said honestly. “And her son.”
The officer just shrugged. “You can tell all that to us downstairs. Now, you’re both coming with us.”
I looked around at the bathroom, knowing Hayley was in there. “Okay,” I nodded. “I just need to do something quickly.”
“Are you Mr. Joel, um…” the man frowned as he tried to read the surname from a sheet of paper. I shook my head.
“That’s him,” I said. “I’m Reid Collingwood. And my girl and her son are in the bathroom.
“Hayley,” I called urgently through the hollow-core door. “Hayley? It’s me. Reid. It’s safe. The cops have him. It’s okay, you can come out now.”
I heard somebody walk across the floor and lean on the door.
“Hayley?” I called. “Are you okay?”
The door unlocked and her face, pale and urgent, appeared at the opening. “Reid,” she whispered. “Are you okay?”
Her hand went to her mouth as she studied me. I shrugged, wondering just what sort of shape I was in. I knew my eye must be pretty spectacular – I could already see nothing.
“I’m fine,” I said shakily. “Where’s Josh? Is he okay?”
“Reid!” I heard his voice. “You saved us.”
I swallowed hard. In all the months of pain and torment since my men had been lost, I would never – not ever – have expected to hear somebody say that phrase.
“I did my best,” I said.
He smiled up at me and I looked tiredly down at him. Then I turned to Hayley.
“Come on,” I said gently. “Let’s go.”
We walked together into the hallway. Joel was there with the cops, still trying to argue. I saw Hayley glance at him with a sort of horror, and then her eyes went down to Josh. I nodded.
“Go down to the car,” I said gently. “I’ve got to talk to these guys, and then I’ll join you. Promise.”
She looked at me warily but took Josh’s hand and went down the steps. I turned to the cops. With the help of the guy from reception we managed to explain our case. The officer wrote everything down and I left.
“Hayley?” I called as I went down the steps. “Hayley? Where are you?”
I found her in the parking lot. She was standing by the car, her hand on Joshua’s arm, gripping tight. She whirled around, her eyes enormous, as she heard my voice. I saw her relax visibly as she saw who it was.
“Are you alright?”
“Everything’s fine. I’m ready to go.”
“Oh, Reid,” She leaned against my chest, her body heaving with sobs. I held her in my arms and let her cry. Beside my leg, Joshua held onto my jeans. I felt love well up inside my chest like a physical thing.
I waited until she had taken a deep breath and then I unlocked the car. Joshua crept into the back and lay down on the seats. I waited for Hayley to get in and locked the doors. I thought we’d all feel safer that way.
We drove back to my house.
When we got there I carried Joshua upstairs – he was fast asleep and I lifted him easily, even though Hayley shook her head.
“Reid, no. You’re bleeding.”
I shook my head. “He weighs nothing.”
I laid him on the bed and turned to where Hayley had followed me inside.
“Sh,” I whispered. “It’s alright now. You need to have some dinner.”
I was exhausted now too and I needed to sit down. I didn’t understand where this energy was coming from. It must be something to do with the military training. Or maybe everybody got to this place where they were on autopilot, just doing the things that were necessary.
“I don’t need dinner,” Hayley whispered into my ear. “I need you to sit down and stop working.”
Hayley’s hair tickled my shoulder. I smiled down at her. “It’s okay. I can do this. Should we get takeout?”
She shook her head. “Let me do that, Reid. You go and sort yourself out, you’re bleeding,” she said again.
I nodded. I walked with weary legs up to the bathroom and washed my face. I could hear her on the phone, and then silence.
When I got back down to the kitchen, I found her curled up in a ball in the corner. I tiptoed over to her.
“Hayley?” I whispered. She rolled over and looked up at me blankly. “Reid?” she whispered. Her voice seemed to come from a long way away. “Reid? I’m sorry, I’m just so afraid.”
“Shh,” I said, crouching down beside her. I held out my arms and held her. “It happens. It’s the shock. Your body’s running a lot of adrenalin right now. It’s okay. You’re okay. We’re here in my kitchen and we’re safe now.”
“I just can’t stop thinking about it. The bathroom, the noises, what would have happened?”
I sighed. “We don’t know. We won’t ever know; which is a good thing.”
“I know,” Hayley said. “Reid thank you. I can’t ever thank you enough. You saved my baby. You saved us.”
“I didn’t, Hayley,” I whispered into her hair, even though a sweet, wonderful emotion was filling my chest. It felt like redemption. “You saved me.”
Hayley was sobbing quietly, and I held her gently until the sobs settled down to quiet hiccups. I could feel my foot going stiff and my arms were cramping. But she needed me to hold her, and I did.
“Oh, Reid,” she sniffed. “I should get up. One of us has to get the door.”
I looked at her. One of my eyes was swollen shut. I had washed off the worst stains, but the bruises were still there unconcealable. I guessed I must look terrible and whoever was going to open the door it wasn’t going to be me.
“I’ll get it,” she said. She got to her feet and walked lightly down the hallway. A minute later, the doorbell rang. I heard Hayley let them in. I was leaning against the wall, too tired to move.
“Dinner,” Hayley said, coming in with a big cardboard box. “I don’t know what you like, so I got a selection.”
I felt my cheeks lift in a grin. “That was thoughtful.”
She just smiled at me and we sat down at the table. I was almost too tired to eat, but I managed it somehow. When we had finished, I got up
to take the box out to the dumpster and Hayley reached for me.
“Stay here? Please?”
I nodded. I took her hand. “I’m not going anywhere,” I promised.
She stood up and we looked into one another’s eyes. I kissed her. She leaned on me.
“I’m really tired,” she whispered.
I nodded. “Me too.”
We walked, arm in arm, through to the other bedroom. She lay down on the bed and I hastily undressed, then slid inside. I gently helped her to undress and she got in and lay down beside. Me. With our arms around each other, we drifted off into a deep sleep.
I woke later to feel her body pressed to mine. Sleeping, she was delicately lovely. I reached over and stroked her hair, feeling how warm and soft it was. I moved closer. She stirred and reached for me. I was aroused now and I couldn’t help that. I gritted my teeth – I had no idea if she was ready for that.
I stroked her side and she made a soft groan and moved back against me. I felt myself getting harder, my need filling me up. I drew her against me and kissed the tip of her shoulder. She leaned on me and I stroked her skin, whispering in her ear.
“Hayley? Are you awake?”
“Yes?” she whispered back.
She moved closer, rubbing her body against mine in a way that made me light up from within. I put my arms round her and held her close, my cock sliding against her. I turned her around and kissed her lips and slid inside her.
She sighed and cried out and I felt overwhelmed with the intensity of it. I pulled out and pushed in and felt my body start to fill up with excitement and calm, my focus solely on the feeling inside me and the beauty of the moment.
I wrapped my arms around her, gasping and trying to hold back as I started getting closer. She sighed and held me and I moved into her, faster and faster. She was tight and warm on me and I couldn’t feel or hear or know anything but the wonderful feeling that was being with her.
She cried out just before I did, a ragged gasp that flooded my soul and pushed me over the edge. I gripped her tight and felt my own climax. Exhausted, we lay side by side until the morning.
