IRISH (The Trident Series Book 4)

by Jaime Lewis

  “Not at all. You see, once you sign those papers, you will become my wife, my property.”

  “What happens if I don’t? Because I’m telling you right now, I will never sign them. I will never be anything to you.”

  “Oh, you’ll sign them. Even if I have to beat you until you do.”

  “Then you might as well kill me because I never will,” she yelled, then spit in his face. When he went to wipe his face, she raised her knee and hit him in the groin. He shouted and grabbed himself. She managed to get her feet moving. Her back and hip were very sore, making her movements a little slower. No sooner had she made it down the long hallway and into the entry foyer, Randy came at her again. His face was red with rage. She was going to have to fight her way out. As he got closer, she turned and counterattacked just like Murphy at the dojo had taught her to do if she ever found herself in this situation. Although now she wished she would’ve taken up Irish on his offer to teach her some more evasive defense moves.

  Before she could get her body set, Randy charged her, taking them down to the marble floor. The side of her head made contact with the floor, and her vision blurred momentarily. Randy straddled her body, pinning her to the floor. He gripped her throat and squeezed. Using his other hand, he slapped her across the face.

  “You stupid, stupid, bitch.” He looked at her with wild and crazy eyes and hit her again. “You really think I’ll let you leave here. Leave me!” He shouted at her. She was terrified and cried out from the pain she was in. “You don’t have your big bad Navy friends to back you up this time.”

  Bailey was shocked that he knew Irish was in the Navy. Her surprise must have shown in her expression.

  “That’s right; I know all about your boyfriend and his friends. They can’t help you now.”

  “He’s my boyfriend, and I love him!” She shouted.

  Just when Bailey didn’t think Randy could look any crazier, he suddenly spiraled into a fit of rage. He grabbed hold of her shirt and ripped it. She screamed, hoping Ms. Kay or one of the other staff on-site would hear and help her. She looked around for anything nearby to help her. Her eyes landed on an umbrella leaning against the wall by the door. She reached for it just as Randy stuck his hand in her shirt and squeezed her breast. She felt his other hand trying to undo the button on her jeans. He was going to rape her right here in the open. Using all the power she had, she stretched her arm enough to get her fingers around the base of the umbrella. Once she had a good grip, she swung it down and hit him in the back of the head. He fell sideways, holding his head. When he pulled his hand away, there was blood. He roared and lunged at her again. This time, she was prepared and swung the umbrella like a baseball bat, striking him in the forehead, and he dropped to the ground moaning. She heard footsteps racing down the hall. She felt dazed herself. Before she could muster another thought, Ms. Kay was there pulling her into a hug.

  “Oh, my lord, child. Did he do that to you?”

  All she could do was cry while Ms. Kay held her.

  “Come child; we need to get you out of here. Can you drive, honey?” Bailey would make sure she was good enough to drive. At least far enough away from this place.

  “I have to get out of here,” she mumbled and looked down and saw blood coming from the gash in Randy’s forehead. She was surprised her parents hadn’t come around, considering all the ruckus they were making.

  Ms. Kay took her hand and walked her out through the side kitchen door to avoid being seen. Once she got Bailey into the car, Bailey thanked her.

  “Oh, honey, you don’t have to thank me. I can’t believe that man did this to you.” She touched Bailey’s cheek. “I’ve always known that man was evil. You did the best thing by getting away from here. I’m done after tonight. Not after this. They need to be stopped.”

  Bailey felt bad. She knew Ms. Kay worked her ass off to support her family. She needed to work, considering her parents probably didn’t pay her ditty squat.

  “Ms. Kay, please don’t quit your job because of me. I’ll be fine once I get out of here.”

  Ms. Kay pulled her into a hug. “Oh, honey, I think I only stuck around because of you.”

  Bailey pulled back. “Me?”

  “Sugar, I knew I couldn’t leave your upbringing to your parents. Besides your grandparents, who do you think convinced them every year to have you home for the summer while they galivanted around the world.”

  “You did that for me?”

  “Of course, I did. I would do anything for you, honey.”

  Bailey hugged her. “I love you.”

  Ms. Kay closed her eyes and hugged Bailey tight. “I love you, too, baby girl. Now, listen, you get on outta here before ya parents come looking for ya. Are ya sure you’re okay to drive?”

  Bailey nodded her head, although she wasn’t so sure. Her head was throbbing, and her entire backside hurt. Driving for eleven hours wasn’t going to help or probably the smartest thing to do. But what choice did she have? She thought about driving to Jonathan’s, but he was out of town at some seminar, and his parents were on vacation, so going to their house was out. In all honesty, all she wanted was Irish right now. She wanted his comfort and security, but she couldn’t have that either, so she would just settle for getting home.

  ◆◆◆

  Bailey pulled the rental car into her parking spot in front of her condo. She was exhausted and running on adrenalin and caffeine. It was almost four in the morning, and she had driven straight through. She wasn’t sure how she managed it, but she did. A few times, she thought about stopping at a hotel to rest, but she was afraid Randy or her parents would be hot on her tail. The drive had taken longer than it should have. With her injuries, she had to make more stops to stretch. At least now, it was still dark outside, and people were sleeping. Nobody would see her battered face as she made her way up to her condo.

  She got out of the car slowly. Her body was stiff and sore. She opened the back door and grabbed her bags. She looked at her cell phone. There were multiple texts from Irish he had sent last night. One telling her how much he missed her, another telling her how much he loved her, and a third one telling her good night. She started to cry again. She needed to call him, but if she called now, he would know something was wrong, and he would worry. He didn’t need that since they would be getting up soon to catch their flight home. Instead, she sent off a text letting him know she was home and that she loved him.

  There was one phone call that couldn’t wait. She needed to call Jonathan and ask how she could get a restraining order against her parents and Randy. She should’ve called the police, but knowing her parents, they probably had the local police chief in their back pocket.

  She got into her condo and dialed her cousin. On the third ring, his groggy voice answered. “This better be good, Bailey.”

  She felt bad for waking him, but God knew what her parents and Randy were already planning. She hated them. It brought tears to her eyes, thinking how devious there were.

  “Bailey, are you there?” She heard Jonathan say.

  “Yeah.” She managed to croak out.

  “You don’t sound okay; what’s wrong? Aren’t you in Florida with Irish?”

  “No. I was there, but then my mother called and fed me a line of bullshit about my father having a heart attack, so I left and drove to their house yesterday.”

  “Oh, shit. Bailey, what happened? I was going to call you today. I heard from the county processor, and he informed me that your parents were served on Friday.”

  “Yeah, I know.” She could hear the shakiness in her voice, so she knew that he could hear it as well. “It didn’t go well. Randy was there.”

  “Fuck. Did that bastard hurt you?” Jonathan asked, sounding wide awake now.

  She started to get emotional again and proceeded to explain in detail how her own flesh and blood left her helpless with a man who was going to rape her. After what seemed like an eternity, she finished. “I didn’t know who else to call.” She sniff
led as more tears fell.

  When Jonathan didn’t say anything, she knew he was angry and most likely processing everything she told him. She could hear him over the phone moving around and taking a couple of deep breaths. After about a minute of silence, he finally spoke.

  “Bailey, how bad are you hurt.” He asked, and she was shocked at the calmness in his voice.

  She walked into her bathroom and looked at her injuries in the mirror. She had a nasty bruise on her cheek and a busted lip. When she lifted her shirt and turned, she gasped at the discoloration on her back. Her right hip had a bruise, but it was her head that concerned her the most. The throbbing was getting worse, and she felt a little nauseous. Both were signs of a concussion.

  “I don’t really know. I have bruises all over,” she whispered and then started to cry again.

  “Bailey, you need to get yourself to a hospital. What did Irish say when you called him? I don’t like you being alone for two reasons. One, you’re injured, and two, I don’t trust your parents or Randy not to show up.”

  “Irish doesn’t know. I haven’t called him yet. We talked the night before last for a long time, and things are good with us.”

  “Goddammit, Bailey! Why didn’t you call him first? And another thing, why did you wait? You should’ve called either Irish or me right away. Between the two of us, we could’ve gotten to you somehow.”

  “I’m sorry. I was just so focused on getting away. I didn’t want to call Irish because I didn’t want to put a dampener on Sienna’s birthday weekend. I was going to call him this morning.”

  “He needs to know Bailey. He knows people and can probably get someone to come over and take you to the hospital.” He paused, and Bailey knew he was upset. “God, Bailey, I want to be there for you, but I’m stuck here in Minnesota at this seminar. Give me a couple of minutes to make some calls to some friends of mine in Birmingham. Your parents aren’t getting away with what they did.”

  She didn’t know what else to say, but okay and thanks.

  “You’re family Bailey, and this is what a real family does for one another. They are there for each other in good times and bad. I know you don’t have much experience with that, but you’d better start understanding that.”

  She teared up again. “I love you, Jonathan.”

  He exhaled, “I love you, too. I’m going to call Irish, honey, and tell him what happened.”

  “He’s going to be so mad.”

  “And he should be. You’ve taken enough shit from your parents. They need to be stopped, along with Randy.”

  “Okay. I know I shouldn’t sleep, but I’m so tired.” She’d been up since yesterday morning, and the last real food she consumed was breakfast.

  “Bailey, don’t you dare go to sleep. Not until you get looked at.” After assuring him, she would try to stay awake, she hung up the phone and exhaled as she walked into the kitchen. She hadn’t been to the store, so food was scarce. She found a cucumber and a tomato in the refrigerator and decided to slice them up to make a salad with some Italian dressing. When she pressed the butcher knife into the tomato and almost sliced her finger, she decided to abandon the salad even though her stomach protested the decision. Instead, she grabbed a bottle of water and went to her bedroom to take a shower.

  ◆◆◆

  Irish had just gotten out of the shower. Sienna was still asleep, but he would have to wake her soon, so they could pack and leave for the airport. He thought about calling Bailey but figured she was likely still asleep, considering she didn’t get to her parents’ house until after six last night. He wanted to hear how things went. He’d been a nervous wreck all day worrying about her.

  He stepped into his boxer briefs, then shorts, and pulled on a t-shirt. On his way to Sienna’s room, he heard his phone vibrating on the table. This early, it had to be one of the guys. He picked it up, but when he saw Jonathan’s name flashing on the screen, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. The only reason he would be calling this early was if something happened to Bailey.

  Quickly he swiped the screen. “Hello?”

  “Hey, Ky. It’s Jonathan. Sorry for the early call, but Bailey ran into some trouble at her parents last night, and I’m worried about her. I didn’t know who else to call.”

  Irish’s gut clenched. “What happened. Is she okay? Is she with you now?”

  “No, she’s already home. I don’t have all of the specifics because she wasn’t making sense over the phone, but apparently, the whole story about her father having a heart attack was a ruse to get her home and to keep her there.”

  Irish listened as Jonathan explained what he knew. The more he heard, the angrier he got, and the more he worried about Bailey and how bad her injuries were. When Jonathan mentioned Randy’s involvement, Irish’s body went rigid.

  “Randy is the asshole who she’s been trying to get away from? The one who sent the pictures and ruined her career?”

  “Yeah, that Randy. Like I said, it was all a setup. When Randy showed his face, things got a lot worse.” Irish sat down on the couch and ran his hand through his hair. He was very worried and wondered how bad things had gotten.

  “How bad?”

  He heard Jonathan’s sigh and braced himself. “He attacked her, Ky. She’s injured. I don’t know to what extent, but she didn’t sound good over the phone.”

  He slammed his fist down on the table. “Why the fuck didn’t she call me?”

  “Because she didn’t want to ruin Sienna’s birthday. She was planning on calling you this morning before your flight, but I didn’t like how she sounded on the phone. That is why I’m calling you now. Do you have anyone who you can call and have them check on her?”

  “Yeah, I’ll make some calls.” They spoke for a few more minutes, and Irish thanked him again for calling and promised he would keep him informed. After he hung up, he dialed Bailey’s number as he walked next door to Ace’s room and knocked on the door. He needed to talk to Ace and call the guys back home and have them check on Bailey. When Bailey’s phone went to voicemail, he hung up and became really concerned. What if she was unconscious?

  The door opened, and Ace stood there. “Dude, it’s six-fifteen in the morning, and you look like shit. Who the fuck pissed you off already?”

  Irish had a blank expression on his face. “Bailey’s in trouble.”

  Those three words brought Ace to full attention. Alex was at the door now, standing next to Ace, looking concerned. Both of them were already up and dressed. Irish conveyed to them what he knew. Now the two of them were pissed off and concerned as well.

  “Irish, I’ll call Tenley and Stitch and have them go over to her place. Between the two of them, they can assess her injuries and determine if she needs to go to the hospital,” Alex told them.

  Thank God Alex was thinking rationally. All Irish was thinking about was driving to Alabama and dealing with her parents and Randy. Tenley was a nurse, and Stitch had a good amount of medical training, so Bailey would be in good hands.

  “Have you tried calling her yet?” Ace asked, pulling Irish into the room and closing the door. He couldn’t stay long because Sienna was still sleeping next door.

  “I tried, but it went to voicemail.” He started to pace. “I had a bad feeling when she left. I knew I shouldn’t have let her go. At least not alone. Fuck!” He looked at his watch, “I need to get Sienna up and ready. Plus, I need to pack still.”

  Alex walked back over, holding her phone and touched Irish’s arm. “Okay, Tenley is heading over now. Potter is going with her, and Stitch is meeting them there. Why don’t we go and let Frost and Autumn know what is going on?” She turned to Ace. “Ace, you, Frost, and Irish wait for Stitch and Tenley’s call. Autumn and I will handle getting the kids up and everything packed and ready to go. I’m also going to call my Uncle Tink. When I spoke with my dad yesterday, he mentioned that a couple of Tink’s guys were working a case over in Tampa, and they have one of the company planes. They are supposed to be heading
back home this morning. Maybe they could swing over here and pick us up. That would get us back a little earlier.”

  Irish didn’t know what he and the guys would do without Alex sometimes. Although she wasn’t an actual team member, she played a very vital role. She kept everyone grounded. He walked over and hugged her.

  “Thank you,” he whispered. She squeezed him back. “She’ll be okay, Irish. She’s strong.”

  And didn’t he know that.

  ◆◆◆

  Bailey blinked her eyes open and groaned. Her head felt as if the “The Little Drummer Boy” was inside her head beating on his drum. Make that several drums. She felt a little queasy. She tried to move closer to the edge of the bed, where she had put a trashcan in case she had to vomit. When she moved, her body protested. Her entire body was sore.

  She looked at the clock; she needed to call Irish, but in all honesty, she just didn’t have the energy. She wanted to close her eyes and hope that when she woke up, all of this had been a bad dream. She felt so numb and foolish. How could parents do this to their own child?

  She heard her front door open, and her heart stopped. Fear consumed her at the thought that Randy had come back for her. She knew he had to be pissed, and he wasn’t the type to just sit back and let something like that go. It was just a matter of time before he sought revenge.

  Her breathing grew rapid, but then a familiar voice called out, and damn if she didn’t feel like a balloon being deflated.

  ◆◆◆

  Tenley walked down the hall of Bailey’s condo leading to the master bedroom. Potter and Stitch were both with her. She pushed open the bedroom door and had to hold back her gasp as she spotted Bailey curled up in the middle of her bed. Her face was buried in the pillows, and her shirt was bunched up, but the three of them couldn’t miss the ugly bruises that painted Bailey’s back.

  She looked at Potter and Stich, and she could see how upset and angry they were. They both nodded for her to go first. She took a few steps closer to the bed. The last thing she wanted to do was scare Bailey. She could hear the muffled sobs coming from Bailey. “Bailey,” she whispered. “It’s me, Tenley. I have Potter and Stitch with me. We came to check on you, sweetie.”