by Raven Rivers
“There, along the far side of the field is a tree line. I see something that looks like shelter. No?”
Luka moved forward and squinted. “Yes, I see it. That’s where they have to be.”
Moving quietly across the field, they stopped outside the small cabin and listened for noise coming from inside. They heard something that sounded like a struggle, but they couldn’t be sure. Unwilling to wait any longer, Yuri kicked in the door. What he saw almost made his heart stop. Jade was lying on the floor with a man sitting on her stomach, pinning her arms against her body with his legs. In his raised hand was a cast iron skillet. He was poised to hit her in the face with it.
Without thinking, Yuri emptied a full clip into her abuser. The man fell over top her and Yuri rushed to tear him off again. Jerking him aside, Yuri looked down to see her face bruised and tears streaming down her cheeks.
She choked out a strangled cry as he gathered her up into his arms. “Are you okay? Where does it hurt? Talk to me, lyubov moya.”
“I’m… I’m fine. I think.”
“Where did he get this thing way out here?” Luka asked, picking up the fallen skillet. “It looks brand new.”
“I knocked him out with that thing earlier today,” Jade explained as Yuri cradled her in his arms. “Back at the other place. He’s so crazy he brought it with him here to use on me.”
“He was so crazy,” Luka corrected her, nudging Calvin’s dead body with his boot.
Holding her gently against his chest, Yuri whispered, “He can’t hurt you anymore. You’re safe. I promise you.”
“You can’t imagine how crazy he was. He… he…”
Rubbing her back, he spoke in a soothing tone, “There, there. Don’t force yourself to talk now. There will time for all that later.”
Nodding, she moved closer to him. “I can’t believe it’s finally over.” Jerking to attention, she grabbed his shirt. “Karl! He was hurt so badly. Is he okay?”
“We got him to the hospital. He took a nasty bump to the head but he’s going to be fine. He’s already demanding the doctors to let him go. I have Mikael there to keep him in place.”
“Thank God. I’m so sorry. I wish I hadn’t gotten you involved.”
“If you hadn’t, you wouldn’t be alive right now,” Yuri pointed out. “Karl has no regrets. He’ll be thrilled to know you’re okay.
Beside them, Luka explored the duffel bag loaded with zip ties, duct tape, knives, red hose, and various tools that included what appeared to be bone saws of various sizes. “Jesus…” he muttered.
“Time to get you out of here,” Yuri said, lifting Jade up. She protested when he began to carry her and assured him she could walk. Heading back to the car, Yuri explained that they’d found the women who’d escaped and had them escorted to the police station. Jade was thrilled to hear they were okay, and insisted on seeing them.
“We need to get you to the hospital, first,” he told her. Glancing at his watch, he continued, “They’ve had time to give their statements by now. I’m sure they’re at the hospital already. Maybe you can see them there.”
Jade took a deep breath. “I can’t wait to go home.”
“And you will, but it’s the hospital first. Let the doctors tend to your injuries as you give the police your statement. When we’re sure you’re okay, I’ll take you home myself.”
Jade nodded, unaware that Yuri was planning to take her to his home instead of her own. As they continued walking he noted that Jade seemed weak and dehydrated. Something about knowing she fought the bastard until the end calmed his mind. He reminded himself of the old adage “whatever doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.” Such would be the way with his Jade, he hoped. She had the strength of a warrior locked in her small, curvy body. She would survive the aftermath as well; he planned to see to that personally. He’d seen the life dim in a woman’s eyes more than once. The thought of that happening to his bright, cheerful, laughing love was almost too much to bear. Finding her alive was only half the battle; Yuri didn’t fool himself about that. At least she wouldn’t have to spend her entire life looking over her shoulder for Calvin McMillan.
His throat tightened when he remembered how she wanted him dead to protect her future family. Images of laughing children, with her zest for life and his instinct for survival, floated through his mind. Holding her closer, he realized exactly how much he wanted that fantasy to come true.
Chapter 27
A Fresh Start
Yuri
By the time the physicians and law enforcement officers were all finished, it was almost dawn. Yuri took her home after all since she wanted to check on her cat. Her bruised face lit up when she saw the little guy waiting for her on her porch. People always said pets were like therapy, so Yuri wasn’t too surprised when she dropped to her floor to pet him. She was relieved to find that Sir Kitty was okay and very happy to see her.
Squatting down, he ran his hand over the cat’s fur as well. “Do you want me to order dinner? We can get something delivered.”
“I think that I need some time alone.”
Shocked, Yuri scoffed, “Absolutely not. You were almost… just… no.”
Reaching out to touch his arm, she sighed. “You took all the danger away. There isn’t a serial killer behind every tree. You know that, right?”
“I know. I just don’t think you should be alone right now.”
“It’s what I need,” she smiled at him reassuringly. “I need time to process everything. To sort through my feelings. Alone.”
Maybe he was being unreasonable, but he didn’t want to get pushed out. A horrible idea flew into his head and stuck, tainting every good memory of them since being reunited. It occurred to him that perhaps she only ever wanted to solve the Calvin problem. Now that it was resolved, maybe she wanted him gone. The idea struck at the very heart of what made him a man. How could he have thought she was honestly in love with someone like him?
Feeling more foolish than he ever had before, Yuri came swiftly to his feet. Without a word, he walked back to his vehicle and climbed in. Tearing out of her driveway, he refused to shed a tear for his loss. One couldn’t lose what they never had. The cold, hard logic of his situation threw everything into sharp focus. As he drove, Yuri wondered if he was just as bad as Calvin in her mind. Both men obsessed with stamping their ownership upon her lovely body. Both pressing every advantage and sometimes crossing boundaries in a vain attempt to weld her to them with permanence. Shaking his head, he realized just how many qualities he shared with her abductor. Like Calvin, he was on the wrong side of the law most of the time. He’d led a life of violence, having hurt more people than he could count. Shifting gears, he realized what a gigantic fool he’d been. Looking down at his hands on the steering wheel, he saw how he must look to others. Tattoos and Russian lettering covered his forearms and almost every inch of his torso. He was a thug with delusions of grandeur and that’s all he was ever going to be. If he’d thought risking his life for the dark beauty was going to endear him to her, he’d been sadly mistaken. Risking something of such little value wasn’t likely to impress anyone.
When he’d felt rejected by Jade before, he’d fallen into a bottle and allowed himself to be consoled by whores. He was no longer that man. Driving to his home, he crawled into his own bed and allowed himself the sleep he’d deprived himself of over the last week. Tossing and turning, Yuri found none of the rest he so desperately craved. Lying in bed, he stared out his window at the sprinkle of rain coming down. His mind drifted back. He remembered what it felt like to hold her in his arms, to feel her soft skin, and enjoy the feel of her small, gentle hands caressing him. She was so open and accepting of his life, he never once questioned the why of it. He’d been too eager to believe she shared his driving need for them to be together. Instead of anger, there was a deep, mournful well of despair and utter hopelessness.
***
Jade
Sitting on her porch, Jade tried to process what had
just happened. She’d asked for space and he’d immediately accommodated the request. She’d expected nothing less, but why didn’t he at least say goodbye? Maybe being in the clutches of a killer had skewed her perception a bit. The last few hours had been exhausting, and he was probably in dire need of sleep as well. At the hospital they’d been reunited with Gabby and Chelsea, who were both recovering nicely. Physically, at least. Mentally, they had a long road ahead of them. They’d also seen Karl, who was very much alive and well, minus a nasty cut on his head that had required several stitches. He’d apologized for letting her down, taking full responsibility for her abduction. Of course she’d told him how silly that was, and insisted he not beat himself up over it.
Yuri and Luka had spent hours at the police station giving their statement, telling the same story over and over again until they were eventually released. They were eyed suspiciously given their backgrounds, but Jade’s story corroborated theirs. Yuri had shot Calvin to save Jade’s life, and had used a licensed gun to do it. They had nothing to charge him with and had to let him go. Reflecting on the events, Jade realized they were crazier than any story she’d written. The media would be interested in talking to her soon, given the celebrity status her books had given her. She’d deal with that when the time came, if she even dealt with them at all. She wasn’t interested in rehashing the events again, no matter how good it would be for sales. For now, she was just glad to be home, even with Karl’s dried blood on her living room floor.
Standing, she went upstairs to shower and tried to wash away the week of sweat, grime, and self-loathing. Not to mention the fingerprints and saliva—she wanted that gone as well. Turning the temperature of the water up, she used an antimicrobial wash, repeatedly lathering and rinsing until her skin was almost raw. Her eye was still swollen from where he’d punched her the second time, and her lip was split from the first. She ached as she stood under the warm water, reliving the nightmare in her mind. Why did bad things always happen to good people? She thought of herself as a decent person, anyhow. She obeyed the law, had a good job, and paid her taxes. She’d never taken candy from a baby, popped a kid’s balloon, or intentionally harmed anyone in any way, so why did horrible things keep happening to her? Maybe she was just an unlucky penny, bound to turn up again and again, destroying everything it came into contact with.
If they were together, how many more times would Yuri have to risk his life and kill to protect her? Would he end up being the tragic fallen protector to her damsel in distress?
Chapter 28
Holiday Visitors
Jade
A week drifted aimlessly by as Jade struggled to recover from being abducted again. Going through it a second time had dredged up all the angst from the first time. Staggering under the weight of emotional overflow, flashbacks, and nightmares, she was back to ordering her food and daily necessities online. Too terrified to open the door, she left instructions that the boxes be left on her porch. She remembered how hard she’d hit Calvin with that pan. Not once, but twice. Yet, he’d lived and had come after her with full force. She’d watched Yuri shoot him several times and knew he was dead, but she couldn’t shake the absurd notion that he was still out there somewhere.
On day eight, there was a knock at her door as she sat in her office, blankly staring at her laptop. She knew she should be working on her next novel, but the words wouldn’t come. Every story she could think of paled in comparison to what she’d gone through. The knock sounded again, and her heart began to pound. Suddenly, a familiar voice rang out, “Good lord, child, are you going to leave us out in the cold all day?”
Springing from her seat, Jade tore open to door to see Gabby and Chelsea standing on her porch. Grinning like a fool, she gestured for them to come in.
“What a wonderful surprise. You both look fabulous! Come in and I’ll make us some coffee.”
They followed her into the kitchen, complimenting her on her nice home, and she quickly made coffee as they settled around her kitchen table to catch up. Both women thanked her again for saving their lives, and asked if she’d spoken with Yuri. Jade informed them that she still hadn’t worked up the courage to talk to him, or any man for that matter, but would when the time was right.
“Don’t wait too long,” Gabby scolded. “Heroes like that don’t come around every day.”
“Your coffee is good, but I’ve been craving old fashioned hot chocolate with real marshmallows,” Chelsea said, changing the subject. Of the three, Chelsea looked as though she was having the hardest time getting over what had happened. Her eyes were distant and had a sadness to them, and her hands shook when she drank from her mug.
Jade looked at her sympathetically, realizing how badly the girl needed another friend. “It’s almost Christmas. We should have a cookie baking day and celebrate with hot chocolate.”
“Girl, no one would ever know it’s Christmas by looking around your place,” Gabby joked. “If you aren’t going put up a tree, you could at least tape some candy canes to the wall.”
Jade laughed for the first time in what seemed like forever. “Christmas is normally my favorite holiday, but I haven’t been feeling it this year.”
“You ain’t gonna feel it ’til you put your decorations up. That’s how the holidays work. You do know that, don’t you?”
“I might just do that.”
“Might? Point me in the directions of the decorations. We’ll get you started, and while we decorate you can tell us why you kicked that handsome Russian of yours to the curb.”
Nearly choking on her coffee, Jade couldn’t believe Gabby had said that. “Well, it’s not like he did anything bad. I just think he’s better off without me. I seem to attract trouble and he’s been within arm’s reach of a killer twice already because of me.”
As they walked into her spare room, Chelsea muttered, “That doesn’t make much sense.”
“My head’s still pretty messed up from everything we went through,” Jade admitted. Pulling out the big box containing her Christmas tree, she handed it to Gabby.
“So, who are you talking to about that?” Chelsea asked casually.
Clearing her throat, she pulled out several more boxes and scooted them to the center of the small room. “Well, actually, I’ve been talking to my cat, mostly. Our deranged abductor strangled him when he grabbed me. Needless to say, neither of us are big Calvin fans.”
Both women’s heads came up at the same time to look at her. Gabby dropped down on the edge of the guest bed that had never been used. “Let me get this straight. You aren’t talking to a professional counselor at all?”
“I had one but this time has screwed me up a little more than I’d like to admit. It’s hard to go see a therapist when you’re afraid to leave your house,” Jade shrugged, and tried to change the subject. “I know I have more Christmas stuff in here somewhere…”
Chelsea’s voice became firmer than Jade had ever heard. “Girl, you can’t just talk to your cat. You need a therapist who specializes in this sort of thing.”
Shoving a stack of boxes into the living room, Jade muttered, “I don’t think there are enough women getting abducted for there to be special therapists for us.”
Gabby’s voice grew annoyed. “There are therapists who deal in abuse and they can give you the kind of help you need. Hell, I’ve been talking to one and it’s helped a lot.”
“Well, like I said, I don’t feel too comfortable leaving the house just yet. Leaving is step seven in a twenty-step process.”
Pulling the Christmas tree out of its box, Gabby snorted a laugh. “You’re ridiculous. You’re gonna get yourself ready tomorrow and go with me to my appointment.”
Feeling her stomach churn, Jade let that roll around in her head for a minute. “I don’t know…”
Gabby’s voice gentled. “Look, I’m at the stage in my therapy where I need you there. Why do you think we came to see you today? Chelsea’s been going with me.”
Nodding, Jade murmured
, “Fine. I’ll go with you. I will.”
“Good. It’ll be for the best. You’ll see.”
Changing the subject before a full-blown anxiety attack had time to develop, Jade asked, “So, you two see each other here and there? That’s good.”
“More than ‘here and there,’” Gabby laughed. “We live together now.”
“Wait, seriously?”
Pulling out strings of lights, Gabby explained their situation. “You aren’t like us, Jade. You got abducted because you were someone he was obsessed with. Good old Calvin, may he rest in eternal damnation, picked us because we were vulnerable. I was cleaning offices and he saw that I was all alone. I didn’t have any family to even file a missing person’s report on me. It’s pretty damn easy to keep someone that nobody’s even looking for.”
Chelsea volunteered her own story. “He picked me up near a homeless shelter after I got turned away because they had no beds. I’d lost my job and had nowhere to go. Like Gabby, there was nobody to report me missing and definitely no one looking for me.”
Jade was silent for a moment as they worked on setting up the tree. “If I hadn’t reached out to Yuri, the only person that might have reported me missing would be my publisher. I left my family behind long ago and haven’t been able to make many friends over the last ten years because of—”
“We don’t have to keep talking about that loser,” Gabby interrupted. “He stole enough of our life.”
Nodding, Jade agreed. “I’m all for that. We’ve got a choice. Do we want red and gold ornaments or blue and silver?”
Chelsea looked at the long, dangly red ornaments trimmed in gold. “I always say red is for Christmas. You have some nice pieces, Jade.”
