Needing to keep busy, she carried the phone with her. In the bathroom, she started the water. She’d planned to bathe with Miller but a soak would help calm her down.
A sudden harsh noise brought her head up. Boot heels came on the wood floor. For a split second, she thought it might be Miller. A spark of hope flared that it was. But he’d have knocked.
Fine hairs along her forearms stood on end.
To hear better, she stopped the flow of water.
Another sound.
Another footfall.
This one was softer.
The room’s only escape route was through the doorway. Breath stuck in her throat, she hung on to the cell. Carefully, she put a single finger on redial.
On trembling legs, she approached the door. Just as she turned the corner, the years slipped away.
Doug stood there.
No.
Not Doug.
Doug was gone.
Craig Hollenbeck stood in her home. It could be no one else.
Doug’s identical twin. Only it looked as if he’d been on the receiving end of a fist. His mouth had been busted open. Both his lips were swollen.
Dear God. She’d not thought of him in years. Had not even considered…
On a jolt of panic, she dialed Miller’s number.
His arm rocketed out to snatch her up by her hair.
“Did Miller do that to your face?” Deliberately, she kept her voice loud.
“The Neanderthal got what was coming.”
“You didn’t hurt Miller.” He couldn’t have. Her breath caught at the dead calm in his gaze.
Don’t panic.
Don’t panic.
Last she’d heard, a year after Doug’s death, Craig had been institutionalized. After Doug had died, she’d learned how truly twisted Doug’s relationship with Craig had been. He’d hurt Doug and controlled him. In turn, Doug had hurt her badly. As far as she was concerned, the man should have rotted in that hospital.
Time and again, she’d been told to move on. Forget about the past. And she had. Too well. Never should she have forgotten about Craig.
“Oh, I did more than hurt the Neanderthal.” Craig smiled. “He no longer wants you. He doesn’t want anything to do with a murderess!” His mouth twisted in hate causing her to try and shrink away.
Miller hadn’t shown up. Hadn’t even called her.
Doug had once again ruined her life. Not since waking up and finding out she’d lost Ginger had she felt so badly.
Of all people, she’d expected Miller to understand. Maree had been very open about Miller’s childhood. Her heart hurt so badly. Miller’s reaction had completely taken her by surprise. Yes, she knew some would never accept what she’d done. Forever, she’d be labeled a murderess by some. It didn’t matter that she’d been defending herself. Nor did it matter it’d been an accident.
Dead was dead.
Fight or flight took hold. “It was you…you put the tracker in my boot.”
“Yes. Anything can be bought online. And with my parents’ money.” Craig shook her by the hair.
She moaned. Of course his parents had been supporting him. But surely they didn’t support these actions against her.
“My plan has gone famously. In less than five minutes, I destroyed this new life you’d created.” Again, he rattled her brain. “Just like you destroyed mine!”
His? His life? “You bastard!” she cried out as she allowed the phone to slide down the back of her leg. Getting caught with the cell would make the situation worse. She kept screaming in hopes Craig wouldn’t hear the skid of the phone on the floor. Though Miller hadn’t answered, maybe he’d listen to the messages. That was her only hope.
He slapped her hard across the face. Lights flashed in the back of her eyes. Gritting her teeth, she slammed her head into his chin. Roaring, his hand tightened. Not giving him a chance to recover, she slammed all her weight into his body, making sure a knee landed on his balls. She clawed at his face with her sharp nails.
A whimper broke past her dry lips when she missed his eyes.
Finally, he let go so she could run. In a scramble, she snatched up the keys for the truck. Heart pounding, she bolted outside and to the parked vehicle.
Hands shaking in desperation, she jabbed a key into the ignition. Frantic, she turned the key. Nothing happened. Air rushed in and out of her lungs as her heart raced. Nothing.
Again and again, she tried to turn the truck’s engine over.
“Kaycee!” Outside, Craig held something in his hand. “You might need this!” He waved what had to be an engine part around to make sure she got a good look before he tossed it away with all his might.
In his other hand, he held a crowbar. Shaking like a leaf she looked around. The GPS had been ripped out of the dashboard. The radio cord had been cut.
Up on her knees, she glanced into the back of the truck to discover Craig had gone through the tools Miller kept on hand in case they were needed. She moaned—the crowbar probably came from Miller’s own supply.
“Oh, God.” Hands shaking, she checked the glove box where a gun for emergencies should’ve been. Nothing but paperwork. “Oh, God.”
Craig cracked the driver’s side window.
She screamed, scuttling across the seat. Slowly, he circled the truck, splintering the glass. Doing her best to stay away from him, she shifted as he moved. Time and again, she sobbed.
Fear held her captive.
Sweat coated her palms.
“Kaycee, you ready to behave?” More and more power was used behind the swings. He was toying with her.
“Oh, God.” A fierce pressure built within her skull.
The terrorizing continued as the passenger side window exploded. She covered her head and shoved out of the truck. She stumbled after the long step down but stayed on her feet to make it into the house a second before Craig did.
She slammed the door closed, only to have it burst open before she could get it locked. Kaycee landed on the floor, bruising her wrist as she attempted to break her fall. “Craig! Don’t hurt me!” She covered her head and instinctively curled up. How many times had she curled up to protect herself from Doug? She pleaded, “Please don’t.”
Don’t panic.
Don’t panic.
“Get up.” He yanked on her arm.
Trying to see through tears, she did as she’d been told. “Why are you doing this to me?” A sob tore from her chest. “Why?”
“Because you’re my wife now.” He grabbed her hair. “Mine.” Craig’s mouth pressed against her ear. “I’ve a secret to tell you…”
She whimpered, tried to ease away.
“Doug used to let me fuck you.”
“No.” She moaned as bile rose.
“Oh yes, dear wife.” He shook her until she cried out. “And now, you’re all mine.”
Chapter Sixteen
Miller sat at his spot at the end of the bar. After an hour in his birdie, he hadn’t wanted to go home. Couldn’t have gone home. He hadn’t wanted to go anywhere. At least at Brady’s no one would question him.
The American bastard was nowhere to be found when he’d gotten back. It was too bad; he’d wanted another chance to beat the bloke. Old man Brady had told him the American had crawled out of the pub and told them all not to worry.
In brooding silence he drank two more beers.
“Hey, mate.” Ace sidled onto the stool beside him.
“Another.” Miller lifted his empty pint. “Ace.” He didn’t look over. “Shouldn’t you be somewhere else?” Anywhere else.
“Auntie sent me. She’s worried. E’s been trying to call you and your bloody phone is off.” He tapped the bar. “Slide me one over too.”
Brady passed them beers and wandered away.
“Christ, with Travis gone and Lee…” Ace cleared his throat. “You know. Mum thinks I’m some kind of messenger service. Why the fuck is your phone off?”
Because Kaycee kept calling me. And the f
ool I am wants more than anything to talk to her. Miller guzzled a quarter of the drink. There’d been another time he’d turned it off. During the dinner out at Ayers. Fuck. He didn’t need the memories to start eating at him again. “How did you find me?”
“After Luke and Co didn’t know where you were, I tried calling your Yank. She didn’t answer either.” Ace shifted his way. “I figured you two were slapping the headboard again.”
Miller’s head came around as his fist clenched. Christ, if his cousin started in on Kaycee and him…
“Bugger me.” Ace raised his hand up. “Take it easy. I gave Brady a call.”
He grunted, looked away. Figured.
“Mate, I think it’d be best to give E a call. He wanted you to call him as soon as possible. Apparently, he’s been trying to reach your Yank.”
Unease grew in his gut. Why would Ethan want to speak to Kaycee? A frown pulled at his mouth. Though he’d gone a little crazy, he should’ve kept his phone on. Only with Kaycee, only over Kaycee did he lose his control.
He turned his phone on. Six new messages waited. His throat took to aching once more. “Be right back.” He headed outside to listen to them.
The first, as he’d already known, was from Kaycee. “Hi, this is Kaycee. Um, Mr. Thorn, I believe you’re late for our dinner date. Call me, okay?”
A sledgehammer weighed down his heart.
A shudder racked his body. “Oh, Christ.” Unable to delete Kaycee’s, he forced himself to listen to the other messages.
Ethan had left the second. “Big M. It’s important, call me.” He deleted it.
The muscles in his jaws bugled as he listened to Kaycee’s second message. “It’s me, Kaycee. Hey, I’m getting worried here. Please call me.”
“Bloody fuck.” Kaycee… He saved her message to torture himself with later.
He closed his eyes to listen to another message by Ethan and one from his mum. Quickly, he erased their calls.
Another from Kaycee was next. “It’s Kaycee. I hate to fill up your box… I just need to know you’re okay. I love you. Call me, okay?”
I love you.
Miller saved the message to listen to the last.
There was a moment of silence before a voice poured from the speaker. “Oh, I did more than hurt the Neanderthal. He no longer wants you. He doesn’t want anything to do with a murderess!”
“It was you…you put the tracker in my boot.” Her voice trembled.
“Yes. Anything can be bought online. And with my parents’ money. My plan has gone famously. In less than five minutes I destroyed this new life you’d created.” A male voice went on in a snarl, “Just like you destroyed mine.”
This last of the message nearly brought him to his knees. It would have had he not pressed a hand to the building.
He didn’t understand what the man was going on about. But his concern was for Kaycee and what she must think of him now. He groaned.
“You bastard!” Kaycee’s scream tore through his heart. The rest of the message was unclear. But it sounded like his little Yank was fighting with someone. Then the time allotted ran out.
“Oh, Christ, what have I done?” He turned to collect Ace. He might need the mate’s aid.
Only, his cousin stood there. “I’m a nosy stickybeaked fucker. I’ve never known you to turn your phone off.”
“I need to get to Kaycee.”
They ran to his truck. Inside, neither spoke as the truck’s wheels spun along the road. Miller’s heart stayed at an Olympic pace.
He had fucked up bad.
She hadn’t chosen another over him.
She hadn’t abandoned him.
For the first time in his life, he’d fucked up. Oh, Christ, he’d been blinded by his emotions. His bloody insecurities. How many times had his father beat him to rid him of any feelings? He swallowed hard.
If she… If she…
Shaking, he pressed a fist to his mouth.
“She’ll be fine, mate.” Ace squeezed his shoulder, then settled back for the ride.
Miller gripped the wheel in both hands. His knuckles whitened. Eh, Kaycee would be all right. She had to be.
Thankfully, the property Kaycee rented wasn’t too far from town.
“Oh, hell.” Ace sat forward as they turned down the short lane the house was on.
His gaze blurred at the sight of the windows smashed on the truck that Kaycee had been using. He shoved his vehicle into park and jumped out on a run. She wasn’t in the truck. That was good. But where the hell was she?
There wasn’t another vehicle on the property. That was a bad sign. He doubted anyone was inside.
Ace stood at the door of the house that had been left wide open. “Want me to go in first?”
Miller pushed past his cousin. A struggle had taken place in the living room. A shirt of his that Kaycee liked to wear lay torn up on the floor. Momentarily unable to move, he groaned.
If the bastard…
“She’s not here. M?”
His gaze shifted up to meet Ace’s.
“Give me a second. I’ll figure out which way they’ve headed.” Ace grasped his shoulder on the way out. “Call your brother while I check things out.” Fuck. He should’ve called E on the drive over. His mind hadn’t been clear. But it was now. For Kaycee’s sake his act was together.
Outside, back at his truck, Miller had gone numb or tried to. Giving in to the growing madness wouldn’t do his Yank any good. Still, blame tore at his soul. Stay focused. Stay cool. It’s the only way.
He dialed Ethan’s number and Ethan answered right away. “Finally, mate. I was about to call in the big guns.”
Miller wasted no time because Kaycee had little. “A bloke approached me earlier. Said he was Doug Hollenbeck. That he was Kaycee’s husband.” He left off what had really torn him in two. “I think the whacker has taken her.”
“Fuck. I was afraid of that. Give me a second to see what rescue birds can get up and mobile. It’s going to be dark soon. I’ll fill you in in a minute.”
“Eh, there’s not much time.” And half the bloody world lay around them.
Ethan spoke on another phone now. His voice came across as no more than murmurs.
Bugger me.
Ace had disappeared from sight.
Everyone was doing something to save Kaycee except him. And he should be doing the most.
“Back. Keep the radio open. If anyone spots anything, they’ll get on the horn. I’ve notified the local coppers. They’ll be looking too.”
“Thanks.” Miller’s throat worked. Such a small word. If only he could say more to Kaycee right now.
“If my guess is right…it’s not her husband who has her. He’d dead. She killed him in an act of self defense.”
“I saw a wedding picture of her and him.” Oh, Christ. Rage, and overwhelming guilt nearly blinded him. He’d been played. “The bloke… Twin brothers?”
“Yes. Listen, it’s bad M. I won’t go into details. But Craig Hollenbeck, her husband’s twin, spent time in a mental hospital. If she’s been kidnapped, my guess is that the crazy bastard has her.”
Miller moaned. He’d been so sure Kaycee hadn’t wanted him any more than Emily or Denae had. Time and again he’d gone through the ringer. He’d just assumed he hadn’t been good enough for Kaycee either. Bloody fuck. He’d never even looked for any cracks in the man’s story, though now he saw several. His insecurity had gotten the better of him, of his pride. He’d accepted the worst because that’s what he always got. He’d been a bloody pig’s hole.
He’d been fucking played as the pieces fell into place. His own insecurities had cost Kaycee.
“I’ve spoken to a detective who’s checked in with his family, who reported he’d gone missing. What was found in Craig’s possession…it’s clear he’s been obsessing over Kaycee for a long time. He’s simply been biding his time until he could go after her.”
“Fuck!” He hadn’t been able to see past his own bloody vulnerabi
lities. “Fuck!”
“Mate, this isn’t your fault. He would’ve come after her eventually no matter where she was.”
The fuck it wasn’t his fault. He might as well have handed Kaycee over to the whacker. Tears burned the back of his eyes. He’d never forgive himself…
“They’re heading south.” Coming around the front of the truck, Ace tapped the hood. “Let’s roll.”
“E, Ace is here. He says they’re heading south. I’ll be in touch.” He pulled his door closed. Revved the engine.
“If Ace is there, get your arses in a birdie. He’s the best tracker in our region. It’s why Hollywood pays him the big bucks.”
“That’s my plan.” They sped along the road heading south. “E?”
“Yeah?”
“About Little M… I’m honored. If I had a do over, I wouldn’t have been a pig’s arse over everything.”
Ethan was silent a moment. “No worries. You’ve always been my best mate. Let me know when you find Kaycee.”
Miller tossed the phone to Ace. “Call Lee and see if he can get up in the air.” South would take them toward Connor’s clinic.
“My brother’s got a birdie out at Doc’s?”
“Eh, I had it dropped off to him a couple days back.” Sweat poured down his forehead, so Miller wiped it away with an arm. “Figured he’d want it eventually.”
For a few minutes, Ace spoke to Lee while Miller drove. Once he ended the call, Ace turned to him. “Lee said for you, he’d drag his sorry arse out of bed.” He handed back Miller’s phone. “Did you notice my brother doesn’t sound gay?”
Miller spared him a glance.
“Miller Thorn, Constable Morgans here. Come back.”
Miller answered the radio call. “Miller here. Come back.”
“I’ve got a confirmed sighting of one Craig Hollenbeck. Come back.”
“Copy.”
“Gotta love computers, technology and the persistence of one Ethan Thorn. Come back.”
Thanks little brother. “Copy.”
“A credit card was used to fill up his gas tank three hours ago. Come back.”
True Blue Love: The Thorns, Book 3 Page 21
