The coordinates took us to the outskirts of town. There was a lot of construction there. Old buildings and ratty-ass houses being torn down, remodeling of old buildings, new construction. You name it. Shit, she could be in any of these dilapidated buildings. We needed to spread out and look separately to cover more ground. I felt the cold-blooded hunter come out in me. God help the motherfucker who had taken her, because I was going to bring him with me to hell.
I FELT DIRTY, HUNGRY, and exhausted. I hurt and I knew I had lost blood from the abrasions on my wrists and the cuts I had on various parts of my body. I hadn’t slept all night for fear of Michael coming back and torturing me more. My eyes were nearly swollen shut from crying and from Michael punching me in the face when I screamed the first time he cut me. When he had cut my clothes off, the blade sliced between my breasts, causing me to scream in pain.
Michael had initially cut my shirt off so he didn’t have to free my hands. As he jerked my pants off, I fought him by kicking and screaming, and he cuffed me upside my head, making me see stars. After that, he gagged me with a filthy rag and ran tape around my head to hold it in my mouth. My hair was being pulled where it was caught up in the tape, and I battled puking because I was afraid it would kill me with no way to get past the rag.
I had fought to maintain consciousness out of fear for what he may do to me without my knowledge. When he ran his filthy hands up my legs and slid his fingers under the edges of the legs of my panties, I whimpered and cried, trying not to earn another beating. As his fingers brushed against me and slid down to fondle me, I couldn’t help it, I screamed through the gag, thrashing and kicking. His fist connected with stomach and ribs. I wasn’t sure, but I thought he may have broken one of my ribs. It hurt so much to breathe.
Little did I know that would only be the beginning.
He tied my hands above my head, still bound together. My elbows bent above my head and my fingertips brushed the ground. Then he tied my feet so my legs were spread and each knee was off the sides of the cot with my heels touching the floor.
Using the knife, he made superficial cuts along my left thigh, working up toward my abdomen. I couldn’t stop crying. The pain and terror I felt was indescribable. When he was done slicing up my leg, he moved on to my breast, stabbing me—not too deep, just enough to scare the shit out of me because I really thought he was going to kill me. He laughed at my muffled pleading.
When he began stripping out of his clothes, I frantically shook my head no as my sobs increased. His member hung flaccid between his legs as he climbed on the cot with me, half lying on top of me. He told me I was going to have to suck on him to make him hard, that I was so pathetic he couldn’t even get hard looking at me. Spittle sprayed my face as he laughed and rubbed his body on mine, smearing my blood all over himself and me. Then he leaned down like he was going to kiss me, but instead licked the side of my face. He fucking licked my face. I gagged again, choking on my sobs. God, forgive me, but I wished he would just kill me, because I had given up on anyone finding me.
Brutally, he squeezed and twisted my breasts, bruising the tender tissue before biting them. The crazy asshole fucking bit me. I had no idea if he broke the skin or not, but the pain made me stiffen and arch off the cot, screaming through the gag.
“Yes, oh yes, baby, rub up against me. I love that.” His moist breath ran across the side of my head as he whispered in my ear. I jerked my head, turning away from him. That’s when he grabbed me by the hair, twisting my head back to face him. He held the knife to my face and licked across the tape over my mouth. Sick fuck. God, I hated him. I prayed and prayed for some form of salvation.
He cut through the tape in front of my ear, and I knew he cut my face because I felt the warm liquid trickle down to the bottom of my ear and neck, but I couldn’t do anything to stop him. He ripped off the tape, pulling my skin painfully and ripping out some of my hair. I winced and yelped in pain, which just earned me another backhand across my face.
“Shut up! I told you, you don’t make any noise unless I tell you to!” When he grabbed hold of his flaccid member and tried to shove it in my face, I shook my head, trying to avoid what I knew was inevitable. He grabbed me viciously by my jaw, holding my head still. “Don’t even think about biting me, Steph, or I’ll cut your throat now and be done with you.”
I cried silent tears, which ran down the sides of my head, pooling in my ears before running into my matted, filthy hair. He proceeded to shove his nasty, soft penis in my mouth with one hand as he held my mouth open with the other. I refused to give him the satisfaction of actually sucking on him. He was insane if he thought I would. Then he stooped to a new low I couldn’t believe anyone would by threatening my daughter. My sweet, innocent Remi. I did it because I didn’t want his deprivation anywhere near her. I was ashamed of my actions, but what choice did I have? I couldn’t let him have anything to do with my baby girl. For the millionth time, I was thankful I had found Reaper and she would at least have her daddy now. He would protect her. He wouldn’t let this sick bastard near her.
Michael continued grunting and gagging me until he pulled out and came in my hair. I just laid there staring at the ceiling. I felt myself drifting further and further into my mind to escape my reality. He then patted my cheek like a small child, telling me what a good girl I had been. I couldn’t believe it when he got up, dressed, and went to the door.
“I’ll see you in the morning, Steph. I can’t wait to feel you tomorrow. Tomorrow, I’ll have all of you. Then maybe I’ll deliver you to your precious biker. We’ll see how much he wants you after you are used up. Or maybe I’ll keep you around for a while, plant my baby in that belly first and make him watch it grow in you. I haven’t decided.”
I didn’t look at him as he shut the door. I heard what sounded like a padlock being utilized outside the door, but I just continued to stare at the ceiling until sobs escaped from between my lips. I didn’t know how much more I could take.…
I COULDN’T BELIEVE WE didn’t see anything all night. Sam, Sean, and I had combed all through this shithole area. I didn’t see any sign of that asshole, his truck, or Stephanie. Motherfucker! Where the hell was she? My heart ached when I briefly wondered if that piece of shit may have already killed her. No! No fucking way! I would have fucking known. I would have felt the loss, I just knew it. She was my angel. She had kept me going through situations I didn’t think I would live through. I couldn’t imagine that I wouldn’t feel if she was gone.
Sam and Sean headed back to Stephanie’s apartment to recoup and try to call the cops again. I had zero faith in the fucking cops. Those bastards didn’t give a fucking rat’s ass about her. They had pretty much hinted that maybe she had run off with a guy. Are you fucking kidding me? Really? Stupid fucks.
I knew she was still alive, and she was here somewhere. She would never run off and leave Remi behind. I sat on the ground in an alley, leaning against a brick building listening to the rats scurrying behind the dumpster and boxes next to me. Running my hands roughly along my face, I tried to focus. Fuck, I should have gone with them and tried to get some sleep, but it didn’t seem fair to sleep when my angel was out there. I had dozed off briefly against this wall after the guys left in the wee hours of the fucking morning. Damn, I was fucking stiff. I stood and took a piss over by the dumpster.
After climbing on my bike, I flipped the switch and prepared to ride around the area again. That’s when I heard a vehicle coming. I wasn’t sure if it was the guys coming back, so I rolled my bike toward the edge of the alley. An old, rusted Chevy truck in the most disgusting shade of mustard yellow was coming up the road. Shit, that wasn’t either of their fucking trucks. I was on the verge of starting my bike as the truck rolled slowly by. If I had been looking down at my bike to put it in neutral at that time, I would have missed the driver. Fucking A! It was him! I shot off a text to the guys, Hacker, and Hollywood to let them all know I found him and I was going to follow him. I had to be careful and stay back
far enough that he wouldn’t see me.
I watched as he turned down a street about three blocks up and slowly crept out into the road, keeping my eye on the street he turned on. When I got to the street, it was just in time to see him turning again. I continued to follow and saw him enter into a fenced construction site. I got as close as I could and parked my bike in the nearest alley. After making sure he wasn’t coming back out, I crept over to the fence, noting he had chained the gate. There were several construction-type trailers parked in the fenced area, and I assumed it must be a storage site for one of the construction companies. I knew it wasn’t the one he worked for because Hacker had found every site they were working and owned. We had already checked all that shit out when we couldn’t find anything around here last night. Then we returned here to look again before the guys headed back to the apartment. We had driven by this area several times but never saw any vehicles or signs of life and had written it off. Fuck, he must have left by the time we came by here.
I was able to pull back a section of the fence in the corner where the attachments had broken. It looked like someone had hit it with a car. Lucky for me anyway. I crawled and slid through the opening, tearing my shirt where the rough edges of the fence caught it, looking for where the shitty truck went. Leaning against one trailer to carefully look around the corner before stepping from behind it, I slowly made my way through the lot. The truck was parked toward the middle up against one of the trailers.
Motherfucker, I have you, now.
Leaning carefully against the trailer so I didn’t make noise, I placed my ear to the side of it to see if I could hear anything inside. At first, I didn’t hear anything. Then I heard a muffled male voice talking. I didn’t hear another voice, so it didn’t seem like he had any accomplices with him, but I listened a little longer to be sure. Nothing. On the other hand, I didn’t hear any female voices, either. Shit.
That was when I heard a scream.
Okay, fuck the stealth shit. I needed to get in there now. I only saw the one window as I made my way around the trailer, and it was boarded up. There was a shitty-ass set of metal stairs going up to the beat-up door. Of course, the fucking door opened to the outside. Fuck. So much for kicking it in and having the element of surprise. I prayed it wasn’t locked. There was an open hasp with a lock hanging from one side, but that didn’t mean he hadn’t locked the fucking handle. I pulled out my pistol from the holster at the back of my pants, ensuring I had a bullet chambered. I wasn’t as comfortable with my pistol as I was with my sniper rifle, but I was a fucking good shot just the same.
Grabbing the handle slowly, so it didn’t fucking rattle, I stood to the opening side and slung it open as I launched up the stairs and in the door. The sight that greeted me made my blood run cold.
He was holding her panties in one hand and a fucking Ka-Bar knife in the other. I barely registered all the blood covering her body. I didn’t even have time to check her before he looked up at me. His eyes were glassy and had a crazed look. I had seen that look in the eyes of people who had snapped in combat and knew there was little hope of reasoning with him, which was fine by me because I would be happy to put a bullet between his eyes.
“Get away from her. Back the fuck up now, you piece of shit.” My voice came out low and gravely. I stuffed my fear and worry for Stephanie to the back of my mind, falling into the detached and trained killer that still lurked within me. I knew he wasn’t leaving here alive, but I needed to get him away from Stephanie. What happened next occurred in the blink of an eye. Training and instinctive reaction was all I had when I watched him smile at me in an evil, sadistic way.
“You’re too late to be her hero. She is damaged goods now. You’re just too late. Much too fucking late.” I watched him in what seemed like slow motion as he raised the knife above her lifeless-looking body. As he started the downward plunge, I pulled my trigger smoothly, watching as a shocked expression interrupted his maniacal cackle and blood seeped out of the hole that was now in the middle of his forehead. He toppled forward, and I watched in sick horror as the knife continued its descent into Stephanie’s abdomen. She screamed as the knife entering her body shook her from her pain-and-trauma-induced haze.
Kicking his lifeless body to the side, I knelt to her side and pulled out my phone, dialing 911. Shit, I was thankful I had taken my cut off last night. That was publicity the club did not need. I explained to the operator what had happened, where we were, and that they needed to hurry. I left my phone on speaker and dropped it to the floor as I focused my attention to my baby, trying not to lose my shit when I saw the knife sticking out of her side and all the bruising and blood covering her body. The smell of the blood nearly made me lose my guts as it brought back another time where I was helpless to save someone who counted on me. I didn’t dare take the knife out since I didn’t know what it had hit or what I may let loose by pulling it out.
“Stephanie, baby, can you hear me? I’m here. You’re going to be okay, baby. I’ll take care of you. God, I’m so fucking sorry I didn’t get here sooner.” Her eyes stared at me but were so glazed with pain, I wasn’t sure if she heard or recognized me. I pulled my own knife out and cut through the ropes tying her arms and legs to the sides of the filthy cot she lay on. My hands shook as I took off my long-sleeve denim shirt and laid it over her nude body to provide her a semblance of modesty. I gently brushed her matted hair back from her face. What was once bright and golden, like pure spun gold in the sunlight, now barely resembled straw. Her eyes were swollen and the usual bright blue, what was visible anyway, was dull and glazed. My lips gently brushed across her parched and cracked lips.
“Colton?” Her voice was a dry whisper. She looked confused and unable to focus. Then she closed her eyes halfway, and she was gone. I couldn’t see her breathing. Oh Fuck. No! Fucking God, Jesus, no.
“Nooooooooooooo!” The voice screaming in agony and denial barely registered as my own as I realized there were sirens outside and someone was trying to pull me away from the only woman I had ever loved….
When you die, your soul doesn’t understand or believe you’ve died. I know this now.
I stood calmly beside Colton as he clung to the bloody and beaten young woman in front of him. I didn’t understand what was going on. What had happened to her? Why was he so heartbroken? Did he love her? I had no hope with him if that was the case. His exclamation of love to me the one time must have just been in the heat of the moment. He had the look of someone who was consumed with grief over her state.
When the paramedics rushed into the trailer, I stepped back to get out of their way. He was gently but deftly moved back from the body by paramedics as they were assessing the male body on the floor as well. I heard them say the man was gone and the female wasn’t breathing, but she may have an irregular and faint heartbeat. I watched as they worked on her. I knelt by Colton and kissed his head as he held his face in his hands and sobbed on his knees. He was so upset, he didn’t even register I was there.
I watched as they loaded the woman on a stretcher, trying to keep her covered. The poor thing wasn’t even dressed. And there was so much blood. They called into the handsets of their radios to the hospital to tell them they were on their way and that she would need the surgeon. That’s when one of them yelled they were losing her as they rushed to load her in the ambulance.
A policeman was talking to Colton outside now, but he still wouldn’t talk to me. I heard him sob my name. It started getting so bright out, I could barely see him anymore. When I yelled to him, he didn’t even look at me. I tried to get one of the policeman’s attention, but no one would listen to me.
“Someone listen to me! What is going on?” I screamed.
The light was so bright, it swallowed me. Everywhere around me was light. Then I heard murmuring and a wave of calm and comfort swept over me. The disjointed voices said it wasn’t my time and I “still have things to do.”
That’s when it hit me that I was the broken and bloo
dy woman. I had died. When that realization dawned, everything started to go black.
“No! Wait! Where am I? What is happening?” No one answered me as the blackness engulfed me.
My eyes opened with so much effort, I felt like my eyelids were weighted. My eyes burned, and when I tried to look around to see where I was, I gasped in pain. I hurt everywhere.
“Shhhhhhhh. It’s okay, Mrs. Quinn. I’m right here. My name is Kristina. I’m your nurse.” She pointed to a small white board that listed her as my nurse for the day. “Your husband will be so happy to see you’re finally awake. I just hate to wake him since he hasn’t slept since they brought you to us after your surgery.” That’s when I noticed a young nurse, with a brunette ponytail hanging down her back, changing out a bag of fluids by my bedside. “I’ll be right back,” she said as she rushed out of the room. She returned quickly with a cup of ice and a spoon.
“What happened? How long have I been here?” My voice croaked and my mouth was so incredibly dry, I felt like I had been eating cotton balls. The nurse turned to me with kind eyes and spooned a few small pieces of ice up and offered it to me.
I allowed the cold chips to melt across my tongue. Nothing had tasted so amazing, and I closed my eyes in momentary bliss.
“I don’t, uhhh… have a husband?” I questioned the nurse as I looked over at the dark head resting on the side of my bed. The man had my hand held in his and his soft breath puffed across our clasped hands as he slept.
“It’s okay, you may have gaps in your memory for a little while. You went through a very traumatic experience. Your husband has been fiercely protective and worried about you. He hasn’t left your side once.” She smiled warmly, and it reached her light hazel eyes. “I can only pray I find such love and devotion one day.” She placed a small box in my hand connected to the bed by a cord, telling me to press the red button if I needed anything and that she was going to let the doctor know I was awake so they could start pain meds I had control over.
Colton's Salvation: A Demented Sons MC Novel Page 22
