“Find anything?” Kamden asked from the doorway.
I held up Kaiya’s phone. “She left it here.”
“Nori told me about the texts.” He walked toward me with his arms crossed over his chest. “Any idea who sent them?”
“No,” I sighed. “I didn’t even know she was still getting them.”
I scrolled through and read all the messages from the unknown number. Kamden was talking, but I zoned out everything he was saying, trying to pick out any detail that might point me in the direction of Kaiya.
Then, I stopped and zeroed in on one text.
No fucking way.
Kamden shoved me. “I’m talking to you, asshole!”
I clenched my jaw as I stared him down. “I found something,” I gritted. I turned the screen to face him so that he could read it.
Unknown: Hope that meathead can protect you
Kamden’s eyes met mine, then creased in confusion. He shrugged his shoulders. “What? I don’t get it.”
“You know who called me a meathead the last time Kaiya and I saw him?”
Kamden shook his head and raised an eyebrow. “No.”
The rage coursing through me was evident in my voice. “Bryce.”
After explaining to Kamden everything that had happened with Bryce, we got in my truck and took off toward Bryce’s condo.
“I still don’t think Bryce would do something like this. He and Kaiya have been friends for years.”
I was almost positive that Bryce had something to do with Kaiya’s disappearance. Not just because of the meathead text, but all of the messages combined. Especially the last one.
You’re finally gonna be mine
Bryce had always wanted more than Kaiya was willing to give, and it seemed like he was going to take what he thought was his.
Too fucking bad—Kaiya is mine.
I was going to make him pay for taking her from me. Slowly and painfully.
Once Kamden navigated to Bryce’s condo, I kicked down the door without even bothering to knock. Darkness blanketed the inside as I went in and switched on the light. “Kaiya!”
I surveyed the room, looking for any sign of Kaiya or Bryce. A chair was overturned and some picture frames lay broken on the ground. I searched the rest of Bryce’s place and found more signs of a struggle, especially in the bedroom.
Pillows from the bed were on the floor, and the covers were bunched up at the foot of the bed. A lamp was turned over on the mattress and one of the nightstands was on its side.
I gripped the edge of the dresser as I fought to stay calm. I needed to be level-headed if I was going to find Kaiya, but the thought of Bryce hurting Kaiya, or worse, raping her, sent me over the edge.
I roared in fury as I swiped everything off the top of the dresser. Everything that was on top scattered to the floor as I turned and punched a hole through the wall.
Then, I saw something that made my heart sink—Kaiya’s bracelet. It lay on the floor next to the bed. Kamden rushed in. “What? What happened?”
Ignoring him, I walked to the bracelet before bending over and picking it up. The link at the end of the chain was broken, probably during whatever happened. My eyes burned as I thought about Kaiya being hurt or worse, dead.
I closed my fist around the bracelet as a few tears fell down my face.
Not my Warrior. Please let her be okay.
A hand came down on my shoulder, and I turned and flung it away, preparing to punch whoever touched me.
Kamden put his hands up. “Whoa, it’s just me. As much as I want to kick your ass, we have other things to worry about. Like finding my sister.”
He was right—I needed to focus on finding Kaiya and not get sucked into my emotions.
Where would he have taken her?
I put Kaiya’s bracelet in my pocket before wiping my face. “Okay, let’s search the house—maybe there’s a clue as to where he would go.”
We ripped the condo apart, looking for anything that would lead us to Kaiya. Bryce’s office was where we had concentrated most of our efforts, but papers were strewn all over the floor and desk—it was like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Kamden sat in an office chair, going through papers on the desk. He huffed in frustration before throwing the papers down. “There’s nothing here.”
“Keep looking.” I was searching through Bryce’s filing cabinet when I came across a file of interest. It was labeled as “Real Estate Documents.”
I pulled the file out and opened it. I began reading the papers, and finally found something that might help. I looked up at Kam, who had his elbows propped on the table as he held his head in his hands. “Hey, I think I found something.”
His head jerked toward me, and he practically jumped out of the chair. “What?” he asked anxiously.
I scanned over the document one more time just to be sure before looking up at Kamden again. “Apparently Bryce has a house in Cape Cod.”
“Do you think he might have taken her there?”
“I don’t know.” I took the paper and dropped the rest of the file on the ground. “But I’m gonna find out.”
“Cape Cod is more than an hour away,” Kamden pointed out as I started walking.
“Which means we better not waste any more time.”
My eyes fluttered open slowly. Wincing from the pain swarming most of my body, I attempted to move, but couldn’t. My hands were fastened to a chair behind my back and my ankles were tied together. Duct tape covered my mouth, stretching the skin around my lips uncomfortably.
My eyes darted around the room, attempting to take in my surroundings. I was in a bedroom, one that I’d never been in before. The walls were painted a light blue, resembling a springtime sky, and various beach décor adorned the room. The muted sound of waves barely registered, so I guessed that I was somewhere near a beach.
Where has he taken me?
Bryce didn’t live near a beach, but I vaguely remembered him mentioning something about wanting to take me on a mini-vacation to a beach condo in Cape Cod. If he had brought me there, I was fucked. It was about an hour away from home.
Squirming, I tried to see if I could free myself and escape, but Bryce had firmly secured the knots restraining me.
Fuck.
I wasn’t going to give up, though. The chances of someone coming out here to rescue me were slim, so I needed to figure out how to get out of here and back home.
Fumbling with the rope around my wrists, I attempted to loosen it but was interrupted.
“Ah, you’re awake,” Bryce spoke, drawing my eyes to the doorway where he stood.
I stilled as he approached me, not wanting him to see what I was doing. “Why are you doing this, Bryce?” My voice was muffled by the tape as I questioned him.
He circled around me. “Why am I doing this?” He responded rhetorically.
I tried to turn and follow his movement as he rounded my back, but I couldn’t because of the way he had tied me to the chair.
His warm breath hit my neck, sending a chill over me as he spoke. “Because I’m finally taking what’s mine.”
Was he always this crazy?
No, you make people that way, just like Kaleb.
The pain of him ripping the tape off my mouth snapped me out of my thoughts. I screamed for help, but Bryce silenced me when he clutched my throat.
My heart started to pound as panic began to weave through me. I jerked my head back, but Bryce kept his grip on my skin. He wasn’t applying enough pressure to block my air supply, but it was still uncomfortable.
“Bryce, please stop.” I begged as tears formed at the corners of my eyes.
The pressure intensified for a few seconds before he let go and came around to face me. “I forgot that you hate to have your neck touched.” His tone was mocking as he ran his finger over the scar on my throat.
My breaths were labored as panic ate at me and adrenaline rushed through my veins. Then, worry over Hayden’s safety compounded
my anxiety. I hadn’t felt him move since back at the apartment. I knew the stress I was subjected to wasn’t good for him, and I didn’t want to go into early labor. I needed to calm down and find a way to get out of there.
I resumed messing with the ropes and locked eyes with Bryce. “Let me go, Bryce, please. I promise I won’t tell anyone.”
“Not even that meathead?” he replied snidely, his distaste for Ryker evident in his voice.
“I won’t, I promise—he probably doesn’t even know I’m gone. We had a fight and he left. He’s probably not even home yet.”
Bryce seemed to consider that for a moment as his eyes scanned my face. He looked like my old Bryce for a moment before his face shifted darkly, the way Kaleb’s used to. His eyes narrowed menacingly at me. “I don’t think so.”
The tiny shred of hope I had evaporated. I knew that look—the one there was no reasoning with. I wasn’t going to be able to convince Bryce to let me go.
The knots in the ropes loosened a little. I needed to keep Bryce distracted so I could finish untying the rope enough to escape. A few tears trickled down my cheeks as I held his gaze. “I’m sorry, Bryce. I never meant to hurt you.”
He scoffed and shook his head. “I was there for you whenever you needed me. And how did you repay me?” He clenched his fists and raised his voice. “By kicking me to the curb for some asshole you had just met!”
“I’m sorry!” A sob broke through my throat as I looked into his wounded eyes. I felt bad for him for a split second, but pushed away the guilt and sadness, reminding myself of what he was doing to me. I tore my eyes away and steeled my voice. “I told you not to get involved with me, but you didn’t listen.”
“Oh, so it’s my fault?” he replied incredulously. My eyes darted back to him as I heard his footsteps quickly approaching me, causing my body to tense in fear.
He lowered his face to my eye level. “You made me do this. I tried to make you see that I was the one for you. I tried to be patient. But after everything, I finally realized that when you want something, you have to take it.”
I had almost unknotted the rope, but I didn’t want to finish while Bryce was still in the room with me. I was in no shape to fight him off, and I wanted to escape with the least amount of confrontation as possible, preferably without him knowing.
He cupped my cheek, but I turned my face away, repulsed by his touch. Big mistake.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him rear his hand back. I flinched in anticipation before he backhanded me and bellowed in my face. “Look what you’ve done to us! I loved you!” His voice softened as he forced me to look at him by gripping my chin. His eyes were glazed with tears as he stared into mine. “I would’ve loved you forever, Ky.”
I trembled as my gaze ran over his face. A face that used to be a source of comfort for me, but was now lost. He still looked the same, but the man I knew and loved was gone. I may not have loved him like he’d wanted, but I had loved him. And now I’d destroyed him, just like everyone else important in my life—Mom. Dad. Kaleb. Kamden… Ryker. Bryce had been one of my only friends, and I’d treated him like shit.
All I do is cause pain and ruin everything around me.
“You’re right,” I replied in a cracked whisper. “This is all my fault.”
I hung my head as tears dripped from my eyes. My sight blurred as I looked down at my belly. I thought about the life inside me, something so perfect that I had helped create, something I’d finally done right. I wasn’t going to let Hayden suffer from my destructive actions.
I kept my gaze downcast, hoping Bryce would think that I’d given up, then leave the room. Once he did, I could finish untying the ropes and get the fuck out of there.
“I’m sorry it had to come to this, Ky, but I can’t live without you.”
I felt him kiss the top of my head before the sound of his footsteps receding filled the room. The door closed and left me alone with just the dull murmur of the waves lapping up on the shore.
I waited a few minutes before straightening and working on the ropes around my wrists. My back was strained from the position I was in, making it harder for me to work on my task. Not to mention that I was utterly exhausted from everything that had happened.
My shoulders and arms burned after God knows how long. I was so close to untying the knots, but I just couldn’t get them undone. I slumped in fatigue and sobbed, ready to give up.
I can’t do this. I’m too weak.
Then, something amazing happened—Hayden kicked me, right when I needed it most. He reminded me of what I was fighting for, why I couldn’t lose hope. Him.
I will get out of this. I have to
Sitting back up, I worked on the ropes again. I wasn’t going to let Bryce win—I was going to escape and ensure my son’s safety. Hayden was all that mattered.
After several minutes, the sound of a door crashing open halted my actions.
What was that?
Sounds of fighting, furniture breaking, and indistinct shouting followed. I strained to hear, but couldn’t make out the voices through the closed door. All I could tell was that they were male.
What’s going on? Who’s here?
I started to get my hopes up that Ryker had come for me, but then I remembered our fight. He probably didn’t even know I was gone. And if he did, he probably didn’t care anymore.
His words replayed in my mind, making my heart sink back down into the pool of despair where my demons lay.
We’re through.
The sting of tears assaulted my eyes as I thought about never seeing Ryker again, never feeling his skin against mine, or hearing him tell me he loves me.
The sound of doors opening roughly slamming into the walls broke through my thoughts.
“Kaiya! Kaiya!”
My breath hitched. I knew that voice.
Am I dreaming?
The voice became louder, sounding desperate and terrified. “Kaiya! Kaiya, where are you?”
The tears that had been pooling spilled over. “In here! I’m in here!”
Footsteps pounded down the hall, getting faster and louder as he neared. “Kaiya!”
I wriggled in the chair, trying to free my hands. “In here!” I screamed.
I didn’t stop screaming until the doorknob jiggled seconds later. “I’m right here, baby. I’m gonna get you out of there.”
Several thuds echoed off the door before it was kicked in. Ryker appeared in the doorway; his gaze immediately found mine, and in seconds, he was kneeling in front of me. Reaching behind me, he untied my wrists and slipped the rope off before unfastening my ankles from the bottom of the chair. He helped me stand, then wrapped his arms around me, holding me tightly to him. He expelled a breath of relief. “Thank God I found you.”
My hands fisted the back of his shirt as tears ran down my face. “You came for me,” I whispered in disbelief.
Ryker pulled back and framed my face in his hands. His eyes searched mine. “Of course I did, Warrior.” He moved one of his hands to my belly. “I love you. You and Hayden are everything to me.”
“But earlier you said th—”
“Fuck what I said. I was being a stupid asshole. I never should’ve said those things or left you. I’m so sorry, baby.”
More tears flowed from my eyes. I should’ve been pissed as all hell, but all I felt was relief and my love for Ryker. He was, and always had been “it” for me. Nothing would ever change that.
I sobbed into his chest, my body shaking as reality sank in and overwhelmed me. The tears poured out of me and soaked Ryker’s shirt as I held onto him for dear life.
Suddenly, my stomach was assaulted with the most intense pain I’d ever experienced. I couldn’t stop the cry of agony that escaped me as my knees buckled, and I slumped against Ryker.
Ryker eased us down to the floor and cupped my face. “Ky, what’s wrong, baby?” His eyes scanned over my face with concern.
Clenching my teeth, I gritted out my words. “I
don’t know.” I clutched my stomach. “It just hurts.”
Ryker draped my arm over his shoulders before lifting me up and into his arms. “I’m going to take you to the hospital.”
Biting my lip, I buried my face back in his chest and fisted his shirt in my hands. Tears involuntarily streamed down my heated cheeks from the excruciating pain. “It hurts so bad,” I whimpered.
“I know, baby. I’m sorry. I’ll get you there as fast as I can.” Ryker replied as he rushed through Bryce’s condo.
“What happened?” Kamden urgently questioned. “Is she okay?”
“I don’t know. She’s having some stomach pain. I’m taking her to the hospital.”
I cried out, unable to stifle the sound. The pain was too much. I felt like my insides were being shredded with a razor-sharp saw, and I worried for Hayden. I was still five weeks away from being full term, which wasn’t that bad, but so much could go wrong, and I didn’t want anything happening to him.
“Ryker, please,” I whimpered. “Hayden.”
We started moving again. “You coming or not?” Ryker gruffly asked my brother.
“What about him?” Kamden replied.
“Fuck him. All I care about is Kaiya and the baby. I’m leaving. You can stay if you want,” Ryker abruptly retorted.
Even though my eyes were closed, I knew we were outside. The smell of the ocean wafted over me as the sea breeze cooled my fevered skin. I could hear the waves crashing against the sand as we continued walking.
Ryker laid me down in the backseat before climbing in next to me. He rested my head in his lap and another wave of pain slammed through me.
Fuck! It hurts so bad.
I arched my back as I writhed in the seat and screamed. Sweat beaded on my forehead and my body felt like it was on fire.
Ryker pushed some hair out of my face and yelled at Kamden in the front seat. “Drive! Fast!”
I closed my eyes again as Kamden and Ryker shouted back and forth about the closest hospital and what highway to take. Their voices faded out as darkness overtook me.
Mending Scars Page 20
