Broad Daylight

by A. M. Wilson

“You knew I was up, and I always head straight for the coffee.”

  He pouts playfully, and it looks ridiculously cute. “Yeah, but I thought you were being nice by making me a pot.”

  I call his pout and raise him a frowny face. “Now you’re just making me feel bad that I didn’t.”

  He laughs, revealing two dimples, and leans forward to snag the blanket. I’m pulled forward, and I wrap my arms around his waist and bury my face against his warm, naked chest. After a moment, I lean my head back a few inches and appreciatively eye his muscular chest.

  “You complain about me coming out in just a T-shirt and shorts.” I tip my chin up and look up at him. “I’m not the one who’s going to get sick. You’re half-naked.”

  “I only do it because I know you like looking at it.” He tosses me a wink.

  Rolling my eyes, I pinch one of his nipples.

  He hisses. “Damn, woman. I didn’t know you were into BDSM.”

  I laugh, and the tightness that’s ever-present in my stomach loosens some. This is the reason I came to Montana. Decker always manages to lift my spirits.

  He hooks me around the neck and pulls me close enough to kiss the top of my head. “I’ll go make us some breakfast.”

  After he leaves, I release a tired sigh and face the mountains again. Today is going to be rough. This’ll be my third appointment with my psychiatrist. As much as I know I need to talk out my feelings, I still hate it. I always feel so emotionally and physically drained afterward. The sessions are helping, though.

  My phone that I set on the table blasts the lyrics of “Carry on Wayward Son” by Kansas. I grab it and look at the screen, then smile when I see Madison’s name.

  “Hey,” I answer as I pull out a chair and take a seat, propping my feet up on the one beside me.

  “Hey, back at you,” my sister’s cheery voice greets me. “How are you doing?”

  “I’m not there yet, but I’m getting there, day by day. How are things at home? How are the kids and Mom and Dad?”

  I not only hated leaving Reece, but Mom, Dad, Madison, and the kids as well. It wasn’t just Reece and me who went through hell while in captivity. They suffered too. I can’t imagine wondering and worrying about what was being done to my child, no matter how old they may be.

  “Everyone is fine. Missing you. We all do.”

  “I miss you guys too,” I say, my voice cracking.

  “Any clue when you’ll be coming home?”

  “You know I can’t yet. I need more time.”

  Madison’s quiet for a moment, and I tense because I know what’s coming next. I never ask how Reece is doing. Not because it’s killing me not to know, but because it’s always hard to talk about him. My self-induced isolation in Montana is to fortify the walls around my heart, not to weaken them further by hearing what he’s up to back home.

  Besides, I don’t need to ask about him because Madison always brings him up.

  “He’s still searching for you. You know he won’t give up,” she says quietly.

  I fear she’s right, but I still hold on to hope that he’ll eventually give in.

  “You swore you wouldn’t tell him anything. Please don’t break that promise,” I plead.

  “You know I won’t, Dani. But he’s relentless, and he’ll eventually find you.”

  “Maybe so, maybe not. If he does, hopefully enough time will pass that I can face him without breaking down.”

  Except for my doctor back in Westbridge, the detectives on the case, and my psychiatrist here, no one knows the full extent of what Bolt made Reece and I do to each other. My parents and sister know of the torture, but not the sexual acts. I still don’t blame Reece for what he was made to do to me, but I don’t want my family to know. Not that they would blame him either, but it was too personal.

  “How about if I come for a visit? We can do girly shit like mani-pedis, maybe watch some chick flicks while we veg out on the couch. We’ll kick Decker out for the day.”

  I tuck my chin to my chest and smile. “As much as I love you for wanting to help, I need this time away. Just give me a few more weeks, and then I’ll take you up on that offer.”

  “Okay. Just promise you’re really doing okay.”

  “I am. I promise.” I drop my feet back to the floor. “I need to go get ready for my appointment.”

  “Call me after.”

  “I will. Tell Mom and Dad I love them, and I’ll talk to them soon.”

  “Love you, D.”

  “Love you too.”

  I stare at the clock from the leather couch I’m sitting on, anxiously waiting for the minute hand to reach the top of the hour. Seven more minutes to go, and I can be out of here.

  The sound of a pen scratching against paper fills the room, and I bring my eyes back to Dr. Simmons just as she looks up from whatever she was writing.

  “How has your pain been?”

  I shrug, using my injured shoulder and only slightly wincing at the pain. “It’s getting better.”

  “Are you still going to physical therapy?”

  “Yes. Twice a week.”

  “That’s good. I’m sure you’re anxious to get the full use of your arm and shoulder back.” She eyes me over the rim of her glasses. “And how are the nightmares?”

  “Still there.”

  She nods as if she truly understands. Until you go through what I went through, no one can really understand. “It takes time. I know it’s hard to believe right now, but the dreams will eventually fade. Is there anything we haven’t covered today that you’d like to discuss?”

  In order for these sessions to work, I know I need to be open with Dr. Simmons, so I give her question some serious thought. Most weeks, we go over the same things and reassess how I’ve been feeling. This week was no different.

  “No, I don’t believe there is.”

  She gives me a critical eye for a moment before she drops her pen, steeples her fingers together, and sets her hands on her desk.

  “I was hoping you’d be ready to discuss what you’ve been avoiding since you got here.” My stomach muscles tighten. “I really think we need to go over you being—”

  I cut her off before she can finish her sentence. “No!” I’ve been more open and honest with her than I’ve been with anyone else, but I won’t talk about some things. At least not yet. I’ve seen the proof, but I’m not ready to accept it yet.

  “Dani.” She sighs. “You avoiding it won’t make it go away.”

  “I know that, but I’m still not ready.” I glance at the clock. “Besides, we’re out of time.”

  “I always allot thirty minutes between patients in case the sessions go over. We have time.”

  Grabbing my purse from the table in front of me, I get to my feet. “I don’t. There’s somewhere I have to be,” I lie.

  Dr. Simmons’ expression doesn’t change, but I know she knows I’m lying. Instead of calling me out on it, she gets up from her chair.

  “Maybe next week you’ll be ready.” She walks around her desk to stand in front of me. “If you want to talk about it beforehand, you only have to call the office, and I can get you in early.”

  I nod. “Thank you.”

  A few minutes later, after making my next appointment with the lady at the front desk, I push through the doors and walk out into the bright sunlight. When I got here an hour ago, it was drizzling. I guess Mother Nature must be on the rag because now there’s not a cloud in sight.

  Pulling my sunglasses from my purse, I cover my eyes and walk the short distance to my car. The town that Decker lives in reminds me of Westbridge because of its small size, so it doesn’t take me long to get home. Decker lives on the outskirts and has three acres of land. Pulling into the driveway, I let a smile touch my lips when I spot the older model Ford truck sitting next to Decker’s Jeep.

  I grab my purse and phone and get out of the car. I’m tired and hungry, despite the light queasiness I feel after leaving the doctor’s office, but I’m happy
that one of my favorite people is here.

  Hanging my purse on one hook by the door, I take off my coat and hang it beside it. The house is quiet as I leave the entryway and walk through the living room. A quick glance in the kitchen shows that it's empty as well. Hearing laughter coming from out back, I detour in that direction. I’m not surprised when I open the door and find Decker and Bennett in the hot tub. A blush creeps up my cheeks, and I’m just about to go back into the house when Decker releases Bennett’s lips, and he winks at me. Even though I’ve caught them in more intimate situations on multiple occasions, my face still flames each time.

  “You’re just in time. Go get your bathing suit on and join us,” Decker suggests, putting a reasonable amount of space between him and his longtime lover. “I’ve set the temperature lower for you.”

  “As heavenly as it looks, I think I’m going to pass and take a nap. You two have fun.” My lips twitch.

  “You sure?” Bennett asks.

  “Yep.”

  “Then we’ll definitely have some fun.” The heat in Decker’s eyes is unmistakable. I know exactly what he and Bennett will get up to now that they have the hot tub to themselves for the next couple of hours.

  “When I get up, I’ll make us some dinner.”

  “I’ve got dinner covered,” Bennett says. “Steaks are already in the fridge marinating.”

  “Then I’ll take care of the sides.”

  I take a step back to go inside, but Decker’s question stops me. “How did the appointment go?”

  “The same as usual.”

  “You okay?”

  His concern for me has tears prickling the back of my eyes. Decker is one of my closest and oldest friends. To this day, he is still one of the best people I know. Bennett, who Decker met ten years ago, sits right along beside him in that category.

  “I’m good.” I smile to ease his concern.

  I leave the pair to do all the naughty things I know they’ll be doing and go to my room. Kicking off my shoes, I sit on the side of my bed, the fatigue that’s been draining me lately hitting me full force.

  I lied to Decker a moment ago. I’m not okay. Some days I feel like I never will be again. But I know that’s not true. It may take days, weeks, months, or even years, but I will push through this. I’ll never be the same woman I was before Bolt took me, but I’ll be damned if I allow her to ruin me forever.

  31

  Reece

  “Goddamn fucking shit.”

  Coffee sloshes onto my hand as I slam the ceramic mug onto my desk. The glow of my laptop screen illuminates the pitch-black room. It’s quarter after three in the morning with another late night searching social media photos for anyone who can lead me to Dani coming up empty.

  I managed to find a woman she went to college with named Courtney. A photo of them dated just over a year ago at a birthday party prompted me to send a message to see if they were still in touch. After a back and forth of her trying to determine if I’m a creepy stalker, she finally gave in and said she hadn’t spoken to Dani since before she moved back to Westbridge.

  Then she asked if Dani was doing well since the kidnapping, and I shut that shit down.

  It’s no surprise that our ordeal made national news. People are naturally curious and drawn to traumatic events. Just as when Aislin was rescued, tourists have crawled back to Westbridge. As if there’s anything for them to view. The house we were held captive in remains standing but wrapped in crime scene tape. The road is guarded 24/7 by a patrol. It’s only a matter of time until some influencer finds a way to break in and plaster the photos of that god-forsaken basement all over social media.

  The thought turns my empty stomach. I’ve subsisted on mainly caffeine ever since Mom gave me shit for how much I was drinking alcohol. The black sludge is more my style than a sugary energy drink and gets the job done.

  I scrub a hand over my worry-lined forehead. With my elbows resting on my desk, I drop my head into my open palms. Each scrap of a lead dries up like a river during a drought. The private investigator I hired hasn’t found her yet. Captain Morgan, Tavers, and Niko all claim not to know where she is, and I have no reason to believe they’re lying. The only people who know the location of the woman I love are her family, and they’ve loved her longer. Their loyalty belongs to her, and even though I’ve done my best to work it out of them, they still refuse to share.

  I quietly take my coffee cup to the kitchen, rinse it, and set it out for the morning before dragging my ass into bed. Sleep won’t come for a while, but lying down might quiet the pounding in my head.

  The lamp on my bedside table bathes the room in a yellowish glow. Ever since the kidnapping, I’ve turned into a grown-ass man who sleeps with a light on. My parents think it’s because I’m afraid of the dark when really, I’ve found myself spending more time with the lights on, having grown used to a dimly lit room. What I refuse to admit out loud, and hardly admit to myself, is that I leave the light on in case Dani decides to return and finds her way to my home.

  Slim, I know. Pathetic even. My bedroom shares a wall with the front of the house. Knowing she could be on the street in the middle of the night, I leave it on like a beacon to welcome her to my front door. The light says that I’m here. The light says that I’m awake. And I hope like fuck the light says welcome home.

  I shed my shirt and slip in nothing but sweatpants between cold sheets. My bicep bunches near my ear as I situate one hand beneath my head and fix my gaze to the ceiling. Tomorrow is going to be a shitty ass day. One that’s more than a month overdue.

  The therapist my family bullied me into seeing says it’s for the best. He mentioned the word closure, but that word means fuck-all in this type of situation. Closure doesn’t come after a month of torture. It’s just another pretty word people who have no idea what they’re talking about like to use as a Band-Aid. I know time will blunt the edge of the memories and fade the physical scars, but I fear until I have Dani back with me, letting go is an impossibility.

  The house is too quiet as I lie awake after having family over for an extended period. My parents returned home yesterday. Tori flew back to her husband and kids over a week ago. Niko and Aislin remain close by, but I know it’s only a matter of time until they resume their lives. Where does that leave me? Back to the business I’ve all but abandoned at this point. Jonas has called me in as needed, which I appreciate for the time being. Eventually, I’ll need to resume a normal life.

  But that can wait. At least a little longer. I’m not going to give up on her, and the only thing I have on my side is time.

  The weathered steps creak beneath my shoes. Cloudy, overcast skies reflect the sorrowful mood as I rap my knuckles against the door. A dog barks from inside the house before I hear shuffling and the slide of a deadbolt being pulled out of place.

  “Sorry to bother you, ma’am. I’m—”

  “Reece James,” she finishes in a voice filled with recognition. “Come in.”

  The curly redhead holds the interior door wide, giving me enough room to step over the threshold. A large golden retriever bounds around my ankles and sniffs excitedly.

  “Stay down, Dolly.” Sadie Barns orders her dog. The goofy mutt brings a warm feeling inside that I haven’t felt in two months.

  “She’s friendly. How old is she?”

  “She’s one. Still not quite out of her puppy stage. I’m sorry.”

  I wave a hand between us. “It’s not a problem. Did you get her from a rescue?”

  “A breeder, actually. A good one, not a puppy mill. Are you looking for a dog?” I appreciate the way she takes my sudden intrusion on her doorstep in strides.

  “I might be.”

  “Come in and sit, and I can get you my breeder’s information.” She throws an arm out to gesture to the hallway, but I shake my head to decline.

  “I won’t be long. I just came by to apologize and offer my condolences in person.”

  “I spoke with Niko at the funeral. I unde
rstand why you couldn’t be there.” Her smile wobbles at the mention of the service for her brother Bryan, Dani’s partner, who Bolt murdered needlessly and without mercy. I couldn’t attend because I was locked in a basement, but we leave that part unsaid.

  I clear my throat. “I didn’t know him, I'm sorry to say. The stories I’ve heard…he was a great guy.” Another lump of guilt forces me to pause again. “I want you to know how sorry I am for your loss. That his death is on my hands.”

  “Reece James, you listen to me. A psychopath killed my brother. He signed up for the job knowing the risks and hoping like hell he’d be able to retire someday, but my brother was a helper, through and through. There isn’t any place he’d rather be than in law enforcement, even if that meant giving his life to do it.” Her voice turns watery at the end. Her reassurance bounces off the surface of my guilt-ridden exterior. Maybe someday it’ll sink in, but that day is not today.

  “Thank you,” I say, not about to argue with her easy forgiveness I don’t deserve.

  “No, thank you.” She crosses her arms and lowers her gaze to the floor. “It’s not necessary, in my opinion, for you to come here, but it means a lot that you did. That you both did.”

  “Both?”

  “You and Dani.” She rolls her eyes with a touch of a smile. “Same spiel. I told her the same damn thing I told you. My family nor I blame either one of you for what happened to Bryan.”

  My body locks tight at the mention of Dani. “How long ago was she here?” I try to keep my tone neutral.

  “It must have been a couple of weeks ago now? I’m not sure. Time is a little different around here these days. It all goes so fast, you know?” Her blue eyes reveal she’s speaking of the weight of grief.

  No, I don’t. For me, each minute without Dani is like an hour. Each day feels like a month. I hum a response while my mind works to think of another question without rousing suspicions.

  “How is she doing, anyway? Is Montana treating her well?”

  Every muscle in my body jolts at hearing the name of a place in connection to Dani. I want to snarl and threaten Sadie for every scrap of information she knows. The internal fight to keep myself under control frays in a second.