The Complete Box Set: Saving Her

by Bry Ann

  Then, I saw his loss before I could do anything. Tanner snuck out of the fight and grabbed a knife. I tried to yell but my throat closed up, because it was Tanner. Tanner took the knife and quickly ran it along Gunner’s dominant arm. It wasn’t a severe injury, but it was enough to disarm him and allow the other three men to take him down. I tried to help. I grabbed a knife next to me and threw it at Tanner. Gunner looked at me with concern etching his features as Tanner dodged it and the same other older man picked me up of the floor. I struggled and fought until I heard Gunner’s voice, it was softer. He was talking to me.

  “Dana listen,” I couldn’t process it as I was dragged down the hallway. We were so quiet no one would have heard us in the room. I should yell, but my instincts told me it’d get me killed now.

  “Dana stop fighting,” Gunner said again.

  I immediately stopped and nodded. We were being pushed to the emergency exit side by side. He shot me a look and then turned to see if the men were distracted and talking amongst themselves. They were.

  “Dana, listen to me,” Gunner said quietly. “When I say so run, run. Don’t stop for anything. I don’t care if one of them grabs you, you break a leg, I get shot…” he saw my face at that last one and sighed. “Dana, I can handle myself. Don’t play hero. Fucking run no matter what. Do you trust me?”

  I nodded.

  “Then you will do this?”

  Reluctantly I nodded, with tears in my eyes. Why did I feel like this was goodbye?

  “Good. Remember what I taught you. Back when we hid at Logan’s house to meet. Remember that?”

  I did. The memory came back in a flash.

  “I can protect myself!” I said with my arms crossed over my chest.

  “Oh really, where would you go if you were in a building or a house and someone was chasing you?” Gunner asked amused.

  “The closet or under a table or something. I’ve seen the movies. I’d look for a small spot.”

  “Dana NO!” Gunner grabbed my shoulders and gave me strict eye contact. “If someone is chasing you, you hide in the vents if you can’t get out of there. Everyone will look in the closet. It’s like the first place I’d look. Do you hear me?”

  I swallowed and nodded. I never thought I’d need this knowledge, but it still sent chills down my spine.

  I shook my head to snap out of the memory and turned to Gunner.

  “I will, I promise. I Love you,” I spit out quietly before I could think better of it. “I’m sorry I do.”

  “Don’t be sorry. Now remember what I said… run.”

  My head was still whirling from what he said, but I snapped out of it fast when Gunner kicked the guy behind him knocking him down the emergency stairs. Like Gunner said I bolted off. I heard a punch and stopped to worry, but Gunner yelled for me to keep running. So, I did. Trust. I ran and ran until I found a staff break room. I heard footsteps behind me, so I ran in there. No one was there. I locked the door and grabbed a chair, so I could climb into the vent. I moved the little vent shaft and somehow pulled myself up. Then I leaned down and moved the chair away, shutting the vent behind me. Just as I finished the door was kicked down and in walked the four men with Gunner bound tight being pushed along beside them. Gunner. My heart burned fire. He saved me again, but now he was in trouble. I debated leaving the vent, but what could I do, and Gunner would be pissed. I had to trust him. He’s one of my best friends. I owed him that.

  “Where is she?” one of them asked, roughly jerking him forward.

  “I was with you. How would I know?” Gunner said calmly, but there was a hint of pride in his voice. Even with an injured arm and bleeding lip he held power. The man with the gray eyes practically growled.

  “When I find that little slut I’m going to tear her limb from limb!” the man yelled. I tried to stifle my gasp. Usually threats like this were empty but coming from this man it was anything but. He would completely do it just to see Gunner’s reaction. I understood Gunner’s paranoia now. Too little too late. While I was internally panicking I looked down and saw a hint of a smirk on Gunner’s bloody face. He turned to look the man directly in the eyes.

  “I’d never let that happen,” he said calmly. “Never.”

  Dana- 21 Years Old:

  Logan wasn’t kidding six years ago when he told me he’d get me help. Not that Logan ever joked about stuff like that, but I would have never guessed the lengths he would go to help me.

  That night he went to my parents and told them he was using some of his money, that they had placed in a savings account, to pay for my treatment. My parents vehemently refused. I’ll never forget what they told him, because I don’t think I’d ever experienced shame or heartbreak like that before. My mom turned to Logan and in a serious tone said, “It’s not our fault she decided to date a rapist”.

  I felt my heart rip out of my chest. Suddenly all the work I’d put into my recovery didn’t matter. I ran into the restroom and grabbed a razor. I wanted to kill myself, but I remembered the desperate look on Logan’s face when he asked me to never do that again and I knew I couldn’t do that to him. However, the pain was still so raw and so real, ripping me apart from the inside like a fire spreading. I grabbed the razor and ran it down the length of my arm. This time it wasn’t about erasing the pain necessarily. It was more about punishing myself… for being so naive, so stupid, for bringing this all on myself. What my parents said bothered me so much because it was how I really felt.

  Suddenly I was zapped out my thoughts when I realized how deeply I’d cut myself. Blood was running down my arm and dripping all over the floor.

  “Shit!” I cursed as stars crowded my vision. Shit, shit I was dizzy. I grabbed a towel and tried to wipe off the blood but all that did effectively was turn the towel bright red.

  “Shit,” I cursed again, throwing the towel to the side and cradling my arm. I looked around trying to decide what to do. The only good to come of this was that I had effectively forgotten what my parents said and the guilt and shame I felt.

  “Dana! Dana!” Logan’s worried voice sounded from outside the door. “Please answer me I’m freaking out!”

  “I’m, uh, going to the restroom,” I shouted back.

  “Please open up. Are you okay?... I… I know you heard.”

  I actually was starting to feel really nauseous now. I threw the bloody towel to the side and continued to cradle my arm.

  “I’m just peeing,” I said weakly.

  “Dana! Please let me in. I’m begging you.”

  If Logan hadn’t sound absolutely on the verge of crying I would have never opened the door. However, Logan sounded devastated and sick with worry. I couldn’t leave him out there like that. Besides, I was bleeding all over everything. I had messed up bad and I needed help.

  “Don’t panic,” I said biting my lip as I walked to open the door. I kept my arm tucked in tight, so I didn’t drip blood everywhere.

  I opened the door and Logan’s eyes widened and he immediately sprung to action. He kept his word though. He tried not to make me feel bad about what I did.

  “Okay, um,” he said, his hands shaking, “Someone else can clean the blood… that doesn’t matter. Let’s get you to the hospital. Okay?”

  I nodded weakly. Logan’s eyes watered as he gave me a nod back. He was trying to be strong. He grabbed the second towel off the rack and gently wrapped it around my arm. He winced when he saw how deep the gash went but didn’t say anything. I was rushed to the hospital where I was cleaned up, stitched up and given IV’s. I suddenly became very scared I was going to be locked in the psych ward. The only reason I had gotten out of it the first time was because my brother is Logan Prescott. However, I doubted that would get me out of this twice. I tried to block out all the horror stories I’d heard about psych wards but wasn’t very effective.

  Logan gave me space to think and I suspected to deal with whatever he had to deal with to help me. I remembered his promise and wondered what exactly he meant by helpi
ng me. My questions were soon answered when Logan came in the room two hours later.

  “Hey,” he said standing in the doorway looking downright exhausted. His blonde hair was tangled and dirty. Dark circles were more than evident on his usually handsome face, and overall the brightness he usually had was just plain dimmed. It made me sad to see him that way, but I knew I looked no better. In fact, I probably looked way worse.

  “Hey,” I responded.

  “How are you feeling?”

  Logan walked over to my bed and paced around anxiously. I really wished he’d sit down. His pacing was making me nervous.

  “You know, I’ve felt better but... I’m not bleeding anymore,” I said with a fake attempt at happiness as I lifted my arm to show him my wrapping.

  “Yeah. That’s good I guess.”

  “Yeah.”

  “Day, I got you help. The people are great. The first place is in the mountains outside of LA. It’s inpatient and intensive. They focus on PTSD and self-harm. They only accept ten girls at a time. I’ve spoken with them extensively and I really feel they can help you. You will have privacy as well. After that, I’m speaking to a place in Nashville. I’m going to go up there and visit, check it out but I feel that’s the best next step. You will be eighteen by then and it’s a great place for adults. You’ll have freedom but also support…and you’ll be away from mom and dad.”

  Logan carried through on all his promises. I didn’t find out until I got out of impatient that he never spoke to my parents after that incident. Apparently, Logan begged my parents for help when he saw the gash on my arm and they downright refused to help again. That was it for him. Honestly, until that moment I had no idea he loved me that much. Our relationship had strengthened. He’s my best friend, and I'm his. I know that now. The thing is Hollywood still pulled him away. He called and texted me frequently, but I only really get to see him when he took a break in between major projects, or obviously when I saw him on TV, which was rare because his whole television persona just downright annoyed me. I hated the whole LA/Hollywood thing and it always took Logan a few days to acclimate to that. It was the only thing we fought about, but we did fight about it a lot.

  Now I was here in the treatment center Logan told me about in Nashville. Even though it was driving me crazy right now the place really was great. Each room looked sort of like the room to a fancy hotel. There was several groups, therapists and psychiatrists on hand, and the amount you are required to go to each of them depended on you. I was at a very low level of care. I’d been working on my issues for years and had all but gained my independence, which I was grateful for. Logan had just finished up a bunch of movies and his TV show, so he was coming back to Nashville for a quick break before he went to work on his album. Excited to see him didn’t even begin to cover how I was feeling. I was ecstatic. This was the longest I’d been without seeing him and I was so lonely. Because I had spent most of my life in treatment I didn’t have many friends. Well, I had none actually, and I was supposed to be leaving this treatment center soon. That scared me. How was I supposed to live on my own? Hold a job? Deal with leasing managers? Not lose my mind? Without group or therapy, I would have no human interaction and I was just starting to get good at talking to people who aren’t Logan. Anytime I thought of all this ahead of me it sent me on the verge of a panic attack. Especially because I knew Logan would be out of town, and I’d be alone to do it all. I was grateful to Logan for paying for everything I just wished he was here more, and I wished that when he was here I didn’t have to wait a solid twenty-four hours for him to stop acting like a complete asshat. Damn Hollywood people.

  Logan was coming to visit me today and in anticipation of it I put on my favorite creme sweater and a little bit of makeup. I got the notification from the front desk he was here and bolted towards the lobby as fast as I good. Partly to see Logan, but mostly because I knew Anette would be briefing him and I hated knowing people were talking about me behind my back. As soon as I got to the lobby I ran straight for Logan. Logan gave me a huge hug, but even wrapped in my brother’s arms after months apart I could feel he was distracted. I instantly lifted my gaze and came face to face with a plain looking brown-haired girl. She had on a sweater that complimented her beautiful hazel eyes. That wasn’t what intrigued me about her though. It was that although she looked slightly uncomfortable, she had this air of self-confidence and self-respect that just clung to her effortlessly. She shot me a very small friendly smile, but also was extremely hyper aware of how much she was letting show. She seemed intent on not letting her face show too much of what she was feeling. She was weary, just like I was. I suddenly became semi shy and unsure. I mean although this girl didn’t look the part, how could I be sure this wasn’t one of Logan’s LA sluts. Mean, and I shouldn’t say that but… for lack of a better word.

  I tried to ask about this random girl, but Logan seemed more uncomfortable than usual about us being out in public and quickly ushered us to the elevator. I was curious about this change in him but didn’t ask. Instead I decided not to waste time giving Logan crap about his Hollywood persona. Logan hated that with a passion, but I felt it necessary to keep him grounded. Plus, the random girl in the elevator with us seemed highly amused by it, which I liked. I didn’t want to get my hopes up, but I had a feeling I was going to like this girl.

  Finally, as we made our way up the elevator I decided to assess the girl a little more deeply. Honestly, I was so confused why she was here. Why she was with Logan? She was beautiful and badass but not the type of girl I was used to seeing Logan with, not that he ever bought his one-night stands and random hooks up around me, making this all the more curious.

  Suddenly, it dawned on me how weird this must be for her. She didn’t know me and yet was just expected to follow me and Logan into a random room. Logan’s so used to people bowing at his flipping feet he doesn’t think sometimes other people don’t always feel safe going to random places with people they don’t really know. I know I don’t! I quickly went to reassure the poor girl.

  “So apparently, we can’t know anything about each other until we are in a private room, but, um, I live on the tenth floor of this place in room 1049. I thought I’d let you know so you have some idea where we are going,” I said to her with a shrug. “I’d be uncomfortable just following a random person up to a room I didn’t know, but, uh, this is a good place.”

  She seemed to visibly relax and shot me a grateful look. I hated that I already liked her. Finally, we made our way to my room where Logan was able to shed his annoying incognito gear. That’s when I rounded on the two of them.

  “So, who is she?” I asked annoyed.

  The girl suddenly became extremely awkward. She didn’t say a word and eyed her surroundings both curiously and hesitantly, all traces of self-assuredness I’d sensed in her downstairs seemed to disappear. Logan looked at her strangely and introduced her as Sam and said she was a friend of his. No fucking way. Logan doesn’t have normal friends. I asked if she was from LA, even though I already knew the answer.

  The funny part was the second I asked that this girl Sam seemed to come back to herself and let out a snort. She asked me if she looked like she was from LA. She seemed highly amused, and my curiosity peaked to new levels. I looked over at Logan who just seemed annoyed still.

  Once Sam relaxed we all got to talking. Sam could care less about what she said and what people thought so holding a conversation with her was easy. She explained that her and Logan met at a diner she worked at. She was his waitress. I scoffed at that, Logan and I got in a little tiff after I said there’s no way Logan would befriend a random waitress, and then Sam tried to end our fight with more details on how they met. Although it wasn’t missed by me or Logan how she left out anything that relayed personal details. This girl was beyond a closed book. She had a lock on it.

  Logan, however, seemed to understand her effortlessly. He mocked her and then explained their whole story. It was a great story. Almost like
something out a book, and I loved how Sam hated him at first. Weird, I know, but if filled my heart with hope to know that Logan was hanging around someone who he had to persuade to like him based on his personality and morals versus his looks and social standing. Plus, I can’t lie. The inner romantic in me was going crazy about the two of them. I mean they had chemistry, even I could feel it in my sexually damaged state, and they had that whole love/hate thing going on. Yep, they were in for it. Whatever it is.

  After a whole ordeal about us going out to eat we finally decided on an Italian place. I could tell Sam felt uncomfortable and was just going along for us, but now that she knew it was what we wanted I knew we couldn’t talk her out of going or insult her knowledge by pretending we no longer wanted to go. Logan was extra protective with her around. Logan was always extremely protective but with Sam around it is like on overdrive.

  We finally got the restaurant and when we got out Logan held Sam back while I got a table. I'm pretty sure it was about the obvious change in Sam’s demeanor when Logan made a joke about money. Sam went completely stiff and said nothing the rest of the way. Logan knew something about Sam I didn’t know, there was definitely more to her story. I knew I’d find out. Sam wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

  Finally, they joined me outside. I got lasagna. Sam got pasta-which was a relief, and Logan got chicken salad. I scoffed and made fun of him, which of course he didn’t appreciate…. but Sam did. Oh, this would be fun. This is what it’s like to have a sister.

  Finally, Logan was outnumbered. Both me and Sam laughed at Logan’s obvious annoyance. We were both laughing when somebody called Sam’s name. Immediately I looked up and came face to face with a man that gave me the heebies. I felt cold and uncomfortable. He had tattoos, piercings, an extremely thin frame and creepy eyes. At first, I thought there was no way Sam could know him, but her bright cheeks immediately told me otherwise. She stood up and he kept trying to get to close to her even though she clearly wanted him at a distance. The closer he got the more she backed up. He asked who we were, and I instantly trusted her when she was careful not to give away my brother’s, or my, identity. Especially since Logan was so incognito at the moment. I glanced over at my brother and he looked beyond pissed. I mean he looked downright enraged. This shocked me. Logan is so laid back. Even when he’s angry it usually comes out in either determination or pain. He’s not some angry alpha male. That’s not him.