Axel: A Romantic Suspense Novel

by Bry Ann

  I bit my lower lip. “Not yet, but they will soon.”

  Brandon looked around my room. “You can’t go.”

  “Yes, I can and I will. You can’t stop me. I’m sorry.”

  “No, I’m sorry.”

  I looked at Brandon curiously as he approached me. Before I could say anything, he whipped something out of his back pocket, and I felt a jolt in my neck. Pretty soon, my world went black.

  “Brandon, what did you do?” I asked as my voice faded out and I landed with a thud on the floor.

  I didn’t know how long it was before I woke up, but when I did, I felt drugged. I was groggy and nauseous. I went to wipe the hair from my face but quickly realized I was strapped to a chair.

  “Where I am?” My voice was panicked but weak.

  “You’re awake?” a voice called out.

  I blinked several times to try and get my vision back; everything in the room was blurry. I finally was able to clear my vision, and when I did, I found myself face to face with Brandon and my father.

  “What? Dad?!” I asked with wide eyes “What? Why? What’s happening?”

  Dad circled the chair silently and then leaned against the back wall. He crossed his arms over his chest slowly, methodically, then nodded to Brandon. He still ignored my panicked questions. I sat there paralyzed, looking between the two of them, waiting for some explanation, something to reassure me I was safe.

  It knew it wouldn’t come.

  Brandon paced the room before finally turning to me. “Aly, you are here because of your erratic behavior these past few years. We have known we probably needed to do something about your behavior since you laid a hand on your father two years ago. We prayed and meditated on this. You won’t be locked up forever. It is just until we can trust you again and some of the, well, tools, we have here are simply to reinforce some facts you have forgotten over the years. Redemption is sometimes paved in blood, Aly. Of course, you’re my friend, so I’m hoping not to have to go that far, but we will see. It all depends on you.”

  “You’re doing this to teach me a lesson?! That makes no sense! I’m not a robot. You can’t just keep pushing my buttons until I act like you want me to!”

  “You need to be saved, Aly,” Brandon said with a shrug. “And we had to do it before you left for Seattle and it was too late.”

  “No,” I yelled, jerking on my ropes. “Let me go! Let me go! My friend needs me. We are Christians. He is hurting. Let me go!”

  “He?” Brandon asked, storming over to me.

  “Yeah, he.”

  His face turned red with rage, and he slapped me hard across the face. “You slut!”

  “He’s just a friend! I never slept with him. I am not a slut!” I cried.

  My dad, Ronald, came over and kicked the legs of my chair, causing me to slide across the stone-cold floor. My head jerked around wildly until I finally stopped moving and my vision was blocked by the hair that was now covering my face.

  “No! SOMEONE HELP ME!” I screamed. My panic was increasing now that I couldn’t see what was going on.

  “No one’s looking for you, Aly,” Dad said. “The police are in the church’s pocket. As far as everyone else knows, you are going back to Seattle tonight. They will take my word for it, and everyone will assume you are out of town. So you are going to stay here until you learn your lesson. That way, when you ‘come back from Seattle,’ you can show the world what a respectful young lady you have become. Brandon will do most of the teaching since I am a busy man.”

  “No,” I said as tears rolled down my face. “You’re my dad, and Brandon, you were my best friend. How can you do this to me?”

  “To teach you,” Brandon said simply.

  Then he pulled out his taser.

  Hearing from Aly was probably the best thing that could have happened to me. I was an asshole. I left her and let her go after that night with Caylan because of my shit. She needed me. I had no doubt she could make it on her own, and she did, but still… It was a dick move. One I had regretted since and been too chicken to remedy.

  The past two years had been a haze of tournaments, money, power, women, drugs, and alcohol. A lot of shit and emptiness. That life was fun for a while, but it was empty. It felt empty. When it turned out fucking Cyclone, my boxing rival, had a connection to Ryan Oakland, I made a deal. If I retired (basically assuring him this year’s title win) he would stay clear of my past and keep it out of the public. This ensured Sarah’s tragedy stayed out of the public spectacle. I was done with this life anyway. It wasn’t a hard choice to make. The only thing that sucked was the uncertainty of everything.

  Thursday morning had come around fast. I got to the coffee shop at six in the morning and waited. Time went by, and Aly still wasn’t there. At seven, I was curious. It was not like Aly to stand people up and to not show up without a word. She had morals. Something was up. I sat there thinking. I had texted her three times already with no response. Tapping my hands on the table, I glanced at the other people in the coffee shop. I put one of my hands under my chin and waited. Then I heard a voice in my head, one I hadn’t heard in over five years. Check the newspaper, the female voice said softly. I froze. Sarah. I was completely in shock. Check it, the voice said more firmly.

  I walked up to the cashier and asked if they had a copy of the paper. The lady handed me one, and I went back to my table wondering why the hell I was flipping through the paper when I should be trying to get hold of Aly.

  I flipped through all the pages until I got to the last page where the missing persons reports were. My heart flipped. Frantically, I looked and saw exactly what I was expecting to see. In the bottom left corner was a picture of Aly with the caption:

  A young girl from Salem goes missing in her hometown- reported by mom. Call Salem PD to report any information.

  I bolted out of the shop, my adrenaline on high. Not Aly too. If there was a God out there, please not Aly too. I immediately called Salem PD. It took me less than ten seconds to realize they didn’t care about this case. They told me she was in Seattle. Fuck no, she wasn’t! If she was, she’d be at this coffee shop. I tried to tell them. They said they had it on “good authority” she was in Seattle.

  Fuck them.

  I had my driver take me to the train station. I took the first train to Salem. I was expected to arrive at seven at night. I read the missing persons article over and over. Reported by mom. Reported by mom. What about her dad? Who the hell would want to hurt Aly? She was so innocent. Of course, that made her an open target. Like Sarah. I shuddered. I remembered the first time we talked on the train. I remembered how she struggled with her bag and couldn’t contain her thoughts no matter how hard she tried. I had been so busy stewing in my past I didn’t see how much I cared about the girl right in front of me. A girl Sarah would have loved as well and been proud of me being with. I slammed my fist on the seat. Temper. Control your temper.

  Aly’s parents were big members of the church, and in a small town like that, I didn’t have any doubts that they had strong ties with the police. I was sure her dad had told them she was in Seattle, and it was not like they would listen to me over him. Besides, I had only known Aly for a day, and they had no idea who I was. They wouldn’t listen to me, especially if they didn’t listen to her mother. Her mom had gone behind her husband’s back to put that ad out in the paper. I’d have to start with the people Aly had mentioned: her dad, mom, and this kid Brandon. I’d start with Brandon, for fucking sure. That was the twat that made Aly feel guilty about everything when she first arrived in Seattle.

  When we landed, I called Carl to see if he could use his connections to find Brandon’s address in Salem. I found out Aly’s last name was Abernathy, so it would be a kid with a connection to the Abernathy family. Carl was on it, and by the time I got in my rental car, I had an address.

  I’m coming, Aly. Hang the fuck on.

  Brandon made up a sick game where he quizzed me on Bible facts and if I got any wrong, any a
t all, he would taseme. He had the settings on light enough so I wouldn’t pass out, unfortunately, but enough to cause pain. He had untied me when he started the game, and now after being tased four times, I was lying on the floor with my hair covering my face like a limp noodle. The pain hadn’t fully registered because I still couldn’t believe this was happening. I couldn’t believe my dad and Brandon, the two people who had always made me feel like a horrible person, a sinner, were capable of this kind of violence. As more time went on, I realized I was going to stand X up. For some reason, that made me feel guilty, even though I had no choice in the matter. My heart hurts. If I ever got out of this stone room, I would probably never see him again.

  Brandon’s voice brought me out of my boxer-filled thoughts.

  “Did you have sex in Seattle?” he spat at me.

  “No!” I coughed out. “You’re trying to find things in me that aren’t there! Why are you doing this?”

  Brandon scowled and reeled his foot back, kicking me square across the face. I let out a whimpering sound and went to reach for my face. Nothing happened. My arm stayed limp at my side. I could feel blood running down my face, but I couldn’t move to wipe it away.

  “My arm won’t move. Brandon, please,” I begged. “My arm won’t move.”

  “Stop, Aly,” a deep voice said in the doorway. My dad.

  “Dad, please,” I begged. “I can’t move my arm.” I was crying now, out of pure terror. Why wouldn’t my arm move?

  Dad came over and sat me up, leaning me against the wall. The minute he did, my head fell straight to my chest.

  “We are trying to help you, Aly,” he said as he adjusted his coat.

  “How long have I been here?”

  “It’s only been like four or five days.”

  “No.” A tear fell down my face. “A friend needed me.”

  Brandon spun around. Fire flashed in his eyes. He glanced at Dad. Shaking his head, Brandon turned back to me, reached out, and grabbed my face.

  “We are your friends. Your family. Whoever you met back in that sinful city is not your friend.”

  Brandon grabbed my hair and threw me across the room so once more I was lying limp on the floor. Pain shot through my body.

  “Please, Dad,” I said, trying to reason with him as a father, my father. “I’m so scared.I’m so scared.”

  I cried harder now. My body wouldn’t move. I didn’t know what they were doing, what they were going to do. I had already been here for five days. Where was my mom? Did she know? No one said anything in response to my first outcry, so I kept crying, kept trying.

  “Please. I’m so scared,” I pleaded.

  Footsteps headed toward me until I felt someone standing over me.

  “Remember how I told you that I was trying to teach you a lesson, to save you? You are not grasping it, Aly. You still want to go back to Seattle. You are still talking about this ‘friend ‘you met there, and you are still not getting questions about the Bible correct!” Brandon shook his head in disappointment. “Unfortunately, we are going to have to step it up now.”

  I heard them take something out of a bag, but I couldn’t move my head to see it.

  “No, please. I’m never going to agree to stay here, to abandon my friend. Never! I’m sorry I got the questions about the Bible wrong. I’ll study more. I promise. Please don’t hurt me anymore. We can compromise. Please…”

  I felt something sharp hit my skin, and I screamed as it ran down the length of my arm. Brandon was reciting some Bible verse, and I felt the blood oozing down my skin.

  “Dad, help me,” I cried.

  Finally, as the blade kept pinching my skin, I felt my world start to slow.

  “Someone, help me.” My voice faded out.

  Then, as I made a last-ditch effort to try and move my arm, I heard a voice in the doorway.

  “Step away from her NOW!” a deep male voice yelled.

  X? Was I losing my mind?

  Brandon stepped away from me. Was he here? Was someone here? Was someone saving me? It wasn’t the police. My dad knew the police.

  “Help!” I cried. “Please help me, whoever you are.”

  Dizziness hit me hard. I shut my eyes. I could hear voices in the background and the sound of fists.

  “Please help,” I tried again. I didn’t care what happened to Brandon or Dad. I just wanted someone to help me. “Someone, get me out of here. Please.”

  Then a large body came next to mine and wiped my hair away from my face. I opened my eyes and lifted my head.

  “X? What? How? What are you…”

  “Shhh…” he said, holding a finger to my mouth. His eyes were dark as night, and his body shook, yet somehow, he was managing to be gentle with me.

  “Is Dad okay? Is Brandon?”

  “Unfortunately. “I could see a flash of rage as he spoke. “They each took a punch, but your dad ran, and Brandon’s on the floor over there being a pussy. I let them go so I could get to you.”

  “I can’t move my arms,” I cried, letting the panic seep out of my voice. “I think there was a knife.”

  “Shh, Aly, it’s okay. You’re safe.” X brushed my hair back again.

  I felt my breath steady a bit, and then my whole body relaxed under his touch. “Get me out of here. I just want out of here.”

  “I got you,” he said. He wiped some of the blood off my face. “I’m going to get you out. Just let me see where you are hurt, okay?”

  I nodded. The first thing he did was grab my arm. He grunted and quickly removed his shirt, wrapping it tightly around my arm.

  “To stop some of the blood loss,” he said matter-of-factly. “Okay,” he continued as he inspected my body. His voice was shaky. “You’re bleeding a lot, and I don’t have anything else to wrap you with. You can’t move?”

  “No, I can’t! Help!”

  “Shh, it’s okay.”

  He put a hand gently on my neck and then another under my legs. He lifted me up easily as if I weighed nothing. The minute I was airborne, I panicked a bit, but X calmed me again. My face fell into his chest. I didn’t want to see the world. I wanted it all to be black. He scooted me closer. X carried me and I closed my eyes.

  “You’re not taking her anywhere.”

  My eyes flashed open. Brandon stood in front of us. My body instantly started shaking, and X squeezed me tighter in; an effort to try and calm me.

  “Get out of my way,” X warned. “Now!”

  “No. She’s not leaving here!” Brandon reached for something in his pocket.

  “X, he has a taser!” I screamed.

  Brandon lurched forward. X raised his hand to block the blow, but in the process, he accidentally dropped me. I landed with a thud on the floor. Pain radiated on my tailbone and up my spine. I bit my lip hard to keep from crying out. I heard the sound of several punches.

  “X, no!” I whispered through gritted teeth. “Please, get me out.”

  Pain radiated throughout my body and seeped into my bones. I didn’t know bones could hurt. I heard a very angry scoff, and then X was once again by my side. I then heard the scuffling of feet. Brandon was gone. Thank goodness. I let out a sigh of relief.

  “I’m so sorry,” X said, his voice chock full of emotion as he stroked my hair. “I’m so sorry. I had to block that blow. It would have incapacitated me too. I wasn’t thinking.”

  “Shh…it’s okay. I need a hospital. Please.”

  “Yeah, you do,” he said, scooping me up once again.

  As we got to the car, X threw me into the backseat. He turned around and looked at me with the most pained expression I had ever seen. “Don’t leave me, Aly. Please don’t go.”

  I looked at him. “I’m not going anywhere, except maybe to sleep.”

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Seven

  I rushed Aly to the hospital. It was the first time since Sarah I could ever remember anger being a secondary emotion to anything, especially fear. Aly was unconscious in the backseat. T
hey had done a number on her. She looked severely dehydrated. As an athlete, I could tell she hadn’t eaten, she had been repeatedly tased, sliced up with a knife, and because of me, probably had a broken tailbone too. I think the worst part was the absolute fear and hurt in her eyes when I found her. Her own family did this.

  Her family. A family that claimed to be Christians. It sickened me.

  I bit my lip and gripped the steering wheel. I was just thankful I got there in time. Fuck, I hated them.

  When I arrived in Seattle, I went straight to Brandon’s place. He gave me weird vibes from the start but played the part of a worried best friend. I tried everything I could think of but got nothing out of him, so I went back to square one. Then I remembered her mom reported her missing. I showed up at her door, and Aly’s mom seemed terrified by me at first, but I think she saw in my eyes I desperately wanted to find her daughter, so she let me in. Thank God, her dad wasn’t there or I probably never would have found Aly.

  I tried not to scare her mother, but it was hard with my anger boiling at the surface. I needed to find Aly. I eventually got the guts to ask her if there was any way Aly’s father or Brandon were involved. Gut reaction, I couldn’t explain it. The minute I asked the question, her mom burst out crying. She suspected it too, because her husband flipped when she posted the missing persons ad.

  We went through every possible location where they’d keep Aly if they had her and she told me about a place a mile from their church in the middle of nowhere; it was a storage shed. I bolted and drove there as fast as possible. I walked into a scene of a horror movie. Brandon was hovering over her with a knife and she was telling him how scared she was, while her dad just watched. That broke me. If she hadn’t been so severely injured, begging me for help, I would have killed them.

  When I arrived at the hospital, the nurses rushed Aly back. I sat in the waiting room for an hour and a half before a short, brunette nurse with suspicious brown eyes entered the waiting room.