“I’ll do that. Does the restaurant offer room service?” Peter asked, taking the form the attendant handed him and filling it out. When it asked for the names of the occupants, he filled in Mr. and Mrs. Peter Nash, just to avoid any questions or misunderstandings on the part of the hotel. Someday, the Good Lord willing.
“The restaurant is available for room service until midnight. Here is your room key and a map of the parking lot. There is an outside entrance to the west of the building, and an elevator that will take you up to the fourth floor just inside the door. Your room should be just a few doors down from the elevator. Is there anything else I can do for you?”
“No, that should do it.”
“You have a nice evening, then.”
“Thanks.” Peter pocketed the room key, and then headed back towards the vehicle. There were menus stacked up on a table outside the restaurant’s entrance, and he grabbed one on his way by. There was also a stack of newspapers, which he normally would eschew, but a picture of Brooke gracing the top right corner captured his attention.
He quickly grabbed one of the papers and flipped to page ten, where he read a very touching story about a young up-and-coming lawyer in the New York City DA’s office whose lovely wife of only four months had gone missing. No determination had been made as of yet whether this was the work of foul play, or if she just wandered off.
Brooke was painted as being a flighty, slightly incompetent model who’d fallen down the path of substance abuse, and her loving husband just wanted her home where she could get the medical attention and care she needed. Peter felt like hitting something because of the lies that were being spread. The fact that the news article had made a national news sheet also posed potential problems, should they be recognized.
Placing the newspaper back on the stack, he exited the lobby with just the menu in his hand. No need to upset her tonight. Once I get her in the room, there won’t be anyone to see her until at least tomorrow morning. Maybe I’ll have come up with a solution by then.
He opened the car door and then handed the menu to Brooke as he climbed back into the vehicle. “That’s a menu for the in-house restaurant. Why don’t you take a look while I get us parked?” It was a struggle to keep his voice even, but he managed it, for her sake.
Brooke took the menu and glanced at the various offerings, but nothing sounded even remotely appetizing. “Maybe I’ll wait until after a shower before deciding. I really need to get out and stretch my legs.” Provided I can walk once my feet hit solid ground. Her muscles had started cramping just before lunch, but she’d said nothing to Peter, not wanting him to postpone their flight from New York and her past. They were still much too close in her opinion, but a car could only go so fast, and they had been travelling for quite a while already.
“You can do that too,” he nodded his head in agreement. “Or maybe we should give Tyler a call after we get up to the room so you can quit stressing about it.”
Brooke blushed, “Why would I be stressed over speaking with my brother?”And why is it that you can still read me like a book?
Peter gave her a look that begged her to deny his statement. When she looked down, he nodded, “That’s what I thought. Tyler loves you and just wants you to be happy and healthy. Trust me when I tell you he’s going to be happy to hear your voice.”
“I think maybe I should call him as soon as we get to the room.” Peter was right and in the back of her mind, she’d been trying to imagine speaking with her brother and explaining to him how stupid she’d been. He was not going to be happy with her!
Peter turned the engine off and then exited the vehicle, grabbing their duffel bags and then escorting her inside the building. The ride to the fourth floor was quick and moments later, he was opening up the door to the room and watching as she took in her surroundings with a smile upon her face. Success!
“Peter, this room is so nice!” Brooke slowly entered the small space, turning on several lamps as she moved around the spacious room.
“I like this hotel chain. I’ve never stayed in a bad one.” Peter didn’t often stay in hotels, but when he did, he liked to be comfortable.
She dipped her head into the bathroom and then gasped, “There’s a jetted tub in here!”
Peter looked over her shoulder and nodded, “Yep, there sure is. Let’s get your phone call out of the way, and then you can soak while we wait for dinner to come up.”
Brooke took one last look at the bathtub, then walked over, and sat down on one of the beds, “Okay. Can I borrow your phone?”
Peter handed her his cell phone and then showed her how to turn it on, “His number should be the first one in the log.”
Chapter 8
Brooke pushed the button to connect the call, and then realized that she was holding her breath. Breathe! It’s just Tyler, and you know he loves you no matter what!
“Hello?”
Brooke listened to the sound of her brother’s voice, and felt tears well up in her eyes. She had a lightning flash replay of all the times he’d come to her rescue when they were kids. What would his reaction be this time?
“Hello? Peter, man, what’s going on? Hello?”
“Tyler?”
“Brooke?! Is that you? Where are you? Why isn’t Peter answering his phone? What’s going on? Are you okay? Peter said there was some sort of trouble…”
Brooke burst out laughing as her brother continued to fire questions at her one after another. When he finally ran out of breath, but not questions, she hurried to get a word in, “I’m fine. We’re in Columbus. Peter’s been driving all day, so that’s why he didn’t answer his phone.”
“Where is he? Put him on the phone. Brooke, it’s so good to hear your voice. ”
“He’s right here. I’ll let him talk to you in just a minute.” She paused as she tried to find the right words to say. There was silence for a lengthy period of time, and finally Tyler couldn’t stand it any longer.
“Brooke, is everything all right?”
She felt tears fill her eyes and spill over onto her cheeks, “No, it’s not. Tyler, I’ve made such a mess of things…”
“Are you crying? Brooke, don’t cry. Where’s Peter? Put Peter on the phone.” Tyler’s voice had risen and he was almost, but not quite, screaming his questions into the phone out of frustration. He hated it when she, or any female for that matter, cried.
Brooke handed the phone to Peter, and gratefully took the tissues he handed her in exchange.
“Tyler?”
“Peter! What’s going on there? She’s crying!”
“Yeah, I can see that. Look, she’s in a bit of a mess.” He covered the phone and asked her, “How much do you want me to tell him?”
“I don’t care. He’s going to have to hear it all sometime.”And I don’t know how I’m ever going to be courageous enough to do it.
He hated the resignation in her voice, but right now the only way to get her past this hurdle was to show her that Tyler cared for her – no matter what!
“Peter?”
“I’m here. Look, Brooke’s pretty exhausted, but she told me I could fill you in on her situation, as much as I know anyway. It seems her agent in California was working in cahoots with her agent in New York City, and they were using her to model for some foreign magazines with questionable morals. She was also being rented out as a beautiful escort for those who were willing to pay to have their picture taken with her in public.”
“What are you talking about? Are you trying to tell me Brooke was…”
Peter felt anger rise in him at the path Tyler’s mind had taken. His own mind had travelled down that path briefly, but Brooke had assured him that all she was ever required to do was look beautiful and let these men put their arms around her so it appeared as if they were actually with her. Nothing more had happened, and Peter had a sneaky suspicion he’d rescued her just in time.
Lowering his voice, he cautioned the man on the other end of the phone line, “Don’t sa
y it! Don’t even think it! The answer is - No! She wasn’t and trust me, she doesn’t need to add that word to her already long list things she feels guilty about.”
The sound of air leaving Tyler’s lungs echoed Peter’s relief when he’d realized his thoughts had been wrong. “Got it. Did she not know she was being taken advantage of?” Tyler asked.
“Well, I don’t know all of the details, but I can give you the short version for now. It seems she started using sleeping pills while she was still in California, and that led to pills for anxiety and then stress. Her New York agent was taking advantage of her drug-induced complacency. When she realized what was going on, she confronted her agent and told him she was through.”
“That was just before she came home last time. All of the phone calls she kept getting were from him, trying to pressure her to honor her contract. She changed her phone number and then he started sending men to her apartment. “
“She got scared and went to the DA’s office to file a complaint and offer to become a material witness if she could get a lighter sentence when everything came out in the wash. Unfortunately, Zachary Grayson…”
“Isn’t that the name of the guy she married?” Tyler interjected.
“One and the same. He works in the DA’s office and was the first person she told her story to. He took her under his wing and pretended to be her knight in shining armor, but he was really just another devil in disguise. Somehow, he became her new agent, and he upped the game by getting her hooked on other medications, but she doesn’t know which ones.”
“She’s addicted to drugs?” Tyler asked, his voice lowering ominously. “Tell me you made him pay.”
Peter glanced over at Brooke before lowering his voice yet again, and turning to pace back towards the entrance to the room. “Actually, according to the all-points bulletin he put out in New York, he seems to think she just wandered off. He has the authorities believing she’s a danger to herself and possibly others, and needs medical and psychological treatment.”
“Dear Lord, what kind of people has Brooke been living with?” Tyler asked in a hushed voice, hearing Michelle come in the front door.
“Tyler?” she called through the house.
“Back here in the kitchen.”
“Who’s that? Michelle?” Peter asked, watching Brooke as she listened to him.
“Yeah. Listen, what can I do from here?”
“Well, you’ll be happy to know that she no longer wishes to be Mrs. Grayson, but from what I could find out online, she hasn’t been married to him long enough to file for divorce.”
“There’s a time limit on how long you have to be married to someone before you can divorce them?” Tyler asked incredulously. Since he’d never been married, nor did he believe divorce had any place in a God-directed marriage, it wasn’t something he was familiar with.
“Evidently there is. Six months. And if she’s not living in New York when she files, she has to have lived in her new State of residence for six months before they will even consider accepting the paperwork.”
“There has to be a faster way to wrap things up for her…”
“Oh, there is. If he were to go away to prison for more than three years, the court would grant her an immediate divorce – whether he agreed to it or not.”
“So, she presses charges against him…”
“No go. I already suggested that, but she’s convinced he has enough people in his pocket to make anything like that just disappear. He’s already spinning the story to the national news that she’s a recovering addict with some mental issues.”
“Well, there has to be something else we can do. I’ll discuss it with Michelle, Trey, and Jenna, and see if we can come up with another way. When will you two be back in Colorado?”
“I don’t know. If she’s still feeling under the weather tomorrow, we may take it easy.”
“Did you take her to the hospital?” Tyler asked. “If you need more money or anything, just holler, and I’ll wire you whatever you need.”
“We’re good in that department. She doesn’t want to go to the hospital because she doesn’t want any records showing that she had drugs in her system. She thinks Zachary would use it against her if he gets the chance. I tend to think she’s right, but I have to tell you,” Peter said, lowering his voice and stepping towards the window, “I’m worried about her. She’s been going through all of the classic withdrawal symptoms including tremors, nausea, and hallucinations. She’s been trying to hide how ill she is from me, but I’m thinking we may stay put tomorrow. Unless you all come up with another plan of action.”
“Take care of her. I’m going to talk to everyone here, and see if anyone has any other suggestions. Please answer your phone if I call you again.”
“Sorry about that, man. I was driving and didn’t want to risk having an accident.”
“No, that’s fine. Don’t answer the phone while you’re driving, but maybe you could call me back on a rest stop or something, so I don’t spend the day worrying about you both.”
Peter laughed softly, “I get it. Big brother has spoken, and I will do my very best to make sure I keep you in the loop from now on.”
“You do that. Hand the phone back to her please,” Tyler asked, needing to hear her voice one more time.
Peter walked back to where Brooke still sat, and held the phone out to her, “Tyler wants to talk to you once more.”
Brooke took the phone, still wiping tears from her cheeks, “Hello?”
“Brooke, I was just telling Peter that whatever you need from me and your friends in Cathedral Hills, you’ve got it. We love you, and I want you to know we’ve been praying for you since Peter called to say he had found you.” He paused and then added, “And we’re not going to stop praying for you both until you’re back home safe and sound.”
Brooke couldn’t stop the tears from spilling out of her eyes once again. Safe sounded so good. But sound? Would she ever be sound again?
Peter took the phone from her, spoke softly into it for another moment, and then closed it up and placed it on the dresser. “How about you pick something from that menu for dinner while I go start a bathtub of water for you?”
Brooke nodded her head, trying to mop up the tears that were still leaking from her eyes. “Okay.” Peter started to walk away, and she stopped him with a hand on his arm, “Peter?”
He turned back to her, and when she didn’t look up at him or speak, he squatted down so they were on eye level, “Brooke?”
“I…,” she looked up at him and faltered, not sure how to ask for what she needed. Looking into his warm eyes, she saw only acceptance and caring. It gave her the boost she required to ask for what she so desperately needed, “Would you hold me for just a minute?”
Peter felt tears threaten to steal his composure as he heard the uncertainty in her voice. Does she really think I could ever say “No” to a request like that? Without a word, he stood to his feet, and then pulled her up to stand in front of him. Enfolding her in his strong arms, he tucked her head beneath his chin, closing his eyes when she laid her head against his heart and breathed a sigh of relief.
“You don’t have to ask, darlin’.” He felt her arms tentatively wrap around his waist and squeeze him tight; almost as if she was afraid he would try to get away from her. “I’m not going anywhere, and any time you need someone to lean on, you can call on me.”
He wrapped his arms around her, and said a silent prayer that he had been at the right place at the right time to rescue her. He’d never known a person more in need of being rescued than his Brooke. His Brooke. She is mine, whether she wants to admit it or not. And this time, I’m not going to step aside and let her leave. She’s coming home, and with a little luck, a lot of prayer, and a lot of love, she’s going to realize that’s where she belongs.
Chapter 9
Cathedral Hills, Colorado, Tyler’s house later that night…
“I’ll get it,” hollered Michelle upon hearing t
he doorbell ring. She hurried to throw open the doors, and greeted Jenna and Trey as they arrived with pizzas from the diner in their hands.
“Come in.” She held the door open until they were through, and then shut it up. The weather had finally taken a turn for the worst earlier in the day, and there was already a small skiff of snow covering the ground outside.
“That wind is cold!” Jenna said, removing her heavy winter coat and scarf.
“The weather sure turned awful fast,” Trey commented as he took the pizzas into the kitchen, and popped them into the oven Tyler had already warmed up.
“Hey! Glad you guys made it,” Tyler told him, shaking his hand and offering him a can of soda from the fridge.
“Michelle said you talked with Peter, and things weren’t all sunshine and roses.”
“That’s an understatement. Come on into the den, and let’s talk for a bit before we eat.” Tyler led the way, and while the two women were helping themselves to cups of hot cocoa, he lit the fire he’d laid earlier, and then settled into a corner of one of the couches.
Michelle joined him a few minutes later, sitting next to him, while Jenna sat next to Trey on the opposite couch. Once everyone was seated, he shared with them the conversation that he’d had with Peter a few hours earlier.
Jenna was the first to break the silence, “So, this man Brooke married was basically keeping her a prisoner in his apartment and drugging her to keep her unaware of what he was doing?”
“That about sums it up,” Tyler told her.
Jenna shook her head, “That is wrong on so many levels, and illegal in every state! In fact, I think it’s a federal crime. I can understand why she didn’t want to go to the local authorities, but she could go to the feds. Especially if there might be photographic proof that her agent accepted money from foreigners.”
“Peter said she seemed really set on not going to the authorities. She’s afraid that Zachary will not only be able to find her if she does, but that any information she gives them will be used against her.”
Romance: Brooke and Peter - A Christian Romance as a Love Story: (Romance, Christian Romance, Romance Novel, Romance Book) (Cathedral Hills Book 3) Page 6
