Anchored To Love

by S. M. Stryker

  “Okay,” he says.

  “Doctor,” Raven says, “I think she needs to be looked at. When we reached her, she wasn’t in a very good situation.”

  “I’m fine, Raven. I want to see Zain.”

  The doctor gives me a funny look. “Carson?”

  “It’s a long story, but when I first met him he was using his middle name, which is Zain.” The doctor nods his acknowledgment.

  “Carson is sleeping right now. We sedated him while we cleaned the wound out and stitched him up. He will be out for a little while, and I would like you to come with me.”

  I look up at everyone and I nod at the doctor.

  Destiny and her parents are standing close by, and as I start to follow the doctor, they touch my arm. Destiny looks up at me, pulling me into a big hug. “Thank you, Charlie, for getting me out of there.”

  “You take this opportunity to live your life to the fullest, be the fourteen-year-old you are supposed to be. Go back to school, play a sport, join a club, do things a fourteen-year-old should be doing, and never let someone make you do something you don’t want to. This is your second chance. Don’t waste it. If you need anything, give me a call.” I look at the doctor, who pulls a piece of paper out of a pocket and hands it to me with a pen. “Anytime, okay?”

  “Okay.” We hug once more, then I start to follow the doctor again.

  We walk back into a private exam room; he pats the table, as he takes a seat on a stool. “You seem to leave quite the impression on everyone you meet.”

  “Maybe it’s just my magnetic personality,” I say with a smile.

  “I believe it’s a lot more than that. So tell me, Charlie, what brought you to where you are today.”

  “Doc, that’s a story that you could make a movie out of.” I chuckle.

  “Then why don’t you start with how you got into the situation you were in tonight.”

  “To do that I need to go back to a year ago.” I knew he heard about Braydon and everything that happened at Jaxon’s birth. I told him about what happened on Monday with the kidnapping and that Duke was the same person that killed Braydon. And what Duke did and was planning on doing to me. I told him how I met Destiny and what Duke was doing to me when I was rescued.

  “So Carson isn’t your husband?”

  I looked down at the floor. “No, he asked me, but I think after what he saw Duke doing to me, he’ll change his mind.”

  “I don’t think so. He was pretty agitated that we didn’t let you go to x-ray. That’s one of the reasons we sedated him. He kept talking about making you his wife … like tomorrow.” He chuckled. “So everyone out there risked their life for you?”

  I nod, as tear rolls down my face. “They are my family.”

  “So the police were never called?”

  “Probably not, he was an informant. He only got a few months in jail for murdering Braydon; they wouldn’t have done anything to save me. They needed him more than me.”

  “So the face was done on Monday?” I nod yes. “And the sexual assault was today?” I nod yes again.

  “May I ask how you stalled him into waiting until tonight?”

  “I had miraculously started my period, and that grossed him out and he wouldn’t touch me while I was on it.”

  “Why was that so unbelievable?”

  “Because I had just gotten off of it two weeks ago.”

  “Are you on any form of birth control?”

  “Up until last weekend, I hadn’t had sex since Braydon died, and when Zain and I had it we used a condom. My cycle is … well, you could almost set your watch to it.”

  “Well, I would say that someone was looking after you. If you believe in those kinds of things.”

  “I do, and I was thinking the same thing.”

  “Let me get a nurse in here and see if there is any damage. I’ll step out and you get undressed from the waist down. Here’s a blanket to cover up with and I will be back with a nurse.”

  “Okay.”

  I walk back to the waiting room. Raven walks over to me. “Are you okay? What did the doctor say?”

  “That I will be fine and he gave me the name of a counselor to talk to if I need to.”

  “Did he? You know …”

  “No, he did other things, but he was just starting when you and Zain came in.”

  “Mrs. Smith?” A nurse calls me. I turn and walk over to her; she doesn’t seem very happy.

  “Yes. Is everything all right with Zain?”

  I had to laugh, the look on her face, it reminded me of Medea. “Child, I don’t know how you put up with him, even sedated he’s a pain in my behind. Follow me, sugar?”

  She starts to take me to his room when I hear him calling for me. “Char, where are you? I need you. Char, marry me, I love you, Char, where are you?”

  “How long has he been doing this?”

  “For the last hour. I would have come and gotten you sooner, but I was told you were being looked at too. This,” she uses her hand and circles my face, “This wasn’t done by him was it?”

  “No, someone else did this to me.”

  I step into his room. “It’s about fucking time. I’ve been calling you, but you didn’t answer.” He had a sad puppy dog look on his face.

  “Baby, I’m here now. I’m not leaving you.”

  “Are you okay? They said the doctor was looking at you. Did the son of a bitch hurt you?”

  “Nothing that won’t heal.”

  “Oh, I have a surprise for you. I love you, Char, please … marry …” His eyes close and he was asleep. He still has camo paint on his face. I got most of it off on the way to the hospital, but there are traces of it around his hairline.

  So many things happened tonight, things I still hadn’t processed. Raven, the bow and arrow; Zain and the gun; then him knocking Beckett and Richard out of the way. I was pulled out of my thoughts when the nurse brought everyone back.

  Everyone is at a whisper so not to wake the sleeping giant, or so he acts when he’s drugged.

  Everyone sits around the bed when Harlow speaks up. “I think we need to find a new meeting place. I would much rather meet in a restaurant or even in a house, but I’m getting real tired of hospitals.”

  “I hear congratulations are in order, Dr. Modell. How is Dr. Singer going to work that?” Beckett says.

  “I’m not one hundred percent sure. He said he was on the board and they would look at my transcripts and I would do accelerated courses of what I would need.”

  “Had you ever thought of being a doctor?” Beckett asks.

  “That was always a dream, but life got in the way of those dreams. Even now, I don’t know if it’s realistic.”

  “I’m going to make your dreams come true, because you’re my Char.” Zain’s eyes are closed as he says that to me. Then he gets a big smile on his face. His eyes are still closed. We all look at each other and he singsongs, “I have a surprise, I have a surprise.”

  Dr. Singer walks in to check on Zain. “All the tests came back and he’s good to go. As soon as he wakes up I’ll have the nurse come in with his discharge papers and you’re free to go.”

  Zain opens one eye and looks around; everyone is looking at him wondering what he’s doing. He starts to laugh as he grabs his side. Both eyes now pop open. “I can go?”

  Dr. Singer nods his head. “I’ll get the nurse.”

  The same nurse walks in smiling, with attitude. “Thank heavens you’re going home. You done gave me a headache with that hollerin’ you were doing.”

  “Well, Alice,” Zain leans to look at her name badge, “I was just trying to get someone’s attention. It worked, didn’t it?”

  “It sure as hell did. Now get out of here before I get my broom and chase you out.” We are all just cracking up laughing. Alice goes out to the hall and pushes in a wheelchair. “Mr. Personality, we might want to get some clothes on you before showing all your family jewels to the world.”

  “But Alice, where’s al
l the fun in that?” Carson raises his eyebrows a couple times at Alice.

  Alice chuckles and just shakes her head.

  After finding his clothes, we finally get him dressed. We start for the entrance of the hospital.

  “I don’t have a place to live anymore,” I say.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Zain

  “YES, YOU DO,” I reply.

  “How are we getting there?” Charlie asks.

  “We’ll hitch a ride.” I look up at her from the wheelchair. “I don’t know about all of you, but I’m starving. It’s time for breakfast! Who’s up for breakfast? Someone needs to call Davis, LeDoux, and Katie,” I say. “Tell them to meet us at IHOP.”

  We make our way to IHOP, and shortly after we arrive, Davis and LeDoux arrive. It takes Katie a little longer to get there. As soon as Char sees Katie, she runs to get the car seat that Jaxon is asleep in. She takes the car seat out, brings it into the restaurant, sets it on a high chair, and then pulls Katie into a hug. We’re seated in a little room that is the perfect size for our group, and we don’t have to be concerned with being too loud.

  “So who’s going to tell us what happened last night and how Carson got shot?” Harlow asks.

  “Well, I was technically shot. But because of the flak jacket it didn’t penetrate the vest, but I was close enough that it broke a rib and that’s what punctured my lung,” I say.

  “So … That’s all you’re going to say? I need details,” Harlow says.

  “I need to debrief all of you,” Mitchell says. “We can start now, or we can start when we get to the house.”

  “I would love to hear it all together so I have a timeline on it,” Char says.

  “I’ll start,” I say. Mitchell pulls out a notepad and pen.

  I look at Char. “Of course you and I talked briefly about it last Sunday night, so when I got to work Monday morning I called Toby and asked him a few questions about it. Raven and I went to lunch and I knew something was wrong coming back when a bunch of motorcycles slowly rode by on our way back to the office and Raven's reaction to them. I called you just to check up and make sure you were okay, but it still sat funny with me, so I went in and talked to Richard and Beckett and asked them for their opinion. I tried to call you again, but you didn’t answer.

  “Beckett called Toby and he was at the office within a few minutes. Raven called Benny and he confirmed they had just taken you. Toby called his team together, and Davis and LeDoux started to track your phone and they stayed at the compound observing the comings and goings of the gang. We had men watching the compound within an hour of your kidnapping and there was someone there watching just in case they saw activity that needed to be stopped.”

  “How did you know where I was?”

  “It was my program, it tracked your phone,” I say.

  I want Char to understand that we knew we couldn’t just storm the complex or call the police because we were unprepared and we already knew that since Duke was an informant, they wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize their relationship with him. “Davis and LeDoux were there the whole time; they used a drone to get aerial shots of the complex and how many guards were outside at any one time.

  “Mitchell set us up for tactical training, and on Thursday, he told us to get our business in order. He and I had it out a couple times. Anyway, Thursday I had made my peace with what could happen. I bartered with God that day, in fact, we talked a lot that day. Well, more like I talked and hoped he was listening. I told him that I would trade my life for anyone of the people sitting here at this table, and for you as well. I was ready to make that sacrifice.

  “I came into the office early on Friday to get my work business in order as well. I ran a couple errands and when I got back, Mitchell and Beckett were already there. Mitchell figured out what I was thinking, got in my face and went off on me. Raven heard the yelling and came into the room.

  “Mitchell, you are definitely the big brother that I never had. If Raven hadn’t slapped the shit out of me, I know you would have beaten it out of me. I was to the point that I didn’t care, because I knew without Char I wouldn’t be anything other than an empty shell of a man. Thank you for making me see what I would be missing out on.

  “So, LeDoux’s men took out the guards, and Raven shot C-4 arrows in areas for distractions.”

  “Okay, stop there for a second,” Char says and looks at Raven. “Really? A bow and arrow? Have you been watching Arrow again?”

  “Well Oliver is hot!”

  “Serious, when did you pick up a bow and arrow?”

  “Does anyone remember I am half Native American? But really, my dad and I would go out hunting. I didn’t think it was fair that guns were used, so I learned the bow and arrow.”

  “Can I continue now?” I ask, looking between Raven and Char.

  “Knock yourself out,” Char says.

  I continue to tell everyone from my perspective.

  “When we got into the building, the six of us split into three groups, Raven and I were one team. We went upstairs and started to open doors. That’s when we found your friend.”

  “Destiny.”

  “Yes, she told us which room you were in and that you weren’t alone. We quietly opened the door, and well, you know what happened.”

  “As much as I don’t want to admit it, other than the first day outside when he hit me, he was very nice to me. I know that sounds horrible, but as he said, he had a reputation to keep up. I was defying him, and he had to make sure everyone knew he wouldn’t put up with it from anyone, not even his woman,” Char says.

  I feel like I’m going to puke, just the thought of him being with Char … FUCK, I have to stop thinking of that.

  Char takes my hand in hers, looks at me, and gives me an anxious smile. “I tried to think of anything to stall him from the inevitable.” Char looks down and I see the tears fall to her lap.

  “Char, we don’t have to do this now.”

  “Yes, we do.” She wipes her tears away. “I passed out outside and when I came to, I was in the room you found me in. I was spread eagle and tied to all four posts of the bed, but I still had my clothes on. Destiny was putting a cold cloth on my bruises. After talking to her, I knew I could trust her."

  Char tells us what Duke's plans for her were for her disrespect and how she spun it to make him look at it a different way, and if he expected her to be his, he needed to be tested for STDs.

  “That was good thinking. That should have taken a few days,” Mitchell says.

  “That’s what I thought too, but one of the bikers named Doc drew his blood and sent it in. He received the results back the next day.”

  “Oh, shit,” Mitchell says.

  “That was what I would have thought too, but the miracle of the week was that I started my cycle again.”

  Raven looks at Char as her mouth drops open. “Your cycle is like clockwork, you could almost set your watch to it.”

  “I know right. I told him that I didn’t want our first time to be—sorry everyone—gross, and you know,”—she scrunches her nose up—“bloody. I told him I wanted it special. He agreed. We figured by Friday night it would be finished.”

  “Shit, girl, you had him eating out of your hands,” Raven says.

  Char explains that Friday night was when Duke had planned for their first time and what he had done with the rose petals. Char looks at me. “Please never do that for me.”

  “Okay.”

  “That was just before you came into the room.” She pulls my hand into her lap. “I closed my eyes and tried to find a happy place. I talked to Braydon, and he told me to relax that everything would be fine.”

  I tell what happened outside the building with Richard and Beckett, not thinking that Nicole and Harlow hadn't heard any of this, and the looks on their faces are of sheer terror, tears brimming their eyes. "All of you knew going into this that you could have been killed, but you risked it anyway because you cared, because that's the type of
people you all are.”

  Both Harlow and Nicole have their mouths covered. They both gasp and each of them looks at their men, and tears start to fall down their faces.

  “Sorry Harlow and Nicole, I forgot that they probably haven’t had the chance to tell you what happened last night, but Beckett and Richard are heroes. I didn’t mean to spill the beans, but look at it this way,” I whisper to them loudly, “you’ll get great ‘thank God you didn't die’ sex.” We all chuckle.

  “Thank you, Carson, for saving our men,” Harlow says.

  “Mitchell has a good team. He made sure we had tactical training to see if we could make it or not. We all had our specialties, well, I don’t really, but I did what needed to be done.”

  “Well thank you, all the same,” Harlow says.

  “None needed. We’re family and I would do anything for all of you.”

  “Raven, shit, not only do you have batty senses, but also you are part Robin Hood and Oliver Queen too. You are wicked with a bow and arrow.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Charlie

  THE DOORBELL RINGS and I walk to it, looking out to see who it is before I open the door.

  “Hey T, how are you today?”

  “Good, how about you, Charlie? And where’s the little man?”

  “Not bad, I think my life is taking a turn for the better for once, and Jaxon is down for a nap.”

  “Oh? Does this have something to do with Carson?”

  “Yes, I never thought after last week and how he found me that he would still want me. He has been giving me my space, as I need it. I need to make sure he is really wanting me and not just doing it out of pity. It’s nice to have Raven here; it breaks up the uncomfortable silence that sometimes happens.”

  “Good, I’m glad things are working out for the both of you.”