Given to You

by Carlie Sexton

  “So, she said yes I take it.”

  “Man, yesterday was a complete clusterfuck.” Neil told Mac, who was rendered speechless on the other end of the line, all of the events of the day.

  “Shit! I can’t believe that fucker took her. And you found her. Damn. You’re smarter than I give you credit for.”

  “I just got lucky, man. Wilkins’ sister was my only hope. If she hadn’t called him, I wouldn’t have found Kate.”

  “Good thing you did your research,” Mac said.

  “Yeah. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost her. She’s my world,” Neil said.

  “Yeah, she is isn’t she?”

  “That bastard got further with her than I would have liked. I literally got there seconds before. I wish I had killed him when I had the chance, so Kate would feel safe right now.”

  “Yeah, but in this crazy world, you’d probably be arrested for manslaughter.”

  “True. By the way, we’re doing a Vegas trip next weekend. Mitch and Charlie are coming too. Any chance you want to go?” Neil asked.

  “That depends. Is Natalie going?”

  “Kate’s going to invite her, but we’re not sure if she will be up for it.”

  “I’m in if she is,” Mac retorted.

  “You really like her, don’t you?” Neil asked.

  “I do. When I took her home, it just felt…right. I can’t explain it. She was real, vulnerable. Most of the women I meet either play games or put on a show. Natalie was genuine.”

  “I’ll see what I can do on my end to make sure she comes on the trip. Did you get her phone number?” Neil asked.

  “I did. I’m going to text her to check in. I know she’s busy working this weekend.”

  “Good. Take her to lunch. She seemed hot for you, man.”

  After catching up on sports, Neil ended their call. He went back in to check on Kate, and as she was still sleeping, he decided he would do some work. He fired up his laptop and began reading emails.

  Chapter 13

  Kate moaned slightly in her sleep and turned over. She was dreaming of a man kissing her neck. He moved his way down her body, tantalizing her breasts by licking and nipping at them. Swirling round and round until each nipple was a tight rosy bud. Again, she moaned in ecstasy and ran her hands over his muscular shoulders. The kissing continued down her stomach until he reached the tender flesh at the apex of her thighs. Breathing her in, he made a deep guttural sound and began stroking his tongue upon her clit, circling it until she couldn’t take it anymore. She reached down and ran her fingers through his dark hair. He continued his pleasurable onslaught until she was pushed over the edge and screamed out. When she looked down, she saw Roger’s eyes looking back at her. The realization of who was making love to her caused her to actually scream out and sit up in bed.

  Neil came to her in one fluid motion. “Kate, what’s wrong?” he asked. “Did you have another bad dream?”

  Kate began sobbing. “I was having a dream about you making love to me,” she explained. “At least I thought it was you. When I finally saw a face, it was…his. In my dream…I was with him.”

  Neil sensed the angst in her voice. He pulled her into his arms and held her. “It’s going to be okay,” he said. “He’s never going to get near you again. The police are going to catch him and he’s going to prison for a very long time, possibly the rest of his life. You don’t need to worry about anything. I’ve got you protected until they arrest him.”

  “I thought I was safe before because Porter or one of the other guys was always with me,” she said. “But…he found a way to incapacitate him and take me. I hate feeling so vulnerable. I want to do something—anything to take away this terror—to take back control of my life.”

  “I know, baby.”

  “It’s just that it’s not completely over yet,” she said. “I still have to talk to the police and they have to find him. Then there will be a trial in which I have to testify. It’s going to be months before this is completely behind me.”

  “I’ll be by your side every step of the way and I’m going to add more security so that you will be protected. I promise everything is going to be okay,” Neil said, kissing Kate on the forehead. “Jameson will be here within the hour.”

  Kate nodded. She just wanted to disappear and return when it was all over. But since no one had invented a time machine that was impossible. The stress of the entire situation had robbed her of everything she had. Even sleep didn’t help now that Roger was haunting her dreams. She was a raw bundle of nerves.

  Neil tilted his head and caressed her face with his hand. “We haven’t had a chance to really talk about what you went through,” he said. “I mean, I know that you were scared, but you haven’t given me the details. We’ve been too distracted with getting engaged and planning our wedding. Do you want to talk about it?”

  Kate nodded and Neil took her hand. “Walking out of the salon, all I could think about was what you were going to do next. You gave me such a beautiful day. But Roger came out of nowhere and put a syringe to my neck and threatened to use it if I didn’t cooperate. I had no idea if the drugs would just knock me out or maybe kill me. It was a paralyzing feeling. I felt so helpless.”

  Neil stroked his thumb over Kate’s hand as she took a breath. He waited patiently for her to continue.

  “Once he got me in the car, he actually used a zip tie and attached my right arm to the car door. It was painful, but what was worse was knowing how thorough he was in anticipating all of my reactions. He thought of me possibly opening the car door to jump out before I did. He treated me like a caged animal, but then told his son I was his girlfriend. His statement clarified his intentions even though I knew deep down what he wanted from me. I just didn’t want to admit it to myself.” Kate took in a deep breath and continued with teary eyes. “We stopped at a gas station on the way up and I tried to write a message on the bathroom mirror with my lipstick, but Roger stormed in. He was so angry that he began choking me. He lifted me off the floor by my throat. I thought he was going to kill me right there in that bathroom. At that point, I realized that I had to do more than play along, I had to be believable. He threatened to kill you if I didn’t cooperate, so I began pouring on the charm and pretended that I was happy we were together. In an attempt to redeem myself I had to kiss him passionately and insist he take me to the cabin.”

  “Oh, Kate. I wish I had killed that bastard when I had the chance,” Neil said caressing her face. “Go on, baby.”

  “When we got to the cabin, I felt pretty hopeless. It looked so secluded. My saving grace was that Jacob was with us, delaying…things from happening. I mean Roger still groped me and kissed me, but he couldn’t…do more until Jacob was sleeping.”

  “Thank God for that little man.”

  “Yeah, if it wasn’t for him…” Kate shuddered. “He’s such a sweet little boy. I envied him that he didn’t have a care in the world while I felt impending doom and Roger kept reminding me of his plans. I got him talking about his childhood and found out horrific things that happened with his foster mother. She made him the way he is…she’s a monster too.” Kate began sobbing and Neil held her, stroking the back of her hair until she seemed okay again.

  “Every time he touched me I wanted to push him away, but I couldn’t,” she continued. “I had to let him kiss me and rub his hands all over my body. It was so repulsive. I just felt filthy.”

  “Oh, baby,” Neil said, pulling her close again. “I’m so sorry that you had to go through all of this. I can’t believe Porter failed to protect you. He’s a pro and should have been more aware of his surroundings.”

  “I tried to make small talk on the drive to Big Bear, but I was really just fishing for information. When I found out that he didn’t own the cabin, I figured that you would never find me. I started praying then. I remembered going to church with my dad when I was a little girl. I used to believe in Jesus, but I fell away when David died.”

  “I ca
n understand that. I prayed too and it’s been a long time…since Elizabeth became ill.”

  “I hope that this isn’t going to be out of left field for you, but I really want to go to church,” she said. “Would you go with me?”

  “Of course I’ll go with you. Do you have a particular one in mind?”

  “Well, Natalie has talked about the church she goes to. It’s nondenominational and she really loves it there. She started going with her parents when she was a little girl and she attends on Sunday nights after work. I’d really like to go tomorrow night.”

  “Tomorrow night is good.”

  “Okay, I’ll call Natalie and tell her we want to meet her there. I rescheduled shopping with Charlie for tomorrow at noon. We have a lot of shopping to do since we are both brides-to-be.”

  “Before Detective Jameson arrives, do you want to freshen up?” Neil asked, in his typically thoughtful way.

  “Yes, just talking about…him makes me need a shower. I’ll be out in a few minutes.”

  Shortly after, Neil heard the knock at the door and went to open it. He shook Jameson’s hand and ushered him into the suite. “Thanks for coming here to interview Kate. We really appreciate it.”

  “Of course. I’m happy to accommodate her,” the detective said. “I wish I could have prevented all of this by finding evidence to arrest Roger. But my hands were tied by the law and there was nothing I could do.”

  “I can’t imagine how difficult that must be,” Neil responded. “Anyway, why don’t you have a seat? Kate will be right with you.”

  Jameson sat on the sofa and Neil went to the bedroom to retrieve Kate.

  After a few preliminary questions, Kate sat across from the detective and began recounting the entire incident from start to finish—the syringe, being zip tied, choked, tied up in the bathroom for an hour, drugging his son—everything she could remember. The detective asked a few pointed questions, but he just seemed to let her tell her story, recording everything that she said and taking notes when he felt it was necessary.

  “Well, I’m sorry to say that we don’t have any leads right now,” Jameson said when he had asked all of his questions. “Roger didn’t return to his apartment and we have no known associates to contact. He’s just disappeared. Forensics is searching his place as we speak, hoping to uncover some evidence that will put him away for a long time. I’ll keep you posted if we find him.”

  Kate nodded and said, “He’s a very cunning man. You have your work cut out for you.”

  It was five o’clock when Jameson turned off his recorder. “That’s all for now. I’ll call you if I have any further questions. Do you have any questions for me?”

  “No, not at the moment. Thanks for coming here to see me.”

  “You’re welcome,” he said, standing up to leave.

  “I’ll walk you out, detective,” Neil said, also rising.

  Kate didn’t move a muscle. All she could think about was how long it would take for all of this to be a distant memory. She picked up her phone to leave a message for Natalie, but to her surprise, Natalie answered.

  “Hey, Nat. It’s me. Are you off work already?”

  “Yeah, I just punched out,” Natalie said. “Charlie called me during lunch to tell me what happened to you. Are you okay?”

  “No, Nat. I’m really not. I keep having dreams about it…I can’t get him out of my mind.”

  “You have been through a very traumatic event. I’m sure your brain is having a difficult time processing everything.”

  “Yeah, I think you’re right. Listen, I really want to go to church. Are you going tomorrow night like you usually do?”

  “Yes, but there is a Saturday night service if you want to go tonight. It starts at six. I can meet you there.”

  “That would be perfect,” Kate said. “It’s casual, right? Can we wear jeans?”

  “You can wear anything you want. Most people dress in jeans or shorts. No one dresses up.”

  “Excellent. Neil and I will see you a few minutes before six. We can go out to eat afterwards and catch up. I want to know how you are doing. I’ve missed seeing you.”

  “I’ve missed you too. I’ll see you there.”

  Kate looked up from the sofa and saw Neil a few feet away, staring at her. He moved toward her gracefully, sat down next to her, and pulled her into his arms. She let out a loud exhale. “I just want them to find him and put him away. We are not going to be safe until he is behind bars.”

  “Baby, no matter what happens I’ll be right by your side and I will triple security until he is found,” he said. “Everything is eventually going to be okay. I hope that today hasn’t overwhelmed you even more. I know that being proposed to and planning to have a wedding in a few weeks is a lot, especially considering just yesterday you thought you were going to die.”

  Neil stroked her hair and she remained silent for several moments. Just being with the man she loved provided some comfort.

  “Neil?”

  “Yes, baby.”

  “I spoke to Nat. We’re meeting her at church at six. I hope that’s okay.”

  “Of course. It’s already after five, so we should get ready. I hope it’s casual. My tux would probably wouldn’t fit in.”

  Kate laughed and said, “You’re dressed just fine, Mr. Statton.”

  ***

  After the service, Kate and Neil took Natalie out for dinner at a local Mexican restaurant.

  “Nat, that was really wonderful. I am so glad that we spoke today. The timing to come tonight was just right. Thank you for inviting us. I think we’ll be back, that’s for sure. I felt so welcomed by everyone. So nice. I just…I just want to show my gratitude toward God for saving me from Roger. I am also so thankful for Neil too,” Kate said.

  “I’m glad. The timing was just right, wasn’t it? What did you think, Neil?” Natalie asked.

  “I really liked it too. My parents took my sister and me to church when we were kids, but when I became a teenager I stopped going. I think it would be good for Kate and I to go regularly.”

  Kate smiled and put her hand on Neil’s. She felt some peace in her heart and it was a welcome feeling after everything that had happened to her.

  “Nat, how are you holding up right now?” Kate asked.

  Natalie looked down at her hands. “I’m hanging in there. They have arrested the driver and the district attorney is bringing forth manslaughter charges. The trial will begin early next year.”

  Kate reached across the table to take Natalie’s hand. “You won’t be going through this alone. We’ll be here for you.”

  Natalie smiled at her dear friend. “I know you will. I miss my sister terribly, but I know that she made some poor choices that landed her in a car with someone who was high. It turns out that she had been experimenting with drugs. This guy she met had some and she didn’t say no. I don’t know what she was thinking. Jessica was always a good girl. She had so much to look forward to. I still haven’t wrapped my mind around the fact that she is gone. I keep expecting her to walk through the door.”

  “Oh Nat, I’m so sorry. I can’t even imagine how hard this is for you.”

  “I just have to trust that everything happens for a reason. I have no control over what other people do. I couldn’t stop Jessica from making the decisions she made,” Natalie said. “Let’s talk about something happy. You’re wedding. Tell me everything.”

  Kate and Neil went on to tell Natalie all of the romantic events that had transpired since Kate woke up yesterday morning. Natalie had a huge smile on her face listening to them.

  “I’m so happy for you both. Your love for each other shines through in every word you say. I hope to find what you have someday,” Natalie said.

  “Speaking of finding someone, I talked to Mac today,” Neil said. “He mentioned how much he enjoyed meeting you.”

  “Mac is amazing. He was so kind to me on Thanksgiving. I don’t know what I would have done without him,” Natalie responded. />
  “Well, Charlie and I talked earlier today about going to Vegas next weekend to celebrate our engagements. Mac is coming. We want you to come too if you are up for it,” Kate said.

  Natalie sat there quietly for a moment. “Mac is really going?”

  “Yes,” Neil said. “I talked to him to day.”

  “Well, in that case, I’d love to go.”

  Kate smiled widely. “Great! It’s going to be so much fun. I’m so glad that you want to come.”

  “You and Charlie are my dearest friends. I want to be part of this wonderful time in your lives,” Natalie said.

  “Good. I’m going to ask you for something else. You can say no if it’s too much, but I would love for you to be a bridesmaid in our wedding,” Kate said.

  Natalie nodded. “I would be honored,” she answered excitedly. “Do you have any idea what color you want for the bridesmaid dresses?”

  “I was thinking either a dark burgundy red or maybe a purple. I have to see what I find at the bridal store. Charlie and I are going shopping tomorrow.”

  “Don’t forget that Nordstrom has formal dresses. I could look and see if they have either of those colors.”

  “That’s a good idea. I want it to be a dress that looks really good on you and Charlie. I’m hoping you’ll be able to wear them again,” Kate commented.

  “Do you know where we’re staying in Vegas and kind of what we are going to do?” Nat asked.

  “I thought we could stay at the Bellagio,” Neil replied. “We’ll get a room for you, so you don’t have to worry about that detail. We’re driving in on Friday and leaving Sunday.”

  “Great. Kate, I’ll call you and we can discuss what clothes to bring. I need to go through my closet.”

  “We’ll probably have one dressy night and one casual,” Kate responded.

  They finished eating their dinner and parted ways. Neil took Kate back to the hotel. Once they were inside, Kate asked him to sit on the sofa with her.

  “I feel like I have changed in the last twenty-four hours,” she said. “Everything seems different. I guess that’s what a terrifying experience can do, make you see the world differently. I realized today, and maybe tonight even more so, that I have an overwhelming need to do things the right way.