“She say when she was going to be back?”
“Just that it might be a while before she can pick him up.”
“Alright man thanks,” I reply turning back toward the Maserati. Out of the corner of my eye I see Mr. Darcy lunge forward and take a huge bite out of that guys hand. He doesn’t let go until he drops the leash, and the moment he does he drops his hand and bolts up over the Maserati door, through the open window, and straight into the passenger seat.
The man is groaning and cussing as he clutches his bleeding hand, and Mr. Darcy gives me that huffing sort of superior look, like it took me long enough to come get him. And I can’t help but think I’ve acquired myself a co-pilot.
“I’ll take care of the dog. You might want to get that looked at.” I say as I climb into the drivers seat. The Maserati pulls out of her driveway easily as I speed down the road. That was my only option. The only other things I know about Henley are bits and fragments and none of them are places that she can be found frequently. Shit for all I know she could have gone back to Louisiana. Although I think that is unlikely. She didn’t seem like she was keen to go back there at all.
The numbness that Henley has left behind in me pulls away just enough for me to know I’m starving so I pull into a drive-through. I pull apart bits of a burger and feed it to Mr. Darcy as my mind runs through ever conversation Henley and I have ever had.
The only constant. The only thing that has come up more than once is Nora. Whoever Nora is she might be my only clue into finding Henley. So as I eat my burger, I flip through my phones contacts looking for the one number that I know can find a needle in a haystack.
“Aiden, I need your help.” Aiden’s company specializes in military trained bodyguards for high profile clients, which also gives him the ability to find anyone and everyone through means the normal person might not quite have access too.
“Sure man. You decided to look for your girl I take it.”
“She’s worth the trouble. I need you to find someone named Nora.”
“Someone named Nora,” he repeats lamely. I can hear typing on the other end. “There are over one hundred thousand Nora’s in the united states.”
“Oh uh. She’s a therapist here in Washington. Maybe in the Seattle or Snoqualmie area.”
“You’re dating a therapist?” There is more clicking coming through the line.
“No, I’m… dating one of her patients.”
“That’s even worse, are you sure you can’t compromise with some regular chick?”
“I’m sure.” It has to be Henley, or no one at all.
“Nora Castillo. Twenty-nine. Ph.D in psychology. Harvard Graduate… she’s pretty cute too.” Aiden rattles off an address that I put into the cars GPS.
“I don’t care how cute she is Aiden.”
“Right. Connor… you know… about earlier,” My whole body stiffens as I wait to see what my younger brother will say about my outburst. I never wanted either of them to find out like that. “It must have been tough man, holding it in like that by yourself… if you ever need to talk you know I’m here for you.”
“Yeah I know, I just… didn’t want you two to worry.”
“Alright. I know how you hate mushy shit so go get your girl. I can’t wait to meet your donut goddess.”
“Right. Sunday. For sure.” I say with as much conviction as I can muster before I end the call. Because I don’t know if Henley will forgive me by Sunday. That’s only seven days to figure out what the hell I did wrong and fix it.
The address Aiden gives me is surprisingly close by, and even though it’s around seven when I pull up there are still lights on inside the building. It looks like any standard well cared for health center. Almost like a hospital. Albeit a small one.
As soon as I pull into the parking lot, Mr. Darcy hops back out the open window, and I panic jumping out of the car to run around and catch him. Henley will kill me if I lose her dog. But when I get around the car he is sitting on the concrete looking at me like I'm taking too long.
“Listen dog,” I say snatching up the leash. “This will go a lot easier if you behave. Got me?”
He bears his teeth a little bit but otherwise doesn’t show any outward signs that he will behave poorly, so I keep a hold on the leash as I walk in through the front doors.
There are a couple people milling around in the front lobby, as I make a beeline for the desk. The woman behind the desk and the dark haired female doctor she is talking too look me up and down as I make my way over, checking me out. Sorry ladies I’m taken. Happily so. If Henley still wants to take me.
“Hi,” I offer my best smile to the woman behind the counter, and she fucking melts. I’m so in. “I need to find Dr. Nora Castillo?”
The womans eyes flick nervously to the dark haired woman next to me on this side of the desk. I turn my gaze to her and she is watching me with an amused pair of ocher eyes. I frown and turn back to the woman behind the counter hoping she will answer, before I can even register what’s happening the dark haired womans hand snakes out and gropes my dick through my pants. I let out a string of expletives that stops everyone in the room dead in their tracks.
“What the fuck are you doing,” I manage to snap out once she pulls her hand off my dick.
She lets out a sad kind of sigh before turning to the girl behind the counter. “Looks like I owe Henley five bucks, his dick is as big as she said it was.”
“I don’t know why you still bet against her. She never loses.”
The two girls laugh easily, but my brain is still stuck on the fact that these two women know Henley. These women can help me find her… get her back.”
“Hi,” the dark haired one says turning back to me. I keep a close eye on her hands this time. “I’m Nora. You must be Angus. You came quicker than I expected. You must really love her.”
“Connor McKerrick,” I reply stiffly while shaking her well manicured hand. “And yes I do.”
“I’m glad you can admit it. Let’s take a little walk. Leave the mutt here,” she says with a nod of her head towards Mr. Darcy. He bears his fangs before laying down by the counter. “He’ll be fine we leave him with Mary all the time.” The woman behind the counter gives me a reassuring smile. So I do as I’m told and follow Nora out of the lobby and into the halls.
“So… why have you come looking for me of all things Mr. McKerrick?”
“I… messed up. And now I don’t know where to find Henley. I thought maybe she would have told you something.”
“Ah see that is funny. She told me something entirely different.”
“You spoke to her? Is she okay? She was in such bad shape…”
“Nah. That wasn’t so bad. Been worse. It was only a few cuts. You managed to interrupt her before it got too far.”
“Not so bad?” I shout out, causing a few heads to turn before I lower my voice. “You didn’t see all the fucking blood don’t tell me it wasn’t bad.”
She regards me coolly before stepping into an elevator. “Do you think she is suicidal Mr. McKerrick?”
I step on the elevator after her with a frown. My mind replays all the times Henley and I were together. All the smiles. The way she was with Hunter and Emily. “No… I don’t think that’s quite right.”
“Good. Because she isn’t. And shit yeah I know it’s a lot of blood but its not like it was eight years ago. She is still in her right mind.”
I don’t know which questions I should be asking. Which ones take precedence, but one question swims at the forefront of my mind so I ask that one first as we step off the elevator.
“Is she going to be okay? Do you think… she’ll take me back?”
“Well. I stitched her up earlier. She should be fine. The bleeding stopped pretty fast.”
“Wait you stitched her up? You saw her?” My panic and anxiety ratchets up another level.
“She checked herself in a few hours ago. Right after… well… she came straight here. And as for taking you
back… will you take her back?”
“There is nothing to take her back from. I don’t even know why she tried to leave… but the place she belongs is next to me so I’m not going to let her go that easily.”
A grin pulls at the edges of Nora’s lips as she responds, “What a good answer. Too bad Henley won’t see it that way. I can’t tell you anything really… patient confidentiality… but when Henley is backed into a corner like this… things get ugly. The desire to survive is strong enough that this is going to be a brawl. You ready for it?”
“I’m not afraid of a little hard work.”
“I didn’t think you would be, but I had to ask. Henley is more than just a patient to me. She’s my first patient. She’s my college thesis. My wingman. She’s there when my dates go sour. She’s the first person to volunteer to hold my hair when I’ve got a serious hangover. Even though she has problems of her own, she will always listen to mine. She is my best friend. That’s why if she lets you in and you let her go for it, I’m going to tear your gigantic dick off with my bare hands.”
Her face is so serious I don’t know whether to laugh or cry, but all I do know is that I am one hundred percent scared of this chick. “I got it.”
“Good.” She opens the door she is standing next to and motions me inside.
I roll my shoulders, trying to work the stressed kinks out as I step through. My feet are rooted to the spot when I take in the small plain room. My eyes cant focus on any of the furnishings all I can see is Henley. Henley who I thought I would never see again. Here eyes are blank, well not quite blank. That’s not the way to say it. Rather they are glazed over in severe fucking pain, and there are dark circles around them as she stares out the window. Her hair is pulled back messily, and her arms are wrapped tight in white bandages, but you can see where a little bit of blood has bled through. It makes my stomach roil, and I think the sight of Henley covered in blood is something that will haunt my dreams.
“I told you, I don’t need anything to help me sleep.” Her voice is soft, haunted, and if the room wasn’t so still I wouldn’t have been able to hear her whisper.
“Good, because I’m not here to give you anything,” the scratchiness in my voice adds to the hoarseness. I don’t think I’ve ever coddled Henley’s feelings. And I don’t feel like now is the time to start. I might be sadistic, because I like pushing her. The shocked panic in her eyes when her head whips around to take me in pleases me. She didn’t expect to see me at all.
“What do you want?” Her voice is quivering like the last little bit of a wick that is about to get blown out, and it scares me. My father said she would fight and yell and ignore me, but Henley just acts like she has given up. I’ve got to be careful how I handle her. I don’t want to be rough. Just honest.
“I’m sorry… I can’t apologize properly because I don’t know exactly what I did that set you off… I don’t know how I hurt you but I did and I’m sorry for it Henley.”
“Go home Angus, I’m not good for you.” She lets out a dark laugh before continuing.
“I’ll go home. As long as you’re going home with me.”
“I don’t have a home with you Angus. I can not have a home with you.”
“Why not?” I growl, practically biting the words out.
“Because you don’t even know who I am.” Henley has gone from a wick almost being blown out to a full grown blaze. She’s starting to get pissed because I won’t leave. Well good. Because I can handle Henley when she is pissed off.
“Then tell me,” I plead gently taking a slow steady step closer.
Her eyes go past me, and a grimace covers her face. I turn to look and the commotion between Henley and I has drawn a crowd of nurses. All of them are dabbing their eyes. “Come on Henley trust him. Entrust your heart and your body to him Henley.”
When I turn my gaze back to Henley I realize one very important detail, I need to get Henley alone. I need her to have to rely on me. I need her to only have me for input. Because her face says these woman just dug my grave and were currently burying me in it.
“Bullshit,” she growls out angrily. “Who would?”
I ignore the barb, and pull out my phone as she storms past me and into the hall, everyone scattering as she stomps her way out. Micky answers on the first ring.
“Finally lost your shit huh? Knew you’d end up at a mental hospital one day.”
“Tell me you brought the Bentley or the limo? I’m here picking up Henley.”
“I’m in the Bentley… Is everything okay.”
“Yeah. Sure. It’s fine. Bring the car out front, and call the hangar and make sure the Gulfstream is ready to go. And get Henley’s things out of the Maserati.” I end the call and work my way into the hall after Henley. As I pass Nora, I hand her the Maserati keys. “I’ll send someone for those. Take care of the dog.”
Henley is halfway down the hall, and headed for the elevator. My legs are long, definitely longer than hers, and I catch up as the elevator doors open. Before she can move, I snatch her arm up and shove her into the open elevator. She panics, as she should being stuck in a small space with me right now, but she can’t get out unless she goes through me and there is no way in hell I’d let her get that far. I’ve already told her I’d apologize for whatever I did that upset her, but she still wont give in so my mind is rapidly forming drastic measures.
“Are you trying to break up with me lover?” I ask sweetly, once again trying to do this the easy way.
“Tsk. Like we were even dating. We were just fucking, plain and simple. You know that.”
Her words hurt. I know they shouldn’t, I know she is just spouting off because she is angry, because shes scared, because she hurts. But they fucking hurt. My hands wrap tightly around her shoulders, and I slam her up against the elevator wall, getting all kinds of up in her personal space.
“Look me in the fucking eyes and say that all I am to you is an easy fuck lover.” She cant. Her eyes are looking everywhere but directly at me. “I fucking thought so.”
The elevator door opens, so I lace my fingers with hers and drag her, protesting, out of the elevator after me. Her protests gain momentum as she realizes I’m headed toward the front door. Eventually its too hard to just drag her along, so I scoop her up and carry her over my shoulder. That really sets her off.
“What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”
“Henley,” I reply calmly, not missing the chance to grope her ass while she is slung over my shoulder. “I didn’t get on Forbes list of richest men playing by the rules. I’ll break every single one if it will bring you home.”
As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I sling her into the back of the Bentley. Micky who is holding the door open casts me a sideways glance like he thinks this is a horrible idea, but otherwise he keeps his mouth shut. I really owe him a raise, or at least a bonus. I slide in after Henley, and Micky closes the door. Henley is wrenching the handle on the opposite door, trying her best to make an escape, but the doors are all locked and the only one who can open them is Micky at this point.
Eventually her frantic attempts at escape slow down, and she turns and casts me a scared look. “Why are you doing this? You don’t even know me…”
“Then tell me. Fuck show me if you have too, but I am. Not. Letting. You. Go.”
“Why? Why are you doing this?”
“Think about it a little bit stupid,” I reply with an aggravated sigh. How could she not know? How could she have no clue that I’m in love with her? Do I really have to fucking say it? That I love it when she shows me a real smile. I love the way she is with her niece and nephew. I love her sense of humor. I love how she eats what she wants. I love how she does what she wants. I love the way she watches me when she thinks I’m not looking. I love the way it feels when she touches me, when she screams my name, I love the indestructible way I feel when I touch her.
With a huff, she leans as far away as possible and watches outside the window. Each
puff of her breath leaves a fog on the window as she stares at the cold Washington scenery go by. Which is fine, I’ve got plans to make. Thank God for smart phones that can do all the shit I need to do online, because if Henley heard what I was doing she would probably throw herself through the glass window to get out.
It takes about thirty minutes before she realizes I’m not taking her to her house.
“Where are we going?” Her eyes weren’t curious or playful, they were angry.
“Talking to me again? How nice. We aren’t going to your house.”
“Going to your house then where you take all your tramps? Lucky me.”
I know I shouldn’t respond to it. I know I shouldn’t. But the feeling is so new, and the verbal bitchslap she threw is so harsh that I can’t help myself.
“Henley. In the seven years that I have lived there, three women have been in that house. My mother, my sister, and you. I have a lot to say on this topic, but I’m not doing it while your throwing your little tantrum.” She makes a face that honestly, freaks me the fuck out. It says I’m going to kill you as soon as you go to sleep, before she turns her face back to the window, and I turn myself back to making plans.
Its about another twenty minutes before we turn into our destination, and the moment she realizes what is going on she becomes extremely agitated, pressing her face against the window to get a better look outside. It’s and ingenious plan if I do say so myself.
When the car rolls to a stop, I step out in one fluid motion, and turn back to offer Henley my hand. She looks at it like a snake, so with a sight I reach in and snatch her up, dragging her out of the car. She squirms against me and fights, but compared to earlier its half hearted, it really only serves to make my dick hard. Which is not what I need right now. In fact I feel pretty guilty being able to get it up from being this close to Henley when she is so distraught, so I ignore it as best as I can, as I climb the stairs and step into the Gulfstream.
As far as private jets go its pretty good, in fact fucking amazing might be one way to describe it, which is why I bought it in the first place. I stride with Henley’s struggling body straight to the back of the plane, and dump her on the bed.
Torn (The McKerricks Book 1) Page 15
