by Regan Ure
Surviving Slater
Regan Ure
Contents
Title
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
About the Author
Copyright 2017 Regan Ure
All Rights Reserved
This is a work of fiction. Any resemblances of characters to actual persons, living or dead, are purely coincidental. The author, Regan Ure, holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited.
No part of this book can be reproduced in any form or by electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems, without the permission in writing from the author. The only exception is by a reviewer who may quote short excerpts in a review.
Cover Design: © L.J. Anderson, Mayhem Cover Creations
Formatting by Mayhem Cover Creations
ISBN: 978-1-911213-18-5
I dedicate this book to my most avid reader and fan. My mom, Dileen. Thank you.
Chapter One
I raced to the entrance of the hospital, with only Taylor, my best friend, on my mind. Connor, her older brother, walked in first and held the door open for me. My heart thumped so hard I could hear it echo in my ears as I followed in with Matthew, Taylor's bodyguard.
Only a few days before, someone had gone to astounding lengths to kidnap Taylor. He had caused an accident that had knocked Matthew out so he had been unable to stop him from taking her without anyone seeing anything. For days we had tried everything to find her but there had been few leads. The cops hadn't been able to figure anything out either.
I gripped my handbag to keep myself from getting emotional as the hospital's sterile smell hit me. I hated that smell; it reminded me of death.
Connor went straight to the information desk.
"I'm here to see my sister, Taylor Price," he said anxiously. His jaw was tense. I stood beside him, looking expectantly at the nurse behind the counter. I gripped the edge of it, trying to keep my emotional feelings from taking over.
"Taylor Price," she murmured to herself as she tapped at the computer keyboard. Every second that ticked by seemed to take so much longer than usual.
"She's in ward C," the plump nurse told Connor. "Down the hall, second right, and then first door on your left."
He was gone before she'd even finished the last sentence. Matthew and I hurried behind him, trying to keep up.
In my mind I tried to calm my nerves. My relief at hearing the news that she had been found had been overcome with the fear at learning she was in the hospital. We had no idea what she had endured in the few days she had been held against her will. I shut down the thoughts that her kidnapper had done irreparable damage.
Few details had been given when Connor had received the call from Sin, Taylor's ex. They hadn't exactly dated; it had been more of an arrangement of benefits, which had gotten a little more complicated.
It was confusing. Sin had known before the hospital had called Connor a few minutes later. All we had been told was she had some injuries, but nothing life-threatening.
I wasn't surprised to see Sin leaning against the wall as we entered the ward. He pushed off the wall when he saw us. Then, beside him, I caught a glimpse of the person who had the power to stop the world around me.
Slater.
His silvery blue eyes found mine. His sandy brown hair hung across his forehead. Sin's best friend. He came to stand beside Sin, who had pitch-black hair and deep blue eyes. Both of them sported tattoo sleeves. Sin had a lip piercing and Slater had an eyebrow ring. It wasn't just their outward appearance that was intimidating, it was the air around them that warned people off—the same aura that made the girls swoon in their direction.
They both had heartache written all over them. But even knowing that hadn't stopped me from getting involved with Slater. It shouldn't have been a surprise to see him but the sight of him hit me square in the chest. It hurt. I hesitated for a moment before I pushed myself on. I could do this. I had to.
The last time I had spoken to him had been the brief phone call to tell him Taylor had been kidnapped. I hadn't been able to reach Sin. After a fight with Taylor, he had left town.
Ignoring my inner emotions about Slater, I concentrated fully on my friend and her situation.
"They won't let me in to see her," Sin told Connor. His shoulders slumped in defeat when we came to a stop.
"They didn't tell me much over the phone," Connor said. "Is the doctor still assessing her?"
Taylor's brother looked awful. His usually perfectly kept blond hair was messy and his usual clear green eyes were slightly glassed over from a lack of sleep. We were all pretty tired with worrying over Taylor. There had been more than a few times I couldn't stop the thought that the only way we would get her back was lifeless and in a body bag.
Sin nodded. "He has been in there for a while."
Was it that bad? I hated the feeling that uncoiled in the pit of my stomach. We had no idea what kind of injuries she had sustained.
"How did you know she was here?" Connor asked, dragging a hand through his hair. "How did she get away? How did she get here?"
He shot the questions out one after the other, leaving little time for Sin to respond.
"Jeff—a guy who works for me—managed to find her," he began to explain. He rubbed his temple. It was something out of a movie or something. This stuff didn't happen in real life. "He was on his way to check out Eric's house when he found her in the street."
"Eric?" I asked. I searched back through my memory, trying to place him. Just when I was about to ask, I remembered who he was and my jaw dropped open. He didn't seem to be the type that would do this.
Sin nodded. "He was the one who took her."
I closed my eyes for a moment when I thought about her alone, injured, trying to deal with the emotions of protectiveness that assaulted me. Sin hesitated.
"She was badly beaten and…" Sin's eyes flickered to Matthew's.
"And what?" Connor snapped. The stress of worrying about Taylor had eaten away at him and he was running on empty. The murder of his parents had placed the heavy responsibility of his much younger sister on his shoulders.
"She was found in her underwear."
Oh, my God. I put my hand to my mouth at the horror. In my mind it could only mean one thing. I felt an arm wrap around me to give me comfort, and I looked up at Matthew. His dark green eyes mirrored mine.
"He wrapped her up in his jacket and brought her here. He said she stayed awake the whole journey like she was too scared to let go until she knew she was going to be…safe." Sin's voice broke slightly on the last word. Matthew hugged me tighter as I felt the sting of tears, pressing my hand to my mouth.
"Did Eric…?" Connor couldn't finish his sentence but the panicked expression on his face left Sin with no doubt about what he was asking.
Sin briefly closed his eyes as he rubbed his head before answering in a defeated voice, "I don't know."
Connor looked momentarily stunned.
"We
won't know anything until the doctor finishes examining her," Sin offered.
I didn't want to think that something like that could have happened to her, but it was the reality of the situation that refused to allow me to push it to the back of my mind and forget about it.
"How did Jeff know where she was?" Connor asked, still needing to know how exactly this all happened.
"I asked him to find her so he started his investigation by looking at the people closest to us," Sin began to explain, rubbing the back of his neck. Eric was Sin's roommate, although they weren't really friends; they were more like acquaintances. "He discovered Eric had rented another house. It was suspicious, so he decided to check it out."
We still had no idea what his motive was. He had been stalking Taylor for a while, following her in the dark corners of our dorm. He had broken into our room and left her a message. When he'd attacked her in the staircase it had been the final straw. Scared and having no idea who it was, Taylor had finally informed her brother, which had led him to hiring Matthew.
But even with that, it hadn't been enough. I took a deep breath, still trying to process everything.
"She's okay," Matthew murmured softly to me.
I swallowed hard as I looked up at him. His toffee-colored hair hung across his face, hiding half the bandage on his forehead where he'd been injured during the car accident that had left him unable to protect her. I nodded my head. Unlike him, I knew the wounds you couldn't see were sometimes the hardest to cope with.
She had been found semi-undressed. I couldn't get that thought out of my mind.
When I pulled away from Matthew, I caught Slater's eyes, which were fixed on me. His expression was unreadable. I felt a shiver that shook me to my core. He had that way of looking at me and seeing so much more than anyone else did.
But even he didn't know what I kept hidden from everyone.
I was the first to look away. It hurt too much. To see him and remember how it had ended between us… I still didn't know what had gone wrong. He had broken things off, leaving me confused and hurt.
We all waited patiently outside the hospital room. Eventually feeling exhausted, I walked to the wall and leaned against it. I held my bag, my eyes fixed on the door while waiting for it to open. Matthew came to stand beside me once more.
Connor, Sin and Slater refused to budge from outside the door. They wanted to catch the doctor as soon as he was finished with her.
I bit my nail as I waited, watching Sin and Slater talk quietly to Connor. Secretly, I allowed myself to let my eyes take Slater in while his attention was elsewhere.
"Do you really think she'll be okay?" I asked Matthew, still with my eyes fixed on the group in front of us.
"She has to be."
I looked up at him. He had been just as concerned as the people who loved Taylor. He hadn't just been a bodyguard to her, he had been a friend to both of us. I reached out and squeezed his arm gently, trying to comfort him. "Whatever happened, we're all here for her."
I wanted to hope she hadn't been raped but it would entail trusting that there were people who weren't capable of it, and I couldn't—I knew different.
The sound of the door opening pulled us to the moment. The doctor looked subdued as he closed it behind him.
"I'm Connor Price, Taylor's brother," Connor said, taking a step closer to the doctor. "How's she?"
The time was here. I wasn't sure I was prepared for what the answer might be. I reminded myself we all had to be strong for her. She would need it. Sin shoved his hands in his pockets as he waited beside Connor for the information.
"She's been beaten quite badly. It will heal, and I don't believe there will be any scars."
The last word vibrated through me, and Sin hung his head as he listened. Connor swallowed hard while he took it in, his cool exterior we were all used to shaken.
A familiar arm wrapped around me and I leaned closer to Matthew, needing comfort at the extent of her injuries. She had been alone, fighting for her life. I put my hand to my mouth to keep my composure. My throat burned as I tried to suppress my tears.
"She has quite a bad cut on her leg but it doesn't require stitches." The doctor quieted.
"Was there any sign of…" Connor tried to ask, but he couldn't say it. Sin's shoulders tensed as he lifted his gaze to the doctor.
The doctor shook his head. "There are signs her attacker did try but she must have managed to fight him off."
Connor looked relieved. Sin ran a hand through his hair, and Slater stood silently beside them.
"When can we see her?" Sin asked, the strain of not being able to see her evident in his face.
"At this stage I'm only allowing family in. She's sleeping at the moment. I've decided to sedate her for now. Let her get some rest and tomorrow you can see her."
Sin looked at him like he had physically struck him, and my heart went out to him. Even though it included me and Matthew, there was a desperation in Sin to be able to see her that I understood. Despite their ups and downs he truly cared for her, probably more than he had for any girl.
"I'd like to see her now," Connor insisted.
"Sure," the doctor said. "The nurses are just cleaning her up. As soon as they are done you can go and see her."
"Tomorrow I will allow non-family members to see her," the doctor told us. "She needs time to come to terms with what has happened to her."
Sin turned away from the doctor and Slater put a hand on his shoulder to reassure him. There was no visible emotion but his jaw tensed slightly as he dealt with the news he would have to wait another day to see Taylor.
"She's okay," Slater said to his friend. "You'll get to see her soon."
They stared at each other for a few moments before Sin relented and nodded his head. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he looked defeated. He wasn't someone I was close to but even in that moment I couldn't stop myself from feeling for him. If there had been any doubt before about his feelings for Taylor, there wasn't any now.
The doctor left and Connor went inside the room. The four of us waited.
Sin walked over to lean against the wall beside me. I had an urge to comfort him so I rested my hand on his arm lightly.
"She's okay," I murmured to him.
He looked at me and nodded slightly. From the time he had found out Taylor had been taken, he'd refused to even consider the idea she wouldn't survive. In his mind it had just been a matter of time before she was found.
Connor had been a frantic mess as he had tried every avenue to find his missing sister. Matthew had struggled with the weight of his guilt that he had been unable to protect her.
Rubbing my forehead, I tried to ease the slight headache I felt. It had been a couple of long stressful days. My feelings for Slater had been shoved to the back of my mind. But here, with him just feet away, they were hard to ignore.
As I dropped my hand, my eyes caught familiar blue ones. The reaction was instant. It didn't matter that we were standing in a hospital. It sizzled through me, searing the blood in my veins. Needing to protect myself, I broke my gaze away from him and focused my attention elsewhere as I caught my breath.
It wasn't long before Connor came out of the room. I stood up. His expression was solemn—not a good sign at all.
"How's she?" Sin asked anxiously. His hands tightened slightly as he waited for the answer.
"I'm not going to lie," Connor told him, looking visibly upset. "It looks…bad."
One thing I had learned about Connor in the short time I had known him was he was good at schooling his features, keeping his emotions hidden, but he was visibly upset which didn't ease the worry I felt. I knew how much he loved Taylor and how hard he had tried to keep her safe. But she still lay in a hospital bed, badly injured.
Sin's hands tightened into fists, and I saw the wrestle of anger and guilt play out across his features.
"Go home and get some sleep," Connor suggested to us.
The doors opened and I looked to see a
tall guy with tattoos and a shaved head walk toward us. My eyes flickered back to Sin and Slater. Slater saw him and nodded to the stranger.
Curious, I watched as he came to a stop beside Sin. They shook hands.
"They get him?" Sin asked the stranger. He nodded. I had no idea what they were talking about.
Connor looked between them.
"This is Jeff," Sin said, introducing him to Connor. "He's the one who found Taylor."
"Thank you," Connor managed to murmur as he shook his hand.
"You're welcome," Jeff responded. "She's strong. She escaped on her own, I only found her."
"She is," Connor confirmed in a murmur.
She would need to be to get through this. For someone who'd been through so much in life you would think she would have had her fill. From her parents' murders when she was a young girl, to this. How much could one person take?
Compared to Taylor, my issues were a walk in the park. It was how I reminded myself that no matter how bad I thought my problems were, there was someone out there fighting life-and-death situations. It was a way to put my hang-ups into perspective.
I yawned, feeling a tiredness I had managed to keep at bay for the last few days start creeping into my bones, making it harder to stay awake.
"Let me take you back to the apartment," Matthew suggested beside me.
"I don't want to leave her," I said, looking up at him. By being here, even without her knowing, I felt like I was supporting her. It didn't make sense.
"You won't be able to see her until tomorrow." He had a point. "You'll need sleep so you can be strong for her when she wakes up."
His reasoning made sense and was enough to change my mind. "Okay."
Matthew walked me to Connor. I kept my eyes fixed, away from Slater, as Matthew told Connor he was taking me home.
"That's fine, I'll come back later to shower and change," Connor said.
Fighting the urge to look at Slater was like trying to stop myself from breathing. Impossible. I tried to concentrate on Matthew and Connor's conversation to distract me but I could feel my eyes drift to Slater.
