Robert hadn’t moved from where she’d left him on the floor. As Nadia stepped around him, she saw a small pool of blood on the floor under his head. She didn’t know if he was dead or not, and she had no plans of checking. If he wasn’t, she just hoped he wasn’t getting up anytime soon. Once she was out of the room they were being held in, Nadia had no idea which way to go. She could tell they were in some sort of old abandoned warehouse and that they were upstairs. She saw the steps at the end of the hallway and decided that way was as good as any. Keeping her hand on the wall for support, she quickly made her way downstairs and let out a sigh of relief when she saw a door marked with an exit sign above it.
Nadia’s vision was getting spotty again as she made her way outside. She needed to find a way to get into contact with the guys and fast. There was no way she was going to last much longer without passing out. Once she was outside, Nadia immediately recognized where she was. If that hadn’t helped, the old, faded sign on the side of the building certainly would have. Nadia snorted. Robert was truly an idiot. Her humor faded when she realized she had never been meant to see the outside of the building. The man never had any intention of letting her go.
Pushing past her morbid thoughts, Nadia let out a small squeal when she saw her car parked at the end of the alley. She made her way to the car and let out a sigh of relief when she found her spare key still in the magnetic box behind her front tire. Once she unlocked the door, she was surprised to see her cell phone still lying on the floor. Nadia knew she couldn’t drive in her condition, so she climbed into the back seat, locked all the doors, and lay down. She didn’t remove the sling with Addison in it in case she needed to make a run for it. Besides, Addy was sleeping comfortably and quiet. The last thing Nadia needed was for her to be making noise if Robert wasn’t dead and decided to come looking for them.
Nadia had to hold back tears when she opened the phone and saw all the missed calls and voice mails from the guys. She knew they were probably going crazy right now looking for her and the baby. Her fingers were too shaky to dial, so she just hit the redial button, remembering she’d been on the phone with Greg when all of this started.
“Nadia, is that you!”
Greg’s shout sent shards of pain through her head, causing her to groan. She couldn’t speak past the lump in her throat. The sound of his voice was the best thing she’d ever heard.
“Nadia, please, baby. Talk to me. Tell me where you are!” Greg shouted frantically.
“G—” Nadia had to stop and clear her voice. Her raw throat made it hard to talk. “Greg. Can you come get me?”
“Oh God, Nadia baby, you had us so worried. Are you hurt? Tell me where you are, and we will be there as fast as we can.”
Nadia could feel herself fading fast. The pain in her head was growing unbearable, and her throat felt like it was being sliced open with every breath she took. “I’m locked in my car in an alley outside of the old Worthington Shoe warehouse.”
“Okay, baby, just sit tight. We are on our way,” Greg said.
Nadia could hear him breathing like he was running then the sound of a car starting. She let out a sigh of relief. The guys were on the way. They would make sure everything was okay.
“Be careful. I don’t know if I killed him or not,” was the last thing Nadia said before she passed out.
Chapter 12
“Nadia? Baby, are you still there?” Greg screamed into the phone. All he got was silence on the other end. He pulled the phone back to see if he had dropped the call, but it was still connected. “Nadia, please answer me.”
Greg was about to hang up and dial Nadia’s number again when he heard a faint whimper. He felt like his stomach was in his throat when he heard Addison’s cry again. It was a relief to hear the baby was okay, but Greg trembled with fear as he listened and didn’t hear Nadia trying to calm the baby.
“Hurry, Jackson. I think something is wrong with Nadia. She isn’t answering me anymore.”
“Can you hear anything at all?” Steve asked from the back seat.
Greg listened again. “I can hear Addison whimpering, and, if I’m not mistaken, I can hear ragged breathing in the background. I think it’s Nadia. I’m hoping she has only passed out and isn’t having trouble breathing. Either way, you need to hurry, Jackson.”
“I’m going as fast as possible,” Jackson said from behind the wheel. “You keep trying to get Nadia to respond. Steve, call the police and let them know we found Nadia and where we are headed. Also let them know we may possibly need an ambulance.”
Greg was glad that Jackson was with them because he was the only calm one in the car at the moment. The thought of calling the police or an ambulance had never even crossed Greg’s mind. The only thing he was thinking was getting to Nadia as fast as possible. In his mind everything else could wait until he held her in his arms again. He wouldn’t be satisfied until that happened. He heard Steve talking in the backseat, but his focus was on the breathing he could hear on the other end of the line. Addison seemed to have calmed down because all he could hear was the occasional whimper now.
Please let her be okay. Please let her be okay. That chant seemed to have been stuck in Greg’s head ever since Nadia had called him from the mall, scared she was being followed. He never wanted to receive another call like that as long as he lived. He’d felt helpless when he heard the sound of her struggling and fighting her kidnapper. Knowing he was too far away to help her had nearly broken his heart. In that moment, he’d felt stupid for thinking it was too soon to tell her he loved her. He realized that no time was too soon and vowed that, if he got the chance, he would tell Nadia as soon as he saw her again.
“Come on, baby, wake up and answer me. Let me know you are okay.”
When Jackson slowed the car close to the alley Nadia had told them she was in, Greg was out the door and running before it even stopped. His only thought was getting to Nadia. When he got to her car, he tried to open the doors, but they were locked. He saw her lying on the backseat. She was curled up, facing the back of the seat with her arms wrapped around Addison’s blanket.
“Nadia, honey, it’s Greg. You need to unlock the doors so I can get to you!” he yelled through the window, but Nadia didn’t even stir.
He heard sirens in the background getting closer, but they were too far away in his opinion. Not taking his eyes off Nadia, Greg held out his hand. “Get me a rock or something to break this window.”
“Not necessary,” Steve said as he ran up. “I have a spare key.”
Greg was climbing into the backseat as soon as he heard the locks click. He gently rolled Nadia over and gasped when he saw her swollen face.
“Oh, baby. What did they do to you?” he said as his trembling fingers hovered over her.
He was scared to touch her because he didn’t know where to touch without causing her more pain. He noticed Addison’s blanket was tied around Nadia and gently undid the knot. When he removed the blanket, he saw Addison was sound asleep against Nadia’s chest. The baby looked like she was perfectly okay, and Greg breathed a sigh of relief. It looked like Nadia had protected the baby and kept her from harm. He gently lifted Addy and handed her to Jackson, who was waiting with open arms. Greg knew if anything had happened to the baby Jackson would have been devastated. The look on the man’s face and the tears in his eyes when he crushed Addison to his chest were sights Greg would never forget.
The police arriving, shining their flashlights and followed by the paramedics, was a welcomed sight. Greg got out of the backseat and let the EMT workers take over. They strapped Nadia to a backboard and put a collar around her neck. Once they’d lifted her from the car and placed her on the waiting stretcher, they started an I.V. The whole time they worked, Nadia never moved or woke up, and Greg began to get worried.
“What’s wrong with her? Why hasn’t she woken up yet?” he asked the paramedic.
“It looks like she may have a concussion. We won’t know how serious until we get her t
o the hospital and run tests. I’m sorry, sir, but that is all I know at the moment. The doctors in the emergency room can let you know more when they treat her.”
Greg watched the paramedics load Nadia into the back of the ambulance, and Jackson climbed into the back, still holding Addison.
“Come on, man,” Steve said. “I talked to the police, and they are willing to meet us at the hospital for questions. Jackson is going to ride with Addison and Nadia. Addison seemed okay, but the paramedics want to make sure.”
Greg nodded and followed Steve to the car. He felt lost and helpless, and they were feelings he definitely didn’t like. He vowed he would try his best to never feel them again. He was going to start by letting Nadia know he was deeply in love with her the moment she woke up, and then he was never letting her out of his sight again.
* * * *
Nadia opened her eyes and groaned in pain then groaned again as fire shot up her raw throat. Everything hurt. Her head was pounding, her teeth ached, her throat was on fire, and her face throbbed. It hurt to even breathe. She decided it was all worth it when she saw each of her guys in the room with her. Jackson was curled up on the empty bed with Addison. Greg and Steve were each in a chair.
She knew she was in the hospital. The smell of antiseptic and the annoying beep of the machines gave that away. What Nadia didn’t know was how she’d gotten there. The last thing she remembered was calling Greg and telling him where she and the baby were. After that, she remembered nothing until right now. Looking over, Nadia smiled when she saw Steve had woken up and was watching her.
“Hey, honey,” he whispered as he walked over to the bed. “You scared us to death. How are you feeling? Are you hurting?”
It took a few tries before Nadia could get her throat to work. “Is Addison okay?” she asked in a hoarse whisper.
“Not a scratch thanks to you,” Steve said.
Nadia thought of what could have happened to Addison if she hadn’t been able to get the baby away in time and sighed in relief that she was safe.
“Can I hold her?” It was crazy, but she needed to hold the baby in her arms to prove to herself she was safe. “Please,” she said when it looked like Steve was going to deny her.
Steve watched her for a moment and then nodded. He went over and lifted the baby from Jackson’s arms. Nadia frowned when Jackson didn’t wake up. She took a closer look and had to wonder how long she had been in the hospital because all three of her men looked as rough as though they hadn’t shaved or showered in a few days. They all looked worn out, which would explain why Jackson didn’t even stir. Nadia wanted to ask Steve but knew it would be nearly impossible with her sore throat. All her concerns were forgotten when he placed Addison in her arms. The sweet familiar smell of baby powder went a long way in soothing Nadia’s nerves. Addison was safe, and Nadia felt herself relaxing and drifting back to sleep as she cradled the baby.
The next time Nadia woke up, she panicked when she realized her arms were empty. “Addison,” she managed to croak out, sending herself into a coughing fit.
“Shh, it’s okay. You and the baby are safe now,” Jackson said as he helped her sit up in the bed.
Nadia was grateful when he held a straw to her mouth and nearly moaned when the cold water soothed her throat. She took a few more sips and then lay back. She noticed that Jackson was the only one in the room this time.
“Where is everyone?”
“The guys took Addison home to get some sleep. She was getting a little cranky,” Jackson said as he sat on the side of her bed.
“How long have I been here?”
“You have been here almost four days. Steve says you woke up a little yesterday and held Addison.”
Nadia nodded. She remembered insisting she hold the baby, but that seemed like only hours before. She shivered in fear that, deep down, she knew was irrational. She had to force herself not to insist Addison be kept in her sight at all times.
“Nadia honey, the police are outside waiting. They need to ask you a few questions so they can find whoever did this to you. Do you think you can tell them what happened?”
“What do you mean find whoever did this? I killed him already,” Nadia whispered as memories of her struggle to escape flashed in her head.
Jackson frowned as he went over to the door and let the officers in. Nadia told them everything that had happened up until she passed out in the car. Once she was done, she answered all of the officers’ questions and told them everything that she knew about her kidnapper. She was shocked to find out that somehow Robert was gone from the warehouse when they went in to search. All they found was what looked like a trail of blood where something had been dragged across the floor. She was upset he hadn’t been caught yet, but in a way, she was relieved she hadn’t killed the man. There was no way she wanted to explain to Addison when she was older that she’d killed the child’s father.
Nadia felt bad for Addison and the fact that she would eventually learn what her biological father had tried to do to her, but she was lucky she was going to have her uncles by her side. With them, she would know love and be truly cared for. Nadia just hoped she was around in the future to see it.
When the police left, Nadia lay back in the bed and tried to relax. Her mind seemed as if it was running a marathon with all the thoughts in her head. Where was Robert? Was he going to come after her or Addison again?
“Have the doctors said when I can go home?” Nadia tried to keep the panic out of her voice as she sat up. She needed to get home so she could watch over Addison.
“The doc said that, since you’ve woken up and seem to be fine, you can go home in the morning.” Jackson gently pushed her back onto the bed.
“I still don’t even know what is wrong with me,” she grumbled, sitting up again. The morning was too far away. She wanted to go home now.
“For starters,” he said as he eased her back down again, “you need to stop trying to get up. Just rest. There is nothing wrong with you other than you sporting a rainbow of colors over most of your body. Your neck looks like someone tried to paint it black. The main concerns were that you hadn’t woken up from your concussion and that you seemed to be struggling to breathe when they brought you in. The doctors were able to control the swelling in your throat to help with the breathing, and, now that you are up and aware of your surroundings, you can go home as soon as we get the all-clear from the doc.”
Nadia had to admit she still hurt all over, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. She lowered the head of the bed and turned over on her side. If she had to be here, she might as well get some rest. Jackson seemed to be satisfied she was following his orders and returned to his chair. He crossed his ankle over his knee and began reading the newspaper. Nadia watched him flip a few pages as she felt herself getting sleepy. Just as her eyes drifted shut, she saw a familiar face staring back at her.
“Oh my God, that’s him,” she sat up, trying to get out of the bed.
Jackson threw down the newspaper and was at her side in an instant. “Honey, what’s wrong? What do you need?”
“The paper. That was him. I saw him in the paper.”
When Jackson grabbed the paper and handed it to her, Nadia quickly flipped until she found the picture that she’d seen. “That’s him,” she said, pointing to the picture. “That’s the man who kidnapped us. Addison’s father.”
Jackson took the paper and read the article out loud. “The mutilated body found late Tuesday night has been identified as Robert Hale. Although authorities still aren’t sure of the circumstances surrounding Mr. Hale’s death, they have determined it was a homicide. Extensive damage showed Mr. Hale seemed to have been tortured over a period of time until his body was dumped sometime in the early hours of Tuesday night. As of now, police have no suspects or motives and are urging anyone with information to call or come down to the station.”
“Wow. He told me this was going to happen to him.” Nadia shivered. She knew she’d come close to death.
If she had met the man that did this to Robert that night, she had no doubt he would never have let her walk out of there alive.
“Do you know who did this?” Jackson asked.
Nadia heard the fear in his voice and knew he realized exactly how close to death she’d come as well. “No, he never told me who was after him. He just told me he owed a really bad man a lot of money, and if he didn’t pay, he was dead. He was going to sell Addison so he could get the money. I could tell his deadline was getting close because he kept getting more and more agitated.”
“Okay, honey, it’s over now,” Jackson said as he folded the newspaper up. “You lie down and get some rest, and I’m going to step in the hall, call the officers, and let them know this new information. I will be right back.”
Nadia curled back up and closed her eyes. She felt Jackson kiss her forehead and heard the door shut as he left the room. It was bad to say, but all she felt was relief that Robert was dead. She didn’t have any sympathy for a man willing to sell his own child to cover his debts. She was glad the whole ordeal was over and had to admit that knowing Robert was not out there waiting to take Addison went a long way in helping her relax. As she drifted off to sleep, Nadia made plans on how to tell her men she loved them and wanted to spend the rest of her life with them.
Chapter 13
Nadia arrived home from her doctor’s appointment with a clean bill of health. She was a little upset none of the guys had been able to go with her, but she understood they all had something to do. That was why she was shocked to see all three guys standing there when she walked through the front door.
“What’s wrong? Where is Addison? Is she okay?” She knew she sounded crazy, but ever since her kidnapping, she had been really protective of the baby.
“Honey, it’s okay. Calm down. Addy is fine.” Jackson put an arm around her.
Midnight Call (Siren Publishing Ménage Amour) Page 14
