Embrace

by Fernandez, Michelle

  “You think you have this all figured out, don’t you?” Carl says. “Calling the police. Trying to retrace her steps and mine.” He laughs evilly. “By the time you find her, it’ll be too late.”

  “Why don’t you tell me what I’m missing, Carl, since I’m such a dumb fuck?” My training kicks in and I do my best to level my voice while wishing I could reach into my phone and strangle this asshole.

  “You’re never going to find her,” he taunts. “You know she’s scared of the dark?”

  What the . . . How does he know?

  “What did you do with Delilah?” I ask, my voice explodes with fury.

  “And why should I tell you anything? She doesn’t belong with you. Delilah is and will always be mine.”

  “Where is she?”

  I try my hardest to detect any background noise on his end, but all I hear is the street noise around me and the cackling of the police car radios in the distance. Jackson turns and quickly runs to Detective Solis to inform him of the phone call and they’re back in a matter of seconds.

  “She’s mine! Do you hear me? Mine!” he screams.

  “What have you done with Delilah? Tell me, Carl,” I demand through clenched teeth.

  “If I can’t have her, you can’t either.”

  “Carl,” I warn.

  “My name is not Carl, Saint Clair.” His voice is filled with saccharine.

  “Then who the fuck are you, asshole?”

  The line goes dead and the fire raging through my veins is a full-on inferno.

  My phone rings again. “I’m done playing with you, asshole! Where the fuck is she?” I scream into the phone.

  “Brody? It’s . . . it’s me, Sydney.” Her voice is soft and trembling.

  “Sydney, I’m sorry,” I say, immediately calming my voice.

  “You need to come to the house immediately.”

  “What’s going on?”

  “I just got home from dinner with Levi . . . and the house, somebody broke in and went through everything . . . I found Serena . . . she’s hurt . . . There’s blood everywhere. Someone stabbed her.”

  “Is Delilah there?” I ask.

  “No. I called the police and they’re on their way. They told me not to touch anything . . . but whoever it is left something for you.”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s a cell phone with a picture of Delilah . . .” Sydney sobs. “Brody . . . she’s . . . I can’t tell if she’s still alive.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Brody

  After LAPD and Detective Solis finish processing the crime scene at the house, I survey the debris and straighten the tossed furniture.

  Delilah’s projects are torn into pieces. Her sandals she wore to the beach when she met Jerick and when I finally taught her how to swim are in the corner of the room. I grab her Chiefs sweatshirt draped over the couch and breathe her in.

  How can my heart hurt and be numb at the same time?

  My grip is tight on the note Todd left behind along with the phone he called me from. Rage courses through my veins as I stare at the screen. Todd took a photo of Dee and left it here for me to mull over along with this letter. I read it again, hoping for a clue, a sign from God, or an epiphany of some sort to direct me to where my Delilah is.

  My finger glides over the screen to zoom in on her face. Delilah’s eyes are shut. There are scrapes on her cheeks and blood on the cloth gagged over her mouth. Strands of her hair tangle over part of her face. And a ring is placed on her third finger.

  My muscles are tense as worry gnaws at me. And all I can think about is taking off the cheap ass ring from her finger and having Todd choke on it.

  “Fuck!” I yell, pulling my hair as I glance at the time. It’s oh-three-hundred and we have no leads. Not a damn one.

  Jackson’s been reviewing the drone’s footage on the tablet he retrieved from my townhome and the other CCTV footage he received from Detective Solis.

  Mark and Charlie are now helping from Virginia. Charlie called in favors with a few connections here in Los Angeles and was able to get more footage from the street cams, which are choppy at best.

  “What time is Dylan getting there?” Drake asks with concern in his voice as I hear papers shuffling.

  “He should be here shortly.”

  “I fucked up.” There’s guilt in Drake’s voice, just like when he told me about Delilah being locked in the crate playing hide-and-seek. “Apparently, he was released on good behavior and attending rehabilitation classes. I should have been paying closer attention.”

  “How are your parents holding up?”

  “Franny is with them right now. They just want her back.”

  “I do too,” I say.

  “Find her, Brody. Don’t stop looking until you do.”

  “I will. There’s an APB out and as soon as I get a hit, you’ll be the first person I call.”

  “I’m on my way to the airport. I should be there in a few hours.” He takes in a deep breath. “Keep me posted.”

  “All right . . . see you soon.”

  I scrub my face after ending the call with Drake as acid eats at my stomach.

  Sydney and Levi appear from the kitchen with cups of coffee.

  “Brody, I found these in Dee’s room.” Sydney hands me several envelopes. There’s sadness and worry in her red-rimmed eyes as her lips quiver. “Not sure if they mean anything . . . they’re from Todd.”

  “Thank you,” I tell her as I take the papers. “I will find her if it’s the last thing I do.”

  She nods as she wipes a tear from her cheek. “Please . . . I don’t know what to think.” She clutches her stomach. “I’m scared, Brody. What if—‍”

  “She’s not. Delilah’s alive. You understand?” I say as I wrap my fingers around her wrist and cutting off her train of thought. I wish Sydney had never seen the photo of Delilah on the phone Todd left behind.

  Sydney nods as she clutches her blouse. “I just want her back.”

  “Me too.”

  Levi clears his throat then speaks, “We’re heading to the vet to check on Serena.”

  “How is she?” I ask.

  “She’s stable and will be there a couple of nights.”

  “That’s good.”

  “Dee loves that dog and Serena hated Todd. Dee came to California to get away from that shitbag because she feared him and what he’s capable of,” Sydney says softly, tears welling in her eyes. “Todd is pure evil.”

  “I’m glad you weren’t home.” I place my hand on her arm for reassurance.

  “Thank fucking god for that,” Levi says, wrapping his arm around Sydney’s shoulders before kissing her on the cheek. “One more thing, if this jerkoff wants any kind of ransom, let me know. I want to help in any way I can. I may play a cop on TV, but I am nowhere qualified to do what you guys do.”

  I glance at Jackson talking on the phone in a hushed tone. “I don’t think this asshole wants money. He’s obsessed with her. And idiots like him want what they think they have power over.”

  “You have my number . . . Keep us posted.” Levi nods and escorts Sydney out of the house.

  Moments later, Dylan walks in and tips his chin up at me. “Hey, Reinhardt, any leads yet?” he asks, not beating around the bush and I don’t blame him. This is his baby sister, and I’d be the same if it were Avery.

  “Just piecing video together now,” I tell him as Dylan and Jackson shake hands.

  “Muff, it’s good to see you again,” Dylan tells him. “Thanks for helping out.”

  “Hey, Linc . . . I wish it was under better circumstances. We’re going to find your sister.”

  “Damn straight and as soon as I find the fucking bastard, I will bury that asshole alive, so he dies a slow death.”

  I pace the rug as both my hands clasp the back of my neck. Wanting to get back to the search, I say, “Let’s check the video from the point she exits the building until the last t
ransmission.”

  Dylan, Jackson, and I head back over to the screen. We start from the beginning and follow the time stamp on each series of footage, reviewing the images frame by frame, like an old movie. Todd attacks Delilah, slams her to the ground in the alley, straddles her, places a cloth over her face, then stashes her in the trunk of the town car.

  “We already know Meyers puts Delilah in the town car’s trunk from the dry cleaner footage . . . and we know they’re headed east from the venue from our drone footage. But after that, we don’t have anything else.”

  “LAPD found the car abandoned and the real Carl dead in the back seat,” I tell Dylan. “This footage is from the street cams we were able to get ahold of thanks to Dixon and his wife.”

  “Here are those images,” Jackson says.

  It’s like a knife gutting my insides as I watch the transfer of Delilah’s limp body from the town car into the back seat of a black SUV that heads east on I-10.

  My phone buzzes and I quickly answer the unknown number.

  “Mr. Reinhardt. This is Detective Solis. We got a hit on the SUV.”

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Delilah

  My body is in pain, my hands are tied behind me, and I can’t move. I lie here on the cold floor full of fear with no hope for escape. I try to clear the cobwebs to remember what happened to me, but it’s no use and I have no idea where I am or how long I have been out.

  The faint scent of cigarettes lingers in the air and I swallow the bile that wants to resurface again. I breathe in slowly, images flash back to me. I was backstage, a maze of hallways, then finally fresh air, only to be attacked from behind.

  I open my eyes slightly and when I do, I see darkness as the moonlight reveals the face I never expected to see. He’s all too familiar and yet, he’s a stranger to me. He looks angry, agitated, and tense. I watch his mouth move, as if he’s talking to himself. I hear murmurs of random words, but I can’t make out what he’s saying.

  Fear paralyzes me. My heart is pounding in my chest as I lie here like a rag doll.

  A sharp kick to my leg and a whimper escapes my dry throat. The snicker on his face disgusts me as he sits in the chair glaring down at me.

  “Well, well, well. Sleeping Beauty is finally awake,” he hisses, and I cringe at the sound of his voice.

  I can’t speak because of the muzzle over my mouth, so I’m forced to listen to him as tears stream down the side of my face onto the wood floor.

  “That sorry-ass SEAL can’t help you now.”

  I try to calm the churning in my stomach.

  “Tell me, Dee, does he say you’re beautiful? Does he tell you how sexy you are? Does he know everything about you like I do?” His voice is cold and emotionless as he rambles. “You know they’re all lies. He’s a liar and a thief. He’s not a hero like the articles make him out to be. A Purple Heart just because he was injured in battle. That fuckface is a pussy. And he can’t save you.”

  I close my eyes, trying to shut out the vile words coming out of his mouth. I focus my thoughts on Brody. Yes, he tells me I’m beautiful and how sexy I am. More tears come knowing that I will never see him again and that I never told him I love him.

  He snickers a chuckle and I want to throw up. “Your fucking brother had to arrest me. Drake couldn’t cut me some slack. He wanted me out of your life. So he threw me in jail . . . when I’m done with you, I’m going after him, his wife, and daughter.” Todd stands and paces the room. “He ruined my life . . . he took you away from me . . . we were going to have a life together. I was going to make it right.”

  “Fuck you, Todd,” I garble through the cloth.

  “What’s that, Dee-li-lah?” he sneers. “You belong to me. We made vows. You promised me . . . and not once did you come to see me. To see how I was doing. To apologize for Drake throwing me in jail. Instead, you left me. Not this time.”

  Shivers chase up my spine as regretful decisions and memories stir.

  We took a weekend trip to Las Vegas. After several drinks at one of the casinos, we were walking down the strip and watched Elvis marry a couple. On a whim, we did it too. But it was just for fun and all fake. Todd slipped Elvis a hundred bucks to “marry” us on the fly. My god, Todd thinks we really did get married.

  An evil smile spreads across his face as he steps forward and lowers himself onto his haunches so he’s looking over me. Todd’s eyes are absent of anything good. If I thought his eyes were evil before, nothing can describe the iniquity in them now. Terror consumes my body and I know it will soon be savaged by his inevitable blows.

  Relief washes over me when Todd steps away and disappears into the darkness.

  I hate the dark and my eyes dart wildly searching for any escape. There’s only a sliver of the moon casting through the blinds and I hold onto it for a brief moment sending a silent prayer to the heavens.

  I try to loosen the tie wrapped around my wrists, but it only cuts into my skin. I try to use my shoulders to shove off the wrap muzzled over my mouth, but it’s no use.

  I hear his steps behind me, but the way my body is positioned, I can’t maneuver around or see him. A boot kick to the left side of my stomach forces air out of my body. I yelp in pain as another kick connects with my shoulder and I hear a crack. I think it’s my collarbone.

  Before I can take in a breath, my hair is pulled, and I’m dragged down a hall.

  I shut my eyes, anticipating another blow, instead he pulls out a blade from his back pocket, cuts the tie around my wrists, and removes the gag from my mouth. A reprieve I desperately needed as I scurry to the edge of the wall. Where I cough, gasping for air. Uncontrollable tears stream down my face. I’m dizzy and have no breath in me from his assaults. My vision is blurry, but I manage to see through the darkness.

  “You think you can get away from me . . . not this time, Dee. Not. This. Time.” The sound of his voice is what nightmares are made of.

  “Why?” I slur. “Why are you doing this?”

  “Why?” he repeats, his maniacal laugh rings through the air, sending chills up my spine. “You’re my wife, goddamn it!”

  “We aren’t married, Todd . . . it was not real.”

  “It was real to me. I put a ring on your finger.” I look down at my hand and see a gold band on my finger. My god, he’s really lost it and there’s no use in talking any sense into his crazy mind.

  I pull the ring off and throw it at him. “It’s over. We are over.”

  Fading moonlight peeks through the window, gray shadows cast across his face and I can’t believe this is the same man I loved so long ago, and now every fiber of my being hates him.

  He lights up a cigarette, takes a long inhale, and lets out a cloud of smoke in the air. He drops the unfinished cigarette to the floor and stomps on it.

  “If you won’t love me back, then I will make for damn sure you can’t love him.”

  Todd grips my chin, pulling me up from the floor, then his body pins me against the wall. He rips my dress as he pulls it down, maliciously glares at my chest, and licks his lips.

  Todd pulls out a gun tucked at his waist. The cold barrel of the pistol presses on the side of my face as his hand tightly grips my hair.

  He slams my head against the wall. The ringing in my ear is deafening and I lose focus for a few seconds.

  “Remember this, baby? You like it rough,” he sneers into my ear as he’s unbuckling his belt while the gun stabs into my neck. “You think Brody will want you once I’m through with you?”

  “Go to hell, Todd!” I shriek, hoping someone can hear me.

  “Go ahead and scream, baby. There’s no one for miles. You’re all mine. Then when I’m done with you, I will bury your body so your precious Brody can’t find you.”

  He fiddles with the button of his jeans and zipper.

  This is my chance.

  I am not his victim.

  I need to fight.

  With the last bit of strength I have left, my fists go flying. I hit his
nose as blood splatters on my clothes and his. I’m granted some space between us as my knee rises between his legs and connects with his dick.

  “You fucking bitch!” he screams, hunching over and grabbing his crotch.

  I’m off the wall in a flash and all I can think about is getting out of this house. I run a few steps, my bare feet pound on the cold surface.

  “Come back here! I’m going to put a bullet in your fucking face.” His body crashes against me and we land on the wooden floor.

  I scramble across the floor. Just when I think I am out of his reach, he grabs my ankle and yanks me back. With my free foot, I kick him in the head, giving me only a second to reach the door. But I don’t even cross the threshold and he’s on top of me once again and a sting radiates across my face when his palm connects.

  I’m not taking his shit anymore as rage and courage engulf me as I hit him back. I am determined to live through this. Prayers run through my mind asking God to give me the strength I need to survive this.

  “Get off me!” I scream, “Get off me!” I grit my teeth, fist my hands using every ounce of strength as I push him away. The weight of his body is crippling as I struggle to scramble from under him.

  Somehow, I grab the gun he’s holding. I’m up on my feet only a moment before he lunges for me.

  I hear the crack of the gun as it fires.

  There’s blood everywhere, all at once.

  My body recoils from another bang.

  Todd’s body pulls me to the ground, the wind is knocked out of me, and my head slams against the floor. I feel numb and I have no more fight in me. My eyes are growing heavy as I see the dawn peeking through the window and all I can think about is capturing the sunrise with Brody as everything fades to black.

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Brody

  “I need you to focus, Reinhardt.” Jackson’s voice is intent and direct. “As much as I know you want to kill Meyers, your only mission is to get to Delilah. Dylan and I will assist Detective Solis and his men.”