They were in Rocking Hill, heading towards his fishing cabin. It was remote, well hidden. When Bailey and Leo attempted to track him down a few months ago, it was the first town they headed to. But no one except an observant bartender could tell them anything about his location. She tried to remember the intersection that he had given them, but her mind was being pulled by the thought of her daughter.
“Joe, please, tell me you didn’t kill her. Please, I need to know. I’ll shut up. I’ll do what you ask. Just tell me if our little girl is dead,” She emphasized ‘our,’ carefully trying not to use the word ‘my’ after he scolded her the last time. This is what it came down to—playing nice long enough to get the information and escape.
“Bailey, who do you think I am? Do you really think I would kill my own daughter? My own flesh and blood? I wouldn’t lay a hand on her. Even when I took her from that damn foster home, I was good to her. I fed her, gave her stuff to calm her down. I was gonna give her a good life in Texas…Until you ruined it.” He turned up the music of the radio. Some country song about love lost filled the car. A man with a southern twang sang his heart out to an acoustic guitar. Joe shouted over the tune, “I didn’t kill her, Bailey. I killed him.”
Bailey began again to silently cry as she thought of Leo’s body covered in bullet holes.
***
“Mr. Connelly, we have a lot of questions to ask you.” The frustrated police officer massaged his wrinkled temple as he fought for Leo’s attention, “I need you to focus.”
“I need to see her! I need to see her now!” Leo banged his fist on the cold, steel table. His gold ring, the one he received from winning his last title match, caused a ringing sound to echo the colorless room. A detective and two police officers shifted in their chairs at his request.
“I can’t do that, Mr. Connelly. She’s not a blood relative of yours, and as far as we can see, she has none in this state. She’s in good hands with Child Protective Services.” The detective removed his glasses in anticipation. This was not an answer that would make anyone happy, let alone a former boxing champion with a well-documented anger problem.
“Lily lived at my home with me. I'm her family—her only family. Her mother,” his voice cracked as he pressed on, “Her mother would've wanted her to come home with me.”
“If you answer our questions, if you cooperate and we agree to let you go, I’ll put in a good word for you with the agency. But for now, I need to get through this list. Are we clear?”
Leo nodded his head as the man looked down at his clipboard and began to read from the top. “When was the last time you saw Ms. Reed?”
He hung his head as he answered. A vision of her walking up the stairs from the gym to the garage replayed over and over again in his memory. He softly said, “This morning when she left my home with her daughter. She was heading towards her old family home to meet with her great aunt. And then she had planned to go to the police station to report some text messages she had received.”
“Is this her phone?” A police officer dressed in street clothing placed a beat up phone wrapped in a plastic zip up bag in front of him. It was the same model as Bailey’s, the same color, as well. But he couldn’t be sure.
He held it in his hands, “I know her passcode. Can I try to unlock it?” The men looked at one another and then shrugged in agreement. He typed in Bailey’s birthday and watched as the screen lit up under his fingers. “It’s hers. Where did you find this?”
“About two blocks away from where she was taken in an a gutter. Based on the damage, we think whoever took her ditched the phone while driving away. It was a lucky find.” The man checked off some numbers off of his list, apparently getting enough from Leo. He cleared his throat and asked another, “What do you know about her ex, Joe Malnuty?”
Leo grew angry just at the name. He knew he was behind this. No one else in their lives could be so sadistic as to shoot a security guard, kidnap his own daughter, or attempt to kill his ex-wife. “I know he’s a psychotic asshole who took his own daughter from a group home. I know he would go to any lengths to harm Bailey.”
“How about his location? We’ve got cops out in Arizona right now staking out the ranch they found Lily at, but do you remember any other details about where he lived?”
The night of Leo and Bailey driving to rural Illinois came back like a flash. The starstruck bartender, the beat up girlfriend, the bleach blond waitress with the silly accent… “Rocking Hill. He’s got a cabin out there by the lake.”
The older detective sighed tiredly, “We already checked that place out. It’s empty. No one’s been there in at least a month. Is there any other place you can think of?”
“Some place in Parkhurst, Idaho…I think, but I don’t know for sure. My agent hired a private detective to get intel on him when he took Lily. He has more details than I do. But I know he’s gonna bring her to Rocking Hill. I’m sure of it. That’s where he brought his last girlfriend before he beat her to an inch of her life. He’s going there.”
“Mr. Connelly, we’ll check every area until we find her. But right now, our leads are telling us Arizona. We’ll look into this place in Idaho too just to be sure. Can you leave us information for your agent or the detective he used?”
Leo hesitated, “I can, but I need you to get me Lily. I’m not leaving here until you do that. She needs to come home with me.”
“You know that I can’t do that, Mr. Connelly.”
Leo placed his hands together, pleading with the man to understand, “Do you have a daughter, Detective Montrose? Maybe a sister or a niece? This little girl has been through so much. Her mom had to put her in a group home after they lost their place, her own father kidnapped her and drugged her, and she now witnessed a murder and her mom being taken away. I need you to understand me here. She needs to be with someone who cares about her. I’ve got a nanny for her. I’ve got a room and food for her. She’ll be well guarded with me.”
The man walked off into the other room while the two officers sat by staring at the clock. A half hour passed before he returned. “She’s waiting for you outside. You take care of her, you hear me?”
Leo stood and ran out the door. Lily waited on a bench clutching a black and white teddy bear an officer had given her. She dropped the stuffed animal as she saw Leo run towards her. Her arms outstretched as he caught her. He could feel her tears trickle down his neck and shirt as he carried her out of the station and into the car. As soon as she was buckled into her seat, Leo listened to her fall into a deep sleep, her head bobbing with the motion of the drive.
He took out his cellphone and dialed the one person he knew could help, “Jonathan?”
“Leo, what the fuck is going on? No one will tell me anything and they’re not letting me into the house. The press is going crazy, man!” He shouted over the sounds of other’s voices, everyone discussing details of Bailey’s kidnapping.
“I’m on my way home with Lily. But I want to make a statement. I want it to air on the news. Can you do that for me?”
“It’s done. But are you sure it’s wise? Did the police say it’s a good move?” Jonathan had handled a ton of scandals in his time as a sports agent, but this one had far surpassed his expertise.
“I don’t care what they say, Jonathan. I need to get Bailey home. I need to do this for Lily.” He hung up the phone without another word. He was going to have his time in front of the press whether the police or the detectives wanted him to or not. Leo’s face and fame would ensure that he was heard and seen. He needed to reach as many people as possible, even if it meant facing the public for the first time since his last match.
The car pulled up to the gate as Leo barked at the driver to stop before he could punch the numbers into the keypad. As soon as the car hesitated, the photographers and crews attacked his car, making it nearly impossible for him to get out of the backseat without disturbing Lily’s sleep. Jonathan was there, guiding him to the front. His own security formed a circle aro
und him as he began to read off a piece of paper he scribbled on during his car ride home:
“Thanks for being here. I really appreciate it. By now, you all know my girlfriend, Bailey, the mother of the girl I helped find just a month ago, was abducted this afternoon. In addition, my head security officer was shot and killed. I now need to ask that the public be on the lookout for Joe Malnuty, Bailey’s abusive ex-husband. He has managed to get away from police once before, and I know he's capable of doing it again. I believe he may be either in Illinois, Idaho, or Arizona. My agent will distribute pictures of him when I'm done that I would appreciate you sharing.
Before I go, I want to send a message to Bailey herself.” Leo took a deep breath in. This was not the time to let his emotions get the best of him, “Bailey, Lily is safe. She’s with me, and I’m gonna make sure she’s okay. What I need you to do is fight. Fight to survive. I know you can do this, but I need you to hang on.”
He paused at the end of his written word. But there was more he needed to say. As he looked into the camera, he swallowed and added, “I love you, Bailey Reed. I love you so much. I’m coming for you. I'll find you, I promise.”
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE
“Did you hear that, Bailey! He loves you! That fighter—he loves you! How fucking precious! Ooh-la-fucking-la!” Joe sat drunkenly by the television as Bailey watched from the kitchen chair. Her head hung like a ragdoll by the stitches.
She knew he was talking to her, but she couldn’t comprehend what he was saying to her. A ringing noise from the last time he hit her filled her left ear.
“How anyone could love a whore like you, I'll never know.” Joe turned around, studying his ex-wife. Pure joy filled his eyes, “But then again, I did. It must be that pussy of yours. It’s like magic or the devil or something.” He laughed loudly, filling the fishing cabin with his glee.
He stood up and walked stumbling towards her chair. When she failed to look up at him or acknowledge his presence, he knelt down to her eye level, lifting her chin to his. “What fun are we gonna have tonight, Bailey?” He smiled widely, showing his yellow teeth to her. “I’ve got plans for you.”
Bailey mustered up strength, just enough to launch a load of spit in his face without any warning. It hit him in the eye, sending him reeling backwards on his hands and feet. Her broken and bruised face transformed itself to her own toothy smile.
Joe used the lapel of his shirt to dry his face as he screamed, “You bitch! You’ll fucking pay for that! I’m done being nice to you!” He walked to the fridge and grabbed another beer, chugging it as he walked back towards her. He flicked the tiny metal cap at her head. “Trash. That’s what you are. That’s how you’ll die. Trash.”
Bailey waited for him to take the next step, to react to her defense. But he instead walked back to the couch and laid down on the leather sofa as he turned up the volume on the small television set. Bailey could vaguely make out an official sounding man’s voice as he said the words: “missing,” “armed and dangerous,” “location unknown.” They were talking about her, she was sure of it. But by the way the man spoke, the way he stretched out his words both tired and resound, she knew that they were no closer to her being found than she was to facing her own death.
The program Joe watched as he sank yet another beer changed quickly, back to the clip of Leo. She listened to the sound of him choking up, the cracks in his voice, the way he emphasized the words I love you.
She told him she loved him once before. It was in her daughter’s hospital room just a month earlier when he had helped rescue her. Though she said it with such certainty and meaning, he never said it back. He had practically ignored it altogether once they had returned home. There was nothing for Bailey to do at the time except to sweep it under the rug. There were so many reasons why he didn’t reciprocate: he wasn’t ready, she exclaimed it too soon, it was the heat of the moment, the man had just gone from drinking himself on the floor to functioning…Whatever it was, he was not going to say it until he was ready.
But now, he was on the television screen Bailey couldn’t see, saying the words she had longed for him to say. More so, he was coming for her. He was going to find her. She just had to figure out a way to fight back against Joe.
Her first move had to be getting her sight back. The last slam to the head had caused her left eye to swell and close. She could still see out her right, but it was impossibly blurry. She searched the room for something she could stare at to regain focus. She spotted a poster hanging on the wall, one she remembered from her time spent at the cabin during their marriage. She had bought it at a flea market just years prior and hung it as a reminder to find the good in even the worst of times. She lifted her head and forced her good eye to make out the letters one at a time, spelling out the quote in her head, “Where there is love, there is light.”
She looked at the words over and over again until the characters became clear and she could make out the subtle details in the print. Soon, everything came to focus—her plan and way out was clear. All Bailey needed to do was give Leo time. She was prepared for this.
Bailey hung her head again, this time sinking her body even lower in her chair. She shook her head, letting the blood stained hair cling to her cheeks and jaw. She then began to cough, forcing herself to be heard. Joe stirred from his drunken slumber. She could hear his heavy body turning to and fro. She coughed louder and higher pitched. She needed him to wake up.
Suddenly, his head popped up from behind the couch frame. His squinted eyes struggled to remember where he was and what could be making the sound. Finally, he spotted her, his memory coming back to him in an instant. “What the fuck are you doing?”
She continued to cough, speaking through the rough patches she had forced herself to make, “Help… me…Joe!” Her whole body caved in as she attempted to forcefully suck in air. It was a sound that rocked the tiny house. “JOE! HELP ME!”
“Maybe I’ll just sit here and watch you choke on whatever you’re coughing up. Maybe I’ll just take another beer and enjoy the show.” He grabbed his beer from the wooden TV stand, sucking in the cold liquid in one large gulp. His hand wiped his chin as he stared at his captive with passive interest.
She continued to force herself to cough, this time louder and longer. Her effort rattled her lungs, causing fluid to fill in her throat. Her mouth went dry and her head pounded from the effort. Still, it was working. Joe couldn’t help but to sit up and pay attention to her. Going back to bed, even with the amount he was drinking wasn’t an option.
Finally, he grabbed the gun off of the table and stomped towards her. The deadly black barrel of the gun pointed square at her head. Still, she kept her head down and continued to cough. She spoke through each rhythmic intake, “Joe! Please, help me! I need help! Wa-ter…Water!”
“What’s stopping me from shooting you and just putting you out of your misery? It would be so quick and easy…and you’re going down anyway. This way, I’ll just have to clean up a bit more before I make my escape.” He walked closer to her. She could see his black boots right at her chair. And though it was not touching her, she could feel the closeness of the gun to her forehead. Still, she noticed how his arm shook, how his leg twitched. She knew she had a chance as long as she could continue to keep him talking.
She let out another long sequence of coughing and choking. “Joe! Please! Water!”
“DAMNIT, Bailey!”
She saw him suddenly step back, the gun dropping to his side. His feet pounded away, his hands clenched. She could hear the sound of the faucet turn on and water pour into one of the cabin’s plastic glasses. Then there was the sound of the fridge once again opening and closing as a bottle of beer clinked against another.
Joe walked back towards Bailey, lifting her head forcefully back and brushing the hair from her eyes and face. Bailey stared into his eyes as she parted her mouth slowly. He tipped the glass back into her mouth as she tried to keep up with the flow of the water down her throat. W
hen he finished, she took in several deep breaths and then lifted her head back towards him, “Thank you Joe.” She softened her voice, “You were always a great provider for Lily and me. I never told you that, and now I’m sorry for it.” Her good eye batted as she tried to hold his attention.
“I was. I took damn good care of you. You left me for no reason. You left me because you couldn’t handle how much I loved you.” He stumbled towards her, kneeling at her tied up feet. “You were a dumb bitch. It’s a shame I’m gonna have to kill you, though.” His fingers traced the line of her bare calf and traced its way up her thigh. It sent a shiver up Bailey’s thigh.
She put on the fake tears, distracting him from his roaming hands. “I’m sorry, Joe. I shouldn’t have left. I should have been stronger. I should have been a better wife. I know that now. I just wish Lily could go home with you and not with that man I was with after you do what you need to do.”
Joe stumbled backwards at her words. Her words hit him. “What do you mean Lily is staying with that bastard?”
Possessive_Sons of Chaos MC Page 46
