Etched in Stone (Six Degrees Series Book 2)

by Statham, Mayra

  My vision is off. I keep seeing two of him and my head feels heavy. It’s whatever they drugged you with Liz. Try to focus, a voice in my head says. Standing in front of me, he grips my hair pulling it back painfully, making my scalp burn.

  “You stupid little fucking slut... did you really think Parker was going to rescue you? He was in on the whole thing.” He roars. “You are nothing but a cheap piece of ass, honey. My grandson can do better and he knows it.” I grind my teeth, trying not to cry out in pain. Dizziness hits me, my vision still blurry.

  “I tried to be nice.” Duke let go of my hair one large hand squeezing my cheeks, tied up to the chair he has complete control of me. He looks at me and I close my eyes, afraid I am going to throw up. There is no way Parker would have been in on it. “I tried to give you a chance, where you would get something out of it, hell you might even had enjoyed it.”

  “Look at me.” He demands, but I don’t open my eyes. I’m done.

  “LOOK AT ME!” He roars in front of my face so close I can feel the spittle from his scream. His breath smells like stale cigars and scotch. I keep my eyes closed. I feel the air shift and hear the loud smack before feeling the sting hit my face twice, once on both sides. My face burns and hurts while something wet and warm starts to trickle down.

  “LOOK AT ME!” he demands. I keep them closed and feel the pain of another hit. Then another, this time, closed fist to my side, taking all the air out of me. So much that I can’t help but open my eyes. Pain is radiating everywhere, breathing is hard to do.

  His normally dark eyes are darker than usual. His hands go to the thin straps of my chemise, snapping them instantly, effortlessly.

  “Lizzy, Lizzy, Lizzy….” My stomach is churning at the sound of that nickname and at the thought of what he’s going to do to me. I think about how if I survive this, I’ll never be the same.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Parker

  Sitting in the private room that Liz was supposed to go into with John, I’m about to crawl out of my skin. It’s been two hours. Two fucking hours, that creepy goon and my grandfather have had her. John and Nick had distracted a usually very observant Michael Crown. They’d left about thirty minutes ago, Mike’s wallet a little heavier, while everyone else’s a little lighter. He was a shark at poker.

  Matt’s is sitting next to me. Glancing at him, he looks like shit. He has a huge knot on his head, a bandage somehow at his hairline. He’s also as worried as I am.

  Then my phone rings.

  “Hello?”

  “Parker Stone?” A female voice asks, and my stomach tightens.

  “Yes, this is him.”

  “I’m Detective Monroe. Agent Thorne is on route with your girlfriend, he wanted me to call you and let you know. Mr. Stone, he found her.” I close my eyes feeling like a weight’s been lifted off of me.

  “Where is he taking her?”

  “Cedars Sinai.” A hospital? The relief that I’d felt quickly disappears.

  “What?” I look down, closing my eyes, I breathe in deep.

  “He just wants her to be looked at. It’s protocol with kidnapping victims.” She says.

  “I’ll be right there.” I reply gruffly, hanging up immediately.

  Matt is watching me, his face slightly pale.

  “They found her.” I tell him.

  “Let’s go,” he said, and we both rush to my truck. Matt is calling the girls to let them know.

  Liz

  I hate hospitals.

  The plainness of the walls and the sterile scent of death and pain in the air.

  I’d been taken to the hospital after the fire that took my parents. I’d stayed there for three days in observation for smoke inhalation, I had been okay. I had mostly been there as the result of kind hearted nurses that had heard that I had no one to take me. Two dead parents and I had no one that wanted me. No one wanted. No one would ever want me now. Anyhow, they kept me entertained in order to prolong the inevitable. Inevitable, since I’d been thrown into the foster care system.

  Now, as I sit in a backless gown waiting for the nurse to come back with water, I wonder what my inevitable that is waiting for me this time will be.

  I’m not in pain, as I watch people walk past my room. I’m so heavily drugged that I’m surprised I wasn’t knocked out. The doctor that’d seen me, said it was probably due to the drugs that Twiddle-Creep, Marco, had injected in me at Shine, mixed that with the healthy dose of adrenaline rushing through my body, I’d most likely stay awake for a while.

  My eyes are on the door and I see him at the nurses’ station. The goon I’d called Twiddle-Hot in my head ended up being an undercover federal agent. His real name is Tyler Thornton. He’s the one who found me and brought me here, even though I’d begged him not to. He held my hand the entire time in the emergency room, but had graciously disappeared when I’d been brought into my own room.

  It seemed that the Judge had been under the watchful eye of so many different departments that all of their acronyms confused my already swimming brain. To my good luck, all of those departments moved in just as Duke had started to put his ducks in order to play his sick game with me. To my good luck?

  I look down at my hands, for the most part, my good luck.

  I don’t care.

  I can’t feel shit. Nothing!

  Looking down at my arms and hands, I figure that not being able to feel anything is probably a good thing right now. The redness of the raw scrapes on them, the bruising that has started to color and shape on my skin. I don’t even want to know what the rest of my body looks like. Or how my face looks.

  I silently watch Lucy walk into my room and sit next to me, tears fresh in her eyes. She looks like a sad princess and I want to hug her. Comfort her. I don’t want her to feel like this. Not for me.

  “Oh Liz,” she says, her hand trembling as it finds mine. The contrast of her flawless porcelain skinned hand in my tanned ragged and bruised one is crazy. She’s filled with goodness and I’m as broken and ugly as my arms and hands.

  “No tears, Luce. No tears.” I say my voice hoarse and raspy.

  “What can I do?” She asks her eyes wide and clear.

  “Take me home. I want to go home…,” I tell her, feeling every word.

  That’s another thing the doctor warned me about. He’d said my voice would more than likely be raspy for a couple of days because of how I’d been choked.

  Lucy nods snapping me out of my weird random thought process and looks towards the open door. Jake’s standing there. His blue-green eyes are wide in horror. Shit! I must look like a freak show. His familiar face is instantly pale. Watching his face transform, sets off an alarm in my mind. Panic is sweeping through me.

  I don’t want anyone to look at me. I must look horrible, like a monster. I especially don’t want anyone that doesn’t have too. Lucy, Tess and Carrie they’re my friends and no way would they leave me. They’re okay… but not Jake and definitely not Parker. Oh God, Parker. There is no way he’s going to want to do anything with me...not anymore. The wave of panic quickly turns into a tsunami of emotions, my skin tight, cold sweat on my forehead and my heart is racing too fast. My mouth is dry and I am breathing hard, machines start to go off and Lucy says my name.

  “Liz…Liz, look at me.” She says and I look at her. I’ve never heard her voice so stern. The tone that is coming from her felt off. I look at her. My hands instantly go up in a lame attempt at covering up my face. I feel like a monster. I feel hideous and ugly, dirty and broken.

  “Jake leave,” Lucy orders, her body standing up, walking to the door. I sit, shaking in my bed. A nurse comes in behind Lucy as she walks out.

  “It is okay, baby… breathe.” The nurse says, stroking my hair, my body shaking.

  “It is okay, baby just breathe, honey…deep breathes, let’s get clean air in you.” I remember the nurse telling me when I was younger. I look at the nurse in my actual room. She isn’t the same nurse and I wonder if that’s s
omething they teach in nursing school, and if they didn’t, they should. Her voice is calm and soothing, as she strokes my hair. The concept of time is eluding me.

  “Hey, honey….” Lucy says as she walks back in sitting on the edge of my bed, the nurse smiles softly at me and pats Lucy on the shoulder as she walks out.

  “It’s okay. He’s not coming in here. He’s out there, but he won't come in.” Lucy tells me and I try to keep my cool.

  “Home, I want to go home.” I say sounding more defeated than I have ever felt in my life.

  “Maybe they should keep you here, they can…,” she starts to rationalize but I shake my head.

  “Please.” I plead with her, mouthing ‘home, please’. The vision of Lucy in front of me is blurry from the wetness in my own eyes.

  “Okay, okay honey... I’ll see what I can do.” Lucy gives in, stroking my hair. Just like that I know she will do what she can to get me out of the hospital.

  Parker

  Matt and I walk fast from the parking lot into the hospital to where Jake told me to meet him. Jake’s in the waiting room when I arrive, he looks pale and scared. I can feel Matt standing behind me. My heart is beating in my fucking eardrums.

  “Where is she?” I demand and he closes his eyes.

  “Man…,” Jake starts and I am not in the mood.

  “I’m not fucking around here, Jake. Where is she?” I demand, wondering why the hell he won’t tell me.

  “She… she doesn’t want to see anyone. Look, Park….”

  “Fuck this!” Matt says, going around me, leaving Jake and me to go talk to a nurse and heads down a hall. Before I can follow him, Jake grabs my arm.

  “Wait. Man look… you can't go in right now. You need to breathe.” Jake says to me and I shake him off.

  “Fuck that. What happened?” I ask.

  “Your grandfather is a pig, is what happened.” A familiar feminine voice says and I turn around.

  Carrie Blue stands behind us in faded jeans and a grey Cal t-shirt. Her face is pale, but her eyes are blazing with anger.

  “Carrie….”

  “She’s checking out. Lucy and Matt are going to help her home. I don't know what’s going on with either of you. Between Jake taking her to a romantic dinner while you’re gone and you can’t bother to call her while you were away, or the shit storm that happened when you came back. But I will tell you right now, she doesn’t want to see either of you.” Carries says in a cold tone, And we won’t let you.”

  “Just….” I try to cut in and say something but Carrie shakes her head, blonde hair swinging back and forth.

  “No.” Her voice is full of emotion. “Lucy said the machines went crazy when Jake just stood in her doorway! Liz went into a full blown panic attack. LIZ! The girl who doesn’t panic over anything! I’ve seen her. What they did to her. The pigs deserve everything they got and will get. What you two need to do is leave her alone!” Carrie yells at us and we see Lucy walking towards us.

  “Carrie… she needs your help.” Lucy says and Carrie throws both Thompson and me an evil look before she runs back.

  “Look guys…,” Lucy starts to say in a kinder tone than Carrie, but I can hear the edge to her voice.

  “Lucy, I need to see her.” I plead and her eyes soften and her shoulders slump forward.

  “I know. I understand but….” She starts to say but I cut her off. My girl’s only a couple of feet away from me, but I can’t see her, touch her and comfort her.

  “Please…,” I start to beg but Lucy shakes her head.

  “I’m sorry. She isn’t ready right now… just give her some time.” She recommends and I put my hands on the top of my head. My gut twists as I realize that she’s okay with Matt seeing her. What the fuck is that about?

  “She was okay seeing Matt? With Matt being in there?” I ask trying not to let the anger and helplessness I feel show, but it’s fucking useless. Lucy’s eyes soften and she bites her lip.

  “Yeah, she was okay with Matt. Just give her some time, Parker...she…,” Lucy starts to say but I shake my head. My angel doesn't want to see me. I hadn’t kept her safe. I didn’t blame her.

  “I don’t fucking care… fuck this.” I growl turning around, walking towards the exit of the hospital and back to my truck. She’s okay with Matt seeing her, but doesn’t want to see me?

  She’s mine, NOT his!

  In sheer anger, hurt and even confusion I walk away from my angel that night and drown my frustrations in a bottle of very old and extremely expensive whiskey.

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Liz

  They are angry at me for checking out of the hospital against the doctor’s orders.

  Carrie’s trying to be understanding, Lucy’s being nurturing and Matt’s mumbling something about how stubborn I am. I’m just thankful that he’s able to grumble the way he is. When I'd seen his motionless body on the ground, blood coming out of his head, I’d been afraid I’d lost my friend. When he stepped into my hospital room, walking and breathing I didn’t have time to think or panic about him looking at me. I was just thankful he was breathing.

  We walk into my apartment, Tess is there waiting for me. Well Carrie and Lucy walk, while Matt carried me. The three of them usher me to my bedroom, but my body goes rigid in Matt’s arms. I didn’t want to be in there. The room held a bit of Parker’s cologne in the air from the night before and as much as I love his scent, it’s too much. It brought back everything about my horrible night with Duke and Marco.

  Matt felt my reaction so, he brought my recliner and a bunch of throw pillows from the couch into my painting room instead. He even brought over an extra chair and sat next to me. We sit in silence in the darkness and the only sounds that invaded our space are those of the girls shuffling around the apartment.

  In the darkness, Matt holds my hand. He doesn’t try to make idle talk or question me about what happened. I know he wants to, I know the girls do too, and as selfish as it makes me feel, I’m glad they didn’t. Even if I know they will. They are giving me this time and I’m taking it.

  Matt holds my hand in the darkness as I breathe in the soothing scent of my paints and canvas. I let the pain killers take over and I slowly drift away.

  Parker- Early afternoon the next day

  The front door opens and my eyes partially open to see the arrogant ass walk in.

  “What the fuck are you doing here?” I hiss, still slightly drunk from the night before. I shift, moving my body slightly on the couch so that I’m sitting up. Leaning my head back on the couch, my eyes closed, in a fruitless attempt to get the room stop to spinning.

  “Question is buddy, what the fuck are you doing sitting here, and not at her place?” Jake asks sounding way too fucking cheery for the mood I was in.

  God, I want to be with her. I want to be in her space, breathing her air. But I can’t get myself to go.

  “Shut up, asshole and bring me some water.” I yell and he laughs.

  My eyes still closed, I hear his steps going towards the kitchen, the refrigerator door opening and shutting. My stomach is souring as the acid in it sways back and forth as if it’s on a fucking boat. Bile is threatening to come up and out of my throat. I hear his hurried steps rushing toward me.

  “Okay, buddy here you go.” Jake says seriously, handing me a trashcan and I immediately throw up.

  Once I’m done he hands me a cool wet washcloth. I wipe my face. Setting the washcloth on my lap, putting both hands on my head, I watch as Jake comes back from having taken the trashcan to the back yard, two ice-cold water bottles in his hands.

  “Drink.” He orders and if I hadn’t been so dizzy, I would have rolled my eyes at him.

  We are sitting side by side, mindlessly watching some news show. I know Jake is about to say something when he clears his throat.

  “She needs you.” He says his tone sincere.

  “Jake.” I warn but he shakes his head.

  “Man….”

  “Why are y
ou here anyways?” I ask looking at him and he smirks.

  “Because even though you think I’m a dick, I like to think you’re my friend. She’s my friend. She needs you as much as you need her.”

  “She chose Matt.” I say the words hurting as they slip out of my mouth. Leaning my head right back on the couch slowly so that the movement doesn’t screw with my stomach.

  Jake simply laughs.

  “If you believe that, you’re an idiot and you don’t deserve her.”

  “You’re one to talk.” I retort and look at him. “And what the fuck did Carrie mean when she said you took Liz on a romantic dinner while I was gone anyways?” I glare at him.

  “Don’t be an idiot. It’s not what you think.” He says shaking his head.

  “Please enlighten me.” I say, trying not to grind my teeth or worse, punch Jake in his smug pretty-boy face as I remember Liz telling me she was going to give Jake a second chance.

  “I took her to Perch. We had dinner and talked. It was innocent.”

  “Perch?”

  “I apologized. I had things I needed to say. I’m not proud of how I treated her.” He admits.

  “Idiot,” I mumble at him.

  “Takes one, to know one, right?” He says with emotion in his voice. I glance at him without moving my head, “I was an idiot and an asshole, Park.” He runs his fingers through his hair, “I fucked shit up. I hurt her and lost her. Not that she was ever mine, not really. Not in a real way at least. Then in London man, I hurt you too. I’m...I’m trying to be better.” He sighs, the palms of his hands on his forehead, he shakes his head.

  “I don’t expect your hung-over ass to understand what I’m saying, but I am sorry. I’m sorry I messed up our friendship, Park. I was in a really bad spot and needed to lash out at something or someone.” He admits and I look towards the TV.

  “I know.” I tell him, glancing over at him as he scowls at me.

  “You’re brother-in-law died, you guys were close and you’d just had that fight.” I start to clarify when he interrupts.