Fear snaked up to his spine at the thought that Sandy would not be found until it was too late.
“Dammit!” he cursed again.
He hated his helpless position. He had never found himself in such a state before, and he didn’t like it one bit.
Usually, he took charge of things when they began to go awry and righted them. He had saved many lives when it seemed as if there was no hope.
But now that he needed something to happen to show him that Sandy was fine, he had nothing. And it was beginning to drive him crazy. If James dared do anything to Sandy, he would track him to the ends of the earth. No place would be secure enough for him to hide.
Seth gritted his teeth as his cellphone started ringing again. Sandy’s aunt, her employees, plus Malcolm, Jules and Haley had been calling to ask if anything had heard about Sandy’s whereabouts.
It was Malcolm.
“Hello Mal,” he said as soon as he answered the call.
“What’s going on Seth?” Malcolm asked at the other end of the line.
Seth released a frustrated breath. “Nothing. We just got a tip of a red truck parked outside of town.”
Malcolm inhaled sharply. “Oh, my God.”
Seth understood his brother’s concern. While it might seem like good news that they had found something which might lead them to find Sandy, it also meant that James might have harmed her inside the car.
Seth swore inwardly. While they had wasted time searching the town for James and Sandy, the bastard had driven her out of the town. Since Mary had said that she thought she saw Malcolm’s truck drive by the diner, the cops had assumed that James might have taken her somewhere close by. His apartment was situated at the end of the next street.
Valuable time had been wasted sifting through his dirty apartment in search of a clue to lead them to where he was taking Sandy. When someone mentioned seeing the truck somewhere else in town, they had also gone to that area searching for her.
Unfortunately, all their leads ended up fruitless. Apparently, James had driven all around town in order for the cops or anyone in search of them to think that they were still in the town.
He had even stopped at the local bar he patronized. Seth had gone with the cops to the place, only to be told that James hadn’t come there in days. Seth had been told by the cops not to interfere with their investigation even though they allowed him to follow them around. Consequently, he hadn’t been able to ask the men further questions about where else James hung out.
“It’s going to be fine,” he told his brother thickly. “We’ll find her.”
“I sure hope so, Seth. Jules is beside herself with worry here. She hasn’t stopped weeping,” Malcolm remarked.
He had heard Sandy’s friend sobbing in the background. “Please comfort her, Mal. That’s if you can without arguing with her.”
Malcolm snorted. “Seth, do you really think I would fight with her at a time like this? I’m not that insensitive. You should see her weeping. It’s a pitiful sight. The feisty woman is gone. All I see is a woman concerned for her friend’s safety.”
Seth nodded. He was glad that under the circumstances, Malcolm wasn’t thinking of continuing his senseless, sometimes hilarious battle with Jules.
“Thank you for that,” Seth said for want of something better to say.
“Please call me to tell me what’s going on,” Malcolm replied shortly.
“I sure will,” Seth answered and ended the call.
His heart was still in his throat as he drove behind the cops out of the town. He was of two minds about finding Malcolm’s truck. If they did, he was afraid that it would mean that James had taken Sandy there to hurt her.
On the other hand if they didn’t see the truck there, it would lead to another dead end, meaning they would have to start all over again. Seth couldn’t decide which was worse.
A huge sigh of relief released from his lips when he caught sight of Malcolm’s truck ahead. In order not to tamper with anything, he allowed the cops to park their cars and alight from their vehicle.
Although he itched to race there to find out if Sandy was in the car and if she had been hurt, he forced himself to calm down. He parked the jeep behind the police car and slid out of it.
With his heart squeezing in his throat, he walked toward the truck. From the look on the policemen’s faces, Seth didn’t think that Sandy was in the car.
“She isn’t here,” one of the policemen said and Seth almost sobbed with relief.
He would like to believe that that meant that his woman was safe. He walked to the truck and looked in, careful not to touch anything as he heard the cops talking about forensics.
Seth’s hope of Sandy being alive died when he listened to the policemen saying they would have to call for backup so they could search the surrounding area for any dead body.
Seth shook his head vehemently. “I don’t think she has been harmed. Maybe he ditched the truck and took another car to cover his tracks.”
One of the policemen nodded, “It’s a possibility but we don’t want to leave any stone unturned.”
Seth refused to accept the possibility of James hurting Sandy and dumping her body in the woods. Nevertheless, he joined the cops in searching the area with flashlights.
A few minutes later, they found tire tracks in the woods which seemed to suggest that another car had been at the scene. Seth let out a deep breath as relief flowed within him. The cops surmised that Seth’s theory was most likely true, but they also believed that it might simply be a diversion from discovering her body until nature had tampered with any evidence they would have found.
Seth was still arguing with the cops when his cellphone started ringing. He groaned when he saw that it was Haley calling.
“Haley, this is not the right time for you to call,” he impatiently told her.
“Seth, please come back. I think something’s wrong. I’m cramping badly,” she said in a voice laced with tears.
“It’s normal for you to cramp in early pregnancy, Haley. It’s the baby trying to attach to the uterus,” he explained shortly.
“I don’t think that’s the case here. I’m bleeding,” she sobbed.
Color drained from Seth’s face. “What?”
Haley cried, “I said I’m bleeding. I went to pee and I saw it. Seth, I think I’m losing the baby. Please come and take me to the hospital.”
“I’m out of town right now. Call Malcolm to take you to the hospital. I’ll meet you there in a few minutes,” he instructed her in earnest.
“I can’t do that,” she wailed helplessly.
“Why can’t you, Haley? Malcolm is your best bet in getting you to the hospital fast enough. You can’t wait for me, Haley. Do you understand that?”
“I understand but I don’t want to disturb Malcolm.”
“It wouldn’t be a disturbance. Malcolm will do it.”
“He can’t at the moment.”
“Why?”
“Because he’s having sex with Jules as we speak.”
Seth’s face contorted in a frown. “What? How do you know that?” he shook his head. “Never mind. I’ll be there in a jiffy.”
Seth ended the call and told the cops that he would be right back. He hurried to the car and drove like a bat out of hell back to Plyrock. He tried Malcolm’s number several times and it went straight to voicemail. Evidently what Haley said might be true.
Seth couldn’t help the chuckle that fell from his lips in spite of the situation. Maybe now that Malcolm had put their chemistry to good use, they would put their animosity out of the way and stop fighting.
While he was happy that his brother had finally put the death of his wife behind him, he hoped he wasn’t rushing things with Jules.
Seth grimaced. Who was he to talk about rushing things when with just one look at Sandy; he had known that he wanted to be with her? Besides, the attraction between his brother and Jules was palpable for all and sundry to see. It remained to be seen if i
t was going to be enough.
Seth arrived back at the ranch and slid out of the car. He hurried into the house. The place was as quiet as a graveyard. He wondered why that was so when three people resided in the premises.
A low moan drew him to his room where he found Haley on the bed. Emotion clogged in his throat when he noted the pain across her features. She clutched her stomach under the covers.
He swiftly walked to her and threw aside the bed covers. Alarm rose in his throat when he saw the blood stain on her nightgown.
“I’m in pain,” she cried to him.
“I’m sorry,” he simply said and swung her into his arms.
He carried her outside the door just as Malcolm came out of his room in only trousers and barefooted. He was taken aback at seeing his brother.
“What’s going on?” Malcolm asked with a frown on his face.
“I’m taking Haley to the hospital. She’s bleeding.”
“What?” Jules came out of the room clad in only Malcolm’s shirt. Then she blushed fierily at her state of undress.
Malcolm opened his mouth to say something. Seth used his eyes to tell him not to bother. He knew that his brother had been about to ask him why he came back when he could have handled it.
“What about Sandy?” Jules asked into the silence that followed.
“She wasn’t in the truck. There’s a likelihood that James took her somewhere else. I’ll take Haley to the hospital and then go back to join the cops to continue the search.”
Malcolm simply nodded and said, “I’m sorry, Seth.”
Seth nodded and winked at his brother. Jules’s blush deepened. Haley’s low groan propelled Seth forward. Malcolm followed him outside to help him with the door. He wanted to come with him but Seth refused, stating that Malcolm had to be with Jules.
He drove with speed to the hospital and carried Haley inside. She was taken into the emergency room while Seth paced the hallway. He kept on calling the cops to check up on them. They were still in search of anything that would lead them to Sandy’s whereabouts. He wished he were there but he was needed here as well.
About thirty minutes later, a doctor came out to tell him that he was sorry but Haley lost the pregnancy. Seth hadn’t expected to be shattered at the news, but he was—for Haley’s sake and for the fact that it might have been his child.
He was told that Haley was sleeping and so he couldn’t see her. Seth couldn’t help feeling sorry for her. She would know now that she had lost him for good. The only hold she had on him was broken.
Seth sighed. He would have to stay until Haley woke up before he would return to where they had found Malcolm’s truck.
What a day!
Chapter 5
“Thank you, officer,” Seth said and ended the call.
He placed the phone back in his pocket and walked to the window. The flowers blooming outside were beautiful but Seth didn’t see them. His mind was far away on the outskirts of town.
It was morning and the cops had searched the woods but didn’t find any body or any indication of foul play. So it was safe to say that James had taken Sandy somewhere else. The dilemma was finding their location as soon as possible.
He wished that he were there to help in their search but he couldn’t because of Haley. She had woken up sometime in the night and started weeping. He had comforted her as best as he could but she had refused to be placated.
“I bet you’re happy now,” she had sad sniffing. “Now you have no reason whatsoever to want to be with me.”
Seth had wanted to tell her that they could never be together again, baby or not, but he didn’t want to be cruel. She had been through a lot. Losing the baby she had thought she could use to tie him down must really be terrible for her.
“Haley, you and I will always be friends,” he had told her which had elicited another sob from her.
“You and I know that’s not going to be possible. When your Sandy comes back, I’d be relegated to the background again. Carrying your baby was the only thing that made me happy. I looked forward to the day I’d birth your child.”
Those broken words had sent guilt running through his body at the way he had handled the matter. He would never know if the child was his, but he had seen that Haley had obviously grown attached to the baby she lost.
“I’m sorry for everything, Haley. I never meant for things to turn out this way,” he had apologized to her.
Haley had wept until she fell asleep. He had chosen to think of only the good times between them because if he dared think of what she did to him, he would be out the door.
And now, he was torn between going to look for Sandy and leaving Haley. It would look pretty cruel of him if he were to leave her just a few hours after she lost her baby. It didn’t matter if the baby was his or not. It would be quite inhumane of him to leave her.
But at the same time, he yearned to be with Sandy. He had been monitoring the progress of the cops in finding her. But he wished he was there with them. The police officers were doing their best. However, he longed to be there with them.
Seth sighed when his phone rang and he saw that it was Aunt Karen when he pulled it out of his pocket. She had been calling to ask for news about her niece. He had told her about the truck and that James might have taken her somewhere else.
“Seth, any news?” she inquired as soon as he answered the call.
“Nothing yet, Aunt Karen. I’ll let you know as soon as something comes up. Please don’t worry. She’ll be fine.”
His heart squeezed in his chest as the woman sniffed and spoke through a teary voice.
“I’m sorry if it looks as if I’m pestering you. I’m just so worried that we might never see her again.”
“Please think positive thoughts, Aunt Karen. Sandy is fine. The cops will find her and bring her back safely to us.”
“I hope so. I miss her so much already.”
“Me, too, Aunt Karen. I’ll let you know as soon as they find her,” he informed the distraught woman.
“Thank you. If she isn’t found by the end of today, I’m ready to do anything to find her, post her pictures everywhere, go online or a television station. She’s all I have.”
Seth swallowed thickly but the knot that had formed in his throat refused to leave.
“I understand, Aunt Karen. We’ll find her, I promise.”
Seth ended the call. His shoulders slumped as he looked out the window again.
If only there was something he could do instead of feeling helpless like a sitting duck. His hand ran through his hair again.
The low sound of his voice had him whirling around. His eyes widened when he saw that not only was Haley awake, she was weeping as well. He walked over to the bed with quick strides.
“Are you all right? Are you in pain?” he questioned, concern marking his voice. “Should I get a nurse or a doctor?”
She shook her head and sniffed. “I’ve been calling you for almost ten minutes.”
Seth sighed and straightened. “I’m so sorry. I was lost in thought.”
“Obviously,” she said and dabbed at her eyes with the hospital sheets.
“I’m sorry,” Seth stated again. “Do you need anything?”
“Yes. You.”
Seth closed his eyes. He wasn’t in the mood for any drama from her. Sandy was out there, frightened and in danger from a psycho. He shouldn’t be here with Haley but he had chosen to be. But that didn’t mean that he had to take her theatrics.
“Haley, I’m not in the mood for this. Please.”
More tears spilled down her face as she struggled to sit up. He tried to help her but she brushed his hands away. Even though he was angry with her, he noted how pale she was and pity for her coursed through him.
“Haley—”
She raised a hand for him not to say anything while she tried to control her emotions.
“Could you please take a seat?”
Seth nodded his head. He pulled out the chair before the be
d and sat. She took his hand and gripped it hard.
She sniffed. “Let me have my say because all the while I tried talking to you, it dawned on me that I’ve been making a fool of myself.”
Seth wished that someone would call him at that precise moment just so he could escape from whatever Haley had to say. He didn’t know what he would do if she started begging him not to leave her even though there was nothing connecting them anymore.
“You might be here with me but I can see clearly that your mind is with Sandy.”
Seth sighed at the obvious.
Haley continued. “You’ve been pacing the room. When you aren’t, you’re staring at the window. You haven’t even looked at me to see how I’m doing in the past hour. Your mind is focused on Sandy wherever she is, even though you’re right here with me.”
She sniffed and carried on. “I woke up a while ago and called your name, but you didn’t even hear me. I started sobbing some minutes ago but you were unaware of the sound. I called you repeatedly before you finally turned around.”
Seth bowed his head at that. He hadn’t meant to be insensitive to her. He was worried about Sandy. Thinking about Sandy and where she could be and if she was hurt, had him oblivious to anything going on around him.
“I’ve been very foolish because now I realize how much you love Sandy. If you’re here with me and thinking about her, it clearly shows that I’ve lost you. In the past, you couldn’t take your eyes off me. You used to call me several times a day and couldn’t wait to be with me. But now, I might as well be invisible to you. And it hurts. It hurts really bad because it’s all my fault. If I hadn’t been so stupid, I wouldn’t have lost you. All I can say is that I’m sorry things ended the way they did between us.
“I still love you very much but I’m wise enough to know when I’ve lost you. If I continue trying to get you back, you’ll end up hating me because you’ve moved on and found someone else to love.”
Seth couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Was Haley saying what he thought she was saying? Was she really having an epiphany concerning what she had been doing?
Just Guard Me Forever Page 3
