by Cindy Pike
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Prologue
1 Crazy Ex’s
2 Tell No One
3 Difficult Positions
4 Sara’s Story
5 Riding with Owen
6 Picking Costumes
7 Pushy Groceries
8 Escalations
9 My Fault
10 Date With Silas
11 Peeping Kyle’s
12 Bruised and Broken
13 Final Fitting
14 Fair Time
15 It’s A Party
16 Truths from Deceits
17 Old Beginnings
18 Impromptu Date
19 My Abduction
20 The Next Step
Epilogue
Lost Soul Playlist
Lost Soul
Copyright © 2019 by Cindy Pike. Cindy Pike reserves all rights to and/or involving this work as the author. This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, places, incidents, and dialogues are products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual people either living or dead, or events is purely coincidental. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means whether electronic or mechanical, including information storage and retrieval systems, now known or hereinafter invented, without written permissions from the author, except for brief quotations in a book review.
Cover Art Design by Leanne Brown
TRIGGER WARNING: This book contains graphic and some violent scenes, including rape, physical and emotional violence, and psychological turmoil. Please don’t take this warning lightly. It’s brutal at times and I don’t want anyone to be harmed from the words I’ve written. If you or someone you know needs help, please know you’re worth it! National Abuse Hotline 800-799-SAFE
Acknowledgements
This wouldn’t have been possible without so many people who helped me along the way. Thank you to my beta readers, Shelly, Vivian, Em, Michelle, and my alpha readers Aleaha and Jessica. Also, a big thanks to Leanne for making such an awesome cover, again! You guys are the BEST team! Thanks to my husband for helping when technology tries to best me! All the other people (I am part of a great community, that have amazing people willing to answer even the most out there questions) who answered any questions I had about making this dream become the reality it is, without all of you I couldn’t have gotten this far, so thank you!
Prologue
Wrong Side of Heaven by Five Finger Death Punch
The phone ringing brings me out of a deep sleep. Who the fuck is calling me at three o’clock in the damn morning? The shrill noise rings out again as I make a mental note to change the damn tone. I search for my phone, squinting my eyes at the brightness of the screen. My voice sounds like it’s got gravel in it as I give my greeting, “You better be fucking dead, calling me at this hour.”
“Is this Mr. Heath Griffin?” An unfamiliar woman’s voice asks on the other end.
“Yeah, who’s this?” I clear my throat trying to disburse some of the sleep from it.
“Sir, my name is Nurse Thompson from Phoenix Hospital. I’m calling in regard to a Miss Sara Griffin, she has you listed as her emergency contact.” Her words snap my attention into laser focus and wakes my ass up instantaneously.
“What happened? Is she okay? Can I talk to her? Why didn’t she call me?” I spit my questions out in rapid fire.
“Sir, we’d like you to come down, while she’s not in serious medical danger she asked us to contact you. She’d like you to be here as soon as you can. We gave her some medication to keep her calm for now.”
“I’m leaving now.” I’m out of bed shoving my legs into a pair of faded blue jeans with a rip in the knee I found discarded on my bedroom floor.
“Yes, just come to the emergency department and give us her name and yours, along with a form of identification. Thank you, Mr. Griffin,” I hang up the phone before she finishes. Finding my grey slip-on Vans, I stuff my feet in them and search for Owen’s number in my phone. Running my hand through my short hair, I stab the call button with my thumb. As it rings, I pull a carelessly tossed aside t-shirt on, then snag my wallet and keys as I go. Slamming my front door on the way to my candy apple red Ford Raptor.
“Baker.” Owen sounds like he was dead asleep. In a dead sprint I run across the parking lot.
“I just got a call from Phoenix Hospital. They have Sara in their ER. How quick can you meet me there?” I run into my truck, not able to stop quick enough in my rush. I slam my door and start it up. My tires screech as I pull out onto the road in front of my apartment complex. Luckily, it’s the dead of night and not many people are on the road, because I don’t check for traffic.
“Fifteen, twenty minutes, or faster if I can be. I’ll make a few calls and see what the situation is on my way. Heath,” I hang up on him and focus on getting to the hospital as quickly as I can without getting a ticket for speeding.
“Fuck!” I hit the steering wheel and push my foot on the accelerator, making the truck speed faster. I speed down the off-ramp for the hospital exit, blowing through the red light.
Parking illegally in front of the main entrance for the ER, I throw my truck in park and slam the door as I hit the button to lock it up. I race up to the desk through the motion sensor doors and brace my hands on the top. Catching my breath, I rush to get out my name to the nurse sitting behind the desk, “I’m Heath, Heath Griffin, here for Sara Griffin, she’s my sister! I got a call about her about twenty minutes ago.” My hands shake as I try to get my ID from my wallet. I fumble it and it falls to the countertop. Frustrated, I pick it up and try again.
“Yes, sir. Who was the person that called you?” The woman asks me.
“Ahhh, a nurse. Nurse Thomas, Thompson? I’m not sure.” I force out with my jaw clenched. I don’t have time for protocol. My mind is frazzled in my rising panic.
“Heath!” Owen comes barreling in through the main entrance ER doors looking in the same state of disarray as I’m sure I do, and skids to a stop beside me. His mused hair flopping over his brow. I finally get my ID out and it flies in the air, landing in front of the nurse’s workstation. She picks it up and looks it over then types something on her keyboard before handing it back to me.
“Yes, Mr. Griffin, I’ll page her nurse and she can take you back there, one moment, please.” She says in a calm voice. How is she so calm right now? My sister needs me! My breathing still hasn’t evened out, Owen puts his hand on my shoulder.
“Heath, man, you need to reel it in. They won’t let you back there if you can’t get a hold of yourself.” I know Owen’s just trying to help, but I can’t focus on me, I don’t even know what happened yet. How badly is she hurt? Is she going to make it? What fucking happened?! Fuck!
“Heath, come on, deep breaths. Breathe in with me, hold. Good, now let it out slow.” I follow his instructions and attempt to get myself under control. After a few more times of Owen guiding my breathing, I finally manage to get a tentative hold on myself. The lights are too bright, and I can hear phones ringing. Someone coughs in the waiting room, and someone else’s baby starts crying. It all helps to bring my emotions under my control a little better.
“I’m good now, thanks Owen.” I give him a nod and look across the countertop of the desk. Seeing that I’ve got my shit reined in, the woman nods and gives me a tight smile.
“Give me your keys, I’ll move your truck.” Owen holds his hand out for my keys and I hand them over without a word, not giving him a second thought. “I’ll come back there when I’m done.”
The double doors that lead back to the rooms for the ER open and a woman walks up to me with her hand held out. “You must be Heath Griffin, I’m the nurse that
called about Sara. Nurse Thompson.” I shake her hand in a firm yet easy grip. She gives me my second tight smile from the staff and says, “Follow me, please. I’ll take you to your sister’s room.” She turns and scans her ID badge in the key swipe lock to gain us entrance.
She leads me through the doors and around to the left side of a circle shaped hallway with the nurse’s station in the middle. “She’s pretty banged up; the doctor will go over everything with you in detail.” There’s staff bustling around taking care of other patients.
I just want some fucking answers! I breathe deeply to help me keep my calm.
“You must want answers. I’m sorry, I’m not able to give them to you. I’ll be sure to page the doctor, I think I should warn you; her injuries aren’t easy to look at, even for someone like me who’s seen a lot, doing what I do here. That said, they aren’t as bad as they look.” She steps aside after she opens the door to one of the rooms.
There is a beeping from the heart monitor hooked up to Sara. Her body looks so tiny in the big hospital bed. Her face is swollen and discolored all over. Her long red hair has been pulled back from her face; it’s so tangled and knotted that I’m not sure if they’ll come out or if it’ll have to be cut. An IV bag is off to one side, dripping slowly.
“There’s a man, Owen Baker. When he comes back, can you let him in? He’s family.” I look her in the eyes and she just nods before she closes the door behind her. I approach the side of Sara’s bed taking in every detail, searing it into my brain. I’m not sure how long I just stand there looking at her. A knock on the door jars me and then Owen’s there. He pulls up a chair for me, handing me my keys, and I almost fall into the chair, mindlessly stuffing my keys in my pocket. The effort of holding myself up is more than I can take with the weight of my sister’s state. He pulls another chair on the opposite side of Sara’s bed and sits with his elbows on his knees and his chin resting on his folded hands.
I brace my elbows on the edge of her bed, careful not to touch her so I won’t bring her more pain or wake her, if that’s even possible right now. I drop my head in my hands and let the fury and hate for whoever did this to her wash over me. God, I’m going to kill the mother fucker that did this. He had better pray I never fucking find him. The only sound is the steady beeping of her heart monitor and the blood pressure machine when it automatically takes a reading.
There’s a soft knock on the room door, it opens as a woman holding a tablet in her hands and comes in. She’s got a white lab coat on over navy scrubs, black shoes and her hair is pulled back into a low bun, giving her a smart and tidy look. She takes us in and gives us a sympathetic smile.
“I’m Dr. Jara, I’m in charge of Sara’s medical care. Sara gave us permission to go over her medical records with you.” She extends her hand toward me and I take it in mine, giving it a firm shake. Owen follows suit.
“Heath, that’s Owen.” I introduce us. She rolls up a stool from just outside the door letting it close on its own, sitting with her ankle over her knee and the tablet resting on the point of her raised knee. “I’m sorry to be meeting you under these circumstances. Don’t be afraid to voice any questions you might have. Sara should wake up soon and we can go over her treatment options after I perform a complete examination. For now, let’s go over her known injuries.” She pauses as we both nod our understanding and she begins going over everything. Most of it goes over my head, as I can’t deal with the details right now, so Owen takes over asking questions, and gathering all the facts.
I won’t be able to think clearly until I see her baby blue eyes. I’m staring at the wall behind Owen, so lost in my jumbled thoughts that I jump when a small ice-cold hand takes mine in a weak hold.
I look to Sara and can’t clearly see her eyes due to them being so swollen; I don’t know how she can see anything. I gently wrap my hands around hers offering my warmth and give her the best smile I can muster.
“I look that bad, huh?” Her voice is hoarse and barely above a whisper. Yep, I’m going to kill him.
“I’ll step out and give you three some privacy for a few moments.” Dr. Jara stands and leaves the room with a soft click of the door closing.
“Hey Sara, how are you feeling? How’s your pain on a scale of one to ten, ten being the worst?” Owen, asks switching, to his bedside manner, he stands and leans on the bed railing.
“You just can’t turn it off, can you?” Her attempt at joking falls flat in this moment, “A high six, but manageable.” She is trying to make this better, easier for us.
“Don’t. Don’t do that, Sara.” I whisper, trying to stop the tears that want to flow from eyes. “What happened?”
“I was at a college party and my date… I’m so sorry, I tried to stop him! I told him no. But he wouldn’t listen.” The tears leak from her swollen eyes as she breaks down. I carefully sit on the bed and gather her in my arms.
“Shhh… I’m here don’t be sorry. I’ve got you. I’ve got you, Sara. Shhhh…” She wraps her arms around my torso but they barely hold me, she’s so weak. I rest the side of my head on the top of hers and just hold her, hoping I can hold us both together. She cries in my arms and I’m at a loss as to how to help her.
Owen touches my shoulder as he says quietly, “I’m going to find her nurse and see if we can get her something for her pain and maybe some warm broth if she’s up for it.” I dip my chin in acknowledgement and he leaves the room. Sara quiets down shortly after Owen’s gone. I can’t hold my questions back anymore; I need to know.
“Little Hellion, were you… Did your date force himself on you?” I swallow loudly around the lump in my throat, hoping that I’m wrong in my assumptions. I know they’re not when she gets stiff in my arms and her breath catches and she holds it in. “Oh Sara, no. No, don’t cry, please, don’t cry.” My heart breaks into a dozen shards.
“I’m sorry… I wasn’t strong enough.” That does it, my control snaps. I gently pull her arms from around me and ease her back into her pillows.
“You’ve absolutely nothing to be sorry for. You’re not weak, you’re one of the strongest people I know.” Getting a long look at her, I turn and open the door as Owen’s walking toward the room with a tray of food.
“Stay with her, I’ll be back.” I grit out as I stomp past him in search for answers. I barrel up to the nurse’s station. The male nurse at the computer looks up from the screen in front of him. I see when it clicks in his brain who I am and he gets this star struck look in his eyes. Fuck, not now.
“You’re The Griffin! Man, it’s an honor to meet you!” God damn it! He’s fanboying hard so it takes a couple seconds to bring his focus back to what’s fucking important right now.
“Yeah, man, I am. Right now, I need a favor. I need the cops name that’s got my sister’s case so I can get some answers. Help point me in the cop’s direction and I’ve got some front row tickets with your name on them to my next fight.” That gets his attention and he starts searching for the information I need.
“I’ll page him, he should still be here.” The guy picks up the hospital phone and makes a page. I wait, impatiently on the inside, on the outside I’ve a tight lock on my emotions. He has a brief conversation before he hangs up and turns his attention back to me.
“He’s on his way.” The nurse says on a smile.
“Thanks man.” I give a tight one back and turn my back to him leaning up against the station countertop. Quicker than expected, but still not quickly enough, a man approaches the desk dressed in street clothes.
“I’m Detective Marks, I got a page for the Sara Griffin case.” He says to the nurse behind the station.
“Yes, Detective. This is Heath Griffin, the victim’s brother.” I cringe at the word victim, hating that it’s applied to Sara. I extend my hand and he takes it in a firm shake.
“Sorry, to be meeting you like this, but I’m a fan. You’ve got what it takes to go to the top.” Great, again, not what I want to be focusing on right now. Still, I keep my
cool.
“Thanks. What can you tell me about Sara’s case?” I try to move things onto what’s important right now.
“Not much, I’m afraid. Until I can speak with her, we don’t have much to go on. Is she awake and willing to talk to me yet? I know she was to distraught to go over things earlier.” The detective offers up, giving me absolutely shit to go on.
“She’s awake, as for if she’s ready to talk, you’d have to ask her.” My rage is making it harder to focus in the right direction. Not having answers is killing me. That mother fucker needs to pay for what he did to my big sister. We head to her room and the detective jumps right into his questions after introductions are made. It takes a lot out of Sara and soon she can barely keep her eyes open.
“Let’s let her get some rest now. You can start with what you have and ask any follow up questions when she’s not so tired.” Owen says as a suggestion, but we all know he’s right. Sara’s eyes have closed and her breathing has evened out and slowed into a sleeping rhythm.
“I’ll be back.” Then I turn on my heel, I know if I don’t find an outlet soon, I’ll end up in jail. That’s not what Sara or I need right now. I can’t contain my rage anymore and I need an outlet for it. I prowl to the ER exit and out the double doors leading to the ER waiting room. I move to the side to let a couple entering from outside pass me then I’m outside. The hot night air hits me in the face helping to fuel my rage.
Finding my truck, I unlock it and swing in slamming the door. I fish out my phone and select the song I want, Wrong Side of Heaven by Five Finger Death Punch. Peeling out of the spot, not caring enough to look, I shove my foot on the gas pedal as I throw it into drive from reverse, making the tires smoke, I race off. All I can see is my big sister in that bed telling me she’s fucking sorry of all fucking things.
I enter the gym where I usually train at and wave to the night person at the front desk. They don’t even blink at my late-night appearance. With a quick change of my shoes and pants in to sweats from my locker I find a treadmill with no one close and try to exhaust myself with a fast and straining run. When that doesn’t work, I move onto the body bag and throw everything I’ve got at it.
