Built to Last (15 page)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Cade climbed back into his truck to head back to his house. He was focused on what he was going to do next. He had an idea where this cabin was Griffin had taken Noelle to and he was going to start there. He didn’t think Griffin would go far without Noelle. The man was obsessed with her from the look of the altar he had made to her image in the apartment. The police were tracking down any family he had. No doubt, they had already been to the cabin, but he didn’t know where else to start.

He turned into his driveway and jogged up to his house to get some supplies. He wasn’t sure how long he would be gone. When he opened the door, he noticed that something felt wrong. The door had opened a little too easy. He was sure he’d remembered to lock it when he and Noelle had left a couple of hours ago. He walked farther into the house closing the door behind him. He stopped in the middle of his living room and just listened to the house. A telltale creak gave away the position of the intruder. Cade grabbed his phone from his pocket and quickly dialed 911 leaving the line open and tossing it on the couch. He lunged toward the bookcase where the noise came from and grabbed at Griffin. He felt a sudden flash of searing pain in his right shoulder. He spun on his heel and faced the man, grabbing at the fresh knife would in his shoulder.

“Thank you,” Cade said.

Griffin laughed, “For what?”

“For giving me another reason to kill you.”

Griffin growled and threw himself at Cade. Cade slammed a fist into Griffin’s face hearing a satisfactory crack as he connected. Griffin stumbled backward shaking his head to clear the sudden daze.

“I’m going to mess up that pretty boy face of yours so Noelle can’t stand to look at you ever again,” Griffin threatened taking on an attack posture. The knife was grasped loosely in his right hand.

“Come and get me,” Cade spurred him on.

Griffin charged him and Cade landed two more solid punches to Griffin’s ribcage narrowly missing being sliced again by Griffin’s knife. Griffin swung back at him catching him in the jaw and knocking back a few steps.

“I had her in my bed, you know.” Griffin sneered trying to bait Cade. The men circled each other, one waiting for the other to attack. “She was all soft and supple in the right places. I particularly love the little triangle shaped birthmark on her right hip.”

Cade’s temper rose, getting the best of him and he jumped at Griffin snarling with rage. He fell on top of the man and they wrestled for control of the knife. Griffin was the smaller of the two men, but he had the most fighting experience. It wasn’t longer before he had Cade pinned to the floor, and he was trying to shove the blade between Cade’s ribs.

Cade struggled, his hands wrapped around Griffin’s holding off the knife. He managed to twist his wrist, knocking him aside, and the blade went skittering under the couch. Cade rolled away, grabbing a heavy candlestick of his mantle to swing at Griffin. He was feeling dizzy and tired.

“I got you Cade, and I’m going to finish you. Then, I am going to find that pretty little bitch and make her mine. You hear me? She is going to wish she were dead, when I’m through with her!”

Cade looked down at his side, and noticed for the first time that he was bleeding. The dark red stain was spreading quickly. There was no way he was going to let Griffin win. He knew the police would be coming, he simply had to hold Griffin off long enough. Cade gritted his teeth and swung at Griffin again. Griffin ducked and tackled Cade into the coffee table. Wood splintered around them and the air went out of Cade’s lungs. Dazed for a moment he took two more blows to the head before getting one in himself knocking Griffin into the couch. He stumbled to his feet readying himself for another attack. Griffin grinned at him, knife in hand again.

Cade was losing a lot of blood. He was beginning to feel light headed and he stumbled as he tried to dodge Griffin’s next attack. He felt the knife make another slice into his ribcage and he dropped to his knees. His only thoughts were of Noelle as Griffin moved in to finish him.

An explosion of wood sounded through the house, as police kicked the door in and charged into the room guns drawn. Griffin froze over Cade’s now prone body with the knife uplifted.

“DROP THE WEAPON!” several officers hollered repeatedly and Griffin did so. He was immediately shoved to his knees next to Cade and handcuffed. One officer led him from Cade’s home, while another radioed dispatch to send an ambulance.

“Mr. Harden hang on, help’s on the way,” the officer kept saying but the blackness took over.

***

Del and Noelle met at a coffee shop. She had rushed straight up to see her sister leaving her boys at daycare so she could. Noelle had sounded like she was in a panic when she called. The two women ordered and sat down.

“Did Griffin try to contact you?” Del asked taking a stab at why her sister was so agitated.

“No, I’m pregnant!” she blurted. The next table looked at her with annoyance before returning to their coffee.

It took Del several seconds to process the information. “How pregnant?”

“Griffin didn’t… that is… the baby is Cade’s.”

Del smiled feeling this news was a spot of joy in an otherwise dark ugly week. “Well then congratulations. I’m happy for both of you.”

“I’m not! What am I supposed to do Del? I can’t be pregnant right now. I just told Cade this morning that I needed my space so I could figure out who I am again before I get swallowed up by him. And now? What? Do I just walk up to his door and say ‘Hey sorry about this morning, forget what I said, oh and by the way I’m pregnant!’ ”

“First off, knock off the dramatics Elle. You have wanted kids since you were one. Secondly, you know who you are. Sure, you have been wrapped up in Mom. But why does that mean you lost who you are? When have you ever been that weak Elle? You, who didn’t wait to be rescued but instead found a means of escape from Griffin. You are a strong capable courageous woman who can do and has done anything she puts her mind to. This is the new beginning of the person you always wanted to be. Becoming a mother is just a part of it. Cade’s crazy about you Elle. You should have seen him when you went missing. He was beside himself with worry. Even after they cuffed him and held him under suspicion of your disappearance. What is it you can’t discover about yourself while he’s by your side or with a baby in your arms? You keep saying you are afraid that you will lose yourself if you get involved in a relationship; I think you are just afraid of losing someone else you love if you let them into your heart.”

Noelle just stared at her sister and blinked several times; as she let what Del had said sink in. She frowned and crossed her arms across her chest not ready to accept the truth of it. The television over the counter caught her eye. A picture of Griffin flashed across the screen she was sure of it. She stood and walked to the counter.

“Could you turn that up?”

Del joined her as they watched the news being reported across the screen. The image of Cade’s house appeared with the police leading Griffin out in handcuffs. Noelle was holding her breath as the broadcaster told the story.

“Cade…” she looked at Del. “His truck is in the driveway.”

“I’ll drive you. He’ll be okay.” Her sister tried to reassure her.

Noelle pulled out her phone and dialed Cade’s number. It rang several times and then someone picked up.

“This is Officer Garrett speaking. Is this Noelle?”

“Yes, but how…”

“Caller ID listed your name ma’am. Mr. Harden was asking for you. He has been taken to Pioneer Valley hospital.”

Noelle nearly dropped her phone. She looked at her sister with such fear in her eyes that Del immediately grabbed her around the waist afraid she might faint.

“It’s Cade…” her voice was barely a whisper as her eyes stared straight ahead seeing nothing. “We have to get to the hospital.”

Del face turned hard ignoring the looks from the other coffee house patrons. She stirred Noelle into action, forcing her toward the car. “Buckle up Noelle, and focus. I will get you there as fast as possible. Don’t fall apart on me now.”

***

Noelle raced into the hospital and straight to the emergency room desk. “Cade Harden. He was brought in just a little bit of go.”

“Are you family?”

“I’m his girlfriend,” she stated, the word feeling both strange and right at the same time.

“I’m sorry ma’am, only family members are allowed.”

Del stepped up to the counter, “She’s the mother of his child that makes her family. She needs to see him.”

The woman’s eyes flickered to Noelle’s abdomen and back to Del’s face. She seemed to be debating something, “You’re right, his fiancée is considered family. But they took him up for surgery. You’ll need to go to the surgical waiting area. I’ll let the doctors know that you are here, and they will let you know what is going on.”

“Thank you,” Del nodded.

“Can you tell me about his injuries?” Noelle had to know what Griffin had done to him.

The nurse looked sympathetic. She sat before her computer and typed in a couple of things before answering, “He came in with a stab wound to his abdomen, a couple severe lacerations, several contusions, broken ribs, and a punctured lung. That is all I can tell you. The doctor will be able to tell you more.”

Del slid a comforting hand around Noelle’s shoulders and squeezed them tight. “Come on, I’ll get you to the waiting room and then I need to call Sam. I will stay with you until he’s out of surgery.”

Silent tears were sliding down Noelle’s face. She didn’t trust her voice not to break so she nodded and let her sister lead the way.

***

Several hours passed before a doctor came to speak with Noelle in the waiting room. She had wrung her hands until they were sore and tried to distract herself with thoughts of how she was going to tell Cade he was going to be a father. It seemed ridiculous to her now that she had made such a fuss about her so-called space. She couldn’t imagine her life without Cade in it. He had walked into her life again with such force that she couldn’t picture him having not been there anymore.

“Miss Fuchs?”

Both Del and Noelle looked up expectantly.

“Cade sustained multiple knife wounds, the worst of which perforated his appendix and cut part of his intestine. We removed the appendix and were able to repair the intestine. Broken ribs punctured his left lung so we’ve had to insert a tube into his chest that will have to stay there for the next few days. He’s pretty beat up. I suggest you prepare yourself for when you see him the first time. He’s headed to recovery now, and will be there for about an hour before you can visit him in his room.”

“Thank you,” Del replied squeezing Noelle’s hand again. Her sister’s ashen face had her worried. “He’s going to be all right Noelle. Let me take you to get something to eat, now that he’s out of surgery. We’ll come back when they’ve got him situated in his own room.”

“This is all my fault.”

“Again with the dramatics? Need I remind you that Cade is a grown man capable of making his own decisions? How could any of what has happened to the two of you over this week, be your fault?”

“I should have known Griffin was attracted to me. I should have seen it coming. Cade got hurt because he was involved with me.”

Del turned to her sister and gave her a single shake. “Snap out of it Elle, Cade needs you to be by his side and bring him home. He doesn’t need your pity party right now.”

Noelle frowned at her sister pulling away. “You are right, of course.”

Del led her sister to the cafeteria. “Here eat something it’ll make you feel better. The fattier the better. Ooo, look they have pudding. Or would you rather have cake?”

Noelle began to giggle at the absurdity of it all. Cade was upstairs in recovery after nearly being stabbed to death, and her biggest decision was whether to eat pudding or cake. Reality felt more than a little unhinged.

“Maybe a sandwich would be better, after all you are eating for two now.”

“Just stop would you?” Her voice was a little more forceful than she had intended. Del looked hurt. “It’s all too much Del, I need to think.”

They sat quietly eating for the better part of an hour before Noelle spoke again. “I would like you to take me to my car. The boys need you and I am all right to be by myself now. I can call you and let you know how he’s doing.”

“If that is what you really want Elle. The boys can get along without me, if you need me.”

“No, go home and let your family know everything is okay. I’m sure Sam will be relieved to know that Griffin is locked up. I’ll be fine.”

“All right then,” Del answered, wondering what was going through her sister’s head at the moment. So much had happened to her.

***

By the time Noelle had returned with her own car, Cade had been moved to his room and she was about to see him. The nurse had warned her that he would be groggy still and that he was pretty dosed with painkillers. She carefully walked into the room and bit back a gasp as she saw him. One eye was swollen nearly shut and was deep purple. The nurse was applying an ice pack to it carefully. He was resting at an angle on the bed his chest bare but for the bandages and tube. Large purple bruises covered him.