Faith, Honor & Freedom (21 page)

“What do we have?” I ask Lopez, closing the door behind me.

“Gina Douglas, twenty-five years old. She called 9-1-1 stating she’d just been raped and thought she was dying. She was unconscious when we found her, but still had one foot tied to the bedpost. It looks like she managed to grab her cell phone that was near or under the bed, and call in. He had her tied up, and most likely, thought it was safe to leave. I’m guessing he left to go get something, cleaning supplies maybe? Or maybe he just had other business to take care of first,” he speculates, walking down to her bedroom.

I take in the sight around me, but what gets me most is the smell in the room. Blood, piss, and vomit. It’s fucking revolting. I cover my mouth with my shirt. “We need forensics in here just in case he doesn’t come back. Let’s get two of their best, dressed in plain clothes, in an unmarked vehicle. Tell them to put all of their shit in backpacks. I don’t want anything to tip him off.”

Lopez nods his agreement and calls it in.

An hour later I’m driving to Violet and Jack’s house while the apartment building is still being staked. Even though the news leaked our location and the chances he’ll return now are slim to fucking none. A few of the officers are sweeping the building and interviewing anyone who may have seen something.

Violet called and offered to cook, and I wasn’t about to turn it down. I haven’t been with anyone since this shit with Lana started, which means that aside from the meal at her parents’ house, I haven’t eaten a home-cooked meal in that long either. I’m sure Vi plans to grill me for information, but I can fend her off long enough to eat and run.

I pull in her driveway and walk up to her house, wondering if maybe Lana is here. Maybe this is a trap. Shit. I turn back toward my truck when I remember Gina. I need to at least see she’s okay with my own eyes. The door swings open, and Vi comes bustling out.

“What the hell happened?” she asks. “I just saw it all over the news.”

“Sick bastard,” I mutter. I follow her in the house and into the kitchen, looking around for Lana.

“So it’s true though, she’s alive?”

“Yeah, she’s hanging in there, still unconscious though.”

“Jesus. So it was your building?”

“Yeah,” I mumble. She scoops some stew into a bowl and hands me a homemade roll with it. My stomach growls in anticipation. Have I even eaten yet today?

“It could have easily been Lana,” she says, pouring herself a bowl.

“Don’t think it hasn’t crossed my mind. Have you been talking to her?” I ask gruffly.

“Not tonight. I think she’s out with Alec now. I’m not sure where that girl gets her energy after staying with that baby all day,” she says, taking a bite of her roll.

“Baby?” I choke out, confused. I still managed to get pissed off at the mention of that dickhead’s name.

“Yeah, didn’t she tell you? She’s been going in and sitting with that runaway’s baby every day. It’s going to be hard on her when the baby gets released into foster care.”

I nearly choke on my stew as I process just how out of the loop I am on Lana’s life now. I really fucked everything up. I wonder which would piss Rhett off more: the fact that I slept with his sister, or the fact that I’m not there to protect her anymore.

“She didn’t tell me.”

“I know about you two,” she says, giving me an understanding look. “And I’m on your side if you ever decide to get your act together. Alec gives me the fucking creeps. I know she says she asked for it, but it just doesn’t seem like something Lana would do,” Violet says, shaking off whatever horror she’s feeling.

I feel my body tense, and attempt to calm my temper as I enquire, “What did she ask for?”

“Crap,” she says. “Me and my big mouth. How’s the stew?” She looks away, clearly pissed at herself for letting that slip.

“Violet, what did he do to her?” I ask again, my voice firm.

“Look Hoss, this really is none of our business.”

I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up as I demand a better answer.

“What the fuck did he do to her, Violet, and don’t you dare hold back.”

She looks at me nervously, and I know she’s struggling with it. Violet never tells Lana’s secrets, unless she’s hammered, which means it’s fucking bad if she’s standing there sober and feels the need to tell me.

“Well, a few weeks ago when Gavin was sick, I ran into her room to get her. Honestly, I didn’t even think to knock because, well it’s Lana,” she says quietly. I wish she would get to the fucking point. “Anyway, when I walked in …” she trails off, staring at my face. I know she’s betraying her best friend’s trust, but it can’t be that hard. I look back at her expectantly, trying to keep from screaming at her. “She was tied up to the bed, and he had his hands around her throat, and well, she didn’t look too great.”

I feel all the blood drain from my face.
Gina.
I rush to the bathroom and spew everything in my stomach, cursing myself for wasting time, but unable to move from the spot.

As soon as I’m finished, I turn to find Vi standing in the doorway. “Did you say she’s out with him?” I ask panicked.

She nods her head yes. “Hoss, it’s her sex life, and if you don’t want to be with her, you should probably stay out of it. I looked it up—it’s a real thing and is supposedly pretty erotic, but shit, there’s a lot safer ways to get off.”

I don’t want to alarm her—she’s been through enough shit—but I need to know where she is.

“Violet, this is very important, and this has nothing to do with my relationship with Lana. Do you have
any
idea where she could be right now? Do you know where he lives? Where they go on dates?
Anything at all?

“What’s going on, Hoss?” she asks, her voice starting to shake.

“Violet, please,” I beg.

“He’s here from out of town; he’s a construction worker. He ahh … they go to Paliko and to the movies, and out for drives.” I recall the silver Mazda Miata he drives and grab my cell phone, dialing the station.

“I need an APB out on a 2009 silver Mazda Miata, may or may not be registered to an Alec. He will be with a woman, long black hair, fucking beautiful, her name is Lana Carter, and her life is in danger.”

I watch as the color drains from Vi’s face as she falls to her knees. I have no time to comfort her, though. “Call Jack, get him to come home now, lock your doors behind me.” I rush past her, dialing Parker’s number as I go.

“Find out everything you can on an Alec who owns a construction company, or so he claims. He’s driving a silver 2009 silver Mazda Miata that may or may not be rented, and then I want you to find the bastard,” I say curtly, jumping into my truck, and peeling out of the driveway. “I want every fucking officer available looking for that car.”

“Does this have something to do with …” he starts.

“He’s your guy,” I reply, disconnecting.

I dial Lana’s number again and immediately get her voicemail, as I suspected I would.

I call the station back and have them put a trace out on Lana’s phone. If she has it with her, on or off, we’ll be able to find it.

Shit, what’s his number? I turn the truck around and speed back to Lana’s house. I use my key and unlock her door. I run to her home phone and scroll back a few weeks, looking for a cell phone number. The first one I dial comes back as turned off, the second one is a pizza delivery guy, and the third one is the jackpot. I recognize his voice from the voicemail. I text the number to Parker, asking him to put a trace on that number as well.

I jump back in my truck, dialing my house phone, just in case she ends up there, but there’s no answer. I head to Paliko first, storming in the restaurant, badge and gun at the ready. Definitely not following protocol, but I know this is our guy, and he has Lana.

I search the restaurant, even checking the bathroom and kitchen, but she’s not there.

I step out of Paliko and begin to doubt myself. So he likes to tie up women? So what, I’ve handcuffed Lana to my bed. But then I remember the hand marks around Gina, and all of his other victims’ necks. Violet interrupted him, and that was probably the only reason he stopped. Gavin saved her fucking life. I promise myself that if she comes out of this okay, I really am buying that kid a Harley.

I drive to the movie theatre, and check every room, but no sign of either of them. Last thing Violet said was that they liked to go out for drives. Drives where?

Jackson Mountain Road.
I feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up.

I speed off toward the mountain, pissed off that I didn’t think of it sooner. Please let her be okay. Jesus Christ, this is the second time today I’ve had to worry if she was alive or not.
I’m sorry, Rhett. I’m so sorry. This is why you made me stay away, and I see it now. I’m fucking useless.

I quickly reach the turn off for the mountain. I call in backup and say a prayer, because at this point, it’s all I have left.

Chapter 15

“Alec, please let me go. I promise I won’t say a thing to anyone,” I beg.

“Sorry sweetheart, but you’re going to make a nice little present,” Alec says smugly, and I shudder. My hair is stuck to my face with tears, and what’s likely snot, but I can’t brush it away. My hands and feet are tied to neighboring trees, my body is still clothed, but I have a feeling it won’t be for much longer.

I met Alec for our date earlier, and everything was going well. He told me we were finally getting the romantic dinner on the mountaintop that was interrupted weeks ago. I had actually felt a flurry of excitement about it. Getting my mind off Hoss was much easier to do when Alec was being so sweet.

He had candles lit everywhere and a silky black blanket spread out on the ground with wine and a picnic basket lying off to the side. Combined with the view from the mountaintop, it was absolutely breathtaking. By far, the most romantic thing anyone has ever done for me.

The first hour had flown by easily. We talked, we ate, and I drank a lot of wine. When the food was finished, something changed, and things really started going downhill. He kissed me, and I went with it, but no matter how much I tried to force a spark between us, it just wasn’t there. My thoughts flew to Hoss, and how his kisses made my knees weak, and how my insides lit on fire at even the thought of him touching me.

It wasn’t fair to Alec, or myself, so I pulled back. He was livid, and at first, I thought it was because he wasn’t used to rejection. That wasn’t the case, though. He grabbed me crudely, and hauled me to his car; I was frightened for my life. I screamed, but there was no one to hear me on the mountain. He grabbed the same silky restraints he had used in my bedroom, and I knew then, he was going to rape me.

I kicked him as hard as I could, and tried to twist out of his grip so I could run, but he was stronger than I was. He threw me down to the ground roughly and kicked me twice, before gripping my wrist and dragging me into the woods. My head smashed off rocks and branches while I fought to get free, tears streaming down my face. It was useless to struggle against him. When he seemed to find the place he was looking for, he kneeled down on my abdomen and tied my ankles and wrists to the trees. My black dress was up around my waist, torn to shreds from being dragged through the woods. I couldn’t breathe with the pressure on my chest, let alone fight back.

It was hopeless.

“Going to pretend you don’t like it now, whore?” he asked in a menacing voice.

Once he had me restrained, he walked away, leaving me alone for quite some time. I could see the light from the candles extinguishing in the distance, but I couldn’t see much else. I was terrified he’d come back, and terrified I’d be left out like this with no one to find me. I pulled against the restraints, but it only made them tighter, and soon I lost all feeling in my hands and feet. I heard the crunch of leaves nearby, and prayed that someone else had stumbled upon me. My prayers went unanswered. Alec returned with a scowl across his face.

And that brings us to the here and now.

I’m absolutely scared stiff as he pulls a knife from his pocket, and I scream again in sheer terror.

“That won’t do, will it?” he asks, pulling a ball gag from his pocket. I buck and writhe against the restraints, screaming as loud as I can, but he just laughs and places the ball gag inside my mouth, strapping it tightly around my head.

I’m undeniably helpless, and in the worst sense of the word. He’s going to rape me—I have no doubts—but what about after that? He wouldn’t hurt me, too, would he? The evil glare in his eyes tells me everything he’s too chicken shit to say. He pulls the knife back out of his pocket, and I close my eyes unable to watch any longer.

I feel the cold blade slide against the skin on my stomach and I freeze, clenching every muscle in my body as if somehow it will stop the blade from slicing through my skin. He doesn’t cut into me, though, and instead, I hear the material of the dress rip and feel the cold breeze against my exposed skin.

I move to cover myself, but the restraints won’t allow it. I’m naked, vulnerable, and ashamed. Please dear God just make him go away. Make this stop. I keep my eyes pressed closed. If I can’t see it, then it isn’t really happening to me. I try and block out everything around me, but it’s physically impossible. My body is aware that he’s a dangerous man, and it’s terrified of him. I open my eyes when I feel his humid breath against the skin on my abdomen, unable to hide from reality any longer.

“You won’t be needing this,” he seethes, gripping the knife and slicing through the side of my bra. I feel the hot tears stream down my face and wish that I could at least wipe them away. He wants me to be afraid of him, and I don’t want to give him that satisfaction.

I attempt to take a deep breath, but the ball gag prevents me from doing so. I look him square in the eye, pushing all of my fear back, and letting him see the hatred only.

Then I hear it, the sound of tires against the gravel road. I can tell he hears it, too, as he springs to his feet and rushes through the woods toward the sound. He comes back a minute later.