Sworn to honor, p.16
Sworn to Honor, page 16
“She’s my daughter, and I can do whatever the hell I want with her.”
“That.” The man pointed at her. “That is your daughter?”
“Sure is.”
“That is the most fucked-up shit I’ve ever heard.” At his yelling, the guard who must’ve met them outside appeared. His face was covered with a black mask.
“What’s wrong, Boss?”
“Milo, why’d you let these people in with her?” The boss gestured to her again. “Do you know what they want to do? They want to sell their kid to pay off their loan.”
“Not my kid,” the man next to her mother muttered. “Not my idea.”
“Shut your trap, Joe.” Her mother shoved the man.
“That’s cold,” the guard said and whistled.
“I can’t fucking believe this. You owe me three grand. How hard is it to come up with that?”
“It’s her fault. She has the money but is too selfish to give it to me.” Her mother was up on her feet, pointing her finger at Sam.
“Milo, take the girl to my office,” the boss demanded. “Then start the car so we can get the hell out of here.”
The guard immediately crossed the room toward her at a quick clip. She should be terrified, but all she could muster was a sick sort of relief that she was putting distance between her mother and the man she’d roped into her scheme. The guard grabbed the arm she’d fallen onto, the one she was sure was broken, and she shrieked. Pain radiated up her arm and shot down her shoulder and back. The guard immediately released her.
“Sorry.” She gritted her teeth, panting through the pain. “I think that one’s broken.”
He gave her a nod. At least, she thought he did. Still, with the ski mask covering his face and her vision blurring, it was hard to see. The guard took her other arm and hauled her to her feet, then picked her up and carried her into a back room that could hardly be called an office. There were a few folding chairs and a small center table with an ashtray. The guard placed her in a chair and turned, closing the door behind him. A loud pop sounded from outside of the room, then another. She expected the men to burst into the office at any moment, but several minutes went by in silence. Had those pops been gunshots? Neither Paula nor Joe had a gun that she’d seen, but that didn’t mean they hadn’t had one concealed. Even so, she had a feeling that if shots were fired, they were directed at her abductors.
The boss had told the guard to get the car ready, but would they just leave her here? A loose end that could come back to bite them later? Her hurt arm was trembling, and her head was pulsing in pain, but she couldn’t just sit here. Not when Julian was most likely frantic searching for her. She had to find a way to get the rope off of her wrists and ankles. Her skin had turned an alarming shade of purple. A color that probably meant permanent damage to her appendages. She wiggled her arms, trying to loosen the binding until blood oozed from the raw cuts at her wrists. Permanent damage in her hands and arms would effectively end her career as a music therapist. She’d still have her voice, but the guitar was a vital component of what she did. Still, she had to focus on survival first, no matter what it cost her. She might not be able to use her hands or her feet, but she could inch along on her knees and elbows. Putting weight on her arm would be hell, but doing something was better than sitting here waiting for her fate to be sealed.
She slid forward on the seat, trying to get to the floor with minimal pain, but she couldn’t brace herself for the fall. The agony of hitting the floor again made tears leak down her cheeks. She blew out a breath and slowly maneuvered herself to her knees. She used the edge of the rope at her wrists to lower the door handle, and once the door was open, she curled at the waist, falling onto her elbows. The hard floor jarred her bones, and she clenched her teeth, counting through the sheer agony in her arm. Then she began to drag herself like an inchworm across the warehouse floor.
Chapter Nineteen
He’d been to hell before. At least, that was what he’d always thought after seeing the worst humanity had to offer during missions. He’d been wrong. Hell was the woman you loved disappearing before your eyes. They’d discovered her car outside her mother’s trailer, but Sam and Angel were not inside. Everything around him seemed to stop when he noticed the blood droplets on the steps. Everything but the fear thundering through him, clenching his heart, cutting off his air supply. The police had agreed to start a search for her once they examined outside of the trailer. They deemed the area a crime scene, but despite the blood, they were tight-lipped about their reasoning. His team was putting all their resources into locating Sam, and he prayed it wasn’t too late.
They’d split up to canvass different sections of Virginia Beach. He and Ransom took the north, Silver the south, Axe the east, and Branch the west part of the area. So far, they’d found nothing. All he had of Sam’s was her purse, which she’d left at Brynn’s in her hurry to leave. He’d gone through it, privacy be damned. If it would help bring Sam home, he’d do anything and deal with the consequences later. In the hidden zipped pouch of her bag, he’d found all the silly drawings and notes he’d given her. She’d saved every single one. He punched the dash and bit back a scream.
“I know this is torture. When I thought Brynn hadn’t survived, every breath was like sucking down fire. The team was what got me through. I knew Jacob was safe because you stayed with him. Silver drove because I was not in my right mind, and Branch told me to get my shit sorted when my control was at its worst. Told me that Brynn was out there being tough for me and to show her the same respect.”
“Sam sees the good in everyone. It’s one of the things I love about her. The thought of someone hurting her makes me sick, and I can’t stop thinking about all the things that could be happening to her.”
“Lock it down. The only way you’ll get through this is to block everything out, just like a mission.”
“She’s not a mission, though. She’s my life.” His jaw ached from clenching his teeth.
“All the more reason to embrace everything you are in the field and bring her home.” The digital screen on the dashboard lit up with an incoming call, alerting them that Brynn was calling. “You’re on speaker, baby.”
“Angel showed up at the house. Oscar was going crazy, so I let him outside, and she was there.”
Ransom and Julian exchanged a look. “Any sign of Sam?”
“No, I shined the flashlight into the woods behind the house but didn’t see anything else. Hannah texted me, though. They just got called out for two med flights from that old warehouse. The one I always say is creepy when we drive past it.”
“Then that’s where we’re headed. Thank you. Stay inside and keep the alarm set, okay?”
“Good luck, guys.” Brynn disconnected the call, and Ransom veered left, changing the car’s direction in the middle of the road.
“The warehouse is ten minutes out.”
A tense silence ballooned around them. His hands were shaking so hard that he had to fist them in his lap. He’d never been so helpless. So undone. The only sounds were the windshield wipers swishing droplets off the glass and the acceleration of the engine. There could be a hundred reasons why life flight was headed to the warehouse, and none of them might have been because of Sam. Although he wanted her found, the thought of her being in a state where she needed to be flown to the hospital was crushing down on his chest, squeezing at his lungs until it was almost impossible to draw a breath. Ransom cut the ten-minute drive down to seven. The site was easy enough to find. The warehouse was illuminated by the flashing lights of half a dozen police vehicles. An officer in a neon traffic vest stopped their car.
“Turn back to the main road.” The officer’s demand had him digging his fingers into the material of the seat, but Ransom quickly took control of the situation, explaining why they were there. The officer stepped back and clutched the sides of the radio positioned on his chest. He relayed the message, static crackling over the airwaves.
“A male and female were taken by a med flight to Virginia Medical. Our guys canvassed the area, and there’s no one in the immediate vicinity. Sorry, but we can’t allow unauthorized personnel at the crime scene. Your best bet is checking the hospital.”
He gripped his hair by the roots, ready to berate the officer. The man was just doing his job, but every thread of sanity he possessed was quickly snapping beneath the pressure of Sam’s disappearance. Ransom said something to the officer, but he couldn’t hear the exchange over the deafening roar of blood rushing to his head. Before he could process their next steps, Ransom shifted the vehicle into reverse and cut the wheel to maneuver back onto the main road. The headlights streamed through the dark. Something flashed in his peripheral vision.
“Stop!”
Ransom hit the brakes, and he had his seat belt off and was stumbling out of the car and into the rain, looking for the pale form that had briefly glowed in the headlights. Ransom’s boots squelched through the muck, and he came to stand by his side.
“What is it?”
“Thought I saw something deeper in the woods.” He clicked on his flashlight and started running toward the tree line.
“Joker, there.”
He angled his flashlight toward Ransom’s outstretched hand, and they both took off at a dead run, pushing past branches and debris on the forest floor. Heavy wet leaves still clinging onto their stems mopped over their faces as they moved toward the still figure.
“It’s her.” Joker dropped to his knees at her side. Her wrists and ankles were bound, and her hands and feet had taken on a sickly plum color from being cut off from circulation. He pressed his fingers to her throat, and when he found a steady beat beneath her chilled skin, the first tear slipped over his lower lid, falling with the rain.
“I’ve got you, Starburst.”
“There was an ambulance still parked at the scene. Stay here.” Ransom took off, running in the direction of the officer that wouldn’t let them pass. His people might’ve canvassed the immediate area, but they did a piss-poor job of searching beyond that perimeter because Sam was just outside that zone. He took off his shirt and draped it over her rain-soaked leggings and tank top. He kissed her forehead with featherlight touches and murmured about her bravery.
“Ju-Julian?” Sam’s teeth chattered together.
“I’m right here. You’re safe. Ransom is coming back with help. Thank you for hanging on. I fucking love you, Sam. Never thought I’d say that to anyone but my father and my sister. I love you. Never want to be without you.”
“I l-love you, too.”
“Just take it easy now. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.”
“Julian, Angel. L-left her in the c-car.”
“She must’ve escaped. Made it all the way back to Jacob’s.”
The sound of voices and multiple footsteps crashing through the trees was a welcome relief. He desperately wanted to hold Sam in his arms or pull her up into his lap, but he was afraid she might have a spinal injury. Once her neck was stabilized, they could move her onto a spinal board and safely into the ambulance. Julian stepped to the side as the paramedics rushed in and began working on her. With the additional light, the full extent of her injuries slammed into his gut. Her knees and elbows were skinned down to the bone. Bruises marred her face, and there was blood, some dried, some fresh, caked over her skin. Ransom cursed as the light passed over her body for a second time.
“I’ll let the others know. We’ll meet you at the hospital.” His teammate gripped his shoulder and released his hand. They followed the paramedics out of the woods, and he got into the back of the ambulance while Ransom went to his SUV. The paramedics started an IV and gave her a dose of painkillers. Whatever she’d been through, he’d go to hell and back to help her recover. He’d gotten back his Starburst. That one special person who shined through the dark. Who brought sparkle and light into his life. The one person he would entrust his heart and soul to for the rest of time.
Chapter Twenty
Sam laid her head back on the pillow, listening to her friends’ quiet banter as they filtered out of her room so they could bring back coffee. A smile spread over her lips. She’d spent two days in the hospital and hadn’t been left alone for five minutes. Her injuries weren’t going to leave permanent damage, although she’d had a close call with her oxygen-deprived limbs. Her arm was broken, but they were able to cast it, and the space looked more like a greenhouse than a hospital room. She was blessed, and had never felt more cared for and accepted. After a lifetime on her own, being surrounded by people she adored and respected was every dream she possessed breathed to life.
“Are you okay? Any pain?” Julian brushed his thumb over the top of her hand. He hadn’t left her side, and even though she’d encouraged him to go home and get some rest, he’d insisted on staying. The nurses had brought in a cot for him to sleep in, which he pushed flush against her hospital bed. The cot was much lower than the bed, but Julian managed to keep one hand on her throughout the night, as though he was afraid she’d disappear. He’d even had Brynn sneak Angel in because he knew it would ease her mind.
“No, I’m just thinking. I’m so happy, lucky, blessed. All of it.”
Julian got up and leaned in, placing a light kiss on her lips. “One of the many reasons I love you, Starburst. You’re laid up in a hospital bed after your mother and her sidekick abducted you. Then both of them were shot and killed, and you dragged yourself to the top of the street. You have a broken arm and a concussion, not to mention the pain of regaining circulation to your hands and feet. Yet, there’s a bright smile on your face. You’re grateful for the hand you were dealt while most people would be asking why me. You amaze me.”
“How could I not be grateful when I have you, the man who I love more than anything, by my side? When you and your friends not only welcomed me, but also pulled me into your tightknit family—something I’ve only ever wished to have? You found me when I couldn’t crawl any further and you haven’t left me since.”
“And I never will, Sam. You are the only woman I’ve ever loved. Well, aside from Addy, but that’s a given because she’s my sister. You’re the only woman to have my total and complete trust. Until you, I would’ve said I’d never intertwine my life with someone else’s. Not the way that safety and security were taken from us when our mother walked out. Our dad was broken, and I vowed I’d never let someone own my heart like that. With you, though, I can’t wait to tangle you so deep, we’ll never be apart. Someday soon, you’ll wear my ring on your finger. I’m hoping I can convince you to move into my apartment while we house-hunt or look for a bigger apartment or condo to share. I want children with you.”
Sam made a choking sound before regaining her composure. “Actually, Julian. That’s something we need to talk about.”
“If you don’t want them, that’s fine, too. We can get a brother or sister for Angel and enjoy our future honorary nieces and nephews. You’re what I need.”
“I do want them.” There was a long pause. “This one.” She placed her hand on her flat stomach. “And someday more.”
“What are you saying?” His eyes were wide, hopeful.
“The doctor came in while you were in the hallway talking to Silver. My bloodwork came back and I’m pregnant. It’s way too early to detect a heartbeat on ultrasound. A home pregnancy test wouldn’t even show it yet.”
His breathing increased. “Did the doctor say if there were more risks, after everything that happened?”
“That was my first question, too. They don’t expect a higher level of risk than usual, but I’m going to come back in two weeks and make sure the hormone levels are increasing like they should be.”
“Sam.” If her name spoken so reverently didn’t tell her how Julian felt about becoming a father, the unadulterated love reflected in his eyes or the tears streaming down his cheeks would’ve. This child would know nothing but love from her and Julian. Nothing but love from three protective Navy SEAL uncles. From their aunt Brynn, Jacob, Collin, and Hannah. He stood up and brushed his lips over her forehead. Her cheeks. Her eyelids.
“I love you, Samantha Campbell.”
The audible intake of breath had them both looking toward the door.
“Sorry to interrupt. I found someone at the reception desk looking for you,” Silver said.
A woman stood in front of Silver with her palm against her chest. Eyes that were more green than hazel filled with tears. The woman rubbed her eyes briskly, jostling her round-framed glasses. Her sandy hair was piled on top of her head and her simple linen dress spoke of warmer climates.
“Julian!” She ran across the room and went up on her toes, hugging him and rocking side to side.
“Addy, what are you doing here?”
“What am I doing here? Are you kidding? You told me the woman you loved was missing via text and you didn’t think I would book the first flight out of Paraguay? Do you even know me?” Julian’s sister turned away from him and clasped her hands together at her chest.
“So you’re the reason my brother’s texts have been so full of joy. You’re a blessing to us and I can’t wait to get to know you better.”
“Don’t freak her out with your weirdness. She’s been through a lot,” Julian said with a sigh.
“I don’t think she’s the weird twin,” Silver said dryly. He was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest, watching the exchange. His blue eyes seemed to linger on Addy, but maybe being in love was shading her perspective.
“I just want her to know how much I appreciate her.” Addy took a deep, satisfied breath and stepped closer to the bed. “It’s so nice to meet you, Sam. I’ve wished on many stars that Julian would find peace. It’s a bonus that he’s found it in the woman he loves.”
