Finding Serenity (Serenity Beach) (12 page)

Nolan woke up again in the afternoon and had enough energy to leave the bedroom. I helped him get settled on the couch and made us both a late lunch. Nolan was getting really good at being a helpless patient. I found myself actually feeding him grapes, but I didn’t mind.

“This is the one thing that was missing from my life. A woman to cook for me, feed me, bathe me… if you give me a massage later tonight, I’ll be completely satiated.”

“I know that you think you are being funny and charming,” I said, setting aside the empty plate and plopping my feet into his lap, “but I find it quite the opposite of those two things.”

“No, you don’t.” He grinned at me, completely confident that I still found him just as endearing as I always had. He took one of my feet between his hands and began to massage it gently. “Don’t worry, babe. I plan to find a way to pay you back.”

“I’ve got some suggestions if you need help.”

Nolan’s grip on my foot was weakening and I knew that he was getting tired again. His pain meds packed quite a punch.

He yawned and said, “We should probably start thinking about a long-term plan.”

“We should?” I held back a smile. “I was planning to use you and then kick you out the door once the sex gets boring.”

“Ha ha.” He dropped my foot and stretched out on the couch until his head rested in my lap. “Seriously though. I’m thinking of buying a house in Serenity and I’d like you to move in with me.”

My hand shook slightly as I combed my fingers through his hair. “You want us to live together? In a house? In Serenity?” It sounded even crazier coming from my mouth. “What about your career?”

“Even if I ever make it back to the majors, I’m still going to need a home.” He yawned again and his voice was fainter. “Just say yes so I can sleep in peace, okay?”

“Yes.” I had thought that it would be terrifying to take a step this big, but instead it was wonderfully reassuring to know that Nolan didn’t have plans to leave anytime soon. I really liked having him around.

I watched him sleep for almost an hour before I realized I was being super creepy. Very carefully, I slid out from under him, placing a pillow under his head. He stirred a little, but didn’t open his eyes.

In the kitchen, I poured a large glass of water and reached for my phone. I’d left it charging on the counter all day and I had a number of missed texts. A coworker at the Seabag was trying to switch shifts with me. Brian wanted to know what I had planned for his birthday next week. I replied quickly to both of those. I had to read the third text at least a dozen times. My vision blurred and my head spun.

“Kennedy would really appreciate a visit.”

The words themselves seemed strange, but not particularly threatening. The accompanying picture, however, made my chest seize. Seeing the terror on Kennedy’s face and the gash on her forehead nearly made me stop breathing. Even worse- the text had been sent hours ago.

I scrambled to put on my shoes. Nolan was still asleep and I hovered over him, deciding if I should wake him up. He would insist I stay put and call the cops, but I knew that would only make things worse. Ben might kill Kennedy if I did that, and he might escape. I needed this to end once and for all.

Very carefully, I kissed Nolan on the cheek. “I love you,” I whispered, hoping it wouldn’t be the last time I got a chance to tell him that.

With Nolan’s car totaled, I had to bike to Kennedy’s. The storm had hit land and I was drenched in a matter of seconds. When I thought about what Ben might do to Kennedy, I pedaled furiously. Then, I would picture what Ben might do to me and my pedaling would nearly stop. It wasn’t until I tossed the bike into Kennedy’s front yard that I realized I shouldn’t have come unarmed. I could’ve at least grabbed a kitchen knife or something, but I hadn’t even remembered to bring my phone.

“Stupid,” I muttered to myself. Focusing on my own inadequacies helped me not be struck down by terror.

Kennedy’s front door was ajar and I pushed it open all the way. It swung easily, making no noise. For just a second, I thought I might be able to sneak up on them. But then I took one step inside and the floor creaked loudly.

“Jordyn, darling. We’re in here.”

The sound of Ben’s voice was paralyzing. It had been so long since I had heard him say my name. With great effort, I crossed through the entryway and entered the living room. I saw Kennedy first, tied to a chair with duct tape over her mouth. Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen- she’d been crying.

“Glad you could join us.”

Ben was seated across from Kennedy, nursing a cup of tea with his feet kicked up on the coffee table. His smile was pure evil.

“Ben.” His name tasted like bile as it rolled over my tongue.

“Happy to see me?” He dropped his feet to the floor and leaned forward. “Have a seat, Jordyn.”

I looked to where his hand pointed, the empty cushion next to him, and my stomach turned over. A puddle of water was forming at my feet.

“Fine. Just let her go.”

Ben’s eyes flashed angrily and he slammed a hand on the coffee table. “You are not in charge right now, girl. Sit down!”

My feet shuffled forward involuntarily and I sank onto the farthest edge of the seat. When I turned to look at him, he was grinning again.

“Why are you doing this?” I asked, trying to keep the fear from my voice. It only partly worked.

“What do you mean?” His head tilted. I remembered that during the first few weeks of our relationship, my heart would jump when he looked at me that way. Now it sent a shudder down my spine. “You’re my girl, Jordyn. I just came to reclaim you.”

“Reclaim me? I’m not your property.”

That evil grin. “Oh, but you are. You’re mine.”

“You are disgusting,” I spat.

His fist came out of nowhere, swinging through the air and hitting me flush under my jaw. My head snapped back and my vision went black.

I closed my eyes and waited for the world to stop spinning. When I reopened them, my vision had returned, but it was blurry. Ben had moved closer to me.

“I don’t want to hurt you,” he said, sounding regretful. “Why do you have to make me so mad?”

“Your uncontrollable rage is my fault?” It was risky to keep challenging him, but I found him so abhorrent that I couldn’t fake tolerance.

Ben’s hand shot out again and I flinched, waiting for another sharp pain. Instead, he opened his fist and stroked my face.

“I always did love your spunk.” He leaned close enough that I could smell the tea on his breath. His hand trailed down my neck. “Among other things…”

I jerked away as his hand reached for my breast. “Stop.”

“You don’t really want me to stop. You’ve always been such a tease.”

“I wasn’t teasing you, you big idiot. I was rejecting you.” I gave him what I hoped was a hostile stare.

“You love me!” He jumped to his feet, hands clenched into fists.

I stood up, facing him without fear. “I never loved you.”

“You’re a liar.” He grabbed my arm and his fingernails dug into my skin, drawing blood.

“I love Nolan.” I knew this would set him off, so I didn’t give him a chance to hit me again. I swung my knee up, catching him in the groin. He doubled over in pain and I lunged for the knife sitting on the arm of the couch.

Ben threw himself at me, knocking me to the ground. Pinning me with his legs, he reached for the table lamp and hoisted it over his head. I closed my eyes, bracing for the impact that would no doubt kill me.

~NOLAN~

The second I opened my eyes, I knew something was wrong. I remembered drifting off to sleep with Jordyn stroking my hair. I also remembered her kissing my cheek and whispering that she loved me. I wasn’t sure I had said it back. Then, I opened my eyes and she was gone.

I called out and got no answer, so I checked the house as quickly as possible in my condition. She was nowhere to be found. I stepped out onto the balcony to see if she had gone down to the ocean. It was nearly dark, but there was just enough light to see that no one was swimming in the ocean. Finally, I checked out front and my stomach sank when I saw the empty spot that usually housed her bike.

The adrenaline coursing through my body made my heart race and my chest ache. I hobbled into the kitchen and pulled out a chair. Before I could collapse into it, I spotted Jordyn’s phone on the counter.

Thumbing through it, I saw that she had been texting people as recently as thirty minutes ago. I scrolled through looking for Kennedy’s name, hoping that Jordyn was with her. The text I found send ice water through my veins.

“Shit.”

I tossed the phone down and hurried into the bedroom. My own phone was on the bedside table and I was dialing it in seconds.

“He’s got her,” I said, no explanation necessary. “Where the hell are you?”

“I’m watching her.”

“If you’re watching her, then how does he have her?” My voice was bordering on shrill.

The ever-patient voice on the other end of the line sighed. “I’m waiting for the right time to make my move. Don’t worry, she’s going to be fine.”

“Fuck that.” I hung up the phone and started looking for my shoes.

Standing outside, rain pouring over me, I looked down the road in the direction of Kennedy’s house. With no vehicle available, I didn’t have a lot of options. So even though the pain was excruciating, I took a deep breath and started to run.

~JORDYN~

I was braced for the contact, but it never came. My eyes opened and Ben was still on top of me, lamp aloft over his head. But he was no longer intent on bashing in my head. He was staring at the doorway.

“Who the hell are you?”

From my vantage point staring at the ceiling, I couldn’t see who had intruded on us. I wondered briefly if it was Nolan, but Ben would have recognized him. Given that he had been stalking me for a long time now, he would know anyone that I knew. Whomever was standing behind me was a stranger.

“Get off of her, asshole.”

The voice was deep and calm, and also strangely familiar.

“Are you going to make me? You take one step toward us and I will kill her.” Ben was trying to match the calculated tone of the new arrival, but he couldn’t pull it off. He sounded like a scared little boy standing up to a bully.

“If you touch her, I will kill you. Simple as that. Now get up.”

Ben looked at me, then back at the stranger. Looking into his eyes, I knew that he wasn’t going to kill me. As demented as he was, Ben really did believe that he loved me. He might kill everyone in my life, but he wouldn’t kill me.

Ben seemed to suddenly remember that he was still hoisting the lamp. He launched it over my head and I heard the man grunt as it made contact. Then Ben was running.

The man ran after him, tackling him in the hallway. I grabbed the knife and hurried to Kennedy’s side. The ropes cut smoothly and she ripped away the duct tape.

“Are you okay?” I asked, looking over my shoulder to where the two men were still struggling.

She nodded. “Help him.”

I stood uncertainly, watching the men wrestle. I wasn’t sure how I could even help, short of trying to stab Ben, which seemed like a bad idea. If I missed, I could potentially kill my mysterious savior.

Fortunately, he managed to overpower Ben and delivered a fierce blow. Ben’s head bounced back and his eyes rolled up in his head.

“Hand me that rope,” the man commanded.

I did as he asked, and once Ben was properly detained, the man turned to me.

“You alright?”

“Yeah.” I gave myself a quick once-over to make sure that I wasn’t injured. “Who are you?”

He smiled and suddenly looked very familiar to me. “Ted Meyers. You’re dating my little brother.”

At that moment, the front door crashed open and Nolan hurried inside. His eyes were wild and his face was flushed. He was panting and doubled-over in pain, dripping rain water everywhere, but he looked wonderful to me.

“Jordyn!”

I hurried over and caught him just as he was about to tumble to the ground. “Nolan! What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

“You were in trouble. I ran. Came to save you.” He panted the words and clutched his side.

“Aw. My hero!” I rewarded him with a quick kiss on the cheek. “You’re a little late though. Your brother saved the day.”

“You look like shit, man.” Ted clapped his brother on the back.

The police were called and Nolan and I sat on the couch while we waited for them to arrive. Ted stood watch over an unconscious Ben, and Kennedy went into the bathroom to clean her wound.

“Not that I’m not eternally grateful, but why is your brother here?”

Nolan’s face was gray- the run had sapped his energy. “I called him. When I found out about Ben, I asked him to come here. Ted is what you might call an enforcer. He does security work, assists private investigators, and even does some bail bondsman work. I like to think of him as an all-around badass.”

“So you asked him to come here and find Ben?”

“I asked him to keep an eye on you whenever I wasn’t around. I figured that was when Ben would make his move, and I knew Ted could handle him.” Nolan smiled sheepishly. “You might say I brought in a stalker to protect you from your stalker.”

“That’s one way of looking at it.” I frowned. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You would’ve said no.”

He was right. I had wanted to handle the situation myself, and I would’ve hated the idea of having someone following me around. Even if it was Nolan’s brother. I glanced over to make sure everything was still under control. Ben hadn’t moved and Ted was leaning against the wall looking bored.

“He looks like you,” I said.

“No way. I’m much better looking.” Nolan smiled smugly.

I pretended to think about that. “I don’t know… he’s got that rugged bad-boy vibe that ladies can’t resist.”

“Did I mention that I ran all the way here with broken ribs just to save you?” Nolan exaggerate a grimace of pain.

“It’s just too bad you’re in so much pain. I’m going to have to think of a different way to repay you now.” I snapped my fingers. “I’ll bake you cookies!”

“That’s a start,” he reached for me, arms encircling my waist. “But I was thinking more along the lines of bedroom activities. I’m sure I can muster up some strength.”

I kissed him hard and said, “You’ll have to prove it to me.”

He returned my kiss. “Gladly.”