I Won't Give Up (22 page)

This could not be happening right now.
He was
trying to move us closer to the SUV when out of nowhere a gunshot was fired
. T
he goon that had his hand wrapped around Fiona’s forearm went down. The others started looking around to where the
shot came from when another shot
went off
,
it didn’t hit anything but it was enough to make them take cover.
It was o
bviously someone
trying to help us
or at least I’d hoped
.
I took the opportunity to start swinging. I took out the one to my right
he wasn’t very big and an easy target
,
I locked him in a chokehold until he was unconscious
. The one behind me tried to put me in a headlock but I used my head to crack into his nose giving me the upper hand and knocking him out. That’s when I saw a black Range Rover come barreling through the gate. Luke.
There were only two more guys standing in our way of freedom and Garrett.

“Get in.” Luke
shouted I practically pushed Fiona into the back seat and was almost in myself when I felt a sharp pain in my side
I saw Garrett standing there with a gun in his hand
.
I some how climbed the rest of the way into the car.

“Oh my God.” Fiona
shouted. Luke stepped on the gas with the door
wide-open
flying out of the driveway. He
barely stopped at the corner
and picked up Carl
. He must’ve been the one that fired the shot
s
.
My side was burning and
my
insides felt like they were on fire.

“He’s bleeding do something.” Fiona cried.

“Hold on.” Luke said. He started heading for Mercy General. My body was going into shock. I closed my eyes
slipping in and out of consciousness
.

CHAPTER EIGHT

Damn Regret

Fiona

I can’t believe tha
t it was Garrett that was holding me captive
like this.
I finally figured out that the other voice belonged to that
asshole Eli. They were talking in hushed whispers when a phone started ringing.
I was pretending to still be passed out.

“Yo
.” Eli said.

“Yeah Dad I’ll be right down.” He said hanging up the phone. “I gotta go help my dad with something.”

“That’s fine. I’ve got plans with her anyways.” His tone gave me goose
bumps. I heard him open the door. I wished I could see where I was but he didn’t
remove the blindfold
.
He grabbed my wrists and I started to panicking. I tried to struggle. I felt him slap me in the face.
He pulled my shirt over my head before h
e slammed my wrists against something metal and hard before securing them
too tightly
.

“What should I do first you little tease?” Garrett said pulling my jeans off harshly.

“Stop you’re hurting me.” I pleaded. He ripped my panties off with much more force than necessa
ry than did the same with my bra
until I was completely naked
.

“I want you to watch.” He said taking the blindfold off. He was fully clothed except his fly was undone and his erection was bobbing freely. I felt the bile rise in my throat
. I was sick to my stomach
at the fact
that here I was about to be raped
.
I couldn’t believe this was the same guy that I trusted.
I
tried
to remain calm.

“Open wide princess.”

I couldn’t help it I started screaming.
Please someone, anyone help me.
Almost on cue the
door flew open. Cooper!

I couldn’t believe he was actually here.
He ran up and punched Garrett in the back of the head but he didn’t go down. I saw Cooper take everything in
,
while
he was
side tracked
Garrett got a punch in; the scuffle ensued.
Cooper landed a few more punches before grabbing a tie from a bathrobe that was lying on the floor and rolling him on his stomach securing his legs and hands together
.
I
was shaking uncontrollably.
How did he find me? He picked me up and started heading down the hallway when a large domineering man appeared,
I saw Eli come into view and
I
started shaking again, his face went ghost white. Good you fucking bastard.

I nuzzled my face into Coopers neck and took a deep breath and closed my eyes I felt his grip on me tighten.
He was my safety.
A
big ugly
guy
walked up to Cooper and looked like he was going to try and take me from him.
I tightened my arms
into a vice like grip.
Cooper
looked at him
like he was going to kill him while wearing me
. Giovanni
saw and
wav
ed his hand for us to proceed. We
walked with
them downstairs with
the other
’s
close
behind
.
We ended up at of a pair of double doors to
what
I assumed was his office.
It was a large room that smelled like leather and cigars. There was a mahogany desk that sat in front of a wall off windows there were two brown leather wingback chairs in front of the desk. Giovanni walked to the back and took a seat.

“Please take a seat.”
He ordered.
Cooper
keeping a firm hold on me.

“Okay, where do we begin?”
Giovanni said.

“It was all Garrett’s idea.”
Eli said
feigning
innocence
.

“Yes we’ve already determined that. Where is Garrett? And how did this plan come about?”

“I don’t know where he is, he was with Fiona. We met her a month ago, we didn’t know who she was at the time but then he put two and two together then Garrett saw it as a perfect opportunity to pull some weight for the ‘family’.”

I couldn’t listen anymore. I tuned everything out and focused on
counting
Cooper’s heartbeat
s until he stood up
.
A young guy probably only a few years older than us lead us to what
appeared to be a foyer.

“Are you okay?” He whispered. Was I okay? I’ve never been less okay
in my life. I shook my head no.

“I love you
.” I
needed to hear
him say that. I kissed him
quickly to assure myself that he was really here
.
I think he needed the same reassurance.

“Cooper, I love you too you know.”

“It’s going to be okay. I promise.”

“Pst…”
I looked at the guy that we had followed out here.

“Hey Carl.”

“Listen Coop this shit ain’t right. The fights, everything else…well they ain’t really right either but kidnapping this is a whole new low even for Giovanni.”
I wondered how they knew each other, he looked older than us
but
maybe they went to school together before he moved.

“Not much we can do about it now is there.”
Cooper’s voice sounded grim.

“Nah not really but I’ll make sure you’re safe while you’re here. ‘Kay kid.”

“Thanks Carl.”

My body was in shock and I kept
dozing in and out
in the comfort of Cooper’s arms.
I felt so safe even though that was probably the furthest thing from the truth.
He was my charm and I was his bad luck though for whatever reason I think he thought that I was prize.
They called us back to the office
.

“We’ve reached a decision.
I’ll let
you stay with your little girl
friend but you’re going to fight for me Cooper. Tonight.”
Wait fight? He’ll get hurt, he can’t fight these guys…can he?
Panic rose I felt like throwing up. This must be why he was such a
n awesome
fighter. He fought for the
freaking
mob.

“Do we have a deal?”
Giovanni purred. He knew Cooper would agree.
I was
horrified.
I watched as Cooper
nodded. Oh my God he was really going to do it. I tried to speak but nothing came out.
I wanted to tell him not to.

“But only on one condition.”

“Name it.” Giovanni said.

“Fiona stays with Carl d
uring the fight.” It was obvious he trusted this Carl guy.

“Done. We’re going to hold the both of you until we receive the ransom. Until then you’re staying here. I think it would be best if Ms. Prescott calls her father to light a fire under his ass and let him know who he’s messing with here.” He handed his cell phone
to Cooper and I gave him my dad’s number.
I held the phone to my
ear.

“Hello.” My dad
answered.
I wanted to cry. I’d been so mean to him but the thought of never seeing him again put things in perspective for me.
Life’s too short.

“Fiona is that you?”

“Yes.” I cried.
“Where are you? Are you okay?” His voice was frantic.

“I’m okay, I don’t know where I am.”

“Everything’s gonna be okay honey. I’m taking care of it.” He said softly.

Giovanni put his hand out and put the phone on speaker.

“Mr. Prescott do you have the demanded ransom?”

“I’m working on it, it’s hard being that it’s the weekend.”

“Well work a little harder, especially if you’d like to see your daughter again.” Then he hung up the phone.

“Take them to the loft and hold them there until I say.”

Cooper scooped me up and headed upstairs.

“Don’t try anything we’ll be right outside the door.”
He locked the door
as soon as it was shut.
He placed me carefully on the bed kissing my forehead. I curled up in the fetal position, I was freaking out on the inside. He cradled me in his
arms
and just held me. Finally I found my voice.

“I’m sorry.”

“Shhh.”

“No, ple
ase let me explain.
I should have given us a chance after Levittown. I was too scared to let you in. I didn’t think I was capable of loving you. But I love you Cooper, so much, I think I loved you before our last night together but that night I heard you say you loved me in your sleep. That’s when I really realized I was in love with you. I was so scared. I was afraid, afraid you’d be just like the others.” She admitted. “Then I found out about Riley and it really hit me but I..
.I thought it was too late.” I was in hysterics.
“I was too busy trying to protect myself I didn’t see the danger lurking right in front of me.”

“Garrett has quite a way with words, he can be very convincing.”
Cooper shook his head.

“I thought he was helping me, we spent a lot of time together, I thought I might have even been falling for him. I see now that there’s only ever been you Cooper, I’ll only ever want you.”
I meant every word.

“Stop. I love you too and we’ll have plenty of time for you to get used to how it’s going to be when we get out of here. I promise I’ll never hurt you Fiona.”
He was so sincere I don’t know how I’d ever doubted him.
“Does this mean you’ll be my girlfriend?”

“Yes.”

“
Okay I’ve had e
nough talking
for now
.”
His lips met mine and I forgot everything else.

“What’s going to happen tonight?”
I asked when he pulled away.

“I’m going to fight.”