Love Came Back (a Pyro-Princess Design and Style novel Book 1) (25 page)

45

Silence is Not Always Golden

..::Konner::..

When Sidda’s phone went silent, I sent a prayer or a million to God.
Lord let her be strong and keep her safe until I get there
.

I didn’t think I would survive it if Sidda was gone. My life finally had purpose. It finally gave me someone to cherish and behold and some sorry bastard was going to try and take it away? I don’t fucking think so. That was unacceptable.

Detective Hindrons had met Nathan and I at the store before Sidda’s phone
finally
came on. Hindrons had brought a device that could track the phones precise location.

Before it came on, I was rigid, and starting to panic. That hadn’t going so well for me.

~~
Two hours previous

“Where did you get that, Detective?” Nathan asked suspiciously about the device.

“Don’t worry about my little gadgets as long as it gets us results. Am I right?”

Nate just shook his head and I didn’t care. Hindrons was right. As long as we could track her, it would be better than waiting for some technical people.

We were in the back of the store looking for any type of clues. Anything to give us a head start. Without her phone being on, I was becoming a wreck. Nathan was looking on one side, while Detective Hindrons was asking the girls what happened. Before they could answer, Nate yelled out for me.

“Yo, Konner! Detective? I think y’all should come and take a look at this. The S-O-B must have been camped here for a while.”

I hollered for Siddaleigh’s manager, Callie, and she came running as fast as she could. She looked to me, then to the detective. With a slight blush, (no clue what the crap was going on with that), she looked back at me.

“Anything, Konner?” Her face was pale though and I knew she worried for her friend.

“Tell me exactly how y’all open. Is anything accessible? Does she leave the back door open that anyone could easily gain access to? Think now, Callie, anything different or out of place?”

I knew she wasn’t here when it happened, but Sidda had said she was very OCD on things when it came to the store. Everything had a place.

“Don’t worry about me, I’m only here to be pretty.” The detective glared at me and I couldn’t give two shits.

“She’s mine. I will do what I must to find her. She’s just a job to you.”

Detective Hindrons pinned me with a disgusted look and shook his head.

“Look, O’Brian, I saw what that fucker,” he glanced at Callie, “sorry,” then continued to me, “did to her a few years ago. We swept the house he kept her in. Trust me, no image in this world could compare. Not anything even in the service. He is a sick son of a bitch, and I know her family. She is not
just a job
, so fuck off if you think otherwise.”

Callie’s face tensed at his words but answered me calmly.

“No, we don’t leave anything open. But I wasn’t supposed to be here until just now. I just got here early to talk to her. She was going over the shipment from Mags. So if anything was open, maybe the back door was? If she got side tracked, otherwise, I know Sidda, she always made sure the back is closed tight and locked up. Everything is until we open the front door. The cameras didn’t show anything but the delivery.”

Nate looked at me and I knew he was thinking the same thing. The target got through when the shipment was taking place.

Fuck.

There, littered on the ground were a few cigarette butts, two energy bars, and a soda can.

“No way could it be Thompson. Siddaleigh told me that one-he doesn’t smoke. Two-he was restless. Always moving. It’s not possible that he sat here for hours in wait. He would have grabbed her already. That fucker has a partner.”

Just what they needed,
not
. A damn second thug to complete this shit storm.

Hindrons gathered what he could get and told Konner he’d get the prints, stat.

It had been over an hour, and Sidda was still missing. Not even her phone was on, so we couldn’t track her.

He couldn’t think of where he could’ve taken her. Not even a no contact order would stop a killer if he really wanted to kill. Sitting around here was getting us absolutely nowhere.

“There’s nothing else to do here. Hopefully she turns her phone on and we can find her.”

Detective Hindrons read Konner’s mind. That didn’t mean it’s what they should do. Just leave? I didn’t know how I felt about that.

“There has to be something here. Cigarette butts and wrappers just don’t sound right. That sick son of a bitch left something with this guy. He just had to.”

I knew I was grasping at shadows. There would be nothing here. I didn’t want to leave and start looking and get ahold of her and find out she was further away from us.

“Konner, how about this?” The girl, Koralen, who couldn’t be more than five foot nothing, held up a note with her fingertips. Before he was able to grab at it, that damn detective snapped it out of her hands.

“This comes to me. Not some boyfriend with a vengeance and power trip.”

“I am about to show you a power trip, man, if you don’t show me that paper!”

I was getting hotheaded and uncool and I knew it. I knew I should remain as calm as I could. This was Siddaleigh though. She was the heart that beat in my chest. I lost her once. I’m not going to lose her again. The caged fury that was settling beneath my skin was beginning to burn alive with hunger. A hunger that wouldn’t be sated until my hands were wrapped tight around Thompson’s throat. Hindrons sighed and passed me the paper. It has newspaper print all over it.

Lover boy

You should have taken better care of what’s yours before I did. Maybe you’ll see her again. On the road. Or tied and bound and ready to give it to me. She belongs to me.

GOOD LUCK. MT

“That doesn’t give us shit about their location.” I yelled in a rage. I strode passed them all and shoved out the back door until it slammed against the building.

“Dammit. Mother fucker is dead when I find him.”

Then I couldn’t contain my rage, the complete and utter helplessness that I suddenly felt. I fell to the ground on my knees.

God, please. Oh, please Lord let her make it out of this. I can’t survive this world without her. She is so strong, give her strength. Let your will run through my woman’s veins and give her the will to survive.

“Konner?” Hearing Bri’s voice brought me out of my desperate haze.

Looking up at her red-rimmed, swollen eyes, I knew she felt guilty for not being able to keep up with Thompson.

“Why you crying, baby-girl? It’s not your fault.” Getting back on my feet was a struggle. I felt the weight of absolute desolation and despair. Gravity was pulling me down and I couldn’t do anything but draw Brianne into my arms and I leaned into her.

“I’m so sorry I wasn’t faster. I feel so horrible.” She rubbed her face against my chest, trying to wipe her fresh set of tears.

“Oh, Brianne Cailín, don’t you worry about my Siddaleigh. She is strong. She’ll probably kick that skeazoid’s ass before it’s all said and done, only leaving me to pick up his carcass. I have the utmost faith in her. So should you.”

Brianne looked into my eyes and I knew all she would see would be my steely resolve.

“I do.”

Nathan clashed the back door opened and yelled out to me.

“Konner, her phone’s on!”

I pulled Brianne away from me and put her into Nate’s arms. If I wasn’t over-preoccupied with Siddaleigh, I’d be slightly concerned with how willingly Nate drew her into his arms.

I ran back inside and unclicked my phone and felt it begin to vibrate and ring out Justin Moore’s ‘Til My Last Day’. Siddaleigh’s text alert sound. Hindrons finally got a bead on her. She was half way to Nacogdoches.

“Dammit. Where’s her exact location Hindrons?”

Hindrons was typing into his little gadget and within a few minutes he pin-pointed they were about two hours from here. Near Kennard, Texas.

“That’s close to the Davy Crockett National Forest. Let’s roll. If you’re coming, stay behind us. We don’t-“

I literally growled and crowded into his face.

“I don’t give a fuck, if I pass you, I pass you. Write me a fucking ticket and take me to jail.
Afterwards
. I’m going to her.”

I shoved my way passed him, and ran to my car.

46

The First Round

..::Konner::..

Nate said something to Bri, then met me at the front door on the way to my car.

“Fully loaded?” I knew what he meant. I nodded and we ran to my Camaro after passing Nate’s keys over to Bri. We got in, belted, and sped our way to get to Sidda. No way would I let her down. Not again.

♥

..::Siddaleigh::..

With all the self-defense classes I’ve taken, I should be able to find a way out of this mess. Konner would find me, of that I had no doubt. Two hours wasn’t too bad. I just had to get Mikhail to stall. We were surrounded by forests. I didn’t know where we were. But I knew those trees could hide me. Just needed to figure out a way to actually get away. Stalling the jerkasaurous would give Konner the time he needed.

My vibrating pocket let me know I wasn’t completely alone. However, Mikhail’s incessant bickering was starting to grate on my last nerve. I couldn’t contain my irritation any longer.

“Well, Mikhail, you look like utter crap. I must say, years in prison didn’t do you so well, did they?”

That’s all I got to say before Mikhail smacked my unmarred cheek. I felt a metallic taste in my mouth. And with my queasy stomach, that surely didn’t help any. I felt my lip split open and a little blood sliding down my chin.

“You sure got a smartass mouth on you since I saw you last, you little bitch. I thought you knew better.”

The asshole actually bought the crap spewing from his mouth. Well I think I’m going to have to take matters into my own hands. I sent a quick prayer, then thought…
Fuck it
.

We were still surrounded by woods and trees ten minutes later. There wasn’t that much traffic. Not really in my favor as far as help was concerned, but since I was wearing my trusty purple Chuck Taylor Converse and I was in decent enough shape to, despite my size fourteen body, run.

Mikhail grabbed my wrist, pulled and twisted it until I was half way over the middle console.

“Nothing else to say now, do you, Sidda? I like it when you’re afraid.”

I was scared but not of him. Not anymore. If I had to die trying, I would take him down with me.

I saw my chance when Mikhail was turning a sharp curve. I reached out to the stirring wheel before he could notice, and turned it hard. Turned it the opposite direction. Right into and through the railing. That’s when we hydro-planed and started flipping and rolling.

As my seat belt held me firmly, I felt a slight jerk as it tightened. Then as we spun I felt weightless and the blood started to rush through my body towards my brain. My stomach dropped as if I was spinning on a roller coaster. That’s how it felt flipping and rolling until my head hit the side window and my eye sight began to blur. After the third flip, we rolled to a stop, upside down.

I tried to open my eyes, but my head hurt so badly.

Get up. Don’t stop. Get out. He can’t hurt you if you’re away. NOW!

I jerked my head, which blurred my eyesight more but turned it to the side slowly and looked at Mikhail. He looked unconscious. I could feel the blood in my body begin to go to my head since we were hanging upside down. I managed to unclasp my seat belt after a little jarring. I did my best to protect my head with my shoulder and my stomach with my tied up wrists as I fell to the roof. Some of the side windows had ended up busted open. Which a good chunk of the safety glass got embedded into my already bruised flesh.

I was able to hold in the pain and get passed it. That’s when I heard Mikhail groan.

Holy crapola.

I threw my elbow into the window a few times, broke most of the glass, determined to make enough room for me to squeeze through. Mikhail’s eyes blinked a few times when I did my best to get out the window. I managed to crawl half way out when his hand shot out to manacle my right ankle.

“I’m gonna get you, you fucking little cunt. You’re mine. And before I kill you, I’m gonna tear into every hole on your body until you bleed and beg for mercy.”

I struggled, kicked out with my left leg, and ended up catching his cheek.

Score!

He screeched and I managed to get out of the wrecked vehicle. When I tried standing, I fell back down to the earth. The ankle he gripped must have twisted slightly, because when I looked down at it, I saw it swelling a little. A battle bruise from Operation: KICK ASS. Yeah, that’s the only thing I had going for me. Something to get me through and away from this shitty situation. Yeah, letting my sailor flags fly. Every curse word imaginable was said.

I might be slightly-err, mostly-hurt, but I managed to kick some bad guy ass. Boom BABY! I took his ass to the yard.

I dealt with the pain and shoved myself back up and limped as quickly as limping could get me, into the thickening woods. I could hear Mikhail screaming and hollering after me. There wasn’t time to see if he managed to get out.

Get through the pain. Siddaleigh, get to work girl. Push past the pain and get away. Never again. You can’t let him win. Not this time. Not any time.

If there was a next time Mikhail and I met, I knew one of us would not make it.

After about twenty minutes of fast paced limping, I dug out my phone. Amazingly enough, I had about two bars and a three quarter battery.
Thank you God!

I was still walking when I unlocked my phone and saw two missed calls from Detective Hindrons and five texts from Konner, a few from Callie, and one from my mother.

Yeah, I should have waited to see what my mother wrote but sometimes when a girls at her limit and last nerve, she needs some mama-love.

Mom: Are you and Konner still coming this Sunday for the game and dinner?

My eyes began to tear up and I couldn’t help but laugh at the mundane question cutting me to the quick. I almost died and they wouldn’t have even known. None of my family. I never told them about the Mikhail situation. I didn’t want to worry them. So I couldn’t help but answer with a smile.

Me: Most Definitely. I <3 U

Mom: I love you too, girlie!

Lord, love her. I kept walking steadily as I looked through my contacts to Konner’s name. I tapped the contact and called him.

“SIDDALEIGH!? God, baby, please tell me you’re okay?” Konner voice was frantic and it made me giggle.

“Oh, God, Nate she’s laughing. Something’s wrong.”

I heard Nate in the background trying to calm Konner down.

“Sidda, please stop laughing and talk to us. Konner’s not the best of company right now and in a sensitive state.”

I heard what sounded like a growl and smack on the head.

“Dammit, KO, that fuckin’ hurt.”

That sobered me enough.

“I’m here, in some woods. There was a car accident.”

“WHAT! Jesus,
banphrionsa
, talk to me, love.”

I kept walking deeper into the woods. Mikhail might have gotten out and started looking for me. I prayed not, but I wasn’t about to take any chances.

“Well, when I smarted off-.”

“What the fuck? Siddaleigh Mare, you know better.”

I made to nip that ‘you know better’ bull in the bud.

“Don’t, Konner. Don’t you fucking tell me ‘I know better’. I wasn’t going to go anywhere with him. Not
ever
again. Now, you shut the hell up and let me finish or I’m hanging up and waiting until you find me. Got it, buster?”

Hearing Konner take a few deep breaths, he sighed. “Yes, babe. I’m sorry. Please tell me.”

“I smarted off. He smacked my face,” I heard Konner literally growl, again, (Good grief, was he part werewolf?) and Nathan’s sharp inhale, “and then when he grabbed my tied up wrist. Which are still tied up btw and hurting like a mother. I got close enough to grab the steering wheel and whipped it the opposite way as we were turning into the sharp curve. We lost control, flipped a few times, rolled ‘til we stopped upside side. I have to say, Operation: KICK ASS is complete. I might have a slight concussion when my head hit the window and my ankle is sprained and hurting like a bitch. But I had to escape.
By any means necessary
. Got me?”

“Op: Kick Ass! Love it, Sidda.” I heard Nate chuckle when he said that. Lord, love, Nathan too.

“You got away, though. Thank God.” Konner was still breathing erratically but I gave him enough grace to settle down.

“Yes, I got away. But I am in Bum-Fuck-Texas in some woods. Can I be rescued now?” I knew my voice became whiny and whimpery, but I didn’t care.

“Yeah, babe, we’re about forty-five minutes from you. We believe you’re in the Davy Crockett National Forest. We so passed up the cops. Find somewhere to sit tight.
Is brae liom tú
.”

“Me too, Konner. I love you, too.”

We signed off and I walked about thirty more minutes until I found a thick tree with many limbs that seemed to make a little cavern about ten or fifteen feet up into the air. I might have a concussion, a sprained ankle and tied up hands, but I was going to pull a ‘Katniss’ and climb up this damn tree.