Page 130 of That Girl
“You and I both know that’s not going to happen.” The likelihood of me making out of here alive is slim to none, and I know it.
“What has JD told you?” she asks carefully, a chink in her carefully crafted armor making itself seen.
“Kiss my ass. I’m not telling you a damn thing about JD.”
“JD hasn’t told you anything, has he? If you knew, you wouldn’t be spouting your dirty words at me.”
My head is pounding, and her mindless droning is not making it better. “Why don’t you tell me? It looks like you’re dying to.”
“Nice try,” she says and snaps her fingers at the man as she walks up the stairs. There are stairs? A way out. If only I can get my hands and feet free.
“Ricky, please make our guest more comfortable.”
Ricky? No. And then it hits me. How I know him. Oh, hell, no. I thought he skipped town after my sister was found dead from an overdose.
When Ricky steps closer to me, I try to rock back to get away from him.
“Don’t touch me,” I tell the man from my past, using the exact same words I said to him before when he cornered me in my apartment while my sister stood by and egged him on. “You come near me, and I promise you’ll get more than a knee to the balls this time.”
Ricky smiles at me and I notice the gap where two of his teeth are missing. “I see you finally remember me,” he says with hatred shining in his black eyes.
He takes out a cigarette and lights it. The red glow of the tip as he inhales the nicotine-infused smoke flares like a warning in the dim room. I know what’s coming, but I can’t stop the scream from escaping when he presses the tip to my arm. The last thing I remember is calling Jackson’s name.
Chapter 62
Fallon insisted that I bring Connor to the Montgomery mansion, saying it would be safer. I have to agree after seeing all of the armed guards patrolling the grounds and the house. A police barricade blocks the entrance to the road that leads up the estate to keep the reporters and cameras away. How the hell did they find out so quickly? Then I rationalize that it’s more than likely the vandalism of the youth center that has brought them. Not Aurora’s kidnapping. I hear a helicopter nearby, but it hasn’t breached the airspace over the house. Fallon must have friends in very high places. Of course he does.
Prez and Shelby are with Connor now in the west wing, away from the main area where everyone else is gathering. The unknown kidnapper said that I would be contacted within an hour, and it’s been longer than that which has me worried out of my fucking mind and pacing the room like a caged animal.
Fallon is on his way home now, but it won’t be until tomorrow with the almost eighteen-hour flight from South Africa to North Carolina. All I know is that he told me to gather the family and sit tight. Trevor holed himself up in the office saying he needed to call their other siblings. Austin was already here with Trevor when me, Connor, Prez, and Shelby arrived. Dustin and Renee got here ten minutes ago. I hear several more voices filtering in from the front of the house when I spot my cousin, Elijah, and his husband, Julien, walking into the room. I stop my pacing and Elijah pulls me into him.
“JD, man. I’m so fucking sorry. We got here as quickly as we could. Any word yet?”
I refuse to fall apart, needing to stay strong for Aurora.
“Whoever took her said that I would be contacted in an hour. It’s been twice that long. Elijah, what if…” I can’t even finish my question.Please, baby, be okay. “I just got her back.”I love you, Aurora. So much.
Julien comes up beside us and places a strong hand on my shoulder. “Trust Fallon. If he said he’s bringing her home, that’s exactly what will happen. Elizabeth and Ryder wanted to be here, but I told them it was best they stayed home with Marcus.”
“I feel fucking useless,” Dustin says from the other side of the room where he’s leaning against the wall. “I can help. Just set me up in front of a computer.”
“Fallon said to wait until he called,” I remind him even though I agree with him. I want to be out there looking for her. Doing something, anything.
Austin pushes up from the couch where he’s been sitting next to Renee. “No offense but fuck Fallon. Rory isourfriend. We should be helping to find her.” He gestures to me. “You told us what the guy said he would do to her. It’s been almost four fucking hours since he took her!”
Renee gasps, devastated at the thought that Aurora could already be dead, and starts to cry. Austin releases a litany of curses before he goes back over to her and sits down, wrapping an arm around her in comfort.
“Where’s Knox? Has anyone called him?” Dustin asks.
Julien looks over to the entryway. “I thought he came in before us.”
Dustin pulls out his phone and tries to text him. As much as my jealousy wants to freeze the guy out, Aurora would want Knox here with us.
“I need some air guys,” I tell them, walking out of the room.
Instead of stepping outside, I walk up the stairs and head down the long hallway to Aurora’s bedroom. Right now, I need to be around her scent, her things. In my mind, I’m making a lot of promises to her that I fully intend to keep once she’s back in my arms. I’m going to tell her everything. I’m going to forgive her about the DNA test. I’m going to put my ring on her finger and marry her as soon as possible. I’m going to fill every day of her life with love and happiness.
Aurora’s bedroom door is open, and I walk inside. I’m immediately surrounded with her cherry blossom perfume. Walking over to her dresser, I touch each of the framed photographs. One of her, Dustin, Prez, and Austin standing out in the snow somewhere. Her face is tipped up, her smile bright as she looks at Austin. She’s wearing one of the silly winter hats with the ears on top. There’s another photograph of her and the girls at some party, maybe a New Year’s Eve or Mardi Gras party. She’s wearing a gold sequin dress with thin straps, and her hair is down and loose around her bare shoulders. There’s another picture of her and Knox at the Fields. Their arms are wrapped around each other’s waists and their bikes are behind them. Her hair is pulled back in a ponytail and Knox is kissing the top of her head.
