Page 131 of Ruined Vows

“You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used?—”

“What the hell are you talking about? I’m her bodyguard, not her stalker. I didn’t kidnap her. We came on a road trip!”

“—against you in a court of law. If you cannot afford an attorney?—”

I scream into the carpet in fury as a knee drops to my back, three policemen holding me down while another cuffs my wrists behind my back.

FIFTY-ONE

KIRA

“Oh yes, Carol,”a masculine voice filters in through my groggy mind, and I frown because it’s not Isaak’s. “She’s here and resting up after the ordeal. It was just awful. You should have seen her. By the time I got there to rescue her, she was just beside herself.”

Where’s Isaak? Something’s wrong. I can’t remember what, but I need to open my eyes. Why isn’t Isaak here?

I need to open my eyes.

Finally, even though each eyelid feels so heavy, I crack my eyes open. The blistering light spikes straight through to my pounding head and immediately makes me close them again.Ouch.

God, I’m so thirsty. My gritty mouth tastes like garbage, and my tongue feels too big.

Everything’s wrong. Where’s Isaak?

“Don’t you worry, Carol. I’ve got everything under control. I’ll let you know when you can come by. She’s just resting up. Yes, the police have already been by, but they said they’d be stopping by your place. Just tell them everything you can remember about your run-in with him. I’m sure that will help. All right. Kisses. Bye bye now.”

I know that voice. That’s Drew…

My brow scrunches.Drew. There’s something I need to remember about Drew. Something important. Something…wrong.

I force my eyes open again, no matter how much the light hurts, and look around. It feels impossible, and it’s hard to move any other part of my heavy body, but I manage to shift my head the slightest bit.

Slowly recognition filters in.

I’m on a plush leather couch in the new house Drew just bought. I’ve only been here a couple of times. Once to help him pick out furniture and another for his housewarming party.

He’s pacing around the kitchen island, punching in another number on the phone and bringing it to his ear. Until he notices I’m awake. Then he hangs up and immediately hurries over to me.

“Buttercup! You’re up!”

I frown at him, cringing away when he sits on the coffee table in front of me and grasps my hands. My skin crawls at his touch.

“Not Buttercup,” I croak unintelligibly through my dry throat.

My eyes move slowly around, looking for Isaak.

“It’s good that you’re up, sweetums,” Drew continues. “Your mother thinks we can still have the wedding on time in spite of all this unpleasantness. We’ll get our happy ending after all.”

He’s still holding my hands, and because they still feel so heavy, it’s impossible to pull them away.

“Water,” I finally croak.

Finally, something that actually gets him to react, which tells me hecanhear me, even though he’s clearly pretending not to.

“Of course, you’ve gotta be thirsty! I can’t tell you how concerned we’ve all been when you just up and disappeared like that. Carol and I were so worried. Especially when we found out that boy with a knife had an alibi for one of your break-ins.”

He comes back and opens a water bottle for me, fitting a straw into it and holding it up to my lips.

He’s talking so fast, and none of what he’s saying makes any sense. I take a long sip, relaxing slightly when the cool water hits my dry, swollen tongue.

---