Page 2 of Wrecked
"Turn around, hands on the vehicle," Gregory suddenly demanded.
"What?"
"Did you think I was just going to take your word for it when you said you had no concealed weapons or drugs on your person?"
Shit.My heart jackhammered against my ribcage. For a minute there, I thought we were in the clear.
"Are you hard of hearing?" Gregory sneered.
I bit the inside of my cheek until the metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. There was no use in digging a deeper hole for myself by telling this asshole exactly what I thought of him. I raised my hands, palms facing Gregory before I slowly turned around and planted them on the hood of my car.
I locked eyes with Kenzie through the windshield, and I could tell she was debating on whether she should get out or not. I held her gaze while subtly shaking my head. She was right; her daddy would be beside himself if she got arrested.
He owned a PR company and had some pretty famous and influential clients. He wouldn't take kindly to his daughter smearing the family name. Mr. Michaels was already looking down his nose at his daughter for dating an art student.
I kept my focus on my girl while Gregory started to frisk me. It didn't take him long to find what he was looking for. "Do you have a prescription for these?" He asked way too cheery as he dangled the bag in front of my face.
"No," was my flat reply.
"Well, then I'm going to have to take your ass to the precinct. Hands behind your back."
The sob that broke free from Kenzie's throat tore through my heart. I wanted nothing more than to wrap my arms around her and pull her into my chest. She was my entire world, and there was nothing I wouldn't do for her. Where I came from, you protected the ones you loved, no questions asked.
The cold metal circling my wrists brought me back to reality. Instead of pulling me to my feet, he leaned over me and whispered, "You know, with you gone, that girl of yours is going to need someone to keep her bed warm," his arm on my back pressed me deeper into the hood. "But don't worry, I'm only too happy to be of service. I mean who wouldn't want a piece of that perfect—"
The rest of his sentence was lost to the night air as I jerked back, and my head connected with his. I ignored the sharp pain shooting through my skull as I started to twist my body around, ready to finish what I started. "You go near her, I'll kill you!"
With my hands clasped behind my back, I had no way to defend myself against the blow that came courtesy of Gregory's police-issued baton. The pain in my head multiplied, and I was helpless when he slammed me back down on the hood.
"Now, that little stunt is sure to earn you some extra jail time."
My eyes locked onto Kenzie's, and for a split-second, everything else disappeared. With one look, I tried to reassure her that everything was going to be okay even though I knew it wasn't. I kept my gaze on her as long as I could while Gregory led me to the squad car.
Little did I know that would be the last time I saw my girl.
Chapter 1
12 years later.
"Are you freaking kidding me?"
I pressed the button to the right of the steering wheel, only to have the engine of my car stutter before it died. With a heavy sigh, I took in my surroundings. There was nothing but bluebonnets for miles to my left and right; the only sign of life were the birds flocking to who-knows-where.
I poked at my phone mounted to the dash and pulled up my maps application; I needed to know where I was before I called for assistance. I scrolled once, twice, and then stopped.
No.
The nearest town was Willow Creek, and it also happened to be the only town in the world I wanted to avoid like the plague. I scrolled some more; there had to be another town.
"Ugh! Seriously!?" I sounded as exasperated as I felt. If I didn't want to be stranded there for at least another few hours, I had no other choice than to call a towing service in Willow Creek.
I pulled my bottom lip between my teeth while I searched for a number I could call. Funny how life liked to kick you when you were down. It wasn't usual for me to drive hundreds of miles to meet with a client, but things had happened, and I needed the time to think.
Finally, I found a number for an auto shop. I dialed it; the man on the other end of the line assured me he'd be there in less than an hour. When I hung up, I pulled up a familiar number on my phone, but for some reason, I was hesitant to press the little green button.
And that there was precisely why I needed time to think. The typical reaction to your boyfriend asking you to move in with him should be excitement. It shouldn't scare you to the point where you jump in your car and drive for miles and miles.
And it definitely shouldn't make you hesitant to phone him when you'd landed in a crisis.
