Page 63 of Shape Of My Heart
He hung up, looked over at Hilda, and bit the inside of his lips. “Hilda, where does Amy live? You have an address,right?”
“Yes. It’s downtown in the old freight apartments,” Hildareplied.
Josh widened his eyes in horror. “She lives where?” His mouth dropped. He wouldn’t even venture down those parts himself because it was so rough and one sure way for something to happen to you. He could defend himself if there was trouble but never went looking for it. And as for the freight apartments, they weren’t even livable. They looked more like small county jail cells. He couldn’t conceive that his Amy was living in a placelikethat.
“I know, tough area, right?” Hilda scribbled down the address and handed it to him. “I’ve tried to tell her how rough it is but she maintains she’s lived in New York and Atlanta and would be fine. I guess, though, that it’s more about saving what she can forhermom.”
What was Hilda talking about? What was wrong withAmy’smom?
Amy had never mentioned anything being wrong with her. He supposed, though, that was because they’d never talked much about her and her family. He’d never asked. All these weeks she probably knew everything there was to know about him, and it just occurred to him that he knew very littleabouther.
It wasn’t that he didn’t want to ask, he just hadn’t wanted to pry. She seemed to want to keep her private life separate from him, so herespectedthat.
“Is hermomokay?”
Hilda raised her eyebrows at him. “No. Youdidn’tknow?”
“No. But I’ll ask her. I think I may go there now and see if she’s okay. She didn’t sound too good on thephone.”
There must have been a reason why Amy hadn’t told him whatever it was he didn’t know. She deserved her privacy but clearly felt comfortable enough to tell Hilda. Why wouldn’t she tellhimtoo?
“I’ll come with you,” Hilda offered, lookingconcerned.
“No. I’ll see you tomorrow. Enjoy your date withRobin.”
Hilda smiled and blushed a little. “Thank you. Please call me if youneedto.”
Josh nodded and headed tohisjeep.
He hoped Amy was okay and that she wouldn’t mind him stopping by. He’d simply go and see how she was and if she needed anything. Thenhe’dgo.
* * *
As the nightdrew by Amy could scarcely breathe. Several times throughout the day either Dom or one of his idiot friends would come by and stand outside the door. They taunted her with vile words and filled her in on what they had planned to do to herlater.
They could hear her crying and that encouraged them to taunt her even more. Dom had turned off the electricity in her apartment so she couldn’t even charge her phone. Now the battery hadrunout.
She wished she’d asked Josh to get her. Or better yet get thepolice.
At the time when she spoke to him she was so scared she couldn’t think straight. Then she’d heard one of the men at the door, who’d apparently been spying on her all these weeks. The things he said to her were so revolting and despicable she just about managed to finish the callwithJosh.
Now it was later. It was later now and she didn’t know what would happentoher.
With the fear of God in her, she’d grasped so tightly onto her legs that her fingernails dug into her skin, making her legs bleed. And she couldn’t stop shaking. She’d heard of things like this happening to women. Being kidnapped and gang raped, then killed. These men weren’t decent, none of them were. They were all animals, and from what they’d said during the day she was sure that she was in for aterriblefate.
There was a knock at the door. It made her jump and shakeevenmore.
“Amy.” The person sounded like Josh, but how could it be? He wouldn’t be here, he didn’t even know where she lived. She thought she would pass out from the shaking and the terror that took her when she watched the door and thebinmove.
“Amy.” The person moved the door with a little more force, pryingitopen.
She moved up against the wall under the window, recoiling away, as if thatcouldhelp.
“Please have mercy,” she begged as the tears wrackedherbody.
“Baby, it’s me.” She looked up and saw Josh coming towards her. He came up to her and lowered next to her so he could pull her within the safety of his arms. She threw her arms around him and held onto him so tight her hands tingled. How had he knowntocome?
“Josh,” she cried into his chest. Then he pulled back and lookedherover.
