Page 100 of Fighting Temptation (Men of Honor 1)
“Listen Jaxson, I get where you’re coming from, I do. I want to kill the bastard myself. But right now you need the law on your side. I have resources that you don’t. Working together is only going to find her faster.”
“He’s right Jaxson,” Sawyer says cutting in, “think about Julia and the baby, they need you when this is over.”
I keep my eyes trained on Cooper, “Do you understand what I’m telling you? The only thing that matters to me is getting Julia and my baby out alive, and I will stop at nothing to do it, even if it means breaking the fucking law. Are you prepared for that?”
“Do you really think my first priority isn’t the same as yours? She means a lot to me too Jaxson.”
I nod knowing he’s right, “Alright then, let’s fucking go, time’s wasting.”
“Sheriff?” a deputy yells coming over, “I just got word from Reynolds that Wyatt’s home has been searched and cleared, no sign of either him or Miss Julia.”
“Alright, I want all property records pulled under Jennings, that includes his old man. Also bring Ray in for questioning, we’ll meet you there.”
“Yes sir.”
The four of us hop in Cooper’s police cruiser and head to the station.
Jesus Julia, hold on baby, please, just hold on.
I awake shivering, my body cold and aching; it feels like someone took a sledge hammer to me, especially my head. I moan trying to bring my hand to my head but can’t.
What the heck?
Then memories flood me, shit, Wyatt. My eyes shoot open and a small whimper escapes when I take in my surroundings. I’m in a cold dark basement laying on a cot. My hands chained to the rod iron headboard. My mouth is gagged, making it hard for me to take in the deep panic breaths that my lungs are desperately trying to inhale. Looking down, I see I’m wearing nothing but my bra and panties.
Oh god!
I try to get a grip on my fear knowing I need to stay calm and find a way out of this, for both mine and my baby’s sake.
Oh please let my baby be okay.
A loud noise has me turning to the right, I instantly regret it when pain radiates through my head. Wyatt is pacing back and forth on his cell, “Come on you bitch. Pick up!”
What I see beyond Wyatt has my panic escalating: candles are lit highlighting an entire wall of pictures of me. He captured me walking around town, in my car, my house. Worst of all, some of me sleeping in my bed. He was in my house while I was sleeping and I never knew.
“Well look who’s awake.”
My gaze snaps to Wyatt’s, his silhouette blurry from the tears that streak down my face. Walking over he sits next to me on the bed and trails a finger from my cheek down between my breasts. Whimpering behind the gag I try to wiggle away from his unwanted touch.
This infuriates him. He back-hands me so hard that my cheek splits on the inside, filling my mouth with blood. Darkness dances in my vision, threatening to take me under again.
“You’ll let that fucking trash touch you, but not me?”
Crying has me trying to take in deep breaths but the stupid gag doesn’t allow me to.
“If I remove your gag, you’re going to be good right? Not that anyone will hear you scream, but it will get on my nerves. And right now Julia, my patience is thin when it comes to you, do you understand?” His voice is soft again contradicting the wild rage that is in his eyes.
“Answer me!” he yells squeezing one of my breasts painfully, making me scream behind the gag.
I nod my head to answer him.
“Good girl.”
When he removes my gag I take lungfuls of sobbing breaths, “Wyatt, please don’t do this.” I know my pleading is probably pointless, but right now that’s all I can think of.
Wyatt cups my face gently, “I hate that it had to come to this Julia, I really do. You have no idea how much this pains me, I’ve loved you for so long…” His crazy words trail off as he gets a faraway look in his eyes.
I decide to try my own crazy: “I know that now. I’m so sorry Wyatt. You were right, we had something special and I should have given us more of a chance.”
He stares down at me, trying to see if I’m being truthful. Whatever he finds isn’t what he was looking for. Fury fills his gaze and his hand tightens on my cheeks painfully. “It’s too late, you let that son of a bitch take you from me. You ruined my reputation with that fucking restraining order. Now you’re both going to pay.”
I cry out in pain as blood begins trailing down my mouth. Wyatt sucks in a sharp breath as his eyes fill with lust. Growling he leans downs and crushes his mouth roughly to mine, forcing his tongue in my mouth. It takes everything in me not to gag from the bile that threatens to choke me.
He pulls back breathing heavily, “Fucking beautiful. We are going to have some long overdue fun Julia. I’m finally going to have you, first though we are going to teach that bastard a lesson for taking you from me.”
Oh no, Jaxson.
‘Ow! Stop it! Get off me you son of a bitch! Kayla! Kayla, wake up!’
Listening to Julia scream and struggle from the 911 recording is almost too much for me to bare. My body shakes with a violent rage the same time my heart clenches in fear.
‘Shut the fuck up you dirty whore!’ Then everything goes silent.
I close my eyes and swallow thickly.
“Mother fucker!” Cade seethes through a clenched jaw.
My chest heaves from trying to control all the violent emotions that threaten to consume me. I’m trying so goddamn hard to push them aside so I can keep a clear head, but fuck is it hard.
Cade, Sawyer and I look back to the two way mirror that looks into the interrogation room where Ray Jennings is being questioned by Cooper.
