Page 70 of Inked Persuasion

“Beckett and I will go see what we can do. We’ll meet the police there.”

“Y’all are insane,” Clay said but cursed. “But I agree with you. Because I’d do the same for my kids. Go. I’ll keep an eye on her,” Clay said, jerking his chin in Susan’s direction, derision in his tone.

I met Beckett’s gaze. I took one address and he took the other, and we left.

I knew the cops and the ambulance would arrive soon, and they’d probably want to question us. Hopefully, one of us would find Annabelle sitting and drinking tea with Hotch, waiting for us, and we could set the record straight with everyone.

Because if he harmed a hair on Annabelle’s head, I’d kill him.

I couldn’t lose her, not after I had just found her.

Chapter 21

Annabelle

My eyes blurred as I opened them, my body sore. I tried to get up, but I couldn’t, my hands were secured behind my back. I pulled at my wrists, trying to lever myself up, but I was tied.

Why was I bound? And why did my head hurt so badly?

Bile filled my mouth, and I blinked away some of the blurriness, trying to process what was happening.

I was down on the floor, my legs tied, and my arms pulled tight behind me. I didn’t know where I was. I didn’t have a gag over my mouth, but everything felt like I was two steps behind, everything moving too slowly for me to fully catch up with what was happening.

Where was I? What had happened?

Flashes of the car coming at me came back, and I resisted the urge to scream. Someone had tried to hit me with a car, and as I’d dodged out of the way, I’d hit my head. And then Hotch was there.

Hotch with a funny smelling cloth, saying weird things I didn’t understand.

Oh my God, Hotch had kidnapped me.

No, that had to be a dream, right?

And yet, here I was, lying on the ground, in pain. Tied up.

Hotch had done this? No, it couldn’t be. Or could it?

“You’re awake,” Hotch said as he walked into the small room. He wiped his hands on a towel and tossed it over his shoulder as if he were a waiter in a restaurant. I didn’t know why that was funny to me. Maybe I had a concussion.

Or maybe this is what hysterical felt like.

“What’s going on?” I tried to say, and yet nothing came out. My mouth was too dry. I looked to the left of me and realized I must have thrown up before. Now, my hair was in it, and everything was gross. I didn’t know what was happening.

“Well, shit, you got sick again. Don’t know why Susan had to try and hit you with that car. She was only supposed to scare you. But then you had to go and jump and hit your head. You always were clumsy, Annabelle. It was why I was always there to help you around the house. Because you needed me. You always need me. And now we can be together. I’m sure you might need help, but that’s what I’m here for. I’m always here for you, Annabelle. I just wish you would’ve realized it sooner. I had to move up plans, and I know you hate when things don’t work out the way they should. But it’s okay. I’ll help you. Just like always. I willalwaysbe here for you.” He emphasized the wordalways, and it scared me. Everything about this frightened me. I didn’t understand what was happening.

“Hotch,” I rasped, my throat feeling as if a hot poker had been shoved down it.

He clucked his tongue and shook his head. “Okay, let me get you some water. Don’t know why you had to get so sick. You’re just hurting yourself. But like I said, I will always be here for you. This is what I’ll do for you. Always. Okay, let’s do this.” He left again, and I looked around, trying to figure out where I was, but I hadn’t seen this place before.

Rugged walls. An old, wooden floor. It looked to be a small cabin in the woods or something. Not up to the mountains or the foothills, but near the city, maybe? I wasn’t sure. I didn’t know who was supposed to find me. I’d dropped my bag when I fell, and I didn’t have my cell phone. I didn’t have anything.

That meant I had to get out of this on my own. I needed to be my own knight in shining armor or whatever the hell those people were called.

I didn’t know how I was supposed to do it, though.

I tried to wiggle out of my restraints, but they were tight. I thought it might be duct tape, but it was hard to move my head to check. I’d remembered seeing something on the internet. If I went down quickly with my hands spread as much as possible, I could maybe break through. But my hands were tied behind my back, so that meant I’d have to wiggle out, and I didn’t think I was that flexible right now, not when every movement made me want to throw up.

That meant I had to get him to undo my restraints. Somehow.

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