Page 71 of The Tempted

I went to unlock the door only to discover I had never locked it, to begin with. I shook my head at my negligence and placed my keys on the table, pausing when I saw my phone. I realized at that moment that I forgot to bring it with me when we went to the bar. I lifted it off the table, turning it around and glanced down at the screen. My eyes widened at the alert that said I had seven missed calls and one voicemail. I unlocked the home screen and first looked at the missed calls, noting they were all from “Don’t Answer”. Shit!

I ran my fingers through my hair knowing I fucked up and I’d have to listen to fucking Jimmy’s mouth now. I went to listen to the voicemail, but my finger lingered over the play button a sickening feeling creeping into the pit of my stomach. I glanced around the quiet house, my instincts shouting at me that something was off but I couldn’t place it. My gut clenched as I hit play…

“I don’t know why the fuck you aren’t answering the phone, but we were set up tonight. You have to get the fuck out of there. They know where you are….”

The phone slipped from my hands and I could faintly hear Jimmy’s voice continuing to dictate what my next move should be. I ran up the stairs climbing two at a time before barging into the bedroom where I had left her. My eyes frantically scanned the room, but she was gone. I braced myself against the doorjamb taking in the sheets in disarray on the bed and the fact that her clothing was missing too.

The door slammed downstairs startling me.

“Nikki?” I shouted out hopefully, hurrying to the stairs quickly making my way down only to find Aunt Gina, Burt, and Nana at the door.

“What’s wrong?” Aunt Gina asked reading my face.

“She’s gone,” I said, swallowing hard before bending down to grab my phone. My hands shook as I tried to call Jimmy. I lifted my head and looked at them. “Nikki’s gone. Someone took her.”

I closed my eyes as I listened to the phone ring waiting for Jimmy to pick up.

Please pick up.

I had no idea what the fuck to do. This was all my fault I should’ve never left her side. I fucking failed her. My call went to voicemail, so I tried again

“Are you sure someone took her?” Nana asked, looking out the window with her pistol in her hand.

“Kid, did you get my message?” Jimmy answered. “You get out of— “

“They took her! Someone took Nikki, she’s not here,” I said, cutting him off before leaning against the wall using it as an anchor to hold me up when all I wanted to do was drop to my knees and fucking scream.

“Fuck! Where the fuck were you when they took her?” He shouted at me.

“I went for a drive,” I said, swiping a hand down my miserable face. “I’m sorry Jimmy. I’m so fucking sorry,” I said, my voice breaking a little more with each word. “What do I do? Just tell me what to do to get her back.”

“We don’t even know where the fuck they took her,” he paused a minute. I didn’t know if he was talking to someone or if he was just trying to calm down and rationalize the situation.

“I’ll go look for her,” I said, knowing that I sounded like a moron a ridiculous moron.

“No. You just stay the fuck where you are in case by some sort of miracle she tries to reach out to you.”

“I can’t just sit here Jimmy. She needs me! I have to find her,” I hollered demanding that he listens to me.

“No, she needs her father since she got kidnapped on your watch. Now, do as I fucking say and stay put and don’t think for one fucking minute I won’t make an example out of your ass. Unlike Vic, I don’t give a rat’s ass whose son you are.”

Anger boiled in my veins, but there was nothing I could say in my defense he was right. Nikki was in danger because of me and me alone. It was my job to protect her and keep her safe and like everything else in my life, I pissed it all away. If I wasn’t so, fucking consumed by my guilt and fear for her safety I’d laugh at the whole idea that while she was being kidnapped I was starting to believe I was the right man for her. Who the fuck was I kidding?

“Jimmy, what’re they going to do to her?” I said, breaking down feeling the hot tears fall from my eyes onto my cheeks.

“I don’t know, but the man who took Nikki didn’t take her out of the goodness of his heart. He’s a stone cold animal. If we don’t find her soon, I don’t know what he’ll do to her. That man is capable of anything.”

I pictured her face that smile of hers haunting me when I closed my eyes. I had never been more frightened in my life. I dropped the phone and slid to the floor bringing my knees to my chest as I prayed to my parents asking them to watch over the woman I loved.

---