Page 100 of Love Me Again

This chapter contains sensitive content (abuse/assault) that some may find triggering or upsetting. It's not graphic, but I advise you to skip this chapter or read it at your own risk.

“I’m goingto ask you one more time.” Detective Scott sighs tiredly. “Where is Shayla Hoult?” I watch behind the glass as Sophie rolls her eyes and shrugs her shoulder.

“I don’t know. How many times do I have to keep repeating myself? I don’t have anything to do with her kidnapping. Those people are all crazy, and they’ve poisoned Tristan against me. If anyone should be arrested, it’s him. He was trying to kill me. They all were!” She shrieks, sitting forward in her seat. “I’m going to press charges on every one of them.” She mutters, touching her swollen lip.

“Miss Turner, I don’t think you’ve quite comprehended the gravity of the allegations and charges you’re facing here. You had an innocent woman and her baby kidnapped and helped captive. You’re facing some serious charges, two counts of kidnapping with intent to cause harm, false imprisonment, and manslaughter. We’ve got evidence that proves you’re guilty of the charges against you, so the sooner you tell us where you’re keeping, Shayla, the less harsh your sentence will be. However, if you continue to be uncooperative, I'll personally make sure every hour that Shayla is kept captive adds on another year to your sentence.” Detective Scott informs her, and Sophie blanches and looks at her lawyer, who clears his throat.

“Detective, please refrain from threatening my client. Where is this so-called evidence you speak of?” He asks, and Detective Scott pushes a file toward him, which he opens and reads.

“Your client's perfume matched the one all over Alaia Hoult’s clothes down the to the last note. We also found a strand of your client's hair on her clothes when she was dropped off at the station. Which the lab has confirmed matches the one we took from you at the time of your arrest. Your fingerprints have matched up to the ones on the car seat. Do I need to go on?” He adds, leaning back in his chair, his arms crossed. “Where is she?”

Sophie exchanges a glance with her lawyer, who nods and leans in to whisper something in her ear, and she frowns; a look of horror crosses her features, and her shoulders fall. “She was taken and being held at a house in Canterbury.” She confesses, fiddling with her nails. My heart thumped hard in my chest, and I place my hand on the glass as I glare at her through the window, my fist clenching and unclenching. They took her all the way to Canterbury. That’s fucking miles away. “I left her there with the two men that I hired to abduct her. I highly doubt she’s still alive. I paid them a lot of money to make sure she wasn’t.” I gasp and place my hand over my mouth, and tears blur my vision. Oh, God, no. She better be fucking lying, or I will kill her with my bare hands.

“You better pray she is alive, Miss Turner. Or else, you’ll be facing a hell of a sentence.What’s the address to this house, and who are these men you hired?” Detective Scott questions, leaning forward.

“I don’t know them. I found them through some people I know. I don’t even know their real names. One calls himself H, and the other goes by Big Q. They’re not exactly what I would consider the friendly types.” Sophie explains, and I hang my head biting back a sob, and shake my head when I feel Josh’s hand on my shoulder.

“The Smith brothers?” The detective stands and shoves his hand through his unruly blond hair while he paces.

“Oh, fuck. She just fucking left her there with two dangerous men.” I cry, biting my lip, all sorts of horrific images rushing through my head.

“Cole, I’m fucking scared for her, man. I’m scared of what state we’re going to find her in.” Josh admits fretfully, tears streaming down his face. I squeeze my eyes shut and sob, punching the wall beside the glass.

The door opens, and Detective Scott walks in holding a paper. “We’ve got the address. We’re going to get her.”

“I’m coming too.” I declare, wiping away my tears, and Detective Scott shakes his head.

“Cole, you can’t come. It could be dangero—”

“I don't give a fuck! I’m coming!” I shout and walk out of the room with Josh following me.

“We’re done sitting around and waiting. We’re coming…with you or by ourselves.” Josh declares and Detective Scott sighs and nods, gesturing for us to follow him through to the back of the station. Officers were running into cars and vans, and they were alerting the ambulance service to be on site.

“You need to stay in the car. These men are twisted and dangerous. They’re wanted for a long list of crimes. We don’t know what we’re walking into, so please let us handle this and trust that we will get your wife out safely.”

“All right! Let’s just go!” I shout impatiently, and he hands us bulletproof vests to put on, and we get into the car with the Detective, and we drive, speeding the entire way, blue lights flashing, sirens blaring. It felt forever, the drive to Canterbury was over an hour and a half usually, but with the police cars, we got there in forty-five minutes. I’m coming, Shayla. Just hold on, baby. This place was literally in the middle of the sticks. It was a deserted house and looked like something straight out of a horror movie. Josh and I exchanged concerned glances. The house was surrounded. If the men that took her were in there, they had nowhere to run.

“Stay here and stay down.” Detective Scott instructs us, and we nod. He gets out of the car and closes the door.

“Detective, the black unmarked van is parked outside the back door of the house.” A voice comes from the radio, and I stare at the house, my leg shaking wildly. I just want to run in there to find Shayla already. I silently pray that she’s alive. Please, God, let her be alive. Josh and I watch as they burst through the front door, and we can hear shouting and banging. I shake my head, not being able to sit in the car. I push the door open and get out of the vehicle.

“Cole, don’t." I hear Josh as I walk around the car, my eyes glued to the house. He grabs and pulls me, holding me back while I fight in his hold.

“Get the fuck off me. I have to go to her.” I hiss, trying to break free, but he holds me tight. I stop when I see the two men being brought out in cuffs. Josh lets go of me, and I race over to them. “Stop!” I shout and look at the men that held my wife captive. They were tall, built, covered in tattoos and scars. The taller one looked me in the eyes, and a slow dark smirk appeared on his face. “You son of a bitch!” I punch him so hard across the face, I felt his jaw crunch and dislocate. He turns his dark gaze to me and winks before they haul them into the van. I push aside my anger and run into the house, followed by Josh. I look around and almost threw up. The place was disgusting, and there was a putrid smell. I push through the police officers to the back of the house.

“Get me something to cut these! And get the paramedics in here now!” I hear Detective Scott's voice shout, and I push through the officers and run into the room and stop. I saw her bloodied feet first, and my blood ran cold. She was tied up and lying on the floor.

“Oh my god.” I hear Josh whimper from behind me. I rush over to her, pushing officers out of my way until I saw her on the ground. “Shayla!” I scream, fighting in the officer's hold to get to her. “Let me go!” I growl, shoving them off me, and I move closer to her. She didn’t look like herself. She was covered in bruises, bite marks, and cuts. Her hands bound together. Her beautiful face was swollen and covered in bruises like she’d been slapped hard or punched. I fall to my knees beside her and smother the scream that escaped me when I saw her. My entire body was shaking.

“Oh baby,” I cry, reaching over to brush my fingers through her damp hair. Her usual soft silky hair tousled. The detective stops me before I could touch her. He shakes his head as he cuts the rope off her wrists, and he winces when he sees the rope burns.

“Don’t touch her. Forensics need to take DNA samples. She’s alive...barely, but she’s alive.” He tells me, and I look down at her pale and bloodied face. She was in a black oversize t-shirt and her underwear as she lay unconscious on the floor. Everything inside me ached. I knew she was hurt, but I didn’t…I couldn’t even imagine it being this bad. What have they done to her?

“Shayla, I’m here. I found you, baby. I’m right here.” I cry and move aside when the paramedics come to check her over. They place an oxygen mask over her face, and they lift her eyes lids to check her pupils. Her eyes are bloodshot. I push myself up on my trembling legs and look around the room. I felt sick to my stomach. This was all my fault—this happened to her because of me. I look on the floor and see a pool of her blood by the chair she was probably tied to. I feel Josh’s hand on my shoulder and lift my gaze to look at him.

“Josh, what have they done to her?” I cry, looking back at her, and Josh shakes his head sullenly. He visibly paled when he saw the state of her.

“She’s alive. That’s all that matters right now. Everything else will heal, Cole.” He tries to assure me, and I swipe his hand off my shoulder.