Текст книги "Redemption Road"
Автор книги: Katie Ashley
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Текущая страница: 6 (всего у книги 19 страниц)
SEVEN
ANNABEL
As I reached to turn off the shower, my gaze froze on my battered wrists. For a few moments, I could only stand there, staring at the marks I had made on them. I could almost hear my mother’s disdainful voice remarking on how the gashes would leave such unattractive scars. To be scarred in our world of superficial perfection would be as bad as having leprosy. I would now be forced to remember my moment of weakness and despair each and every day of my life—a physical testimony to a place and time when the weight of the world became too much to bear.
They would be there when I woke up in the morning and would remain throughout the day until I laid my head on my pillow at night. I would never play the piano again without seeing the scars, nor would I examine one of my furry patients without the glaring reminder. During spring and summer when I wore short sleeves, people’s attention would be drawn to the scars, and their minds would whirl with the possibilities of what had happened to me. Mostly, I knew, they would look disapprovingly at me because I had once tried to take my life.
While part of me was horrified at the thought, the other part relished the truth of the battle scars which adorned my body. Soldiers and police officers often were injured in the line of duty, and they wore their scars with pride. In a small way, mine would also be a testament to what I had been through and ultimately survived.
It was the small incision on my abdomen that caused the greatest emotional pain. It would be the one I couldn’t wear with pride. It would be a constant reminder of my physical shortcomings. While deep down I clung to the hope that I would someday be a mother, there was no gray area when it came to me experiencing pregnancy.
As a fresh wave of grief washed over me, I leaned back against the shower wall and thought about how I found myself now in a strange, otherworldly place. A place born of living three lifetimes in less than three months. There had been the Annabel I was before the kidnapping, the Annabel I was during my enslavement in Mexico, and the Annabel I would be now. And who was she?
After living such a controlled life both under my parents’ thumb and in captivity, I found myself alarmed at the thought of what tomorrow might bring. Questions of how to proceed with my life inundated my brain at almost warp speed. Once I started down that train of thought, I didn’t know how to stop it. I knew I was supposed to take only one day at a time as I recovered, even as little as one step, but I couldn’t help but wonder what would happen now.
A gentle knock came at the door. “Annabel? Are you okay?” Rev asked.
Realizing I must’ve been in the shower longer than I’d intended, I quickly turned off the water. “Yes, I’m fine,” I called.
After I toweled off, I realized I was too tired to dry my hair, so I combed it out and left it wet. I slipped into another hospital gown and what were apparently the post-op granny panties I was mandated to wear. When I came out of the bathroom, I found that only Rev remained. I wasn’t sure where Dr. Edgeway or Rev’s brother had gone.
“Hi,” I said softly.
He glanced up from the book he was reading. “Hello. Feeling okay?”
I nodded. “Much better now. Little tired.”
“I was worried about that. You need to get some rest.”
With a yawn, I replied, “I plan on it.” When I eased into the bed, Rev stood up to help pull the sheet and blanket over me. “Thanks.”
My head had barely touched the pillow when I fell into a deep sleep. I awoke to the unappetizing aroma of the dinner trays being brought around. I had always heard the jokes about American hospital food, but if there was anything worse, it had to be Mexican hospital food.
When I glanced over to where I had last seen Rev, he was still sitting in the chair beside the bed, watching TV. “Hey,” I said.
He turned his head to grin at me. “Hey there, Sleeping Beauty. I was wondering when you might wake up.”
His term of endearment made me smile. “I can’t believe how long I slept,” I said as I pushed myself into a sitting position.
“You needed it.”
An aide appeared with my food and set it down without a smile. “Gracias,” I murmured as she turned to leave. I opened the lid and then quickly shut it.
“You need to eat,” Rev urged, when I pushed the tray away.
“I’d like to see you try that.”
With a smile, he rose from his chair. He took the lid off my tray and then picked up a fork. He cut a piece of the pale, overbaked chicken cutlet. After he took a bite, his expression soured, and he quickly turned to spit the food into the trash can.
“That’s horrible.”
“I tried to tell you.”
“I’ll call Bishop and ask him to bring us some food that’s a little more appetizing.”
I smiled at him. “That sounds like a plan.”
After Rev made the call, he didn’t put his phone away. Instead, he kept looking at it and then at me. The expression on his face told me he was apprehensive about something. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing’s wrong.”
“Are you sure? You look funny.”
A teasing smile played on his lips. “That wasn’t a very nice thing to say.”
I laughed. “I didn’t mean it like that. You look like something’s bothering you. Like you need to tell me something you really don’t want to.”
Rev’s smile faded. “You’re very perceptive. You’re being discharged in the morning, so we’ll be leaving for El Paso.” Then he proceeded to tell me the plans that I assumed Breakneck and he had made earlier. “But before we leave, I need you to talk to your parents.”
My stomach churned at the prospect. “I tried to kill myself earlier today. Must I endure that as well?” I said, knowing I sounded bitter.
He stared at me, his dark brows furrowed. I could tell the wheels were spinning in his head about what kind of heartless girl I must be not to want to put my worried parents’ minds at ease. In the vast scheme of things, it didn’t matter what he thought of me, but at the same time, I couldn’t bear to have someone as good and kindhearted as he was thinking I was a bad person.
“Rev, I’m sure this all seems strange to you, but just like I don’t understand the world you come from, you don’t understand mine, either.”
His expression softened a little. “Trust me, I get that people have fucked-up families. But no matter what happened before with them, they have a right to know.”
Nibbling my lip between my teeth, I contemplated his response. I finally relented. “What if you called them?”
“Seriously?”
I nodded. When he still seemed unconvinced, I said, “Please?”
He exhaled a long, almost defeated sigh. “Do you want to speak to them after I have?” When I shook my head, he groaned. “Fine. I’ll call them.” He then wagged a finger at me. “But you owe me.”
“You’re right. I do. But for more than I can possibly repay.”
“Some things are on the house,” he replied, with a tender smile that made my chest tighten with emotion.
“I’ll give you my father’s private number. That way you won’t get the run-around from his aides.”
To my surprise, Rev put the phone on speaker. My father picked up on the third ring. “This is Emmett Percy.” Hearing his voice should probably have brought me some form of comfort, but it didn’t move me at all. When your parents have kept you at arm’s length your entire life, even a catastrophic event doesn’t change the way you feel. The only person I would want to talk to at the house was Connie, my former nanny, who was now employed as my mother’s assistant.
“Mr. Percy, you don’t know me, and I don’t know you. The only thing you do need to know is your daughter Annabel is safe.”
My father sucked in a harsh breath. “What do you mean? Who are you? Where is my daughter?” he demanded.
“The fewer details you know of her kidnapping and rescue, the better. That can be said for all parties involved. She is safe and recuperating, so any search efforts you had should be canceled. She will be returning home to you in Virginia in a few days.”
“I don’t believe a fucking word you’ve said. I want to speak to my daughter this instant.”
Rev thrust out the phone to me. His no-nonsense look told me I had no choice but to speak to my father. With a resigned sigh, I said, “It’s me, Father.”
“Annabel? Annabel, are you really okay?”
“Yes, I am. I swear. And I’m not being coerced into saying that, either.”
“Where are you?”
“You don’t need to know that.”
“The hell I don’t! Is that man the one who kidnapped you? I’ll have the CIA and the FBI on his ass in seconds.”
“Father, please. He saved me from something pretty horrible. He doesn’t need to be harassed by you or your minions.”
“I want you home—immediately. It’s been a media circus since you left—”
Rage boiled inside me at his comment. Gripping the phone tighter, I spat, “I didn’t just leave. I was kidnapped by a group of traffickers. Do you understand what that means? I had no choice. In anything that happened or anything that was done to me.”
My father remained silent for a moment as if he was trying to process the horror of what I had just said. But he wasn’t focusing on my torment—the unspeakable pain his daughter had gone through. No, I was certain he was worrying about how my family could find a way to get out of this unscathed both politically and socially. “I will send the plane for you right now. Wherever you are in the world.”
“No. It isn’t necessary.”
“Annabel, be reasonable. Your mother has barely slept in the two months you’ve been gone. Both of us are wrecks.”
Once again, he was thinking only of himself. It didn’t matter what I had gone through, the sleepless nights I had endured. “I’m sorry, Father. But that’s all you need to know right now.”
A humorless laugh came through the phone. “Fine. I see this experience hasn’t humbled you and has only made you even more headstrong. So if that’s the way you want to play it, I’ll just find your location from the phone tracer. Or have you forgotten that all my calls are traced?”
“This is a GoPhone. Good luck with that one,” I replied, before disconnecting the call. I tossed the phone back at Rev. “Happy now?”
He didn’t look happy. In fact, he appeared horrified at what had transpired between my father and me. “They had to know, Annabel.”
“Now do you understand why I didn’t want to call them?”
He jerked a hand through his hair. “Yes, I do. And I’m sorry—not for making you call, but I’m sorry that’s the family you have to go back home to.”
“It is what it is. My parents are horrible, my sister is tolerable, but at least I have a really good group of friends. They’re the ones I would want to know I was okay.”
His expression turned suddenly contemplative. “Do you have a boyfriend back home?”
For some reason, the very innocent question didn’t seem so innocent. “Why would you ask me that?”
He shrugged. “Just wondered who else there might be in your life worth getting back home to.”
“No, there’s no boyfriend.”
His brows shot up in surprise. “How is it possible a girl as pretty as you doesn’t have a boyfriend?”
The compliment seemed so foreign coming from him. In spite of that fact, warmth flooded my cheeks. “That’s sweet of you to say.”
Even though he looked slightly embarrassed, he said, “I mean it.”
“No, there’s not been a boyfriend for a while actually.” As I thought about the old Annabel’s life, I found myself almost smiling. “There was a guy I liked back in College Station.”
“A guy you went to school with?” Rev asked.
“Actually, he was a vet at the animal hospital I worked at.”
“Is that what you were in school for? To be a vet?”
I nodded. “I can’t imagine doing anything else. I’ve loved animals practically since I was born.” With a sly smile, I added, “I guess I found them to be much nicer than my family.”
Rev laughed. “I can see how you might believe that.”
I absently flicked away a piece of fuzz on my blanket. “I was in my first semester of veterinarian school. I’ve missed so much that I guess I’ll just start over in the fall.”
“I think you’ll be an amazing veterinarian,” Rev said encouragingly.
“And how can you tell?”
Cocking his head, he stared at me for a moment. “There’s something about you that says you have a caring nature.”
“Except when it comes to my parents.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself about them. Lots of people have complicated relationships with their families.”
“Do you?”
Rev smiled. “How quickly you forget—my father killed my rapist, gave up his church, and divorced my mother. I would say that makes for complications, doesn’t it?”
I shook my head. “But you still got along with your father, didn’t you?”
“Yeah, I did. He was a good man despite his faults.”
“You seem to get along well with Bishop.”
Rev grinned. “Ah, yes, my dear, sweet baby brother who should have been here half an hour ago with dinner.” After he laughed, he added, “Yeah, he’s my best friend. Along with our older brother.”
“What about your mother?”
The amusement in Rev’s face was replaced with such a look of admiration and tenderness that it caused an ache in my chest. “She’s my hero. Everything good and decent that I am is because of my mother.”
His endearing words, along with the conviction with which he spoke, momentarily left me speechless. I couldn’t help wondering just for a moment what it might be like to have such a woman as my mother. “She sounds like an amazing person.”
“She is.” The corners of his lips turned up in a smile. “She’s probably one of the reasons I’m still single. She’s spoiled me too much.”
“So there’s no girlfriend or wife back home?”
“No. There isn’t.”
Although I couldn’t explain why, his answer gave me a sense of relief. Hitting him with his question from earlier, I asked, “How is it that a man as handsome as you is still single?”
He grinned. “Stop it. You’ll make me blush.”
I couldn’t help laughing at his teasing remark. He was such a paradox—a tender, gentle soul wrapped up in a handsome, yet hard and gruff exterior. “Seriously, though. I might’ve only known you for a few days, but I can tell what a good, decent, and caring man you are. Not to mention the easy-on-the-eyes bit.”
Rev ducked his head shyly. “I don’t know why other than I got my heart broken a couple of years ago.”
My fists clenched at my sides, and for the first time in my life, I wanted to scratch the eyes out of a girl I’d never met—the girl who had dared to break Rev’s heart. “That’s a shame, because you deserve someone who makes you happy, not someone who hurts you.”
Rev’s head shot up at my comment. His intense stare made me regret what I said. He opened his mouth to say something, but the hospital room door burst open and silenced him. Bishop blew in laden with food bags.
“Finally. What took you so long?” Rev asked. He stood up and started to reach for some of the bags, but Bishop jerked them away.
“Oh hell no! Don’t you even begin riding my ass about how long it took. Do you know how fucking far we had to go to find a car?” He paused dramatically. “An hour.”
“I’m sorry—” Rev began, but Bishop shook his shaggy blond head wildly back and forth.
“Did I mention how during that hour I had to ride bitch with Ghost so that I could drive the car back?”
The corners of Rev’s lips twitched like he was fighting not to smile. “That sucks, man. I’m sorry. I really am.”
“You better fucking be,” Bishop muttered. He then sidestepped Rev to come over to the bed. He plopped a McDonald’s bag down in front of me. “The only good thing about driving an hour away was fucking civilization.” His blue eyes narrowed on mine. “I hope you like McDonald’s.”
I could tell he was just waiting for me to complain. “I love McDonald’s, and I haven’t gotten to have it in forever. Thank you, Bishop,” I said sweetly as I reached for the bag.
His shocked expression was somewhat comical. “Yeah, well, you’re welcome.”
As I unwrapped a cheeseburger, my stomach growled noisily. The moment I bit into it, I moaned in delight. “This tastes amazing.”
Bishop grinned. “Glad you like it.”
Rev came over to the bed. “You got anything for me?”
“There’s at least five cheeseburgers in there,” Bishop replied before he went over and plopped down in the chair Rev had been sitting in.
With a wink, Rev asked, “Mind if I have a cheeseburger, or do you think you’ll devour them all?”
I laughed. “You can have three. I think two will be my limit.” I glanced over at Bishop. “Unless you want one.”
He shook his head as he rubbed his stomach. “I ate on the drive back.”
With Bishop taking the only chair, Rev surveyed the room to figure out where to sit. “You can sit on the bed if you want,” I suggested.
He contemplated my words for a moment before he finally eased down on the edge. A few minutes went by with just the sounds of rustling wrappers and chewing.
“So what happens when we get to El Paso?” I asked around a mouthful of cheeseburger. It struck me in that moment that my manners would have appalled my mother.
“You get on a plane home to Virginia, and we get our asses back to Georgia,” Bishop replied.
My hand froze as I was bringing the cheeseburger to my mouth for another bite. “Back to Virginia? But what about College Station?”
Rev started to answer me, but he was interrupted by Bishop snorting contemptuously. “Sorry, sweetie, but there is no College Station for you anymore.”
Rolling his eyes, Rev said to Bishop, “Did anyone ever tell you that your tact sucks?”
Bishop shrugged. “Truth is the truth.”
I swallowed. “But I have an apartment in College Station and a life.”
“Well, that life is over. As for your apartment, I’m sure we could get some of the Texas Raiders to pack it up for you.”
Now it was my turn to snort. “You have got to be kidding. A bunch of strange bikers pawing through my things? I don’t think so.”
“Fine. Since you’re too good for bikers’ help, get some of your daddy’s people to do it. The only sure thing is you’re not staying in Texas on our watch.”
“Why not?” I challenged.
He sat up straight in his seat. “You really don’t get it, do you?”
“Bishop,” Rev growled.
My gaze flicked between the two brothers before I narrowed my eyes at Bishop. “No, actually, I don’t get it. I guess you could say my view of things is a little skewed after being in captivity for the past two months.” I added, “So why don’t you enlighten me?”
Bishop stared at me for a moment. Then a grin stretched across his face. “You know, I think I like you.”
“Lucky me,” I snapped before I could stop myself. I wasn’t sure what had come over me. In the past, I never would have given attitude to someone like Bishop.
He laughed. “You remind me of my sister-in-law, Alexandra.”
“Why is that?”
“Because unlike the club wh—women, she doesn’t take any shit from me.”
“I like her already.”
Rev chuckled at my response. “I agree with Bishop that you guys are a lot alike.”
I put down the rest of my second cheeseburger. “Maybe I should come to Georgia with you two and meet her.”
Both Rev and Bishop’s mouths dropped open in shock at the same time. “Huh?” Bishop asked.
“Well, apparently I’m not supposed to stay in Texas, although I don’t know why not. I sure as hell don’t want to go back home, so Georgia sounds good.”
Rev took a long gulp of his Coke. As he wiped his hands on his napkin, he appeared to be contemplating just how to respond to me. “Texas is Diablos headquarters. You aren’t safe anywhere in the state, but especially not in College Station, where their traffickers do their prospecting.”
Just the thought of the Diablos sent a chill prickling over my skin and sent my heart racing with the sudden tension. My bite of cheeseburger felt lodged in my throat, and it took two tries to swallow it. The room dipped and swayed a bit as I heard myself asking, “You think Mendoza is still alive?”
“We haven’t received any intel that has confirmed his death.”
My stomach twisted into knots at the thought of Mendoza being alive. “Do you think he would come after me?”
“It’s a possibility, considering your body won’t have been found in the compound.”
The thought of ever having to see Mendoza again sent me reeling. My hand flew up to cover my mouth since I knew I was going to be sick. I pushed past Rev to race to the toilet. Over and over I heaved as overwhelming fear held me prisoner. Once I finally finished, I felt a hand at the small of my back.
“I’m sorry, Annabel,” Rev said.
I eased past him to go to the sink. After rinsing my mouth, I caught his forlorn expression in the mirror.
“I should have found a better way to tell you that.”
“It’s okay. I needed the truth.”
“You needed some nourishment, and it’s my fault you lost that.”
“Don’t blame yourself.” Turning around to face him, I asked, “So now I live the rest of my life in fear?”
He shook his head. “No. You don’t. First of all, you’re leaving Texas. Second, your father has the resources to protect you.” With a grimace, Rev added, “Although it’s a horrible prospect, Mendoza will most likely lose interest in you when he rebuilds his camp and another girl catches his eye.”
My hand flew to my mouth again as I was sickened anew by the thought of another poor girl having to go through what I did. Leaning back against the sink, I shook my head miserably. “I don’t want to go back home.” When Rev started to protest, I held up a hand. “Just not yet. I don’t think I have the strength to face my parents right now.”
Rev didn’t respond. Instead, he began to pace around the room. Bishop appeared in the doorway. “You okay?” he asked.
I gave him a weak smile. “As good as I can be.”
Bishop nodded before turning his attention back to his brother. “What’s his deal?”
Rev abruptly stopped pacing. He turned around and looked at Bishop. “Change of plans. She comes to Georgia with us.”
Bishop’s eyes widened. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
“Yes, but I’m not sure you’re hearing yourself. We had a plan, remember? We’ve played the hero card long enough. After tomorrow, she ain’t supposed to be our problem. She has a family to go home to, and it ain’t ours.”
Despite myself, I gasped at his harsh words while Rev growled and took a step toward Bishop. “You take that back.”
“Or what?”
In a flash, Rev had crossed the room and had Bishop pushed against the wall. “Just because we’re south of the border doesn’t mean I’m not still your president, little brother. I gave you an order.”
Bishop’s face flooded crimson with anger. With his nostrils flaring and chest heaving, he silently seethed for a few seconds. “Fine. I take it back,” he spat.
Gripping Bishop’s shirt tighter, Rev said, “Now tell Annabel you’re sorry that you were a selfish prick and you would be happy to have her visit us in Georgia.”
With his body coiled with rage, Bishop jerked his head in my direction and pinned me with a stare. “I’m sorry I was a selfish prick, and I would be happy to have you visit us in Georgia.”
Rev glanced over his shoulder at me. “Annabel, do you accept his apology, or does Bishop need to grovel a little more?”
“I accept it,” I squeaked. My legs trembled, and I had to fight to keep myself from falling. It was alarming to witness the brothers at such odds, but it was even more shocking to see Rev, whom I’d only known as so refined and reserved, lose his temper. Especially since it was about me.
Once Rev seemed satisfied with my answer, he released Bishop. He then took a few deep breaths as if to calm himself. “Annabel, will you leave us for a moment?”
“Yes,” I whispered and brushed past Bishop.
As the door closed behind me, I heard Rev say, “I’m sorry I had to do that, brother.” Although part of me wanted to stand there and eavesdrop, I felt I owed Rev too much for that. Instead, I hurried back to bed and drew the covers over me.
While I didn’t want to be the thing that came between Rev and Bishop, I couldn’t help being grateful that Rev had taken up for me. I wanted to squeeze him tight to show how thankful I was to not be going home to Virginia. My parents were going to have a conniption fit, but they could get over themselves.
From here on out, I realized, I could rely only on myself. It was going to be all about me.
