44. Sawyer
Sawyer
I jump out of the car and run straight to her.
Police car after police car follow me, because I drove right through their roadblock, interrupting what I’m sure was their carefully laid-out plans of catching these assholes.
Yet seeing Annabelle right now, I know if I didn’t come back, they wouldn’t have rescued her.
It’s too dark; they weren’t in the right positions, and trying to look at what’s happening hundreds of yards away was never going to work.
“Annabelle!” I scream, still in my suit pants and shirt, my work shoes slipping on the gravel, no weapon on me.
This is probably the stupidest thing I’ve ever done.
But I don’t stop. I can’t. I see one man on the ground, and she’s standing there, looking like she’s in shock, so she doesn’t see the other man.
Stanley, the same man I hit at the bar the other week, creeps up behind her with a block of wood in his hand.
“Annabelle!” This time, she looks up, almost in a daze.
I almost falter. She has blood running down her face.
She’s beaten, battered, and I push myself to run faster.
Somewhere in the distance, I hear yelling, the sheriff and his team now surrounding the place, guns raised.
But I can hear next to nothing, my eyes solely focused on her.
“Drop!” I tell her, imploring her to understand me as I see the shock on her face at seeing me here. But my words register, and she falls to the ground, almost in defeat, not having the strength to stand much longer.
As I finally reach her, I put myself between her and the timber as it comes down hard to hit her on the head in what would no doubt be the final blow to end her.
As I fall, I land on her, covering her body with my own before I hear a gunshot.
I squeeze her body underneath mine, protecting every inch of her.
Looking back the way I came, I see the sheriff standing, his gun in hand, having shot his weapon.
Police cars skid in behind him. Stanley screams from above us, dropping the timber in his hand, which hits my head, grazing my cheek.
But I don’t even feel it before I grab Annabelle fully in my arms, picking her up bridal style, and running back behind the police line.
Uniformed men run toward us, securing the scene, one I have yet to really take in because my eyes are still only on one thing. Her.
“No… the boys… Sawyer, the boys are inside…” she shouts at me. Panic-filled eyes gut me completely.
“I’ll get them,” I tell her, putting her in the safe arms of the paramedics who are already on the scene, coming to her immediately.
I look back up toward the house, seeing a light on, the door ajar, and I don’t hesitate to run back to the scene of the crime.
I wipe the liquid from my face, the graze on my head bleeding and running down my cheek, but I care little for it as I watch the police surround the two guys who are here, both looking a little beaten up.
Stanley with a slash to his arm and a gunshot wound in his shoulder, the other one limping slightly and holding his gut that’s currently bleeding.
He looks at me like he’s the devil himself as I run inside the house to get the boys, proud of my woman for inflicting so much pain on him.
Opening the door, I stall immediately because Kevin is standing there, Noah behind him, and he has a baseball bat in his hand.
“Kev?” I swallow, catching my breath.
“You came back?” he asks me as he lowers the bat.
“I did. I came as quickly as I could. Don’t worry, the police are here. We caught the bad guys.”
“You caught ’em?” he asks again, almost like he doesn't believe me.
“I did. Your mom’s fine. She’s outside with the paramedics and really wants to see you,” I tell him as the bat hits the floor, and he looks at me, tears filling his eyes.
“Are you going to leave us again?” he asks, and I take another deep breath as my heart thuds.
“I’m never leaving you again. I want to stay with you forever, if you’ll have me?” I ask, hoping with everything inside me that these boys want me here just as much.
“Seesaw!” Noah yells and starts running toward me.
“Hey, buddy.” I pick him up, holding him tight and sealing him to my chest. I look over to Kevin, who hasn’t moved.
“How about it, Kev?” I ask Annabelle’s oldest child, the one boy who has no doubt seen and heard too much for his years.
“I’d like that,” he whispers, before running to me, and my heart bursts open as I catch him and lift him up, a boy on each hip.
“Let’s go out to your mom and make sure she’s getting looked after.
Hold on tight and just keep your heads on my shoulders.
Don’t look around.” I’m not sure what they’ll see and what will upset them.
They listen, curling into me, burying their heads on my shoulders, and I open the door, looking out.
Red and blue lights streak across the sky, and I see Tanner and Connor looking disheveled as they jump out of a truck.
Word around here obviously gets around fast. I look back to the criminals who attacked my family, seeing both the men now down on their knees, handcuffed behind their backs, getting read their rights, and paramedics are all over Annabelle.
“Okay, let’s go.” I stride out the door, my boys in my arms, holding them tight, and walk straight to Annabelle.
“Boys!” she yells, relief overtaking her expression as I get to her. They both lunge for their mom so violently, I almost drop them midair before I put them down and they both hug her.
“How is she?” I ask the paramedic.
“She needs to go to the hospital but won't go,” he says, exasperated, and I frown as I look at her. This is the kind of woman I’m dealing with. Stubborn, stoic, but also soft, precious, and all mine.
“Lois, you’re going to the hospital,” I tell her, and she looks at me over the top of her boys, her smile small at the use of her nickname.
“You really were my Superman tonight, Sawyer. Thank you for coming back.”
“I should’ve never left in the first place,” I grit out, not needing her thanks. I feel like I failed her tonight.
“I knew what you were doing. I knew you didn’t want to leave, so I put two and two together. You were trying to draw them out, and it needed to be done.” She nods, and I look at her in awe, wondering if she could get any more perfect.
“Ma’am, we’re ready to take you now.” The paramedic comes over again with the gurney to put her on.
“But I don’t want to leave the boys…”
Sweeping the hair from her face, I see her cheek turning black, the blood drying in her hair, and it feels hard to breathe.
“We’ll take them. Look after them over at your place with Sutton,” Tanner pipes up as he steps forward from around the corner.
“You got here quick.” I look at him, raising my eyebrows.
“It's hard not to hear the sirens around this place. Bob called me, and we got here as soon as we could.” Tanner slaps me on the shoulder before pulling me in for a hug.
“Is this what you had in mind when I asked you to move to a sleepy small town called Whispers?” he murmurs to me, and I pull back to give him a deadpan look.
“Firstly, you never asked, you demanded. And second, I’m never leaving. I’m officially a Whispers resident,” I tell him as Annabelle gets settled on the gurney and the boys step toward me.
“Boys. Tanner and Connor are taking you over to my place. Sutton will get you into bed and you all can have a sleepover tonight. I’ll come get you in the morning, okay?”
“Tannnneeerrrr,” Noah says, and Tanner grins, picking up the boy, the two of them looking almost comical due to his size.
“Okay. Take care of Ma.” Kevin looks at me, before glancing back at Annabelle.
“I’ll be fine, honey,” Annabelle reassures him, and as the boys leave, I see a lone tear fall down her cheek. I don’t hesitate to wipe it gently.
“I’m okay…” she whispers, the sound barely hitting my ears before I lean over and kiss her forehead.
“I know. I’ll be right behind you.”
Tilting her head up, she kisses my lips lightly, and I notice her pretty top lip is split. “Okay,” she says against my mouth, and I frown as the paramedics take her away. I watch until she’s safely inside the ambulance, and it slowly drives down the road.
“Well, looks like you got back just in time,” the sheriff says, and I turn to look at him, murder in my gaze.
“Why weren't you all over this? You told me you were watching. Had I not come back, she…” I don’t finish that sentence, because I can’t say the words. I feel sick all over again.
“The team from Williamstown were watching the back of the property. Not sure how they got through, but they did.” At least he looks remorseful. I rub my eyes, thankful it didn’t all go completely wrong, yet feeling angry that it almost did.
“So it was Stanley? Who was with him? Who has been stalking her and making an attempt on her life?” I grit out. Fisting my hands, my anger has now fully bloomed, knowing Annabelle is in safe hands and the boys are not here.
“Turns out, you were right,” he says, a little sheepish, and my eyebrows rise.
“Her ex?” I almost choke, not believing that my far-fetched thoughts were actually accurate.
“Yeah. We’re taking them in for questioning, and they’ll remain in lockup until their court date. You go be with your family, Sawyer. I’ll speak to you tomorrow. I’ll have more details then.”
I look over my shoulder and get eyes on the two men. Stanley looks at the ground, and Steve looks right at me, and I know for sure that’s her former husband. I meet his gaze, knowing that I will ensure he’s behind bars for a very, very long time.