CHAPTER 34
I grip the door handle so tightly my knuckles turn white as Gavin pulls into the motel parking lot. Without waiting for him to fully stop, I unbuckle my seatbelt and jump out, my legs already moving before my feet hit the ground as I rush toward the office, my heart pounding against my ribs like a caged animal. I hear him call my name, but I don’t stop. I pull open the door and the harsh fluorescent lights inside buzz and flicker overhead as I approach the front desk where a young woman with bright purple hair sits, scrolling mindlessly through her phone with a bored expression, her long acrylic nails clicking against the screen.
“Please, I need your help,” I say breathlessly, pulling up a picture of Sophie on my phone. “My daughter’s been taken by her father. Have you seen them? She’s five, blonde hair, blue eyes.”
The woman barely glances at my phone, her expression unchanged. “Ma’am, I can’t give out any customer information. That’s against policy,” she drones, as if reciting from a manual.
Gavin steps up beside me, his tall frame casting a shadow over the desk, his presence steady. “This is serious. We’re talking about a kidnapped child. A little girl who needs help.”
She looks up, clearly annoyed at being bothered, popping her gum. “Look, I already told you—”
“Just… please,” I interrupt, my voice cracking with desperation. “Just tell me if you’ve seen them. That’s all I’m asking. I’m begging you.”
She sighs dramatically, finally looking at the photo properly. After a moment that feels like an eternity, she shrugs her shoulders. “Yeah, they checked in earlier. Little girl was quiet.” Her tone is dismissive, like I’m some hysterical woman overreacting. “Now, if you’ll excuse me…”
I want to scream in frustration and shake some compassion into her, but Gavin’s hands on my shoulders guide me back towards the door. Stepping back out into the darkness, I spin to face him, my heart torn between dread and possibility. Right then, a bright flash splits the sky, followed by a deep rumble overhead. The sporadic storm seemingly mirroring the chaos churning inside me. “She’s here. Sophie’s here!”
“We need to figure out which room,” he says, his eyes starting to scan the two-story building methodically. The red neon sign from the motel casts that eerie glow across the nearly empty parking lot, making shadows dance and flicker. Only a handful of rooms have lights on that we can see, but most of the room’s curtains are closed tight.
“Hold on,” he says, gripping my fingers as he tugs me back in the direction of his truck. “I have an idea, get in.” I feel the first drops of rain hitting my cheeks as we run across the parking lot.
Once inside his truck, he turns to me. “Call him again. Try to get him to look outside or something. If we can see which window he appears in…”
My hands fumble as I pull up my call log. “What do I say?”
“Something that’ll make him want to check outside. But be careful, don’t let him know we’re here.” His voice is low and steady, peering out his window to look at the rooms.
I take a deep breath and hit dial. The phone rings and then goes to voicemail, the generic message making my heart sink. The rain starts coming down on the windshield, each drop echoing my growing sense of desperation. My stomach twists into knots as I press the phone to my ear, willing him to answer.
“Ugh.” I pinch the bridge of my nose. “He didn’t answer.”
“Try again.” he tells me. “We know they’re here at least.”
I press his number again and the phone rings twice before he answers.
My heart leaps into my throat when I hear Matt’s gruff voice. “What do you want?” The familiar slur in his words sends ice through my veins.
“Matt, please.” I keep my voice soft, submissive. The sound of aluminum crunching in the background makes my stomach turn. “I just want to talk.”
“Now you wanna talk?” He lets out a bitter laugh that raises the hair on my arms.
“I know, I know. I shouldn’t have left like that.” The lie makes me nauseous, but I push through and say it regardless. “You’re her dad. I don’t want to see you get arrested. Let’s talk this out like we used to, remember?”
Another can cracks open in the background. My mind flashes to all those nights, watching him drink himself angry, counting the empties and trying to gauge his mood.
“Like we used to?” His voice drips with sarcasm. “Before you turned into such a stuck-up bitch?”
I swallow hard, pushing down the urge to snap back. Instead, I soften my voice even more. “I miss how things were before, when we could work things out.” I feel like I’m about to vomit, but I press on. “Remember how good we were at fixing things?”
“You’re the one who broke everything.” There’s a dangerous edge to his words now. “Taking my daughter away from me.”
“I know you love her.” I grip the phone tighter, watching the rain streak down the windshield. “That’s why I’m calling. The police are looking for you, Matt. I don’t want Sophie to see her daddy get taken away from her.”
The mention of the police makes him pause. I hear rustling, then the heavy thud of his footsteps. “Police ain’t gonna do shit. She’s my kid too.”
“They’ve already put out an AMBER Alert.” I inject worry into my voice, playing into his paranoia. “There are probably cops everywhere by now. I’m scared for you, Matt.”
“Bullshit.” But I hear the uncertainty creeping in. More footsteps, then the distinct sound of curtains being pushed aside.
Gavin tenses beside me, his eyes locked on the second floor. A shadow moves behind one of the windows, and then, there he is. Matt’s silhouette appears, his broad frame unmistakable even through the rain-streaked glass. Room 219.
My pulse pounds in my ears as I watch him peer out into the darkness. “I can help you,” I whisper into the phone. “We can figure this out together, like before.”
He steps away from the window. “You think I’m stupid?” Matt’s voice turns ugly. “You think I don’t know what you’re trying to do?”
“No, Matt, I—”
“Shut the fuck up!” The familiar roar makes me flinch. “You don’t get to play nice now. You took everything from me, and now I’m taking it back.”
The line goes dead.
I lower the phone with trembling hands, tears burning behind my eyes. “Room 219,” I whisper to Gavin. “She’s up there with him.”
Gavin’s jaw clenches as he stares at the window. “We need to call the police.”
“No!” The word bursts out before I can stop it. “He’s been drinking. If the police show up, he’ll…” I can’t finish the sentence. The image of Matt, drunk and cornered, with Sophie in the room, is too terrifying to voice.
“Bailey.” Gavin turns to face me fully, his eyes intense. “We can’t handle this alone. He’s dangerous.”
“You don’t understand.” My voice cracks. “When he drinks, he gets… unpredictable. If he feels trapped…” I wrap my arms around myself, trying to stop shaking. “He could hurt her before they even get to the door.”
The rain drums harder on the roof of the truck, matching the frantic beating of my heart. Lightning flashes again, illuminating the motel in stark white for a split second.
I stare at the motel window where Matt’s silhouette had just been, my breath coming in short, shallow gasps. Every instinct screams at me to run up there, to grab Sophie and never look back. But the rational part of my brain knows that’s exactly what would get us both hurt.
“Bailey.” Gavin’s voice cuts through my panic, his hand finding mine in the darkness. “We need help.”
I shake my head, tears blurring my vision. “You don’t know him like I do. If the police show up with sirens and lights…” My voice catches. “He’s been drinking, Gavin. When he’s drunk, he gets violent. Unpredictable.”
“Which is exactly why we can’t handle this alone.” His thumb traces circles on the back of my hand, steady and grounding. “People like him count on fear keeping everyone quiet. That’s how they maintain control.”
Lightning flashes again, illuminating his face, the concern in his eyes, the determined set of his jaw. In that moment, he looks nothing like Matt. Nothing like the man who’s used his strength to hurt me.
“The longer we wait, the more he drinks,” he continues softly. “And the more dangerous he becomes.”
The truth of his words rings true. I’ve spent years calculating risk, anticipating Matt’s moods, trying to keep Sophie safe. But this time, I’m out of options. This time, I need to trust someone else.
“Okay,” I whisper, the word feeling like surrender and strength all at once. “Call them. But tell them—” I grip his arm tightly. “Tell them no sirens. No lights. He needs to think he’s still in control until they’re right at the door.”
Gavin nods, already pulling out his phone. “I’ll make sure they understand the situation.”
As he dials, I press my forehead against the cool glass of the window, my eyes fixed on room 219. “Hold on, Sophie,” I whisper. “Mommy’s coming.”
Moments later my heart stops dead in my chest as I watch the room door fly open. Matt emerges, his movements deliberate as he places a large brown suitcase outside by the rusted metal railing. Then Sophie appears, her little blonde head illuminated by the harsh yellow motel lighting that casts eerie shadows across the walkway mixed with the flickering neon sign. She’s still wearing the same clothes from this morning, but her hair is no longer in the braids.
I watch, my breath caught in my throat, as Matt leans down and says something to her before disappearing back into the dimly lit room.
Before I can process what I’m doing, before Gavin can reach out and stop me, I’m throwing open the truck door with determined hands and bolt across the cracked asphalt parking lot, rain drenching me as I run.
“Bailey, stop! Come back!” Gavin’s voice booms behind me, but I can’t stop. I won’t stop. My daughter is right there, just feet away from me.
I take the metal stairs two at a time, my feet clanging against them like the rumbling storm above.
Sophie turns at the sound. “Mommy!” She stands there, looking relieved to see me for a brief moment before her small body goes rigid. Her eyes suddenly widen as she turns back to look into the room.
The sound of her voice sends a powerful surge of adrenaline through my body, but before I can reach her, Matt bursts out of the room like an enraged bull. Everything happens so fast, like a horrific blur. His face contorts with unbridled rage as he grabs Sophie with one muscular arm and me with the other, throwing us both into the room with frightening force. I stumble forward, frantically trying to stay upright while shielding Sophie from impact but can’t manage it and crash down hard onto my knees, sliding across the filthy carpet.
“Sophie, baby, go to the bathroom and lock the door. Don’t come out until I tell you to,” I command, trying to keep my voice steady despite the terror coursing through my veins. My hands tremble as I guide her toward the bathroom.
I hear Gavin’s desperately screaming mine and Sophie’s names and then the door slams shut with a thunderous bang that seems to cut us off completely from the outside world. Matt rapidly secures both the deadbolt and chain, the metallic clicks echoing ominously in the room. Each sound feels like another nail in our coffin as he ensures that no one can get in and more terrifyingly, that no one can get out.
I scramble to my feet, pushing Sophie behind me and towards the bathroom. My heart pounds against my ribs like a trapped bird, each beat echoing in my ears.
“But Mommy—” Her small voice quivers, eyes wide with fear.
“Now, Sophie!” I watch her run into the bathroom. The click of the lock provides a small measure of relief, though my stomach remains knotted with dread.
Matt’s face is twisted with rage, his eyes wild and unfocused like a rabid animal.
“You dumb bitch,” he snarls, advancing toward me with heavy steps that make the floor creak. “Did you really think you could just take her and run?”
I know that look. It’s the same one he gets right before he hits me. My heart sinks as I realize there’s no talking my way out of this. Not this time.
“Matt, please,” I beg, my voice shaking. “You don’t have to do this.”
He laughs, and it’s a bitter sound. “You really think you can just leave me? You’re mine, Bailey. Always remember that.”
I back away, my hands raised in a futile attempt to defuse the situation. “I just want to go, Matt. Please, just let us go.”
His eyes narrow, and I can see the rage building within him. “You think I’m just going to let you walk out of here with my daughter? Never going to happen.”
Just then, there’s a loud banging on the door. Gavin’s deep voice booms through the cheap wood. “Bailey! Sophie? Open up!”
Matt’s face contorts with fury as he realizes I’m not alone. “You brought him here? You fucking whore!”
He lunges for me, his hands curled into fists, but I manage to dodge him, my heart pounding in my ears. I sprint around the bed, my eyes frantically searching for something, anything, to use as a weapon. My hand closes around the lamp on the end table, and I yank the cord from the wall, brandishing it like a club.
Finally, I find my voice. “Get away from me, Matt! I’m not going to let you hurt me or my daughter ever again!”
He lunges for me again, his eyes cold and deadly, but this time, I’m ready. I swing the lamp with all my might, the heavy base connecting with his skull with a sickening crack. The lamp shatters, sending glass flying in every direction, but I barely register the pain as shards embed themselves in my hands.
He staggers back, his eyes rolling up into his head, and for a moment, I think he’s going down. But then, with a roar of fury, he charges at me like a wounded animal. I try to dodge again, but this time, I’m not fast enough. His fist connects with my jaw, sending me reeling backward. I crash into the wall, my head spinning as I slide to the floor.
He’s on me in an instant, his hands like vice grips on my shoulders as he slams my head back against the wall over and over and I can feel the indent it’s making.
I kick and scratch, desperately trying to break free, but it’s no use. He’s too strong, and I’m already weakened from the initial blow.
“You think you can just get away from me?” he snarls, his beer-soaked breath washing over my face. “You’re mine, Bailey. You’re. Mine.”
I struggle to breathe, my lungs burning as I try to fill them with air. I know I have to keep fighting, for Sophie’s sake. I can’t let him take her.
I bring my knee up sharply, connecting with his groin, and he grunts in pain, his grip loosening for a moment and I use it to my advantage, shoving him away with all my might. He stumbles back, and I scramble to my feet, putting some distance between us.
But he’s not done. With a roar of fury, he charges at me again, his hands reaching for my throat. I try to dodge, and again I’m not fast enough. His hands close around my neck, squeezing tightly as he lifts me off the ground and then slams me onto the mattress.
My vision starts to blur, and I can feel my lungs burning as I gasp for air. I know I’m running out of time. I claw at his arm but I don’t do any real damage.
“Sophie.” I rasp, my voice strained, barely above a whisper.
“Will be perfectly fine with me.” His grin is sinister.
Just then, I hear Gavin’s voice again, more frantic this time. “Bailey! Open the damn door!”
I know he’s trying to get to me, but it’s too late. My vision is tunneling now, and I can feel my body starting to shut down. The last thing I see is Matt’s face, contorted into something almost inhuman. Cold, calculating, and full of something far darker than rage—before everything goes dark.