36. Declan
THIRTY-SIX
DECLAN
It didn’t take Mason long to beat the location out of Brad, I mean Mason completely lost it with him, I’ve seen him in action, but the way he was beating Brad up was insane. Once he told us where Robert would have taken Trixie, Mason went crazy to the point he took his baseball bat and killed the guy.
It wasn’t part of the plan, but I wasn’t going to stop Mason, the guy is a fucking loose cannon when he’s in on a mission to get answers. Cain tried to stop him, but Mason wasn’t having it. Miles stood next to me laughing, while Hayden looked around the house to see what else the asshole was hiding.
Once Mason was finally finished, Cain stayed behind to wait for the cleanup crew, because he told us even though we haven’t touched anything, he wasn't going to risk it.
The only thing I told my brothers was that Robert does not die tonight. I’m not letting him die without any pain. I’m going to make him suffer for years before he dies.
Hayden parks the car outside the cottage, Mason parks up behind us. I run into the house; the door is wide open. Why is the door open?
“Trixie!” I shout, walking further inside. Nothing. I open another door, but nothing. There’s no one here.
I walk in further and I see a plate with the contents spilt over the floor. Looking around I don’t see anything, until I walk to the window, and see the fork.
“Nothing.” I hear Miles behind me, and Hayden takes the fork from me.
“What?” Hayden asks.
“She was handcuffed and used the fork to get out.” My girl is smart, but it doesn’t help the anger building up inside me. He handcuffed her. He fucking handcuffed her.
“The place is empty,” Mason shouts at us.
I look out of the window and try to open it but shake my head when it doesn’t. open “She ran. She fucking ran into the woods. Whatever was happening in here, was far worse than what will happen to her out there.”
Walking out to the front of the house, I kick the table as I pass it. I scream out in anger as I look toward the forest.
“She could be fucking anywhere, and he’s not here-”
“Breathe D, breathe.” Miles looks out towards the woods. “Let’s get moving.”
“She’s been here a day. God knows when she started running.” I take my phone out and get the torch up.
“And we will stay out here until we find her” Hayden says as he walks first. Mason pats my back as he follows Hayden then Miles follows. I take another look around to see if I can see a light anywhere. Trixie doesn’t have her phone, but he does.
“Miles, did you get Robert's phone number?” I ask, catching up with them.
“Yeah, why?”
“Once we get a little deeper into the trees, call him. If we’re lucky, he’ll have it on loud. If not, then a light will come on.” We continue to walk through the trees, looking around, no one is talking in case we can hear something. Any noise will help us. I should shout her name, but I don’t want Robert to know we’re out here.
It’s too dark to see anything, and even though I said no talking, Robert will see the light from our phones. I’ll lose either way.
“Wait.” Miles looks behind him, and we all listen for something. “I thought I heard something.” I try to look through the trees, but I don’t see anything.
We keep walking, but I pick up my pace, Trixie has been out here for too long. He could be doing anything to her.
A part of me thought we should have split up, but Hayden said it’s best to stick together. I’m not sure if it is the best move, I think they’re more worried what I’ll do when I see Robert. Because I know I am going to find them, I just don’t know what I will do.
I’ve already told them, he will not die tonight. So, I’m not sure what they’re worried about. I suppose my mood can change in a spilt second, when I see Trixie and find out what he’s done to her.
I look over to the left thinking I heard something. Hell, it could be an animal stepping on some twigs that is getting my attention.
I stop walking, and Mason walks over to me. “What’s wrong?” he asks, looking around the trees.
“We could be here all night, or days.” I shake my head, I can’t lose the fight of finding her, but I need to think of something so she’s not out here in the fucking cold for too long. I’m in my hoodie, and I’m feeling cold now.
“And we will be here all night, if we need to be. You think we’re going to let anything happen to our brother's girl?” he asks, and I know they won’t. We have always been there for each other, no matter what. But now I’m feeling lost, because my girl has been through some fucked up shit, and is in pain, running from an asshole in the cold. And I’m not there to protect her, I feel like I’ve let her down.
“Come on, she needs the asshole Declan now, not the one who’s feeling guilty.” Miles pushes me to keep moving, and he’s right. I need to stop with the self-pity.
“Wait, did you hear that?” I ask looking around for where the sound is coming from. The sound echoes through the woods. “There.” I ask them, because it could just be me wishing I’ve heard something.
“It’s coming from over there.” Miles points straight ahead.
“No, it’s over there.” Hayden points to the left.
We all listen again, it's coming from somewhere. Turning around I hear something behind me, fucking nothing there.
My body tenses up when I hear Trixie scream at the top of her lungs. He’s found her.
“This way!” Mason shouts, and we all sprint, following him. I jump over branches, nothing is going to stop me from getting to her.
Mason stops and looks around, we don’t hear anything. Shit. Come on Trixie shout, I’m even hoping fucking Robert says something. We’re close, too fucking close, but we can’t hear anything.
Spinning around hoping to see something, fucking anything.I hear Trixie scream again, and the four of us are running in the direction it’s coming from.
My body boils when I see him, sitting on top of Trixie, his hand over her mouth, and the other around her neck. I sprint over to them and kick Robert in the head with everything I have in me. The fucking bastard is going to regret every breath he has ever taken in his life.
He shouts, as he gets back up and comes toward me, he punches me in the face. Fuck, for a split second I took my eyes off him to look at Trixie. Never take your eyes off the target, Big Man would be shouting at me for this. Idiot, don’t take your eyes off him. Grabbing the back of his neck, I slam my head into his nose.
“Fuck!” he screams, as he tries to push me away from him. He doesn’t look like it, but the guy can fight. He punches me a second time, and this time he gets a good punch in. I can taste the blood in my mouth.
Kicking him on the leg, and making him kneel, I punch him in the face with everything I have, and he places his hands to the ground to stop himself falling. He goes to kick my legs, but I move out of the way, then I kick him in the face, and he falls to the ground. I sit on top of him, and punch him in the face a few times, but Miles pulls me off him.
“Trixie needs you; we don’t want to touch her.” I look over at Trixie on the floor, her eyes are closed. Getting off Robert, I take my hoodie off, to give her. She’s only wearing a tank top, and shorts, and no god damn shoes on her feet.
“Trixie, open your eyes. It’s me.” I lift her up, and Hayden helps me put my hoodie on her. “I’m here. I’m sorry it took me so long.”
Come on, open your eyes. I lay her back down, and feel for a pulse, oh thank God she has a pulse. I look down at her body as I feel something wet on my hand.
I lift the hoodie and tank top up to get a better look—he stabbed her. He fucking stabbed her. I quickly get up and turn, but Miles stops me.
“Remember, you don’t want to kill him. She needs you, so focus.” He pushes me back a little and hands me his hoodie. “Stop the fucking bleeding D,” I kneel and wrap it around her and pull hard to stop the bleeding.
“We found her…not good…on the way.” I hear Hayden more than likely talking to Cain, and I cup Trixie’s face.
“I’m here now, you can open your eyes now.” The words escape, my voice breaking, but there’s no response. “Hayden, she’s not waking up, why is she not waking up?”
“You two take him. D, pick her up, Doc is coming to the house.” Hayden hasn’t answered my question, I can’t blame him, what can he say to stop the fear hitting me hard.
I’m not fucking losing her.
I hear Mason and Miles behind me, telling Robert to stand up. Looking over my shoulder I see him trying to fight them both. Mason laughs and grabs him by his hair, and they push him to walk.
Picking her up, I almost power walk toward the car. The sharp stabbing pain hits my chest, my throat burning as I hold down the scream of anger.
Hayden opens the back door for me, and I lay her down, and get in slamming the door shut, Hayden gets in and speeds off.
My finger moves to her neck feeling the pulse against my fingers, it’s getting weaker, I close my eyes and shake my head. “Come on Trixie, fight. I found you, I know I was late, and I will spend every day making it up to you, but you need to fight for me.” I whisper, not moving my fingers, needing to feel the beat against my fingers. Because it’s the only thing helping me to keep going, knowing there is hope and that she is fighting. The moment the beat stops, it means she’s given up. Given up on me.
* * *
Hayden parks and opens the back door, and he picks up Trixie into his arms. I run in front of him and open the door, and he takes her to the couch. As I walk toward the couch, I watch Hayden put her down. Doc is moving to her, and I stand at the side of the couch. Lileah walks over to me and wraps her arms around me. I hug her back knowing she’s okay now, but my eyes are locked on Trixie at the moment.
“Declan your ble-”
“Not my blood,” I cut Lileah off before she worries about me. “Doc?” I question. Silence, give me something, fucking anything.
“Let him do his job,” Cain tells me. I didn’t even notice him in the room. I glance over to him and see Autumn and Lincoln are here, too. He looks better than he was before.
“Declan I’m sorry.” Lincoln walks over to me.
“For what? He outplayed us, and you were outnumbered. This isn’t your fault, you tried, I can’t be pissed off about it.” I turn back to Doc. “You’re not saying anything,” I shout at him, and he places his finger on her neck then looks at his watch. “Fucking hell.” I kick the couch and walk away. Fucking silent treatment.
“Declan.” I look behind me and take a deep breath in.
“Mom.” She wraps her arm around me, and I wrap mine tighter around her.
“She needs you to be strong, she will fight through this.” Mom rubs my back then pulls me away from her, but I don't let go, I just need to hug her a little longer. They’ve come back from their trip early, and I don’t care, because when your heart is breaking slowly, there is nothing better than hugging your mom.
“I’ll stitch her up, give her some fluids, she doesn't look like she’s had any drugs in her system. Her pulse is weak, but I think that’s from the loss of blood, and lack of water. Once her body has recovered, she will be awake. Nothing to wor-”
“Nothing to fucking worry about.” I turn to face Doc. “You have to be smoking something; she was with him for over a day. He has raped her more than fucking once-” I stop talking when Cain stands in front of me. “Cain, that crazy fucker wouldn’t have used anything.”
“We know,” his voice is low and soft. “We know Doc will take blood from her and test it. If anything comes out of it, he will fix it. In three weeks he will do another test, and then you two can go from there.” Cain keeps his voice low and soft, trying to calm me down, and I look over at Trixie.
I know for a fact if she is pregnant from the bastard, she won’t keep it, and I don’t blame her. She would never have a reminder of what Robert did to her.
“Take her to the room over there, then Doc can get everything set up for her.” Cain takes a step to the side for me to get to Trixie, and I give him a nod.
I should have known the family thought of everything, my head is in a clouded space, and I’m not thinking straight.
“I’ve got the bedroom ready,” I hear mom behind me, as I kneel moving some of Trixie's hair.
“You want to wake up, and put me out of this misery.” I give her a gentle kiss, then pick her up.
When she wakes up, there is no way she will ever leave my side. Laying her on the bed, I stay kneeled by the side of the bed, and look at the cuff mark on her wrist, it has cut her skin from her fighting against them. Closing my eyes I take a deep breath, trying to keep my anger down as much as I can.
Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I open them and look up. “Dad,” I whisper, not sure why.
“Here.” He hands me a key, and I take the handcuffs off her. “Got yourself a pretty one, how?” Dad jokes, and I let out a small chuckle.
“I have no idea after what I did to her. But she gave me a chance. I’m one lucky man.” I glance over at Doc working on getting the fluids into Trixie. “I let her down, I didn't protect her from him.”
“Declan, you can’t blame yourself for this.” Dad sits down on the end of the bed next to me. “This was no one's fault, it was a man willing to do anything to make sure you suffered. Once she wakes up, you’ll be there for her, and will show her every day how much she means to you.”
“I will.” I lean closer to her, and kiss her check, and stand up as Doc finishes.
“Her body will recover, the stitches will heal, physically she will slowly get back to herself, mentally you will need to be there for her.” I give Doc a nod, and he leaves the room.
“Declan, go shower, clean up. We’re here to look over her.” Dad pushes me out of the room, probably because he knows I would say no, but now I don’t have a choice.
I look over his shoulder at my beautiful sleeping beauty, but a kiss isn’t waking her up.