Chapter 20
Chapter
Twenty
August 3 rd
4:13 A.M.
“Wake up.”
Cole groaned at the voice disturbing his newly found slumber.
“Come on, sleepyhead,” the same voice insisted.
The sound of it nudged him closer to awake than asleep.
“We finally find something, and now he won't wake up.”
Find something.
Those words did the trick.
Jerking upright, Cole found himself still on the couch. The laptop he’d been working on had been closed and set on the coffee table before him, and someone had thrown a blanket over him, which was now half on the floor.
“What did you say?” he demanded, unsure whether it was a dream or something real that had woken him when he’d obviously drifted off. Fighting the urge to beat himself up for sleeping while Susanna was still out there somewhere, he focused on Cooper standing beside him.
“I said we should have made you sleep hours ago because as soon as you fell asleep, we found something,” Cooper informed him.
Tentative hope flickered to life in his chest, but Cole beat down the fragile flame. There was no way he was getting too invested until he found out enough to know if this was a lead that would help them find Susanna.
“And?” he prompted.
“Got a call from Raven about five minutes ago to let us know that she caught Vinny Vitoli on camera,” Connor told him, shooting him a grin. Raven Oswald was one of the six siblings who owned and ran Prey Security and was one of the best tech experts out there.
“Caught him on camera?” he asked, allowing a tiny bit of oxygen in to brighten the flame of hope in his chest. This could still go either way. Unless they were able to follow him to a location where he was holding Susanna captive, the sighting didn't necessarily do them any good.
“At a pharmacy about thirty minutes from here,” Connor added.
“A pharmacy?” Did that mean Susanna was sick? Just because she hadn't been when he’d seen her last didn't mean she wasn't now. It had been well over forty-eight hours since he last laid eyes on her. Plenty could change in that time. Especially since she’d taken physical blow after physical blow these last two weeks.
“Slow down, bro,” Cooper coached. “I can see you starting to freak out.”
“Course I’m freaking out,” Cole snapped. “The woman I’m falling for has been kidnapped by a man who raped her, orchestrated by people who want to kill her because of our hunt to find answers about Mom. Why the hell would I not be freaking out? What did he buy? Antibiotics? Painkillers?”
A dozen scenarios were running through his head, each one worse than the one before.
“Relax,” Cooper said again, and Cole shot his brother a glare.
“I don’t know how to say this, bro, but Vitoli was picking up pregnancy vitamins,” Connor said carefully.
Pregnancy vitamins?
Susanna was pregnant?
No.
She couldn’t be.
She’d told him she was on birth control. There was no way she would have lied about that because she couldn’t even agree to trust him so having a baby with him was out of the question.
Still …
Birth control failed.
It wasn't infallible.
But they’d only had sex for the first time less than two weeks ago, and the second time only days ago. While he supposed she could have gotten pregnant, wasn't it too soon for her to know?
There was also the possibility that she’d gotten pregnant from the rape. Vinny hadn't used a condom. But again, wasn't it far too soon for her to have any signs? Without signs, he couldn’t imagine her taking a test.
Unless she’d just been taking them regularly to check that she hadn't gotten pregnant from her assault.
Could that be why she’d looked freaked out when he went to her apartment the other day to find her about to walk out the door? They’d never talked about it, but maybe she’d just learned she was going to have a baby and was coming to him for support.
“Say something, bro,” Connor demanded.
“I didn't … she’s pregnant?”
“You didn't know?” Connor asked.
“No idea.”
“This is for sure violating both Susanna’s privacy and Willow’s trust, but you look like you're about to lose it,” Cooper said slowly. “She told Willow that because of her trust issues, she hasn’t been with a man since college. So, if she’s pregnant, it’s either yours or her rapist’s.”
Mine .
The word flew through his mind.
There was no way he would wish on anyone, let alone someone as sweet and compassionate as Susanna, a pregnancy from the man who had raped her.
“There’s one more thing to consider,” Cooper said.
“What?” he asked, feeling dazed.
“We know Vitoli is obsessed with Susanna, so I don’t think we can discount the possibility that she’s not pregnant outside of his delusions.”
Please be that .
But they couldn’t count on it.
And in the end, it didn't change anything. He wanted Susanna, baby or no baby. Whether she was pregnant or not, whether he was the father of the baby or not, he intended to fight for a future with her.
Shoving to his feet, he looked around for his shoes and weapon. “We got the address of the pharmacy?”
“Raven texted it to us,” Connor replied.
“We know where he went when he left?”
“She’s working on it,” Connor said.
“It’s four in the morning, he wouldn't have gone far. Wherever he has her has to be close to the pharmacy,” he said. “We should get over there, wait for Raven to give us directions.”
If anyone could find Vinny Vitoli it was Raven. She was one of the best, and it was what he loved most about working for Prey, they were all one big family. Just because he didn't see the Oswald siblings very often didn't mean they wouldn't jump all-in to help when they needed it.
“Agreed,” Connor said. “Cade, Jake, and Jax are already on their way.”
“Willow’s going to stay here if you don’t mind,” Cooper told him. “She wants to be available to help Susanna when we find her if she needs a friend.”
“I appreciate it,” Cole told his brother as he grabbed his weapon. “There’s every chance she will want nothing to do with me. At least until I prove to her that I'm not going anywhere, that I’ll fight for her in any way she needs me to except walking away.”
They were in the car and about halfway to the pharmacy when Connor got a call on his cell phone. After answering it, he pulled it away from his ear and put it on speaker. “It’s Raven,” he explained. “Cooper and Cole are with me. The others are meeting us there,” he then told Raven.
“Good, because I think I’ve got something,” Raven’s voice came through the phone. If there was ever someone who understood what it was like to have a loved one snatched away from you, it was the second oldest Oswald sibling. Raven and her husband Max had had their three-year-old daughter abducted over a decade ago. Never once giving up on her child, Raven had managed to track lead after lead and eventually find her daughter. Now sixteen-year-old Cleo was an amazing young woman, and living, breathing proof of what could happen when you never gave up.
“You found him?” Cole asked.
“Hacked all the cameras I could find in the area. Started with the ones outside the building and saw him leave on foot. Followed him walking away from the pharmacy and just clocked him walking into a building about four blocks away,” Raven informed them.
“You found him,” Cole said again, this time in awe. Without Prey’s vast resources, there was no way he would have been able to find Susanna in a matter of days.
“Wasn't giving up until I did,” Raven told him. “Call when you have her safe, and if you need anything, let me know. Oh, and, Cole, when Susanna is up to it, let her know if she ever decides she wants a job with us, she’s got one. Piper wants to cut back a little now that she’s got the baby, so we’d love to take on board another counselor.”
While he had no idea if Susanna would want to leave her job counseling addicts, he knew that she’d be honored by the offer. “I’ll tell her.”
“Good luck,” Raven said before disconnecting the call.
Energy pumped through his veins, and he was ready to do this, ready to rescue his girl and then prove to her that if she gave him a chance, she would never regret it.
By the time they pulled up outside a corner building, three stories high, what looked like an empty storefront on the ground floor, and apartments above it, Cole was ready to do this. His other brothers were there waiting for them, and he knew that whatever they faced, Charlie Team would come out on top like they always did.
Vinny Vitoli wasn't going to know what hit him.
At least that’s what Cole thought until he heard a feminine scream, then he lost the ability to do anything but panic.
August 3 rd
5:00 A.M.
It was now or never.
Susanna was going to make her move as soon as she saw Vinny again.
After the incident earlier when she’d tried to run when he wanted to shower her, she knew for certain that she would much rather die trying to escape than live the rest of her life—however long that turned out to be—as Vinny’s prisoner.
There was no way she would be able to keep playing along. In Vinny’s mind, they were a couple or, at the very least, friends, and she was carrying his baby. He didn't understand why she wasn't more excited about said baby. Just because he was delusional didn't mean he wouldn't figure out eventually that she should look pregnant, and sooner or later a baby should turn up.
When that happened, she didn't want to be around.
Her entire body was tense, her muscles cold and aching. Despite the summer heat outside, the basement was freezing, and the cold shower he’d forced her to endure had only made things worse. Even the tension in her body wasn't enough to stop the frantic shivering. Hours later, her hair was still damp and the clean clothes he’d gotten for her were too thin to fight against the cold.
But cold or not she was ready.
This time she wasn't going to take no for an answer.
It could be minutes, hours, or even days before Vinny returned, but when he did, she was going to say or do whatever it took to get herself out of this room. Then she’d use whatever opportunity presented itself to escape.
For once in her life fate seemed to be on her side.
The scraping of the key in the lock told her Vinny was about to return.
“Morning, darling,” he called out as he entered the room. He’d learned his lesson earlier about leaving the door open, and this time he closed and locked it behind him.
Didn't matter.
Her fists weren't her greatest asset, her mouth was.
She was good at knowing what to say, how to say it, and figuring out how hard to push to get results without pushing too hard. It was the entire nature of her job and why she had such a great track record.
Instead of doubting herself, she had to find the strength to believe in herself.
“Vinny,” she mumbled, allowing the cold hijacking her body to work for her rather than against her.
“What's wrong?” he demanded, immediately concerned.
“T-too c-cold,” she answered, letting her teeth chatter together.
“Is it the baby? Is something wrong with our baby?”
“D-don’t kn-know. Need t-to get w-warm,” she stammered.
“Warm. Yes. Need to get you warm. Have to take care of the baby. Have to protect you. Need to make sure you're both okay. What should I do?” Large, scared blue eyes turned on her and she knew she had him right where she wanted him.
Fighting a smile, she let her teeth chatter for a few seconds before answering. “H-hot b-bath.” The next words were harder to say. Being forced to allow his hands to roam her naked body earlier when he washed every inch of her had been sickening. But he’d enjoyed it. Thought he was taking good care of her. She needed him to believe now that she wanted him to take that same care of her. “C-can you g-give us a b-bath?”
His worried frown changed instantly into a beaming smile. “Of course I can. I’ll get you warmed up. I can do that. I can take care of you. I can keep you safe.”
Turning back to the door, he unlocked it and then reached for her hand and guided her through it. They walked up a flight of stairs and into what looked like a small storage room. Then they headed out of it and into a larger room. There was another set of stairs, and she debated whether she should let him take her up it or try to run now.
Already, he was tugging her to the stairs, and for now, she didn't fight.
Let him lead her up them.
There was a small hall at the top with a door that she was going to guess led to an apartment. There was also another staircase and Vinny headed right to it.
Again, she didn't fight him. If she tried to run, he would likely get her before she made it outside. What she needed was a way to incapacitate him, even for a second, so she stood a real chance of escaping.
So they headed to what must be the top floor because there were no more stairs and he headed toward the door that she assumed would lead into another apartment.
It did, and it seemed like this was where Vinny had been living. A few pieces of mismatched furniture were lying about and food scattered over the kitchen counters. Other than this main living space there were two doors.
He headed right toward one of them and they entered a small bathroom. It was fairly new and mostly clean, with a large tub with a shower head on the wall but no shower curtain.
Cold as she was, and as much as she would actually love a steaming hot shower that wasn't what drew her attention.
There was another door in the room.
It led to what looked like a fire escape.
Perfect.
That’s how she was going to get out of there.
“Okay, darling, I’ll get you all warmed up,” Vinny fussed like they were actually together, and he was an expectant father. At least she should be grateful that his delusions were leading to him treating her well and wanting to take care of her rather than being angry with her and wanting to hurt her.
“Th-thank you,” she said, the chattering of her teeth not really faked.
While Vinny turned on the faucets and adjusted the temperature, Susanna knew she would have no choice but to strip off her clothes. She had to pretend to get into the bath and then all she needed to do was get Vinny out of the room for a moment.
So she did what she had to do.
Stripping off the oversized T-shirt he’d given her and the pair of shorts, since he hadn't given her underwear, she stood there naked before her rapist and abductor.
But Vinny was too busy trying to get the temperature perfect to notice.
When he did turn it was just to take her hand and help her step over the edge of the bath. “Vinny, I’m hungry,” she whined.
“Hungry. I’ll get you food. Food for you and the baby.”
Never in her life had fate been on her side like it was tonight. Because Vinny didn't even hesitate to rush right out of the room.
She wouldn’t have long. The kitchen was just there on the other side of the wall, and it wasn't going to take him long to grab some food. It wasn’t like he was going to cook her a three-course gourmet meal before returning. Climbing right back out of the tub, Susanna didn't even waste time grabbing her clothes, she just went to the window and eased it open. It didn't squeak or make a sound, and she already had one leg through when Vinny returned.
Of course, fate wouldn't really give her a helping hand.
Since it was too late to back out now, she had to keep moving and pray she was quick enough.
“Darling, what do you want to …” The words died on his lips when he caught sight of her going out the window. “Susanna? What are you doing? You can't leave. I can't keep you safe if you're not here.”
Scrambling out onto the fire escape, she screamed when he launched himself after her.
Surely someone had to be close by. If they heard her screams, they’d call the cops. They’d search the area until they found her, she had to believe that.
But she didn't. And when his hands closed around her biceps she fought.
With everything she had to give. Susanna kicked and clawed, even snapped her teeth at anything that came near her face. It was a losing battle, but she was going to go down fighting hard.
Vinny almost had her back in the bathroom when she heard it.
A voice.
Not any voice.
His voice.
Cole’s voice.
Low and dangerous and absolutely perfect.
“Let her go, Vinny,” Cole ordered, an air of authority in his tone that had Vinny freezing.
Next thing Susanna knew, something cold pressed against her temple.
A gun.
Vinny was armed.
“You're not going to hurt her,” Cole said like it was a foregone conclusion.
She, on the other hand, wasn't so sure.
“They sent you, they sent you for her, for her and our baby. I won't let you have her. Won't let you hurt her. She’s mine, have to protect her. Have to keep her safe,” Vinny rambled, his entire body trembling as it held hers pressed close against him.
“They didn't send us, Vinny. We’re not here to hurt Susanna, we’re here to help her,” Cole said.
“Help her, help her, that’s my job.” The gun wobbled against her temple, and she was terrified it was going to go off by accident and kill her.
“Susanna.”
When Cole said her name, her gaze flashed to his. He wore a black T-shirt and gray sweatpants, his dark hair slightly mussed. It looked like he’d come running as soon as he found out where she was.
Their eyes met and she saw the regret and sorrow in his, along with a heavy dose of determination.
“Jump,” he ordered.
Jump?
They were three stories up. She couldn’t jump. Just because she had a reasonable chance of surviving the fall didn't mean she’d do so without consequence.
“Trust me,” Cole said. From the look on his face, he knew what he was asking of her. She didn't trust people and certainly didn't jump off buildings because they told her to trust them. Yet she had jumped out of the car the day they’d been shot at, and because of that, she was still alive. Cole had told her that day at the farmhouse to always trust her gut, that it could be the difference between life and death.
Right now, her gut screamed at her to trust Cole.
So she did.
Yanking herself backward, out of Vinny’s hold, she threw herself off the edge of the fire escape.
Like when she’d fallen over the cliff, her body seemed to soar for a moment, hanging in place like in one of those old cartoons, before gravity took over and she was dropping faster than she could process.
Only then she wasn't.
Something caught her arms as she fell and snapped her into place.
Her body swung wildly, legs looking for purchase on something solid that wasn't there.
Then, she was pulled up by two strong sets of arms.
Cade and Jake were on the fire escape on the floor below and caught her when she fell. Now they dragged her up to safety.
She’d survived.
Trusting Cole had worked.
There was no time to appreciate it, though, because above her, Vinny howled a roar of pure agony, and then a gunshot sliced through the night.