Chapter Seventeen – Mallory
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Mallory
It felt like I was walking on air as Liam and I made our way through the beautiful hotel lobby.
There was a huge display of flowers that filled the air with the most amazing scents.
I was pretty sure I’d never experienced anything like this place in my life.
From the little we’d found out about who I was, I most likely wasn’t staying at The Drake while in Chicago, more like a motel on the outskirts of town.
As we approached the bar, it dawned on me that I didn’t have an ID. What if they didn’t allow me inside? My heart started to beat rapidly in my chest as we walked up to the door. I would be so embarrassed if they declined to let me in. What would Liam’s friends think?
But the guy at the door simply nodded to us both, and we walked into the bar without an issue. Liam must have felt me relax because he gently squeezed my hand.
The bar was dimly lit, but I could still see how beautiful it was, with the dark wood everywhere. It was crazy how the bar was just as stunning as the rest of the hotel.
Liam kept hold of my hand as we navigated through the patrons, and it felt so good to just touch him.
I was falling for him more and more every day, and that worried me.
I knew nothing about my past. Had I had other boyfriends?
Was I a virgin? Was there a guy waiting for me in this very city?
That part I didn’t think was true. If I had a boyfriend, he would have surely reported me missing, right?
And one of the first things we did when we got to Chicago was check with the police department to see if a Mallory Wilson had been reported missing.
“There they are!” Liam shouted over the noise in the bar.
As we weaved our way to a table in the corner, I saw two women sitting close together.
One jumped up and started clapping excitedly as she called out Liam’s name.
She had to be Georgia. The other woman, Sheila, was smiling—but when she saw me, her smile faded, and a look of surprise appeared on her face.
Georgia hugged Liam after we got to the table, then pushed him back at arm’s length. “Look at you! You’re as handsome as ever! And who is this?”
Before Liam could introduce me, Sheila stood. “Mallory! Where have you been?”
It felt like my entire world suddenly stopped.
Liam looked at Sheila, at me, and then back at Sheila. “Do you know her?”
“Do you know me?” I asked at the same time as Liam.
Sheila let out a confused laugh. “Um, kind of, yeah.”
“How?” I asked.
Sheila’s brows drew down. “What do you mean, how?”
Liam shook his head. “Georgia, Sheila, would you mind if we left the bar and headed up to our room? We have a lot to talk about, and it’s noisy as hell in here.”
Both women looked confused, but Georgia nodded. “Of course. Let’s go.”
After they gathered up their things, Liam nearly ran out of the bar. It was hard for me to keep up with him wearing these heels.
“Liam! I can’t walk any faster in these shoes.”
He slowed. “I’m sorry, Mallory.”
I could see a mix of emotions on his face.
I was positive I looked just as confused.
Georgia and Sheila walked behind us through the lobby, none of us saying a word.
I was praying the elevator was empty because I had so many questions for Sheila.
How did she know me? Did we work together? Was she a friend of mine?
More people approached the elevators, and I looked at Liam. He gave me a reassuring smile that honestly didn’t do much to calm my pounding heart.
We got to our floor, and once again, Liam practically ran to get to our room.
“Liam, you’re dragging the poor girl,” Georgia drawled.
“Sorry. Our room’s right here,” he said, pulling out his key and tapping it on the keypad. The door unlocked, and we all walked inside. Before I could say a word, Liam held up his hands.
“Before anyone talks, let me explain everything first,” he stated, motioning for the two women to sit on the sofa in the room. I took the other seat, and Liam remained standing.
He looked at me, and I nodded for him to continue.
“Mallory has amnesia and doesn’t remember who she is.”
Sheila gasped. “What?”
“That’s terrible. What happened?” Georgia asked.
I let out a long breath. “It’s a crazy story, and long.”
Liam pushed a hand through his hair. “About a month ago, I was riding on my ranch at night, and it was storming. I found Mallory passed out in one of my pastures.”
“Wait,” Sheila said. “In Montana?”
Liam and I both nodded.
As he spoke and told them the trimmed-down version of my story—including how I didn’t want to go to the police and why, and his cousin Randy matching my fingerprints to a job I’d had in Arcola—Sheila’s eyes grew wider and wider.
“We came back hoping we could find some answers. Mallory didn’t have any friends she confided in, and we had no idea what happened to her once she moved to Chicago.”
“I can help with that,” Sheila stated. “You used to come into my parents’ deli nearly every single day to get something to eat after job hunting. You went on several interviews but hadn’t found a job yet. You hadn’t even been in Chicago for very long. I know you’d just recently moved there.”
I stared at Sheila, willing myself to remember her, but nothing was coming. My hands twisted in my lap as I fought to keep from crying. Would I ever remember who I was?
“Did you know where Mallory was staying?” Liam asked.
Sheila shook her head. “No. You only told us that you were staying in a motel near the deli and trying to find an office job.”
“Did I…um…did I ever come in with anyone? Like a boyfriend or something?”
Sheila laughed lightly. “Uh, no. My brothers were constantly asking you out, but you said you needed to focus on starting a new life, that you didn’t have time for dating. And believe me, they tried.”
Liam and I exchanged another glance. I could see the relief in his eyes. The worry of having someone else in my life slowly lifted off my shoulders.
“Then it makes sense why no one reported you missing,” Liam said as he paced the small living area of the room.
“When you stopped coming in, we just figured you’d gotten a job in another part of town, or maybe moved closer to the city center. You mentioned it once, but weren’t sure you could afford it,” Shelia said. Then she frowned. “How did you get to Montana, though?”
“I don’t know.” I sighed. “And you’re sure I never told you where I was staying?”
Sheila shook her head again. “No, I’m sorry, you didn’t.”
I dropped back into my seat. “Why can’t I remember you?”
She gave me a sympathetic smile. “I’m not sure. I’m so sorry, Mallory. So…how did you learn your name? Were you a total Jane Doe until Liam’s cousin ran your prints?”
“He—the monster who kidnapped me—called me Mallory, and I had one small memory of an older woman calling me that, as well. I think it was my grandmother.”
“This is like a Lifetime movie,” Georgia stated with a still-stunned expression on her face. “I think we should order pizza and stay here, see if we can figure out where you were staying.”
“Pizza sounds good,” I said, placing a hand over my stomach. “Now that we’ve narrowed down the area, it should be easy to find it. At least, I hope it is!”
Liam crouched in front of me and smiled. “We’re getting closer and closer. We found out so much on this trip, Mallory. Don’t give up.”
“What I want to know is, if you aren’t going to the police, how in the world will you find this guy?
What if he does this to another woman?” Sheila asked.
“I totally understand you’re scared that he or someone he knows might work in law enforcement, Mallory…
but wouldn’t you rather turn that fear into strength and stop this madman?
It seems to me if you went to the police, they could help more than they’d hurt. ”
My stomach roiled, and a wave of nausea hit me as her words sank in. She was right. I’d been letting my fear of that monster keep from doing what I should have done in the first place.
I exhaled a shaky breath. “She’s right. I’ve been so scared that he might find me, I never stopped to think of the next victim.”
Liam’s eyes watered, and I knew he was thinking of Emily.
“We’re pretty sure he’s taken other women…and I need to stop him. We need to stop him.”
“What can we do to help?” Georgia asked.
I looked at Liam, then back to Georgia and Sheila. “Say a few prayers we find out who he is before he finds out where I am.”
They both gave me a soft smile.
“Who feels like taking a drive to find that hotel?”
After driving around the area near the deli, we finally gave up with no luck and took Georgia and Sheila back home since they had taken an Uber to the hotel for drinks. Liam and I said our goodbyes and headed back to the hotel where we both passed out from exhaustion.