Chapter 13
JAMISON
It’s been the longest two days of my life, and another one is upon me. I haven’t slept but for a few minutes when my brain literally shut off while I sat on Hunter’s couch waiting to hear back from my security team.
I pick up my phone off the island and check to see if there’s any news. It’s close to noon, so I expected to hear something by now.
Aiden rounds the corner after coming down from the upstairs bedroom, looking as bad as I feel. “Any word?”
I shake my head and stare at the screen. “You?”
“Nothing yet, but that’s not to say they didn’t track the signal. I told you the team isn’t telling me anything for fear I’ll breach their takedown plan.”
I place my phone down and rub my temples. The only good that’s come from this is Hunter, Aiden, and I are working together to find Dori. Nothing like soul-burning dread to bring us together.
Aiden stares at me from across the island. “Where’s Melanie?”
“She’s in the room at the top of the stairs, trying to sleep.”
“Did Jonah leave? ”
“Yeah. Hunter’s in the shower, so it’s just you and me.”
He nods but doesn’t say anything. I take it as a sign to keep my mouth shut. Nothing good can come from us trying to work out our shit under this kind of stress.
I spin off the stool and trek to the window. Waiting for information is killing me. The only thing that’s keeping me going is Dori’s bracelet was activated. I know we’re going to find her. I just hope it’s not too late.
Aiden clears his throat. “I’m never going to be okay with what you did.”
Well, there goes his good sense to stay away from the sensitive subject. I stay where I am, astounded by his audacity to approach this right now.
“That changes nothing.” I look over my shoulder in his direction. “Besides, I’m never going to be okay that you turned a blind eye to the guys who have her.”
His eyes twitch as he goes pale. “I dropped anonymous tips whenever I could.”
“Yeah, and look what good it did.” I hold his guilt-ridden stare.
Hunter appears from the hallway. “Jamison, if you need a shower, you can use the one in my room.”
“No thanks. I want to wait until we hear something before I make myself unavailable.” I turn away.
Aiden's phone rings, bringing my attention right back to him.
He answers it as he paces in the kitchen. “This is Fisher.”
Hunter tosses the towel he’s using to dry his hair on the back of a chair in the sitting area near the bar.
He focuses on Aiden. “Hopefully, this is the news we’ve been waiting for.”
My legs move, taking me to where Hunter and Aiden are, as if I don’t have a choice in the matter. Who am I kidding? I don’t because anything that has to do with Dori magnetizes me to it .
“Uh-huh.” Aiden stills. His gaze darts between Hunter and me. “And when will that be?”
I stop near the island next to Hunter. “It sounds like?—”
“Have you got eyes on her?” Aiden twists away. A second passes, and he faces us again, smiling. “And you’re sure it’s her?”
Hunter’s shoulders soften as he releases a heavy sigh. “Thank God.”
Hope springs in my chest, but I don’t want to assume anything until Aiden verifies it. I hold my breath and wait.
“Where and when?” He glances around and looks at Hunter. “I need a piece of paper and a pen.”
Hunter nods and rushes to a drawer. He rummages through it and tosses the items on the counter in front of Aiden.
Aiden takes the pen and makes a note. “Can we go now?”
My heart rate speeds up. I can’t hold myself back from believing Dori’s been found and I’m going to see her soon. Overwhelm bubbles up in my throat, and emotion chokes me. I breathe a sigh of relief.
Aiden finishes writing. “Thanks, Hardman. We’ll be waiting for her there.”
He hangs up with excitement pulsing off him. “They have her. She’s being taken to a hospital about two hours from here.”
“Why a hospital? Is she hurt?” A wave of concern ripples through me, and nausea sets in.
“Not that I know of. They always take people to the hospital after an abduction to gather evidence and make sure the victim is okay.” Aiden tips his chin at Hunter. “Can I go with you since I don’t have a car here?”
Hunter’s eyes narrow, and his voice falters. “What kind of evidence?”
“I’m wondering the same thing. She was with sex traffickers, after all.” I study Aiden as I get lightheaded, praying with everything in me nothing happened to her.
I’m sick to my stomach with dread. If they hurt her in any way, I don’t know how I’ll hold myself together. I visibly tremble.
What Hunter and I are asking finally hits Aiden.
He lowers his head as he goes white as a ghost. “They didn’t say if anything happened. I have to believe they would’ve warned me, but…”
My chest tightens but in the blink of an eye, heaviness leaves my body. She’s safe. I’m grateful as fuck she’s been found but scared out of my mind about what she went through. The room fills with unease.
Hunter juts his chin toward the door. “Let’s get on our way. She’s going to need us there no matter what.”
“I’ll get Melanie, and we’ll follow you there.” I turn to go upstairs.
Hunter calls out right as I get to the staircase. “Hold the faith, Jamison. She’ll need our strength.”
I nod but don’t look back. My stomach hardens. I can’t shake the feeling something terrible has occurred.
Melanie drives us to the hospital, reassuring me the entire way. She keeps saying it’s the lack of sleep and stress causing me to think so negatively about what Dori went through.
Once we get there, I pace the waiting room, along with Aiden and Hunter. “How long does it take to interview someone?”
Aiden checks his phone. “It can take a while.”
“Um-hum.” I catch a blonde nurse in blue scrubs entering the room and practically jump in front of her. “Can we see her now?”
“They're doing a few more tests and giving her some fluids. When they're done, I’ll let you in to see her.” She flashes me a supportive smile.
I furrow my brows. “What kind of tests?”
She glances around the room, then finds my worried gaze. “I’m afraid I can’t disclose that due to HIPPA laws.”
I grit my teeth. “Can you at least tell us if she’s okay?”
Right as I ask, a guy in a gray suit steps into the room. “Aiden, glad to see you.”
“Hey, Hardman. Thanks for keeping me updated.” Aiden rushes to shake his hand.
They share a few words as the nurse excuses herself. The rest of us hang back, but we don’t take our eyes off them.
This Hardman guy motions to us. “I take it this is Melanie, Jamison, and Hunter.”
Aiden answers, “Yeah.”
Hardman nods. “She was asking if you were here.”
Aiden cuts in. “What can you tell us?”
“They caught a few guys in the raid.” Hardman places his hand on Aiden’s shoulder. “Joan Venturi and Isabella Carter were at the sale and arrested. They’re being held for human trafficking, kidnapping, force with a deadly weapon, and a host of other charges. They won’t be getting away with this.”
I shift my weight from side to side. “What do you know about Dori? Is she okay?”
He slides his hands into his pockets and addresses me. “She’s a little bruised, dehydrated, and groggy from being drugged. Try not to worry about the baby. I’m sure it’s fine.”
Baby?
My heart trips over a beat. I’m sure that’s what he said.
“What baby?” Aiden asks, his tone filled with disbelief.
And I’m right there with him. My chest heats, and a new wall of protectiveness fills me to my core .
I have so many conflicting feelings coursing through my blood. Anger that she was put in this situation. Excitement about her being pregnant. And an array of a thousand more emotions I can’t cling to.
Hunter’s shoulders go slack, and he glances at me. “You didn’t tell us she was pregnant.”
Hardman runs his hand over his chin. “Sorry. I thought you all knew.”
“No. This is the first I’m hearing about it.” Aiden stalks over to me. “It was bad enough and now this? How could you keep something like this from us?”
“I didn’t know.” I peek over at Mel with the question in my eyes.
Her mouth gapes open, and her eyes are the size of saucers. “Jami… Wow.”
“Did you know?” I ask as my pulse races.
She shakes her head. “I swear, I knew nothing.”
It doesn’t make sense. Dori would’ve told me if she were.
I face Hardman. “Why do you think she’s pregnant?”
He shrugs. “By luck, there was an undercover sting going on with this group of traffickers. One of our guys was working with them. When we took him in for questioning, he told us everything. He said she told him right before they tried to sell her in an effort for him to stop it from happening.”
The magnitude of the last few days takes hold, and my legs nearly give out. I sit in a chair and bend over, scrubbing my face with my palms.
Dori had to endure all that terror while pregnant. She must be a wreck.
But why wouldn’t she tell me about her pregnancy? Was she considering not having it? Was she going to tell me?
None of it makes sense, but I need to push that aside and focus on her well-being. That’s the only thing that matters at this point.
The others move around the room, discussing all that’s gone down during Dori’s time away, but all I can think about is if she and our baby are okay.
I rub my chest over my aching heart. Neither one of us can take another loss like we had when she lost our first child.
A gut-punching thought comes to mind.
I rise to my feet. “You said there was an undercover agent there. Did he say if she was assaulted?”
Silence and heaviness fill the room. Hardman assesses us as he stalls for a beat.
“Not that I know of, but they stripped her of her clothes and were in the process of selling her when the raid took place.” He pats Aiden on the shoulder. “Sorry, man. I know this can’t be easy.”
Just hearing how they violated her has me seeing red. I’m about to blow a gasket when Melanie runs her hand over my back.
“Jami, she’s strong, and she’ll be okay.”
Hunter squares his posture. “How long before the assholes are locked away for good?”
“They're in custody and will be in front of the judge by Wednesday.” Hardman dips his chin at Aiden. “The charges are solid. And your sister already gave her statement, which can only help the case. I expect they’re all in for lengthy sentences.”
Aiden’s brows pinch together. “Do they have enough to hold everyone?”
“Yes. The agent working the case has been filtering details to the department for a couple of years. There’s plenty of evidence to nail them all to the wall.” Hardman’s phone rings. “I’ve got to take this, but I’ll keep you posted.”
He answers his phone on his way out.
Hunter rubs his neck. “Once we know more, I’ll help any way I can.”
“Thanks.” I want to protest, but I can use all the help I can get to make sure his sick mother and Isabella burn in hell .
He glances down then scans the room. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to make sure the police keep Isabella safe. She may deserve to rot, but until my son is born, I need to…”
Mel nods. “We understand, Hunter. Go take care of your son.”
He lifts his chin higher and takes a deep breath as determination sets on his face. He spins on his heels and disappears out of the room.
I can’t imagine how it would feel to have a woman I couldn’t stand carrying my child. A part of me feels for Hunter. We may not be friends anymore, but I don’t wish ill of his son.
Who knows? Maybe this child will change him for the better. That thought takes me right back to Dori.
She’s pregnant.
I’m beyond excited but need to know why she didn’t tell me.
What if she didn’t want me to know?
Melanie pulls me from my thoughts. “Aiden, why do you think it’s taking so long?”
“I don’t know.” He runs his hand over the back of his neck. “I’ve never worked a case like this.”
“Really?” She sits next to me. “What kind of cases did you work on?”
He glances around the room then peers over at us. “I was assigned a few different types of cases.”
“Like what?” Mel leans forward, giving him all her attention.
I’m curious about his line of work too, so I focus on this conversation while trying to remain sane. The waiting for information on Dori is driving me mad.
He finds a chair across from us and sits. “My longest assignment was investigating high-level fraud. We took down one of the biggest Ponzi schemes known to man. ”
“That must have been rewarding.” She rests back against her chair.
Aiden’s success impresses me. To dissolve a predator that destroys lives like that has to feel pretty damn good.
Maybe Aiden does have some good in his heart. If only he would’ve stuck to that and turned in his dad.
Aiden shrugs like it’s no big deal. “It was, but it was short-lived. All too soon, the next assignment came. It was just a reminder there will always be horrible people out there running the show.”
The blonde nurse steps back into the waiting room. “Jamison?”
Aiden twists toward her. Mel and I trade a glance.
“That’s me.” My heart hammers in my chest.
“Dori would like to see you now.” She smiles and gestures down the hall. “Come with me, and I’ll show you to her.”
“Can we all go?” Aiden interjects.
She shakes her head. “She wants to see Jamison alone.”
Aiden’s head lowers, and Melanie shrinks back. I don’t have it in me to discuss Dori’s wishes with them. She needs me, and I need to hold her and make sure everything is okay.
I stand and motion to the door with a slew of emotions twisting my stomach in knots. “Lead the way.”