There were more people milling around, Matt and mom were watching me as I approached.
“Give her here son.”
It was hard letting her go, even to my father, my heart was still beating triple time, the adrenaline was leaving my body, and I started to get the shakes.
Dad took her and checked her pulse and other vital signs as she made waking noises, I kept her hand in mine, blocking out everything around me.
She looked pale as fuck and there were tear tracks on her cheek.
They pissed me the fuck off.
The anger came back full force, overshadowing everything else.
Then I looked around and saw him, and......
“Hold him....don’t let him through.....” That sounded like dad.
There were hands grabbing at me, voices calling to me, it all seemed to be going in slow motion, voices coming from a distance, as I mowed my way through them to get to my prey.
It felt like I had the strength of ten men when I fell on the fuck that’d touched my girl.
He cowered with his knees drawn up to his chest while deputies tried to get me off of him.
“Joshua...... son you have to stop, come on she’s waking up.”
Dad yelled after me but I couldn’t stop, wouldn’t stop until he was done.
“I told you what would happen if you came near her again you fuck.”
I heard the breaking of bones as I broke his fucking nose and jaw, this motherfucker had to die, that was the only thought in my head.
Was she afraid before the drug took her over, how much fear had she known, I will never know, it was heart breaking, it was one of the reasons I wanted his blood on my hands.
Piece of shit wept for his mother as I rained blows on his body, the Captain was finally able to get me off of him as it seemed his men weren’t too into the task.
I was doing what they couldn’t; she was their colleague’s daughter after all.
When I came to my senses, deputies were going in and out of the lodge, crime scene tape had been set up around the perimeter, they were calling in forensics and crime scene techs, and somebody was calling for the dogs to be brought in.
“I found one.” Somebody yelled from beyond the lodge.
I knew what that meant...she would’ve died here; if I hadn’t followed my gut and placed the tracker on her she would’ve been lost.
I looked over to where dad was helping her to sit up, her hand going to her head.
Falling back against the grass, I looked up at the stars as I tried to gather my thoughts.
Off to the side where the asshole was still whimpering like a bitch, I heard the Captain.....
“Travis Thorpe you’re under arrest for the kidnapping and unlawful imprisonment of.......
Chapter 37
Josh
“Joshua.......”
I heard her calling for me from where she sat with my father, for some reason I couldn’t go to her right away, I didn’t feel calm enough to be around her.
I wasn’t mad at my lamb in anyway, it’s just that the thought of what could’ve happened to her here tonight, was making me mental.
“Joshua.......”
“Coming baby.” Suck it up Steele; she needs you, that’s all that matters right now, you can deal with the rest later.
I rolled to my feet and walked towards her, my heart for some reason deciding to go crazy again.
I was running before I reached half way, she tried to get up, but poor thing she was still too weak.
Falling to my knees beside her in the damp grass, I held her as tight as I’d ever held her before, I wanted to absorb her into my skin, to wrap her in something soft and strong and keep her safe for always.
We were seventeen years old and already we’d lived a lifetime, how the fuck was I going to keep her safe, how could I protect her from all the darkness in the world?
Her body shook with tears as I held her in my arms.
“Ssh, ssh, it’s okay now, I’ve got you.”
“Travis......”
“I know baby, he’s gone now he can’t hurt you anymore.”
I made soothing noises as she calmed down again.
“Why were you out there baby?”
“I got a text from you telling me to meet you.....”
“Text, I didn’t send you any text.”
“It was your number I’m sure, I’m not lying I swear....”
“Babe, I believe you, I’m not blaming you I’m just trying to figure out what happened, I want to know how he knew you were there, did he say anything to you, was anyone else there?”
Before she could answer one of her father’s deputies interrupted.
“We need to ask you some questions Carrie, sorry.....”
“She needs to be checked out....”
“It’s okay Joshua; I want to answer his questions.”
“She’s going to the hospital to get checked out, you can question her there, or her father can do it later.”