“I don’t know, Jag. I fucking don’t know.” Hudson tells him sounding resigned.
“You should know that you can trust me. How long have we been friends?”
“Jag, someone close to me kidnapped Mia. They fucking took her for over three fucking weeks. They knew where she was going to be and I need to find out how. There was only five people who knew that Jag, five. So no I don’t know who to trust right now.”
“You should fucking trust me! Christ, Hudson, do you really think I would have done this? She’s your woman, Hudson that means she’s family. She’s Sarah’s best friend, she’s made sure that my woman and my baby girl have been okay. I wouldn’t do anything to hurt her. Ever.” The anger that Jagger has is understandable, hell even I’m mad that Hudson thinks he can’t trust Jagger.
“He raped her, Jag, the man that took the woman I love. Raped her.”
My breath catches at his words. I never wanted him to find out, I never wanted anyone to find out. I truly believed that when Lacey died no one would ever know. But he does and I honestly don’t know how to react to that news.
“Fuck, Hudson.” It’s a guttural sound, one that reminds me of a wild animal that’s been cornered.
“So, while I appreciate the doc saying she’s going to be okay. I don’t think she will be. Someone close to me did this to her. They assaulted her in every way possible, they killed her best friend in front of her and kept her in a fucking basement like a damned animal.”
“I know that you’re going to do whatever it takes to make her safe. Whatever that may be. Trust me, Hudson, I’ve never betrayed you and I never would. You’re my brother and it fucking hurts that you even thought it could be me. I know that you’ve got your father working on this but I am too. I’m going to find out who did this to you, to Mia.”
I hear movement followed by a door closing. My lips part and I try and say his name, “Hudson.” It comes out hoarse, my eyes still can’t open, and as I try my entire body is protesting against it.
“Fuck.” His curse is followed by a chair scrapping against the floor. “Mia, fuck.”
I lick my lips. “Hudson. Where am I?”
Hands roam my face and I move from the touch, crying out in pain as I do.
His hands immediately leave my face. “Mia, it’s me. You’re safe.” Hurt in his voice.
“Where I am?” I ask again feeling awful for pulling away from him.
“You’re in a safe house, the doctor has been and she’s made sure you’re okay.”
“Why can’t I open my eyes?” I still can’t open them.
“Mia, you were hit in the face. It was a severe blow that you took. It’s broken your eye socket. Not only that, the fucker broke your nose. Your eyes are swollen.”
“How bad does it look?” I ask, imagining the worst. “What else happened?” I can’t remember much after crawling onto the mattress beside Lacey. My heart hurts thinking about her, it’s my fault that she’s dead. If I had just called Hudson when I found out who he really is, this wouldn’t have happened.
“You look gorgeous as always. Mia, Lacey died, you were…” He pauses, unable to continue.
“I know, I know,” I whisper, I can’t say the word either. “Hudson, who was it?” I know that whoever it is, they’re familiar to me but I just can’t put my finger on who it was.
“I don’t know, Princess. I’m going to find out.” He sounds broken. “I can’t trust anyone,” he whispers, “I don’t want to trust them.”
“It wasn’t Jagger. I promise you that.” I can’t have him thinking it was Jagger, he needs him now more than ever.
“How sure are you,
Princess?” So much relief in those few words.
“I’m certain. Jagger has such a distinctive accent. The man didn’t have an accent, Hudson.”
“I’m going to find out who it is. They’re not going to get away with this.” The way he talks, the anger in his voice it reminds me of what my mom told me. This is who he is.
“What are you going to do to him?” I shouldn’t have asked but I need to know.
He sighs. “Mia, this is who I am. I’m not going to change.”
I blindly reach out for him, my hands grazing against his hard calloused hand. “I never asked you to. I just wanted to know what you were going to do when you find him.”