My Sweetheart (Book 3 in The Love and Dessert Trilogy) Read online

  Jane clenched her eyes shut as memories of the previous night pushed in, making her heart race. Alex Foster. He’d taken her from the club and he’d hurt her. He’d brought her here to this house, and he’d obviously touched her, taking off her clothes and doing who knows what else. She shivered in revulsion, whimpering at the thought of Alex’s hands on her. She stood up on shaky legs and moved quickly to the window. She pushed the curtains aside and saw that it was early morning. She was used to getting up before four so it must be at least six o’clock. She glanced behind her at the closed door and studied the window. She opened the latch and tried to push the window up. Nothing. She bit her lip and stared at the window and saw immediately that Alex or someone had drilled the window shut.

  Jane turned around, searching the room for anything she could use to break the window. The room was still dark, but there was nothing in the room but a bed. No lamp, dresser or any furniture of any kind. She walked quickly over to the closet and opened the door. She turned the closet light on and frowned. There were women’s clothes hanging on hangers and shoes on the floor. She fell to her knees and scanned the bottom of the closet for a stiletto. Something that would help her break a window or if it came to it, break Alex’s nose. All the shoes were basic women’s shoes, flats, high heels and tennis shoes. Nothing that could cause any real damage.

  What she wouldn’t give for the metal baton Layla had just given her. A lot of good it was doing her sitting on her dresser at home.

  Jane pushed thoughts of home aside as she ran her hands over the pockets of the jackets, looking for keys or anything. She had to focus because right now, she was on her own. She saw a ski parka toward the back and felt in the front pockets and came back empty. She felt the interior pocket and felt something small and hard. She quickly slipped her hand in the pocket and pulled out a small laser pointer, the kind people used for presentations. Kids loved to get their hands on these things and point them in people’s faces. She frowned at it, watching the bright red beam play on the floor where she pointed and then gasped as she realized she had a chance. She raced for the window and shined the laser at passing cars, trying to get anyone’s attention. The two cars that passed by were gone quickly, ignoring her attempts completely. She stood stiffly in disappointment, staring down the street willing another car to come along. She finally gave up and turned away staring at the door in front of her and knew that she would have to try it.

  She walked slowly across the carpet to the door and pushed her ear up against the wood. She slowly turned the knob and pushed against the door. No luck. She closed her eyes and tried the other way, pulling towards her and gasped in surprise as the door moved. She peeked out the door, swallowing hard as she began to perspire. The hallway was dark and empty but she could see a light coming from down stairs. She could make a run for it but she didn’t know where Alex was. She glanced at the other rooms along the hallway and paused as she inched out of the doorway. What if the other rooms had windows that weren’t drilled shut? That might be a safer bet.

  Jane shut the door to her room and then inched toward the next door that was halfway open. She pushed the door wider and moved inside, scanning the room. It looked like a little girl’s room with pink walls and stuffed animals on the bed. She let out a sigh when she saw it was empty. She moved quickly toward the window and looked through it. This room faced the side yard. She was scared of dropping so far from the second story, but she’d rather have a broken leg then be imprisoned by Alex.

  She could just imagine how frantic her sisters must be. She felt tears build behind her eyes at the thought of how upset Layla would be knowing that someone had hurt her. Kit would just be flat out murderous but Layla would be in pain. Too much pain for someone expecting a baby. And Tate. What must he be thinking? By now they had to know she was gone. Hopefully one of her sisters had called Tate. She pictured him worrying about her, upset and angry and felt a rush of adrenaline. No, she had to escape and she had to do it now.

  She grasped the wood encased window and pushed up and felt a little give. It was warped but it wasn’t nailed or screwed shut. She crouched down and pushed as hard as she could and felt it give a couple inches. She glanced at the small opening and knew it was too small for her to squeeze through. She breathed in deeply and tried again, pushing with all her might and felt it give another inch. She let go and leaned her forehead against the window.

  Creak Creak Creak

  Jane flinched and whipped around as she heard the sound of footsteps coming up the stairs. Her mouth fell open in horror and knew she only had one more chance to get out that window before he was on her. Jane grasped the bottom of the window and pulled up, not even caring about the harsh grating sound it created. She gasped as she heard the sound of running feet and quickly sat on the window ledge, swiveling her body out just as the door flew open and Alex rushed through.

  Why hadn’t she locked the door?

  Jane ignored Alex and pushed herself out the window, keeping hold on the ledge with her hands. She glanced down and saw how far she had to fall and braced herself to let go, clenching her teeth as adrenaline raced through her body.

  “Jane! Don’t let go!” Alex screamed, reaching for her.

  Jane looked up into Alex’s shocked face and let go just as his hands touched her. He was too late. She was free. She hit the ground sooner than she thought she would and felt the impact go through her feet and up her spine, radiating pain throughout her whole body as she crumpled on the ground, rolling to her side. She immediately looked up and saw the back of Alex’s head disappear. He would be outside any minute.

  Jane moved to her knees, groaning loudly at the excruciating pain flaring from her right ankle. She lurched forward, putting all of her weight on her good leg and dragging her bad leg behind her. She had to make it to the street. She prayed fervently for a passing car and heard the sound of vehicles coming down the street from far away.

  She made it to the corner of the house just as Alex ran through the front door. Jane screamed as loud as she could, “Help! Help me someone! Help me, I’ve been kidnapped!” she yelled over and over, praying that someone would see her and help.

  Alex dove for her, covering her mouth with his hand and wrenching her face to the right making her scream in pain.

  “Shut up! Do you hear me! Shut up,” he breathed in her ear. “I haven’t kidnapped you. I just wanted some time with you. Time we would have had if you’d just agreed to go to dinner like a civilized human being,” he said and attempted to pick her up.

  Jane went for his eyes, but he dodged her fingers. She tried kicking out but collapsed on her bad leg, groaning in agony. Alex was on top of her immediately, taking advantage of her injury. She twisted and flung her head back and forth. She would not make this easy for him. He would have to kill her to get her back in that house.

  She finally got her mouth free and screamed again right before Alex lost patience and hit her on the side of the head making her cry out in pain and fear. She whimpered and tried to crawl away, but Alex grabbed her arm, pulling her across the grass.

  And then she was free.

  Jane fell back onto the wet cold grass as the sounds of fighting surrounded her. She turned on her side, lifting herself up and pushing the hair out of her eyes. Right in front of her she saw Tate slamming his fist over and over into Alex’s stomach.

  “Tate!” she screamed but he either didn’t hear her or couldn’t hear her over the sounds of Alex begging for mercy.

  And then she was being lifted by strong arms into the air. She screamed in fear and then Kam’s face appeared, followed by Michael’s and Hunter’s, surrounding her, their faces mirror images of shock and anger.

  “Kam, give her to me,” she heard Michael say. “Kam, you and Hunter pull Tate off of Alex before he kills him. You’re the only one strong enough to stop him now.”

  Michael’s arms went around her and then she was being carried away. She twisted her head to look over Michael’s shoulder and saw
Kam tackle Tate from the side while Hunter grabbed Alex in a headlock, twisting his body and flinging him onto the grass in a move that looked as painful as it was brutal. She blinked in surprise as the gentle man she knew kicked Alex in the side.

  She let her head go and looked away closing her eyes tightly at the violence. She could hear Tate screaming at Kam to let him go and Kam’s soothing voice entreating him to calm down. Michael opened his car door and sat her gently down in the driver’s seat and then immediately dialed 911 on his cell.

  “Come quickly, we just found Jane Kendall. Alex Foster kidnapped her. We drove up to ask him if he knew where she might be and we found him beating her in his front yard. We had to restrain him,” he said dryly, staring at Kam, still holding Tate down as he fought to be free so he could finish Alex off.

  Jane, swallowed hard and bit her lip as Hunter kneeled on Alex’s back, his arms held tight behind him. Michael touched her gently on the chin, tilting her face up and wincing at what he saw.

  “Send an ambulance. She’s hurt,” he said, his voice low with emotion and anger. Michael’s hands clenched into fists and his face hardened, his eyes going dark and violent. Within moments it seemed like they heard the sound of sirens coming closer and closer. She leaned against the seat in Michael’s car and tried to ignore the sound of Alex cursing and shouting.

  Michael kneeled down in front of her, taking both of her hands in hers and looked searchingly up into her face. “Jane sweetie, before I call Layla and Kit, tell me . . . did Alex . . .?” he said, his eyes sad and hopeless.

  Jane stared at him unseeingly and shook her head once and then stopped. She had no idea what Alex had done to her. “He knocked me out last night at the club. When I woke up this morning, I was wearing this nightgown. I don’t . . . know . . .” she said, her voice wavering and shaky before she covered her mouth with her hands and began sobbing, lowering her head as her shoulders shook.

  Michael put his arms gently around her and held her against his chest as the police cars pulled up to them. She heard running feet come toward her and then Michael was pushed out of the way and she was being pulled into strong arms that she would have known anywhere.

  “Sweetheart, Jane, . .” Tate said over and over again as he rocked her in his arms.

  Michael moved to intercept the policemen, but they recognized Tate and bypassed Michael as two officers went to Hunter and took over Alex.

  Tate kissed her gently on the head and began talking quickly and loudly to the men he recognized. He described driving up to the house and seeing Alex restraining her, her fighting him off and him punching her in the head.

  The ambulance arrived then and Tate carried her to the back lifting her up into new arms.

  “I’ll be with you as soon as I can. Michael will go with you now and your sisters will be waiting for you at the hospital. I love you Jane,” he said, his dark brown eyes still swimming in fury.

  She reached out a shaking hand toward him but she was being strapped down. Michael jumped up beside her and they were on their way. He used his phone to call Layla, running his hands through his hair, looking upset. “Baby, we found her,” he said, his voice breaking with emotion.

  Jane opened her eyes and saw him wipe a tear off his cheek as he took in a shuddering breath. “I know sweetie, I know. Tate was right. I’ll fill you in later on the details but right now call my mom to watch Stella and grab Kit and meet us at the hospital. She’s pretty banged up. He was hitting her when we got here,” he said, breathing heavy and wiping another tear away, his voice vibrating with rage.

  “Okay baby, I’ll tell her. I’m with her in the ambulance right now. . . um, no. Now’s not good. You can talk to her when you get to the hospital. Jane’s been through a lot. She needs you,” he said and closed his eyes in pain before slipping his phone back into his pocket.

  He covered his mouth with his hand as he stared down at her, shaking his head. “You’re the sweetest, kindest girl in the world. It kills me that he hurt you,” he said, looking away.

  Jane closed her eyes as the paramedic took her vital signs. She moaned as he touched her ankle. They lifted the nightgown above her knees and Michael’s intake of breath told her it was bad. As the paramedics assessed her ankle, Michael tried to keep her distracted and told her a story of Stella putting Layla’s makeup on Bubba.

  Jane tried to smile, not because the story was funny, although someday she might think so, but because it might help Michael relax. They reached the hospital shortly and she was being pulled out and wheeled into the hospital. After that it was a blur of people and rooms, nurses and doctors leaning over and asking her gentle questions. She was soon in a hospital gown and being wheeled into a room where they took an X-ray of her leg and then she was being wheeled into a new room.

  She was mortified by the physical exam the on call gynecologist did but it was over quickly. She rolled onto her side, groaning at the pain but not wanting to look at or talk to one more person. A gentle touch on her shoulder had her turning and glaring.

  “Hi Jane, I’m Doctor Thayne. I just looked at your X-rays and you have a badly sprained ankle. It’s swollen and purple and blue but it’s not broken. You’re very lucky. Your other injuries are superficial. You have a slight concussion and you are covered in bruises. I just spoke to Dr. Grant and he informed me that you were not raped,” he said gently patting her arm.

  Jane closed her eyes as tears seeped down the sides of her face and her body began to shake with relief. Doctor Thayne took her hand in his and cleared his throat lightly. “Our trauma counselor will be down to talk to you shortly. Your sisters are waiting outside. Would you like to see them?”

  Jane kept her eyes shut but nodded her head jerkily. She heard the swish of the door and then she heard her sisters rush through the door. She expected a volcano of voices, but it was completely quiet. The only sign that her sisters were there, were the feeling of her right hand being clasped by two hands and her other hand being clasped by two more.

  Sobs erupted continuously from her chest as her sisters tried to surround her with support and love. She felt a gentle hand smooth the hair off her forehead as someone else leaned their head against her shoulder. They stayed like that for at least ten minutes before she was able to control her crying and open her eyes. When she did, she saw Kit and Layla sitting on either side of her on the bed, staring down at her with wet eyes and loving smiles.

  “You don’t have to stop Jane. It’s good to get it out,” Layla said quietly, staring at her with sad, knowing eyes.

  Jane nodded and tried to clear her throat. “I don’t know why I’m being such a baby,” she whispered. “I’m fine. He didn’t . . . they said he didn’t . . .” she stopped, for some reason unable to actually voice what she had feared the most.

  Kit leaned forward and touched her cheek. “He didn’t rape you Jane. Probably the only reason he’s still breathing. Hunter told me how Tate went after Alex for hitting you. I don’t even want to think about what he would have done to him if he’d taken things that far.”

  Jane breathed in and out slowly trying as hard as she could to calm her emotions. “He was watching me last night when I was out with Meredith. I didn’t even know he was there. She wanted to go dancing and when I went to find the bathroom, he grabbed me. He hit me on the head and I woke up this morning in a strange bed and wearing a weird lacy nightgown,” she said, shivering at the memory.

  Layla nodded. “And then what happened?” she asked gently.

  Jane closed her eyes and recounted her experience up until the point where she was dangling from a two-story window . “And then I dropped down from a side window. I’ve never felt pain like that before,” she muttered, looking down at her wrapped ankle propped up on a pillow. “I tried to get to the road to call for help, but he caught me. I started screaming and then that’s when he hit me and everyone showed up,” she said tiredly, feeling woozy from the pain pills she’d been given for her ankle.

  “Jane?”


  Everyone turned around and saw Tate standing in the doorway, wearing his uniform and looking grim. Kit and Layla immediately stood up.

  “Sweetie, Kit and I are going to go talk to Michael and Hunter outside for a moment while you speak to Tate. We’ll come back in a little while,” Layla assured her and then walked to Tate, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him on the cheek. Kit touched his arm briefly, smiling at him and then she was alone with him.

  Tate shut the door behind her sisters and walked quickly to her, sitting on the edge of her bed and touching her cheek.

  “How are you,” he asked, frowning at the bruise on the side of her face.

  Jane nodded her head once. “I’m okay,” she said simply and reached out to take his hand.

  Tate stared at her, his eyes an ocean of pain, anger and relief. “Meredith thought at first you’d ditched her at the club. She left after waiting for you for an hour. That was about ten or ten thirty. She said she kept calling you but it went immediately to voicemail. Around midnight she called Kam and he called me. I woke up your sisters and that was around one in the morning. We wondered for a while if you were just driving around or if um, . . . you had met someone. Meredith mentioned a man asked you to dance and how cute he was,” he said looking at her with a faint smile.

  Jane’s mouth fell open in shock. “You all were wondering if I’d found someone at the club to hook up with and left with him?”

  Tate grinned at her expression and shrugged. “It happens. I was working late, you might have been bored.”

  Jane’s eyes narrowed and she crossed her arms over her chest. “Everyone knows I’m crazy in love with you. I wouldn’t even dance with that guy,” she added, seething that anyone would think for even a second she’d just take off with some strange man.

  Tate patted her knee and continued. “Well, I didn’t believe it. I had a feeling something was very wrong. But we waited for you to show up for another hour. I went back to the club and talked to the manager. He showed me a phone he’d found in the hallway and I recognized it as yours. It was at that point that we started to seriously think that you were in danger.”