Desire ch. 70 - Long Black Satin Lace

[itztigress3]

Chapter 70 – Long Black Satin Lace…
POV: Zac
Word Count: 6316

July 28, 2010; Wednesday

I had woken up at 8 and laid there in bed next to Casey. It had taken a long time to get the image of her face behind that cage out of my mind enough to sleep. She looked miserable and the entire side of her face was red. I hated that bastard so much and I had a long reply done when Casey took the phone and reminded me that her safety was in his hands and I didn’t need to piss him off. I finally got up and changed clothes, yesterday had been a blur really. I spent hours reviewing that fucking tape and I couldn’t figure out what about it bugged me. Emily seemed fine and the clothes matched Velma perfectly. I’d spent the rest of the day talking to FBI agents and reviewing things that we’d already reported. I felt like they were wasting my time and hers, they needed to be finding her.

I walked downstairs and found Isaac in the kitchen cooking breakfast and listening to one of our older albums.

“Hanson fan are you?” I asked.

“This Time Around happens to be my utmost favorite!” he exclaimed.

I smiled slightly and he winked at me. “I knew I’d get some kind of non-frown. Did you sleep at all?”

“For a little while, yes.”

He finished cooking and we ate at the table. “Taylor is on his way. I’m going to switch out with him today. Mom said to call her if you needed anything. She was so worried about you yesterday.”

“She spent all day here Ike but I was glad she was here because I wanted to punch the FBI man.”

“We know it’s frustrating, faith Zac they’ll find her. There watching everyone in Georgia.”

“Yeah, has Taylor left yet?”

“No. He was waiting on me to call actually.”

“You know, just tell him to stay with Natalie, she needs him right now much more than I do. I have Casey here with me, Layla is here as well and they’ll make sure I don’t do anything stupid. I believe even her brothers are coming back over.”

“Are you sure?” He asked.

“Yes. Ike, Natalie’s is pregnant and while I understand Taylor is worried, I’m a grown man.”

“It didn’t stop you from curling up in his lap Zac. You scared us when you did that. You haven’t done that since we were very young.”

I ran my fingers across the top of my glass. “I hadn’t felt that way since Granny passed. You know we were close and well it felt like my heart was being ripped out of my chest. I couldn’t think about anything but that pain at that moment, and I know it helped the last time.”

He patted my arm. “We understand Zac. If you need anything and I do mean anything, you call us. We love you and we love Emily and we’ll do whatever it takes to bring her home to you. Because I fully believe you were right so long ago, she was and is your soul mate and you cannot live without her. Well, your family can’t live without you so we’ll search every corner of the world until we find her.”

I smiled at him, maybe not my trademark but it was better than anyone else had gotten. “I will.”

He called Taylor as he left and I sat there letting the CD play and eventually it restarted and Runaway Run came on and I remembered it, would love to run away with her right now, it was a perfect anthem. As the song started I heard Layla coming down the steps.

Just a picture and a feeling and your face
How could I forget your touch your warm embrace?
And the shoes you wore with long black satin lace
As you walked into my mind…

The rest of the song however blurred from my mind because as the words shoes you wore with long black satin lace played I heard clicking of heels on the hardwood floor as Layla came down, I watched her walk to the sink and my eyes drifted to her shoes. High heels. A conversation that had taken place weeks ago before the promotional tour suddenly struck me; Velma and I were in the warehouse talking about her unusual clothing style and she’d told me she hated high heels and working at the studio 12-16 hours meant comfortable shoes.

It was something I had noticed in the surveillance video; the women with Emily wore black high top heels. I glanced at Layla as she went to the coffee pot and seen her black high top heels with lace around the top.

“Good morning, did you sleep ok?”

“Yeah.”

That couldn’t have been right; Velma was just trying to frame Layla as I am sure dozens of people own those shoes and Layla almost always wore high heels. She sat down with her coffee cup and put her hand over mine.

“Are you ok Hun? You seem a little lost there.”

“I’m fine just worried.”

“It’s understandable, takes time to heal Zachary.”

I didn’t say anything to that because what could I say? Time wasn’t going to heal this pain only Emily would and only her being in my arms would heal me.

“How are you I mean this can’t be easy on you, the two of you were kind of close.”

She frowned some. “Well…I mean…”

I raised an eyebrow and waited on her but she gave me this defeated look.

“She hates me Zac. She always has and she always will.”

“What are you talking about Layla?”

“Every time we’re alone she’s so reserved and we never talk about anything she likes or doesn’t, just weather and news. It’s why I didn’t stop honestly, because I mean she seems fine around you but when she’s alone with me she’s totally different.”

“She doesn’t hate you.”

“She does and I’m afraid when she comes home she’ll get worse because of Velma. God Zac she already hates me after that betrayal by someone she likes she’ll never talk to me.”

“I thought the two of you were getting along well.”

“Not really. I think the only reason she really even agreed to meet with me the few times we did was so you’d think she was trying. I mean, your friends with Amanda and Craig.”

I was kind of glad Casey came downstairs because I was feeling very uncomfortable in this conversation because I recall Emily telling me the exact same thing about Layla weeks ago.

“Anyways, it’s irrelevant right now. I um, need to tend to some business today. Will you be fine without me honey?”

I only nodded; I mean really Casey was here too.

“Great. I’ll pick up lunch from the diner on my way back in.”

“Don’t. There’s stuff here that will ruin if we don’t eat it.” Casey said.

She shot him a nasty look and this wasn’t my brain being sleep deprived. She got up and those heels clicked on the floor and even after she left I could hear them.

“Zac?” Casey asked.

I got up and went to the living room, rewound the tape to when Emily and Velma were in the store. I watched them talk, show pictures, and gesture wildly about their topic. I watched as Emily locked the door, pulled the registers and went to the office. I was more interested in Velma, I watched her walk to the door to clean them and sure enough, she was wearing red sneakers.

I sat in the floor in front of the TV and let myself go back and remember things, events and times. Layla had never expressed any feelings toward me other than those of friendship. She’d actually told me a few times there was no way in hell she could put up with me all the time. I had told her many times she was like my sister and she agreed. She and I were always close friends, but nothing had been spoken beyond that.

Layla hated Kate, there was no secret there and they had never liked each other. It strained our friendship because Kate didn’t want me around Layla at all; she didn’t trust her and thought she was a bitch. Layla had the same feelings toward Kate, Layla had only told me Kate wasn’t right for me, but she’d never tried to stop me from pursuing a relationship with her.

Layla had never said anything about not liking Emily. She had helped me look for her in 2003 but she had told me to stop a few times, to give up on finding her. Yet, our conversation in 2007 came to mind; when I told her I’d slept with Emily she was mad at me and treated me like a kid. She had been OK until I mentioned it happening again. But, was her anger because I was cheating on my wife then or was it because I wasn’t cheating on Kate with her?

“Zac?”  Casey asked.

His voice pulled me from the thoughts and I looked up at him. He sat down beside me and looked at the screen.

“What is it?”

“Isaac was playing This Time Around and a phrase in the lyrics made me think of something. Velma’s shoes, you remember her wild combinations a few weeks ago?”

“Yeah, I gave her a high five for being brave. I wouldn’t wear those combinations!”

“I commented once that she should wear heels and she told me she hated them so I went to see what she was wearing. She’s got on red sneakers.”

“Yeah, so.”

I forwarded the tape and just a few moments later the dark haired woman is talking to Emily.

“This woman is wearing black, laced topped heels. Velma wouldn’t wear them Casey and on top of that the time gap between her standing here and Emily leaving wouldn’t give her time to change shoes.”

“So, what are you thinking then?”

I frowned and looked at him. “Monday night when Layla came to the room I wasn’t asleep. She said something about making it better, that she could help me forget about Emily. She just told me it takes time to heal. What if Velma didn’t lie to me Casey? What if it was Layla with Emily?”

“She’s your best friend Zac, why would she do that?”

“What about what Mark said?”

He paused for a moment and I guess he was thinking about what Mark had told us. “Has Layla ever said or done anything to make you think that is how she feels about you?”

“No. She and Kate didn’t like one another but that was instant hate there. She did try to help me find Emily then, but there were times she told me stop but everyone did that. It wasn’t just her.”

“That is true.”

“I guess if I had to pick a moment it would be when I told her I slept with Emily for the first time. You know about that time and I called her afterward Emily left and I was confused because on one hand I wanted to make it work with Kate but that wasn’t going to happen and then on the other hand I had Emily there. She told me to leave her alone.”

“Well, truthfully Zac if you’d have called me I would have told you the exact same thing.”

“But you wouldn’t have been mad about it Casey, Layla was mad that I had sex with Emily while married to Kate. She was shocked when I mentioned divorcing Kate for Emily and when she found out we were engaged she pretty much stopped calling. Really, she didn’t get back in contact with me until….”

“Until when?”

“She called while we were on our honeymoon. When we came home she asked for lunch with me without Emily to talk about Mark and the divorce. Really, there was nothing that was bad. Emily said it was good for us to spend some time apart and she was with Velma and you.”

“What do you believe?”

“She knows how I feel about Emily and she knows that I love her with everything in me. I do not believe Layla is capable of this.”

He looked at the stilled footage. “But you just said it’s not Velma. So, if it’s not Layla and it’s not Velma then who is on the video, who does Emily trust enough to leave with them without you or I?”

“That’s a short list containing my mother, sisters, Nikki, Natalie and her friend Amanda.”

“But you know none of them would do this.”

“No. They all love Emily and there just as devastated as I am. None of them would want to see me or her hurting like this.”

He frowned a bit and slid over next to me, laying his hand on my knee. “I cannot tell you who to believe Zachary. What I can tell you is that myself, Taylor and Isaac are a bit uncomfortable with the way Layla is acting now. She calls you honey, even though you asked her not too. I saw her try to lay you down in her lap so she could stroke your hair and even though you didn’t, I could tell it made you sad. I know why, Layla isn’t Emily and you only let Emily do that. Did you know she’s come to the bedroom the last two nights?”

“She reminded me of Emily doing that when I’m sick or not feeling well. I did not know she came to the room.”

“She did, about 2 or 3 am both nights well after you were asleep and I tell you she looked a little freaked out to see me in there last night, but I gave my bed up for Isaac and honestly I knew where I needed to be was beside you.”

I felt the slight blush. “Well, only three people know what we’ve done. She doesn’t know about the things we’ve done.”

“I know. I’m just saying that her actions are alarming to me because it seems like she’s trying to take her place and Zac, Emily does not hate her.”

“I know. Emily and I have talked about that. Emily feels like Layla doesn’t like her and just kind of tolerates her.”

“Why don’t you just think about it while I shower because I stink?”

“You smell fine to me.”

He rolled his eyes but got up anyway. I thought about Layla’s actions and how she always wanted to do brunch alone or meet me for drinks, she was honestly surprised that Emily had not come with me the first time. I assured her, Emily trusted me to be alone with other women, and she wasn’t insecure about that. I thought it was because she just didn’t think Emily would understand about Mark, but what if that wasn’t it?

Because I needed more I made a few calls while I waited for her to return and requested a few things because I wanted to be certain before I brought it up and I even called the detectives who came to the house. I was replaying the footage again when she came back at 1:30 and she came in with even more brownies, even though I hadn’t even touched the first batch because they weren’t my mother’s or Emily’s.

“I brought a fresh batch.”

I glanced up and noticed she had changed clothes; these were tighter and more revealing than anything she had worn before. She still wore the black boots though and I could hear them clicking against the floor as she took the brownies to the kitchen. She then came back and looked at the TV screen.

“Really Zachary? This is not healthy for you. Why are you watching it again?”

“She’s my wife Layla; I want to understand what happen.”

She turned the VCR off and looked around. “Where is Casey?”

“I apparently kept him up last night kicking and moving, so he decided to lie down and nap.”

“He’s not who you want to be there, you need a woman Zac not some man.”

I frowned at her choice of words. “No Layla, I don’t need a woman. I need my wife. I need Emily to be there.”

“She’s not here Zac.”

“Because of that woman on the tape, because some woman wanted to ruin my life and hers, that’s why she’s not here.”

“Velma Zac. You said it yourself that it was Velma.”

I sighed. “She was cleared.”

It wasn’t a lie as soon as I discovered the heels aspect I called and Detective Walker went to her home and she didn’t own a pair of heel.

“Do they have anyone in mind?”

“They don’t really but I do have someone in mind.”

“Who?”

“You.”

“Me? Come on Zac.”

“Markus came by Monday and he was rather forthcoming about the real reasons for your divorce. I didn’t believe him but I called him this morning and he gladly faxed me a copy of your divorce. His reason was listed and you didn’t counter it, in fact it states that you did in fact do that. You didn’t miscarry Layla, you got an abortion.”

“I couldn’t tell him that I was raped Zac. He wouldn’t have understood and he would have wanted me to keep the baby. I couldn’t do that!”

“He told me what you told him Layla, that you done it because you wanted a baby by someone you love, he thinks that’s me. Please Layla; tell me that is not you on the tape. Tell me you did not lure my wife to be taken by that psychopath. Please Layla.”

She hesitated far too long before saying it wasn’t her and I felt fresh pain, betrayal and anger.

“You’re my best friend Layla, how could you? You know how important Emily is to me. You know how I feel about her. You know much I love her.”

Her eyes narrowed on me. “Love her? You don’t know what love is Zachary! You just lusted after her; love had nothing to do with it because really you told me you found her sexually arousing the first time you laid eyes on her. That is lust Zac, not love. That’s what led you to find her; it had nothing to do with love.”

“I wouldn’t have divorced Kate if it was just lust Layla, I love Emily.”

“Sure you would have, you and Kate never really loved each other Zac. I mean really, she spent your entire marriage fucking your best friend behind your back, most of them in fact. Emily shows up and suddenly you’re in love, no. Love is following the same fucking man for years waiting on him to realize you exist. Love is waiting for him to see the truth before him, that the person he should be with has been there all along.”

“You never told me how you felt. You agreed when I said it was friendship and a bond like with my brothers.”

“I shouldn’t have too Zac! You should have seen it. But, no you never saw me because of Kate and Emily. You came close to leaving Kate, you were on the edge and I was so hopeful and then you asked her to marry you. I accepted that because I knew that wouldn’t last, I knew eventually you would come to me. Each time you called me I prayed it was because you’d come to your senses. What did I get for that? You call me to seek approval for you cheating on Kate.”

“I didn’t call for your approval!” I snapped.

“Of course you did Zachary. I couldn’t believe you would be that way. Yet, there you were telling me you’d fucked someone and I was hoping it was some random bitch that just happen to catch you in horny enough mood.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “You knew I wouldn’t randomly have sex with someone Layla. You often said that was something you admired.”

“You bitched to me for months because Kate cut you off, I was expecting you to give in but I was praying you’d give in to me. But no, the bitch you give in to is Emily. I was there and did the same fucking thing she did; I let you cry on my shoulder too but you didn’t break down and fuck me.”

“You were married Layla, besides I wouldn’t have come to you because I don’t feel that way about you. You agreed that we were close but we weren’t that close.”

“Now we can be Zachary!”

I blinked at her, had she really said that? Had she suggested we be together?

“Now we can be what?” I asked.

“Together Zac, I’m not with Mark and Emily is gone. Sure we’d have to wait a bit just so people wouldn’t suspect but we can be together finally. We can find a nice home in the country and have a big family.”

I stood there shocked. This was not the Layla I knew, not the person I had grown up with. She was acting worse than Kate ever did and I could only watch as she walked to me and got my hands.

“It can be the two of us now Zachary. Can’t you see how much I care about you?”

Her touch made my stomach turn and I pulled away from her quickly.

“What have you done Layla?”

Again the soft feature hardened and she crossed her arms and huffed. “Fine! If you really have to fucking know so we can move on. Adam called me after your wedding to that bitch, I was not distraught Zachary, I was pissed off that you were being such a selfish bastard to marry her knowing you wanted to be with me. He apparently heard Kate talking about me and saying she felt I loved you, she really was a perceptive bitch. He made me an offer and I couldn’t refuse it. A hundred thousand dollars and all I had to do was get Emily to trust me enough to leave alone with me.”

I could feel the pain and anger, she’d said she wanted to know Emily better and wanted to be friends because she didn’t want us to be like we were with Kate, unable to really talk and be friends.

“You took his offer then?”

“Of course. He said he loved her like I love you and that we could all be happy with the arrangement. Originally he planned for Hanson Day, but that wouldn’t work because I needed time so she would trust me to be alone with me, she didn’t then because I only saw her with you. Yet, she would go off with that bitch Velma.”

I didn’t say anything to her.

“I really wasn’t sure if I could truly get her away, I had to separate her from you, Casey, her brothers, and then Velma. I saw the chance in your schedule for Sunday because everyone needed to be at the show but them. It took a small bribe for a fan to break some glass outside, it worked well. I was shocked. Getting her to come with me was very easy. I told her that you were meeting us at the diner.”

I stared at her blankly for a moment. “You did what?” I yelled.

“I told her you wanted to meet at the diner, she came willingly with me. She looked tired and worn down but she still came. She never even knew what was going on until it was too late. But that’s ok, because now we can be together Zachary. She’s out of the picture and he’ll take good care of her.”

She came forward with intentions of a hug, but I felt sick just thinking about it so I pushed her away.

“Don’t touch me.”

“Come on Zac, I have to touch you. I can’t please you if I don’t touch you...” her voice was low and meant to sound erotic but it just made me gag.

“Come on Zac, he’ll treat her nice he loves her.”

“Loves her? He has her in a fucking cage Layla! He’s beaten her for three fucking days. That is not love. You don’t know a damn thing about love because if you did you wouldn’t have done this! If you truly cared about me you wouldn’t have taken her from me Layla!”

“Come off the act Zac.”

I moved away from her because in all honestly I wanted to slap the hell out of her.

“Zachary?”

The tears came and she tried again to console me but I pushed her away from me roughly, she actually stumbled back onto the couch.

“It feels good to be taken control of; I can understand why Emily likes it.”

“Where is Emily?”

“Why should I care?”

“You stood there and watched him take her from me, if you know where he took her you better fucking tell me.”

She got up and got very close and I resisted the urge to shove her back again.

“Why? It’s you and me now. I love you Zachary. I know you love me.”

I looked right at her, could see no emotions in her eyes. “I do not love you Layla. If you know where he took her, you need to tell me now.”

“I’m not going to do that Zachary, I finally have you.” She beamed and went to throw her arms around me and I pushed her away this time the force was intentional and she landed much harder on the couch, she looked a little stunned.

I looked at her and braced myself because while I really didn’t want to believe that she had done this, that she’d caused so much grief and pain to myself and our families I couldn’t deny it anymore.

“Emily is my wife. There is no you and me, in fact I never want to see you again. I trusted you around her, I trusted you as my friend and someone that I cared about to not hurt me. It doesn’t matter if Emily is never found Layla, I will not be dating anyone else, I’ll never marry anyone again and I will spend the rest of my life looking for her. You have what you want which is Emily out of my life but I will never be yours.”

“You’re lying…” she said.

I walked toward the steps, could see Detective Walker standing at the music room door, where they had been the whole time and I paused and looked at her again.

“Layla, I want you to know that I blame you for this. I blame you for making me feel like my world has been ripped apart, like nothing is worth anything anymore. I blame you for every mark he has made to her and so help me god Layla if he kills her I will make sure you are charged with something. You cost us precious time in finding her by blaming Velma. The Detectives and FBI would like to speak to you now.”

“Detectives? FBI” She looked completely shocked when they came out of the music room, she’d never even bothered to look.

“Zac?” She asked.

I looked at her as a few more tears slid down my face. “You just admitted to several felonies Layla. I would advise that you cooperate with them and help them. Detective Walker if you need me I will be in my bedroom.”

She nodded and they turned their attention to Layla as I went up-stairs, I ignored her pleas for my help and Casey was waiting in the hallway for me.

“I’m sorry Zac. I really wish it was something else.”

“I understand, um...can you please get in touch with Velma for me? I owe her an apology and given she is concerned about Emily I think I need to talk with her.”

He nodded and I sat down in our bedroom and looked at the photos and the video he’d sent me last night. Photos of fresh marks on her inner thighs and the video showed him hitting her but no faces and Emily didn’t make a sound. I replayed them hoping it would solve the problem but it didn’t.

I felt so helpless and lost because I had no idea what to do right now. I’d spent months coordinating and making sure she was with trusted people and yet the person I felt she would be safe with she wasn’t. Could I trust everyone we knew? Would someone else do this to us in the future? What if it was weeks or months before we found her, by then she wouldn’t be the same Emily she was when she was taken.

The detective and an FBI agent did come talk with me, mostly to see why I had suspected her and that she wasn’t cooperating really. I was not aware of the full list of possible charges but the FBI agent names off conspiracy to commit, accessory to kidnapping, false testimony, and obstruction and that wasn’t final because she also seen the pictures and he said she could face charges for the abuse inflicted by Adam. I was honestly shocked that she could be, but she did deserve it.

They had found the van that had taken her in Georgia and prints confirmed Adam was there and Emily, but nothing was found in the driver’s side. Beyond that, there was nothing else they could tell me.  Casey came up and got me when they were gone.About 3 Velma came over with cookies and I was so glad it was not brownies, which were thrown away.

“I am so sorry Zac.” She said.

“No, you don’t owe me an apology I owe you one. If we had believed you then we could have been closer to Emily right now. I am sorry that I screamed at you and you don’t have to worry about your job, you are welcome there and here anytime.”

She got my hand and smiled some. “Don’t worry Zac, I knew you didn’t mean to hurt me and I completely understand. You have known Layla longer and I am very sorry that she felt she needed to do that.”

I nodded and I updated her on the lack of progress, because there was nothing else I could do really. She stayed for an hour before she went home and Casey fixed us something for dinner but again I didn’t taste much of anything. I sat in the center of the sofa in the quiet room just staring at the phone, he tended to send messages about now but by 8pm nothing had come. I felt Casey sit down beside me and without words he put his arms around me and held me tightly.

“They’ll find her Zac, I am sure they will.”

I just sat there before slowly looking at him. I’d cried, screamed, thrown things, held strong when my family was around but honestly, the idea of her being gone forever terrified me.

“What do I do if they don’t? He assured me that he’d make her forget all about me. What if he does? What if they find her and she’s too afraid to even be around me? What if they never find her Casey? What if he just sends me pictures of her for the rest of my life? I won’t be able to turn her number off or remove it.”

His eyes took on a haunted look and he brushed his fingers across my cheek. “If they don’t find her then you and I will spend the rest of our lives looking for her. If he has done what he said, then you and I will take as long as we need to help her. Her phone will be on eternally if that’s what needs to happen.”

I laid my head on his shoulder and he held me as we both waited for the message to come, but there wasn’t one. I got up at ten and picked up the phone.

“I think I’ll be ok tonight I’d like to see if I can sleep alone. But um…keep your bed available in case.”

He grinned a little. “I’ll check on you anyway but if you know where I am.”

I went to our room and after brushing my teeth and staring at her wedding rings for a bit I laid down, the bed felt empty and cold but sometime around eleven I closed my eyes, but it was my phone that woke me up at 1, I snatched it up from the table because it was a call.

“Emily?” I asked.

“No. Not Emily, you should know better than that.” He said.

I wanted to scream at him, yell and be mad but I couldn’t because he may hurt her for my actions.  “Is she ok? You didn’t send a picture.”

“I’m sorry I must have forgotten, how silly of me.”

I waited but no picture came and the line was just quite for 10 minutes.

“Do you want her back Zachary?”

“Yes.”

“What will you do to get her back? What is she worth to you?”

I swallowed. “I’ll do anything to get her back. I’ll pay whatever you want; I’ll do whatever you want.”

I heard him giggle. “So you’d tell the world that you and your friend Casey are fucking each other?”

I didn’t care how he knew; I could only image what he did to make her say that.

“Yes.”

“Interesting, you didn’t even hesitate. Tell me Zachary, the video I posted of you was it Casey who had you bent over the desk?”

“No. It was Emily.”

He was quite. “Have you learned how I obtained her?”

“Yes. You bribed Layla she admitted earlier and the police have her already.”

“Yes. I knew when Paul got to complacent that you wouldn’t allow another man to be near her, except of course for Casey, so I had to find a female. Someone she can relate too, unfortunately Emily bonded with the wrong female. But, it worked out.”

I remained silent.

“So, you will do anything to get her back?”

“Yes. I told you Adam, I will do whatever you want me to do. Just please give her back to me, let her come home.”

“There is a cab waiting in front of your house ready to take you to the airport. Once there, a private plane will bring you here where a second cab will bring you to Emily. If you want her back without any farther damage then you won’t call the police, you won’t tell Casey or your family. If you bring anyone with you, if you tell anyone then the last picture of her you will ever get will be slitting her throat. Is that clear?”

“Yes.”

“Good.” He then hung-up the phone and a moment later a picture of her came through tied to a white pole but she was unconscious.

I got up and put my pants and a t-shirt back on, it was stupid as hell of me to do but I couldn’t risk him killing her. I looked in the mirror in the bathroom for several moments before I took my wedding band off and put it with hers on the counter. If for some reason neither of us returns, they would always be together.

I then got my wallet and phone and eased out of the room. I checked to make sure Casey was asleep and he was, I silently apologized to him and everyone else. I know he would realize I was missing sooner than anyone else and I prayed they understood my decision.

I went downstairs and sure enough there was a cab sitting in front of the house. I stopped at the door, I should tell someone something. But, I wanted her back. If I didn’t do what he asked, he would kill her. I disarmed and re-armed the alarm making sure Casey would be safe alone in the house and then I got in the cab. The driver did not ask me for a location; instead he just left and drove to a private airfield just outside Tulsa.

A single plane was waiting and I never even saw the pilots, once I was in the plane a single man closed the doors and we took off. The flight itself was short, but I was nervous and kept wondering if I should text someone, but what if he found a way to bug them again? At 3:10 Casey sent a message asking where I was, I ignored it in the event Adam had found a way. I ignored all of his messages pleading me to reply, to say anything.

The plane landed in Georgia an hour and 45 minutes later and it was still dark here. Yet, I could see the cab waiting on me and no one else was nearby. The driver ensured I was alone and unarmed, patted me down and took my phone and wallet. He then held the door opened and I got in. This was very stupid, a huge risk, but I couldn’t live without Emily.

“It shouldn’t take too long.” He said.

I nodded and he closed the partition which was fine with me, but as we got on the road I began to hear a hissing noise and shortly after that, I felt the heavy feeling of sleep and I was sure as I laid down in the seat that I was being put to sleep. But the last thought on my mind was being able to hold Emily.