Rock Chick 03 Redemption (15 page)

After I did that, Vance took over, pressing a couple of buttons. The navigation system calculated the route and Vance swung a uey.

Then the male voice said, “What can I report to Hank and Tex?”

“She’s safe. Let me get her checked out. Then I’l cal in and you can let Lee decide.”

“I’m here,” another voice said, a voice I knew was Lee’s.

I closed my eyes and leaned my head against the window, humiliation burning deep into my already exposed mental wounds. I didn’t know what time it was but it had to be early in the morning, three o’clock, maybe four and Lee and his army were at work for me.

“Hank there?” Vance asked.

My already tense body went rock solid.

“He’s not in the surveil ance room, he’s in my office.

Bobby’s getting him now,” Lee replied.

I let out a breath.

“Tex?” Vance asked.

“Tex is systematical y tearing apart the weight machine in the down room.”

I almost smiled at that. Almost.

Vance started speaking, “Roxie’s been beaten but looks okay, she thinks he cracked her ribs. I’m gonna get her checked out. Then we’l head home.”

I wrapped my arms around my middle and kept my head against the window. I wanted the conversation to end before Bobby got Hank from Lee’s office and he made it to the surveil ance room. I didn’t know how long I had.

“You get Flynn?” Lee asked, breaking into my thoughts.

“No one was there, she was alone and cuffed to the sink in the bathroom. Signs of a struggle. I didn’t ask questions, just got her out.” His eyes moved to me, “That struggle yours?”

I shook my head.

“Someone came and took Bil y, cuffed me to the sink,” I said quietly.

“Hear that?” Vance asked.

“I’l get Ike on it,” Lee said.

I closed my eyes again. So much for not dragging Lee and his boys into this.

“Roxie?” Lee cal ed my name and I sat there and didn’t answer. I knew this was better than being on my wild ride with Bil y, but somehow, right then, it felt worse.

“Roxie,” Lee said again, his voice softer.

“Yes?” I replied, responding to his tone and to Vance’s coaxing squeeze on my knee.

“Talk to Vance, tel him everything that happened.

Everything you can remember. Okay?”

“Okay,” I said.

“Vance, I want regular cal -ins.”

“Roger that,” Vance replied.

“Get her home,” Lee ordered.

Disconnect.

I breathed a sigh of relief that I didn’t have to deal with Hank.

“I don’t want to talk about it,” I told Vance after I watched him press a button on the phone.

“You don’t have to,” he said, not looking at me. “Not now.

Nebraska yawns before us. We’ve got time.” I sat there a second and then whispered, “Thank you.” I meant about him rescuing me, not about him letting me be quiet.

I think he knew what I meant.

* * * * *

X-rays showed I had three cracked ribs. There was nothing they could do but wrap me up and I think they did this more for my peace of mind than for my ribs. The cuts on my face would heal, they told me, and didn’t need stitches.

They didn’t like what they saw and gently asked if I wanted them to cal in a police officer.

I said no.

I hadn’t decided what I was going to do next. I was getting by, minute-by-minute.

Vance loaded me up and we rol ed.

Without asking, he pul ed off at an outlet mal .

I could have kissed him, but I didn’t. If there was anything a high maintenance girl like me needed after being kidnapped and assaulted, it was an outlet mal .

We went into the Levi’s store where he bought me a pair of low-rise jeans that were just this short of being as good as Lucky’s, a great belt that was so dark brown, it was nearly black and a dusty pink henley. It wasn’t D&G but it would do in a pinch. Then we went into a Body Gap and I got new underwear. Then we went to Designer Shoe Warehouse and Vance bought me a pair of Keds so I could change out of Manolo Mary Jane’s.

Vance pul ed off at a hotel and I would have born his first child if he but asked (though I didn’t tel him this) when we checked in and I took a shower, using the hotel’s shampoo and body wash.

I came out of the bathroom squeaky clean but stil feeling dirty. I threw my clothes in the trash bin, never wanting to see them again (al but the Manolos because even being abducted and on the run couldn’t taint Manolo Blahnik shoes).

I looked at Vance who was sitting on the bed.

“Ready to rol ?” he asked, coming up from the bed, al action even though I suspected he’d had about as much sleep as I’d had these past few days.

That was to say, none.

I suspected that Hank or Uncle Tex sicced him on me the minute Hank found me gone.

“I need you to re-wrap my ribs,” I said, holding out the bandages to him.

He came toward me. I lifted my shirt to just under my breasts, beyond embarrassment at this point. I mean he found me handcuffed to a sink with real y bad hair.

Embarrassment was a now a luxury.

He re-wrapped me, quickly, expertly, no-nonsense, like he’d done it before a hundred times. When he was done, I nodded to him and said, “Ready.” But I didn’t move.

He watched me for a few beats then stood in my space and looked down at me. For the first time I noticed his eyes were shuttered and he was holding back from me.

Then he asked, “You need time? Lee wants you home but if you need time, we’l make time. You can get into bed and let sleep heal.”

Shit.

Here I was again, with another good, fucking guy.

I couldn’t cope.

I swal owed the threatening tears.

“Home is Chicago,” I told him. I decided to focus on that and not tel him that I could likely sleep for a hundred years and not be healed.

He kept looking at me but stayed quiet.

“Wil you take me to Chicago?” I asked.

He stil kept looking at me.

Then he said, “I want to say yes, but I’m gonna say no.” I closed my eyes and felt his hands on my arms.

“Girl,” he said softly. I opened my eyes and looked at him. “If I came home and found what Hank found with my woman bein’ gone and the man I sent lookin’ for her took her further away, there’s no tel in’ what I’d do. I’m sorry, it’s a guy thing. I respect him and I’m not gonna make him show me what he’l do.”

I’d had a good look in the bathroom mirror. The cuts had scabbed over, the blood was gone, but the bruising and swel ing on my cheekbone and around my eye were worse than ever. I had more bruises on my throat, arms, ribs, hips and wrists. I was an absolute mess. I was hideous; I felt it like a physical thing, inside and out.

“Look at me, Vance. I can’t go back to Hank,” I whispered and it sounded like a plea, because it was a plea. Hank was goodness and truth. I was secrets and lies.

I had no business with Hank Nightingale.

Vance watched me for a few more beats, came to a decision and nodded, “I can give you that, I’l take you to Tex.”

My relief was so great, I couldn’t help it, I sagged into him. His arms slid around me and I pressed my good cheek against his chest.

“Thank you,” I said.

He didn’t respond. We stood there awhile, him holding me, until I felt warmer and able to move. The minute my body prepared for action, he felt it and stepped away, took my hand in his and guided me to the car.

* * * * *

We stopped only for lunch and dinner and to fil up the gas tank. I didn’t eat much. Vance noticed and made me stay hydrated by buying me bottles of water and handing them to me every once in awhile, making me drink.

I tried to sleep but it wouldn’t come.

So, when I was ready, on a long stretch of straight road that was al I’d ever known of Nebraska (until now, now I knew of a sleazy motel, a hospital with nice people working there and an outlet mal ), I told Vance my story.

As I talked, the cab felt like it was vibrating with the open anger that was rol ing off him.

I just kept talking.

He didn’t say anything when I was done, he simply phoned it in to Lee’s surveil ance room.

* * * * *

Denver loomed bright in the darkness.

Before I knew it, we were exiting off I-25 onto Speer Boulevard, wel into the city, when Vance hit a button on the phone and the ring fil ed the cab of the SUV.

“Yeah?”

“We’re in Denver.”

“I see you,” the voice said, “You’re headin’ the wrong way.”

“I’m takin’ her to Tex,” Vance replied.

Silence.

Then the voice said, “Hank wants her.”

“She wants to go to her uncle, I’m takin’ her there.” Another beat of silence, then, “Your cal .” Vance hit a button and the phone went dead.

“Are you going to get into trouble?” I asked him.

“No.”

“You wouldn’t lie?” I asked.

“I would,” he replied and I watched his shit-eating grin spread, his handsome face il uminated by the dashboard light. “But I’m not.”

That almost made me smile too. Almost.

He pul ed up outside Uncle Tex’s house and the front door opened before the Explorer stopped. Uncle Tex came out of the house and into the darkness. The outside light came on and I saw Nancy standing in the doorway.

I opened the cab, got out and Uncle Tex was there.

He looked at me, his face lit by the streetlights clearly showing a battle between relief and fury. Relief won out and he pul ed me into his arms.

“Careful, Tex. She’s got three cracked ribs,” Vance said from somewhere close.

Uncle Tex’s tight arms loosened.

“I’m okay,” I said against his chest.

He didn’t answer.

“Uncle Tex. I’m okay,” I repeated.

Stil no answer.

“She needs rest, I don’t think she’s slept in days,” Vance said.

I was kind of getting tired of these men talking about me like I wasn’t there. Unfortunately, I was so dog-tired physical y, I didn’t have the mental capacity to cal them on it. So, instead, my head, stil pressed against Uncle Tex’s chest, nodded and I pul ed a bit away.

“Don’t know how to thank you,” Uncle Tex said, obviously to Vance.

“We’l talk about that later,” Vance replied.

Uncle Tex let me go and looked at Vance. I saw that Vance and Uncle Tex were staring at each other and the air around us had somehow changed.

“You got an idea of what you want?” Uncle Tex asked, not beating about the bush, and I hoped that whatever answer Uncle Tex was looking for was the one that Vance gave.

“Yeah,” Vance replied.

“Money?” Tex asked.

Vance’s face got tight and I could tel , right off, that wasn’t the right thing to say.

So could Uncle Tex and he changed tactics.

“Roxie?” Tex said but he wasn’t addressing me, he was talking to Vance.

My eyes got wide and I stared at Vance, waiting for his answer.

I might have been tired and just rescued from a kidnapping and I was certainly thankful to Vance for everything he’d done and he was cute and al (real y cute, super cute, actual y cute wasn’t the word, hot was more the word) but I sure as hel wasn’t going to be handed over as a gift of gratitude for saving my hide.

And anyway, if anyone could hand me over, it was me and I was done with men. Total y and completely. I was looking forward to a life as a cat lady. I was going to get a dozen cats and a fucking great vibrator, maybe one of those rabbits I heard about, and that was it.

Vance’s voice broke into my lonely, but satisfied, plans for the future.

“I’l get what I want from Lee.”

“Money,” Tex said decisively and he sounded disappointed.

Vance looked at me. Then he looked at Tex. He was deciding if he should share.

Then, he decided. “I want five minutes in the holding room with Bil y Flynn before they turn him over.” I looked between the two men. I didn’t know what “the holding room” was but it didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out.

Holy cow.

I held my breath.

For the first time, Uncle Tex smiled and whatever was in the air evaporated. “You’l have to stand in line,” Tex told him.

“I think I’ve earned one of the first cracks,” Vance said.

Holy cow. Holy cow. Holy cow.

“Vance –” I started but stopped when his eyes locked on me.

He wasn’t hiding his reaction again; he looked angry, beyond angry. I realized immediately that he actual y
had
been control ing his reaction.
This
was his real reaction and it scared the living daylights out of me.

“A man raises a hand to a woman, he needs a lesson,” Vance said.

I opened my mouth to say something but there was nothing to say. What he said was downright, bottom line true.

Vance got in my space and put his hands on my shoulders and whatever I was going to say flew from my brain. He looked down at me and his eyes changed, the anger was stil there but I watched as whatever was fighting for its place was concealed from me.

“Talk to Eddie,” he said, his voice quiet, his expression now under control and hidden. “Press charges. The kidnapping took place in Colorado at a cop’s house. Bil y Flynn is fucked.”

He didn’t wait for my response and my heart stopped when he grabbed my chin, pul ed my head to the side and kissed my cheekbone, right where my scabs were. Then he turned, walked around the hood of the Explorer, swung into the driver’s seat, and he was gone.

“Let’s get her inside.” Nancy was there and had her good hand on me. It was stronger than I expected it to be.

She turned me toward the house, her face fil ed with concern.