Hell And Back(37)

I know who took her, just as I know I will find him and I will kill him myself.





Chapter Forty-Five


Bella





Our day is just like any other day: eat, clean a little, and play. It's  our normal routine. Sometimes we also add a walk, an errand or two or  some other activity.

Brenda usually joins us on the walks. Depending on Lilah's mood, we'd  either put her in the stroller or one of us would hold her hand as we  walked. Our route is pretty much the same, though-just a leisurely walk  around the neighborhood.

Sometimes we would stop at the big park where Lilah would sit on the swings. She could be pushed on them for hours if I let her.

But, today, we sat in the backyard at the little table I picked up, drinking some lemonade Brenda brought over.

Just watching Lilah run around, chasing bubbles from the machine Jackson hooked up.

Her giggles are so loud. So carefree.

"You did it," Brenda says, breaking our comfortable silence. I look over  at her, knowing exactly what she is referring to. "The first day I met  you, I was afraid it was too late. I thought you had already given up."  She takes a sip of her lemonade. "But then I saw you fight your way  back. Not only for yourself, you were fighting for her." She points to  Lilah, who is now skipping after the bubbles.

"You helped me." I grab her hand and squeeze it. "You wouldn't let me give up. You were my fairy godmother."

She laughs at me. "Nope, just wanted to show you that life, it can be  beautiful. It can be so wonderful, and it is worth fighting for."

We are both looking at each other, and we don't see Lilah has stopped  skipping. Her giggles have stopped. We don't notice her standing in the  middle of the yard or that she has just wet herself.

Turning my head, I'm faced with the horror of my past.

Adam.

But not just Adam. Chuck, his dealer, is with him, and he's got a gun aimed straight at my little girl.

I get up but can't move. "Adam," I whisper.

"Bitch, you do not talk to him." Chuck turns the gun to me, then to Brenda.

"Just, please, put that away. We won't fight. I'll give you whatever you  want," I tell them while I try to shield Brenda behind me.         

     



 

"DON'T FUCKING MOVE!" Chuck yells, halting us.

I look at Adam, hoping a tiny part of him would not actually be okay  with this man killing his young daughter. I can see his dilated, black,  soulless eyes, and I know he's high. He probably doesn't even realize  what's going on.

"Go get the girl." Chuck gives him an order, but Lilah quickly runs to me, and I scoop her up in my arms.

Adam walks over to us, reaching out to rip her from me, but Brenda steps  into his way. She isn't there for long before he backhands her across  the face, sending her down hard.

Lilah and I both yell out in horror.

Adam turns to look at us. "Shut the fuck up, you two. Pains in my ass, that is what you guys are."

I hold her closer to my chest, whispering to her to be quiet. Her sobs gut me. Her tears fall onto my skin.

"Give her to me, Bella, NOW!" he yells in my face, his spit landing on us.

"Adam, don't do this. Don't take her. Take me." I stand here, offering  my life for my daughter's, praying they'll accept. Deep down, I always  knew someday I would have to do this.

Adam turns around to look at Chuck, who is still holding the gun at us. "We should just take Bella. Sell her off."

Chuck smiles at us. "Good call, Adam. Let's take the other two inside."  He turns the gun sideways, aiming a sadistic smile at me. "Walk, bitch."

I look down at Brenda who has a swollen eye, but she rolls onto her  hands and knees and manages to get up. She reaches her hand out to us.

We walk into the house. I'm hoping I can slip away and press that button, do something that can help us.

We walk over to the couch, all three of us with tears running down our faces.

"Old bitch, get over here," Chuck says once he closes the door behind him.

Brenda looks over at us, then at him while he waves the gun at her. When she doesn't move he yells, "NOW, BITCH!"

I try to get her hidden behind me, but she walks over to him with her head held high, her shoulders straight.

The minute she's in front of him, he takes the gun and points it right  at her forehead. "I'm going to blow her brains out if you don't drop  that fucking brat and get your ass over here."

I put Lilah on the couch, kissing her before I turn around and make my way to him.

When I'm close enough, he turns sideways and hits Brenda with the back of the gun right on the side of her head.

She falls down, blood seeping out from where the gun struck her.

I cry out in shock as I fall to my knees next to her.

"Get the fuck up, bitch! NOW!" His hands are now shaking.

I stand up and look over at Adam. There is no way for me to adequately capture the hatred I feel for him.

He walks over to the fridge where there is a picture of Jackson, Lilah,  and me taken at an ice cream store two weeks ago. All smiling for the  picture Jackson snapped.

"Look at this bullshit. You fucked my brother." He throws his head back,  laughing. "You give that pussy away for free." He walks over to me with  the picture in his hand. Getting into my face, his nose almost touching  mine, he growls, "NO MORE, BITCH." And he strikes me fast and hard.

Lilah is on the couch watching this, rocking back and forth, hands over  her ears. We don't notice that Chuck has turned around to kick Brenda  while she lies unconscious on the floor.

"Enough, please." I try to talk despite the taste of metal in my mouth. "Just take me. You came for me, take me."

This is like walking into a lion's den wearing a meat necklace. I am so scared, but I'll be damned if I let them see it.

He points his gun down and fires a shot right at Brenda. The wails  coming from my throat are hoarse and burn my throat as they leave my  mouth.

I did this to her. I brought this to her. All of this is my fault. I won't let it fucking hurt anyone else.

"You came here for me. Now you have me," I say to them.

"This is how it's going to go. We are going to walk out of here and you  don't try to be a fucking hero. You walk to my car, get in, and if you  listen like a good little girl, I'll fuck you once more before I sell  you. How'd you like that? You miss me?" Chucks says to me.

Adam grabs my arm, almost twisting it. I cry out in pain but not for too long since I feel the gun in my backside.

I have Adam on one side, Chuck on the other, both holding my arms in a death grip.

I look over at Lilah, her eyes wide with fear, with horror.

"I love you, baby girl," I tell her right before they push me forward.  Right before they close the door on Brenda lying there, probably dead,  and Lilah watching her mother being ushered to her own death.         

     



 





Chapter Forty-Six


Jackson





Mick does the driving, and we make it to my house in record time. By the  time we get there, two cop cars are already parked at the curb, their  lights blaring, along with an ambulance.

I run inside and the sight before me is like a sucker punch to the gut.  The EMTs are working on Brenda, who is lifelessly lying in a puddle of  her own blood.

I scan the room. Nothing seems to be out of place, no signs of a  struggle. I continue scanning the room looking for my girls. Lilah sees  me first, and she immediately jumps off the police officer's lap and  runs right to me, crying.

I scoop her into my arms as she wails out her terror. "Ackson, they take Momma," she says between sobs.

"Who, baby girl, who took Momma?" I ask her. "Who?"

She hiccups, her sobs, her breath coming out in choppy pants. "Daddy and his briend."

I look over at Mick, who is texting the security guys we called on the way here.

Brian arrives and comes straight to us. "So, he came in the side gate  from what we could tell by the censor times." He looks at his phone.  "Front door censor indicates it was disengaged and reengaged twenty  minutes ago. The silent alarm was activated about twenty seconds later."

I look down at Lilah. "You did so good, baby girl. Just like we showed  you." I kiss her stain-streaked face. "So brave, my baby girl."

"I want Momma, Ackson," she says as her eyes start to close as the trauma of today finally hits her.

"We got the name of the hotel. We are sending two cruisers there right now."

I look at him, about to ask questions, when my mother runs into the house.

Her eyes are open wide with fear as she scans the area. Tears start falling when she sees Brenda being lifted on the stretcher.

She sees me sitting on the floor holding Lilah. "Jackson." She gets on her knees next to me, stroking Lilah's hair softly.

I look at her straight into her eyes. "He did this."

Her hand covers her mouth, and she gasps in horror. "He came here, into  her home, and he took her. He beat Brenda, badly as you can see. And he  did this in front of Lilah."

"Jackson." That word is ripped from her, pained, but it's all she gets out before Mick steps forward, drawing my attention.