Chapter 117

Eva stares at her phone in disbelief. He has Elaine. What should she do? Call Nick? Brian? Taking a deep breath, she says to herself, ‘Focus. Just focus.’

Alexa comes out and says, “Everything ok?”

Eva manages to smile, even though it’s killing her and she says, “Um, yeah, it’s fine. Just a problem at my other office I need to take care of. You’re ok here, right? You’re done for the day?”

Alexa says “Yeah. Do what you have to do, I’ll be here.”

Eva says, “Thanks. I just have to take care of this. It’s my responsibility.”

Alexa looks at her strangely but doesn’t say anything. She goes back into her office as Eva grabs her keys and her purse. As she walks out she dials Nick’s number. It goes straight to voice mail. She hangs up and tries again. Same thing.

Feeling more than frustrated, she gets in her car and tries again. Before she can complete dialing, her phone rings. Hoping it’s Elaine, she says, “Hello? Elaine, are you ok?”

But it’s not Elaine. AJ says, “Eva, it’s not Elaine, it’s AJ. I was trying to get in touch with Nick and Elaine and can’t get either one. What’s going on?” Eva tries to play it off as nothing, but AJ can hear in voice something’s going on. He says, “Eva, what is it?”

She breaks down sobbing and in broken sentences, manages to tell him what’s happened to Elaine. She says, “AJ, I can’t reach Nick. He said don’t call the cops. What am I supposed to do?”

AJ says, “Where are you meeting them?” Without thinking, she tells him. He says, “Give me 5 minutes before you leave. I’m in my car now. I won’t let either of you get hurt. I’ll keep trying Nick. Call Brian, Eva. Call Brian, then leave, ok? Call him FIRST, then leave.”

Eva manages to say, “OK.”

AJ hangs up and she stares at her phone. Finally, she pushes the speed dial for Brian. When he answers, he sounds out of breath. She knows he’s been jogging. He says, “Hey Babe, what’s up?”

Taking a deep breath, she says, “Brian, Donovan’s here. He’s got her. He’s got Elaine. I have to go…AJ is coming. Can you…?”

He says, “Whoa, wait, what do you mean he has her? Eva, call the police!”

She practically screams, “If I do that, he’ll kill her. AJ is meeting me. I can’t get Nick.”

Brian says, “Where?”

She tells him where and says, “Brian, I love you. But I have to protect my sister.” Before he can say anything else, she hangs up.

Brian takes off at a dead run for Eva’s, which is two miles away. He prays the whole way for God to keep them safe and let him get there before it’s too late.

Eva leaves when AJ told her too. She’s nervous driving the streets. She wants to race over there as fast as she can, but she can’t afford a ticket. She picks up her phone at a red light and dials Elaine’s number.

Donovan answers and says, “What a nice surprise! How are you Eva?”

She says, “Donovan, please, let me talk to her.”

He laughs and says, “No. I don’t want to. But I’ll let you hear her.” She hears him mumble something, then he starts chuckling. His evil laugh makes her shiver, then she hears it. Elaine whimpering. Then a yelp of pain.

Tears pour from her eyes and she screams, “Stop it Donovan, this is about me, not her!”

He says, “NO, it’s about getting even. And for that, I need you BOTH! Now, get your ass to that gas station, or there will be hell to pay. And your sister has such pretty skin.”

Eva chokes off a sob as he hangs up. She throws her phone in the seat beside and grips the steering wheel harder.

AJ is ducked low in his truck, waiting. He calls Brian and let him know where he was and what he knew. Brian is in a full blown panic. He says, “Brian, I’ll call you when I know where they take Eva and you have to call the police. Get into this area, but DON’T come here. This guy knows what you look like. And I still can’t get Nick. Where the fuck is he?”

Brian says, “Recording! He had studio time today!”

AJ says, “FUCK, see if you can find him. Brian, as soon as I know where they are, we call 911. Until then, I promise, I’ll do what I can. I won’t let them get hurt.”

Brian says, “AJ, be careful.”

AJ says, “Brian, if there’s one thing I learned growing up is how to fight. Don’t worry about me. Worry about this son of a bitch when I get my hands on him.” Seeing Eva’s car, he says, “She’s here. Bri, she looks ok. She’s calm. Don’t worry, I got this.”

He hangs up and watches as a dirty looking bum walks up to Eva’s car. She slowly gets out and follows the guy behind the station. AJ’s view is blocked so he doesn’t see the guy grab Eva to push her into the car he has waiting.

She tries to struggle and he punches her in the stomach, then slaps her. Jamie says, “Eva, if you don’t fucking stop, I’ll have to hurt you. You want to see your sister again, you better fucking play nice.”

She says, “Jamie, I swear, if he’s hurt her…if either of you have hurt her…”

He chuckles and says, “Oh, she’s not hurt. She’s got a great set of tits on her though. Had fun playing with them so you could hear her.”

Bile rises in Eva’s throat as she thinks about them man-handling her sister. She says, “Jamie, why are you helping him? What did I ever do to you?”

His stern resolve wavers. She’s right, she did nothing to him. Then he remembers the video and he says, “I owed him a favor. Now we’re even. Shut up, no more talking.”

Eva catches sight of AJ’s truck following them as they pull out on the street. Closing her eyes, she sends up a little prayer and waits to see what Donovan has done to Elaine.

Keeping an eye on street signs, he dials Brian back and keeps him up on every turn he makes. Finally the car pulls up to an abandoned house that’s in foreclosure. AJ gives Brian the address and says, “I gotta be ready. Get the police.”

AJ throws his phone down and sneaks up to the side of the house. He peeks in a few windows, but doesn’t see anyone. Just as he gets to the side of the house, he hears someone say, “You’re fucking sick, man. I’m going for a smoke.”

He makes his way back to the porch and sees the guy who grabbed Eva come out. He gets behind Jamie and makes a noise to get his attention. As Jamie swings around, AJ’s fist connects with his face and he hears the satisfying crunch of broken bones. He hits him twice more, then drags his unconscious body to the car.

Opening the trunk, he dumps the guy inside and closes it. Running back up onto the porch, he sneaks in the door. He hears Eva scream, “Donovan, stop it! It’s not her you want, it’s me. Let her go!”

AJ follows the voices down the hallway. In the distance, he thinks he hears sirens and he prays they are coming here. He peeps around a corner and the sight before him enrages him. Eva is tied to a chair, her shirt ripped open.

His eyes find Elaine and he sees red. She’s tied to bed by her hands and feet. Her clothes are slashed to pieces and he sees bloody scratches across her stomach. Her face is bruised and her wrists and ankles are raw from struggling in the rope bindings.

Turning his attention back to Donovan, he hears him say, “Now, Eva, look what a slut your sister is. She’s ready to be fucked by a real man.”