Chapter 16
Josie
With one phone call, I felt the weight of the world lifted from my shoulders. They’d gotten Tristen and were on their way back to the hotel to get me. I jumped out of bed and was surprised to see that Big had already packed up and cleared the room. Knowing we’d be rushed for time, I hurried upstairs and, after I changed my clothes, I threw everything into my duffle bag and headed downstairs. My mind was bombarded with questions as I got on the elevator. It was the first time I’d had a minute to think since Big called. He hadn’t told me much, only that they had her and we all needed to leave town immediately. I wanted to believe that it was all over, but deep down I knew it was just beginning. My heart ached for my sister. Even if she’d gotten lucky and they hadn’t beaten and raped her, it would still take her time to get over being kidnapped and drugged. Only time would tell just how bad things would get, and I just prayed that she’d have the strength to see it through.
When I spotted the black SUV pulling up to the curb, I rushed outside and met Big as he was opening his door. “Where is she? Is she okay?”
“She’s still a little out of it, but she’s okay. She’s sleeping in the back.”
Big slowly opened the back door, and I couldn’t fight back the tears as I looked at my sister. Her head was leaning back on Nitro’s shoulder as he held her protectively in his arms. Trying his best not to disturb her, he slowly eased out of the truck, then carefully settled her back in the seat alone. Big was right; she was out of it, but my sister was sitting right there in front of me. I could see her. She was just a few feet away, but my mind just couldn’t believe it. I was afraid she was just some figment of my imagination, so I gently placed the palm of my hand on her cheek. As soon as I touched her, felt the warmth of her skin against my hand, I knew she was real. Relief flooded over me as I stood there crying, watching my sister sleep. For the first time in weeks, I didn't have to worry whether my sister was alive or dead. I didn’t have to wonder if I’d ever get her back, and I owed it all to Big and Nitro.
Feeling overcome with gratitude, I got out of the truck. I was about to go thank them all when a second SUV pulled in behind us. I turned to get a better look and saw that Nitro’s men were sitting inside. Thinking he must’ve decided to drive back on his own, I didn’t pay much attention to it and walked over to Big. Just as I got over to them, I heard Nitro say, “Tell him to keep his fucking money. I’m keeping her.”
“Nitro,” Big growled.
“I don’t want to fucking hear it, Big. I’m the one who walked in there, put my fucking money on the table, and I’m leaving here with her whether he gives the okay or not. He didn’t take care of her… not the way he should have. If he had, none of this shit would’ve happened.”
“That’s bullshit and you know it.”
Nitro’s voice softened. “This is what I know. The girl passed out in that truck. The girl who’s been through hell and back… she’s gonna need help. Real fucking help to get through this thing without being totally fucked up. I’m gonna do whatever it takes to get her that help.”
I could see the true concern in Nitro’s face, but there was no way in hell I was going to let him take Tristen, not when I just got her back. I stepped between them and said, “She’s not going anywhere with you. She’s coming back home with me.”
Big added, “We can get her the help she needs.”
Determination filled his eyes. “Maybe so, but I’m not taking any chances. She deserves fucking better than what she’s gotten in the past. A lot fucking better, and I’m gonna make sure she gets it.”
Whether he’d meant to or not, his words hit me hard. I’d never gotten over the guilt of leaving her after my parents’ death, and it was hard not to agree with Nitro; she did deserve better.
Seeing that he wasn’t wavering, I asked, “And just where do you plan on taking her?”
“Got a place I know that will see to it that she gets off the drugs and will help her deal with the addiction.”
I shook my head with confusion. “What makes you think she’s got an addiction? She’s never had an issue with drugs.”
“She will now. They’ve been pumping her full of shit since the day they took her. Now, her body thinks it needs it. Before she fell asleep, her fingers were already starting to twitch, so the withdrawals are coming.”
I was trying to be strong, but my voice cracked as I pleaded, “But I just got her back.”
“Not trying to be a dick here, Josie, but this isn’t about you. This is about your sister, and getting her the help she’s gonna need. Whether any of you like it or not, I’m gonna see that she gets it.”
“I’m not leaving my sister!”
“Then get your ass in that truck ‘cause she’s going with me.” Nitro motioned to his men and they immediately got out. Moments later, they had Tristen settled in the back of their SUV.
Stunned, I looked over at Big, hoping for some kind of argument and thinking he’d tell Nitro that he couldn’t run off with my sister, but I got nothing from him – just a soul-searching stare. “Aren’t you going to say something about all this?”
“Nothing to say, Josie. He’s right.”
I sighed with aggravation. “How the hell can he be right? He’s going to take her away from me!”
He took a step towards me and placed his hands on my shoulders. “He’s not taking her from you, Josie. You gotta think about this. He’s trying to help her. Without him, she wouldn’t even be here. I trust him, Josie, and you should too.”
“I can’t leave her. Not now.”
“No one is asking you to.”
His words knocked the breath from my lungs. It wasn’t what he said that hurt, but what he didn’t say. There were no reassuring words letting me know he didn’t like the idea of me leaving and no promises that he’d be in touch; only silence. I paused, staring into his eyes, searching for some unsaid plea for me to stay, but his gaze flickered to the ground. Trying my best to fight the feeling of rejection that crept up inside me, I lifted up on my tiptoes and gently kissed him on the lips. “Thank you… for everything.”
Heartbroken, I turned and started back towards Nitro’s truck. As much as I wanted him to, he didn’t call out to me. He didn’t try to stop me. He remained silent as I opened the truck door and got inside. I fought the urge to glance back at him, knowing it would hurt too much. I’d never know if he was looking at me with pain in his eyes. I’d never know if he was struggling with the fact that I was leaving or if he ever really cared at all. Either way, my heart couldn’t take it, so I turned and focused on my sister. She was the only thing that mattered now. It was up to me to see to it that Nitro kept his word and got her the help she needed. Everything else would have to wait – including the burning ache I felt in my heart.
I hadn’t been sitting there long when Nitro opened the truck, and as soon as he tossed my bag into the back seat, he sat behind the wheel. Even though I knew he had good intentions, it was hard not to be angry with him. “Where is this place you are taking her?”
“Out in Arizona. They’re the best.”
“Nitro?” He turned to face me with a blank expression. “Why are you doing this?”
From the way his eyes shifted to the backseat, I could see that it was a question he wasn’t ready to answer, and honestly, I didn’t think he knew why he was doing all this for a girl he didn’t even know. “Just know in my gut it’s the right thing to do.”
There was something in his voice, a sincerity I didn’t expect from him, and it was then that I finally got it. “You care about her, don’t you?”
The man who always seemed unfazed by the world around him started the truck and turned his attention to the road in front of him. “I guess I do.”
A half an hour later, we were at the airport sitting in some private jet. It was just a small plane with seven captains’ chairs, but it was still a private jet. I was glad we didn’t have to deal with any crowds, especially when Tristen started to come around. I’d given her some of my clothes to put on, hoping it might help her relax, but she was too far gone to understand what was going on. Her eyes widened with panic as she looked around. “Where are we?”
“You’re on an airplane, sweetie. Everything’s fine. We’re getting you out of here.”
“Josie.” Her voice was weak. She looked so frail and unlike the sister I’d always known. The spark in her eyes was gone, and she was so pale that her skin almost seemed transparent. “What’s going on?”
“We’re taking you out of here and away from those bad men who took you.”
“What about Lauren?” she shrieked. “What happened to Lauren?”
I’d never heard her mention anyone by that name, so I had no idea who she was talking about. “Who’s Lauren?”
“The little girl… long black hair and blue eyes. She was there with me.” She was on the brink of becoming hysterical. “I promised I wouldn’t leave without her.”
“I don’t know—” I started.
“We got her,” Nitro interrupted. “She’s fine.”
“Oh, thank goodness.” She settled back in her chair as she looked at Nitro. She studied him for a moment, and then whispered, “I remember you…. You were there.”
“I was.” He placed his hand on her knee. “Cotton sent me. I was there to bring you home.”
“I thought I’d never get out of there. I was so scared.”
I unbuckled my seatbelt and went over to her, wrapping my arms around her as she wept. “I’m so sorry sweetie. I know it must have been horrible.”
“They had me in this room for days, Josie… and I couldn’t understand anything they were saying to me. I tried to get away, but they… they kept me chained to the wall. And the drugs…” She sobbed. “They kept shooting that stuff into my veins. I begged them to stop… promised to be good, but they wouldn’t stop.”
“I’m right here.” I felt so helpless. I wanted to take all her pain away, but all I could do was hold her and try to comfort her the only way I knew how. “It’s over, sweetie. You don’t have to worry about those people anymore.”
“It’s not over, Josie. It’ll never be over… not for me.” She shook her head and sobbed. “They’re everywhere, Josie. I see their faces every time I close my eyes. I feel them touching me… hear them shouting at me… even though they are miles away.”
“It won’t be like that forever.” I leaned back and looked her in the eye. “You just need some time. You’ll see. It will get better.”
Tristen looked down at the blanket she was wrapped in and groaned, “I really need a shower.”
Nitro smiled. “It won’t be much longer.”
“Can we make one stop before we get there?” A curious look crossed Tristen’s face as she waited for his answer.
“What kind of stop?”
“I just need to run into a convenience store. It won’t take me long. Just need to grab something.”
Nitro didn’t try to hide the fact that he was suspicious. Like me, he was probably wondering if she was going to try to get one last fix before going into rehab. “You’re gonna need to give me more than that.”
Her eyes dropped to her hands as she wrung them nervously in her lap. “It’s my hair.”
“What about your hair?”
“It’s one of the reasons they took me… They kept saying, ‘Ella tiene cabello rubio y ojos azules.’ They said I was going to make them a lot of money.”
“She has blonde hair and blue eyes?”
“I don’t want to have blonde hair anymore. I hate it. I need it to be gone,” she muttered.
He nodded with understanding. “We can take care of that, but we’ll do it right. I’ll have someone come to your room and do it for you.”
Nitro continued to amaze me with his unexpected kindness and understanding. I never expected that a man like him would have an actual soft side, but something about my sister brought it out in him. I liked that she had that kind of effect on him and hoped it would continue until she was better. When the plane landed, there was a car waiting for us, and after a thirty-minute drive, we pulled into the San Vista Rehabilitation Facility. With its large water fountains and beautiful tall columns, it looked more like a vacation resort than a drug treatment center. As soon as we parked the car, two nurses came out and helped us get Tristen to her room.
“I’ll head downstairs while you get her settled.” Nitro placed a bag on the edge of the bed. “Get her a shower and changed. Everything you’ll need is in the bag.”
When he turned to leave, Tristen went to him and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. She slowly released him and looked up at him with tears in her eyes. “I don’t know how I’ll ever be able to thank you for all of this.”
With a quick wink and a coy, little smile, he replied, “You just did.”
With that, he turned and walked out of the door. Tristen stood there staring aimlessly at the door before she started towards the bathroom. “You know… I don’t think there’ll be a shower long enough to get the feeling of filth off me.”
I followed her into the bathroom and turned on the hot water. Steam quickly filled the room. I looked at Tristen and found her staring into the mirror. “For tonight, let’s just focus on the makeup and bad hair. The other is going to take some time.”
“I don’t even recognize myself anymore.” Her fingers trembled as she started to remove her clothes. “I know nothing’s really changed. I’m still me, but I feel so… different.”
I knew she was hurting, but I truly believed it when I told her, “You are different. You’ve been through hell and back, and you survived it all. You’re stronger now, wiser, and hopefully you’ll be able to look back on this day and know you beat them.”
“Somehow, this doesn’t feel like winning,” she scoffed as she stepped into the shower.
“Maybe not now, but someday. You’ll see.”