Chapter Three
“She’s not thankful at all,” Lewis said.
“Notify the nurse, and warn her that Anna Little should be placed on suicide watch.” Russ stared into the room, and it was hard for him to take his eyes off the woman who was now silently crying on the bed.
“You think she’d take her own life?”
“Her best friend just died, and I bet she witnessed it. She fought for her, Lewis. I wouldn’t put it past her, and I think it’s a wise precaution.”
He watched her move, and wince at the same time.
“She’s different to you?” Lewis asked.
“I don’t know what she is, Lewis. I think I heard her scream the night before when you told me about that place.”
Lewis nodded. “Karen wasn’t notified as being missing, but her information is here, alongside Anna’s.”
He took the file from Lewis and had a quick glance. The two women lived in the same apartment but worked elsewhere. Mrs. Lions ran a supermarket where Anna worked, and Karen worked as a telephone operator. Both women took long shifts and overtime every chance they got. They were both hard working, and spent every chance they could, earning money.
“She’s pretty.” There was another picture of Karen, not one taken of her dead body.
“Yeah.”
“No one reported her as missing?” Russ asked.
“No one did.”
Russ shook his head. He glanced back into the room, and he just couldn’t shift this uneasy feeling inside him. “Will you finish talking with the other women?”
“What is it?” Lewis asked.
“I don’t know. I just can’t leave her alone right now.”
He handed the files back, and the photographs. Lewis gave him a funny look, and Russ kept his stare blank. He wasn’t in the mood to be analyzed today.
“Okay. The devices are waiting for us back at the club.”
“I’ll come and handle my part soon. I promise.” He shook Lewis’s hand and made his way into the room. Anna was flicking through the channels, going up and down, and not stopping on one.
“Is there something else?” she asked.
“No. I just don’t think you should be alone right now.”
“Why?”
“You lost your friend.”
She bit her lip, and Russ sat back in his chair, staring at the woman in the bed. There was a bandage around her head, and she was dirty. The nurses had given her a sponge bath, but they had missed bits.
“I know I stink. You don’t have to stay.”
“I want to stay. You should be able to take a wash tomorrow. They don’t want you standing for too long.” He reached out, and took her hand. She made to pull away from him, but he kept on holding her hand. “Did they, erm, did they hurt you in any other way?”
“Are you asking if they raped me?”
He winced at the sarcasm in her voice. “I’m sorry.”
“They didn’t rape me.” She took a breath, and he saw it was hard for her to move right now. “They made me watch as they hurt my friend. Karen, she begged for death long before she got it.”
“They didn’t kill her.”
She shook her head. “None of them listened when I told them she was a diabetic, and that she needed her insulin.”
“Were you there when she died?”
“Yes, she died in my arms.”
He tightened his hold on her hand. “There’s nothing I can say right now that will help you.”
“I don’t want to be here,” she said.
Russ didn’t even pretend not to understand her. “I’m not going to let you kill yourself.”
“I’ve got nothing.”
“No family?” he asked.
“No. Do you know what it’s like to have no one?”
“I’ve got my club.”
“Your club?”
“The men who were there tonight. They’re part of a club I ride with. We’re an MC.”
“A motorcycle club.”
“You know what one is.”
“I’ve watched television. It’s not hard to guess.” She pulled her hand away and wiped her tears. “I’m sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry for crying.” He grabbed her water, and held the straw close to her lips. She thanked him again, and he’d never known a woman to thank him for so much.
Taking a seat, he stared at her.
“You need to rest.”
“I can’t sleep. I don’t want to sleep.”
“You’re afraid,” he said.
She nodded. “I don’t want to wake up in those blasted dog cages. I can’t do it. I don’t want to look over to that carpet and know Karen is underneath it, dead.”
Her tears fell harder, and Russ got to his feet and cupped her cheek. “I will stay here, and you can sleep. I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“You’ll stay while I go to sleep?”
“Yes.”
“Don’t you have something more important to do?”
“No. Sleep, Anna.”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead as if it was the most natural thing in the world to him. He sat back down, and watched as her eyes grew heavy until they finally lowered. When the nurse came to check on her, he stayed in his seat. The hospital was aware of who he was, and he’d been the one to call ahead for Anna to make sure she had a good room. He was paying for all of her medical bills, so she didn’t have to worry about a thing. Russ had to take care of her.
Lewis entered the room later that night.
Russ was known for being able to stay awake three days straight with no sleep. It was how he’d succeeded in the business world.
“Is she okay?”
“Yes.”
“Mrs. Lions is relieved, and is visiting her tomorrow. No one else recognizes any of the other girls, and Jamie found something on one of the hard drives.”
“What was it?”
“An order. Each of the girls that had been taken matched an order that had been placed. All of them apart from Anna.” Lewis handed Russ his cell phone, and he read the descriptions out.
“Blonde, blue eyes, beautiful, and submissive. That matches Karen, doesn’t it?”
“Yes.”
“Anna wasn’t supposed to be taken. They were probably going to kill her.”
“She was lucky they didn’t just kill her,” Lewis said. “That Jake guy mentioned that she was going to be used as payment, that one of the men wanted her.”
“I don’t want to talk about this right now. Is that asshole in custody?”
“Yes, and they will get him to talk.”
Russ didn’t have anything to say. He wanted to be back in that ranch, and instead of leaving that fucker to live, he wanted to kill him.
“We did the right thing,” Lewis said.
“Tell that to Anna.”
“You’re not leaving?”
“No. I promised her I would look over her, and that is what I’m going to do.” He folded his arms and stared at the sleeping woman. She looked so small and fragile lying on the bed. The bruises stood out in stark contrast to the paleness of her skin.
“I’m out for the night.”
Saying goodbye, he watched his friend leave, and went back to looking over Anna. Russ had a feeling this was going to be the first night of many to come.
****
The following day she was allowed to wash every part of her body that wasn’t covered by a bandage, and Anna loved it. Once she was dried and dressed, she was wheeled back to her room where she finished brushing her hair. There was no horrid odor to her body anymore. She smelled fresh, or at least to her she smelled fresh.
Anna had woken up that morning to find Russell had kept his word. He had stayed awake all night, and watched over her. When the sun had come up, he had left her in the hospital so that he could go and freshen up. She had never slept so soundly before in all of her life, and she knew it was because of Russell.
Brushing her hair, she was lost to her thoughts about everything that had happened. She dried her hair as she brushed it, running the brush through the length.
A gasp at her door alerted her to someone. She turned to see Mrs. Lions standing there with a hand to her mouth.
“Dear child, what the hell happened to you?” She walked into the room, and reached out for her chin, holding her face, turning her this way, and that. “I told the police you were in danger, but did they listen? No. they didn’t.”
“Mrs. Lions—”
“No, you don’t call me that any more. It’s Franny, dear, and I will not have you trying to push me away.”
Anna was confused. “But you hate me.”
“I don’t hate you. What gave you that impression?”
“You always seemed so annoyed with me.”
“I’m not allowed to pick favorites with my employees, and I didn’t like how much you worked. You’re a young woman, and beautiful. You shouldn’t be working every single day but enjoying life. We live it once, and we don’t have the time for regrets. Work, work, work, work, it’s all you do.”
Franny waved her hand in the air.
“I needed to work.”
“Pfft, I don’t believe that for a second. You don’t need to work all the time.” Franny grabbed a large bag, and opened it up. “Now, I don’t believe hospital food will make you better, so I’ve decided to take care of you.” She started pulling out plastic clear tubs of food. “You didn’t turn up for work, and I panicked. I just started cooking. I’ve been driving my family crazy.”
A plate filled to bursting with food was placed in front of her. Franny moved around the room, putting everything into place before taking a seat beside her, eating a large portion herself.
The food was good, and Anna appreciated everything that her boss was doing for her. “Do you know what happened?” Anna asked.
“I don’t know everything. The news reported what happened, and they included a picture of your friend. I’m so sorry about Karen, dear.”
Anna stopped eating as another wave of sadness struck her. “I feel guilty.”
“Because you lived and she didn’t?”
“Yes.”
“It’s okay to feel that way. You did survive, and Karen wouldn’t want you feeling guilty. I saw the friendship between the two of you.”
Biting her lip, Anna forced the tears down. She couldn’t keep crying like this.
“When you’re out of here, we’ll give her a proper burial, honey.”
“I’d like that.” She had enough money saved up for her friend. The money they had saved to start a future together would be used to give Karen the perfect sendoff.
Anna would no longer be trying for her own business. There was no point.
After she finished her food, Franny packed away the empty tubs, and then went in search of a nurse to learn when she was scheduled to be released. Sitting back in the bed, Anna rubbed her stomach, happy to no longer be hungry.
“Hey, Anna,” Russell said. He was leaning against the doorframe.
“You came back.”
“You’re not being released yet, and I thought you’d like some company.” He walked into the room, and this time he was wearing a very expensive business suit.
“I don’t get the suit. I thought you were part of an MC. Leather right?” She gave him a smile. “Is it new?”
“No. It’s not new. I had to stop into my office on the way over here, and yes, I’m part of an MC.”
“Office?”
“I’m a businessman.” He pulled a card out of his pocket, and handed it to her.
She read his name. “Wyatt Corporations?”
“Yes.”
“You’re a millionaire?” she asked, feeling rather uncomfortable.
“Try billionaire and you’ll be on track.”
“Oh.” She preferred him when he was good old Russ. “What were you doing rescuing us last night, and why are you part of an MC?”
Russell settled down in a chair, and she tried not to tense at how close he was. “It’s complicated.”
“You said you were part of an MC. Since when has a billionaire been part of a club like that?”
“The club has been in existence for five years. There’re ten members, and all of those members were present last night when we rescued you and the other women.”
“Wow, ten men. B. B.? Billionaire something?”
“Billionaire Bikers Motorcycle club. We came together as we’ve all had business dealings at some point. Each of us had a love of bikes, and some of us had come into contact with a couple of clubs before. Lewis and I, we came up with the idea for the club, and we share our dream with another eight brothers. Before we knew what was happening, the club was born. It’s a place where we can be ourselves outside of work. It’s in our blood.”
“It’s a bit of a lame name,” she said.
Anna didn’t feel comfortable with him being in her room anymore. He wasn’t just a normal guy. Russell was a billionaire.
“Should you even be here? I bet you’ve got lots to do, Russell.” She handed him back his card, and sat back on the bed.
“You don’t like the fact I’m a billionaire?”
Glancing down at her stomach, she tried to think of the right thing to say to him. “It’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
“You’re a billionaire!”
“So? A lot of women like it when they find out I’m loaded.”
Anna snorted. “You’re talking about gold-diggers.”
“Yes.”
She wondered where Franny had gone. Being alone with Russell was losing its charm.
“I really appreciate everything you did last night.”
“Are you kicking me out of your room?”
She went to answer, but Franny chose that moment to enter the room. “So, I talked to the nurse, and they believe you should be good to go in a couple of days. I think you should stay with me until you’re all well and better.”
“No. I don’t want to impose on you. You’ve been good to me already.”
Franny finally noticed Russell. “Who are you?”
“I’m one of the men who helped find Anna last night. I was also the guy who called you. Russell Wyatt.” He shook her hand, and Anna wished the world would just swallow her whole.
She and Karen had been looking to make a business for themselves, and she was sitting with a man who had not only had that dream but made it real.
“Your picture is all over the news. You saved all of those women. You’re a hero.”
“I’m not a hero, ma’am.”
“You are.” Franny stroked Anna’s hair, and tears once again filled her eyes. “I’m going to help you get well.”
“Franny, your family needs you. I’ll be fine.”
“I’m already making provisions for when Anna gets out of the hospital.”
“You are? See, you’re a hero.” Franny rounded the bed, grabbed Russell’s cheeks, and slapped a kiss on each. “Well, I’ve got to go, but I will be back with more food for you, Anna. You will stay here, and rest. No fighting now.”
“Franny, my job?”
“Never ended, dear. I told you, I like you. You’re a hard worker, a good girl. During this hard time, you’ve got to learn to lean on someone else.” Franny left the room.
“I’ll be right back.” Russell followed after Franny, leaving Anna to wonder what she had gotten herself into. Lying back on the bed, she grabbed the remote, and turned on the television. She moved to the news channel where there was a picture of Russell and the men who had helped to save her last night. She muted the report.
There was no need to listen to what was actually happening. She’d been there, and knew what was going on.