Chapter 25

Five fucking days. That’s how long it took them to release him from the hospital. It was going to be a while before he could get back to his usual activities but he’d be a hell of a lot more comfortable at home in his own bed. Especially, since Emily was there. He missed holding her in his arms at night and feeling her skin against his.

It was also pissing him off that nobody was giving him any information on the situation with Elliot Becker. Keith still had a hard time believing the man was the one behind everything or that the bastard shot him. For that alone, Keith wanted five minutes alone with the son of a bitch.

“Do you want something to drink?” Emily asked from the doorway of the living room.

“I want you to come over here and sit on my lap.” Keith patted his thigh.

“You’re not Santa, and I’m getting supper ready. Plus, the foreman is coming here in like five minutes. He said the shop should be ready by the end of the week.” Emily had taken over the repairs to her salon. Keith didn’t argue.

“That’s great, Princess but you can take thirty seconds to come over here.” Keith crooked his finger.

“Thirty seconds. No more.” Emily pointed her finger at him and eased herself onto his left leg. The bullet had entered through his right side, so he was a little tender there. Emily had kept him at arm's length since he returned home and it was driving him crazy.

“When are you going to let me make love to you again?” Keith didn’t like to complain, but he woke up the last two mornings with a hard on and the only thing Emily would do was jack him off or give him a blow job. Not that it wasn’t great, but he was desperate to be inside her.

“When you can sit, and stand without cringing?” Emily gave him a quick peck on the lips.

“You’re a hard woman,” Keith grumbled.

“But you love me.” Emily giggled and jumped to her feet.

“Damn right I do,” Keith shouted as she left the room.

 That was how it went for another couple of days. Stephanie had come by to help Keith with his mobility. He was having a little trouble lifting his right arm because the bullet had torn the muscle in his chest. It nicked his lung too which was why he’d had trouble breathing. The doctors repaired everything, but he needed therapy to get his muscles back to normal.

“You’re doing great, Keith.” Stephanie encouraged as he pushed the two-pound weight across the table.

“Is this really going to help?” Keith laughed.

“No, I just like making you do stupid things.” Stephanie winked. “Yes, it will help. You have to start slow and build up.”

Keith trusted Stephanie because she was the one who got John off his ass when he’d been hurt in the car accident. She was patient but tough and damn good at her job.

“Hey,” Emily smiled from the doorway.

“Hey, Em.” Stephanie was in the process of packing up her things. “He’s doing awesome.”

“That’s great.” Something in Emily’s voice told him something was bothering her.

“What’s up, Princess?” Keith asked.

“Nothing.” Emily avoided looking at him which meant she was definitely keeping something from him. He didn’t like it.

“Spill it.” Keith stood up and stalked towards her.

“I don’t want you to worry.” Emily sighed.

“Tell me, Emily. No secrets, remember.” He reminded her of her own words when he’d kept her salon repairs from her.

“I was just speaking with your uncle.” Emily stopped.

“And,” Keith motioned her to continue. Stephanie seemed to be holding her breath.

“Elliot Becker wasn’t involved in any of this.” Emily plopped down on the chair and sighed.

“How do you know that?” Stephanie asked before he could.

“They found his car at the bottom of the cliffs off Signal Hill. Your uncle said he’s definitely been there well over a week. It looked like he was dead before he went over and to top it off Ken didn’t kill himself. He was murdered.” Emily pulled an envelope out of her pocket.

“Well, that’s just an awful lot of fucking great news that doesn’t help.” Keith slapped his hand on the top of the table.

“Kurt said he’s on the way to Sandy’s because she’s getting in touch with that guy doing the age progression photo.” Emily touched his arm. “Maybe it will give us the answer we need.”

“It better because we’re out of suspects.” Keith sat in the chair next to her.

“I’m so worried.” Emily sighed.

“Princess, we’ll get this guy.” Keith hated to see her like this.

“Trust me, if anyone can do this, it’s the O’Connors and Keith’s guys.” Stephanie smiled. “I’m going to head out, but I’ll be back in a couple of days. Do those exercises twice a day, and when I come back, we’ll add another one.”

Stephanie hugged Emily and kissed his cheek. Keith waved to her as she drove off, but his only thought was on Emily. There was something else bothering her.

“There’s something else, isn’t there?” Keith confronted her as soon as he closed the front door.

“Mitchell called me a couple of days after you were shot and said he needed to talk to me. He was supposed to meet me at the hospital, but he never showed up. I’ve tried calling him, but his phone goes right to voicemail. I talked to his father, and he hasn’t heard from him either. His dad sounded really worried. Judy and Tiffany are in New York shopping for Tiffany’s wedding, so Alfred is dealing with Mitchell missing all by himself.”

“Did you mention it to Uncle Kurt?” Keith couldn’t see the connection, but he didn’t know Mitchell. Emily did seem really concerned.

“Yes, he said he was going to send someone to Mitchell’s house and meet with Alfred to file a missing person report.” Emily rested her head on his shoulder.

“Uncle Kurt will let you know if he finds out anything.” Keith wrapped his arm around her and pulled her from the chair into his lap. She rested her head on his shoulder.

“I know Mitchell and I had lost touch, but it’s not like him to fall off the face of the earth. He’s a really responsible guy.” Emily wrapped her arms around his neck. “I’ve got a bad feeling.”

“Don’t jump the gun, Princess.” Keith got those feelings as well, and it wasn’t very often they were wrong. “Let’s see what Uncle Kurt can find out first.”

Emily’s salon was completed, and she couldn’t wait to reopen. Ada still wasn’t quite ready to go back to work, but Keith made sure she was there to celebrate. Nothing had changed once all the women were together. They chatted and teased each other. Of course, they teased him mercilessly.

Sandy had gotten in touch with her friend, but he hadn’t had a chance to work on the photo. He’d promised to get it done by the end of the week if not sooner.

The salon was the busiest he’d ever seen it since he met Emily. What made Keith sit up and take notice was when Tiffany’s fiancé walked into the shop with a huge bouquet of flowers. He told her they were from the Palmer family. He’d been asked to drop them off to her because he was in Hopedale to talk to Isabelle about catering his and Tiffany’s wedding.

It just seemed off somehow. Keith even went as far as to text Isabelle to ask her if she was indeed catering the wedding. He was a little relieved when she said yes, but something about it wasn’t right.

Judy and her daughter had returned from New York, and the family had done a television appearance begging for information on Mitchell. Emily’s friend was still missing, and Keith was pretty sure it was all connected to whoever was after Emily.

It’s why he’d increased security at the Bradshaw’s place and made sure Emily was always in his sights when they were away from the compound.

“I need to get a couple of things upstairs,” Emily said when she finished with her last client.

 

“I don’t know why you just don’t pack what you have left up there.” Keith chuckled because as far as he was concerned, Emily was staying with him for good.

“I might just do that but not tonight.” Emily blew him a kiss and disappeared into the back.

Penny was the last of the girls to leave, and he locked the door behind her. Emily was still in her apartment, so he helped out by checking all the stations. Keith had noticed both Emily and Kim did it after every closing before her shop was damaged. He assumed it was to make sure all the hair appliances were off.

Keith slouched in the chair behind the reception desk and scrolled through his phone. It was quiet. Until someone started to pound on the front door. Keith jumped to his feet and ran to the door. Smash was there yelling through the door. Keith fumbled with the lock, and when he got it open, Smash ran inside and out to the back of the salon.

“What the fuck, Smash? What are you doing?” Keith hurried after him.

He found his friend in Emily’s apartment at the window in her bedroom. The window led to the back alley behind the shop, but it was two stories up. When Keith saw what Smash pulled in through the window his blood ran cold.

“Where’s Emily?” Keith shouted as he stuck his head out the window.

“I was checking the footage and went to the live feed. She was climbing down this, but she wasn’t alone. Keith someone has her.” Smash tossed the rope ladder on the floor of the bedroom.

“How the fuck did he get in here?” Keith pulled out his phone and called Emily’s phone. He heard the chime come from the floor behind him.

“I don’t know. The construction crew has been here for a while. Unless he found a way to sneak in with them here.” Smash plowed his hands through his hair.

“Uncle Kurt, someone has Emily.” Keith had picked up Emily’s phone and called his uncle.

“What the fuck are you talking about?” Kurt snapped. “How the fuck did someone get by you?”

That was the same question Keith was asking himself. It was happening again. The only difference was if something happened to Emily it would kill him.

In a matter of minutes, Kurt had a team of guys going through Emily’s apartment and behind her salon. Keith had heard his uncle screaming at them to make sure they don’t miss a thing.

“How could you let this happen?” Keith closed his eyes when he heard Nelson’s voice. Only because Keith had been asking himself the same thing.

“How was he supposed to know someone would be brazen enough to get her through the window?” That was Emily’s mother surprisingly defending him.

“He’s the best, and the best should be prepared for every situation,” Nelson shouted.

“Mr. Bradshaw, I know you’re pissed but not nearly as much as I am at myself.” Keith walked around Emily’s parents and punched the side of the building several times. He’d probably broken his hand, but the pain would be nothing compared to losing Emily. He’d kill the bastard that took her if he harmed one hair on her beautiful head.

“Find my daughter.” Nelson grabbed his arm and turned Keith around.

“I won’t rest until I find her and make sure the fucker pays for even daring to put his hands on her.” Keith marched towards his jeep. He ignored his uncle and brothers calling out to him. He had one thing on his mind. Finding Emily.

Sandy was going to get that friend of hers on the phone, and if he had to put his property up for sale to pay the guy, he’d do it, Keith wanted the guy on that picture right away. It was the only thing that could give them something. Keith had a feeling, he knew exactly who the guy was, but he needed to be sure. He’d checked with Isabelle, and his number one suspect had left her restaurant. It gave him plenty of time to come back and snatch Emily.

The guy had been leering at Emily at the party, and when he brought the flowers, he’d stood a little too close to her. It had to be him. Mitchell was probably coming to tell Emily when he disappeared.

Stay strong, Princess. I’ll find you.