Page 98 of Together Is Where We Belong

He turned the innocent hug from a frantic mother into something so sinister.

“What’s your plan?” I said as I held back tears.

“I have the perfect plan. Once I get Luke, we’re leaving the country. The three of us will finally be a family,” he said before he licked the side of my face.

My stomach rolled from the smell of his breath and his touch. The thought of him getting to my son… There was no way I’d let that happen.

“What are you going to do if you can’t get to Luke? You may as well take me and leave. Leo will never let you have him. Neither will his family,” I taunted. I didn’t want him to take me and leave, but if it came down to it, I’d rather him have me than have us both.

“You leave those Courtright brothers and family to me. Now sit there and be quiet, or I’ll have to give you this,” he said as I felt the metal tip of what I assumed was a needle trace down my arm.

I swallowed hard and pulled my lips tight.

The vibration of his phone sounded in the room, and he chuckled as he moved off the bed. His heavy footsteps echoed as he walked across the space, and I heard a door close. I couldn’t make out what he was saying, but I knew I had to act fast if I wanted to get away from him.

I had to find a way to get free. I lay on the bed very still as I kept trying to free myself from the rope, when I felt it loosen. I had to keep trying, to keep him unaware of my attempt to break free.

Leo, find me before it’s too late, I prayed to myself.

Mitchell’s loud footsteps came back in the room, and as I heard him start to pace, I found a way to loosen the knot just enough to free my wrists. I kept them behind my back. I couldn’t let him know I was free just yet because my ankles were still tied.

As I thought of a way to get my ankles freed, a knock sounded at the door.

My mind raced as to who it could be.

His partner. Maybe.

“Housekeeping,” I heard at the door and gasped.

There weren’t any hotels in Haven Valley. There was only one place we could be. We were in one of the cabins at Courtright Ranch. He was right. He’d been hiding in plain sight all along.

The sound of Mitchell’s footsteps grew closer before they stopped.

“Quiet,” he gritted out in my ear, and I jumped at the closeness.

He stomped over to the other side of the room. The urge to scream consumed me, but I refrained. I didn’t want him to hurt whoever was at the door. I laid there, still, and quiet as I heard the door creak slightly and then bang against the wall.

“No,” Mitchell screamed.

“Mitchell Hale, you’re under arrest,” I heard and let out a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness they’d found me. But I needed to know if Luke was okay. I pushed myself up on the bed and removed the blindfold to find Mitchell pressed against the open door, his face staring directly at me as he was cuffed.

“You’ll always be mine, Carolina,” Mitchell bit out as he was pulled away from the door and taken outside.

Frantically, I pulled at the ropes trying to get the knots untied, but I couldn’t.

“Carolina,” I heard Leo yell, and I turned toward the door to find him just across the threshold being held back by deputies.

“Let me go to her,” he screamed as he fought their hold.

He found me.

“Luke,” I cried out as I pulled at the ropes. I had to make sure my son was safe.

“He’s safe with my parents,” Leo shouted as he held up his arms and backed away from the deputies.

An officer I didn’t recognize walked over to the bed as I struggled to break free of the ropes. He helped untie me as I shook with anticipation of getting to Leo.