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He bites his bottom lip. “You don’t remember anything about that?”
I frown and shake my head.
“The ambulance crew cut them off you because you were so freezing from being in the water so long that your body had gone into shock.”
I swallow the lump in my throat and drop my head as I remember diving deep into the dark cold water in search of my love. I have never been so frightened.
Cameron puts his arm around my shoulders and pulls me into an embrace. “We’ll get through this, mate. You are not alone. We are going to find her,” he Whispers. I drop my head to his shoulder and he holds me for a moment. “I… Cameron, I don’t know how to deal with this. Who has her?” My heart rate picks up at the thought of her suffering. “I can’t fucking handle this,” I murmur as he holds me tighter. “What if they are hurting her?” I scream. “She needs medical treatment—she’s cut.” I pull out of his embrace and Ben comes back into the room.
“You need to quieten down or they will not let you leave. We need you at home to help us figure this mess out,” he snaps.
I nod. Yes, he’s right. I can’t help her from here. I need to get out of here. I slowly pick up my clothes and put them on in silence.
I walk from the hospital forever a different man. My life will never be the same. Scarred. They have succeeded in doing what they have always wanted to do. The ultimate prize has always been to bring me to my knees and they haven’t done just that, they have cut off half of me. I’m a shell without Natasha by my side and they knew the only way to hurt me was to hurt her.
Where are you, Tash?
Are you safe, baby?
Flanked by security I walk out the front doors of the hospital to hear my name screamed by photographers and the blinding flashes start. I drop my head and walk toward my waiting car.
“Joshua Stanton, where is your wife?”
“Are you ok, Mr Stanton?”
“Is it true your wife has been found dead?” another yells. I stop mid-step and make eye contact with the cockroach who has just said that.
“Get in the car,” Ben snaps as he grabs my elbow and pushes me into the car.
“Get out of my way!” I hear Cameron yell as he falls into the car and closes the door behind him. I stare out the window as the car speeds away. A zombie-like calm sweeps over me. I cannot speak, “It’s ok, Josh,” Cameron whispers. “It’s ok.”
The ride in the car is silent. Ben is driving and another guard is in the front seat. There is a car behind and another in front of us.
Too little, too late.
It starts to rain and my heart drops. What if she’s out in the rain? Does she have protection? My elbow rests on the door as I stare at the scenery rushing past us in a world where everything seems normal, everything seems fine. Finally we arrive at our destination, the hotel, and I am ushered up the lift and along the corridor to a room. Ben slowly opens the door and I see Bridget in Adrian’s arms. She turns and sees me and her face screws up in pain.
“Joshua,” she whispers.
Tears instantly fill my eyes. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper.
She rushes and grabs me in an embrace and holds me as I drop my head onto her shoulder. “I couldn’t keep her safe. I couldn’t keep her safe,” I whisper.
“Joshua, stop. This isn’t your fault,” she sobs as she pulls back and holds my cheeks. “Joshua, do not dare blame yourself for this!”
“How can all of us love her so much and not one of us know where she is?” I whisper.
“This is totally fucked,” Abbie yells. “Who would do this?” she shrieks.
“Quiet,” Cameron yells as he turns the television up to hear the news.
More on the Stanton story, Natasha Stanton, wife of billionaire celebrity Joshua Stanton, has gone missing in what are very suspicious circumstances on the luxury yacht of a friend at some time in the early hours of Sunday morning. Witnesses say that the night before, the pair were involved in a very public heated domestic dispute that had Joshua Stanton forcing Natasha into his limousine against her will.
The camera goes to footage from someone’s phone of the night before and I see myself acting like a lunatic and screaming at Natasha.
“Natasha, get in the fucking car!” I yell.
My eyes widen in horror at what is unfolding before me. What the hell was I thinking? I don’t even remember this. I watch myself grab Natasha by the arm and throw her into the car and then start yelling that I am going to kill Max.
