Baby Secret (Slade Brothers Book 3) Read online

  I cry, tears filling my eyes and falling down my cheeks. I yell for him to stop, I beg and plead, but he doesn’t. He just keeps ramming his shoulder into the door, causing it to bang and crack loudly. When it stops for a moment, I stand up right and look out the window. I see him backing up. Then he sprints for the door. I’m too scared to stay in place. I take off, running toward the kitchen. The knife falls from my hands, but I don’t stop for it. I hear the moment he hits the door. It springs open and hits the wall behind it. The window breaks and glass scatters all over the floor. I run toward the living room, my eyes finding the phone on the couch. I move for it, but he tackles me to the floor, knocking the air from my lungs.

  His body is on top of mine, holding me down. I fight against him. I cry. I beg. But he doesn’t let go. Instead, he pulls his hand back and smacks me hard across the face, silencing my cries. My vision blurs around the edges and my head is spinning. I hear my phone ring from its place on the couch and he stands up, grabbing it. He looks at the screen.

  “Looks like my replacement is calling,” he says, dropping the phone onto the floor and stomping on it. The phone’s screen cracks. He does it again and again until the screen is shattered and black.

  I sit up and start inching myself away from him, but he shakes his head as he walks closer. “Oh no. You’re not going anywhere. We’re going to get my son.” He bends down and grabs me by the arms, yanking me upward. He wraps his arms around me, holding me to his chest as he pushes me toward the front door.

  The sound of a loud truck fills the air around us. It’s Clay! Clay is home! He’ll find us and he’ll save me!

  “Fuck,” Glenn says, yanking me back through the kitchen and into the laundry room. He quickly grabs the knife I dropped, and he places the blade against my neck. “Say one fucking word and I’ll slit your throat. Got it?” he whispers in my ear. I nod my head and he continues to drag me outside.

  “Autumn?” Clay yells from inside the house.

  With Glenn’s hand over my mouth and the knife to my throat, I don’t dare answer him as he pulls me down the steps and toward the barn. Every time I fight against him, he presses the knife into my skin, not enough to cut me, but enough to let me know that he will. He shoves me into the barn, and I fall to my knees, tears streaming down my cheeks. Sobs break free.

  “What do you want from me?” I cry out.

  “Shhh,” he says, peeking out a crack in the barn door, watching the yard.

  “Autumn!” I hear Clay yell.

  My head pops up in his direction, but Glenn gives me a pointed look, letting me know I better not make a sound.

  Glenn doesn’t want me, not anymore. He only wants Bryce. He will kill me in an instant if he has to.

  I bring my knees to my chest and wrap my arms around them, holding myself together as I rest my back against the wall. I want nothing more but to scream out, to draw Clay’s attention to my location, but I know that in this instance, Glenn will be faster than Clay. He’ll have that knife against my throat before Clay could even open the barn door.

  We sit in the barn for several long minutes. Every ticking second feels like minutes. Every minute feels like an hour. I can hear talking off in the distance, but I can’t make out what they’re saying or who it is.

  “What’s going on out there?” I finally ask quietly.

  “Looks like your boyfriend called the police. And two other guys.”

  Probably his brothers. I wish one of them would think to check the barn. “What’s your plan here? We can’t just sit here all night,” I point out.

  “We will if we have to. When they leave, we’re going to get Bryce.” He looks down at me. “We will be a family again, Autumn.”

  “Then what?”

  He takes a deep, annoyed breath and his hands fly to his head, fingers running through his dark hair. “Just shut the fuck up already,” he rasps.

  It becomes clear that he hasn’t thought this through. He was expecting to sneak in and grab me to go get Bryce without anyone noticing. Now, his plan is shot because Clay has noticed. The police are aware of the situation, and I’m sure they’re filling in the daycare as we speak. I’m sure that the daycare probably won’t even let me leave with him. Maybe that’s my best option. Convince Glenn to let me go inside to get Bryce. Once I’m inside, I won’t come back out. We’ll be safe. I can call the police and let them know that Glenn is outside waiting and they can arrest him. Bryce won’t even know about any of it.

  I force myself to calm down. Glenn can’t hurt me right now. If he does, he’ll never get to Bryce. My plan will work. I just have to remain calm. Moments later, I hear the sound of vehicles starting up. I can hear the crunch of gravel as they drive away. When the land around us becomes deathly quiet, Glenn turns around and grabs my arm again, yanking me to my feet.

  “Don’t try anything,” he says with his hand on the back of my neck, the knife pointed at my side.

  “I won’t,” I tell him as he urges me toward the barn door. I push it open and step through, finding the land around the house completely empty, with only my van setting in the drive. We walk across the field between the barn and the house, and he pushes me into the passenger side of the van. He climbs behind the wheel.

  He steps on the brakes and pushes the start button. He chuckles when the engine comes to life. “I knew you’d keep a key in here.”

  Since I left him, I’ve left one key in the van at all times. I wanted to be prepared to run if needed. I wouldn’t want to have to worry about trying to find my keys. As long as a key is in the vehicle, it will start and drive.

  I cross my arms over my chest and sink against the door.

  “How’d you find me?” I ask as he drives down the old dirt road.

  “You messed up signing Bryce up for daycare. The moment they entered his information, I got a hit. Once I found the state and town you were in, it wasn’t hard to track you down. There’s only one motel. I figured that was the only place you could be.”

  “What about the postcard? How’d you get it into my room?”

  His face is growing more red by the second, the vein in his forehead becoming more prominent. “All I had to do was mail things to the motel, and they promised to make sure you’d get them.”

  “And Judith and Lidia?” I finally ask, almost afraid of his anger.

  “What about them?” His brows pull together and his mouth forms a tight line. He’s clearly getting tired of all my questions.

  “Did—did you do something to them for helping me?”

  “Don’t ask questions you’re not ready for, Autumn,” he says, refusing to tear his eyes away from the road.

  “What did you do to them?” I ask, fear climbing up my throat.

  “I started to notice the way Judith was watching my every move. I knew she’d warn you that I was coming. I had to make sure she kept her mouth shut. She’d been in bad health for a long time, so it wasn’t anything to make it look like an accident.”

  Tears fill my eyes and fall over the rims. He looks over at me, and seeing my tears, a gleam forms in his eyes as a grin takes over. He likes seeing me hurt.

  “I had talked with her daughter just a few days before. She told me that her mom was having some difficulty with her new medication. It was causing her to have dizzy spells. All I had to do was sneak into her house and give her a slight push. An old lady doesn’t have a chance against a flight of stairs.” He lets out a menacing chuckle that causes the pit in my stomach to open up and swallow me.

  Sobs claw their way up my throat and out of my mouth. Guilt eats at me. I knew I shouldn’t have involved her. If he could easily murder an innocent old lady, there will be no stopping him from hurting me once he has what he wants. I have to get out of here. I have to protect Bryce. I have to protect this baby that’s growing inside of me. I have to get back to Clay. I want our family back. I won’t let Glenn take anything else from me.

  Without much thought, I reach over and grab the wheel, jerking it towar
d the ditch on my right. We’re not going fast enough to cause much damage, but hopefully we’re going fast enough to blow a tire or get stuck—anything is better than bringing this mess to Bryce.

  “Hey!” Glenn yells, fighting for the wheel, but it’s too late. The van veers to the right and straight into the ditch. The van is stopped suddenly, and I’m thrown forward into the dash. The airbags go off, pushing me back into my seat. Dust and smoke are filling the air around us. My vision blurs and my ears ring. I’m fighting to stay conscious as the darkness pulls at me. My head lulls to the side. Glenn’s head is resting against the cracked driver’s side window, a little blood trickling out over his closed eyes.

  Now’s my chance. I have to get as far away as possible before he comes to. I use every bit of strength I have to open my door. With the awkward angle of the van in ditch, the door only opens slightly, but it’s enough for me to squeeze through. I fall into the ditch from being dizzy and light-headed, but I crawl out into the grassy field. I manage to get myself to my feet, but every few steps, I trip and fall. My lungs are working double-time, trying to get the oxygen I need. My heart is pounding in my chest as I push myself to go further, faster, to get away. The road isn’t an option. Glenn will see me plain as day when he wakes up. In the grassy field, at least I have some coverage.

  I walk through the field until I come to a road on the other side. I hear Glenn yell my name from somewhere behind me, but I can’t see him due to the tall grass. I wrap my arms around myself, and a stabbing pain shoots up my side. I push myself forward, trying to cross a ditch to get to the road. If I’m on the road, I may be able to flag down a passing car. I step into the ditch, taking step after step. My foot gets caught and I fall, twisting my ankle. I cry out in pain but keep pushing, crawling my way out of the ditch. Pain is taking over my whole body, and my vision is becoming cloudier, more blurred. I can feel the asphalt under the palms of my hands, but I can’t push myself to my feet. Exhaustion consumes me, pain consumes me, along with fear, and panic, and stress. The world tilts on its axes and everything goes black.

  24

  Clay

  I leave the daycare center and drive through town. I drive past the motel, but I don’t see any unusual cars there so I don’t stop. I figure with Drake and Colton out driving around looking for her along with the police, the best place for me is at home, where I can wait to see if anyone shows up. I need to stay in one place so the police can find me and so Drake and Colton can find me.

  I start making my way back toward the house. I pick up my phone and call Drake along the way.

  “Hey, you figure anything out?” he answers.

  “Bryce is safe. I told the daycare what’s going on. They promised if she came in, they’d call the cops and not let her leave with him. They put the building on lockdown in case Glenn tries coming in to get him himself. I also drove by the motel but didn’t notice any unusual cars. I only saw the owner’s Chevy. Any luck on your end?”

  “No. Colton and I have been driving up and down the back roads. Nothing yet.”

  “What the fuck is that?” I mumble, mostly to myself. Up ahead, there’s something in the road. I’m too far away to make out what it is. I slow the truck as I draw closer.

  “What? What is it?” Drake asks.

  “I don’t know.” I’m only about ten feet away. “It’s a person laying in the road.” I get a few feet closer. “Fuck, Drake. I think it’s her. It’s Autumn!” I stomp the brakes and jerk the wheel to the side of the road.

  “Where? Where are you?” he asks.

  “Bishop Road.” I throw the truck into park and climb out, rushing over to her. She’s laying on her side, her long dark hair covering her face. I roll her to her back and brush her hair from her eyes. She has a small cut on her forehead, and her face and arms are red and bruised. What the fuck happened to her? Her eyes flutter open, and the corners of her mouth turn up slightly.

  “Clay?” she whispers my name.

  “Shhhh,” I say, picking her up against me. I carry her to the truck and place her in the seat. She groans when I set her upright.

  I climb behind the wheel and turn down her street. It isn’t long before I see her van, run off in the ditch. I slow to a stop beside it. The passenger side door is open slightly. The driver’s side is empty, the window cracked. Both airbags are deployed.

  “What the hell happened?” I ask myself, looking over the wreckage.

  “I grabbed the wheel,” she says. I look over at her. Her head rests against the seat, her eyes closed.

  “I’m taking you to get checked out.”

  “He’s still out there.” Her voice is raw and strained.

  “That’s okay. I’ll find him after I get you to a doctor.”

  She tries to nod, but she lets out a groan of pain.

  She falls asleep as I speed toward the doctor’s office.

  I call Drake back as I’m in the waiting room.

  “I found the van, but no sign of him,” Drake says. “The tow truck is pulling the van out now. How’s she doing?”

  “I don’t know anything yet. She’s being checked out now.”

  “Mr. Slade?” a nurse says as she steps out into the waiting room.

  “Yes?” I answer, holding the phone at my side but not hanging up.

  “The doctor thinks that Autumn will be fine. He stitched up the laceration on her head, and she’s responding and alert. She may have a broken rib, but there’s no way to tell without an X-ray, so he’s suggesting we have her sent to Minor’s Hospital in Lincoln to have her checked out further.”

  “Okay, and the baby?”

  She smiles. “The baby seems to be fine. We have a steady heartbeat. You can go back and see her if you’d like while I make the preparations for transport.”

  “Okay, thank you.”

  I lift the phone back to my ear. “You hear that?”

  “Yeah, I did.” I can hear the smile he’s wearing from the tone of his voice.

  “Mr. Slade?” a man asks from behind me.

  I spin around to see a police officer. “Yes?”

  “We have some questions if you don’t mind.”

  “Okay,” I agree. “Drake, I gotta go.” I hang up the phone without another word.

  I sit with the police officer and answer all the questions I can about Autumn, Bryce, and Glenn. When I run out of answers, we go back to her room and she answers what I couldn’t. The police officer gets permission to release Bryce from daycare to Celeste and Drake while she’s at the hospital. Instead of following Autumn to the hospital, I’m going in search of Glenn.

  The police officer leaves to start his own search, but I stay with Autumn until the ambulance arrives. I lean down and kiss her head gently.

  “I love you, and I’ll be there as soon as I can. I’m going to make sure that Bryce is okay before I take off. Just rest.”

  She nods. “Thank you for taking care of him.”

  “You’re both my family now,” I whisper, leaning in to press my lips to hers.

  I watch as they load her into the back of the ambulance. Once they’re driving away, I head toward Drake’s. I pull into the drive twenty minutes later. He, Bryce, and Celeste are all in the barn, checking out the horse.

  “Clay!” Bryce yells, running toward me.

  I pick him up and hug him close.

  “Where’s Mom?”

  I pull back enough to study his face. “Mom is just fine. She just had to go to the doctor to get the baby checked out. We don’t have any good doctors here so she had to go to the town next to us, so she won’t be home until tomorrow. Are you okay with staying with Drake and Celeste?”

  He looks a little nervous, biting down on his lip. “Why can’t I stay at the house with you?”

  “Well, I’m going to go stay with your mom and keep her company. I bet Celeste will have all sorts of fun things for you to do.”

  She nods and smiles. “I’m sure we can find something, like…are you hungry? We can have anyth
ing you want for dinner.”

  His eyes stretch wide. “Even pizza?”

  She laughs. “Even pizza.”

  “Alright. Let’s go.” He nearly hops out of my arms, grabs her hand, and pulls her toward the house.

  “See you tomorrow, buddy,” I call after him.

  Drake turns to face me. “So, what’s the plan?”

  “I’m going to find that son of a bitch before the cops do.”

  “Let’s go.”

  “You coming?” I ask, arching one eyebrow. I know Drake always has my back, but this is a little more serious than some childhood shenanigans. This is serious. This could lead to jail time.

  “Hell yeah. You ain’t doin’ this alone. I’ll call Colton.” He’s already digging his phone from his pocket.

  Drake and I load up in my truck, and we swing by and get Colton. The three of us stop at the diner for dinner and coffee to form a plan.

  Tessa walks over to the table. “Clay, can we talk?”

  “Not now, Tess,” I blow her off, not meaning to be rude, but I can’t do this right now. I’m too focused on finding Glenn, on teaching him a lesson, on paying him back for hurting what’s mine.

  “I’m really sorry. I didn’t realize what I’d be causing when I gave him her address.” Her eyes are wide with alarm, and she’s shaking her head back and forth.

  The three of us look up at her. Drake and Colton are clearly surprised. “What did you think would happen, Tessa? Thanks to you, the mother of my child is laying in a hospital bed right now. And all for what? So you and I could go back to fucking?” Anger drenches my every word. I may as well be spitting acid.

  She flinches at my harsh words, but I don’t care. I told her I didn’t want to do this right now. My anger is so intense, it’s causing my blood to boil. Any minute it’s going to erupt.

  Tears fill her eyes, and she quickly turns and runs off.

  “Calm down,” Drake says, placing his hand on my back between my shoulder blades and rubbing.