Love Survives (Love's Suicide #2)(101)

I could tell the topic got to Branch. He was obviously living with demons of his own. “I’m sorry that happened to you. I don’t even remember it.”

“You wouldn’t. You were too far up Kat’s ass to pay attention to me. I’m pretty sure you spent the night at her parent’s house when I had the surgery. I know you were together.”

“Weren’t we always? She was our best friend, you know.”

“Some things don’t change, bro. It seems like Kat still feels that way about you. Sometimes I wonder if she ever loved me.”

“This conversation is weird. We need to change the subject before you’re using the steaks we’re about to buy to relieve a black eye.”

Branch chuckled. “It’s not like that. I have no interest in your girlfriend. I swear. I’d like to think of Kat as my sister, of it’s okay with you?”

I almost made a comment about them sleeping together, but decided it was best if I closed the door on the whole conversation. “Look, Branch. I’m trying to keep it all in the past. I’m pissed at you. I might be that way for the rest of my life, but you’re still my brother. It’s obvious you care about my daughter, that means a lot. Let’s take baby steps to repairing our relationship.”

He agreed before we walked into the grocery store. On the way home we talked about sports, which we both shared a common interest in.

The girls were drinking tea out by the pool when we arrived back at the house.

I hurried to put my suit on so that I could join them for an afternoon swim.



It was obvious Kat was happy to see me back. I’d only been gone for about thirty minutes, and in that time I had to admit I missed her. This was all still so exciting for me. It wasn’t just about being a couple, or even having a beautiful daughter. It was the whole life we were going to have together. I was on cloud nine, and nothing could bring me down.

We floated around the pool together, both of them wrapped around each arm. I could hear my brother and Melissa talking about their wedding plans, but paid them no attention. I was too captivated by my own little family.

A little while later we had burgers and salad out on the patio. B was trying to manipulate me back in the pool, and she was pretty close to getting her way. I conned her into eating more in an effort to wait longer before spending more time in the water.

It didn’t take her long to empty her plate. I didn’t make her ask again. We got back in the pool while I let Kat relax and chat with the women. In all honesty I thought nothing of her walking in the house after my mom. I figured she’d come right back out. Seconds turned into minutes, making me start to wonder if she was okay. At first I thought she was playing a joke on me, trying to get me alone to be freaky again. I slipped into the house to find her, only to come back out after not seeing her anywhere.

“Mom, do you know what Kat’s doing?” I asked.

“Someone came to the door asking for her. I supposed they’re still talking.”

Right away my heart dropped. I yelled for them to watch B while I rushed into the house. When I didn’t find her downstairs I ran to my room, finding a huge tear in my sheets, and some of her things gone from the room.

That’s when I knew for sure who’d been knocking on the door. He’s listened to her messages and looked up my parent’s address. We weren’t hard to find. They’d lived in the house since we were born.

I hurried outside to catch the back of a truck peeling around the corner. At first I started running after it, soon realizing there was no way I could catch up. Kat’s husband had taken her from me, and I didn’t know what he was going to do next.

When I opened the front door my dad was standing there waiting. “What’s going on?” I pushed past him, searching for truck keys. “We need to hurry. He’s going to hurt her.”

“Who, Katy? What are you talking about, son?”

I didn’t have time to stand there and explain what was going on. “Her husband. He’s come to take her from us. She’s in danger. Please, I’ll explain it all later. Just help me find her.”

When we rushed out of the house I didn’t know what to say or do. All I could think about was finding Kat and bringing her home safely. This all felt like a terrible nightmare.





Chapter 50


I didn’t even know where I was going. All I could hope was that he had every intention of driving her back to South Carolina. I was prepared to stop at every single hotel, restaurant, or gas station until I found them.

I tried to focus on Kat, like I could somehow sense her whereabouts. While I concentrated on the road my dad continued badgering me for answers. “What do you mean when you say her husband has her?”

“She’s married, dad. Kat got married when she found out she was pregnant. She was alone and scared. There was someone there who offered to take care of them, so she agreed.”

“Why would he hurt her? Did she run out on him to be with you?”

“No, it’s not like that.” I was disgusted with the situation. “He beats her. They married as friends, but it was never enough for him. When I came into the picture he went crazy. He wanted her to stop seeing me, and when she refused he busted her head open.”

I turned a corner and jumped on the main highway. “Where would he take her? Is this guy a danger to Brooklyn?”