Trusting You (Second Chances #2)(65)

“They said to stay here. I told them I would stay with you until I knew you were perfectly safe. An ambulance will be here soon to escort you to the hospital.”

Furrowing my brow, I asked, “Why the hospital? I’m not hurt.”

Abbey smiled apologetically. “I don’t know what happened to you, Ms. Ashford, but it’s plain as day that you’re not okay.” She pressed down on my skin and shook her head. “You’re also severely dehydrated and need to be taken care of. People die from dehydration all the time. They’re also going to want to examine you to make sure nothing else is wrong. Now give me the number to your boyfriend.”

I called out the numbers and she held the phone out to me. It rang and rang and I was about to hang up when Brett finally answered the phone, “Yeah.”

“Brett,” I whispered hoarsely. My throat closed up and I started to cry.

He gasped and yelled to the people in the background. “It’s her! I got her,” he hollered. “Where the hell are you? Mason and I are here at the motel and there was a couple that said you left. So help me God I’m going to kill Daniel if he makes it through this.”

“You’re there?” I choked out. “I’m about two miles down the road at a gas station. What’s going on now?”

He sighed. “Look, don’t you worry about anyone but yourself right now. I’m on my way to you. Did you take a left or right out of the parking lot of the hotel?”

“A left,” I replied.

“Stay on the phone with me until I get there. So help me God, I thought I would never see you again when your watch ended up in the woods. I thought we had lost you for good.”

“How did you find me?” I asked.

“The guy who you were supposed to meet for the plane ride over the border called and informed the authorities what Daniel was planning on doing. He told the police where you were at so we were already on our way when the call came through from the couple at the motel.” I could hear the rumble of his Jeep coming down the road and my heart slammed in my chest when I saw him speed into the parking lot of the gas station.

His eyes immediately found mine so I hung up the phone and handed it back to Abbey. “Thank you,” I muttered graciously to her.

“You’re welcome,” she uttered, eyes going wide at the sight of Brett climbing out of his vehicle. He wore a rumpled T-shirt and jeans and his face looked like it hadn’t seen a razor in days. He was still handsome even with the tormented look on his face. His mouth flew open at the sight of me and his eyes glowed with anger.

I ran as fast as I could to him and jumped into his arms. “Brett,” I cried.

His arms engulfed me and he held me tight. The sores on my back screamed in protest, but I needed his arms around me. “Shh … it’s okay, firecracker. I got you,” he whispered hoarsely in my ear. “You’re safe now.”

The sirens from the ambulance sounded off into the distance and I knew they were coming for me. “I love you,” I cried. “I can’t believe you’re here. I didn’t know if I was ever going to see you again.”

“No matter what happens in our lives I will always find you. I’m here now and we’re together. I love you and nothing and no one is ever going to take you away from me again. If anything … trust me on that.”

Breathing in his scent, I sighed and collapsed into his arms. “I trust you.”





I was taken to the hospital and examined, thoroughly, even though I told them it wasn’t necessary. Given the situation, it all had to be recorded in the police report. The only thing I suffered from was dehydration, just like Abbey the nurse said, and of course I was starving. The sores on my back were fine, except there were some gravel pieces that were lodged in my skin. As soon as the examination was over and my skin scrubbed, I was wheeled into a hospital room where Brett was standing there waiting for me, looking distraught. The nurse hooked me up to an IV and smiled sadly. “Once we get your fluids up we’ll discharge you. But for now, I want you to rest and take it easy. I know you have a lot to recover from, not only physically, but emotionally as well.”

“Thank you,” I muttered. She nodded at Brett before leaving the room and shutting the door behind her.

Brett came over and sat beside me on the bed, taking my hand. Daniel’s blood had been all washed away, and I was thankful for that. It was a constant reminder of what I did.

“How did the exam go?” he asked, worry evident in his tone. His eyes were the most haunted I had ever seen them and I knew the reason why he wanted to know the answer.

Taking his hand, I pulled him down to lie beside me on the bed. I placed my hand on his cheek and looked straight into his soulful gray eyes. “It went fine, Brett. Nothing happened, okay?”

Clenching his teeth, he nodded quickly and looked away. “Are you sure about that? I saw what happened to Daniel. It didn’t look like nothing happened. Did he …” He was so angry he couldn’t even finish the sentence.

“No,” I said firmly, taking his face in both hands for him to look back at me. “I took care of it before it got that far. Which I’m sure you saw what I did.” I paused for a few seconds before asking the question that had been weighing on me since I ran away. “How is he by the way? I didn’t kill him, did I?”