She was moved to another floor. Holland was told he needed to wait outside the room until they got her settled. He paced the hallway. He could not take it. He wanted to be in there if she woke up. The nurses and orderlies walked out of the room. He rushed in to see she was still sleeping. He breathed a sigh of relief. He sat in the blue chair next to her bed. He watched her as she slept. She finally awoke after two hours.
"Hey," he said, as she rolled to look at him.
"Hi, Mr. Holland."
"Please, after the ordeal we went through today, you can call me Andrew or Andy."
"Okay, Andrew. Thank you for saving me. If you didn't show up, I don't know how far he would have done or how far he would have gone," she said, as a tear escaped her eye. She quickly wiped it away.
"Don't think about that," he said, reaching for her hand. She allowed him to take it. He ran his thumb along her knuckles, comforting her.
"I can't help it. He was going to rape me and may have killed me, if you didn't find us. I can't thank you enough," she said yawning. Sleep was overtaking her again.
"You need to rest," he said, bringing her hand his lips. He lightly kissed her knuckles. She fell asleep to the feel of his lips lightly grazing her knuckles. He waited to hear her breathing even out before he let go of her hand. He got up and left the room. What she said resonated in him. He was going to confront Farmer. Farmer needed to know he meant business. If he so much as called her again, he would be dealing with him again. He did not want that. Holland was not going to let anything else happen to her. He would hire security for her. She would have twenty four hour protection on his dime. Farmer would never be able to get anywhere near her again. If he happened to slip by his security detail, he would be dealing with him again. And this time, he wouldn't make it to the hospital.
Holland stalked his way down the curtained wall toward Farmer's room. He found cops standing guard and Farmer screaming. They had cuffed him to the bed. He was not going to be going anywhere. The orderly who approached him when he first arrived came up to him.
"He won't be bothering her anytime soon."
"Thank you. Please make sure he doesn't escape."
"He won't. As soon as he gets the all clear from the doctor, he is headed straight to jail."
"Good. There is no better place for him. His father will get him out within hours. I am sure of it, but she will have around the clock security by that time. He will never get near her again."
"With the damage he did to her, he doesn't need to get to her. Listen, I heard him screaming, he may press charges against you. If I were you, I would steer clear of him until he leaves here."
Dirt flew up as the cops came into the driveway at a high speed. The first cop to jump out of the car was Ryan Barber, Missy's contact at the police station.
"Get your hands up and step away from her!" he screamed at Holland, pointing his gun in their direction. Holland let go of Missy's shoulders, raising his hands.
"Ryan, he's with me. He saved my life."
"Missy, are you okay?" he asked, running over to them as a few of the other officers went rushing past them. He got a better look at her face, using the radio strapped to his shoulder to call for an ambulance. She saw a look of worry cross his face.
"I'll be fine," she said, attempting to ease his worry. She took a step toward him, stumbling. Holland had his arms around her in a flash. Ryan caught her around her shoulders.
"Missy, you're not fine. An ambulance is on the way. They will take you to the hospital."
"I don't need to go to the hospital. I just need to sit down," she said as her head swam. Her eyes rolled in the back of her head as she stumbled again. The world went black. Holland had her scooped in his arms before she even touched the ground. He carried her to his car. Ryan opened the door, allowing him to sit her in the front seat. Two ambulances pulled down the wooded driveway. Ryan went running to them. He directed the EMTs to Holland's car where a still passed out Missy sat in the front seat. The EMTs went over with a stretcher. They were able to wake Missy long enough to get her on the stretcher. They loaded her into the ambulance as the other EMTs were bringing out Farmer. Holland saw red again and headed in his direction. Ryan stopped him.
"He isn't worth it," he said putting his hand on Holland's chest in an attempt to stop him from doing any more damage. Holland stopped, looking at Ryan.
"He doesn't deserve to live."
"I understand where you are coming from and believe me justice will be served. I don't care who his father is, he will be put away for a very long time. You already done some fine tuning up on him. I am sure he will want to press charges, but I will put a stop to it. He won't see the light of day again, except through the prison bars. Go be with Missy, they are bringing her to County General."
"Thank you," Holland said, extending his hand to Ryan. Ryan took it, giving it one firm shake. Holland got in his car and drove off. He wanted to be the face she saw when she finally came to. He would not have it any other way. He sped down the highway toward the hospital. He caught up to the two ambulances, fuming as he realized they were both going to the same hospital. He did not want Farmer any where near her.
"Please, I'll do anything you want," she pleaded, scrambling away from him. She hit the wall between the kitchen and the living room. He reached her, snatching her up by her hair. He drug her across the floor to the couch, slamming her head into the coffee table before throwing her onto the couch. Her hands went to her nose. Blood was gushing out. She was certain it was broken. He pinned her down, climbing on top of her. He tried to rip her top off, but she fought back. She shoved him off of her. She tried to escape, but he pulled her back underneath him, ripping her shirt. She tried to cover herself up. He forced her arms abover her head, grabbing the rope he had fixed to the legs of the couch. Lying down on top of her, he tied her hands above her head.
She screamed. He tried to kiss her. She shook her head from side to side. He grabbed her face, forcing his tongue into her mouth. She bit down, hard, taking off the tip of his tongue. He pulled back, slugging her in the jaw. He knocked her out. He looked at her, smiling. He stood up, beginning to remove her pants, when the door to the cabin flew open. Splinters flew everywhere. Holland had kicked the door off the hinges. Holland set out on a dead run toward Farmer. Farmer did not have time to stand up straight to defend himself. Holland was on him, knocking him to the ground. He began punching him in the face. Farmer brought his arms up to protect himself, making Holland angrier. He punched farmer in the ribs, feeling them crack under his fist.
Missy stirred, hearing the commotion to her left. Through a swollen left eye, she could barely see someone beating up on Farmer. When her vision focused, she realized it was Holland. She tried to move her hands down to cover herself, but failed. Holland stopped punching Farmer when he realized he was passed out. He stood up, looking over at Missy. She tried to turn her body away from him. He went out to the car, leaving her tied to the couch. He came back in with his jacket, covering her up. He cut the rope from above her head, allowing her her arms to fall to her side. She slipped into the jacket, sitting up.
"I've called the cops. They are on the way. Go wait in the car. You don't need t be in here anymore," Holland said to Missy.
"H-How did you know where I was?" she asked, on the verge of tears.
"I saw him take you. I followed you, but lost you on the highway. I had to back track. I'm sorry he was able to get this far with you. I should have gotten hear sooner," he said running his hand through his hair.
"Don't be sorry. I am just glad you came. Thank you for saving me," she said, standing on her shaking legs. He grabbed her before she fell back onto the couch. He walked her to the door with his arm around her shaking shoulders.
He got out of the car, finally looking around to be sure he wasn't followed. He didn't see anything out of the ordinary. He moved toward the passenger door. She was beginning to wake up. She opened her eyes to see him reaching for the door handle. She hit the lock button. He shook his head at her. He hit the button on the key ring to unlock the door. She tried to scramble to the other side. He reached in grabbing her right leg, pulling her out the door. She tried to hang on to the other door handle and kick him with her left leg. She connected with his right shoulder, sending him backward It pissed him off. He did not expect her to fight back. He was hoping she would be a cowardly little bitch he thought she was, but he was finding out she was not going to go out without a fight.
He yanked her hard, lifting her off the seat. Her left side slammed back down on the center console, causing her to immediately fold herself into a fetal position. He pulled her out of the car. Her head slammed up against the door jam, cutting off the top of her ear lobe. Her eyes watered. She could feel the blood rushing to the injury. He grabbed her by the hair, forcing her to her feet. The blood trickled down the side of her face. She winced as his hand grazed her damaged ear. He lead her by her hair to the front of the cabin. Sandwiching her between him and the door, he unlocked the cabin door. She tried to push him away from her. Bracing herself against the door and pushing backward, she got him off her an inch before he punched her in her left side. She bent to the left, attempting to protect herself. The door swung open. She fell through it, catching herself with her arms spread out before her. He shoved her through the door the rest of the way with his foot. She scrambled to get to her feet. He slammed the door behind him, turning to lock it. She was up and running toward the sliding glass doors on the other side of the house when she heard a gun being cocked.
"Stop right there," he said. "I am not afraid to shoot you if I have to."
"Please," she said, slowly turning toward him. "What do you want from me?"
"I just want to talk. I thought we were friends. I thought we had a real connection. I just wanted to be your lover, but you would't have it. What is so wrong with me? Why wasn't I good enough?"
"I wasn't interested in an office relationship. I wanted to earn my position in the company. I didn't want to get to where was by sleeping my way to the top."
"Well, now we aren't in the same office anymore. How about we give it a go?"
"It will never happen. You just kidnapped me."
"If I can't have you, then no one will," he said, coming closer to her.
He headed toward the elevator, walking right past Missy's office. She was on the phone when she spotted him practically running past her door. She asked her contact to hold on. She headed toward the elevators.
"Hey, did you get a break on the case?" she asked, catching up to him.
"No," he said. "I need to take care of something important. I'll be back in a little bit and we can see where we stand on everything. I'll do some investigating while I am out."
"Okay," she said, retreating to her office. She wondered what he was up to, but knew she needed to get back to work. She had to impress her new boss on this case so she could finally get ahead in her career. She got back on the phone with her contact at the police station. Learning that she needed to go down there to see the files for herself, she grabbed her things and headed out. She arrived at the station. She was about to get out of her car when she spotted him. She slunk down in her seat, hoping he didn't see her. He caught her movements out of the corner of his eye. He recognized her car and her. He walked over to it, taping on her window. She groaned in disapproval, wanting to flee the scene, but knew she couldn't. She rolled down the window.
"There you are," he said, sticking his head into the car. "Why did you just up and leave? I could have made good on my promise. You could have been happy with me, but you chose to run. Your running days are over."
He reached through the window, unlocking the door. She tried to hold the door closed, but wasn't strong enough. She screamed. No one came to her rescue. He shoved her to the other side of the car, climbing in. She tried to climb out the passenger door, but he pulled her back in, grabbing her hair and slamming her head into the dashboard. Blood trickled down her forehead as everything went blurry and then dark. He sped off in her car with her slumped in the front seat. He drove onto the highway, accelerating his speed. He wanted to get to the cabin he had set up for the day he found her again. She would be his and only his. No one would have her. He got off of exit 238, heading toward the wooded area the cabin was tucked away in. For miles, there was nothing on this road. He was sure by the end, she would be his or she would be dead. He never bothered to look in his rearview mirror to see if he was being followed. There was a black car following him from the time he pulled away from the police station. He pulled down the long driveway to the cabin. She was beginning to stir. 'Good,' he thought. 'I need her to be awake for everything that is about to happen.'
She wasn't sure if she wanted to be a part of this case. She wondered if she could ask not to be after what she just encountered in her own life. She told herself it was a job and if she didn't do it, then she was going to have to be bumped down to petty crime and traffic tickets until she was ready. She didn't want that. She worked way too hard already to get where she was. There was no way she was going to start from the bottom, again.
"What evidence do they have and what were the circumstances?" she asked, shifting uncomfortably in her chair.
"I'm sorry. If you don't want to work on this case, I can find you another one to work on."
"I'm fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, now can we discuss the case?"
"Yes," he said. "Like I said, they don't have much evidence against him. The main thing is his alibi never check out. He claimed he was working late, but when the janitor, who cleans his office, was interviewed he said he never saw him that night. We need to know where he was and what he was doing. He is going to hire the best he can, because he is among the elite in this city. If the cops can prove he was anywhere near the crime scene at the time of the murder, then he will go to jail. We will need to conduct an investigation of our own to see what we can find out. Sometimes, people are more open to speaking with lawyers than cops. Are you up for it?"
"Where do we begin?"
"I say we start with his office. Maybe someone there will have a little more insight into what he was doing that night."
"Was he cheating?" she asked. "Could he have been with another woman and just did not want anyone to know he was cheating on his wife at the time of her murder?"
"It is possible. He was a well known playboy in his bachelor days and is still highly sought after even though he claims to be happily married."
"I'll begin there," she said, standing up. "Thank you for allowing me to stay on the case."
"You're welcome," he said, walking her to the door. He watched her walk to her office. The sultry sway in her hips as she took each step made his heart race. He was in trouble. He knew he needed to stay away, but he wasn't sure if he could. He needed to think of her situation. She just came from an office where she was stalked by a psycho coworker. He may not act on his compulsion, but he damn sure wasn't going to let anyone hurt her. He had his own investigation and business to conduct. He was going to make sure she was never bothered by that self serving prick again. He grabbed his jacket off the back of his door, draping it over his arm. He picked up his briefcase and headed out.
"I'm sorry you had to deal with that arrogant prick. How dare he threaten your life. Just because his dad owned the firm, did not give him the right to treat you like you were his."
"Thank you. That is why I left," she said, voice shaking. The tears were coming. She thought she had finished crying over that place and him. "I was no longer comfortable working there. I thought his father would put a stop to it, but I was wrong. I knew if I stayed there any longer it would only get worse. I have moved out of my apartment and into a hotel under a different name since then. I again changed all my numbers and got rid of my email accounts, starting all new ones."
"Good, girl. Do you still talk to anyone at your old firm?"
"No, I cut off all communication with everyone for not only my own safety, but theirs as well."
"Good. You don't need to put anyone else in danger. If you want to press charges against him, I will help you with that."
"Thank you for the offer, but I would rather just not deal with it anymore, if I can avoid it."
"I can't say that I blame you. If you ever need anything, you let me know. We will take him down."
"I will," she said, giving him a weak smile. He returned it.
"Now, let's get down to business. Are you ready for your first case with us?"
"I am," she said, straightening herself up in her seat. She was nervous about telling him why she left, but was now glad she had done it. He seemed to understand the severity of her situation and why she ran from the prestigious firm. She was caught up in her own thought when she heard him calling her name.
"Missy, Missy, earth to Missy," he said, grinning at her.
"I'm sorry. I was still thinking about what happened. Please, repeat what this case is about, again."
"It's okay," he chuckled. "You have been through a lot and were just trying to forget it. Here I am making you relive it all over again."
"No, I should have shut that part out when you said it was time to talk about the case. Let's get started. I am eager to dive into my first case here and learn what you have to teach me."
"Alright, well your first case will with me has to do with a murder. The cops know who committed the murder, but the evidence is lacking. We need to help them build the case against the guy for a conviction beyond a reasonable doubt. Are you up for it?"
"Yes, who is he suspected of murdering?"
"His ex girlfriend. The cops think he did it in a jealous rage," he said, visibly wincing at the statement. After what she just told him, he knew this one was going to hit a little too close to home for her.
She began to fidget with the hem of her dark blue suit jacket. He saw her getting nervous. If she was going to work with him, he needed to know what had taken place.
"Do you want to discuss what happened at your last job," he asked. She shifted in her chair. She wasn't ready, but knew she was going to have to tell him eventually. Today, might as well be that day. She took a deep breath, steadying herself before answering him.
"I really don't care to discuss it, but I know I will need to tell you if we are going to work together and end up on a case against my old firm."
"Yes, I don't want you to be discredited in court by the opposing firm."
"I worked for them for quite a long time. My boss really liked me. He liked me enough to take me under his wing and teach me almost everything he knew. He told me it was possible I would end up becoming one of their top lawyers and a junior partner before I knew it. I was elated. The problem happened when his son asked me on a date and I refused. He started making rude comments to me as soon as I came into work. He would tell me all the the things he wanted to do to me and what he wanted me to do to him. He began calling my house late at night. When I disconnected that phone, he got my cellphone number and started calling it. I would let every call go to voice mail and kept all of them as evidence. When I finally got enough nerve to approach his father about it, I played him the messages. He called his son into the office and asked him about it. His son told him that it was all a joke we played with each other. I had changed my phone number that morning. After I left the office, I received a phone call from him. He had somehow learned my new number. He threatened my life. That is when I went looking for a new job and came across this one."
"Do you think he would actually hurt you?"
" I don't know. I left before I could find out. What I do know is that he is sick and I couldn't take that chance."
"Do you still have those messages? More importantly the thrreatening one?" he asked, his voice laced with concern. She nodded her head, pulling out her phone. She slid it across the table to him. He slid it open, accessing her voicemail and listening to the threatening message. He closed his eyes as the voicemail ended. With his jaw clenched, he slid the phone back across the desk to her. He sat there just staring at her. He didn't know what to say. What he heard on that voicemail angered him. He didn't know Missy, but he damn sure wasn't going to let anything happen to her.
