Chapter 32

Steven

I’m sitting in my large office Thursday afternoon. I’m just getting out of a very long meeting, so long that I actually haven’t eaten lunch yet. Thankfully, Stacey offers to go pick up some food for the two of us to share. It’s nice of her to wait for me to have lunch.

“Sir?” Stacey calls out as she knocks on my open door. “Food’s here.”

“Great, thanks Stacey!” I exclaim while gesturing for her to come in.

Stacey walks into my office and sets the food down on my desk. Then she pulls a chair over so she can sit across from me. I open the bag and start taking out containers. Stacey smiles at me as she sits down and takes her food.

“You must be starving, that meeting went on forever.” Stacey comments.

“Yeah, I am really hungry.” I acknowledge. “I’m sure I’m not the only one, though. Thanks for waiting for me to eat.”

“My pleasure, Sir.” Stacey smiles.

Stacey is such a great assistant. I feel terrible for how badly I’m hurting her. Still, there’s nothing I can do. She wants something I can’t give her. I do miss our closeness though, and I have to be honest, I also miss her tight pussy and warm mouth. A big part of me wants to bend her over and spank her tight ass cheeks right now.

It isn’t just sex though, I really enjoy talking with Stacey. I love having lunch with her every day. She isn’t Lexi, I’m not in love with her, but I do care deeply for her. She’s going through a lot, and I can’t help. I hate feeling this way.

“How are things going with April?” I ask to break the silence.

“Oh, the same.” Stacey answers after swallowing a bite of food. “We text during the day and talk on the phone after work.”

“Sounds like you’re getting really close.” I comment.

“We are, but we avoid the topics that cause issues.” she tells me. “We haven’t mentioned moving in together, or our feelings for each other.”

“That must make for some awkward conversations.” I say.

“Just like ours.” Stacey snorts.

“Yeah...” I trail off.

“Don’t worry, Steven.” she replies. “I’m not quitting. I love this job. I love our lunches.”

“I’m glad, because I love having you as an assistant.” I respond.

“Looks like you’re stuck with me!” Stacey giggles.

“I’m okay with that.” I smile.

“April and I are probably gonna get together this weekend.” she comments to make conversation.

“Oh yeah?” I inquire. “Gonna do anything fun?”

“Most likely just hit the bar again.” Stacey answers.

“Looking for another pair of lucky guys?” I ask.

“Maybe.” she shrugs while giving me a mischievous smile and a sexy wink. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything.” I reply.

“Do you get jealous at all when I hook up with guys?” Stacey nervously asks. “I mean, I did take two cocks last weekend.”

“I have no right to be jealous.” I say carefully. I feel my phone go off in my pocket, but decide to ignore it.

“That isn’t what I asked.” she responds.

“Fine.” I sigh. “Yes. I’m jealous.”

“I’m sorry.” Stacey says sincerely.

“You have nothing to apologize for.” I insist. “You’re a single woman having a great time. And I just want you to be happy.”

“I want you to be happy, too.” she whispers, tears forming in her eyes.

“I am.” I say with a nod as my phone goes off again. “Everything is perfect.”

“Everything?” Stacey asks with a smirk.

“Well, maybe not everything.” I sigh. “I have to be honest Stacey, I still want you. Badly. I can’t have you. We both need to accept that and keep living our lives.”

“Yeah...” she trails off while wiping the tears from her eyes. “At least I still have you in my life.”

“That will never change.” I promise. “See? Life is pretty damn good.”

That’s when my phone starts ringing. Someone isn’t just texting now. Shit, the texts must be important. Hopefully, nothing is wrong. I apologize to Stacey before taking out my phone. I notice that Hazel is calling. Fuck. Something is wrong.

“Hello?” I say into the phone.

“Steven?” Hazel asks. I can tell she’s crying.

“Hazel, what’s wrong?” I inquire.

“Kayla and Lexi ditched me!” Hazel blubbers into the phone.

“What do you mean?” I ask in confusion.

“I stayed a few minutes after class with the Dean!” Hazel explains. “Somehow he found out my parents kicked me out! At least he didn’t find out I was pregnant, but he kept asking if I had a place to stay!”

“Shh, it’s okay.” I say into the phone. I can see Stacey gesturing at me, asking if she should leave. I nod quickly and Stacey makes her exit. “The school is just looking out for you.”

“I kept telling him I was fine, and that I didn’t need help. He gave me a bunch of pamphlets with resources.” Hazel tells me.

“That was nice of him.” I comment. “What happened next?”

“I went out to the parking lot and Lexi’s car was gone!” Hazel cries. “They ditched me!”

“Hazel, you girls are incredibly close. I’m sure they didn’t ditch you. Did you call them?” I ask.

“Yes!” Hazel exclaims. “I called them both, but their phones went straight to voicemail.”

“Wait. What?” I ask, suddenly feeling like something might be very wrong. “They turned their phones off?”

“I-I guess so?” she mumbles. “Is that important?”

“Why would they turn their phones off? Why would they drive off without you?” I ask.

“Oh, I, uh...” Hazel stammers.

“Okay, I’m coming to get you.” I say. “We’ll figure this out.”

“Thank you, Steven.” she whispers.

“You’re welcome.” I reply. “Bye, Hazel.”

“Bye, Steven.” she says.

I put my phone in my pocket, feeling very concerned. Why the fuck would two teenage girls turn off their cell phones? Why would they ditch Hazel without even texting or calling her? I tell myself not to panic, that there’s probably a reasonable explanation. I try calling Kayla and Lexi myself, confirming that their phones are off.

“I’m leaving early.” I say to Stacey as I exit my office.

“Is everything okay?” Stacey asks in concern.

“I don’t know.” I answer honestly. “Kayla and Lexi aren’t answering their phones.”

“That’s weird.” Stacey comments, her brow furrowed.

“I know, I have to go to the school.” I say.

“Please let me know when you find out they’re okay.” she says.

“I will.” I promise. “Thank you, Stacey.”

“Of course, Sir.” Stacey nods.

I’m out the door and heading toward my car. I throw my briefcase into the backseat before getting in and starting the engine. Then, I’m off. The entire ride various scenarios go through my mind, each less likely than the last.

Finally, I arrive at the high school. It doesn’t take long to find Hazel, who is standing in an empty parking spot, looking lost and confused. Fuck, this girl is so emotional right now. She isn’t thinking clearly. It’s strange to see the normally confident girl so lost. I park beside her and get out of the car.

“Hazel?” I call out.

“Steven!” she gasps as she throws her arms around me.

“I’m here.” I whisper as I hug her as tightly as I can with her backpack in the way.

“Did you get in touch with Kayla and Lexi?” Hazel asks.

“No, I’m getting really worried.” I admit.

“I didn’t even think something might be wrong!” the tan girl wails. “I just thought they ditched me, but you’re right, I’m being an idiot. They wouldn’t do that! What’s wrong? Is something wrong?”

“Hazel, calm down.” I say. “We’ll figure this out.”

Hazel sobs into my shoulder as I hold the tall woman close. Once she’s calm, I have her toss her backpack in the backseat and get into the front of the car. Then I get in as well. I’m just about to call the police when my phone goes off again.

Unknown: $10 million. Cash. Or I rape and kill your whore daughter and slut girlfriend.

Keith. Keith Strulk has the girls. I know it. The rapist is on the run now that there’s an arrest warrant out for him. He must be hoping to make some quick cash to disappear with. He’s a fucking idiot to think he’ll actually get away with this.

Unknown: Call the cops, I rape and kill them. Get the funds. I’ll be in touch.

“Steven? What’s wrong?” Hazel inquires as she stares at me.

“Keith has the girls.” is all I’m able to say.

“What?!” Hazel screeches. “Oh God, what do we do?!”

“We call the police.” I say.

I dial the local police station. I immediately give my name and explain the situation. They offer to send someone to me, but I say that I’m nearby and can come straight in. The police promise to take this very seriously. I give them Lexi’s license plate number, as well as the make and model of her car so they can start searching for it.

On the way to the police station, I call Jason, the PI. He tells me not to panic and that the right thing to do is call the police. Keith is some stupid eighteen-year-old who thinks life works like some crappy movie. He’ll never get away with this.

I understand that Keith can’t get away with this. I don’t care about the money, though. He has the girls! He could be raping Kayla and Lexi right now. Jason assures me that Keith just wants money. The idiot probably thinks he can flee the country and start over. Again, like some movie. He won’t hurt the girls while he needs them for leverage.

Hazel is sobbing hysterically as we drive to the police station. I do my best to comfort the poor girl, but I’m almost as distraught as she is. I’m trying to be calm. I need to be calm. The girls need me to be calm. Fuck, fuck, shit!

Finally, we arrive at the station. We’re immediately shown inside and I’m taken to a conference room. Hazel is asked to wait outside, since she isn’t family. A familiar face enters after a few minutes. Detective McLorn. She looks serious as she shakes my hand and sits down across from me.

“Can I see the texts on your phone?” the detective asks.

“Sure.” I hand her my phone.

“Hm, okay.” she begins. “We’re already working to trace the texts. We’re also trying to track the girls’ cell phones.”

“How could this have happened?” I ask.

“Well, we went to arrest Keith this morning, but his parents said he disappeared. It looks like he suspected we were coming.” Detective McLorn begins. “He knows you are wealthy and thinks he can actually get out of the country with enough money to live off of.”

“Fucking idiot.” I hiss.

“Agreed.” the detective says. “This isn’t television. Some dumb kid isn’t going to be able to run from the law.”

“I’m more concerned about the girls while he has them.” I say.

“I understand.” Detective McLorn states. “I assure you, we are doing everything in our power to locate them. He’s hoping to use them to get money out of you, hurting them doesn’t serve that purpose.”

“Thank you, Detective.” I reply. “What should I do? He said he’s gonna contact me again.”

“We put a tap on your line, so we’ll know when he texts you again.” the detective says. “He probably bought one of those pay-as-you-go phones at a convenience store and is using that, thinking we can’t trace it. He was smart enough to turn it off when he isn’t using it, unfortunately. For now, just wait here. We’ll tell you how to proceed if he contacts you. If he calls, just try and be calm. Agree with whatever he wants and then tell us right away.”

“I will, thank you Detective.” I nod. “Is it okay if Hazel joins me? She’s going through a lot, and I don’t want her to be alone.”

“That should be fine.” the detective agrees.

Detective McLorn leaves, and returns a few minutes later with a very distraught Hazel. Hazel sits in the seat beside me and takes some tissues from the table to blow her nose. Detective McLorn excuses herself, promising to return with news.

“I need to text the girls and let them know what’s going on.” Hazel says, her eyes wide as she realizes that the Slut-sisters don’t know.

“Okay, text them.” I nod.

Hazel sends a text to their group chat. Then her phone starts going crazy. At first, it’s a couple of texts, but then the phone starts ringing. Looking at the display, I see it’s Marcia calling. Then I notice another call coming in from Ashley. Hazel doesn’t answer. She just holds the phone and cries softly. That’s when my phone rings.

“Hello?” I say into the phone.

“That piece of shit rapist has my sister?!” Nicole screeches.

“And my daughter.” I confirm.

“Oh God, oh God, oh God!” Nicole starts hyperventilating into the phone.

“It’s okay, he just wants money.” I reason. “He won’t hurt the girls while he still thinks he can get it.”

“Give him whatever he wants!” Nicole shouts. “I can’t lose my sister!”

“The police will tell us how to handle this safely.” I assure Nicole.

“Steven, I’m scared.” Nicole sniffles.

“Everything will be okay.” I tell her, trying to convince myself as well.

“I-I need to call Kyle. He has to know.” she says.

“You’re right. I’ll let you go.” I reply.

“Keep me posted!” Nicole instructs.

“I will. I love you, Nicole.” I whisper.

“Save my sister! Save Kayla!” Nicole orders before hanging up.

Hazel is still holding her phone and shaking with sobs. She isn’t responding to the texts or calls that keep coming in. Eventually, the girls figure out that Hazel isn’t going to answer. That’s when my phone rings again.

“Ashley?” I inquire.

“Where are Kayla and Lexi?!” the tall blonde demands.

“We don’t know. The police are working on it. I’m at the station with Hazel.” I answer.

“FUCK!” Ashley screams. “I’m coming!”

“Ashley, no.” I state. “There’s nothing you can do here, you’ll just crowd the police.”

“Then what do I do? I need to help!” she insists.

“Just stay safe at home.” I say in a calm, firm voice. “And let Marcia know to do the same. I’ll make sure you get any news.”

“My parents can suck a dick!” Ashley screeches. “They aren’t keeping me away from my Slut-sisters! EVER!”

“We can talk about that later, but for now, just try and remain calm.” I advise. “I promise you’ll know everything I do.”

“Thank you, Steven.” she says.

“You’re welcome.” I answer.

We say goodbye and end our call. Hazel ends up leaning her head on my shoulder and sobbing non-stop. I wrap my arm around the emotional girl and try to stay calm myself. We wait. I actually call my attorney and make sure he knows of the situation. He agrees that the best option is to let the police handle it. Eventually, Detective McLorn returns.

“Detective.” I nod.

“Sir.” she says politely before sitting across from us.

“Do you have news?” I ask. “And is it okay if Hazel stays?”

“Yes.” Detective McLorn agrees. “We found the girls’ cell phones. It looks like Keith shut them off and then threw them out the car window when he pulled out of the school parking lot. Both were smashed. We were lucky to find them.”

“I see.” I state.

“We also discovered that Keith Strulk’s father kept a gun in the house. It’s missing.” the detective sighs.

“He’s armed?” I ask, my eyes wide with fear.

“Yes.” Detective McLorn confirms. “We suspected as much, but now it’s confirmed.”

“What are the next steps?” I ask as Hazel buries her face in her hands and sobs.

“Our best bet is to locate Ms. Davis’ car. We have patrol cars out searching for it, but so far, nothing.” the detective states. “We also confirmed the number of the phone he’s texting you from. We expect him to contact you soon.”

“Okay.” I nod. “Let me know if there’s anything I should do. Should I start getting the funds together, just in case?”

“No.” Detective McLorn shakes her head. “Once we locate him, we intend to try and talk him down. Make him realize he can’t get away with this, and his best bet is to surrender peacefully.”

“Does that usually work?” I wonder.

“Yes, it does.” the detective nods. “I know what you’ve probably seen on television, but please know that those situations are designed for ratings, not to reflect real life. Most of the time, the person can be reasoned with. We have professionals who specialize in this.”

“Okay, thank you.” I let out a breath.

“I remember Kayla and Lexi.” Detective McLorn states. “They’re strong girls. I believe we’ll get them home safely.”

“I appreciate you saying that.” I give her a strong smile as Hazel sobs beside me.

After a few more comments, the detective departs, leaving me alone with Hazel once again. I continue trying to comfort the tan girl, but the truth is, I’m as much of a mess as she is. I know we’re both imagining what Kayla and Lexi are going through right now.

This is the most helpless I’ve ever felt in my life. That piece of shit might be raping the girls at this very moment. And there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. I’m stuck sitting in this police station, waiting for the cops to handle it. Just as I’m about to start crying, my phone rings.

“Hello?” I say firmly into the phone, wanting to seem confident.

“Well, hello rich guy.” a slick voice replies. “Nice to finally chat.”

“Keith.” I state as hatred fills my heart.

“Daddy!” a scared female voice calls out. Kayla.

“Shut the fuck up, whore!” Keith hisses as I hear a loud slapping sound followed by crying.

“Did you rape the girls?” I ask, my voice much calmer than I actually am.

“Not this time.” Keith claims. “It was tempting, I admit. Some of my fondest memories are of Kayla and your cum dump girlfriend.”

“You son of a-!” I hiss before I’m interrupted.

“Now, now, don’t get mad.” Keith laughs. “You haven’t gone to the cops, have you?”

“No, I haven’t.” I lie. “I wanted to, but I didn’t.”

“Good. Now, have you gotten my money together?” he asks.

“Yes, I have it.” I tell him.

“Great!” I can literally hear the sick pervert smiling. “Once I have my money, you can have your sluts, and you’ll never see me again.”

“How do I get it to you?” I inquire.

“I’m gonna text you an address.” Keith says. “It’s a local mall. Your whore will meet you there. She’ll bring me the money. Alone. Remember, any sirens, and I kill the other one. If I suspect you’re taking too long, I’ll rape your daughter.”

“I understand.” I state.

“Goodbye, Steven.” he laughs before hanging up.

I sit there seething with rage. There are really people who are this fucking stupid. There’s no way this can actually work out, even if the police aren’t a factor. I guess desperate people do stupid things. I completely forget to inform the police about the call. Instead, I stay lost in thought for at least ten minutes. At one point, my phone goes off, providing the address of where Keith wants me to meet Lexi. Detective McLorn rushes in as I’m ruminating.

“He called you?” she asks, hair wild.

“Yes. He also just texted me an address. He said I’m to meet Lexi there with the money. Lexi will bring him the money, and he’ll let Kayla go.” I explain.

“Okay.” the detective nods. “He shut the phone off right after texting you, but he must not understand how cell towers work. Thanks to the tap on your phone, we got a general location almost instantly. He’s at a cheap motel.”

“If you send cops, he said he’ll kill Kayla!” I exclaim.

“We’re sending undercover officers.” Detective McLorn explains. “He’ll never know.”

“Are you sure?” I ask in concern.

“We’re professionals, Sir.” she smiles kindly. “We know what we’re doing.”

“What do I do?” I ask.

“To keep up appearances, you’ll drive your car to meet Lexi.” Detective McLorn tells me. “I’ll drive with you. My partner will be confirming which room Keith is in. We’ll call the room and start negotiations to get Kayla out of there.”

“Okay.” I nod.

Detective McLorn has an officer bring Hazel some water, which she gratefully drinks. I kiss Hazel goodbye as the detective and I head out to my car. I get in the driver’s seat and start the engine. Twenty minutes later, I’m pulling up at the address Keith texts me.

It’s a mall. A busy mall. I walk in the main entrance with the detective and see Lexi standing there, looking terrified. At first, she doesn’t see us. Eventually, she does turn and notices me. Her eyes light up as she rushes toward me.

“Steven!” Lexi screeches as she throws her arms around me.

“Lexi!” I hug her tightly.

“Oh God, Steven! I thought I was going to miss you, or be late, the bus took forever, I don’t-” she breaks down in my arms.

“Did he hurt you?” I ask, holding her at arms length as I inspect her for injuries.

“Not me...” she mumbles.

“Kayla?!” I gasp, my eyes going wide.

“H-he didn’t rape her.” Lexi says hurriedly. “At least, he hadn’t when I left. I kept telling him to hurt me instead. Keith said we both belong to him, that we’re his cum dumps. He held the gun out and made us undress. We were both standing there naked. He made us keep our hands at our sides so he could see our bodies.

“He slapped my tit and grabbed my ass. I-I just remembered all the times he raped me in the past, the thought of him raping Kayla, it was too much. I slapped him! I told him he could do anything he wanted with me, but not to hurt Kayla!”

“Then what happened?” I ask as the detective looks on. Lexi doesn’t even seem to notice Detective McLorn.

“H-he said that, just for that, he was gonna make me watch. He had me sit on the bed. T-then he touched Kayla’s boobs as she cried. It was awful! Kayla started shaking when he ran his fingers along her pussy. He fingered her. I can still hear her sobbing! Not long after that, he left her alone to call you. Then he had me dress and come here. She was sitting on the bed naked when I left.”

“Are you okay, Ms. Davis?” Detective McLorn interrupts.

“I’m not hurt.” Lexi confirms. “He ran that big knife along my face to taunt me, but he didn’t hurt me.”

“What room number?” the detective asks.

“Seven.” Lexi replies.

The detective calls the number in as Lexi and I hold each other. I run my fingers through her auburn hair, so grateful that she’s okay. That’s when Lexi looks around with wide eyes. I frown in confusion before she explains herself.

“You called the police!” Lexi shouts, realization dawning on her. “Keith will kill Kayla!”

“No, he won’t.” Detective McLorn states. “He needs her. And as far as he knows, everything is still going according to his plan.”

“You didn’t bring any money?” Lexi shouts. “You need to pay him!”

“No, we need to let the police handle this. That’s what they’re trained for.” I state as I try to comfort Lexi.

“He’s right, Ms. Davis.” the detective nods. “Giving him money doesn’t guarantee Kayla’s safety.”

“Let’s get back to the station.” I suggest.

“What? No!” Lexi protests. I have to physically restrain her as she tries to run off. “We need to go back to the motel!”

“My partner is already there.” Detective McLorn says. “We found your car in the parking lot.”

“The police are at the motel?” Lexi screams as she collapses in my arms. “What if he finds out? He’ll rape Kayla!”

“The police are handling this.” I insist. “They won’t let anything bad happen to Kayla.”

“Oh God, oh God!” Lexi starts hyperventilating.

“C’mon, we need to get back.” I place a hand at her back and lead her out of the mall.

Soon, I’m back in the car with Lexi and Detective McLorn. On the drive, I give Lexi my phone so she can text the group chat and let the girls know that she’s okay. My phone rings, and Lexi spends the rest of the drive having a sobbing conversation with her big sister.

The three of us soon arrive at the police station. Lexi is taken into a private room to make a statement. I’m nervous about her doing that without an attorney, but now isn’t the time. Kayla is in danger. After making her statement, Lexi returns with the detective. As soon as Hazel sees Lexi, the tan girl rushes at the redhead and the two of them embrace. They’re sobbing hysterically as Detective McLorn heads off to get an update.

“I’m so worried about Kayla!” Lexi cries. “What if he gets bored and rapes her?”

“He won’t. He needs her. “ I say. I want to believe my own words. I don’t.

“Oh God, you should have given me the money to take to him!” Lexi whines.

“That never would have worked out.” I remind her. “You know that.”

“I’m glad you’re okay, Lexi.” Hazel says as she holds my girlfriend close.

The three of us sit in this conference room, holding each other and saying whatever we can think of to reassure each other. Lexi is convinced Kayla is being raped, and part of me believes it as well. Keith already has her naked. Just as I’m about to have a panic attack, Detective McLorn returns.

“We made contact with Keith.” the detective says.

“What? How?” I ask as the girls look on.

“We called the phone in the motel room.” Detective McLorn explains.

“What did he say? Did he hurt Kayla?” Lexi asks in a fearful voice.

“He has a gun and is threatening to kill her if we try to come in.” the detective tells us. “He mistakenly believes he can still pull this off. He demanded you show up with the ten million, Sir.”

“The police are at the hotel.” I frown. “How can he possibly believe he can get away with the money, even if I brought it?”

“He’s desperate and stupid.” Detective McLorn sighs.

“What are you doing to save Kayla?” Lexi demands.

“We’re trying to talk him down. He hung up after making his demands, but we’re sure we can wait him out. Now, it’s just a matter of time.” the detective answers.

“Should I go there?” I ask.

Detective McLorn opens her mouth to answer when the door to the conference room bursts open. A uniformed officer enters and runs up to the detective. Detective McLorn looks toward him as he starts talking.

“Detective, we need you.” he gasps.

“Of course.” the detective says before turning to us. “I’ll be right back.”

The officer clearly forgets his training and starts talking to Detective McLorn before the door closes. What we hear makes my heart stop. I can feel how sweaty my palms are as another bead of sweat runs down my face.

“Shots fired at the motel. We had to storm the room.” the officer says as the door closes.

I’m not the only one who hears. Lexi and Hazel start crying and hugging each other. I stand up and walk over to the girls. I place a hand on each of their shoulders as I try and comfort them. I don’t know if my daughter is alive or dead. This can’t be real. This isn’t real.

Lexi stands up and wraps her arms around me as she buries her face in my chest and cries. Hazel soon follows. I’m holding both girls, praying with every fiber of my being that Kayla is alright. It’s all I can do.

Time passes. I have no idea how much. A minute? An hour? Ten? Every second is an eternity as I wait for news. I know it isn’t hours, in fact, it’s probably only minutes, it just feels like days. Detective McLorn finally returns.

“Kayla is safe.” the detective says.

At last, we are all able to let out a sigh of relief. We’re all sobbing incredibly hard as we smile and hug each other tightly. We don’t know the details, those will come in time. What matters is that Kayla is safe. I can breathe again.

“What happened?” Lexi asks.

“We’re still piecing together exactly what happened, however Kayla is safe and we have a general picture of the events.” Detective McLorn assures us. “Keith and Kayla are both on their way to the hospital.”

“Did you shoot him?” Hazel wonders.

“No.” the detective shakes her head. “We never had to fire.”

“Then why...?” I ask.

“Kayla isn’t a minor anymore and has a right to privacy. I’m not supposed to give you these details, but if it were my daughter...” Detective McLorn whispers. “Fuck it, you didn’t hear any of this from me, okay?”

“We understand. Thank you, Detective.” I say. I can’t believe Detective McLorn is willing to break the rules for us.

“A gunshot went off and we had to storm the room. When we got inside Keith was on the floor.” the detective says.

“Did Kayla get the gun and shoot him?” Lexi asks in confusion.

“I should call my attorney.” I state. Kayla is not going through this nightmare only to get charged with a crime.

“She didn’t get the gun.” Detective McLorn confirms. She seems reluctant to continue, but eventually nods when she makes her decision. “Keith held the gun to her head and made Kayla perform oral sex. She bit him. His arm jerked right before the gun went off, so the bullet just barely missed Kayla’s head.”

“She could have been killed!” Lexi screeches as Hazel claps her hands to her mouth.

“I know, biting him was very dangerous.” the detective agrees. “When we got in the room, Keith was curled up on the floor, cradling his genitals. The gun was on the floor beside him.”

“But she’s okay? Kayla is okay?” I ask, still feeling terror in my heart. I know it won’t abate until I see my baby.

“She is.” Detective McLorn nods. A satisfied expression appears on her face. “Kayla was on the floor when we entered. She spit out the top half of his penis.”