Chapter 127

“Excuse us,” a voice came from the doorway. Everyone looked over and saw two police officers walking in. “We’re here to get Miss Royce’s official statement.”
“Right,” Jess sighed, not wanting to deal with this part of things. “Can my friends stay?”
“As long as they don’t interfere with our questioning, it should be fine,” one of the officers said.
“Great. Ask away. What would you like to know?”
“Please give us your version of the events. We’ll ask for clarification if needed.”
“Okay,” Jess took a shaky deep breath. Sabrina sat down next to her, taking her friend’s hands.
“I’m right here, okay? You’re not there anymore. You’re here, and you’re safe.”
“I know,” she said with an unsure smile. “I just didn’t think I’d have to relive it so soon.”
“We can come back if this too difficult,” the other officer offered.
“No. I’d rather do it now. And once. Please promise me that I won’t have to do this again.”
“Unfortunately, we can’t promise that. You may be called into questioning for more specific details, to identify potential suspected accomplices, and things of that like.”
“Then, please do not contact her directly,” Will said. He pulled out a card from his wallet and handed it to the officers. “This will be her attorney.”
“Sam Weaver?” the officers were stunned.
“Yes. Miss Royce is officially under my protection and Sam Weaver is her legal counsel. After today’s interaction, any questions must be directed through her attorney.”
Jess’s eyes were wide. When Will first offered to take care of things for her, she believed him. But it was another thing to see him in action that way. She’s never seen someone command a situation with such certainty before. No one but herself anyway. It was as though an aura emanated off of him. It was its own presence in the room with them. Occupying space. It lived and breathed. Everyone else could feel it to.
Something was different about him. Will acknowledged the shift in himself as well. Was it almost truly losing Emma that did it? Whatever it was, he would never be that weak man again.
“Of… Of course, sir,” the officer stammered. “Please, Miss Royce. Your version of the events?”
“Okay.”

***
Jess was walking out of her father’s home. Caring for him was difficult. He’d begun to lose hope and was making it impossible for his daughter. He kept pushing her away, going so far as to discharge himself from the hospital against the medical team’s advisement.
“So fucking stubborn,” she muttered as she trudged through the night. “Why does he have to make it so damn hard?” Jess asked no one. Her mind was preoccupied by thoughts of her predicament, and the downward spiral her life was in over the last few years. Otherwise, she would have noticed the black van following her a lot soon than she had.
She walked about four or five blocks when she realized that no one had any business driving that slow.
“Shit,” she swore under her breath. Normally, she was much more cautious. But her father had riled her up. Or rather, she had allowed herself to get riled up. She put her hands in her pocket, feeling for her phone and her keys. She placed the keys between her fingers, ready to use them as weapons if necessary. She’d left her knife at home. Another mistake.
A few more blocks ahead was a busy intersection. If she could make it there, it would be harder for them to snatch her. But if she ran, they’d know she was onto them. It would be a close call. She was fairly certain she wouldn’t make before they tried to make a move.
“They’re doing a shit job of laying low. Obvious as hell,” she said to herself. Of course no one was out too. It was a little too convenient. Her instincts told her this was planned. They’d been waiting for a chance to get her. Three more blocks. The van pulled up closer and slowed to a crawl. Using her peripheral vision, she could see someone in the passenger’s seat looking right at her. The windows weren’t tinted. That was bold.
Two more blocks. It was now or never. Time to put those years running track to the test. She bolted towards the intersection, and she could hear the van behind her pick up speed. She sprinted forward, her long legs carrying her closer to safety. Then it happened. Another van appeared at the end of the block, just one block away from where she needed to be. The slid open and two men jumped out. She turned to run back, but the first van was there, its side door open as well. Someone grabbed her from behind. Her key free fist connected with someone’s face, and she heard a crunch and a groan.
“Fucking bitch broke my nose!” a gruff voice cried out. Jess swung her keys at another man, slashing across his face. She kicked, punched, screamed, and fought. But eventually she was overpowered and pushed into the second van.
“Get off of me!” she screamed. “Help! Someone help!”
One of the men brandished a gun and put it to her head. She stopped.
“Yeah, that shut you up,” the man laughed.
“What do you want?” she asked.
“Shut up!” The man struck her across the face with his gun. Jess yelped in surprise. Pain bloomed along her cheekbone, and she could feel the skin splitting.
“Fuck you!” she spat at him. Someone hit over the head from behind, effectively knocking her out.
She came to in a dark room, her hands and feet bound. The unforgiving, concrete floor beneath her led her to believe she was in a building currently under construction. The scents of cement, moist metal, and hot tar were familiar to her. She was practically raised at construction sites after all. Her head throbbed and another scent assaulted her. Cooper. She was bleeding.
The room she was being held in had no windows. A small strip of light trickled in from underneath the door. As she began to focus on it, it opened. She squirmed away as best she could.
“First, I’d like to apologize for my men mistreating you. Good help is hard to find these days.” His voice was refined, and pleasant. Too pleasant. He walked towards. His shoes were freshly shined and expensive. The smell of cologne overpowered the space and she felt like she was choking on it.
“What do you want with me?”
“I require your assistance. You’ve put me in a bit of predicament. My nephew is looking into things he shouldn’t. I need some leverage. Something that will give him some incentive to halt his efforts and make certain that certain demands of mine are met.”
“Who are you? Who is your nephew?”
“I need you to arrange a meeting with a friend of yours. We’ll be there to pick her up, of course.”
“No,” she answered, wanting no part of his scheme.
“Things will go much easier for you if you comply,” he sauntered towards her.
“I don’t know who you are or what you want, but you will not involve my friends in this!”
He snatched her hair in his fists, hoisting her from the floor. She cried out in pain.
“It’s too late. You already involved them,” he hissed at her. “You involved them when you asked them to involve my nephew.”
Realization washed over her like a bucket of ice water, chilling her bones.
“You’re Will Stewart’s uncle. You’re the one responsible for all the stuff that’s happened to my father and I.”
“I can make all that go away if you do a tiny favor for me. I need Emma Wells.”
“Absolutely the fuck not!”
He threw her back on the front, and she grunted with the impact.
“You’re going to make this difficult, aren’t you?”
He marched out of the room and that’s when the nightmare truly began.
***
“I lost track of the days,” Jess continued. Her hand squeezed around Sabrina’s. “I never agreed to message Emma. I need you all to know that.” There were tears in her eyes. “They beat me every day until the day they took her. They tied me up and threw me into a van. They drove over to Emma’s apartment building and used my phone to message her. As soon as she came downstairs that rushed her. She tried to fight, but they used me against her. They held a gun to my head and said they’d kill me if she didn’t comply.”
“We’re very sorry for what you’ve through,” the officer said. “Was there anyone else involved that you can identify?”
“There was a woman. She was waiting for us when we arrived back in the building. Emma said she was Will’s ex-wife. Called her Grace.”
“That was Grace Cunning. She’s since deceased.”
“Good,” Jess spat. “She was horrible. Slashed Emma up and said some heinous things.”
Will wanted to pretend that didn’t sting. Every part of him wanted to wholly agree with her. The Grace he knew died a long time ago. He didn’t want it to hurt. And he sure one day it wouldn’t.