Ripped Pictures

Chapter Thirty Seven "Gone Again?"

Disclaimer: I own nothing but my made up characters!

Monday, November 1st Laci POV

I sat at my computer desk staring at the screen. I had a lot of time on my hands to think in the afternoons without Belle. I had too much time. It had been almost four months and I still wasn't used to Belle being around anymore. But back to what I was thinking about before. I had recently been thinking about how it was so weird that Seth was never around when stuff was going down with Belle and he was always gone on "emergencies.". He had been hanging around me more, always asking me about Belle and her life in Nevada. I knew things between them had been strained after he confessed his love for her at her house in Nevada.

I just thought it was weird how interested he was in her. Sure he had showed some interest when she had been home, they had gone to his prom together and they had kissed...but it just felt off to me. This stuff started happening to Belle and he was all of a sudden interested in everything she was doing and in love with her..wanting her to come home with him...

I think he knew the guy who had killed her mother and kidnapped me. I think he was in on a plan with this guy. That meant Belle was in danger, very much danger. Seth knew exactly where she was, he knew Glen had a wacky schedule due to his being a vet, she was comfortable enough with Seth so she wouldn't question his motives about stuff.

Maybe what had happened to me was making me have a critical and suspicious view of everyone. Well it never hurt to e-mail her to talk about it. I sent her a long e-mail about my suspicions and why I felt that way. Hopefully she didn't think I was crazy.

…...

Belle POV(Same Day/Time)

I threw my backpack into my new room at Katie's and changed into my barn clothes. My computer dinged and I checked it out. I apparently had an email. It was from Laci so I sat down to read it since we didn't talk much these days.

At the end of it, I was stunned. It turned out I wasn't the only one who had suspicions about Seth. Maybe my dreams had something to them. Intuition maybe? I sent her one back telling her about my dreams with Seth betraying me. I told her I wanted to talk to her some more about it and to call me after dinner tonight.

I turned my computer off and hopped up. I needed to go see if Drew needed help with anything before I worked with Storm. I couldn't wait til Sunday when Glen and Katie would getting home. I had saw a show I wanted to enter with Spirit if Katie would allow me and I wanted to show them how great Storm was doing. He was really coming along. I could see us competing by spring or at the latest early summer.

I walked out into the barn, finding Drew talking to a stable-hand named Neal. "Hey there Sunshine, how was school?" Drew asked with a smile on his face. I smiled back, we had really been bonding this week.

"Okay, I guess. I'd rather be here." I told him, getting a few chuckles from Drew and Neal. "I just wanted to see if you needed help with anything before I work with Storm."

"No, I think we're good for now. Quinn is supposed to come over in a little bit to help me with that fence. I won't need you until feeding time at five." Drew gave me a half hug. "Go work with your horse, he's out in the pasture by the arena. Been grazing all day."

"Thanks Drew!" I grabbed a lead rope and took off for the pasture to get Storm. I whistled as I stood at the gate and Storm looked up. "Storm, come here boy!"

Storm walked over to the gate and I clipped my lead rope to his halter, then pulled him out of the field. I took him to the younger horses barn, putting him in cross-ties. He wasn't that dirty luckily so a quick brushing down and he was ready to be saddled. Once he was saddled, I took him into dressage arena so I could work with him.

I went through our basics like walk, jog, lope, stop and backing up. He did all of these without hesitation now. I tied him to the fence of the jumping arena so I could place some barrels in the dressage arena. I was trying to teach Storm how to ground-tie but since he wasn't too used to it, I didn't want to chance he'd run off.

I placed the barrels the correct(or what I thought was correct) space apart. I re-mounted Storm and rode him back into the arena. I let him walk slowly towards the barrels and sniff them. He knew they weren't going to hurt him.

I had him jogging and loping around the barrels in the pattern. I didn't even notice the audience I had outside the arena until after I pulled Storm to a stop and saw Mrs. Ely standing there with a man who looked a lot like the rest of the Ely men.

"Hey Mrs. Ely!" I called to her as I rode over. She smiled at me brightly.

"Hey Belle!" She greeted me back as I stopped Storm in front of her and the man.

"What brings you over here?" I asked her as I dismounted and left the arena.

"Oh, we're dropping Quinn off and he said you were working with Storm. I haven't seen you working with him yet so I wanted to and—Oh!" Maxine laughed. "I realized you haven't met Kit before. Belle, this is my oldest son, Kit. Kit, this is Quinn's girlfriend, Belle."

"Hi, nice to meet you." I shook his hand with a smile. "I've heard about you from Quinn."

"Nice to meet you too. Beautiful horse you have." Kit said, nodding at Storm. I smiled more at his compliment.

"Thank you. We, Quinn and I, actually found him awhile back. I'm fostering him for now and trying to train him to become my rodeo horse." I patted Storm's neck. He nudged me back gently.

"You compete?" Kit asked in surprise. I nodded.

"I'm a barrel racer." I paused. "Well was. I haven't competed in awhile but I think Storm and I should be competing by spring."

"I'm a bronc rider. Maybe we'll see each other sometime. Quinn will have to let me know when you're competing again." Kit said to me.

"Oh we would love to be able to see you both compete. It's been so long since I've seen you compete." Maxine added to Kit. I knew Kit rarely came home and I knew that it was hard on Mrs. Ely. "Well we've got to get back to Three Ponies, but you should come over this weekend for dinner Belle. We haven't been able to see you much, outside of school, in the past few weeks."

"I will do that Mrs. Ely! Mr. Sterling is going out for the night on Saturday so I'll try to come over then." She waved as she left with Kit and I mounted Storm again. I headed out towards the fence I knew Drew and Quinn were working on. I saw Quinn holding up a board so Drew could nail it back in and smiled. "Hey Quinn!" I waved from Storm's saddle. Quinn gave me a smile back with a wave. I knew he'd come see me after they were done the fence.

…...

Saturday, November 13th David Marley POV

I stared at the phone as it rang and then finally answered it with a disgruntled sigh. "What?" I snapped at my contact.

"Testy aren't we?" The voice sounded amused by my irritation. "Look we have a problem."

"What kind of problem?" I asked, a bit warily.

"We have to take out the best friend. Or get rid of her for now. Something. She's causing issues."

"I don't really want to kill her.." I mused. "Is there someplace we could take her and keep her at?"

"I know of somewhere but it's quite a drive and you'd have to be the one to take her."

"That's no problem...but how are we going to get her? She's certainly not going to come like last time. She'll know me."

"Tonight she's going to be home alone except for her older brother. You can go in there, take him out temporarily and take her. Simple." He said and I agreed.

"Alright, when?" We worked out the time I would need to be there and how long they'd be alone. It should go easy. I just wasn't sure whether to kill her or to keep her. I guess I'd decide when I got her.

…...

Laci POV

"Chase! Give me some popcorn too." I grabbed the bowl from Chase and Drew, who had decided to stay home with us while Mom and Dad went to check out an auction. It was supposed to be just me and Chase but Drew hadn't wanted to go.

"Geez Lace, you gotta learn to share." Chase grabbed a handful of popcorn for him and Drew. I scoffed at him.

"You were the one not sharing." I told him. We were watching a Disney movie together. Drew got to pick tonight. "Just like you two barely shared the pizza we ordered."

Drew grinned. "Sorry Lace, we were just really hungry." I rolled my eyes but was nicer to my younger brother.

"Yeah, yeah, excuses." I winked at him. There was a knock on the kitchen door and I exchanged a look with Chase. Who could it be? We weren't expecting anyone and people just didn't show up at our ranch. We were out from the city. Sure we occasionally got a lost person but they usually didn't come all the way up to the house.

"I'll get it. You two stay here." Chase said sternly. I got up with Drew and pushed him into the hallway. If something went wrong, he could hide or escape. Chase opened the door slowly. "Can I help yo—" Chase started but he was cut off. I peeked around the corner and saw him laying unconscious on the ground, bleeding while a person in dark clothing stepped over him. I turned back to Drew.

"Run and hide now." I whispered as I handed him my cell phone. "Call nine-one-one! Stay out of sight okay? Don't come out for anything." Drew looked up at me with his big brown eyes, fear taking over them, but he nodded and took off. I shoved the bathroom door open and slammed it closed. It would get the attention of this person.

Just as I predicted, a minute later the door knob was rattling. I knew the lock wouldn't hold for long but I tried to get the small bathroom window open. I didn't succeed. Arms wrapped around my abdomen and I screamed.

"Let me go! What do you want?" I begged as they dragged me, fighting, out of the bathroom. "Please let me go."

"Sorry sweetie, you're coming with me." My stomach sank when I realized I recognized the voice.

"NO!" I screamed out. "Get off of me! Let me go!" I grabbed onto the door frame and tried to pull myself away.

"Laci!" I heard Drew's frightened shout. He stood there with tears running down his face and shaking in the hallway. My heart pounded as I saw him. He had to get out of here.

"Drew, run! Get out of here!" I shouted at him. The guy dropped me and started, with his crowbar, towards Drew. With my heart almost stopping in fear, I grabbed onto the man. "No! Stay away from him!"

Drew took off into one of the bedrooms and I only hope he got out a window or maybe into my parent's room that had doors onto a small balcony. But I got the guy's attention back to me and he put a rag over my face, knocking me out.

…...

Same Day, Belle POV

I watched contentedly as the Quinn bantered jokingly with his brothers. They were all having so much fun together with Kit being home. I could see the same content look on Maxine's face as she watched her boys. A mother's love was one of the strongest loves out there.

I saw her starting to clear the dishes off the table and I started helping her, along with Chloe and Sam. We all had been invited over tonight to have dinner with the Elys and it had been fun. Great food, the boys talking and joking around, us talking to Maxine...

I looked at Quinn as I helped rinse the dishes and I realized I wanted this. I wanted a big family, at least three kids. I wanted my kids to have this big family to be able to play and run around with, I loved hearing Quinn talk about having six other brothers. Of course it got a little hard at times being the second youngest but he loved having so many brothers.

Quinn came up and put a cup in the sink, leaning over to kiss my cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too." I whispered back. We finished up with the dishes and went to join the men in the living room. As I walked in, my cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Belle." It was my dad and he sounded panicked.

"Dad, what's wrong?" I asked, walking back into the kitchen.

"It's the Holster's." My dad sighed and he sounded older than he was. "Something happened tonight."

"What happened?" I asked again, this time with tears in my eyes. It was something bad. I knew it.

"Laci's gone. She was taken. Chad and Julia were at an auction..the kids were home alone.." I tried to listen as my dad explained what had happened but all I could hear was Laci was gone. Again. I knew, instinctively, that it had to be him. And this time, even if I found her and him, he wasn't letting her go.

…...

A/N: Hey readers! I am SO sorry that I didn't get this up Sunday or Monday. Sunday I was just verrrrry busy. I've been helping around the house, doing everything because my Grandma is having trouble with her leg and it's been hard for her to do stuff. Monday I had to take our dog to the Vet..it took almost three hours to get there, wait to go back(like almost a half an hour), get her shots and flea stuff and go home. Then the stuff in Baltimore happened. I don't know if any of you know what is going on but there have been violent riots and such down there..it's horrible. They had to declare a state of emergency and call in the National Guard, it is so bad. I live in Maryland but luckily an hour away from Baltimore! That's actually right around where I was going to college just a few months ago. Scarrrry. Then Monday night I had this horrible headache(Wonderful thing about having sinus issues-Sinus headaches that don't go away!).

Anyways, I am very sorry it didn't get up. But here it is! I'm also sorry Belle wasn't very much involved in this chapter but I needed to get the story moving into the right direction. I have high hopes that this story will be done by the end of the summer! I'm excited and sad at the same time :/ This was my first story and I've been writing it for six years. But I will be so glad to have it finished(finally) and starting on a new sequel, hopefully. Eventually I may go back and revise it/change it. But that would be after everything is finished.

I only have ONE request. Can I see some reviews? Even one would make me happy! I haven't gotten any reviews on my PS stories lately and it's sad! Reviews make me so happy and let me know that you're happy with the story.

I do appreciate all the favorites & alerts that my stories and I are being added to though! Thank you!

Check out my new Phantom Stallion: Wild Horse Island story if you haven't or if you're interested. It's a WHI Character/OC story. It has two chapters up so far, I'm going to be posting the third one with my next update. It's called You Are The Only Exception.

Thank you again to Jessica(who I believe is the same Jessica on all the "Jessica" reviews?), for you review! I'm glad you liked the wedding chapter! And as you've seen PS: WHI story is up, the second chapter is up! As always, I appreciate your reviews!

Thanks for reading! I'll be updating soon! -Quinnandseth'sgirl15.

My next update will be: Finding Moon. It will be up soon!