The steady hum of a car engine roared in her ears and Elizabeth drifted back into consciousness. The leather underneath her cheek stuck to her skin, the smell invading her senses.
At least she had that again. Her senses. Her head was a little clearer now, a big improvement from the last time she'd been awake. Her eyes still felt heavy though… too heavy to open.
She could feel the rhythmic movement of the car as it traveled over the natural bumps in the road and she felt her stomach tightened. It growled quietly and she felt a sharp hunger pain.
How long had she been out? Where was she? Who was driving? What was happening?
The car slowed and she felt it pull over. Faintly, she heard the driver door open and felt the shift as the weight of the person left the vehicle. Her stomach clenched once more as she listened to the door slam shut, but this time it was out of fear, not hunger.
She tried opening here eyes but they still felt like bricks. Her mouth was dry and her arm throbbed. Something was seriously wrong.
Drugs.
The word floated through her mind and brought with it another wave of fear.
A door closest to her opened and she felt a breeze of warm, spring air blow at her hair. She could feel someone's presence and she tried to move away.
Her muscles felt like lead weights and they screamed out at her when she tried to move. Her face scrunched up at the shot of pain that ran through her arms when she tried to lift them.
"Don't do that…"
She felt two hands pushing down on her arms and she wanted to jerk away but she couldn't. The hands moved up to her shoulders and gave them a gentle squeeze.
"I know you're uncomfortable, but it will be over soon. We're almost there."
The voice sounded distorted to her ears and Elizabeth strained to understand him. She could feel herself slipping away again and she cursed herself for not being able to do anything.
The drugs.
She felt his hand move up and caress her cheek and she tensed under his touch.
"Just a little longer…"
She wanted to scream, she wanted to cry… She wanted to be back in her studio, a painting sitting in front of her, the music softly playing. She wanted to be on Jason's bike, riding against the wind. She wanted to be in his arms… She wanted to be anywhere but here.
"When we get there, no one will bother us. Don't worry… everything will be over soon."
The hand brushed her hair off of her forehead before pulling away. She head the door close and listened as the man walked back to the driver's side.
And a tear escaped her closed eyes, trickling down her cheek.
Jason paced back and forth across the penthouse floor. His back was rigid with tension and his face haggard.
He hadn't slept.
His eyes were glazed and a shadowy stubble had grown on his face. Wearily, he wiped his hands over his chin, his fingers catching on the scratchy hairs.
Sonny stepped out of the kitchen, two coffee mugs in his hand. He paused for a moment at the doorway, taking time to study his friend.
Jason looked like Hell.
As he watched his best friend pace, he was hit with a thought. His eyes widened slightly and he sucked in a breath.
Jason was in love with her.
He had known that Jason cared about Elizabeth, but watching him pace, he knew that the feelings went far beyond just caring. You don't get torn apart over someone you just care about.
It was love.
"When did you know?" Sonny asked as he stepped out into the living room, holding the cup out towards his friend.
Jason's eyes darted around before settling on Sonny's face and he reached out for the coffee. "When did I know what?"
His voice was exasperated and Sonny couldn't keep from letting the corners of his mouth turn up. It was definitely love.
"That you were in love with Elizabeth."
Jason's head jerked up and he almost spilled his coffee all over himself. "I never said-"
"I know you didn't… you didn't have to." Sonny took a sip from his cup, keeping his eyes on Jason, "So? When did you know?"
Jason glared. "Is this really the time for this conversation?"
Nodding, Sonny took the glare in stride. He knew Jason meant nothing by it. "You're thinking about her too much."
"And you think talking about her will stop that?"
"You're thinking about her disappearance. You need to think of the good times you guys had together. So when did you first realized it?"
Heaving a sigh, Jason sat down on the couch, taking a long drink from his cup. The coffee was hot, burning his mouth, but he didn't care. He took a deep breath. Talking about his feelings wasn't usually something he liked to do, but Sonny seemed to think it would help.
"When I left, I wasn't sure if I would be coming back or not, and… and saying goodbye to her… well it was a lot harder than I thought it would be. I caught her by the docks and told her I was leaving and… and I almost changed by mine just looking at her."
Sonny moved to sit next to his friend. "We'll find her, Jason."
Taking a deep breath, Jason looked down into his mug. "Yeah… but will she still be alive?"
"She's still alive. If she weren't, you'd feel it." Sonny reached forward, tapping the area over Jason's heart with his fist. "You'd feel it right there."
Jason leaned back and was silent for a long moment before finally speaking. "Did Benny find out anything more?"
"He's working on it."
"I know Elizabeth told you about the rape, but did she tell you who he was? Tom Baker. This Jeremy guy is her rapist's son."
"Benny's working on it, and he's got my best men helping him."
Sighing, Jason rubbed his hand over his face. "I should be out there looking for her."
"You wouldn't be of any help. We have no idea where to work. Once Benny finds a paper trail, we'll know where to start and we'll get her back."
"Looking straight ahead, Jason gripped the coffee mug tightly, his knuckles turning white. "If he hurts her…"
"We'll get it."
Turning towards his friend, Jason looked Sonny straight in the eye. "I can't lose her, Sonny… I can't… I need her."
The PCPD station was full of activity, officers in blue running around. Slowly, Lucky pushed the small, wooden gate open that separated the station from the hallway.
He looked around, his eyes scanning for the one person he wanted to see. His eyes landed on him and he rushed forward, pushing to get through.
"Lieutenant Taggert!"
Looking away from the file in his hands, Marcus Taggert sighed when he saw Lucky Spencer walking towards him. "What do you need Mr. Spencer? If you hadn't noticed, we're busy."
Lucky took a deep breath. "I want to file a report."
One of Taggert's eyebrows raised. "A report?"
"A missing person's report."
Taggert studied Lucky. "Who's missing, Lucky?"
"Elizabeth. She's been living in her studio but she hasn't been there in days, and no one else has seen her. No one knows where she is."
"You say she's been gone for days? How many days?"
Lucky looked around at the bustling station. "At least three." He looked back at Taggert. "And I know who took her."
"Who?"
Lucky's eyes hardened. "Jason Morgan."