Chapter 62

I let Houston lead me back to his house. I look around to see if any shadows are waiting to attack us. I closed my eyes. I have to stop this. I would be no use to them if I just fold into myself. I can't be a coward right now. I need to be brave to fight. I can't let this…

This what?

This bastard, this animal, this invisible menace haunts me every waking hour?I was strong wasn't I? I survived him once and I would do it again. Right?

Who was I trying to convince? Myself?

Or the little girl that had lost both her parents and had no one to guide her till she met Houston That girl.

She still lingers in my mind. She comes to focus when I feel this vulnerable. Wanting to hide and give up not wanting anything to harm us. But I am stronger now. I know my strengths and weaknesses. I need to remember this.

"CJ?"

I gasp and he takes my hand.

"Hey if you don't want to talk about this you don't have to. We can wait. You can go back to my room and I will talk to them. I am here for you. This is on your terms, not mine or anyone else's okay?"

How had I been so lucky to find a friend as great as him? He had always been by my side and me at his. When things didn't work out the way we wanted either of us would be there to pick up the pieces and be the one to bring them into the light and now he wanted something more. What I've wanted for so long, us crossing that line and trying to find our happily ever after.

He looks worried, he wants to save me and protect me right now. But I can't show this side of me. He needed me to be strong. He dealt with weak and scared CJ. Now I had to show him that I was strong and brave CJ, which I wasn't afraid and would fight right beside him to bring those animals to justice. I just needed a minute.

He stopped me and tilted my chin up to see him.

I could see the redness in his eyes and they were puffy. Had he been crying? Houston never cries. I reach up to him and catch the tear on the edge of his right eye. He tries to turn away but I don't let him.

"I appreciate you being strong for me, but you don't always have to be. I'm sorry for running. I don't even remember leaving. I just wanted to go. Where? I don't know. When I ran into Devin I was so sure it was my nightmare trying to take me back. I fought but knew you wouldn't let the monster take me. I never felt that before but I remember that in my heart you would save me."

"Always, I make this promise to you now I will always be there to save you. What you felt is my love for you CJ. I will protect you to my last breath. Darling you are my heart"

I smiled at him. "You are mine, always have been always will be. Come on, let's get inside and get this ball rolling. I want this monster taken into custody, no one is safe as long as he's loose. I don't want what happened to me to happen to anyone else."

He took my hand and raised it to his mouth and kissed it. "No one else. We will not let anyone get taken, we will find him and I will make him pay for ever taking you from me."

I nodded.

We walked in and everyone looked at us. Star, Chris and Momma had woken up. Will had left to get his dad and Tiny had woken and had called Too Mean thinking there was trouble and said he would be here in 10 minutes.

Momma was in the kitchen and said she would start breakfast if anyone was hungry. Food was the last thing on my mind; the others said they could wait.

Momma said coffee was brewing and the kettle was on the stove. No one spoke, waiting for me to let them in on my discovery.

Discovery, hmm right my memories had decided to return due to the pressures I had endured these last days and thinking I was being abducted again didn't help. But they deserved the truth and the more I remember it might lead to that one clue to find out who my monster was.

Tiny got up from the recliner and motioned me to sit. Carol brought me a cup of Green Tea and Houston came and stood behind me putting his hand on my shoulder.

I take a sip and watch my family all waiting for me to break. I won't, I need to be strong and show them that I am still the strong person that they can depend on. I took a deep breath and started my story.

I detailed what had happened the day I was abducted. Houston had been getting threats again. These were different, not the same ones that he had gotten in the past. These were more personal. I couldn't put my finger on it but the phone calls had been creepier and the obituary that had been sent in the mail just put me more on edge.

They all looked at him.

I shook my head, "this is all part of the job I knew this, we both did, I didn't go into this blind neither did he. People are out there that want to harm us but it's not going to stop the job we are doing. No one was going to run me off when I knew I was helping people just like Houston."

I put my hand over his. He still had his hand on my shoulder and I continued. I said what Uncle Roy told me that if we would hide each time he was threatened then we would all be living underground.

"One thing I regret now. I am sorry for my favorite niece for even saying that."

Uncle Roy and Will had shown up and I wanted to go give him a hug but. He shook his head. I would talk to him later. I wasn't aware of him having these feelings. I didn't want him to feel responsible.

I continued to tell them of me staying late as usual, nothing out of the ordinary. Houston is trying to get me to join him and Natalie for dinner.

Carol, Chris and Maureen all whispered, "Really?"

I didn't look up. Poor Houston had been through enough this weekend.

I had decided to get Chinese food and turned off my computer and put work that I wanted to review for court the next day in my briefcase. I got on the elevator and had my keys in my hand. I knew Houston had hired an extra guard for nighttime since I had the bad habit of working late. So now there was one in the lobby and one in the garage.

I had walked to my car not paying attention. My first mistake I said. Houston squeezed my shoulder and whispered no mine.

I kept going. I told them how someone grabbed me from behind. I had used my briefcase to hit him in the face, another one came at me and I had used the self-defense moves Too Mean had taught me and had him on the floor.

I stopped, another memory decided to appear. I was back in the garage my eyes closed remembering more of that awful night.

"CJ?"

I felt like I was in a trance. I could see it clearly in my head, "Two came at me at the beginning after I opened my door. I used the door to hit one and the one that grabbed me from behind I used my briefcase. They were both on the floor. I started to run when someone else grabbed my arm. This time I went for the knee and they fell also. I was running to the guard shack at the garage entrance. I was almost there and someone grabbed me from behind. He whispered, "Hello Princess," and slammed me face first into the garage wall. After that I woke up in a room with my captors. I was blindfolded and drugged but I could hear their voices."

That part came to me at that minute, it was in my dream but I remembered it happening the smell of cigar and the voice. I was so sure there were three of them. I was wrong.

Devin spoke up "Is that what you told Houston that there were three?"

I couldn't answer him if I had known there were four I would have been better prepared but…

I didn't have an answer. I looked up at Houston, "CJ. You never told us how many had abducted you. When we found them there were three. The tape had you in it and always three people but they where all wearing the same thing and had their faces covered I can't be sure now…"

"What tape?"

I gasped and covered my mouth.

He let go of my shoulder and stepped back. I turned to look at him. Knowing what I had done. Anger, sorrow and guilt came over his face. He turned around and cursed and punched the wall.

"Dammit! Mother... CJ I'm sorry I…"

I couldn't look at him. He had endured so much. From what the officer had let slip about the tape he had a front row seat to everything. I could kick myself for opening that can of worms.

"What tape Cowboy, is there tape of her abduction from the garage? What tape?" Devin growled.

I knew what tape he was talking about, the tape of my captivity.

Uncle Roy came close as did Too Mean. They startled me. I dropped the cup of tea and turned to look at him.

"Houston?" He didn't respond. I got up and he looked like he wanted to run. I grabbed his hands and sat him down on the chair he hadn't looked at me. I took his face in my hands and whispered in his ear.

"I know about the tape. I am so, so sorry you had to witness it. This burden you've carried for months I'm sorry."

He engulfed me in his arms and held me. I could feel the wetness of his tears in my neck. I would hold him and let him get this out of his system. He had seen what these monsters had done to me. He had witnessed this alone. Another man would have let this undo him, not my Houston. He saved me time and time again and did not ask for anything more than I was willing to give him.

No one spoke, I could hear sniffling, and no one had ever seen him this vulnerable. Houston was a proud man and made sure he kept all his emotions in check. All that's happened was now taking a toll on all of us and they needed to see the severity of what was going on so we all would be on the same page when it came to our safety.

"CJ, I'm sorry."

I whispered in his ear, "You have nothing to be sorry about. You are my rock, you saved me so let me return the favor. Lean on me now. I still need you, whatever is on that tape I need to see it. As much as you've tried to shield me from the ugliness I need to see it. So I can process it and conquer it."

He pulled back, "No so we can conquer this. Please, you don't have to see it. I have the tape from the garage. We will look at that but not the other one. No CJ I can't let you see that. I can't lose you again."

He looked away, I pulled his face back to me. "You can't lose me again. I have too much to live for and you are my number 1 thing to look forward to in my life. 1 month and a half and we take our next step okay?"

He looked at me, wiped the tears from his face and smiled, "I think you meant 1 month."

"I can always change it back to 2 months." I whispered in his ear.

He shook his head and kissed my cheek, "Month and a half I can live with that."

I hugged him and he looked behind me.

"Okay are you two done whispering because you left us all hanging here, Houston where is this tape. The one from the garage"

He didn't look at Devin or Luca but held me as he talked. He told them that he had a copy at the office but the police had the pictures that had been sent to the Novelli's, his father and Will.

Luca mumbled, "What photos?"

Will took this part of the story. He said that my extended family had been sent photos of me the day I was taken with notes saying it was all due to Houston killing their brother. That I would be tortured and then killed and it was all due to his involvement and they wanted all of to know that being involved with him would result in more death.

I started to shake, I never asked what was on the letters sent to them and this just confirmed my biggest fear. If that monster was out there then all of my family was now a target. I had gotten away when I should have died. Their revenge was not done.

"Over my dead body, no one is going to harm your Beautiful. I know you can hear me so stop shaking and look at me."

I look up at him. Luca, Will, Too Mean and Tiny are standing in front of me.

"We got your back little sister, no one will get close enough to you."

"Yeah my future wife will kill me if anything happens to you so yeah you are as safe as can be no worries now we are here to serve and protect right Tiny."

"I'd like to see them try, no harm will come to you or any of our family. We need to find this animal and put him down. He harmed you and now he has to pay."

Houston moves me so I am still sitting on his lap but faces all of them. He nods and looks up to Uncle Roy.

"Thank you, she needs to hear this and sorry I am not one to crumble but this situation is serious we need to be on alert. If the monster that took CJ is coming for her he knows her weaknesses and it's all of you."

I tried to pull back, he knew me so well I would sacrifice myself for any of these people in this room. He stood up and held me in front of him.

"Promise me right now if for some reason this animal contacts you or threatens one of us you will get yourself to safety. He will not stop till he gets you back. I was witness to what he did and he won't stop."

"Yeah listen to the Cowboy, Beautiful you can't let your guard down and that goes for all of you. Houston, you said these guys are still being held in the jail ward of the hospital, we need names buddy I need to start working on this we need to find out who was the fourth person."

Everyone was talking at the same time I closed my eyes wanting to I leaned back into Houston he pulled me close and put my head on his shoulder. Luca and Devin said could we go into the office early to review the tape.

"What do you think CJ we can review the garage tape all together see where I screwed up."

I looked at, "You did no such thing, stop that we will go into the office and review it together, I have all of you to support me get through this so let's go we have a meeting later on about Jake which I am not missing. So give me 20 minutes and we can go."

I went upstairs listening to all of the figure out who was staying and who would be coming with us to the office. This was going to be another long day. I looked down and Beast was following me as was Star.

I went to my room to pull out some clean clothes she stood by the doorway, Beast sitting on the bed looking at both of us. I looked over to her.

"What's on your mind sweetheart? You've been very quiet. Star never be afraid to express what you are feeling. I don't ever want you to hide how you feel so spill."

She ran to me and hugged me and started to cry. I held her wondering what that had just happened trigger this.

Beast started to whine and wanted us to stop crying. I shushed her and she pulled back and wiped her tears with her sleeve.

"How did you do it CJ? You told us what happened to you in the garage but I don't want to know what happened when they took you. Is that bad of me? I never want you to ever be hurt when I thought you were being taken, I froze I felt this fear grip me and I was paralyzed. I want to be able to get past that I want to be strong like you. What made you so strong to survive it?"

"I wasn't brave I was so scared but I didn't want them to have that power. If they knew how I really felt they would have used that against me and those that were looking for me. I was drugged for a majority of the time. But when I was conscious I thought of my family of Houston. I knew he would find me. That I just had to last endure their torture but I knew in my heart he would not stop till he found me."

She was still in my arms when I felt some one hug us. I looked up and it was Carol and Maureen.

"You're wrong sis you are brave, you are a survivor. You are here because they underestimated you. I wish we could take this nightmare away from you, but we are here now we will help you in any way possible. You are right he never gave up. I hate to say it but we were preparing ourselves just in case it didn't come out like we wanted."

Carol and Maureen had tears now and both took a deep breathe. Maureen continued, "Carol called me crying saying if you weren't found Cowboy would not survive that blow. She told me about coming to the office after his episode and what he had said. My heart hurt and we didn't know how to handle this. Our Ms. Fixit wasn't around to take care of it. So we are here now for you just say what you need. Both of you. She looked at the door and I turned to see Houston.

"I didn't know if you were ready, I'm sorry I'll be in my room."

"I take it he didn't know you told me about his episode while I was gone?"

The shook their head. I hugged each one of them again and said that they needed to ensure they had someone with them if they were leaving the house. Carol said Luca was coming with her and Maureen said she was coming to the office with Will after she went home to change. Star looked at me.

"I'm going to stay here with Momma, I have some leads I need to follow up I'm sure Tiny can come with me. Everyone knows Tiny so it should be okay. Boss Lady take care of Boss Man and you have to listen to him okay? Popeye not so much he is being a grumpy grump."

I nodded and grabbed my clothes, "Sis the bathroom is behind you where you going?"

"Too go see if my Cowboy is okay."