I carry Alaia to the car and strap her into the passenger seat beside me. I kiss her hand a couple of times and close the door. I get into the car and sit there, staring ahead. I bite my lip hard, and in a rage, I punch the steering wheel a couple of times; choking on a sob, I press my head to the wheel and cry forlornly. God, please protect her, please bring her back to us safely. I don’t want anything else. Just get her back to me.Once I pull myself together, I drive back home. Alaia asleep in the car seat beside me. I sigh when I see the photographers were still camped out outside the house. The police officers usher them out of the way as the gate opens, and they snap photo after photo of me as I pull Alaia out of the car.“Tristan, is there any news on Shayla?!”“Tristan, where did they find Alaia? Where is Shayla?! Is it true that she’s been killed?!”“Get them out of here!” I shout angrily at the officers, who nod and start ushering them away from

“What is it?” He asks quickly, and I push the door open and run across the street toward the church. I push the door open and walk inside. I’m not a religious man, but she was, and if anyone was going to help her right now, it was God himself. I walk down the aisle toward the prayer desk and look up at the statue of Jesus Christ staring down at me. I fall to my knees, lace my fingers together, and close my eyes.“God, I wasn’t raised to believe in anyone other than myself. I know, I probably have no right being here and asking you of anything, having no faith— but my wife has always had faith, and she prays and is a good person. I'm desperate, and you're the only one I can turn to for help and guidance right now. I’m begging you. Please help Shayla, please keep her safe and give her the strength to keep on fighting and find her way home to me and our baby girl. I’ll do anything. I'll come to church every Sunday. I’ll donate more money and time to those in need. I'll give up e

*Content warning*This chapter contains sensitive content (abuse/assault) that some may find triggering or upsetting. It's not graphic, but I advise you to skip this chapter or read it at your own risk. “I’m going to ask you one more time.” Detective Scott sighs tiredly. “Where is Shayla Hoult?” I watch behind the glass as Sophie rolls her eyes and shrugs her shoulder.“I don’t know. How many times do I have to keep repeating myself? I don’t have anything to do with her kidnapping. Those people are all crazy, and they’ve poisoned Tristan against me. If anyone should be arrested, it’s him. He was trying to kill me. They all were!” She shrieks, sitting forward in her seat. “I’m going to press charges on every one of them.” She mutters, touching her swollen lip.“Miss Turner, I don’t think you’ve quite comprehended the gravity of the allegations and charges you’re facing here. You had an innocent woman and her baby kidnapped and helped captive.

“I hope you don’t mind me saying, but I’m a huge fan of both you and your wife. I used to see your pictures in the papers or social media all the time and always wish to find someone to look at me the way you’d look at each other. I could just feel the love through the screen of my phone.” She states with a smile, and then her face falls when she looks at Shayla. “Then I read about her being abducted and now seeing her like this...”I look at her, frown and, sit up straight. “Please don’t say anything to anyone about what she’s suffered. I don't want the papers to find out about what she’s gone through and have it all over the internet. It would destroy her even more.”Her brown eyes go wide, and she looks at me, surprised. “Oh, no, I would never. I’d have to be completely heartless to do such a thing. I’ve always idolized her and hoped I’d meet her one day, but I obviously didn’t ever dream it would be like this.” She replies woefully and shakes her head.“I wo

*Content warning*This chapter contains sensitive content (abuse/assault) that some may find triggering or upsetting. It's not graphic, but I advise you to skip this chapter or read it at your own risk. I stare out of the window at the gradually dimming sky. The sound of the rain hitting the window and the distant rumble of the thunder was soothing. It gave me something else to focus on, other than the ache in my body, my wrists' stinging, and the crippling fear that had my heart racing a mile a minute. I didn’t think I would see daylight ever again. The scary part is that I was okay with that. In fact, I was welcoming it. I gave up fighting after the third time. I begged them every hour to just kill me, but they didn’t. Sophie wanted me to suffer, and suffer I did. I can still feel their hand’s all over me. I can feel their long beards dragging along my skin, making every hair on my body stand with disgust. I thought I was broken before—I was wrong. Now,