Norma Jean (24 page)

When I walk into my room and see her clothes from yesterday on the floor I drop to my knees. Please be with Caden or Teagan. Please. Don’t let that fucker have come into my house and taken her. I’ll never know what happened to her. He could get rid of the body where no one could find it. I believe he is that good and that crazy.

I stand up and clinch my shaking fists when I hear someone coming up the stairs towards my room. Declan appears in the doorway looking down right freaked out. “Caden said he hasn’t been home all day so she isn’t with him.” He pauses looking unsure. “Teagan was the last one to leave. She said she forgot to lock the door before she left. She is really upset about it. Though it was locked when I left.” He looks around seeing Norma’s stuff still here.

“Creed would have locked the door. Just to throw you off. It’s not Teagan’s fault. It just made it easier for him to get to her. He would have broken in regardless.” I squeeze my eyes shut tr
ying to block out all the images running through my head. I don’t know where she is. I don’t know what Creed is doing to her. “She would have heard it coming that way. She would have had a chance to get away.”

Declan looks a little angry at me before he visibly relaxes. “Teagan didn’t mean to leave the door unlocked. I’ll let it slip what you’re trying to do. I know you’re freaked out and panicking. But don’t go down there laying the fault at Teagan’s feet.”

I know he is right but I still want to rant and scream. I want to punch something and kick down a door. Anything to get rid of this panic and not knowing what’s going on. “Creed will call me. He will want to gloat about getting her. I just have to wait for that call.”

I look into Declan’s brown eyes and I see what he isn’t saying. “If she has been with him most of the day, then it’s probably already too late.”

It can’t be too late. How the hell would I go on without her?

*****

“What do you mean you can’t find her?” Elizabeth screams in my ear over the phone. I pull it away from my face while she continues to scream. Not all of it nice. “You were supposed to protect her! How the hell did he get to her?”

“I don’t know! Okay! I don’t know!” I yell back at her. I’m freaking out enough as it is without her making it worse. “We have to wait 24 hours to report her missing. The cops won’t do much until then.”

“Don’t you yell at me boy! I will call your mother!” her piercing voice even makes Caden and Declan cringe and they are on the other side of the room.

Before I can reply Teagan grabs the phone out of my hand. “Look Ms. Elizabeth, we are all worried about her, but you yelling at Chance is not going to find her any sooner.”

Teagan places the phone back in my hand and walks over to Declan and snuggles into his arms. My arms feel a pang for the little body they are missing. “She’s right Chance. I’m sorry. This isn’t your fault. I knew that Creed was a freak since he was a little kid. His daddy was as bad as they come.”

I stare off into space not replying. I don’t honestly think it has anything to do with who his daddy is. I’m a perfect example. My dad tried to make me exactly like him and I was when I was a child, but I grew up and became a decent man. Creed didn’t. He took what he learned from his father and made it the way he lived. Never seeing it wasn’t a good thing.

“I’m going to call Norma’s father. After that I’m heading up there and talking to the police. I will be damned if they aren’t going to do anything before 24 hours.” We say goodbye and she hangs up.

“Well I guess we know where Norma gets her feistiness from.” Caden jokes. I glare at him and start pacing the living room floor again.

“Caden just be quiet. You have no idea when to be quiet.” Teagan scolds him.

There’s a knock on the door then and we all look towards the door. I realize that we all live here, but most of the time I still let Declan answer the door. So does everyone else. As he gets up, I start fidgeting with my hands hoping it’s the police or something saying they have Norma and she is fine.

“Grace?” Declan says confused.

“Umm can I speak to Caden?” she asks walking into the room after Declan pulls the door open enough for her to enter.

Caden looks angry, which is the normal expression for him whenever the tall leggy blond enters the same room as him. “Not now Grace, Chance’s girlfriend is missing.” He waves her off and Grace looks upset.

“This
is really important. I swear.” she pleads to the back of his head.

Caden sighs and gets up off the couch. He passes her without a glance and heads up the stairs. Grace slowly follows never once looking back at us.

“I don’t even want to know.” Teagan says pretending that didn’t just happen.

I roll it off my shoulders and start pacing again. The waiting game is something I never want to do again. It is literally killing me that I don’t know where she is or if she is okay. She has to be okay, I won’t believe anything else. My phone starts ringing and I nearly jump out of my skin. “Hello?” I nearly yell without looking at the screen to see who it is.

“Chance. I guess while I’ve been staying at my moms, Creed stole my truck. I’m sorry I didn’t find out sooner. I’m coming up with Aunt Elizabeth so get out looking for my car. He couldn’t have taken her far.” I hear wind blowing around him like he’s in a vehicle with the window down.

“How do you know he stole it?” I question scratching the back of my neck.

“He left me a fucking note. The crazy bastard is so dead when I get my hands on him!” he bellows out frustrated.

“What did it say?” I ask impatient.

“
Hey Marley. I’m off to kill your cousin and I need your truck. I know where Chance lives and you should find me before I find them
.” I can’t tell if that’s really what it said or if he is just being sarcastic.

“He wrote that?” I sit down on the coffee table and push my fingers into my hair.

“Yeah. Exactly that. I always knew that bastard was crazy.” I quickly get off the phone with him after. I pull my truck keys out of my jean pocket and head for the door.

“Wait!” Declan exclaims making me stop in my tracks. “What did he say?” I turn back to look at him feeling more impatient than ever before.

“Creed stole his truck and came this way. I know what it looks like. I’m going to drive around and see if I can find them.” I turn back around taking another step towards the door.

“What kind of truck and we will look too.” I glare at him but it doesn’t seem to faze him. “You could use the help and I don’t really want to sit here waiting for something to happen.”

Damn he’s right. I rattle off the make and model of the truck. Before I leave I hear Declan say something about getting Caden and Grace to help look too. I don’t really care at this point. I just want to get out and find Norma Jean.

I climb into my truck feeling completely lost. I don’t even know where to start. They could be anywhere, hell he has had all day to get her somewhere and hurt her.

I won’t think like that though. I have to keep strong and clear headed for smalls.

Chapter 17

Norma

I’m floating on nothing. Like literally floating on nothing. Everything is black and cold. I can’t touch anything or feel anything but I’m not falling, just float
ing. Its freaks me out. Where are the fiery gates of Hell? Or the pearly gates of Heaven? Maybe there really isn’t a Heaven and Hell. Maybe our souls just exist in limbo until the end of forever. Damn that’s a really long time.

I feel like I’ve been this way forever. Like I can’t remember a time I was alive. I wonder have long I have been dead. I don’t like that limbo is the way I have to spend eternity. I would have loved to be a ghost. Then I could have followed Chance around until the end of his hopefully long life. I would have seen him get married and have children. I could have seen him as a loving and dutiful husband. Something I will never get to experience now.

Tears fall down my cheeks and fall off into the deep emptiness around me. I hope my mother doesn’t take it too hard. Losing my Grammy and me in the same year might be too much though.

How I wish I could have foreseen all of this happening. The evil lurking behind Creed’s eyes wasn’t something I searched for. I never expected to see it there. Somehow the good boy turned out to be the bad boy. And the bad boy turned out to be really good.

I hope that Macy doesn’t miss me too much. I know I haven’t been around all that often lately but I love that little girl. She made me happy when nothing else could even make me smile. She deserves all the joy in the world. I pray that she meets a guy like her uncle. Not like her father. I wouldn’t wish my experiences with Creed on anyone.

Will I spend an eternity here living through my mistakes over and over again? Will I have to deal with all the pain of stuff I never got to do? I never had kids. I wanted 4. An entire house full of them running around. Little auburn haired boys with hazel eyes. My little Chance’s.

It’s funny how I didn’t want them when I first started dating Chance. Now that I know he was my forever, I can’t stop thinking about how much I wanted them.

Life seems to always be playing some sick joke on me. My eternal happiness is right at my finger tips and then it’s gone. Over and over again. Maybe it’s good I didn’t bring babies into the world. I wouldn’t want to pass my luck on to them.

When I feel something touch my wrist, it’s safe to say I freak the hell out. I look around my prison of nothing but darkness though it’s useless. I can’t see a thing. Something that feels close to arms go under my head and legs pulling me up. Am I finally being moved from limbo? Will I go to heaven or hell? Will I be reborn?

Then I am moving. I still can’t see a thing but it feels like something is walking with me in its arms. I am finally being set free.

*****

When I open my
eyes there is so much light. It blinds me and I have to blink several times before I can even keep them open. “Where am I?” I ask on a croak.

A shadow stops in front of my face blocking out the light. I can’t make out any features but it seems to be holding som
ething. “You’re safe sweetie.” says a nice grandmotherly voice.

“Grammy? Am I in heaven?” I feel tears start to fall down my face but I can’t muster the energy to raise my arms and wipe away the tears.

“No dear. Just a nurse at the hospital.” She pats my arm before moving away. The lights are back on full force causing me to wince.

“Huh?” I ask turn
ing my head the way I think she moved in.

She walks back towards me, blocking out the light again. I sigh in relief. “You were shot in the leg. The bullet nicked your femoral artery. You would have bled out but you had a blood clot and it saved your life. Well that and the nice hunter who found you.” She pats my shoulder this time and moves away from me again.

I’m fucking alive! Are you kidding me right now? Somewhere, somehow I’m not dead. Maybe my luck decided to change. Though something doesn’t seem right. Where is everybody? Chance. My mom. Dad. Marley. Hell even Declan, Teagan, and Caden. “Where are my family?”

“We have been waiting for you to wake up to tell us that. There are no missing person’s reports for a woman your age and you didn’t have any identification on your person
s
,” says a male voice.

“My name is Norma Jean Davis. I’m 22 and I’m from Duke, Arkansas. My mother’s name is Elizabeth and I need to call her. She is probably freaking out right now.” I stammer out. I can’t believe I’m alive. I also can’t believe no one knows where the hell I am. Why didn’t they file a missing persons report?

“Alright sweetie, calm down. Give me any numbers I need to call and we will get everyone here.” I prattle the number for mom and Chance. “Listen to the doctor now sweetie. Your family will be here soon.”

“Now Ms. Davis, the police are here to talk to you. There was a male with you. He didn’t make it. They would like to know what happened out there.” I look up at him and nod my head. I don’t really want to see the police but I will do whatever they want.

An older gentleman in a suit walks into the room. His badge flashes in the light and he has an easy smile on his face. “Hello Ms. Davis. I’m Detective James and I have been assigned to your case.” I nod and he keeps talking. “Now I was listening outside the room and I ran your name through and there does seem to be some activity.”

I’m sure I looked really confused. I haven’t even been pulled over for speeding. What could my record say? Do they have tapes of me selling drugs for Creed? Oh my god I’m going to jail for the rest of my life! The machine that is hooked up to my heart starts going crazy and my head starts to feel dizzy.

“Calm down Ms. Davis. I only meant that your friend Chance Duncan tried to file a missing persons on you earlier today. Since you hadn’t been missing for 24 hours they had to wait but it did say to keep a look out for a woman matching your description.” He pauses looking through a notepad I’m sure he pulled out of his jacket. “Creed Donovan is wanted in the connection of kidnapping a Macy Duncan and setting fire to a Mrs. Chambers house. And the theft of a Mr. Marley Chambers vehicle. Is that the male we found with you? He didn’t have any identification either.” He looks up at me hopeful.